"Luc - The Acadian Oppo" (luc5)
02/15/2015 at 22:51 • Filed to: None
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"Luc - The Acadian Oppo" (luc5)
02/15/2015 at 22:51 • Filed to: None | 4
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This popped up local to me and looks to be in amazing condition. 100% stock and unmodified. It's done just 41,000kms (25,000 ish miles) and is listed for only $13,000.00. I know these have tons of reliability issues but that still seems like a ridiculously good deal for this type of car in this condition. If I was in a situation to buy I would probably buy this in a heartbeat and take my chances. If I could even get 3 somewhat trouble free years out if it, I would think I got my moneys worth and if the motor goes pop then I could swap an LSx in it.
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jkm7680
> Luc - The Acadian Oppo
02/15/2015 at 22:58 |
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Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> Luc - The Acadian Oppo
02/15/2015 at 23:05 |
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NP. As long as the P.O. maintained it like a rotary should be maintained, it should be plenty reliable. There are plenty out there with quite a few miles on them, just because people know how to maintain them.
glemon
> Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
02/15/2015 at 23:21 |
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I don't know about that, my brother had one, and he was very good about care and maintenance still blew the seals at a little over 60K miles. I seriously considered them of and on for years and have read a lot about the engine issues. Some cars go over 100K with no problem, but many blow the seals before 50K. Is there any other car made in the last ten years that you can look at the used ads and see about half of them advertised as having a replacement motor. I love the car, I drove a lot of stuff before buying my current daily driver last fall, BMW 3 series, WRXs, G35s, RSXs, even an S2000 and a Saturn Ion Redline. The RX tripped my trigger far more than anything else I drove, but damn, those engine issues......
TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Luc - The Acadian Oppo
02/15/2015 at 23:25 |
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If you up keep it fine then it will last. Do maintenance by the book and you will get 120,000+ miles
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TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> jkm7680
02/15/2015 at 23:26 |
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And its an RX8..... so first one is wrong...
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Luc - The Acadian Oppo
> glemon
02/16/2015 at 00:02 |
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Same here I've considered one for years but I always tell myself no this is not a good idea. But the last time I considered one they were still in the 20-25K range (maybe 5 years ago) and this one has super low miles. Like I said I'm in no situation to buy but at this price I would have a real hard time saying no if I was. It's even the exact color combo I would want.
I could essentially get rid of the 2 cars I have now and buy this cash wish means I wouldn't have a car payment anymore wish would be nice.
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Luc - The Acadian Oppo
> Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
02/16/2015 at 00:09 |
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I think the highest miles RX8 I read about is 168,000 miles on the original engine but I think that guy must have a 4 leaf clover up his ass.
But in all reality if this could last until about 80,000 miles without much fuss I would consider it WELL worth it.
I'm not planing on buying but I'm pretty sure I would buy it if I could.
Garrett Davis
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
02/16/2015 at 00:12 |
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If you drive it easy and get extremely lucky, sure.
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Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> Luc - The Acadian Oppo
02/16/2015 at 00:27 |
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There is an Opponaut with one well over 100k miles lol, and his is even an '04. Original engine too!
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TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Garrett Davis
02/16/2015 at 00:31 |
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?
I know three people who had rx8's to over 100,00 miles. They kept up on maintenance and drove them like they should have been driven.
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Luc - The Acadian Oppo
> Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
02/16/2015 at 00:38 |
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Good to know.
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Garrett Davis
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
02/16/2015 at 00:49 |
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I had a friend and acquaintance have a hard time with theirs before 70k, I know my one friend took great care of his, he had owned a few RX-7s before
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TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Garrett Davis
02/16/2015 at 01:36 |
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Hmmm was it an 04? Those were notoriously bad year for them. The people i knew had an 06, 08 and 09
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Garrett Davis
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
02/16/2015 at 02:28 |
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My friends was an 05, not sure about the other guy. Still, anecdotal evidence all around. I would love to own one of these.
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TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Garrett Davis
02/16/2015 at 03:17 |
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Borrowed one of my friends for a weekend. Was a blast. Especially winding it out. Its like a Miata with more seats
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Garrett Davis
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
02/16/2015 at 12:44 |
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I've only driven one once, but it was totally a blast. Revving it up so high is just the most satisfying thing ever. Hugs canyon roads like a dream as well.
JasonStern911
> Luc - The Acadian Oppo
02/16/2015 at 16:30 |
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previous RX-8 owner here who is notorious for rustling the jimmies of rotary owners.
if you seriously have the skills and budget to pull off an LSx swap, just get an early model with a blown motor for $2500-3000 on craigslist and do that. you would have a better (from a driver's standpoint) CTS-V for less than the price of a CTS-V.
if you don't, then get the newest model possible as they revised the motor to add additional oil injectors. they should , huge emphasis on should , last longer.
despite what people tell you, there's no specific mileage at which an apex seal blows. all motors are hand assembled, so there's variance. and no amount of routine maintenance will make up for a hung over factory worker or someone dealing with life when the assembled the motor.
FWIW, the motor in my 2004 went out at about 45k miles, and my girl's 2005 went out at about 70k. both were covered under warranty at the time, so no harm no foul there. but in my 2004, I had the automatic transmission, torque converter, starter, coil packs, and a bunch of other stuff also go out prematurely - often leaving me stranded. while I get rotards defending the Renesis, there's no reason a coil pack should go out with under 50k miles unless Mazda was cost cutting in order to make the one-off rotary motor cost effective enough to sell.
that chassis, though! if Mazda had put the Mazdaspeed3 motor in it, I'd be driving one. but they don't, so here is copy/pasta from when the VP I work under asked about buying an RX-8...
