Tell the Story of How You and Your RX-8 Came Together
04-22-2015, 08:27 AM
#1
Water Foul
Thread Starter
Tell the Story of How You and Your RX-8 Came Together
Mod edit: Moved to the New Member forum since it should get more activity here.
I imagine some of the stories of how people acquired their cars are interesting enough for a little story telling. There are the "bought it new from the dealer" stories, "had to sell it, but bought it back" stories, "finally found one and nearly died of exuberant hope during the compression test because so many others had failed" stories, "didn't know about compression testing and this car sucks" stories, etc.
Here's mine.
I was looking at Boxsters, S2000s, and RX-8s (really wanted an R3) as candidates to be my next weekend sports and track day car. Having done several months of research and having driven each several times, I had decided that whichever one I was able to find in the right condition at the right price would be my choice. This was in 2012.
A very nice Boxster showed up at the right price near me as a lease return, but upon close inspection, it had the scary engine. I looked at some S2000s, but they had either been riced, tracked hard already, or were insanely expensive garage queens.
A 2011 RX-8 Grand Touring made an appearance at one of the local Porsche dealerships. I went down to check it out and found it only had 4,000 miles on it, and it was absolutely flawless. It turns out Nick Saban (head coach of the Crimson Tide) had special ordered it in 2011, and it was supposedly on the last boat (one of the last 6 cars) from Japan. He had decided he was a Porsche guy and traded it for a very nice specimen. I tried to cut a deal on it, but they wanted way too much for it and would not budge on the price ($33K I think it was). I walked away figuring they would call me back, but they sold it to a local school teacher turned private tutor the next day.
Fast forward about 5 months. I looked at a lot of cars and did not find anything that flipped my lid. I even took a detour toward the new-at-that-time Subaru BRZ, but could not make myself like it. A very familiar looking 2011 RX-8 appeared on AutoTrader. I contacted the seller and met him to check it out. It was the same car that now had 9,000 miles on the odo. His story was that his new business was struggling and he had another baby on the way, so he had to get rid of it. He was also mildly afraid of the engine after spending time on rx8club.com.
He previously had a couple of RX-7s, and this RX-8 was pretty much his dream car, so he waffled on me for a couple of weeks about selling it. I had thrown him a low offer of $20K as a place to start negotiating and expected to pay $25-27K. He emailed me after going dark for a week and accepted my original offer. We worked out the deal, and it was mine a week later. I felt like I stole the car from him, and I have been driving it like I stole it ever since.
I imagine some of the stories of how people acquired their cars are interesting enough for a little story telling. There are the "bought it new from the dealer" stories, "had to sell it, but bought it back" stories, "finally found one and nearly died of exuberant hope during the compression test because so many others had failed" stories, "didn't know about compression testing and this car sucks" stories, etc.
Here's mine.
I was looking at Boxsters, S2000s, and RX-8s (really wanted an R3) as candidates to be my next weekend sports and track day car. Having done several months of research and having driven each several times, I had decided that whichever one I was able to find in the right condition at the right price would be my choice. This was in 2012.
A very nice Boxster showed up at the right price near me as a lease return, but upon close inspection, it had the scary engine. I looked at some S2000s, but they had either been riced, tracked hard already, or were insanely expensive garage queens.
A 2011 RX-8 Grand Touring made an appearance at one of the local Porsche dealerships. I went down to check it out and found it only had 4,000 miles on it, and it was absolutely flawless. It turns out Nick Saban (head coach of the Crimson Tide) had special ordered it in 2011, and it was supposedly on the last boat (one of the last 6 cars) from Japan. He had decided he was a Porsche guy and traded it for a very nice specimen. I tried to cut a deal on it, but they wanted way too much for it and would not budge on the price ($33K I think it was). I walked away figuring they would call me back, but they sold it to a local school teacher turned private tutor the next day.
Fast forward about 5 months. I looked at a lot of cars and did not find anything that flipped my lid. I even took a detour toward the new-at-that-time Subaru BRZ, but could not make myself like it. A very familiar looking 2011 RX-8 appeared on AutoTrader. I contacted the seller and met him to check it out. It was the same car that now had 9,000 miles on the odo. His story was that his new business was struggling and he had another baby on the way, so he had to get rid of it. He was also mildly afraid of the engine after spending time on rx8club.com.
He previously had a couple of RX-7s, and this RX-8 was pretty much his dream car, so he waffled on me for a couple of weeks about selling it. I had thrown him a low offer of $20K as a place to start negotiating and expected to pay $25-27K. He emailed me after going dark for a week and accepted my original offer. We worked out the deal, and it was mine a week later. I felt like I stole the car from him, and I have been driving it like I stole it ever since.
Last edited by Steve Dallas; 04-30-2015 at 07:05 PM.
04-22-2015, 08:40 AM
#2
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Mine warms the cockles of some hearts around here. I seem to remember a similar thread years ago (2007-2008), but haven't seen it in a long time.
I was blowing up piston engines. It's something I do. I like high reving, small displacement engines, something that piston engines have trouble with. I was only starting to grasp that my driving style was really not suited to them, and started to find out about the rotary engine. It was more my style, and I decided I wanted an RX-8. I spent almost 2 years lurking on the forum here from early 2006. Prices were still higher than I could afford. I finally got approval from the wife that I could get one, but only if it met the stringent requirements she set ... which were designed to keep me from actually finding one.
4 months of searching, and I did in October of 2007. A 2005 MT GT WWP with 8,600 miles on it. First sold in Sept of 2006. So it only had 13 months and 8,600 miles on the warranty despite being "2 years old" It was for sale at a Mercedes dealership in Ohio (I lived in RI at the time), and they had it listed erronously as most do: Base. And they had it listed for $19,000. That's $13,000 less than the original MSRP for a lightly used year of driving. I called them up and put down a deposit, called my bank, and they overnighted the loan check.
Fastforward 2 weeks and I fly out to Cincinnatti, get picked up by the salesman. He was all curious, and told me "I think we priced this car wrong, we have been flooded with calls about it. Is there something special that we missed?" I chatted about the rarity of the options lightly, not willing to give him room to come up with a reason to back out until I had keys in hand.
We get to the dealership, before opening on a Saturday morning. He opened it just for me. The 8 was sitting on the showroom carpet. I'll never forget the first walkaround. Just calling to me, glowing softly in the dim light. I take it out for a quick spin, then return to sign the last of the paperwork. I then spend 2 days driving it home to RI.
I daily drove it for 5.5 years, up to 113,000 miles, all 4 seasons, including new england winters. Only stranded me once when the clutch shattered at 89,000. I drove it in 37 different states, spent over a month of nights asleep in it on the road. Autocrossed it for 2 years, and learned how to be a home brew mechanic on it.
I had to sell it two years ago due to a life situation. I never listed it, just made a comment to someone on here about how paying $5k for a 100k salvage titled 8 was stupid, and how much I was expecting to get for mine. 150 some emails later I drive it out to Seattle for him (after Sandy, stupid high shipping prices leaving this area at the time). I cried the night I dropped it off at his house.
