I've been visiting and mostly lurking this forum for almost two years now, and finally found the right time to trade my Z on a RX8. The deals are so good now, that it was hard to pass up.

I traded my silver 2003 350Z on a Velocity Red 2007 RX8 Sport -- obviously with the manual transmission. The comparisons have been made so many times that it's not necessary to do again.

One thing I can't shake is my fear that it will flood and not start. This site has made me paranoid. I'm doing just as the manual reads, and not shutting it down unless the temperature gauge is in the middle. I make a lot of short, five mile trips, so this feeling will probably continue until experience proves that the car is not as fragile as I've been led to believe.

I don't care to ass around with it on the street. I autocross quite regularly so I can't wait until the next event.

Speaking of ... Can I use my autocross wheels/tires from the Z? They are 17x 8 with a 35 offset for one pair, and a 25 offset on the other pair. I expect that I might have to get a spacer for the 25 offset, right?

Is there any way to change my name from Rosko350Z to Rosko? :)

well the new plugs and flashes from the dealer should take care of the flooding.

if the bolt pattern is the same as the 8's, they will work, but you probably would want the spacer for the 25 offset.

contact the mods about the name change.

and welcome officially to the club.

I wouldn't worry too much about the flooding. I too just bought a 2007 model and don't worry about it one bit and I live in the north, where we already have snow. I see you live in Tampa so just shake it off and enjoy the car. And of course the gas bills....:eyetwitch

I would presume your Z rims would fit quite nicely. I wouldn't worry about spacers for the back wheels and it will give the car a better stance too.


Enjoy!

good choice welcome to the club

I own a 2004 and the least of my concerns is flooding. If the motor is cold just bring the revs up before you turn the car off. I've done it numerous times without any issues.

Congrats on the purchase.

Welcome!!!

Well - not really; but congratulations at least.

Congrats on the upgrade!

I want to know what the reaction of the z community was when you told them . You DID tell them didn't you ? heh .

"you did WHAT?!??!"

something along that line

One thing I can't shake is my fear that it will flood and not start. This site has made me paranoid.Yes, clearly you've been spending too much time here on rx8theskyisfalling.com. Flooding hasn't been an "issue" for years (and even when it was, I suspect it happened a lot more here in the bizarro world of rx8club.com than it did in real life.) Just remember to not turn her off when the engine's stone cold. I worry about flooding about as much as I worry about getting a flat.

1 tip, don't take this forum too seriously, it will end u

Five mile trips should be enough to warm 'er up. Flooding is an issue to always keep in mind. Just convert your paranoia into a habit and you'll be fine.

Don't shut it off cold and it will never flood. Not a problem with 2007's.

Please post your impressions on the change of cars. Interesting switch.

Welcome!

Congrats on a nice upgrade. Try posting this in my350z.com to get a taste of the true mentality of 350z crowds. LOL!!!

Congrats on a nice upgrade. Try posting this in my350z.com to get a taste of the true mentality of 350z crowds. LOL!!!

Done.

http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317400

Let's see how it goes. I actually have hardly visited that forum in the last year or so.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I have some more questions about my wheels, but I'll post them in the wheel / tire section.

Also, my car came with a rear spoiler. I'd like to sell it. How bad of an idea is it to try and sell it (cheap), then, if somebody wants it, to trade trunk lids?

Congrats, the 07 shouldn't flood. My 05 never flooded through the variuos ECU flashes from new till I sold it today and it was a late 04 build.

oh boy that thread looks like it'll get interesting!
as for spoiler, if it wasn't velocity red I'd have been interested... sorry

that thread is about to turn into a fu.........uhm......sexual intercourse fest

great job with the UPgrade...those z owners are way too childish...they always have to say something bad about the 8:icon_no2:

Had mine for almost a year now and only flooded it once. Not me but the wifey. She learned her lesson and have not yet since had a flood problem.

congrats, im in the tampa area also, I have an 04 black 8.. I havent had any flooding issues at all, the car warms up very fast so if your driving, your 5 mile trip will be more then enough. I drive 1.2 to my parents house all the time from a night of no movement and its warmed up (needle in the middle) when I am halfway there. remember to keep up on your oil and you will be fine :).