—-
Here's my thoughts as a previous owner for you to hopefully pass along to your friend.
Fun facts:
Mazda extended the warranty on the Renesis to 8 years/100k – likely to avoid a class action lawsuit from customers:
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/musa2/…
Mazda intentionally left the RX-8 out of their customer satisfaction surveys:
http://autoweek.com/article/car-ne…
Other helpful links:
http://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussio…
http://www.rx8club.com/new-member-for…
For what it's worth, when my engine failed (04 with under 50k), Reno Mazda Kia said they were replacing about two a month. Elena's (05 with ~70k) still ran when the motor was replaced, but it had low compression. I babied mine (let the engine warm up, frequent 2k oil changes with non-synthetic 5W-30 oil, etc) as I was hoping to get at least 10 years, 100k out of it. The 2004 also had a lot of bad build quality related problems that Elena's 2005 did not suffer from, ranging from small stuff like sun visors cracking to major repairs including a transmission failure that was not covered by the extended warranty. And when they do run, they suffer from poor fuel economy and the motors make very little torque (remember – the RX8 doesn't have twin turbos!).
The main concern is this – you might be able to buy one for $6k due to engine concerns, but should the motor go out, you're looking at $4k for a remanufactured engine, plus the installation costs if you cannot replace the motor yourself:
http://www.pettitracing.com/rx8-engines/
http://www.banzai-racing.com/store/Mazda_Re…
You can probably save money by buying a junkyard or Japanese import motor, but the mileage on the motor is unknown and if it fails, then you're back to where you started from and out either the cost or time for installing it.
One option might be to look for one with a blown motor and see if you can pick the car up for under $2,000. One typically shows up on Craigslist every three months or so. Then, if you replace the motor with a rebuild, you at least know that the motor will probably be fine for 60k miles. If you do go this route, make sure the ECU is flashed with the latest firmware as Mazda tried many software tweaks throughout the RX8's life to try to extend engine life.
That said, the chassis handles amazingly and the brakes are above average in part to the vehicle's low weight. The suicide doors and rear seats are surprisingly practical for a sports car.
Overall, they're cool cars. But I wouldn't own one again. I suggest looking at an Infiniti G35 Coupe if you're looking for a sports car with back seats for under $10k.
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Luc - The Acadian Oppo
> JasonStern911
02/16/2015 at 21:37 |
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Very good info and it is much appreciated. I'm not planning to buy anytime soon but you make some very good points in both "why you should buy an RX8 right now" and "Don't ever buy an RX8 no matter what you do"
I need to do some research on the 8 years/100k warranty if that applies to Canada as well. If that's the case then I would buy newer one were I would have 3-4 years worth of warranty on it on the motor.
I'm VERY mechanically inclined and I have a 3 car garage so taking out the motor and installing a rebuilt one wouldn't be that difficult for me to achieve. An LSx swap is more of a wet dream than anything else but considering that there is kits to do it it is not entirely impossible.
I always LOVED the styling and handling of the RX8(I test drove one about 8 years ago). It's one of my favorite cars but the motor has always been the reason for me not to get one.
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JasonStern911
> Luc - The Acadian Oppo
02/17/2015 at 23:05 |
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The warranty only applied to the early RX-8s. Once they revised the motor to include additional oil injectors, Mazda went back to the original shorter warranty.
As far as pulling the motor goes, while I never tried it myself, it looks easier than most cars due to the Renesis' compact nature.
They're definitely unique cars - not just because of the rotary, but nothing else looks like them. Honestly, if they put the MZI V6 from the Mazda6 or the turbocharged MZR from the Mazdaspeed3/Mazdaspeed6, I'd probably own one. But they didn't. So I moved on from defending the rotary to defending Porsche's IMS bearings. X)
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Luc - The Acadian Oppo
> JasonStern911
02/17/2015 at 23:18 |
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I feel you. I can't find any other car that has the appeal that this does. it's a RWD compact car with 4 doors(sort of) and 4 USABLE seats. that is relatively light weight and handles FANTASTIC!!! The motor is essentially the only "bad" part of the car. Any type of a decent inline 4 would of made this car a pure masterpiece.
I'm still researching alternative power plants. Apparently the S2000's motor bolts right up to the transmission you would only need to fab up some motor mounts and wire the thing up. Still not the best situation but I'm keeping the possibilities open.
Hell even a 2.0L from the NC Miata would be an acceptable transplant if it was easily done. It would be slow but it would get great MPG's and you would have the best economy car you could think of.
I could buy a 350Z and save the hassle but it's too heavy and I NEED 4 seats(baby on the way). Besides the RX8 is way cooler than a 350Z.
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JasonStern911
> Luc - The Acadian Oppo
02/17/2015 at 23:32 |
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I had no idea the F20C bolted up to the RX-8's transmission... that's definitely an interesting swap candidate then, as you'd still have a lot of the rev happy nature that made the RX-8 fun to drive. and I imagine it would be easier than an LSx swap due to its smaller size.
As for the MZR... no. not if the F20C is an option. while a fine engine, the MZR is a budget motor. the F20C is Honda showing what it's capable of. if you're going to go to the trouble of a swap, you should do it right.
if you need 4 seats, the G35 is a better option than the 350Z. the chassis isn't as good as the RX-8, but they're reliable and a lot sportier than many of the alternatives. I actually picked up a G35X sedan recently as a "Porsche preservation vehicle" for the same baby on the way reason. but then I have zero swap/fab skills and mediocre at best mechanical skills.