Tomorrow I am picking it back up from him. Only 5,000 miles more on the odometer, lots of things refreshed, and spending 11 days driving it back home.
I was blowing up piston engines. It's something I do. I like high reving, small displacement engines, something that piston engines have trouble with. I was only starting to grasp that my driving style was really not suited to them, and started to find out about the rotary engine. It was more my style, and I decided I wanted an RX-8. I spent almost 2 years lurking on the forum here from early 2006. Prices were still higher than I could afford. I finally got approval from the wife that I could get one, but only if it met the stringent requirements she set ... which were designed to keep me from actually finding one.
4 months of searching, and I did in October of 2007. A 2005 MT GT WWP with 8,600 miles on it. First sold in Sept of 2006. So it only had 13 months and 8,600 miles on the warranty despite being "2 years old" It was for sale at a Mercedes dealership in Ohio (I lived in RI at the time), and they had it listed erronously as most do: Base. And they had it listed for $19,000. That's $13,000 less than the original MSRP for a lightly used year of driving. I called them up and put down a deposit, called my bank, and they overnighted the loan check.
Fastforward 2 weeks and I fly out to Cincinnatti, get picked up by the salesman. He was all curious, and told me "I think we priced this car wrong, we have been flooded with calls about it. Is there something special that we missed?" I chatted about the rarity of the options lightly, not willing to give him room to come up with a reason to back out until I had keys in hand.
We get to the dealership, before opening on a Saturday morning. He opened it just for me. The 8 was sitting on the showroom carpet. I'll never forget the first walkaround. Just calling to me, glowing softly in the dim light. I take it out for a quick spin, then return to sign the last of the paperwork. I then spend 2 days driving it home to RI.
I daily drove it for 5.5 years, up to 113,000 miles, all 4 seasons, including new england winters. Only stranded me once when the clutch shattered at 89,000. I drove it in 37 different states, spent over a month of nights asleep in it on the road. Autocrossed it for 2 years, and learned how to be a home brew mechanic on it.
I had to sell it two years ago due to a life situation. I never listed it, just made a comment to someone on here about how paying $5k for a 100k salvage titled 8 was stupid, and how much I was expecting to get for mine. 150 some emails later I drive it out to Seattle for him (after Sandy, stupid high shipping prices leaving this area at the time). I cried the night I dropped it off at his house.
Tomorrow I am picking it back up from him. Only 5,000 miles more on the odometer, lots of things refreshed, and spending 11 days driving it back home.
04-22-2015, 09:35 AM
#5
!y Galaxy Grey
Here goes my story. I've always wanted an RX8 ever since my cousin drove home in a brand new silver 04 years ago but money and raising a family crushed my dream. Fast forward to January of this year when owning one was within my reach. I spent weeks looking online , looking at dealerships in three different states and looking here as well. I ran into the common problem of every time I fell in love with one I'd have it checked out just to find compression issues. This happened with 7 different cars. I had given up hope of realizing my dream when my phone rang on March 5th of this year. It was a golfing/fishing buddy of mine that happens to own a dealership two cities away. He knew what I was trying to find and he called to tell me that he got wind of an 07 RX8 with low miles that had belonged to an Air Force pilot based here that had gotten killed in a car bombing in Iraq and the widow just wanted to get rid of the car as it was just a visual memory of her fallen husband. I was saddened by the loss but guiltily happy about the possibility of getting this car. We drove to her home and were greeted by the nicest woman ever. She took us to the garage to show us the car and there it was. A 2007 grand touring in galaxy Greg with less than 12,000 miles on it. We were told that the car was only driven on weekends when he was home and that 6 months out of the year he was deployed. We then asked if we could drive it back to my friends dealership for a few tests and to have it inspected. She agreed and the testing was done. Finally an RX8 that passed on compression and was healthy and the car passed on every inspection/ diagnostic done. We then drove back to negotiate a deal. My friend agreed to set up the deal as to not take advantage of this nice young lady and to set a fair market value for me as well. Later that day I drove my dream home. Its a great car in mint condition that is a blast to drive and because it belonged to a fallen member of the armed forces that gave his life to protect us I not only love the car but I am honored to drive it.
04-22-2015, 12:40 PM
#6
RIWWP, careful that your wife doesn' read steamy stories like that 
Mine is pretty simple: my previous car had a lot of mods done to her, and was starting to be unreliable, it was FWD and I wanted something else, so started looking around. Wanted a Celica GT4 for the longest time and they were just starting to show up here (15-year import law). So then I talked to my Toyota modder friend and turned out that GT4s are a pain in the *** to work on, so that put an end to that.
Then there were a few meh test drives of MR2s, an S2K, WRXs, but each one was missing something. No love. So then I started looking at FDs, which led to RX8s. Took a test drive in a gorgeous blue one that had been rebuilt by someone at home. It wasn't a purchase prospect for that reason, but I LOOOOOVED the test drive. A few more test drives later, found a 2004 (this was in 2009) with 28,000 km on it, no winters and full service records.
Came to see it, but didn't even test drive or compression test (silly, I know). It was mint, except for a chrome fuel door and a sunroof deflector. Those had to go.
The lady was crying, like RIWWP, when we switched plates.
Mine is pretty simple: my previous car had a lot of mods done to her, and was starting to be unreliable, it was FWD and I wanted something else, so started looking around. Wanted a Celica GT4 for the longest time and they were just starting to show up here (15-year import law). So then I talked to my Toyota modder friend and turned out that GT4s are a pain in the *** to work on, so that put an end to that.
Then there were a few meh test drives of MR2s, an S2K, WRXs, but each one was missing something. No love. So then I started looking at FDs, which led to RX8s. Took a test drive in a gorgeous blue one that had been rebuilt by someone at home. It wasn't a purchase prospect for that reason, but I LOOOOOVED the test drive. A few more test drives later, found a 2004 (this was in 2009) with 28,000 km on it, no winters and full service records.
Came to see it, but didn't even test drive or compression test (silly, I know). It was mint, except for a chrome fuel door and a sunroof deflector. Those had to go.
The lady was crying, like RIWWP, when we switched plates.
04-22-2015, 02:04 PM
#8
SARX Legend
iTrader: (46)
On a sunny day many years ago, I went to the dealer to have service done on my Mazdaspeed Protege and came home with an RX-8 and a car payment, 
Last edited by 9krpmrx8; 04-22-2015 at 04:46 PM.
04-22-2015, 02:29 PM
#9
RX8 and a Truk....
In 2004 I started shopping for a new family car. Here's my first post here in the forum - sets the stage:
"My 'short list' of possible replacements included S4 (B5 chassis), 2005 Mustang GT, or a used RX8. I've yet to drive the Mustang, but have driven both the S4 and an Rx8.
