Hello!

[AaronM1991]

Hi All!

I'm looking into getting an RX8. I love the look of the cars and i'm just not sure exactly which model would be the best to get! I've got a budget of 4-5k in total and not sure whether to hold off for a low mileage RX8 to pup up or to spend a bit less and factor in the cost for a rebuild/ignition coils and leads etc? Any advice would be great!

Thanks
Aaron!

[GreySilver Beast]

Hi Aaron & to the RX-8OC


Please check out the EVENTS SECTION's - Events Team

[brix79]

Hi Aaron, welcome to the forum.

A couple of places to get some info to start with (if you haven't already):

Buyers Guide

History of the RX8

[TheManc]

Hi All!

spend a bit less and factor in the cost for a rebuild/ignition coils and leads etc? Any advice would be great!

Thanks
Aaron!

you're on the right track with that idea

[Artermis]

Hi All!

I'm looking into getting an RX8. I love the look of the cars and i'm just not sure exactly which model would be the best to get! I've got a budget of 4-5k in total and not sure whether to hold off for a low mileage RX8 to pup up or to spend a bit less and factor in the cost for a rebuild/ignition coils and leads etc? Any advice would be great!

Thanks
Aaron!

Welcome aboard mate. With that kind of a budget you might find a cheaper R3 for that money, depends what takes your fancy. R3s don't suffer quite the same engine wear issues as the Series 1 thanks to a number of revisions made to the engine but it is still a rotary and will still wear it's tips eventually. I personally went for the cheaper S1 car and rebuild / side money option, a bit like you're considering.

S1 cars are available in 192bhp or 231bhp models, R3 only came in 231bhp. The 231 model revs higher, has more power as the title suggests but it's produced higher in the rev range and tends to be a better spec, e.g. all 231s have xenon headlamps, I've never seen one that doesn't have leather either. The 192 doesn't have xenons (can be retrofit), may have cloth seats but can be had with leather (or retrofit of course...). Some report the 192 better on mid-range torque though, so drive-ability wise it's not the complete loss you might think.

You should be able to find a car that's got things like the coils already done easily enough - they're a very, very common upgrade which most enthusiast owners are quick to take up and get done. Otherwise look for a car that's had regular service / oil changes and premixing (of 2 stroke oil) is always considered favourable.

I paid £1,000 for my car in August 2018 which came with full history, nearly all of which is Mazda (although that's not always to be highly regarded as they're not all clued up on rotary) and it has upgraded coils and leads, as well as the previous owner having religiously pre-mixed (so they tell me).

If you go to check out a car that's already been rebuilt - and so is costing a bit more, commanding a bit of a premium - I'd recommend you insist on seeing some compression test figures before spending your money, so you know for sure that your extra cash is going to buy you some longevity. If you're buying a car that's not been rebuilt then it's almost a fait accompli, no point in a compression test as it will, sooner or later, want rebuilding.

There are enough specialists out there that offer compression testing as well as a number of private members who hold their own compression testing units. I think the going rate at a specialist is around the £40 mark.

Good luck

[AaronM1991]

Thanks for the replies guys! keeping my eyes open for something! Seeing quite a few 231s listed for about 2-2.5k without a rebuild at about 50-60k miles and no mention of upgraded coils/leads, is this the going rate for them or do prices on these fluctuate a bit?

[goodeggbob]

there are 2 cars for sale on here in members cars for sale. could be worth asking as at least you will get to know a bit about the cars from their owners.

[goodeggbob]

just looked again,in fact there are 5 cars for sale,maybe a good position to be in as a buyer.

[AaronM1991]

Hi and AaronM1991 As you are in Kent you could look to see what Warren Court Rotary and LC Rotary may have for sale at the moment, both are known specialists in Kent with good reputations - you can find their contact details here viewtopic.php?f=25&t=36531
Also if you just fancy a chat over some food, we have a monthly meet at Dartford and you will be very welcome to join us there - next one is Tuesday 19th March viewtopic.php?f=99&t=79146

[AaronM1991]

Been a while since starting this! but i finally picked up my RX8 this morning! 2004 with 15k miles! Velocity red and i love it already! No issues with start ups etc but just think i want to put some new decent coils/plugs on it and maybe uprated starter motor! Will put some pics when i take some decent ones

[Phil Bate]

Excellent find we look forward to some pictures.

With such a low mileage example it would be well worth applying some rust prevention, a topic close to my heart at the moment

[Shagrington]

Sounds great - you've done very well finding one with mileage that low. Now you have one, have a good read through whatever in the FAQ section you didn't already read and then (for when you do get it running again - and just ignore me if you know all this already) here are my best tips for keeping it all running sweetly:

1. To start up turn the key to position 2, wait for most of the lights on the dash to go out (I watch the airbag light by the glove box), press the clutch to the floor (optional, but reduces drag), turn the key to start and do not touch the throttle until it has started. You can drive off straight away, just keep the revs down for a bit (see #4 below).

2. Never turn off the engine before it has reached at least somewhere towards normal operating temperature (should only take a minute or two, but best to go for a short drive if just swapping cars round on the drive etc). Switching off cold risks flooding, which is a real with a rotary engine. Mazda recommend rev to 4k and hold it for 8-10 seconds switching off while still revving if you have no option but to switch off cold (it is not necessary to do this in any other circumstance).

3. Check the oil level regularly (use the dipstick - the oil gauge tells you nothing other than that you have or don't have pressure) and top up if necessary with semi synthetic 5w30 (most people and specialists are advising to use 10w40 now though) ... small amounts at a time, no more than ½ a litre then check the level again before adding more as you don't want to overfill it.

4. Use all the revs once the engine is nice and warm (don't sit idling to warm up, start up and drive but keep it below about 4k until the needle on the water temperature gauge is pointing straight up, then give it another 10 minutes for the oil to warm up too before really thrashing it ) and hit the beep often. Best acceleration is from 4k revs up - to pull away you really need to rev to 2k - you can let the revs drop after lifting the clutch if you are in traffic, cruising steadily at 3½k revs and changing down to go up hills or accelerate gets you the best mpg ... which still won't be great.

5. Join the club for discounts on all sorts of things (you will very quickly get the cost of membership back - and then some), loads more info in the members only sections (including access to all the workshop and technical manuals), local meets (or if you can't find one exactly local it is a good excuse for a drive if you come to one a bit further away), a sexy keyring just for joining and more.