Hi guys, noob here.

looking to get one these Rotarys. I am from Asia, there is not much of a forum support over here. Club exists but, looks as if it is not active.
so please help me out.

after much searching, i came to a conclusion to get a Rx-8 which may have engine issues and right away have a rebuild done, or a complete swap of an engine, if the existing rotary housing needs a replacement.

i cam to this conclusion as many the Rx8 which are on sale looks like it has an issue. So i thought i’d start with fresh build.

i understand that aprt from the engine, there can be more issues such as alternator, battery, steering rack, absorbers, air cond and other stuffs.

what i would like to know is that, apart from the major expense of an engine swap along with a gearbox (in my place that would cost $12k), are there any other major expenses for an Rx-8 ?

Sucky ones from dealers would be.around 32k, while those ones which have been cared for, cost $42k and above. It will be an automatic of course- guess i will have a transplant much later ! Manual transmission and the series 2 cost an arm and a leg over here !

it will be my weekend drive. I have finally found one which is the Type E which has 6 speed auto, costing 42k.

I am hesitating to pay that much as the seller has not do e a compression test yet and while talking his mouth slipped and mentioned that all Rx8’s have a hot start issue if the engine is too hot, could this be a hint that the engine does have some issues?

sorry for the long post. Hope you guys can shed some light on:

1. Are there any other major expense apart from the engine.
2. Do Rx8 s have a hot start problem if the engine is too hot. ( i wonder how hot is too hot)

thank you

 

Hi and welcome.
First question I have;
What is the currency you are using in your post?

The hot start problem is caused by low compression not necessarily the temperature of the engine.
Of course you do not want to overheat your Rotary, they do not take kindly to this abuse.
You want to keep the temperature under 220F preferably under 212F (IMO). The point really is don't let it overheat.

I haven't heard much about issues with the alternator (it's actually a generator) or the absorbers.
I don't think you can blame a bad battery on Mazda (shrug) and yeah the Air Con can be finicky, but typically it just needs to be reset.

 

Hi, thanks for your reply. I am referring to RM (Malaysia). USD 1.00 is equivalent to RM4.20 !!!

True i have read that the hot start issues are due to a failing engine. However the guy i am enquiring about the car seemed to mention that all RX8's have an issue of starting when the engine is hot, which made me suspect that his engine is failing or perhaps his cooling is not sufficiently done. Will take note of the engine temp to monitor.

I am actually trying to find out what other major expenses i can expect, True, battery issue is common in all cars. - will strike it out.

 

rx8help.com has the answers you seek. Compiled from this forum for easy reading.

If it has hot start issues the engine, the starter or the battery have failed. One of those is not like the others.

 

i think i came across that before. The thing is the prices of the cost of ownership are dating back to 2013. When i look at the prices mentioned there, its scary ! And thats before converting to my local currency.

i dnt think the prices of the RX8’s parts are currently that expensive, also i need to know if these spare parts are easily available worldwide, because if the western market has shortage of parts, then i would that it would be worse for Asia.
Hence my thread here, on what i should be looking for in 2021.

 

good info there. Can i know the rough cost for a starter. Also what it means when you say “not like the others”. Thanks

 

Starter ~$200.
A starter or battery are cheap. An engine is $4000.

 

Thank you for the info above. Can i ask if the engine price mentioned was for a series 1 or series 2.
If it was for a series 2, then it perfectly matches the conversion into my local currency. A series 2 engine costs about $16k over here.