The name of the ship carrying the RX-8s is the Pacific Leader. It is owned by NYK Lines (www.nyk.com). She is enroute on a reverse course. That means that you lucky son of b*(&^s in So Cal are getting your cars first! The ship normally comes to the Port of Tacoma first, then goes to Port Hueneme. However, the route has been reversed for this voyage. The schedule on the Port of Tacoma site has not been updated to reflect this change. The ship is scheduled to arrive at Port Heuneme on 6/17 and depart for Tacoma at 0900 on 6/18. The Port of Tacoma is expecting the ship late on the 20th, but certainly on 6/21. I spoke to a number of people this morning, as you can tell. These multiple sources all said the same thing, so I am confident in the info. I also spoke to the folks putting in the port installed options. They said that the RX-8 was a priority and they would start working on them as soon as they arrived. She also confirmed the 21st as the arrival date. One lady that I spoke to asked me what color I ordered, then said "so, did you get the red and black interior?" I took this as a good sign! At least they know more about the car then many dealers!

Covert Op of the Year Award goes to:

3Rotor

GJ!

Originally posted by OmegaBob
Covert Op of the Year Award goes to:

3Rotor

GJ!

3Rotor needs to work for the CIA/FBI..his info is better and quicker
than the Iraq WMD info....

Excellent work Brad!! so how much sugar did you have to use? i noticed you said "she" a couple of times;)

Great Info. That is some of the best news I have heard in a while.:)
You really deserve an award for this.

Fantastic work. Can you now turn your talents to Canada and see when our ship comes in?
Thanks.

3Rotor can you task a Keyhole spy satellite to snap a few pics during its voyage with the NSA? :D

Most freighters have e-mail/net access. Maybe someone can contact the steamship line and have a crew member upload digipics of the cargo hold.
:D Ok, that's pushing it.

Oh, and sorry Vancouver. Word is Canadian 8's are crated and being either air-dropped or LAPED(Low-Altitude Parachute Extraction System) in. :D

Originally posted by Toadman
Oh, and sorry Vancouver. Word is Canadian 8's are crated and being either air-dropped or LAPED(Low-Altitude Parachute Extraction System) in. :D

That explains why we will get our cars first.

Of course, you want to make sure the shocks don't need replacing - depends on the skill of the airdrop team.

So 3Rotor, if the ship is coming into Tacoma on the 20th/21st (Friday night/Saturday), when will it be unloaded? Will the port installers start work on the weekend? How long before the first trucks start rolling out?

By the way, I think its great what you've been able to discover so far. I might have to take a drive over to Tacoma that weekend, and perhaps get my first actual sighting!

-ss

Originally posted by Toadman

:D Ok, that's pushing it.



but the keyhole sat is not? i'll see if my bro still has some air force contacts and see what we can do;)

3 Rotor......this may have already been answered but......My port is in New Jersey......what do you know about the route for that location?.....does the ship unload in the west coast then truck to the east ......or does a ship make the Panama Canal trip?

I was watching them unload the K-Line ship "Diamond Highway" this weekend. They don't spend a lot of time standing around. From what I understand, the off-load crews work in 8 hour shifts and they just change out shifts as they need to. According to one of the Port Patrolman, they can unload 1200 cars a shift if they really work at it. The Pacific Leader has three sets of cargo on it. The ship was contracted by Mazda, Mitsubishi, and someone else (I was loosing my concentration after he said Mazda and started Mitsu....I didn't hear much after that). The port installers definitely weren't working on Sunday, so I am guessing they won't actually start working on the cars until Monday the 23rd. I don't think anything would really hold them up - unless Mazda has some "Master distribution plan." Someone in So Cal could conceivably see their car on the 21st if it didn't need any work done to it. What I don't know however, is if there is some sort of customs process.

I don't have any special connections. I simply went down to the port and introduced myself to a variety of people and told them why I was there and what I was looking for. So I am not trying to be selfish, but I really don't know anything about the East Coast Ships. However, I believe that most of the East Coast cars will go to Ports in the East by boat. I am this this because on one of the threads where ibfubar2000 is looking up VINs, there are other POEs (Port of Entry) listed - One in Florida? and one in NJ. This is speculation, but I would imagine they would go through the canal and stop in Florida and then onto NJ. A starting point would be to check out the NYK line site and see if you can make some contacts there. That is who owns the Pacific Leader. Perhaps the other cars are on a NYK vessel, as well.