The S4 was a hoot - except when I started corning. Noticeable body roll. I could equate the handling to my previous car - 93 Probe GT. It felt like a fwd car going into corners; I could feel the car pawing out of the corners, however.
I went to look at an 05 Mustang and came away with some potential problems - namely, the interior felt pretty cheap. Bargain-bin stuff. The vents and trim rings around the vents looked/felt horrible. I'm withholding judgment however until I can see how much 300hp would make me forget the interior issues.
Yesterday, coming back from a family event, my wife suggested stopping by a Mazda dealer to see if they had any 8's in stock. After some chit-chat with a salesman, we had the kids' car seats buckled in - the boy behind my seat, and my daughter behind mommy and off we went. Before moving out, I pushed and held the Traction control for 7? seconds or whatever before I saw the little indicator in the gauges that the car shouldn't be hampered by electronic intervention.
I poked away from the dealer, then let it rip a bit once we got to a couple back roads. I was VERY impressed. Prior to driving the 8, I had assumed every car I'd drive would handle like crap compared to my Miata...That prejudice did NOT apply to that RX8. I was expecting very little grunt, but was pleasantly surprised - noticeably, when I'd shift to 2nd hard, the car would lunge forward; pulling nicely. I kept the car in 2nd thru most of the twisty bits - I never felt out of control. The car rode reasonably well, and cornered fairly flat, with VERY little drama. My wife said later, "I think you should go for an RX8 - as SOON as you got behind the wheel you started smiling...and never stopped during the entire test drive."
...and the interior of the car? Spot-on fantastic. It felt more like a fighter cockpit than a 'pseudo-sedan'.
The kids were mostly oblivious back there - not a LOT or room - but no bickering or fighting about somebody being on somebody else's 'side'.
So what's the problem?
When I first got my Miata I enjoyed it. It had about 155 LESS HP at the wheel than my (Previous car - Turbo V6 ProbeGT) did - and likely 180lb-ft less. But it was fun. It just IS fun. No worries - just scoot along. That was fine, until one day on the freeway where I was having trouble passing a Suzuki Esteem with 4 people in it.
I shopped around for a GReddy Turbo system which gave me perhaps 45-50 whp. VERY fun - yet I found myself worrying more about A/F Ratios, Boost Levels, EGTs, etc. It got so, like the probe, the car had become a 'project' where the care-free fun was gone; driving the car had become worrisome - I missed the simplicity of not having to monitor ANYTHING but the Tach and Temp.
I sold the turbo system, and now run I/H/E - Even as much fun as the car is, I find myself continuously making 'yeah but' comments about the car. "Sure it's slow - Your minivan would beat it at the drag strip? Yeah but my car handles well. Yeah but it's fun, etc.
Buying a Mustang or an S4 allows the means to relatively easily produce MOUNTAINS more power. $500 = chip for the S4 and 60-70hp. I/H/E on an 300hp v8 = 50hp on a mustang. $2000 on an Rx8 10? 15? More HP?
So - after all this babbling...do any of y'all ever find yourself making 'yeah-but' comments about the car? To yourself or others? I'm not suggesting the car is a slouch - it felt VERY strong compared to my miata - or even the miata w/ the turbo.
Does it ever get old, though, having a chassis which could handle another 100whp, but that number being VERY Far away both financially and technologically? How long before the power, or lack of it, becomes a liability in every-day driving joy? Does it bother you any to have to struggle to catch S2k's, etc? Of course, I'd be 'struggling in a car with plenty more room, and more distinctive looks! :D
Sure - one trip to Flyin Miata and $6k later (FM Turbo + Clutch) and another $1k on a new rear-end would give my miata a solid 220-250whp. The car is still 11 years old. The car still can't carry the family. And the car is back to a 'project' car. It's still back to monitoring stuff - distracting from the pure joy of driving.
Perhaps I'm too picky? I would very much acknowledge I want my cake, and wanna eat it to.
Anywho - thanks for your insights - the clues I picked up lurking here helped a lot during my test drive..."
Within a couple months I decided on the RX8 and found a new Sport + appearance package for $25,250 out the door.
First impressions after ownership.
Day one - Sunday 5 December.
Driving home around 5:30p from the dealership I was pretty disoriented. Hunting and pecking to find all the switches - learning where to position the mirrors to eliminate the blind spots - Getting used to the heft of the car - those types of things. My goal on that drive was to simply 'not crash'.
After I got home and had dinner, I went out again. Holding the DSC for the required time to shut off all nanny-software, I headed out. As the rain had been coming down for some time, the streets were pretty saturated. At the end of my neighborhood entrance/exit street we have a right or left turn. Across from where I was stopped I noticed my headlights shining on a fence across the street.
"WOW!" I thought - looking at the beam pattern from the HIDs; it extended probably a hundred feet or MORE across the fence.
"Very Cool".
I headed out, towards less-populated areas. The first right hander I took, I launched around 3,000, then sorta slip/dropped the clutch, to get the tires spinning. The back end started to come out when I lifted off the gas - I was still trying to get used to the feel. Next left, from a stop, same thing.
As I drove I'd let the back end hang out further and further - never really having to counter-steer a lot.
Back home after a few minutes, I couldn't sleep. I wanted to go out and check out my car.
I woke up at 3:30am. Decided to stay up.
Day 2 - 6 December
After I got home from work I took the car over to my brothers place to show him my new ride. En route, I found myself in the outside lane of two lanes turning left. Beside me was a 3.5L Altima. When the light turned Green, I nailed it - then heard his tires spinning. It was on. I swung wide to make sure the Altima had room, and went WOT thru first - he was still at my rear 1/4 panel. At the shift to second I SHOT ahead and he gave up; as I noticed my TCS/DCS Blinking at me As the lanes become an on-ramp to a highway I got thru all that without having to speed much. :-D My brother came out of his apartment, and as he hopped in I shut off the TCS/DSC. Pulling out of a side street onto an access road I launched pretty well. With my slip/drop technique, I got the back end of the car out quite a bit. Keeping the back in line with the throttle and steering, we 'drifted' down the access road for about 50? feet or so, before I lifted the pedal. The car 'snickered' back in line without ANY fuss. I drove him around a few blocks - I think I found that 'dead spot' in the RPM range by the way...tween 6-8?K, the car just felt sorta flat. Truth be told, my 260lbs brother may have helped reduced some of the car's 'grunt'.
Day 3 - 7 December
Driving into work today was quite an experience. I'm extremely impressed with the car's communicative nature. Even in my normal driving (shifting by 3500 rpms), the car tracks so straight and true. I can feel the tires, the road, everything. While the ride isn't soft by any means, the commute is free from excess road noise, wind noise, or leaks - my miata would drip a couple drops thru the weather stripping on occasion.
I just felt...Good. While in traffic I found myself next to an S2000. I felt I gave up nothing to him, as i often would in my miata. I felt like I was sitting in traffic next to a Peer. Except I could have had 3 others WITH me :-D
Things I don't like:
No key hole on the passenger's door.
