2004 RX-8 lost compression at 121K miles. Outside of warranty.:mad:

Community Mazda in Oak Forest, IL wants $5K to replace engine.:SHOCKED:

Any recommendations on local rotary mechanic in Chicago or suburbs that can replace engine for less? Thanks!

That sounds about right for a Mazda dealership replacement. The nearest/best rotary shop is Shook Motorsports in Rockford. http://shookmotorsports.com/
A-Spec in Schaumburg is closer, but back when I first got the RX8, they only wanted to work on FD's and sometimes FC's. I never received any warm fuzzy feelings from them.