Well I thought I would just go along with Mazda's plan for no spare,but just took a piece of glass out and got it fixed up. Thinking if this was more severe damage or I was out in the middle of no where...
Anyway are there aftermarket spare tires for the 8 or do I need to buy form Mazda dealer. Have the 6 speed MT (not sure if this makes a difference).
Thanks in advance

swoozie

I would try to get an aftermarket steel or alloy rim that is skinnier. If you can find out what's the OEM spare size, get one from any tire/wheel store. If you need the size, get advice from Tirerack or this forum on what's a good size rim/tire for snow. Use that size as your spare

djantlive-
thank you-great advice.

I came to the conclusion about 30 seconds after reading the manual that I wanted the spare. The part about throwing out the tire once you put the goop in got me. I do like the handy compressor, though.

There are a surprising number of people who got the spare - who don't want it. I found mine off of ebay. The kid didn't have room for the spare after putting his earsplittenloudenboomers in the trunk. Each guy has his priorities, I guess. Keep your eye out on the Parts Wanted forum, and watch ebay. Query on "RX-8 spare" and "RX8 spare". You want the whole mounting kit, not just the wheel/tire. You may find an aftermarket spare but you probably won't find one that mounts like it actually belongs.

The mail-order Mazda dealers will ship you the kit for around $315 including shipping, but that doesn't include the tire. You're looking at close to $400 with the tire, uninstalled. Bummer because it would cost $395 less discounting if your car came with a port install. I got mine for around $230. If you do get yours from somebody who pulled it out of his car, make sure you also get the shiny metal brackets behind the carpeting on both sides. That set the deal back about 12 hours because I didn't want to complete the transaction until I knew I had all the parts (which I didn't). It helps to buy from somebody nearby.

Oh yeah, you will find your trunk size considerably reduced after installation. You will also find the trunk light rendered near useless. And there is no room for earsplittenloudenboomers.

if I get an aftermarket spare what is the smallest size I can get?

With a 6MT car, the smallest wheel diameter will be 17 inches, I believe. I don't think you'll find a steel wheel to fit, so you'll be looking for an alloy wheel.

I ordered one of those repair kits that was talked about in another thread. It just came friday and I have not got a chance to experiement with it but it uses a mushroom shaped plug installed with a gun that looks like a pop rivet tool.

It was from Global rider, a motorcycle place. cost $35. I also have the spare but would like to have my trunk space back this summer for my lake trips.

Here's some information on a tire repair kit for anyone who might find it useful:
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=223423#post223423

I opted to get this instead of a spare tire - not the same I realize.

regards,
rx8cited

Originally posted by swoozie
Well I thought I would just go along with Mazda's plan for no spare,but just took a piece of glass out and got it fixed up. Thinking if this was more severe damage or I was out in the middle of no where...
Anyway are there aftermarket spare tires for the 8 or do I need to buy form Mazda dealer. Have the 6 speed MT (not sure if this makes a difference).
Thanks in advance

swoozie

I'd go with (actually I am going with) the Mazda kit which includes the mounting braces so that the tire is held to the top of the trunk area and maximizes what's left of the trunk space. A bit pricey for something that should be standard equipment, imo.