For those who don't want the hassle of a DIY, or locating the right screen, Racing Beat is now selling drop in screens for $19 each.

They look nice, and go right inside the rubber oil cooler sleeve. No affiliation, blah blah blah, I just figured people would want to know.

Racing Beat (www.racingbeat.com)

I dont see them Tony, where exactly on the site?

Select the 'Oil System' category from the drop down box on the RX-8 page.

http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm

Any chance this is the same material as your CTS-V

how hard is it to install them. gotta take the font end off???

Great find! Thanks for posting this up, Tony!

Originally posted by youngpit
how hard is it to install them. gotta take the font end off???

On the bottom of the webpage.........it says......

Installation of the screens requires the removal of the front nose, and be accomplished with the provided step-by-step instructions. Installation can be undertaken by one person in about an hour and requires only simple hand tools.

some people (like me) find it a little scary to take the bumper off a brand new car but hope they design a air intake screen for the radiator in the bottom of the nose then would do the whole job at one time. As for now I am happy with my Gutterguard fix.

Installation of the screens requires the removal of the front nose, and be accomplished with the provided step-by-step instructions. Installation can be undertaken by one person in about an hour and requires only simple hand tools.

WTH!!!???

IMO, this is nuts! For $.50 each at Wallmat you get what you need, takes the skills of a kinderkarten kid (scissors) and about 5 minutes time. No removal of anything :)

There are threads on this mod..here is one:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8147&highlight=oil+coolers

Well, there's a hole in the market for some type of screen, and it was only a matter of time before some vendor stepped up to the plate to fill it. Yes, you can make your own that is as good as or better for less than $5. But some people will pay $19 + shipping (a) just for the Racing Beat name, and (b) because Racing Beat's must be better, somehow, than the one you can make yourself, right?

Finally, I am not convinced that you cannot get to everything you need to without removing the front bumper. When my oil cooler lines were replaced, I wandered over and took a look at the work in progress. They had my '8 up on a lift and had the lower protective cover (starting at the bottom of the front bumper and running back from there) kind of "curled" back out of the way to access the oil cooler lines. While I didn't study it closely with access to the bumper openings in mind, I did note that there was quite a bit of room. So when I put my "permanent" ones on this summer (much like Tony Orlando did here (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22923)) I'm sure going to try this simpler method first. We'll see.

In my opinion, I'd rather have something substantial deflecting large debris, as opposed to something that it will go right through, only mildly slowing down in the process. If I took a slingshot and fired a pebble at a screen door, it'd go through like it wasn't even there. Just an opinion, though.

For those with the extra 40 who would prefer to get it precut, there it is. And for anyone wondering, it goes inside the rubber "air collectors" that extend from the front of the coolers, it does not mount flush against the opening like I did mine.

edit: let me try reading before i post :)

Originally posted by Tony Orlando
In my opinion, I'd rather have something substantial deflecting large debris, as opposed to something that it will go right through, only mildly slowing down in the process. If I took a slingshot and fired a pebble at a screen door, it'd go through like it wasn't even there. Just an opinion, though.

No offense, but why not try opinionating from experience? Go get the material (all of $.50) and try your sling shot. I doubt anything sort of a small gun will penetrate it.

The material from Walmat (Quick Count 7 mesh sku# 032231570151, in the craft/sewing dept) is as different from screen material as tissue paper is from canvas.

Whatever, you seem hell bent on taking $40 and sending it to RB, regardless for some reason. Be my quest.

Tony made lots of money singing with Dawn so he doesn't mind:D

I'd rather have a screen mounted to the rear of the bumper rather then on the oil cooler itself where if something hits it the oil cooler is still going to take the impact.


BTW-removing the front bumper is not that hard

I agree about the screen being on the bumper as opposed to the cooler. That's why I did it the way I did.

And somebody needs to switch to decaf. I'm not hell bent on sending RB anything. I already did my own screens that I like better, as Omicron pointed out and can be seen on my Avatar. (or the thread he linked to.) I was simply providing an alternative for those people who don't want to go through the hassle of looking for the material that is strong and flows enough air, cutting it, plus finding a way to mount it that will provide durability when washed and exposed to highway speeds.

If at the time, I could have ordered something that I knew had been test fit, required no fab work, and would be shipped right to my door, (all for less than one day's pay) I very well may have gone that route.

If .50 cents is more your speed, more power to ya, but I think that $40 is more than fair, especially considering what some vendors charge for silly accessories that do nothing.

