View Full Version : Help buying a 04 Rx-8


wambamcram
04-04-2006, 03:22 PM
Ok i live in michigan and for whatever reason rx-8's are priced kinda high. between $21-23500 there was even on with 5k miles for 26, he might of added a body kit but still. anyways I found one a silver one with a sport package a 6 thousand miles for around $17,000, one thing is that he said it was stolen and he had it repainted, so i believe it has a salvage title. Is the car worth buying?? I haven't looked or drove the car yet so I'm not sure of the details but I wanted to know what you guys think. I figure if everything checks out and since the miles are right it might be a good buy or could i be in for more trouble then the car is worth? your the only ones right now that i can talk to, thanx for the help

Cool-Blue-Dad
04-04-2006, 03:48 PM
Stolen doesn't seem likely. I can only think of one report of a stolen RX-8 and it wasn't in the US.

Do you know this guy? Was he kidding? If I were looking to buy a car from a stranger and this stranger said the car was stolen I'd say, "It's not what I'm looking for. Have a nice day." Seriously - something's wrong - run away.

#1 Advice - if you're looking to buy used you're risking getting burned. Pay the $30 for unlimited CarFax for a month. It's cheap insurance on your ~$20,000 purchase. Start with a CarFax on the 'stolen' car. If it really is a salvage title I'd say he should be selling it for far less than $17,000.

I would suggest broadening your search - are you looking 250 to 300 miles out? I drove 300 miles one-way to trade-in my old Subaru at a dealership in MD.

I sympathize with the plight. When I was shopping last fall I found almost all RX-8s were over $21k - even one with 30,000 miles on it (that was a GT with NAV, but still too many miles for that much money).

wambamcram
04-04-2006, 04:23 PM
i really appreciate that you guys like getting the best deal possible but i looked up the trade in value for a 04 rx-8 sport pkg. with 6k and its $19,775...that's what a dealership will give you. retail is $25,010. that what it is in michigan atleast

Cool-Blue-Dad
04-04-2006, 05:09 PM
i really appreciate that you guys like getting the best deal possible but i looked up the trade in value for a 04 rx-8 sport pkg. with 6k and its $19,775...that's what a dealership will give you. retail is $25,010. that what it is in michigan atleastWhat will the dealership give you for a 04 rx-8 sport pkg with 6k miles what was wrecked, torn in half, then welded back together and painted in someone's back yard?

To me a salvage title and a guy joking about a car being stolen means bad things.

I don't mean to be a kill-joy, but there is a guy who fixes wrecks a few miles from my house. He's real up front about it - lots of wrecked cars on his property waiting for a mate (example - a Ford Windstar van with a smashed nose waited patiently 2 years for a similar Windstar to turn up with a smashed rear). A co-worker of mine from my previous job bought that Franken-Van (off-topic - I wonder which VIN the vehicle took). Folks go to him and know exactly what they're buying and they buy it cheap.

Getting back to your dilemma -Is the car worth buying??I wouldn't touch a salvage title on an RX-8, but that's just me. If you think the cost savings are worth the risk I suggest driving it to see how it handles and inspecting it front-to-back for signs of damage or improper repair.

wambamcram
04-04-2006, 06:50 PM
No, your right but i'm saying the blue book price in general. I really can't seem to find a low miles GT under 23k. I'm looking to spend under 20k. I mean shit, I can get a GTO for 23 and insurence is cheaper. the only thing holding me back is the car is a plain jane