mKat

Greetings from Calgary.

I've wanted an RX8 since I saw one in a magazine in 2003 when I was 21. A few years later I was THIS --> |--| close to buying one while I was shopping for dealer inventory at an auction in Las Vegas. But I arrived in the middle of bidding and before I could gather myself it was sold for a prayer. I had to buy my transportation back to Canada and sadly that ended up being an Eclipse GTS. Baby #1 came shortly thereafter so we (married by then) ditched the Mitsu for a Mazda5 (wife wanted a mini-van and that was the ONLY one I would consider). Now with baby #2 here and our family in full-swing a second car is a must. From my wife's own mouth: "how 'bout that RX8?"

So I've been lurking around for days reading stickies and trying to up-date myself with the common issues. I'm prepared for the poor gas mileage, possible flooding issues, a pint of oil or premix every 2k, frustrating cold-weather starts, upgrading coils & plugs, buying the BHR ignition unit, and of course the possible blown engine. I know these ladies are high-maintenance but are extremely lovable, entertaining, and rewarding (not at all unlike my wife).

I've decided to say my hellos here in the local forum because I'm hoping to get some feedback on local pricing. Once I've bought the car I'll give my formal greetings to the community at large.

In a perfect world I'll find a higher mileage (100,000km+), BASE trim RX8 in Blue, Red, or white (lighter and harder is what I want). I think EVERYthing in Calgary is GT though, which isn't the worst thing considering this will be the first car that I take to the track, and with no experience I'm sure the others out there will be happy I've got DSC.

I've found that most '04-'05's in this mileage are $11-13k. I'm aware of a Ti-gray GT available in the city here which is at the bottom of that range. It has a few cosmetic issues as well as considerable curb rash. I also know it's had the engine replaced less than 10k ago which is a bonus.

So I'm torn. Put in an offer on what seems like a good deal already (is it a good deal?), or wait around a bit for my White or Winning Blue and find that they possibly want more for it?

Any comments are appreciated. And hello Canadian RX8 enthusiasts!

rubberduckie

You have dealt with buying a car from the states before and the dollar is good, why not go look around the FS section here? Most of these cars you know are taken care of properly. That could help ease the mind a bit.

mKat

Thanks for the response. Indeed my first thought was to pick one up state-side. I have not eliminated that possibility but it would have to be the perfect deal.

I still have access to the major wholesale auction network down there, and they have plenty of base-models in virtually every color. Like you said though, it's probably better to pay the retail BB value and buy from someone who you know has taken care of their car.

The main problem is in the transferability of the Mazda warranty. Mazda only allows cross-border warranty coverage on a situational basis. For example a person vacationing or attending school across borders. Once you bring a car permanently across the warranty is voided, including if you are changing your residence (which is ridiculous). Knowing that an engine core could very possibly be an issue in the near future, it may be prudent to find one that I know will be covered.

terch1

iTrader: (2)

Wait for a WWP to go up for sale near you. White is alright!

Methanoxide

Well since the '04s will be out of warranty next year anyway, your warranty concerns could by moot by the time you buy. Just a thought.
Good luck with your search.

mKat

You bring up a good point. I'm not one of those trolls who comes in and says "I want to buy one in the next 8 months" though. I would buy one this week if it was the right car. And I agree, if I knew that the engine had been replaced within the last 20k or so I shouldn't care about warranty because nothing else besides the engine core failures is covered at this point and a year later coverage is all over.

Chris_Bangle

iTrader: (2)

Don't know about all your other points but if you are taking it to the track, you don't need the DSC (myself among others have developed a second nature of turning the DSC fully off before driving anywhere) and the GS would be slightly better: a little less weight, no sunroof so more helmet room, slightly 'gripier' seats.

You certainly don't need DSC on a car with 170whp furthermore if you like driving, the DSC can be dangerous as you may intentionally want to play around with the car only to have the system 'make adjustments for you'.

MrAdam5

There's a white one down in Pincher Creek. Hes asking far too much for it, but its there.
http://lethbridge.kijiji.ca/c-cars-v...AdIdZ221521076

And may I recommend a Copper Red Shinka?
http://lethbridge.kijiji.ca/c-cars-v...AdIdZ216749303

Just keep looking till you find what you want. I'm always looking for parts and find that these cars are always coming and going around here.

LiTTleRX-8

Nice to see another possible Calgary member =]

I want to sell mine, but it's not paid off yet...=[

mKat

You are the second person to tell me that. I believe you too, pretty much all of the features of the GT model are just unwanted weight to me.

Thanks for those. Ya for that kind of mileage that guy in Pincher is crazy.

I didn't have a specific price point per say until I saw how cheap the '04-'05's are going for. Knowing how much I would like to put into the car over the next two years or so has me shopping down-market for a more economical starting point.

mKat

I hate to bump but I didn't think it would be prudent to start a new thread for this...

If faced with the option to buy an 8 with a replaced engine vs one with an original engine which has "been problem free" what do you do? Both are the same price. Both seem a good value yet I'm drawn to the replaced engine for obvious reasons. The original engine is a better color but ownership could be a bit more mysterious.

Razz1

Have you been looking in the for sale section in the forum?

REV-illusions

iTrader: (3)

Honestly.. I think it's a toss up. If the engine wasn't replaced due to it being flogged on the track all the time... then the rest of the car should be in decent shape and you shouldn't really have much to worry about..

If you feel the other car is good.. but you want to be sure of the engine... get a compression test done..

SlowLude

It's not worth selling. Especially if you bought it new. What's an 05 worth now? I think I saw one for $12,000 last year I think. Ridiculous.

mKat

Yep, here and there. I've seen some smoking deals. One issue is that a US car brought to Canada will face an 11.2% surcharge (5% GSTax and 6.2% import fee since it's made in Japan). Canadian values are low too so finding a good deal locally may be the best option. Plus then I've got warranty on the core for another year or so and don't have the expense of flying down/driving back. Though picking one up in S. California and driving home through Oregon would be well worth it! I've done that drive before while importing a car and it was a fantastic trip.

So a compression test should answer all the questions? The one with the original engine looks like the better car (no cosmetic damage whatsoever, and it's VR). The nice thing about the car with the replaced engine is I shouldn't have to worry about it for a long time. Both cars still have warranty for 18 months or so.

I suppose I should be able to tell if the owners are the sort to truly care for the car just by talking to them. I.e. They know about the common issues and have taken steps to protect the car from them.

Ya that's what I would think but I'm buying, not selling. I hope to have a new 8 this week, though I've decided to hold out for the car I want because I'll be keeping her for a long time.

LiTTleRX-8

Yeah, I actually asked for a quote in July at Stoney Trail Mazda. They said 12-13ish for my 05.