Can't turn the TCS/DCS back on without restarting the car
The stumbling/starting when firing the ignition
The Flat-Spot in the power curve.
Still - looking out of my office window at that silver sports car I own makes it all worth it. In fact, I parked further away, across the street so I could see the car from my office window. As much as I liked the GTO I was considering, I doubt I'd do the same thing. Visually, the RX8 speaks to me. It says "Whenever you are ready, let's go! And bring some friends!"
"My 'short list' of possible replacements included S4 (B5 chassis), 2005 Mustang GT, or a used RX8. I've yet to drive the Mustang, but have driven both the S4 and an Rx8.
The S4 was a hoot - except when I started corning. Noticeable body roll. I could equate the handling to my previous car - 93 Probe GT. It felt like a fwd car going into corners; I could feel the car pawing out of the corners, however.
I went to look at an 05 Mustang and came away with some potential problems - namely, the interior felt pretty cheap. Bargain-bin stuff. The vents and trim rings around the vents looked/felt horrible. I'm withholding judgment however until I can see how much 300hp would make me forget the interior issues.
Yesterday, coming back from a family event, my wife suggested stopping by a Mazda dealer to see if they had any 8's in stock. After some chit-chat with a salesman, we had the kids' car seats buckled in - the boy behind my seat, and my daughter behind mommy and off we went. Before moving out, I pushed and held the Traction control for 7? seconds or whatever before I saw the little indicator in the gauges that the car shouldn't be hampered by electronic intervention.
I poked away from the dealer, then let it rip a bit once we got to a couple back roads. I was VERY impressed. Prior to driving the 8, I had assumed every car I'd drive would handle like crap compared to my Miata...That prejudice did NOT apply to that RX8. I was expecting very little grunt, but was pleasantly surprised - noticeably, when I'd shift to 2nd hard, the car would lunge forward; pulling nicely. I kept the car in 2nd thru most of the twisty bits - I never felt out of control. The car rode reasonably well, and cornered fairly flat, with VERY little drama. My wife said later, "I think you should go for an RX8 - as SOON as you got behind the wheel you started smiling...and never stopped during the entire test drive."
...and the interior of the car? Spot-on fantastic. It felt more like a fighter cockpit than a 'pseudo-sedan'.
The kids were mostly oblivious back there - not a LOT or room - but no bickering or fighting about somebody being on somebody else's 'side'.
So what's the problem?
When I first got my Miata I enjoyed it. It had about 155 LESS HP at the wheel than my (Previous car - Turbo V6 ProbeGT) did - and likely 180lb-ft less. But it was fun. It just IS fun. No worries - just scoot along. That was fine, until one day on the freeway where I was having trouble passing a Suzuki Esteem with 4 people in it.
I shopped around for a GReddy Turbo system which gave me perhaps 45-50 whp. VERY fun - yet I found myself worrying more about A/F Ratios, Boost Levels, EGTs, etc. It got so, like the probe, the car had become a 'project' where the care-free fun was gone; driving the car had become worrisome - I missed the simplicity of not having to monitor ANYTHING but the Tach and Temp.
I sold the turbo system, and now run I/H/E - Even as much fun as the car is, I find myself continuously making 'yeah but' comments about the car. "Sure it's slow - Your minivan would beat it at the drag strip? Yeah but my car handles well. Yeah but it's fun, etc.
Buying a Mustang or an S4 allows the means to relatively easily produce MOUNTAINS more power. $500 = chip for the S4 and 60-70hp. I/H/E on an 300hp v8 = 50hp on a mustang. $2000 on an Rx8 10? 15? More HP?
So - after all this babbling...do any of y'all ever find yourself making 'yeah-but' comments about the car? To yourself or others? I'm not suggesting the car is a slouch - it felt VERY strong compared to my miata - or even the miata w/ the turbo.
Does it ever get old, though, having a chassis which could handle another 100whp, but that number being VERY Far away both financially and technologically? How long before the power, or lack of it, becomes a liability in every-day driving joy? Does it bother you any to have to struggle to catch S2k's, etc? Of course, I'd be 'struggling in a car with plenty more room, and more distinctive looks! :D
Sure - one trip to Flyin Miata and $6k later (FM Turbo + Clutch) and another $1k on a new rear-end would give my miata a solid 220-250whp. The car is still 11 years old. The car still can't carry the family. And the car is back to a 'project' car. It's still back to monitoring stuff - distracting from the pure joy of driving.
Perhaps I'm too picky? I would very much acknowledge I want my cake, and wanna eat it to.
Anywho - thanks for your insights - the clues I picked up lurking here helped a lot during my test drive..."
Within a couple months I decided on the RX8 and found a new Sport + appearance package for $25,250 out the door.
First impressions after ownership.
Day one - Sunday 5 December.
Driving home around 5:30p from the dealership I was pretty disoriented. Hunting and pecking to find all the switches - learning where to position the mirrors to eliminate the blind spots - Getting used to the heft of the car - those types of things. My goal on that drive was to simply 'not crash'.
After I got home and had dinner, I went out again. Holding the DSC for the required time to shut off all nanny-software, I headed out. As the rain had been coming down for some time, the streets were pretty saturated. At the end of my neighborhood entrance/exit street we have a right or left turn. Across from where I was stopped I noticed my headlights shining on a fence across the street.
"WOW!" I thought - looking at the beam pattern from the HIDs; it extended probably a hundred feet or MORE across the fence.
"Very Cool".
I headed out, towards less-populated areas. The first right hander I took, I launched around 3,000, then sorta slip/dropped the clutch, to get the tires spinning. The back end started to come out when I lifted off the gas - I was still trying to get used to the feel. Next left, from a stop, same thing.
As I drove I'd let the back end hang out further and further - never really having to counter-steer a lot.
Back home after a few minutes, I couldn't sleep. I wanted to go out and check out my car.
I woke up at 3:30am. Decided to stay up.
Day 2 - 6 December
After I got home from work I took the car over to my brothers place to show him my new ride. En route, I found myself in the outside lane of two lanes turning left. Beside me was a 3.5L Altima. When the light turned Green, I nailed it - then heard his tires spinning. It was on. I swung wide to make sure the Altima had room, and went WOT thru first - he was still at my rear 1/4 panel. At the shift to second I SHOT ahead and he gave up; as I noticed my TCS/DCS Blinking at me As the lanes become an on-ramp to a highway I got thru all that without having to speed much. :-D My brother came out of his apartment, and as he hopped in I shut off the TCS/DSC. Pulling out of a side street onto an access road I launched pretty well. With my slip/drop technique, I got the back end of the car out quite a bit. Keeping the back in line with the throttle and steering, we 'drifted' down the access road for about 50? feet or so, before I lifted the pedal. The car 'snickered' back in line without ANY fuss. I drove him around a few blocks - I think I found that 'dead spot' in the RPM range by the way...tween 6-8?K, the car just felt sorta flat. Truth be told, my 260lbs brother may have helped reduced some of the car's 'grunt'.
