RX8 Newbie South Wales based - 2008 231 S1

[ding194]

Hi all,

New member here — just getting my head around how the forum / club works. I think I’ve messaged the right people for club member access, so hopefully that’ll come through soon.

Last month I picked up a 2008 RX-8 with 65k miles from a rotary specialist in the South East. Compression checked out well (high even 6s), which gave me the confidence to just go for it. It’s scratching a rotary itch that probably started when I was a kid playing Gran Turismo , and I wanted to experience one properly while good, affordable examples are still around.

A few age-related bits cropped up early on (expansion tank, fuel sender stuck, and an oil cooler line leak), which the seller sorted ASAP to be fair — luckily spotted before anything more serious could happen. Apart from that, all good. I’ve since changed all fluids, treated some light rust underneath, and refreshed the ignition bits to put my mind at ease.

It’s very much a weekend car for me. I’m not a mechanic by any means — just happy doing the basics and learning as I go. Already giving it the premix treatment and sticking to the cold-start rituals! I also have a BMW Z3 2.2 that I tinker with from time to time (though the RX-8 is a different beast…).

Loving the RX-8 so far — it’s been an absolute hoot on the B-roads around me and handles like a dream (shame the tax hurts a bit, but YOLO ).

Thanks

[warpc0il]

Sounds like you're doing the right things, starting with getting the car and joining the OC.

I hope you got those ignition parts from a trusted source, as there's lots of crap out there waiting to catch the unwary...

[ding194]

Sounds like you're doing the right things, starting with getting the car and joining the OC.

I hope you got those ignition parts from a trusted source, as there's lots of crap out there waiting to catch the unwary...

Thanks!

And yes, did suck it up and pay extra for the OEM Mazda NH31 -18-100 Coils, 8.5mm Magnecor Performance Leads, and the usual iridium ngk plugs.
If there was one thing I was told not to skimp on it was these bits..

[casey]

Welcome to the club! Congratulations, it sounds like you have done your research and already know some of the critical items on our cars to look after.

You are in good company in South Wales, with several members around you, including some track/race enthusiasts.

Castle Combe is not far from you. You'd be very welcome to join us at our ever-popular show event there in late May. We typically get around 50 rotaries on our stand, with free bacon rolls and drinks for full members. We even have a club exclusive 15 minute track session if you are interested. Head over to the Events section of the forum for more details of JDM Combe.

I've had my RX-8 for 21 years, now on 105,000 miles and 100 trackdays. Definitely the best car I've had for fun driving.

Enjoy the WWW, Whacky World of the Wankel

[ding194]

Welcome to the club! Congratulations, it sounds like you have done your research and already know some of the critical items on our cars to look after.

You are in good company in South Wales, with several members around you, including some track/race enthusiasts.

Castle Combe is not far from you. You'd be very welcome to join us at our ever-popular show event there in late May. We typically get around 50 rotaries on our stand, with free bacon rolls and drinks for full members. We even have a club exclusive 15 minute track session if you are interested. Head over to the Events section of the forum for more details of JDM Combe.

I've had my RX-8 for 21 years, now on 105,000 miles and 100 trackdays. Definitely the best car I've had for fun driving.

Enjoy the WWW, Whacky World of the Wankel

That’s reassuring to hear. I think a lot of people — journalists especially — treat them like some kind of ticking time bomb. I’ve already had the “those apex seals…” conversation more than once!

The way I see it, it’s not that different from running a performance bike or even an outboard engine — regular checks, a few rituals, and actually understanding how it wants to be used. My old BMW certainly had its own quirks too, so none of this feels especially alien. Hearing yours is on 105k is genuinely reassuring.

It’s also good to know I’m not alone in the South Wales area. I haven’t seen many RX-8s around recently (although I did spot one parked up near Chepstow), so it’d be great to get involved a bit more. I’ve got zero track-day experience — I’ve never really been in the right crowd for it. Most of my friends and family couldn’t care less about cars, and I already bore them enough as it is!

Thanks though — I’ll definitely consider Castle Combe, especially given how close it is.

[350matt]

I'd say to consider fitting a SOHN conversion kit , to my mind this really helps extend the engine life

[ding194]

I'd say to consider fitting a SOHN conversion kit , to my mind this really helps extend the engine life

Thanks, I’ll definitely look into one of those kits.

In the meantime though (and with it just being a weekend car) I’ve been doing a light premix with Castrol Power1 2T Ultimate (around 300:1 to 400:1). I’ll also keep up with regular oil changes, hopefully making sure the OMP isn't feeding the engine anything too dirty!

[350matt]

Well worth doing a seafoam clean on the OMP injectors too, or you can strip them down and clean them out and fit fresh o-rings

to do the seafoam clean, you remove the lines at the pump and immerse the banjo bolt in a pot of the seafoam then crank the engine ( remove the fuel pump fuse to prevent fire-up) until it sucks a good portion in, then move onto the rest. If all 4 suck through some cleaner you know they aren't blocked plus you have given them a washout

I personally think clogged OMP injectors are one of the main reasons these engines wear out prematurely. That and mineral oil is nowhere as good as protecting bearings etc

So clean OMP injectors slurping down 2 stroke and a sump full of full ester synthetic makes for a happy engine