I agree with you completely. There are times when cheapest doesn't equal bargain...

OH... I found your front-end.... PM'd you...

HA. this is about 6 mos. too late for me. I drive a crapload of highway miles and both my oil coolers are already demolished !!!!

Received my protectors from RB today. I picked these over the home depot gutter guard since I liked the RB pattern. I will install it when I receive my front lip and have the front bumper off (probably 1-2 weeks.)
They are very durable and the instructions say to slide them into the plastic right in front of the oil coolers, not connect at the front bumper (instruction picture included below).

Very stiff and don't bend in. No rocks past these protectors!

I got mine yesterday and will put them in either Friday or Saturday. for me, choosing between paying $5 and possibly screwing it up the first time and having to pay $5 to try again(not to mention the time spent), or just paying $38 dollars and knowing they'll fit right the first time was an easy choice...

adrian-1/ScudRunner- Can one of you post a pic of your screens with a penny on it to show scale? I've begun my search for bulk material but few vendors carry high open area product so my choices may be few. Anyway I'd like to be able to compare the RB product.

Here's the screen and the penny.

Here's some install pictures. Fits perfectly inside the rubber piece. The mesh isn't as noticable as others since it's not mounted onto the bumper, but it'll do it job.

fitment 1

fitment 2

done.

bumper on

The rubber part holds the screen from moving side to side. It's slid inbetween the cooler and a couple of screws on the top/bottom to keep it from moving towards the front and back.
Very secure.

looks like you painted yours black as well...the silver didn't look very good on the front of my -8 (mine's red)...black works very nicely though...

Yes, I spray painted them black before I put them in. Hopefully the paint doesn't come off from rocks hitting it.

I scraped a little off when i was putting the screens in...but, something about leaving the nose of the car sitting on the floor for another hour while i put on a another coat and let it dry just didn't feel right...so in they went...

I just ordered this the other day for my silver 8 (which I just bought two weeks ago now BTW :D ). It looks like its very well made, and that's what convinced me to get it.

From my understanding of reading this thread.... removing the font bumper is the only way to install the screens right?

How long does it take to take off the front bumper?

And can it be done by one person?

Originally posted by BIU
From my understanding of reading this thread.... removing the font bumper is the only way to install the screens right?

How long does it take to take off the front bumper?

And can it be done by one person?


The bumper can be done by one person in about 10-15mins (depending how careful you are). Check out the DIY section for instructions. The hardest part is figuring out how to unhook the fog lights (if you have them).

Ok, I looked in the DIY section and didn't see anything about removing the front bumper. I even did a search for "front bumper..."

I went with the RE set.
Already heavy-duty and nicely assembled to size,I'll install 'em shortly,am diggin' the stainless w Ti Gray,and when I do,I'm gonna' get into the lower area with some mesh (as yet undetermined on which one) to protect the radiator,as well.
Happily,no bugs here,yet-too cold.

come over and have a beer if you live in NJ guys I will put the .40 worth of gutter guard in for ya in about 10 minutes.

Originally posted by spdspappy
Ok, I looked in the DIY section and didn't see anything about removing the front bumper. I even did a search for "front bumper..."

Here you go....

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10941&highlight=REMOVE+BUMPER

I installed the screens yesterday. They are of very high quality. It is a simple install, and while the nose is off, it 's a good time to clean and wax all the nooks and crannies.

Considering the low mileage on the car, I was surprised at the amount of bent oil cooler fins. I straightened them out and am glad that I installed the screens before any more damage occurs.

I installed my RB oil cooler protective screens today and it was very easy. The front nose is no big deal to take off as long as you be aware where what you take off goes back and put a blanket in front of the car so you can lay the nose on it once it's off. The RB screens are very well made and nicely tight-fitting. I personally am glad I got them since my oil coolers had gotten a few bent fins already.

Just a pic of the screens installed incase anyone wanted to see them unpainted..

full front... they dont stand out a ton just enough when the sun hits them... I think they look nice on the titanium and silvers...

Hmm maybe something that can help you look after that radiator too?

http://rx8.hymee.com

Regards
Phillip

Whoa, that kit is damn expensive for what you get. I think RB could probably do a whole kit for 100 bucks where they charge 150. I know shipping is a bit, but 150 bucks is expensive. I think I would only pay 150 for that stuff that one guy used from the cadilac CTS-V.

The RB coolers come with excellent instructions for removing the front fascia. One thing I would add for the D.I.Y.ers. As a precaution, tape your headlights to prevent scratching them on removal and reinstallation of fascia.