18 days to cross the ocean?

Does anyone know the city or port that the ship departs from in Japan?

The Pacific Leader left from Nagoya, Japan. The transit time is 12 days. That tells me that the ship didn't leave on the 30th or 31st of May, but on the 4th or 5th June. About the time that all of our transit status changed to "On Water." I can't find the Car Carrier vessels on the sight, but the passenger boats take 11 to 12 days from Nagoya to Seattle.

Originally posted by Gyro
3 Rotor......this may have already been answered but......My port is in New Jersey......what do you know about the route for that location?.....does the ship unload in the west coast then truck to the east ......or does a ship make the Panama Canal trip?

My car's coming into Port Jersey, also. I've also been debating whether or not East Coast cars will be shipped via ship to the West Coast, then by rail eastward. But then ibfubar's gracious information confirmed in my mind that our cars are being shipped here by ship. I liked the theory that the first ship was headed to the East Coast, and the second was for the West Coast. Looking at NYK's shipping schedules, it takes 24-25 days to get to JAX and 26-28 days to get to Jersey. So I figure that our cars will come into port about 11-15 days after the ship arrives in SoCal.

Are all port options installed in the California port or at our inland ports? Hopefully in California since they will have more experience with the larger numbers there.

Also, I see where the East Coast ship would stop in Hawaii. This is from the map on NYK's website. I was told this about 3 weeks ago from my dealer. Things are starting to make some sense.

It takes 9-10 days, no more to make it from Japan to the west coast. Something is fishy about 17 days, maybe they are including the time in th e port for customs? Hmmmm....

D-san

man these ships r too damn slow. they need to put some NAWS on that shit:D

Looks like the shipping time from Nagoya to Jacksonville is at minimum 19 days to a maximum of 25 days.

my salesman is a freakin tard! he said the rx-8 hasnt even started production

Originally posted by Efini 8
my salesman is a freakin tard! he said the rx-8 hasnt even started production

cut that zero and get with a hero...

(I'm sorry to post, but Efini 8 is killing me... he must be so pissed because this his 5th different post saying the exact thing about his dealer. Dude cut your loses or do something, you're about to blow a gasket.)

Originally posted by RotorBoy
Also, I see where the East Coast ship would stop in Hawaii.

Yahaha, read em and weep boys... too bad nothing's probably coming off the boat for me..

It would be damn funny, if the good ol Hawaii dudes got theirs first.. especially considering all the crap I am going thru.. hahahha

But I seriously DOUBT IT.

Posted on the The So-Cal RX Club List Today:

> I saw a whole trailer full of RX-8s in all colors and gave the
driver a thumb up. He waved and smiled.


I wonder if this was an earlier ship or maybe a truckload of "factory" test vehicles headed somewhere? Are you guys sure that this IS the first shipment bound for the US, or could there have been earlier boats?

I don't know how much credibility to provide to this statement, but my dealer indicated they would be receiving a demo car next week, so perhaps there was another shipment we are not aware of. He did provide the disclaimer that he would believe it when he saw it.

I visited my dealer yesterday. I like to make sure they know I am on top of this - why, you may ask? Because I don't want that car sitting in the dealership more than the time it takes to deliver it to me once it rolls of the truck. No three day showroom appearance while they conveniently forget to call me. Anyway, I asked if the two of us who pre-ordered were the only ones who would be receiving cars. He said he really didn't even know if the second guys car was on the boat because he hadn't changed to "on water" yet, and that he was told they would be receiving a demo car "soon" but he didn't have any details. I asked him if he would be able to sell it and he said the "deal" was that they could only put limited miles on it, take it around to show it off and he wouldn't be able to sell it until November (or until some guy walks in with an insane wad of cash and slaps it down on the table, then POOF - it's Novemebr already!!!).

And you guys think YOU are sweating... it takes 6 weeks to get a ship here (My best estimate, but correct me if you know better!)... and noone seems to know when the UK or even the European models are being manufactured... I wanted to take a nice trip out with the car for a long weekend at the end of August, but now we're told it'll be September... Ouch!...