Also, just out of curiosity, why did you make the switch? I was looking into getting a Z for myself since the 8 is mostly for my fiance to drive.

If autocross is your motorsport of choice, you made a very good decision. As long as you don't care about straight line acceleration, the rx8 is stellar.

Also, just out of curiosity, why did you make the switch? I was looking into getting a Z for myself since the 8 is mostly for my fiance to drive.

1) I need the backseats for the occasional trip with my kids.
2) My Z was getting mature at 4 years old and 49,000 miles. Good time to sell / trade.
3) I wanted a RX8.

Go ahead and get your Z. If you really like driving, don't get a convertible and don't get an automatic.

Why not a G35? Oh, I stopped by my350z.com and saw your thread. Boy... lots of lovin' there. :) Still stuck at Grade-9 mentality. :lol:

GWHAHAHA, that thread is hilarous :lol: :lol:

actually the z forum didn't seem as bad as you guys are making out - some of them for sure but many of them seem pretty sensible about it .

Welcome

Why not a G35? Oh, I stopped by my350z.com and saw your thread. Boy... lots of lovin' there. :) Still stuck at Grade-9 mentality. :lol:

I expected no less. I have found very little respect for the RX8 as a sports car on any of the car forums I visit (besides this one). I mean, seriously, even the sites dedicated to previous rotary cars don't respect the RX8.

If you want street cred, the RX8 is not the right car. Fortunately for me, that's not what I'm after.

Why not the G35? I will always take less weight over more power. Also, the RX8 emphasizes DRIVING above anything else. The G does not. Additionally, I wanted something different. A G35 is just a prettier Z with 2 more seats. Finally, the four doors on the RX8 will be useful, making car seats much more easy to access. The G35 doesn't have four doors.

I expected no less. I have found very little respect for the RX8 as a sports car on any of the car forums I visit (besides this one). I mean, seriously, even the sites dedicated to previous rotary cars don't respect the RX8.

If you want street cred, the RX8 is not the right car. Fortunately for me, that's not what I'm after.

Why not the G35? I will always take less weight over more power. Also, the RX8 emphasizes DRIVING above anything else. The G does not. Additionally, I wanted something different. A G35 is just a prettier Z with 2 more seats. Finally, the four doors on the RX8 will be useful, making car seats much more easy to access. The G35 doesn't have four doors.

And you would get stuck in F-stock getting your butt kicked by a bunch of Mustangs :banghead: Good choice though, B-stock has some great competition.

Welcome! As for the flooding - in cars produced pre - March/April 05 flooding was a real issue and many people were effected by it. After this date Mazda switched to a new flash, stronger battery and stronger starter. The flash help cut fuel during potential flooding situations and the battery/starter combo allowed the engine to spin faster which increased the seal of the apex seals through centrifugal force. This in turn increased compression and allowed the car to start. Flooding kills a rotary engine compression by not allowing a good apex seal.

I have a late model 05 and use to worry about flooding but now don't think much about it. If the car is cold I let it warm up the equivalent of driving around the block twice and can shut it down with out issue. When it is a cool engine I will rev it to 5K then shut it down while at 5K, so far so good. It can still flood but it is a rare occurrence today.

http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317400
Just for my own amusement and to give those Z owners the benefit of the doubt I took a look at the 4 pages of posts. Conclusion: 98% of the posters combined IQs don't add up to the horsepower their car makes. We, too, have our share of idiots here (like Saturn) who defend that same bunch of non-enthusiast ignoramuses.

Just wanted to clear some things up for you:

1. The flooding isn't really a problem. All I do is short trips and the only time my car flooded was when someone else moved it about 20 feet out of the driveway.