I second that recommendation. I scratched one of my headlights slightly, so that is a great idea.

The RB screens are great, look nice and functional. I did the clear corners at the same time. Removing the mask was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

http://host-link.com/images/screens1.jpg

Did my clear corners and oil screens all together also. I don't know why, but I had a hell of a time removing the electrical connection for the fog lights. I just couldn't get under the car enough to see them clearly. Then once I got it down, they slipped right off.

would these screens look off balanced in an automatic, since only the driver's side has an oil cooler? Just wondering.

Just ordered the radiator/oil cooler protector package from RB. I don't think 81 bucks is too much to pay for something that I know has been engineered to fit properly. Hope it looks good on Titanium!

Just ordered the radiator/oil cooler protector package from RB. I don't think 81 bucks is too much to pay for something that I know has been engineered to fit properly. Hope it looks good on Titanium!

Check out the thread at the link below. Go to Page 12, post #180 to see my Titanium with the RB oil cooler grids and my custom made lower grill grid.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=8147&page=12&pp=15&highlight=oil+cooler

If you bought Racing Beat Oil Cooler screens directly from Racing Beat (not a distributor), they'll sell you the A/C screen for the Oil Cooler + A/C Screen package price of $81 less the amount you paid for the Oil Cooler Screens. S/H is extra.

You must call and speak to Brian Compton @ Racing Beat, Inc. (714) 779-8677.

Offer subject to change.

PS: I'm not affiliated with Racing Beat, just passing along this good deal info.

Just received my oil cooler/ radiator screen combo from RB. Very well made - I think it's worth $81 for peace of mind. Hopefully I'll have time to install this weekend. I'll make sure to take pictures.

Just finished the install - it wasn't too bad, although there were a few problem areas (I always seem to run into problems, even on the simplest job). Racing Beat's instructions could be improved quite a bit. For instance, they say to remove the fasteners attaching the bumper to the fender well using a philips screwdriver. What they don't tell you is exactly how those fasteners come off. Thanks to some posts by another member, I learned how to do it. A word of caution - if you've had your car for a long time, the clips may not come off easily, and the plastic heads strip very easily. BE PATIENT! The way to do it is to turn the inner part of the fastener 1/4 turn counter-clockwise while holding the outer ring in place with your fingers.

Another area where the instuctions sucked was in how to remove the corner lights. There is a plastic clip holding the light on, and it doesn't say how to maneuver the clip to get the light off. I broke my clip trying to get the first one off, but fortunately it is only in there for assembly-line purposes. See the photo for how that clip is shaped.

I like the end result, and I think it's worth the money - my oil coolers and radiator were already pretty banged up in spots. If nothing else, the oil cooler screens look a lot better than the bare coolers.

First pic - the top clips being removed - I got a flat blade screwdriver on each side of them and pried them up.

2nd pic - The corner light assembly. That is the left one - what you need to do is push that retaining clip forward to pull out the assembly. I couldn't tell how it worked until it was already off. Don't worry too much if it breaks - there is a screw that holds on the assembly (goes in from the bottom).

3rd pic - radiator prior to installing the screen.

4th pic - Radiator screen installed.

5th pic - Slose-up of attachment method. They give you brackets to attach the sreen to - the screen is held out about 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the radiator, so a decent sized object could hit it and it would still provide protection.

1st pic - Close-up of oil cooler screen installed. It just slides in behind a molded rubber piece.

2nd pic - Bumper off.

3rd pic - all done.

Nice job! Good pics too. I went for the oil cooler grilles too, but at the time the A/C condensor grilles were not available so I fabricated a grille for the lower opening on the nose (see the pic below).

On a drive in the country last fall I drove through a couple of "clouds" of leaves blowing about in the strong winds. The next time I stopped, which was shortly after that fortunately, I saw that the lower opening on the front nose was completely blocked by leaves that were packed in the opening. Since then I keep an eye on the opening and frequently remove debris from there. The opening seems to suck up anything that comes near it just like a vacuum cleaner. :)

I'll be in trouble if anything substantial gets through my grille because the only way to remove it would be to take the nose off again. I have done that twice before so I could probably do it in the dark, but I'd rather not.

I just installed the Racing Beat oil cooler/condenser screens as well. I was very pleased with the quality of the parts and the ease of installation.