Day 3 - 7 December
Driving into work today was quite an experience. I'm extremely impressed with the car's communicative nature. Even in my normal driving (shifting by 3500 rpms), the car tracks so straight and true. I can feel the tires, the road, everything. While the ride isn't soft by any means, the commute is free from excess road noise, wind noise, or leaks - my miata would drip a couple drops thru the weather stripping on occasion.
I just felt...Good. While in traffic I found myself next to an S2000. I felt I gave up nothing to him, as i often would in my miata. I felt like I was sitting in traffic next to a Peer. Except I could have had 3 others WITH me :-D
Things I don't like:
No key hole on the passenger's door.
Can't turn the TCS/DCS back on without restarting the car
The stumbling/starting when firing the ignition
The Flat-Spot in the power curve.
Still - looking out of my office window at that silver sports car I own makes it all worth it. In fact, I parked further away, across the street so I could see the car from my office window. As much as I liked the GTO I was considering, I doubt I'd do the same thing. Visually, the RX8 speaks to me. It says "Whenever you are ready, let's go! And bring some friends!"
04-22-2015, 03:08 PM
#10
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kirkland, WA
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https://www.rx8club.com/nw-rx-8-foru...ington-258032/
04-23-2015, 09:07 AM
#11
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I've only ever owned RWD vehicles and up to last June, I had been driving a 2003 Dodge Dakota in Black with Silver trim; I loved that truck, even with its lack of 4WD and slush box. I had been wanting to compliment it with a sports car for some time and kept telling myself I should start looking but would put it off in the interest of not having any car payments. I'm not sold on destiny but one way or another, I ended up making good on my dream sans my beloved pickup.
I went to sleep one night in early summer, the truck sitting in my shared driveway only to wake up the next morning to an empty driveway thinking my brother in law or best friend (both of whom had keys) had pulled a prank on me. I checked with my neighbors only to find that they had heard "banging on wood" sometime around 4:00am which led me to believe my vehicle had indeed been snatched out from under my nose. I went on to file a police report and call my insurance company to initiate a claim and snag a rental. Three months, a Dodge Charger, Nissan Altima, $400 out of pocket for rental fees, and a lot of heated debate with my disappointing Allstate agent, I had a check in hand for a nice payout of my disappearing Dakota.
At this point, I had taken to driving a Jeep XJ loaned to me by a family member since I was long past my Insurance covered rental period and I was officially in the market for a new car; my top three choices being an S2k, BRZ, or an RX-8. I hunted around for a while and test drove the BRZ which I found to be surprisingly disappointing. It is a very pretty car but lacks the panache I was looking for and would've required another 10-15K to start creeping into the performance territory I was shooting for. That said, I did almost pull the trigger on one that was priced so low in Birmingham and met up with my work schedule taking me there that I felt compelled to buy it and drive home. Sadly, the seller turned out to be a flake and it wasn't meant to be. I flew back and test drove the first RX-8 I found about a week later.
I loved it immediately but wasn't in love with the one I was driving. It had a torn up steering wheel, was a rebuilt title, and had some serious paint issues on the replacement parts. Non of these things are deal breakers for me but the guy was just asking too much and I feel that this opinion is validated by the fact that it's still on Craigslist in my area for a tiny bit less than the original posting.
That's when I met Mike after replying to another Criagslist add for an 08' Black GT and a spare set of tires. My first and most important question when buying a used car off of Craigslist is "Why are you selling it?" I feel you can pickup a lot from the answer particularly in how they deliver it and this was no exception. Turned out that while he loved this car and had been using it as a DD on his jaunts between Cleveland and Detroit lending to the 116K on the odo, he wanted something newer and picked up a Cayman for his lengthy commute. On top of that, he had a 41' Chevy in the garage that he and his Dad rebuilt and his wife told him one of the three toys had to go. He also gave me reason to believe he'd tried giving it to his daughter and the premium gas was a deal breaker for her. By the time that came up I was already sold. I drove the car, I loved the car, I asked him to get a compression test done to which the results were surprisingly favorable. I negotiated a better price since I was planning a rebuild within my first 15k. About a week later, I beamed from ear to ear on my first drive home from the title bureau. I've since been learning as much as I can about this car/rotaries in general and working out all of the things I want to do to it. Not to mention driving the snot out of what I consider to already be an amazing car out of the box.
Long story short, my truck got stolen, I replaced it with an RX-8, and couldn't be happier.
I went to sleep one night in early summer, the truck sitting in my shared driveway only to wake up the next morning to an empty driveway thinking my brother in law or best friend (both of whom had keys) had pulled a prank on me. I checked with my neighbors only to find that they had heard "banging on wood" sometime around 4:00am which led me to believe my vehicle had indeed been snatched out from under my nose. I went on to file a police report and call my insurance company to initiate a claim and snag a rental. Three months, a Dodge Charger, Nissan Altima, $400 out of pocket for rental fees, and a lot of heated debate with my disappointing Allstate agent, I had a check in hand for a nice payout of my disappearing Dakota.
At this point, I had taken to driving a Jeep XJ loaned to me by a family member since I was long past my Insurance covered rental period and I was officially in the market for a new car; my top three choices being an S2k, BRZ, or an RX-8. I hunted around for a while and test drove the BRZ which I found to be surprisingly disappointing. It is a very pretty car but lacks the panache I was looking for and would've required another 10-15K to start creeping into the performance territory I was shooting for. That said, I did almost pull the trigger on one that was priced so low in Birmingham and met up with my work schedule taking me there that I felt compelled to buy it and drive home. Sadly, the seller turned out to be a flake and it wasn't meant to be. I flew back and test drove the first RX-8 I found about a week later.
I loved it immediately but wasn't in love with the one I was driving. It had a torn up steering wheel, was a rebuilt title, and had some serious paint issues on the replacement parts. Non of these things are deal breakers for me but the guy was just asking too much and I feel that this opinion is validated by the fact that it's still on Craigslist in my area for a tiny bit less than the original posting.
That's when I met Mike after replying to another Criagslist add for an 08' Black GT and a spare set of tires. My first and most important question when buying a used car off of Craigslist is "Why are you selling it?" I feel you can pickup a lot from the answer particularly in how they deliver it and this was no exception. Turned out that while he loved this car and had been using it as a DD on his jaunts between Cleveland and Detroit lending to the 116K on the odo, he wanted something newer and picked up a Cayman for his lengthy commute. On top of that, he had a 41' Chevy in the garage that he and his Dad rebuilt and his wife told him one of the three toys had to go. He also gave me reason to believe he'd tried giving it to his daughter and the premium gas was a deal breaker for her. By the time that came up I was already sold. I drove the car, I loved the car, I asked him to get a compression test done to which the results were surprisingly favorable. I negotiated a better price since I was planning a rebuild within my first 15k. About a week later, I beamed from ear to ear on my first drive home from the title bureau. I've since been learning as much as I can about this car/rotaries in general and working out all of the things I want to do to it. Not to mention driving the snot out of what I consider to already be an amazing car out of the box.