2. Stock rx8 wheels are 18*8 with a 50mm offset. If you want to autocross in B-Stock you have to stick with that size plus or minus 6mm on the offset. That being said the 17*8 +35 wheels will fit great. But I am not certain on the +25 pair. More than likely they probably wont fit without a good amount of negative camber. I haven't tried anything with that extreme of an offset though so I could be wrong.

3. Spacers on the 17*8 +25 set will only further extend the wheels out toward the fender and make the problem of fitting worse

Welcome - enjoy the new ride. 9,000rpms, the reflex sharp handling, combined with the smoothness is guaranteed addictive. You got the RX-8 because you wanted it. That's should be good enough for anyone.

lol some of your my350zclub friends don't understand the RX-8 allure, and not knowing bothers them all the more apparently.

some guys are nice, others are just ignorant. thats cool. opinions are like asses. everyone has them

Wow....4 pages over there already! lol

Juice and CosmosMPower:

As much as I'd like to compete in B Stock in a populated region, I can't budget $2500 per year in race tires. My autocross region is relatively sparse. I typically will compete against anyone else on street tires. Car doesn't matter as much when there are only 30 to 50 other drivers. Oh, and then there's the fact that I'm not good enough to compete nationally anyway! LOL.

I'll go STU in SCCA, but my favorite autocross club has much better classes for the local level with low driver population. There are only eight classes. The RX8 will be in a class for unmodified production cars (wheels don't count) with street tires with an engine less than 3 liters. This class wouldn't make sense at a national level, but sure is fun for me at my regional level.

If you're interested, here are the classing rules.
http://www.wedrivefast.com/rules.cfm

Yeah, I wasn't suggesting B-Stock but I know that Cosmospower had said something about it so i was giving you a heads up. Anyways nice choice going with the 8 either way. Be safe and have fun with it.

Why not just drive the 8 in BS. Learn its limits before getting R-comps. I think an alignment is a wonderful mod.

wow, its funny to see the mature members over there be pwned by 18-20 year olds...........

I just read all 5 pages over there on that Z forum. "Typical know it alls".
Some people have an open mind. But most people are just blowing gas out there ass to try and look good to there peers.
So funny how prejudice these people are.

Wikipedia's interpretation of prejudice,,,
"any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence".

i just read that z thread and can't believe how ignorant those pricks are. every autox i've attended the highest rx8 has placed higher than the highest Z EVERY time. Z's are for boys with small penises. Trust me, I dated one.

I like how that one genius states "Those grand-am pics were probably when the guy was a lap down too. lol."

Manufacturer Points Standings:
1 435 - Porsche
2 390 - Pontiac
3 364 - Mazda
4 266 Chevy
5 142 Ford
6 51 BMW
7 42 Nissan
8 11 Ferrari

I do a fair mix of Autocross and drag racing, and the car is definetely disappointing out on the strip. I do bracket racing, so it's entirely about the driver, not the car, but still... I don't like putting down the times I do, with a car that looks as sleek and fast as an RX-8. That's my one complaint about it. I like autocross more, anyways... I get to wait 30 minutes, for a minute of driving... versus waiting 2 hours, in order to stomp on the gas and steer straight for a few seconds. I think I drag race more for the people I hang out with while I'm there...

Rosko, congrats on the new car.

It's always entertaining when reading threads on "My car is better than your car". I just really shows the maturity level of the posters. Seriously, any self respecting car enthusiast is not out to put down other cars and says it sucks.

To me, cars are like animals. They all have their own quirks merits and sometimes can't be compared head to head.

I would love to have a 350Z in my garage, or an EVO, or an S2000. They're all great cars and I think we're pretty damn lucky to have so many choices when it comes to cars. But I decided on the RX8 because it is overall a more appealing package to me.

Anyone who feels compelled to always make it a point to say their car is "better" all the time has some issues.

Okay, I'll get off the soap box now......