The RB instructions that shipped with the kit were pretty good, but, like others have said, they leave out some useful tips. For example, removing the condenser bolts to attach the screen standoffs actually requires a wrench (spanner), since a socket can't get to where the bolt is. Next time I do this (on my own car, not my girlfriend's) I'll document it with photos and post a PDF of the HowTo procedure in the DIY section.

Two foglight-related notes:
1. You have to squeeze the clip on top of the PLUG while you pull it off of the foglight bulb connector. It's damn near impossible to see what to do to figure it out if you don't have this little nugget of information.

2. Do not forget to plug them in again before you get the whole thing put back together. :rolleyes: It's a PITA to reach the back of the lamps & try to orient a plug otherwise....

The only thing this screen doesn't protect against is getting objects up in the 'scoop' (leaves, stray plastic bags, etc.). There were several dings on the condenser fins already (~5000mi on the car), so this was a much-overdue mod.

I really like the way these look on Ti Grey, just ordered mine! The photo's you guys have posted look great!

maclean, I installed my screens last week and noticed that RB sends along the wrong bolts to use with the hardware. I e-mailed them to ask if they would like the part number from the manufacturer of the specified bolt for use with the Tinnerman clips they provide but they weren't interested. The bolts they send will work to hold the A/C screen just fine, if you like having to torque them the whole length. I work for Ford and my job uses the clips and bolts I am speaking of. Would you like me to send you, for free, the proper bolts to use? They are also Zinc-coated to prevent rust.

If there is anyone else interested in using the proper bolts for the screens I would be happy to extend the same offer to you, as well. P.M. me your address and I'll mail them asap.

CRH

would these screens look off balanced in an automatic, since only the driver's side has an oil cooler? Just wondering.
I don't see why you couldn't buy the 2nd one anyway and place it in that location.

I'm not sure how you would mount it. There's a rubber "boot" around the oil cooler itself and the screen slides into that. It doesn't mount to the nose or frame of the car in any other way.

jds

I don't see why you couldn't buy the 2nd one anyway and place it in that location.

Dang Charles, that was a little harsh..... RB problems? :D

Tony, I ask that you re-read my post and tell me where I was harsh with Racing Beat. All I did was point out my credentials with regard to the parts in question and the fact that Racing Beat were not interested in my assistance with procuring the right part. I installed my own screens and offered an easier way to do it and I'll even give you the right parts and ship them for free.

I have no problems with Racing Beat. How could I? The two Jims and Chris Cortez, when he worked there, have always be cool with me.

One more thing for those who are about to install their own screens-rather than use the soap-and-slide method to install the oil screens it is easier to remove the rubber shrouds, place the screens behind the shrouds, and snap the shrouds back in place. The pins that hold the wheelwells on are also used on the oil cooler shrouds.

CRH

I just did the screens yesterday, removed the front bumper and replaced it. Took about 35 mins to remove and about 20 to replace. It was easy. The Racing Beat screens look sweet in there. The only fiddly part was disconnecting the wiring to the fog lights, but after a persistent 5 mins of fumbling with the connectors I had it no problem. Only tools needed are a short-stubby phillips screwdriver, a decent pocket knife to gently prise out the button head clips and a flashlight. The screens come with pretty good instructions on bumper removal.

Good luck. Tom

I'm not sure how you would mount it. There's a rubber "boot" around the oil cooler itself and the screen slides into that. It doesn't mount to the nose or frame of the car in any other way.

jds
Really--I didn't know that--for auto owners it would be better to fabricate a screen than buy Racing Beats then.

Have you guys been painting the screens. I purchased all three and I think that the oil cooler screens will look better in black with my Nordic Green car. It looks like the radiator screen won't even be seen so I can skip painting that.

Any good or bad results painting?

Have you guys been painting the screens. I purchased all three and I think that the oil cooler screens will look better in black with my Nordic Green car. It looks like the radiator screen won't even be seen so I can skip painting that.

Any good or bad results painting?


I spray painted the oil cooler screens(two coats) but not the A/C condenser screen. No problems thus far.

You have to practically get on the ground and look for the A/C condenser screen so I didn't see the point in painting it.

-Gary

Tony, I ask that you re-read my post and tell me where I was harsh with Racing Beat. All I did was point out my credentials with regard to the parts in question and the fact that Racing Beat were not interested in my assistance with procuring the right part. I installed my own screens and offered an easier way to do it and I'll even give you the right parts and ship them for free.

I have no problems with Racing Beat. How could I? The two Jims and Chris Cortez, when he worked there, have always be cool with me.