Long story short, my truck got stolen, I replaced it with an RX-8, and couldn't be happier.
04-23-2015, 12:07 PM
#12
Registered
My story is pretty interesting. As is everyone elses. I wanted a car for a long time but could never decide which one. Rented a lot of cars just to drive around but never fell enough in love with either one to just buy one. I only knew that if I get one, she will have a stiff steering wheel. I hate the ones that you can turn with one finger. So almost 2 summers ago, I decided that maybe it was time and started looking. Im a girl so you can imagine how much I know about cars. But I also love cars and always wanted to learn about them. Never could get anyone to teach me and also never had a car to learn on. All I knew is that I wanted a sports car with a steering wheel on a stiffer side and it had to be low. The lower the better. And I also wasn't going to spend a fortune on my car and didn't want to lease one. So used cars were my only option. One of those summer days I was walking a saw a yellow 8 drive by. Just fell in love with the body but never even heard about cars. So thats when I got very friendly with google and rx8 club. Read every thing about it. All the problems that it could have. Didn't care much and started exploring craigslist. Somehow went off track and started looking atbmw's and audis. One day decided that that day I will get a car. So started walking around dealerships looking at used cars. All of them were good, but didn't fall in love with any of them. Not even enough to testdrive them. And then, across the street from one of the dealershipd I see this awesome sparkling grey car. It was just parked there. I knew what that car was, but couldn't remember. So I walked up and there was the rx8. And I remembered that this was the car I fell in love with. So, right away, got on craigslist, got vins from 3 8s, did carfax and 1 of them was clean. So I called up the guy, asked if it was automatic and if Icould come take alook. At that time I could only drive automatic. He said that it was automatic so I was very happy and got on the road to go take a look. I come, and the guy looks at me, looks at the car and asks if I can drive manual. I was like no, but you told me it's automatic. He is like, no, it's manual. I was a bit shocked but then I always wanted to learn how to drive manual but never had a car to learn in. So I was like, well I guess it's time to learn haha. I didn't test drive it obviously since I couldn't. And the friend that I was with, was too big and couldn't fit in a car to drive it. That was funny lol. So I asked the dealer to give me a ride in it so that I could just hear it and see how it drives. And the first thing I did ofcourse was to make sure that the steering wheel wasn't too light. The next day I found a person who can somewhat drive manual and who will also fit in a car haha. And wecame and pucked it up. No compression test, no nothing. At that time I didn't understand how important it is in these cars and ofcourse no one I know, knew anything about rotaries. But I fell sooo much in love with it, I just wanted it. So we somehow got her from bronx to brooklyn and the naxt day, I went to take classes to learn how to drive manual. Took 2 classes and my instructor, as well as my friends said that it was time for me to get behind the wheel. Well long story short, the distance that takes 20 min to drive, took me 1 hour. Stalled at every red lught, and not once. 2-3 times per light. Pissed off a lot people on the road. One time put hazards on and just came iut of the car in a middle of a road cause I had to take a break from stalling so many times. Then finally got to my destination, put one of my friends behind the wheel and said that Iwas done with manual. Well I did have to get home domehow. So had to drive. Home, I got in 20 min. Stalling only 2 or 3 times. And looking back now, I laugh and Im glad that I got manual. I would die with 190 hp haha. Too slow for me I was going to keep this car for 2 years and then get something else. I've learned a lot about cars in the past year and a half that Ive had it. I can change my own couls, sparks, air pump, disconnect a battery and recently put in a fan control kit to help engine stay at cooler temps. It doesn't look like Ive learned a lot, but for me, especially Im a girl, it's more than I ever knew. And Im always happy to learn more. I learned how to feel her, I know when she has her good days and bad days. She does have attitude problems and throws me a check engine once in a while because she apparently can go only 10 k on new couls and then she needs new ones. But I do have unconditional love for her. Imon this forum every day looking at all the different topics and comments and learning more. I did start premixing recently and switched from 5w20 to 10w40. She seems to like 10w40 synthetic more. And also, looking to maybe get a sohn adapter soon. If she is a good girl, she might get a new radiator this summer. Ive had her for a year and a half, and was originally going to keep her for 2 years. But I fell so much in love with her that I will be keeping her for couple more years and maybe then, sell her and get a second generation. Or maybe just keep her till she gives up on me and then get a second generation. Either way, I am an rx8 girl and I plan on staying an rx8 girl for a long long time. I have unconditional love for her and Im thankful for all the challenges she puts me through. Im glad I got her and not any other car that you can see on every corner. The end
I was going to keep this car for 2 years and then get something else. I've learned a lot about cars in the past year and a half that Ive had it. I can change my own couls, sparks, air pump, disconnect a battery and recently put in a fan control kit to help engine stay at cooler temps. It doesn't look like Ive learned a lot, but for me, especially Im a girl, it's more than I ever knew. And Im always happy to learn more. I learned how to feel her, I know when she has her good days and bad days. She does have attitude problems and throws me a check engine once in a while because she apparently can go only 10 k on new couls and then she needs new ones. But I do have unconditional love for her. Imon this forum every day looking at all the different topics and comments and learning more. I did start premixing recently and switched from 5w20 to 10w40. She seems to like 10w40 synthetic more. And also, looking to maybe get a sohn adapter soon. If she is a good girl, she might get a new radiator this summer. Ive had her for a year and a half, and was originally going to keep her for 2 years. But I fell so much in love with her that I will be keeping her for couple more years and maybe then, sell her and get a second generation. Or maybe just keep her till she gives up on me and then get a second generation. Either way, I am an rx8 girl and I plan on staying an rx8 girl for a long long time. I have unconditional love for her and Im thankful for all the challenges she puts me through. Im glad I got her and not any other car that you can see on every corner. The end
Last edited by QuiQuik2003; 04-23-2015 at 12:10 PM.
04-24-2015, 07:18 AM
#13
QuiQuik I'm pretty new to the rotary engine myself but I've learned a lot here from some great guys and gals. Noticed you said you were replacing coils every 10k miles. Try BHR coils. They come highly recommended and it seems most agree that they last longer. Put a set on my RX8 a few days ago and my wife's RX8 that we picked up yesterday was already equipped with BHR. Hope that helps.
04-24-2015, 09:32 PM
#14
rev it up
In 1997 I owned a Nissan 200SX turbo sports car and the wife was not to happy as it only had 2 doors and difficult to carry kids. I looked into the WRX however, it was plain and boring looking so I put my plans for another sports car on hold.
She agreed that I could have a 4 door sports car however, that concept had not been invented. Then along came the RX8 and I ordered it straight away. The spooky part is that car build date as the same as my birthday.