No matter who you are, you will never solve the adolescent stupidity and all the childish bafoons that revolve their world around fast cars. Every car is fast just most are quicker than others. It only takes a few uneducated automotive youngens to run their mouth before knowing an ounce of what a certain car can do or is. Welcome to the forum and congrats on the purchase. I just wrote a 18 year old Z owner the other day 4 citations. He felt it was necessary to do 3 burns outs at night in the middle of an isolated highway knowing a car was behind him. He was just too stupid to know what car it really was. The fourth was for passing a semi truck and using a turn lane as his own roadcourse.

Wow talk about stupid on a highway!

Wow, and I thought we had immature kids on this form, I stand corrected. Just read through the 350Z form and what a bunch of ignorant blabber mouths. Lets me point out a few things here if I may.

First off I really like the 350Z but realised what a limited car it was and went with the RX-8. Let me explain.

The 350Z has only two seats and a very small truck with a big bar running through it, not a very livable car yet with these limitations you'd expect the 350Z to be a light car. The reality is it is close to 400lbs heaver then the RX, nice engining boys.

The Z rides like a truck, very harsh which allows it to handle well yet, the RX with its softer ride handles better and is more nibble with better road manors.

The interior of the Z has great expanses of cheap plastic, nothing like the quality and look of the RX.

You will save some money on gas with the Z but will have to pay it right back with the large increased in insurance payments compared to the RX. Not to mention the far higher cost of a similarly equipped Z.

The Z breaks well but the RX was rated with shorter stops in recent tests.

The RX does have a flooding issue like the Z has a rear tire wear issue. People with half a brain would realise that both these issues have been corrected.

We have had engine failures but the V-6 in the Z has also had engine issues requiring replacement. I will say that the RX was probably more prevalent but Mazda also issued a program to address this. The Z was never addressed in public.

The Z is a faster car by about .5 seconds 0-60mph. No arguing this.

Looks are purely subjective so to each their own. I personally like the looks of both cars but feel both rears could be done better. I hate those giant door handles on the Z, cheap and ugly.

So that about sums it up for me. As much as I like the Z in reality it has nothing to offer over the RX except acceleration. Over all the RX is a better car and every trade magazine which ever compared both cars came to the same conclusion. The RX is plan and simple the better car over all.

^^^Well said

I must say that yes these engines have always had a bad wrap. But to thier defense I think every auto manufacturer has problems with engines. When I worked on Porsches we were replacing 1 to 2 996 and 986 engines a week due to the intermediate shaft bolts breaking. They beefed up the bolts on the 997 and 987 engines and we thought that fixed the problem until a brand new 997 broke one with only 100 miles on it! I think some manufacturers are just better at keeping it more hush hush than others.

one of the guys on that forum had said that our engines actually perform better and are more reliable with age, but the Z's engine just slowly plummets to its death

About the flooding. I have 240SX with KA24DE that ran so rich and flooded due to improper removal of EGR system and insufficient ground wire contact.

One temporary way to fix it on an manual is to Rev the engine high to 2,000 rpm, keep the foot on the throttle and turn the key off. I don't know how it will play on Drive-by-wire throttle controls but on my cable throttle it dumped all the fuel out for the next start.
One other way is to put in a kill switch to the fuel pump solenoid. NOT the pump but the solenoid that controls pump.

one of the guys on that forum had said that our engines actually perform better and are more reliable with age, but the Z's engine just slowly plummets to its death

and that guy got terribly pwned

yea, but i have to agree with the first part. look at expo1

All engines can flood but piston engines by design will allow the gas to leak into the crank case and will eventually start if left alone for a bit. This is not the case with a rotary. By design the gas will settle at the bottom of the rotary chamber with no place to go and will just get mixed into the combustion chamber when you try to start it. The best way to start a rotary that is flooded is to get the engine spinning fast. Push starting a manual is a good way to do this.