One more thing for those who are about to install their own screens-rather than use the soap-and-slide method to install the oil screens it is easier to remove the rubber shrouds, place the screens behind the shrouds, and snap the shrouds back in place. The pins that hold the wheelwells on are also used on the oil cooler shrouds.

CRH
Wow, I'm down for the parts ;). I was about to buy a -- get this -- fireplace screen on clearance at Wal-Mart and crib the metal from that. I should be able to get enough material to make something for the AC condenser this way.

I'm not sure what you mean about putting the screens behind the shrouds and then snapping them back on--are you saying this can be done w/o removing the bumper cover?

--Massive

I'm not sure what you mean about putting the screens behind the shrouds and then snapping them back on--are you saying this can be done w/o removing the bumper cover?

--Massive

You still have to remove the front bumper, but once you do that the shrouds have the fasteners like inside the ones inside the wheelwell. If you remove those, you can fold the oil cooler shroud down and just place the screen in rather than having to lube it up and slide it in through the side.

In the attached picture, you can make out the fasteners on the top of the shroud. They protrude down in front of the oil cooler. They help hold the screen on at the top.

-Gary

I got the RB grills (A/C and oil). The screens look great on titanium and grey, but I have a white car and thought I'd get the oil screens powdercoated black because I'm not sure the stainless would look good. Opening the package, I found they have that rubber seal so I can't powdercoat them (or can I?). What spray paint would be the best choice for durability? Any whites out there with pictures of the oil cooler screens to share that might change my mind?

I got the RB grills (A/C and oil). The screens look great on titanium and grey, but I have a white car and thought I'd get the oil screens powdercoated black because I'm not sure the stainless would look good. Opening the package, I found they have that rubber seal so I can't powdercoat them (or can I?). What spray paint would be the best choice for durability? Any whites out there with pictures of the oil cooler screens to share that might change my mind?

Bump... Any ideas?

I'm not too concerned over the grills appearance, moreso their functionality. I left the oil cooler/AC condensor screens unpainted and think they look fine.

Laters,
Edgardo

I have both the A/C screen as well as the oil coolers. Fit perfect and quality construction. I got the A/C one because Brillo has already replaced his A/C condensor because of a rock hit. Not under warrenty.. $600.

I bet the choice whether to paint the screens, or not, is in the same ballpark as replacing the corner lights with clear lenses. Merely individual. I tend to like the steel color and the colored corners. :rolleyes:

CRH

I'm not too concerned over the grills appearance, moreso their functionality. I left the oil cooler/AC condensor screens unpainted and think they look fine.I just don't want it to have a sceen-door rice look. Yours looks decent, so I'm reconsidering. Thanks.

I have both the A/C screen as well as the oil coolers. Fit perfect and quality construction. I got the A/C one because Brillo has already replaced his A/C condensor because of a rock hit. Not under warrenty.. $600.I got the A/C screen too for that same reason, but it isn't seen so I'm not concerned with painting it.

I bet the choice whether to paint the screens, or not, is in the same ballpark as replacing the corner lights with clear lenses. Merely individual. I tend to like the steel color and the colored corners.So true. I'll probably put them in as is for now and take them out later for painting if I don't like it after living with them for a while. I just don't want to paint them and have the paint start flaking.

Going thru all the forums here, i went to the Racing Beat website to look into their Oil Coolers screen and other products. Looks like they sell a protective Screen for just about every component under the hood.
Want real professional advice on how neccessary an Oil Cooler Screen and all the other screens (i.e. Radiator) really are. For normal driving on roads with no intent to go off-roading like a 4x4, are these screens helpful in the long run???

I bet the choice whether to paint the screens, or not, is in the same ballpark as replacing the corner lights with clear lenses. Merely individual. I tend to like the steel color and the colored corners. :rolleyes:

CRH
Funny you mention that Charles, because I prefer the steel look too. However, I just purchased some clear corners thinking they would "match" the oil screens better than the yellows. I'll be putting the screens and the corners in the next week or so as well.

Going thru all the forums here, i went to the Racing Beat website to look into their Oil Coolers screen and other products. Looks like they sell a protective Screen for just about every component under the hood.
Want real professional advice on how neccessary an Oil Cooler Screen and all the other screens (i.e. Radiator) really are. For normal driving on roads with no intent to go off-roading like a 4x4, are these screens helpful in the long run???
Demob05,
You must live somewhere nice where the roads are clean and smooth. In places like Detroit where there is constant semi-truck traffic, giant-sized potholes and a lot of debris on the road after the spring thaw, these screens end up being a very affordable way of buying yourself insurance against damage which apparently is not covered under warranty.