A friend of mine returned from Tokyo last Monday. He was over there for a week and attended some huge GT car race. Anyway, he stopped in at a Mazda dealership in Japan, got to go for an RX-8 test drive, and spoke with the manager of the dealership. Apparently the introduction of the 8 has been so popular in Japan that they are having a hard time meeting demand, hence the slight slips and delays in meeting demand outside of Japan. Good news for the rotary.... not so good for those who are patiently waiting.

Originally posted by RCCAZ 1
A friend of mine returned from Tokyo last Monday. He was over there for a week and attended some huge GT car race. Anyway, he stopped in at a Mazda dealership in Japan, got to go for an RX-8 test drive, and spoke with the manager of the dealership. Apparently the introduction of the 8 has been so popular in Japan that they are having a hard time meeting demand, hence the slight slips and delays in meeting demand outside of Japan. Good news for the rotary.... not so good for those who are patiently waiting.

Yes, this is pretty much what we have heard.,.. but you'd think that the pre-order program would have given them an idea for the demand....

I know a lot of people here will start to think hard about leaving it until next summer before buying a car like this if we don't get it before the weather breaks.

I just went to the NJK website. All we need is the user id, password, and container/tracking ID, and we are SET.

So, who is going to be the next James Bond????:p

-Rooster

3Rotor......I hear what you're saying about hopping in that baby to drive it home as soon as it rolls off of the truck. I don't want them to do anything to it except move it from the truck to the spot I will drive away in it from. I really don't even want them to wash it. I can do that when I get it home.....the correct way!

I really wonder if they would try to keep it around for a few days for some "free advertising"? I can just see some goofball sales weasels taking MY car out to lunch and running the shit out of it before the Renesis is broken in. Ain't gonna happen if I am kept informed of its whereabouts and when the truck will be there.

Originally posted by rooster
I just went to the NJK website. All we need is the user id, password, and container/tracking ID, and we are SET.

So, who is going to be the next James Bond????:p

-Rooster

ibfubar, where r u?:cool: :D

Originally posted by tribal azn2


ibfubar, where r u?:cool: :D

i dont think i can get in there.

Originally posted by Toadman
3Rotor can you task a Keyhole spy satellite to snap a few pics during its voyage with the NSA? :D

Yes...but he'd have to kill ya....

The Pacific Leader was built in 1983, and can carry 4430 cars.... so, how many cars are going to the US in the first run, and how many of the load are RX-8's??

I just went to the NJK website. All we need is the user id, password, and container/tracking ID, and we are SET.

The Pacific Leader was built in 1983, and can carry 4430 cars.... so, how many cars are going to the US in the first run, and how many of the load are RX-8's??

We need a good contact from within Mazda USA to get this info. Corporate level. Someone that knows somebody that's at least partially responsible for this lane....I nominate Boowana. Doesn't he know some VIP's in Mazda that can get this kind of info?

Have you all seen that new Jeep commercial on TV? The one wher the guys are camping out over night in tents to be the first ones in the dealership in the morning.
I dont know about you .......but that doesnt sound too crazy now does it???

Also- wont we be notified as to when our cars are leaving port by Mazda?......that will give a good Idea of delivery time at the dealer. Its a 6 hour drive from the Port in New Jersey to my dealer in Mass.

I'm glad I'm not the only one suspect that the dealer will have RX-8 demo day courtesy of yours truly once they drop off the car. Lets face it ALL dealers have a certain degree of sleaze factor. I would almost expect a 17 year old lot boy to blast around at 8500 rpm.......We need to be there at time of delivery....our cars being the very first of a long awaited sports car, will be looked through.....leaned up against......mechanic will be scoping out under the hood to see what they will be soon working on.....sales guys leaving their greasy paw marks on the paint.....and then customers that came to look at the 6 or MPV will be all over it as it sits front and center in front of the builing ( you know thats where they will put it)......I will almost guarantee if our cars are at the dealer for any amount of time...they will get driven...period.

So.....how many people want to be at the dealer when the car transporter rolls up?

.......We need to be there at time of delivery....our cars being the very first of a long awaited sports car, will be looked through.....leaned up against......mechanic will be scoping out under the hood to see what they will be soon working on.....sales guys leaving their greasy paw marks on the paint.....

