BinaryJava

Hi all,

I’m currently looking into getting an RX 8 as I’ve decided that even with potential rebuilds and repairs, it would still be a worthwhile car to own. I’m currently undecided between a mark 2 that has an engine that is very weak, and would need towing to a garage for rebuild and repairs but it does start and has been driven around the yard where it’s stored, but the price is really low. The other car is a 2007 mark 1 PZ with 7.5 being its lowest compression number.

The mark 2 also has EM, airbag and coolant lights on as well so not sure if this makes it even more expensive than I’m thinking. I’m unsure whether it’s better to buy something cheap and pay upfront for all the repairs to guarantee its engine is healthy, or to get something healthy and maintain it until it needs a rebuild.

I’ll have some money left over from the sale of my car that should cover the engine rebuild, assuming parts inside the engine are all good, but can these repairs quickly get over £5k?

Any advice will be appreciated.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Good compression by a mile, imo.

Also, many of us, myself included, think the S1s are better looking.



My '04 LY GT and my '08 40th Anniversary.

If you have good compression, you're saving thousands of dollars or whatever your currency is, & you can use it on other improvements or repairs, maintenance, tires, wheels, mods paint, tint, etc.....

Known good compression numbers on an RX8 are GOLDEN

BinaryJava

Also, would the PZ be harder to work on? More specific/expensive parts? Trying to figure out why the price seems so good for good compression and well looked after.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

I can't answer that.
Do some research.
I have an opinion.
They're not good for city driving at all.

They have bad reputations, get bad MPG/KPG, need premium fuel, and you have to check & top off the oil between the frequent fillups.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Also, we're talking about cars made between 12 and 20 years ago.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

PZ is mechanically the same as any other RX8, should be the same for maintenance. The cosmetic parts are extremely rare however.

+ 1 for compression being the ultimate factor. S1's are somewhat more tunable, while S2's may or may not be more reliable, the difference is minor and comes down to the specific example in front of you. The changes between the series are pretty minor anyway.

If you can get a cheap car with a dead engine and replace with a clean slate new engine, that's a good idea. Most used car prpblems are previous owner problems.