For normal driving on roads with no intent to go off-roading like a 4x4, are these screens helpful in the long run???

See my earlier post on what happened to Brillo.. He was driving on the highway when it happened.

<<snipped>>are these screens helpful in the long run???
If you have several thousand miles on the car, check out the fins on the oil coolers. You may be surprised at the number of bent fins. These fins are a very soft material and a large bug can easily bend them. After just a few hundred miles I had a large grass hopper embedded in the fins and a bunch of the fins were flattened (see the attached images).

The screens are like preventive medicines, you really can't judge their effectiveness after you use them because there has been no visible change to your condition (or that of the oil cooler fins). But the screens are, as demo says, inexpensive insurance.

I have all three screens installed and they are MINT.
Now a bug in the s/s mesh at 135 isn't a death-knell for the fins :)

Dumb question. Is it possible that the screens could block some of the air flow and not provide the fully desired effect?
I'm talking clean, not full of bugs and such;)

I'm sure they do offer some small restriction in airflow, but I'd be willing to bet that that restriction is much less than that of all the bent fins you'll get after say a year or so of normal driving. I got my screens within a few months of having the car and even so there was already damage to the coolers.

jds

Dumb question. Is it possible that the screens could block some of the air flow and not provide the fully desired effect?
I'm talking clean, not full of bugs and such;)
The screens do, indeed, restrict airflow to the coolers. There is a lengthy discussion about this in the original DIY (link below) on the topic. But here's a quote related to the RB screens:

"The RB grids are stainless steel wire mesh, and I believe that RB states 63% air passage. I did the research on the dimensions of this mesh myself and it is, indeed, 63%."

There are screens that will pass a higher percentage of air, but the tradeoff is between opening size (read protection) and air passage. Is the restriction a problem? Maybe if you run the car very hard for extended periods in high ambient temperature conditions. For "normal" driving I don't think it would be a problem.

DIY: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=8147

I've noticed zero operating temperature changes since installation,and all my fins are still intact.
Monday I'm off to have the new K&N Typhoon intake system installed,along with Goodrige stainless,braided front brake lines.
(The dealer wouldn't install the intake or brake lines.Some nonsense about warranties..wussies!) :D

because the RB screens are attached directly to the oil coolers there will be little restriction of the flow and probably will actually increase heat disappation through some conduction.

You could potentially run into problems when you put the screens a few inches out in front of the oil coolers because of the airflow choking on the screens... not sure how fast you would need to go before thats a problem

I've noticed zero operating temperature changes since installation,and all my fins are still intact.
Monday I'm off to have the new K&N Typhoon intake system installed,along with Goodrige stainless,braided front brake lines.
(The dealer wouldn't install the intake or brake lines.Some nonsense about warranties..wussies!) :D
You might want to do a search of the forum for owners experience with the K&N intake, since as I recall, there is a problem with engine idle after the install.

Thanks for the tip,I read up good,I got the new model K&N Typhoon,freshly redesigned for the 8,so I'm hoping I won't have any problems.
Hell,my 2004 8's got enough first-year snafus,I could (and have) filled a book with service trips.
iSadly,it's a huge list;multiple reflashes,a bad t/o bearing at 500 miles,the fr. brakes replaced at 1100 miles (bad rotors)and the a/c's still half-assed,if I lived in Florida I would have shoved this car backwards up the dealer's hind end within a week.
Happily for them,I live in the northeast,so it's really not that big a deal.

Q: What's +$30,000 spent and snafus galore,not to mention shitty a/c and sorry-ass customer service equal?
A: No repeat business for Mazda,if they keep releasing cars two years before they're ready.


It's still a blast to drive,the build quality is great,but the design snafus suck.
I'm dying for the engine warranty to be done with (I have 6500 miles,total,on the car,lol!) so I can feel good about adding forced air induction in one form or another-and when it's paid for in another year I won't feel so bad about ripping off most of the body panels and replacing them with carbon fiber.
It's not a bad place to start,the RX-8,but they could,and can,do a hell of a lot better in the future.
If they release a new 7 Series my 8 will hit the trade-in floor the day the second-year 7's arrive at the dealership,as I will have pre-ordered a second year model,hoping Mazda doesn't screw the pooch the same way they've done us this time.
Shades of Ford?
Probably.

If no 7's forthcoming,I'll likely just gut the 8 and do all the wacky aftermarket mods,if for no other reason than to make it more solid and reliable.
LOL!