I understand everyone's concern, but really guys... you better get used to a certain degree of interest. Especially with your cars being among the first 8s over here. What are you planning to do?? Carry around some knumb-chucks and brass knuckles to pound anyone who even so much as looks at your 8?

Enjoy your cars, and yes... lot boys should not be allowed to drive your cars... but understand that there are other respectful enthusiasts around just like you and me who are excited about the 8 and are dying to get a closer look. It WILL be a way of life if you intend to drive the car anywhere. Heaven forbid if you drive it to the local theatre and have to leave it in the parking lot unattended for nearly two hours. Now THERE's are real dilema!!

Good Morning
The latest I've heard is that 3 boats should hit Port between the 16th and 19th. Total RX8's on board should range between 800 and 900. At 450 to 500 dealers in US each dealer will be getting one or two of their first allocation. I know we are only getting 2 in this first group. All my other 1st allocation and half of 2nd allocation are built and waiting according to inventory reports which are 2 days old when we get them. The rest of 2nd allocation and part of 3rd have been invoiced and scheduled to be built over the next 2 weeks. Keep you posted if I here when next ship leaves.

Originally posted by budaman
I know we are only getting 2 in this first group....and one of them's mine! MINE, I tell you! ALL MINE! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH!

*ahem* Sorry, I don't know what came over me.

Originally posted by Gyro
So.....how many people want to be at the dealer when the car transporter rolls up?

i will be at the dealer when the truck arrives as they unload and every step of the way. heck ill be there before the truck gets there :D :D

I'll be there too!!! And I won't drive any of them when they come in. Especially a certain blue sport pkg.

Originally posted by budaman
I'll be there too!!! And I won't drive any of them when they come in. Especially a certain blue sport pkg.

i will probably just drive 1 car right away......not mine, i am thinking proabably zoom49's he is buying one at the same place, hell i dont want to destroy my engine or wrap it around a tree or anything but zoom49....sure why not, the dealers insurance will cover it...heck maybe we all can test drive his..might as well just drive one car...:D :D :D

(j/k zoom49):) :D

You guys must be SOoo damn excited. Kinda like kids in a Candy Store. All the hoopla reminds me of when I was a kid and Christmas was just a few days away.... Man... I could hardly sleep!!!

..."the children were settled all snug in their beds, while visions of rotaries danced in their heads"...

That IS the way it reads now isn't it??:D

lol. yes it is very exciting. especially getting so close to delivery now.

...someday over the rainbow...

Originally posted by Gyro


Also- wont we be notified as to when our cars are leaving port by Mazda?......that will give a good Idea of delivery time at the dealer. Its a 6 hour drive from the Port in New Jersey to my dealer in Mass.


That sounds like a good idea ;) It's a 3 1/2 hour drive to Port Jersey from my place. I think it'd be worthwhile to see those cars being unloaded. I've never been to a port authority before, but I wonder how close we can actually get to the unloading ship and cars.

Better yet, get a group of guys from this Forum to hire a helicopter and fly you out to meet the incoming ship! Just make sure and bring plenty of beer. You know... Sapparo Amber Ale!:p

I'd make the trip (add 4 hours for me) just see - but unless I 'call in' it'd have to be a weekend... hmmm....

Originally posted by RCCAZ 1

..."the children were settled all snug in their beds, while visions of rotaries danced in their heads"...



Close . . . should be "the children were settled all snug in their beds, while visions of rotaries SPUN in their heads"

//ejw

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ibfubar2000


i will probably just drive 1 car right away......not mine, i am thinking proabably zoom49's he is buying one at the same place, hell i dont want to destroy my engine or wrap it around a tree or anything but zoom49....sure why not, the dealers insurance will cover it...heck maybe we all can test drive his..might as well just drive one car...

OK First you post "I saw a truckload of RX-8 at the dealer"
Now you are test driving MY car all over L.A. I know
your warranty admin duties can be stressful but take it
out on a Tribute owner not us.
:) :) :D :D

:D :D

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


i will be at the dealer when the truck arrives as they unload and every step of the way. heck ill be there before the truck gets there :D :D If you're serious about this you'll have to camp out at your dealer; even the dealers don't know when the transporter will show other than "in the next few days"; they're as surprised as you are when your vehicle shows up...