She agreed that I could have a 4 door sports car however, that concept had not been invented. Then along came the RX8 and I ordered it straight away. The spooky part is that car build date as the same as my birthday.
04-24-2015, 09:49 PM
#15
Dark Moderator
iTrader: (18)
I had a 2005 a Nissan sentra 5spd. The wife and I drove out the sgm gate by the airfield. We saw my 8 and a mustang. I drove them both with her in the passenger seat. She has an 08 mustang. But we came back after both test drives and the rest is history
Travis
Travis
04-25-2015, 07:07 AM
#16
Registered
QuiQuik I'm pretty new to the rotary engine myself but I've learned a lot here from some great guys and gals. Noticed you said you were replacing coils every 10k miles. Try BHR coils. They come highly recommended and it seems most agree that they last longer. Put a set on my RX8 a few days ago and my wife's RX8 that we picked up yesterday was already equipped with BHR. Hope that helps.
04-25-2015, 07:43 AM
#17
Registered
I first fell in love with rotaries when my brother in law (then my sister's boyfriend) bought a British racing green RX-3 coupe in 1995. The 14 year old me fell in love with it. So did my friends, (the sister's boyfriend used to drive us to school in it!) who all promptly bought rotary engined cars when they got their licence. A couple of RX-3s, an RX-4 and an RX7. I ended up driving a 1975 Mini S as my first car, which sadly I totaled - but that's another story.
In about 2007 my mother, out of nowhere, texted me a picture of a 2004 winning blue RX-8, saying 'look what I just bought!' I quizzed her to see if she knew anything about rotaries, she said 'whats a rotary?' Lol. I gave her a few tips on how to drive it properly and look after it. She absolutely loved the car.
Fast forward to Jan 2013, my mother who was at that time 63 years old, goes to the doctor with a cough that won't go away. Turns out she has stage 4 lung cancer. Which is a big shock as she is a non smoker. A few harrowing months go by and she passes away in April, only 13 weeks later. The cancer was so aggressive, she never stood a chance. She died 3 days after I married my wife, and two days before my birthday.
Her RX-8 was now owned by my stepfather. I desperately wanted to buy it off him, but as it was just after my wedding, the wife and I were dead broke. My stepfather couldn't afford to keep it, so very reluctantly he had to sell it. I was gutted. So was he.
Fast forward again to May 2014. My sister was visiting from interstate so we all go out for lunch. My stepfather starts talking to me about cars, I hadn't owned a car for the last 10 years as I have a free , and very boring, company car as part of my job. He kept asking me 'if you could buy a sports car, what would you get?' I said I'd still get an RX-8 as I really missed my mother's car. I just happened to mention to him that I spotted someone driving my mother's RX-8 a few months before, after my stepdad had sold it. His eyes light up and he says 'really?? Tell me again if you see it' which I thought was strange.
One month later, he calls me one evening randomly and says 'I have some news. You wouldn't believe it, I've tracked down your mum's car.' He then told me that he did some detective work (he's a cop, an actual detective) and followed the paper trail of the car as it got bounced from car yard to car yard, and found the current owner, a 17 year old kid from a town about an hour away. He then dropped a bombshell. He said 'I've always felt really bad about selling it, I knew how much you loved it. I've chatted to the young lad on the phone, and he's said he might want to sell it. I'm in a better financial position now - I'd like to buy the car back, and give it to you, because that where the car belongs'. I nearly fell over.
I travelled out to see the car, the kid had not taken care of it AT ALL. He had ripped off the RX-8 badge off the trunk, put awful stickers on it, and it had been keyed the whole way down the drivers side. He paid way too much for it, and he now wanted way too much for it. We beat him down a few grand, my stepdad still paid a few grand too much for it, but we had it back. I took it to a trusted rotary specialist and had a couple of grand's work done - including the 60,000km service.
The car now happily sits in my garage.
In about 2007 my mother, out of nowhere, texted me a picture of a 2004 winning blue RX-8, saying 'look what I just bought!' I quizzed her to see if she knew anything about rotaries, she said 'whats a rotary?' Lol. I gave her a few tips on how to drive it properly and look after it. She absolutely loved the car.
Fast forward to Jan 2013, my mother who was at that time 63 years old, goes to the doctor with a cough that won't go away. Turns out she has stage 4 lung cancer. Which is a big shock as she is a non smoker. A few harrowing months go by and she passes away in April, only 13 weeks later. The cancer was so aggressive, she never stood a chance. She died 3 days after I married my wife, and two days before my birthday.
Her RX-8 was now owned by my stepfather. I desperately wanted to buy it off him, but as it was just after my wedding, the wife and I were dead broke. My stepfather couldn't afford to keep it, so very reluctantly he had to sell it. I was gutted. So was he.
Fast forward again to May 2014. My sister was visiting from interstate so we all go out for lunch. My stepfather starts talking to me about cars, I hadn't owned a car for the last 10 years as I have a free , and very boring, company car as part of my job. He kept asking me 'if you could buy a sports car, what would you get?' I said I'd still get an RX-8 as I really missed my mother's car. I just happened to mention to him that I spotted someone driving my mother's RX-8 a few months before, after my stepdad had sold it. His eyes light up and he says 'really?? Tell me again if you see it' which I thought was strange.
One month later, he calls me one evening randomly and says 'I have some news. You wouldn't believe it, I've tracked down your mum's car.' He then told me that he did some detective work (he's a cop, an actual detective) and followed the paper trail of the car as it got bounced from car yard to car yard, and found the current owner, a 17 year old kid from a town about an hour away. He then dropped a bombshell. He said 'I've always felt really bad about selling it, I knew how much you loved it. I've chatted to the young lad on the phone, and he's said he might want to sell it. I'm in a better financial position now - I'd like to buy the car back, and give it to you, because that where the car belongs'. I nearly fell over.
I travelled out to see the car, the kid had not taken care of it AT ALL. He had ripped off the RX-8 badge off the trunk, put awful stickers on it, and it had been keyed the whole way down the drivers side. He paid way too much for it, and he now wanted way too much for it. We beat him down a few grand, my stepdad still paid a few grand too much for it, but we had it back. I took it to a trusted rotary specialist and had a couple of grand's work done - including the 60,000km service.
The car now happily sits in my garage.
04-25-2015, 09:47 AM
#18
You gonna eat that?
iTrader: (1)
That's a nice story.
04-29-2015, 10:04 PM
#20
Registered
I got mine 2 months ago. My other car was a 2002 Mercury Cougar C2 I got in 2007. It and my wife did not get along. It never had a problem until she came along. Needless to say, last August we were surprised to learn she was pregnant. So we had to get rid of the Cougar, which was having trouble with reverse gear, after having a new tranny installed a year prior.