The Rotary has a fuel cut off if you start the car with the accelerator to the floor, no need for any additional switches.

About the flooding. I have 240SX with KA24DE that ran so rich and flooded due to improper removal of EGR system and insufficient ground wire contact.

One temporary way to fix it on an manual is to Rev the engine high to 2,000 rpm, keep the foot on the throttle and turn the key off. I don't know how it will play on Drive-by-wire throttle controls but on my cable throttle it dumped all the fuel out for the next start.
One other way is to put in a kill switch to the fuel pump solenoid. NOT the pump but the solenoid that controls pump.

one of the guys on that forum had said that our engines actually perform better and are more reliable with age, but the Z's engine just slowly plummets to its death"Racers say rotary engines get faster as they age, the engine's best lap always being the last one. The RX-8 didn't disprove the theory after 40,000 miles, cutting its drag sprints down to 5.9 seconds for 60 mph and 14.6 seconds at 96 mph through the quarter."—C&D Long-Term Test, 9/05

thats what im talking about

When a forum has its very own dedicated <insert car model> vs. The World section, one has to examine the level of maturity of its members. BTW, I once saw a 350Z out-dragged the Space shuttle on the way to earth's orbit. I think the only mods the Z had was a Popcharger and a K&N filter. :)

I'm thinking about joining that site just to post:

my350z.com membership? Free.
Laughs from this thread? Priceless.

The average age in there has to be something like 17 and a half years old.

Congrats man. The RX8 works just fine for kids, the extra doors come in real handy.

Quoted from 350Z member black06z:

"Its not about bashing the RX-8 because we have Z's, but there are so many better alternatives. Even a Civic Si would be better coming off a Z."

Oh no he dittnt!! (snap)

I think all that forum is are a bunch of kids who only car about speed :icon_no2:

I have an 07' & numerous times I've started it to pull out the garage & turned it off, to go close & lock the garage.. Never had any problems, started like a champ afterwards everytime..

05 here, never flooded from those 2-3 minute start then turn off, ever

Hahaha after reading some of their posts, they crack me up!

they complain about our power and engine issues, but after reading some of their issues, they seem to have a lot of problems as well. Tranny, tire-Feather, Rear axel grinding etc...

To me that's just as bad as our concern for a 'flood'.

http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308342



**anyways, I love my 8, and welcome to the club Rosco!**

Nice trade, I personally think the 8 is styled much sharper. I'm new compared to others on here, but don't let flooding worry you. I have an '04 from the first year they came out, problem year for any new car until they work the kinks out over time. As far as flooding you'll be fine. I have turned mine off only a min or two after starting *cringe*, and it started right up like a champ. Now that its in the 20-30's out it still starts right up, no hesitation what so ever. Just take the time and read the manual.

Best of luck with your new car, enjoy it!

It's funny how they all talk shit like a 350z is blazing fast. LOL Most of them need a reality check....

^^^Talking about the problems people complain about with their Z's...I was actually thinking about buying a z, since our rotary is not going to get more power anytime soon, and I think the problem mentioned a lot on that forum that pisses me off the most is Nissans cheap ass paint. People with '06s complaining that their front ends are dinged up to hell after only one year. I've had my 8 for almost 4 years and 52,000 miles and only have 4 or 5 little dings/chips on the front end.

Jus found this on the link you provided...

Lucky enough to have both cars in the family..
Stock for Stock straightline performance we all know the winner!

But we race both cars at regular track meets here in Aus, and the RX8 beats(that better) the Z hands down.

Around the street id have to say the 8 gets the nod. makes daily driving a lil easier, ie smoother gbox, rides alot softer, and 2 extra seats.

The Z shines in that theres all the torque to be used around the streets, leaving lights etc . Also think it has a more muscular feel to it.

Hands down , the Girls LOVE the rx8, and always want to be picked up in it?
WTF with that, id have to say there both frikkn sexy!

I say great choice to the guy thats jus bought one.
Shame you couldnt have had both, great fun.