My dealer told me that they only receive new car deliveries on Thursdays. He said they get the occasional Friday delivery but they are told ahead of time when this happens.

Does anyone know where the Midwest Shipments are coming from? I would assume west coast and travel by rail, anyone from Chicago know?

Originally posted by BillK
If you're serious about this you'll have to camp out at your dealer; even the dealers don't know when the transporter will show other than "in the next few days"; they're as surprised as you are when your vehicle shows up...

he works at the dealership Billk, he'll be getting paid while taking delivery of his car;)

Are we sure the East Coast cars are comming by ship all they way?? At the train yard in Philly they must get several hundred cars from every manufacturer daily. I would think it would be a lot faster and cheaper hauling a hundred or two hundred cars by rail rather then a boat that has to travel 5x longer.

Originally posted by BillK
If you're serious about this you'll have to camp out at your dealer; even the dealers don't know when the transporter will show other than "in the next few days"; they're as surprised as you are when your vehicle shows up...

acutally i work at the dealer so im always here when the trucks come in...

Jabok82
Does anyone know where the Midwest Shipments are coming from? I would assume west coast and travel by rail, anyone from Chicago know?

I'm near Indianapolis, Indiana, and my VIN status report says that its coming into the Tacoma, Washington port. So, I'd bet yours is too....

I'm pretty positive that they will be travelling by Rail. I used to be in the industry (auto rental), and all our cars came by rail.

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


acutally i work at the dealer so im always here when the trucks come in... Well that makes things easier... :D

(Actually I know at least one local dealer sometimes gets their deliveries after hours, as in in the middle of the night; I take it Mazda tries to have their cars delivered during business hours...)

So....the ship gets into Tacoma on the 21st right?

I talked to the General Manager of the dealership I'm getting my car from, and he said that it normally takes about 3 weeks for the cars to get to St. Louis when they come into the Tacoma port. Does that sound about right for those of you who know about this stuff, or is he just blowing smoke?

If this is correct, that would put my delivery around 7/12. I hope to hell it is not going to be much longer than that. I have my high school class reunion the weekend of 8/2, and I would love to roll up in my new 8!! I'm going to be bummed if it doesn't make it here by then.

3rotor.....tell them to get the Titanium VIN# 1087 done and on that truck ASAP!:D

Originally posted by 3Rotor
The ship is scheduled to arrive at Port Heuneme on 6/17

If the ship arrives on the 17th, how many days after that do you think it will take for the cars to arrive at the Southern California dealerships? I called my dealer yesterday to see if he could give me an estimated arrival date, and he was guessing around July 7th, but I'm wondering if it might be earlier than that?

Anyone going to watch the ship unload?

Spoke with a dealership here in Phoenix, AZ yesterday and they said to plan on two weeks post ship arrival for cars to arrive here in Phoenix. Not sure what that means for the LA area, but I would guess that they need time to add on some of the extra goodies before loading up the truck and sending them off!

What's the latest "on water" status? Still scheduled to arrive on 6/17 (TODAY)?

Based upon the information I just received, the Pacific Leader unloaded 140 Mazda's at the Port of Hueneme and will be leaving later today (6/17) for Tacoma. According to the Port of Tacoma, they expect the ship to arrive 6/20. They may be leaving So Cal early due to some expected bad weather (they were originally scheduled to leave at 0900 on 6/18). Hopefully they are doing this so they can stay on-time and because I know the Mazda folks at the Port of Tacoma want to supervise the long shoremen who are unloading the RX-8s. I will get back to the forum tomorrow (late) after I go down to the Port of Tacoma. The trip down there is to secure my invitation to watch the unload. I will be taking video and will post it as soon as I can!!!

Originally posted by 3Rotor
Based upon the information I just received, the Pacific Leader unloaded 140 Mazda's at the Port of Hueneme...