Ever since I got married to my wife, she always said my next car had to be a fun car. I had been looking for over a year, and had narrowed down to two choices: an RX-8 and an 05-06 Pontiac GTO. Both cars I have always liked since they came out in 04. Begged my dad to get a RX-8 when it was between it and a 6 after his 626 lease was up. He got the 6. Loved the RX-8 styling, interior, handling, and unique engine. I loved the GTO power and engine, understated styling, and sound. When we found out we were expecting, my wife still wanted me to get a fun car but put two restrictions on the car: had to have 4 doors, and had to be AT in case she had to drive it. I started looking at GTI's and some Audi's because of the dual clutch tranny. Started looking at Impreza's, Pontiac G8's, Lancers, etc. The only one I felt strongly about was the RX-8. A few showed up around the area, but they always were gone by the time we inquired about them. Finally one showed up in town. It was a silver 2010 GT with AT and >40000mi. (One or two others were in town but MT. She initially said we should try them, and that she could learn to drive a MT. My father-in-law told her she could barely drive a AT and forget about learning a MT
) My wife said we had to go test drive it. I was reluctant because I was afraid I would fall in love with it, and it was out of our initial price range. So we go and I fall in love with the car. As soon as I saw it I couldn't stop smiling. I had this stupid grin on my face the whole time I test drove it. After some negotiating, and my wife telling me to get the car, the dealership met what we needed to make the deal. I haven't stopped smiling since
Ever since I got married to my wife, she always said my next car had to be a fun car. I had been looking for over a year, and had narrowed down to two choices: an RX-8 and an 05-06 Pontiac GTO. Both cars I have always liked since they came out in 04. Begged my dad to get a RX-8 when it was between it and a 6 after his 626 lease was up. He got the 6. Loved the RX-8 styling, interior, handling, and unique engine. I loved the GTO power and engine, understated styling, and sound. When we found out we were expecting, my wife still wanted me to get a fun car but put two restrictions on the car: had to have 4 doors, and had to be AT in case she had to drive it. I started looking at GTI's and some Audi's because of the dual clutch tranny. Started looking at Impreza's, Pontiac G8's, Lancers, etc. The only one I felt strongly about was the RX-8. A few showed up around the area, but they always were gone by the time we inquired about them. Finally one showed up in town. It was a silver 2010 GT with AT and >40000mi. (One or two others were in town but MT. She initially said we should try them, and that she could learn to drive a MT. My father-in-law told her she could barely drive a AT and forget about learning a MT
) My wife said we had to go test drive it. I was reluctant because I was afraid I would fall in love with it, and it was out of our initial price range. So we go and I fall in love with the car. As soon as I saw it I couldn't stop smiling. I had this stupid grin on my face the whole time I test drove it. After some negotiating, and my wife telling me to get the car, the dealership met what we needed to make the deal. I haven't stopped smiling since
04-30-2015, 12:05 AM
#21
Registered
As a huge Tide fan, I would have probably let my heart rule my head and sold a kidney on the black market in order have the funds to buy that car!
04-30-2015, 12:14 AM
#22
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I bought my RX8 after finding the cleanest one on Craigslist hands down. I found this forum and before purchase spent hours reading up on how to care for the engine, and read about all its quirks. Nonetheless the cons didn't sway me in the slightest, checking oil levels, premix, premium fuel. None of it discouraged me from selling my 2004 Cavalier for a 2004 Velocity Red RX-8 GT. To sweeten the deal the previous owner gave me a huge red folder full of every service record since the car was sold from a dealer in the model year. It was like the planets aligned and the best case scenario arose. So it took me all but one week to get all the ducks in a row and drive two hundred miles to get it. A big stack of 100's later I was pulling out of his driveway with a smile on my face, while he recorded his baby leaving his presence after seven years of ownership. I felt his pain, tearing the gem away from him but a honda civic si also sat in his garage. So his pain will be somewhat eased. Either way it's been four days and every time I fire the engine up and hear the whiir of the rotary and drone of the greddy cat back exhaust he installed I can't help but smile. And that's my story so far.
04-30-2015, 12:20 AM
#24
This will probably be a worthy yet idiotic story. I'm currently 22 years old and i've had my rx8 just over 2 years now. The story began when I was looking for a new car to drive. i use to own a 1994 chevy s10 pickup Manuel transmission and wanted a stick car again of course I had no idea what i was looking for and was gonna go with a Honda. Cheap reliable and fun to just dick around with. Now the best part every car I tried looking at would always disappear and/or skip out on me so I said screw it and started to look at dealerships.
First I saw a 300zx test drove it didn't like the accelerator pedal. The second dealership I looked at was a ford dealership and come to find out I saw an RX8 there and a boxter. I thought cool a porche and then looked up info on it and it did not look easy to work on and learn mechanical skills from due to crap engine. The RX8 onthe other hand looked familiar I did not know why till I look back at need for speed. for gods sake I always chose this car to race with back in my child hood and didn't even realize what it was XD.
I decided to test drive the car. When I did I was blown away with how high it could rev and how comfortable and how well it handled. The cars soul had reached out to me it just wanted to die in a flameing ball of fire not just waste away! It took me three more days to research and find out how special of a car it was though. After the three days I purchased it for around 12k (paid to much) 79k miles and brilliant black cause black is the best color. I knew for sure I wanted this car also due to everything that had happened to her there after.
Since my purchase I have had front cross member and all control arms replaced. engine replaced, new upgraded starter, BHR Coils, Motor mounts poly and all this was covered under **** you dealership. This took almost 4 months to get back so I drove some pretty interesting vehicles though. Mazda 2's are fun :P
Things I paid out of pocket was replacement of rear sub frame and links with ploy rear diff bracket. she handles beautifully.
If that's not love for my car I don't know what is? Still a ton of more work to go though body has small dents and paint swirl and rust still to fix on the rear quarters.
First I saw a 300zx test drove it didn't like the accelerator pedal. The second dealership I looked at was a ford dealership and come to find out I saw an RX8 there and a boxter. I thought cool a porche and then looked up info on it and it did not look easy to work on and learn mechanical skills from due to crap engine. The RX8 onthe other hand looked familiar I did not know why till I look back at need for speed. for gods sake I always chose this car to race with back in my child hood and didn't even realize what it was XD.
I decided to test drive the car. When I did I was blown away with how high it could rev and how comfortable and how well it handled. The cars soul had reached out to me it just wanted to die in a flameing ball of fire not just waste away! It took me three more days to research and find out how special of a car it was though. After the three days I purchased it for around 12k (paid to much) 79k miles and brilliant black cause black is the best color. I knew for sure I wanted this car also due to everything that had happened to her there after.
Since my purchase I have had front cross member and all control arms replaced. engine replaced, new upgraded starter, BHR Coils, Motor mounts poly and all this was covered under **** you dealership
. This took almost 4 months to get back so I drove some pretty interesting vehicles though. Mazda 2's are fun :PThings I paid out of pocket was replacement of rear sub frame and links with ploy rear diff bracket. she handles beautifully.
If that's not love for my car I don't know what is? Still a ton of more work to go though body has small dents and paint swirl and rust still to fix on the rear quarters.