Fame of flame, i couldnt give a F*%#, i live for this SHI7!!

haha.. yeah some of the 350z guys are pretty cocky..some of them came on bimmerforums just to tell us how awesome the 350z was and how they ran 12.9 stock.

well, didn'st some guy on there said he beat a dodge viper at a street race or something?

hahaha

well, didn'st some guy on there said he beat a dodge viper at a street race or something?

hahaha

I think it was an X-Fire! *gasp*

Nice upgrade.

I recently made the switch from a Twin Turbo A6 Spd to the RX8.

I was deciding between the 350Z and the RX8 and finally decided on the RX for three reasons.

1. The interior is bigger and nicer than the 350Z. My shoulder was touching the door panel. I am not a big guy 6ft 225lb but it feels like the car was make for much smaller guys.

2. It has a back seat. This means I can drive the car more often with my family. It also means I can recline the front seats.

3. It feels lighter, more connected and shifts better than the Z. The trade-off is speed.

Both cars look great. I have seen some awesome big wheel set-ups on the z that where bad ass. To be honest, when I started looking for another car, I really wanted a 350z. Only after test driving both vehicles did I decide on the RX8. I realize that it is slower than the 350z. But a stock 350z is slower than my Audi A6. Both the 350z and the RX8 are not so good in the winter. (the AWD A6 is awesome) If the Audi had the handling and the feel of the RX8, I never would have sold it. It felt that a fast tank. Changing direction quickly in the 350z requires prayer. The RX8 feels like a forgiving scalpel. Although it does tend to get tail happy when pushed. :)

haha.. yeah some of the 350z guys are pretty cocky..some of them came on bimmerforums just to tell us how awesome the 350z was and how they ran 12.9 stock.

Hmmmm....and what planet was that on? :bsflag:

Wow, and I thought we had immature kids on this form, I stand corrected. Just read through the 350Z form and what a bunch of ignorant blabber mouths. Lets me point out a few things here if I may.

First off I really like the 350Z but realised what a limited car it was and went with the RX-8. Let me explain.

The 350Z has only two seats and a very small truck with a big bar running through it, not a very livable car yet with these limitations you'd expect the 350Z to be a light car. The reality is it is close to 400lbs heaver then the RX, nice engining boys.

The Z rides like a truck, very harsh which allows it to handle well yet, the RX with its softer ride handles better and is more nibble with better road manors.

The interior of the Z has great expanses of cheap plastic, nothing like the quality and look of the RX.

You will save some money on gas with the Z but will have to pay it right back with the large increased in insurance payments compared to the RX. Not to mention the far higher cost of a similarly equipped Z.

The Z breaks well but the RX was rated with shorter stops in recent tests.

The RX does have a flooding issue like the Z has a rear tire wear issue. People with half a brain would realise that both these issues have been corrected.

We have had engine failures but the V-6 in the Z has also had engine issues requiring replacement. I will say that the RX was probably more prevalent but Mazda also issued a program to address this. The Z was never addressed in public.

The Z is a faster car by about .5 seconds 0-60mph. No arguing this.

Looks are purely subjective so to each their own. I personally like the looks of both cars but feel both rears could be done better. I hate those giant door handles on the Z, cheap and ugly.

So that about sums it up for me. As much as I like the Z in reality it has nothing to offer over the RX except acceleration. Over all the RX is a better car and every trade magazine which ever compared both cars came to the same conclusion. The RX is plan and simple the better car over all.

I love both cars but I think you summed up my feelings exactly with your comments. I have an 8 but would also have a z if I could afford both. I am considering dumping my 8 for a z until the rotary gets more power or maybe just a newer 8. I don't know yet but both are great cars and the fact that all the magazine head to heads pick the 8 even though they admit the Z kills it in acceleration says an awful lot about the rest of the 8s performance.

Hmmmm....and what planet was that on? :bsflag:

I bet u it wasn't earth