Woohoo! :D Does this mean that for those of us whose car was on board, our VIN status code should be changing to:

30 - received @ Port

any time now?? I think Ibfubar's going to be busy again... :p

Originally posted by frogzapper



Woohoo! :D Does this mean that for those of us whose car was on board, our VIN status code should be changing to:

30 - received @ Port

any time now?? I think Ibfubar's going to be busy again... :p

:) i guess i better keep an eye out for lots of pm vin request:D not a big deal i will check them. i just checked mine and it still says in transit as of (1:00pm pst 6/17). i will keep everybody updated. looks like we will get them soon!!!

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


:) i guess i better keep an eye out for lots of pm vin request:D not a big deal i will check them. i just checked mine and it still says in transit as of (1:00pm pst 6/17). i will keep everybody updated. looks like we will get them soon!!!

Would you mind checking to see if I am "in port". Thanks

VIN: JM1FE173640101308

Originally posted by brownchiro


Would you mind checking to see if I am "in port". Thanks

VIN: JM1FE173640101308

i havent seen any in port yet...

VIN JM1FE173640101308 VIN Status 20 - In Transit

Model / Year RX8 6P / 2004 Country US - UNITED STATES O Warranty Start Date

Exterior Color A4J - LIGHTNING YELLOW Retail Dealer 34430 State TX
Dealer 34430 State TX
Retail Date
Interior Color F3 - BLACK Wholesale Demo Date
Engine No 13B 362070 Engine ER - ROTARY RENESIS(2R) Assembly Date 05/26/2003
Transmission T9 - 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANS Drive REAR WHEEL DRIVE
Emissions F - FEDERAL EMISSION

POE PH - PORT HUENEME, CA. IP DA - PORT MIDLOTHIAN, TX.

Accessories AAF - POLISHED FRONT ROTARY ACCENT AAR - POLISHED REAR ROTARY ACCENT
CAS - CASSETTE PLAYER DT1 - FAUX LEATHER DOOR TRIM
FLM - CARPET FLOOR MATS FL2 - FOG LAMPS
FOL - PORTFOLIO HL1 - XENON HEADLIGHTS
HM1 - HEATED MIRRORS LS1 - LEATHER SEATING SURFACES
MC2 - AUTO DAY/NIGHT MIRROR W/HOMELI MGB - FRONT/REAR SPLASH GUARDS
MR1 - MOONROOF PW4 - HEATED SEATS
PW6 - PWR SEATS/6 WAY DRVR/LUMBAR RA3 - PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM
STR - SPARE TIRE KIT TC2 - DSC WITH TRACTION CONTROL
WLK - WHEEL LOCKS 1GT - GRAND TOURING PKG M/T
2RP - ROTARY ACCENT PACKAGE -

Originally posted by frogzapper
Woohoo! :D Does this mean that for those of us whose car was on board, our VIN status code should be changing to:

30 - received @ Port

any time now??I don't know about Mazda, but for most manufacturers it can take up to two weeks for them to "process" a car once it hits land and for the status to change. This doesn't mean the car won't be moving, though.

For example, my last car arrived at my dealer before its status ever changed to reflect that it was loaded on a car carrier... :eek:

Hmm.. if I wanted to get more info on any ship carrying Mazda cars coming into the Port Of Honolulu, I wonder who I'd ask? Shoot, and what would I ask them without being too ignorant.. hahaha

Can you tell the anticipation is killing us all?

Hahahaha what a REtard.

Originally posted by BillK
I don't know about Mazda, but for most manufacturers it can take up to two weeks for them to "process" a car once it hits land and for the status to change. This doesn't mean the car won't be moving, though.

For example, my last car arrived at my dealer before its status ever changed to reflect that it was loaded on a car carrier... :eek:

also rememebr that our status was not "in transit" until apprx 4 days after the boat left japan. so it will take a few days. i dont think it will take weeks though because mazda knows there are a lot of people watching and waiting, so they should update the rx-8's right away

Ah, but bureaucracy runs at the same speed no matter how "hot" the product... :(

Originally posted by RX-Nut
Hmm.. if I wanted to get more info on any ship carrying Mazda cars coming into the Port Of Honolulu, I wonder who I'd ask? Shoot, and what would I ask them without being too ignorant.. hahaha

Can you tell the anticipation is killing us all?

Hahahaha what a REtard.

do what 3rotor did. go down to the port and politely ask some questions, schmooze, make some freinds. somebody will point you in the right direction :D

Check out the new thread I started with additional info:

http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5588