Hi everyone! I have a quick question regarding which would be your preferred starting point. I've been a long time lurker and would like to finally jump into a RX8 project. I have a daily driver so this would be more of car to have as a hobby/escape from boring 9-5 life.

So now to my question: Would you rather buy an rx8 with a blown engine already removed or one with low miles and warm stary issues. I ask this because I see some without engines under 1500 and ones with engine issues in the 2000-3000 range. So what would you pick? I'm relatively mechanically inclined (owned a 3000gt Vr4, Audi A6 2.7T and Eclipse GST in the past) but this would be my first rotary.

Thanks for the advice!

 

Option 3: purchase an already running rx8 (with a compression test prior to purchase)

 

Its always best to buy the nicest example you can afford. With that said, if you want a project, buy one complete with a bad engine and either rebuild or replace the engine. In doing so you will gain a much greater appreciation for the car and the knowledge you gain will be paramount during your tenure of ownership. I love restoring and rebuilding these cars. I bought two last year with bad engines. I just love doing the work and it makes me appreciate the cars that much more.

 

If you find a good body with a bad engine, and are willing to perform the engine replacement, it's not a bad idea. You know exactly what you're getting since you'll be sourcing the rebuilt engine ans you don't inherit previous owner problems. Most problems new owners have are previous owner problems anyway, so this is the less risky approach. If you want one with an original engine and good body and interior, it's going to cost potentially more than a shell + new motor.

 

Sounds like the best option but they come at a premium. I'd be more into a project where I could take my time and save one of these cars. Thanks for the advice, I really wish I could just buy one in great shape and call ut a day :-D.

 

Yea I'm leaning towards buying one with no engine and putting a reman engine in. My questiom is would it be better to buy one with"occasional warm start issues" or just a body with an engine already removed. Is there an advantage to buying one with an engine in there as opposed to one without an engine?

 

Buy one with the engine still in place. It will be 10 times harder to source all of the hardware needed as well as being more difficult because you will need to know what goes where, what things are supposed to look like, and how it came out and goes back together.

 

Thanks! That definitely makes sense.

 

Plus, no promises, but some parts from the old engine may be reusable and tradable to offset the cost of the rebuild.

 

I have continued to use old engine parts as replacements for the two 8's that I am currently restoring. Once I pulled the original engine in my BB 04, I cleaned and swapped all of the manifolds and accessories over to the new engine and saved the parts from the engine that went in the car. Those I later used on my 05 GT that has a new Mazda reman engine going in this week at the dealer. And the nasty dirty parts from the engine that was in that car will hit the hot tank and be prepped for the engine in my Nordic Green 04 when I rebuild it. Its a wild cycle, but I save all of the parts I can. I have several parts cars in boxes in my basement. One RX-8 and several RX-7's that I have parted out over the years. I've been using those parts for a long time.

 

I didn't know you could recycle parts that way. That is great to hear. If you don't mind me asking, how much is the remanufactured engine going to run you at the Mazda dealership (or is it under warranty work)?

 

You can get a Mazda reman S1 Renny for $3k plus shipping from Jim Ellis Mazda.

 

Plus a $1,000.00 core charge.

 

Details...

 

The engine started knocking on my 05 GT and I called the dealer and they of course were no help. So I called corporate and explained to them that the reman engine had only 24k miles on it and had only been in less than three years. I explained to them that I am a long time Mazda owner, having owned 35 RX-7's and 4 RX-8's since 1999. They looked up my account and confirmed my ownership of the 8's that I registered with Mazda USA. After some debating and waiting, they advised me to take the car to the dealer to have them diagnose the issue. The dealer of course condemned the engine and Mazda agreed to pay for all of the parts but said that I was responsible for the labor. Honestly not a bad deal since the engine was two years out of warranty and double the warranty mileage. I'll let you know the total amount when I get the bill this week, but the service adviser said $1900 plus tax.

They let me see the new engine and I brought them a fresh set of intake and exhaust manifolds that I had surfaced and hot tanked and prepped for install as well as some other replacement parts that they needed. Here area couple pics of the engine that they're installing:





And my 05 GT awaiting its new engine:

 

rx8 project ... = rew swap...

 

Thanks for the advice! I've seen a good amount of rx8's with blown engines less than 1k so I am leaning towards that option and getting the engine rebuilt or buying a remanufactured engine. OJIMPORTS is currently offering rebuilt short blocks for 2500 or getting it rebuilt by Rotary Resurrection might do the trick. That Mazda reman mentioned from Jim Ellis MAZDA sounds tempting as well since 3k for a factory remanufactured sounds legit!

 

Sounds like you're on the right path! Keep us updated on what you get!