luca1s

Hey all! Sorry for posting another thread like this, I'm sure you see it often, but I wanted to make sure to get specific advice on my situation, and just updated advice for 2023, since a lot of these cars are starting to get older, and most near me have ~80-100K miles on the chassis.

I’m currently looking into getting an RX-8 as a “daily” and first-car. I don’t strictly need a car at all, and would be fine without one, but I do enjoy driving and I’d drive it as much as I can!

Although I am young and inexperienced, I’m definitely motivated to maintain any car I buy properly, and have read the new buyer/owner guide already, as well as researched rotary engines in general. I hope to do as much maintenance myself as I can, but in the beginning that probably won’t be much as I’ve never had a car to work on before.

Essentially what I’m looking for is a fun, manual sports car that’s not too expensive. I started initially by looking at Miatas, but here in New England they’re hard to find (at least clean ones), often ridiculously expensive, and not super practical (I’d like something with 4 seats ideally).

This led me to the RX-8, which in theory fits all of my requirements, and I’ve seen a few with recent (5-6K mile) engine rebuilds for ~$5K. With that in mind, what do you guys think? I know young owners are rarely recommended this car, but I do drive very defensively and take no risks on the road (I never speed), so that should help a little bit.

I am still concerned financially though. I’ll definitely learn to maintain my car, but in the beginning I’d definitely be very careful and would need to pay a mechanic for a lot of the work. A college campus in a city isn’t the ideal place to do maintenance either.

What do you guys think? I’m not in a rush to buy anything, so if I do buy an RX-8, I’ll definitely wait for the right one if there’s nothing good on the market right now!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Welcome.
Read up at rx8help.com for specific new buyer and maintenance advice. There's not a ton of maintenance to do if you start with a good car, but there's always the risk that at some point you'll need to spend 5-7k on an engine. Maybe in 10 years, maybe tomorrow. So you need to figure out if you're comfortable with that risk. Also it's a dog on gas which, depending on your income, could become a problem.

And then there are previous owner problems that aren't rx8 specific. Recent rebuilds are fine, but it depends a lot on who did the rebuild. Cheap cars are cheap for a reason

luca1s

Thank you so much! I bookmarked rx8help.com and will be using it whenever I check out any car. I'm definitely aware of the risks, I'll do my best to do a good pre-buy and avoid it, but my family has had unexpected expenses like that in piston-engined cars as well, so I'm definitely aware of the possibility.

I'll definitely look at any rebuild with scrutiny as well, would using the Good Guy/Bad Guy reports on this forum be a good way of identifying a "good" rebuild? (in addition to checking compression of course!)

Loki

iTrader: (1)

I think the first question is if the owner did the rebuild themselves or had someone do it. If DIY I'd walk away. If they had Mazda or a rebuilder do it, find out who exactly. Maybe they're known here foe better or worse. Good guy/bad guy is a lot better for finding bad guys than good guys

luca1s

For the one I'm looking at currently (will probably change though!), it was done by Rotary Resurrection in 2019, then driven ~6K miles since then. I've heard good things about Rotary Resurrection, would 4 years without much driving be an issue though?

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Sounds fine.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

If you'd like a better understanding of rebuilt rotary engines, Kevin from Rotary Resurrection once made a very good post about the variables that can influence the results of a rebuilt Renesis.

It's a much different process than a pretty straightforward piston engine rebuild.

Post # 79.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tro...-264695/page4/

luca1s

Small follow up question, assuming I buy an RX-8 with a healthy engine and no mechanical issues, how expensive is "regular" maintenance? I would be premixing and would not skimp on anything, but I want to make sure it's financially feasible for a college student without too many resources, definitely don't want to buy one and be forced to sell or neglect it!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Regular maintenance is no different than any other car. Better than some because there is no timing belt to change, plastic water pumps to explode (silly Germans..) or intakes to decarb (direct injection engines). Keep up with oil changes and either change ignition coils every 25k miles or install a more permanent solution like BHR coils. Don't forget trans and diff oils.

There is a recommended maintenance schedule somewhere on this forum thay includes big ticket items like radiator and its hoses, so depending on exactly how meticulous the previous owner was, you might have catch up maintenance to do when you first buy it.

luca1s

Perfect, thank you so much! Assuming I've got a solution for working on the rotary engine itself then, the RX-8 shouldn't be much different than more traditional "student" cars cost wise then right?

Loki

iTrader: (1)

I mean it's still a dog on gas. Insurance is different everywhere so check that as well.
It's inexpensive to operate until something goes wrong, so you need to have a plan for what you'll do if that happens. Not everybody can afford to suddenly need to spend the cost of a used car to get their current used car working again.

luca1s

Yeah that's definitely true, gas shouldn't be a huge issue for me, I'll definitely check insurance too though!

As far as something going wrong, would you say that's much more expensive with a rotary than in a piston-engined car? Or is it more of a question of stuff breaking more frequently?

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Rotaries break, or wear out, far more often than your average piston engine.

luca1s

Yeah that makes sense! How would you say something like an FR-S/86/BRZ compares to the RX-8? I prefer the 8's interior, and FR86's are almost double the price, but if it'll save me money in the long run and isn't too much worse as far as the driving experience goes, I might consider that as an alternative

Meat Head

If you have an opportunity try test driving the BRZ, a friend’s RX8 (tough one to access), a 370Z or 350Z, anything else you consider similar on the same stretch of road. I’m in the process of this to justify why I’m about to spend significant money on a rebuild for my 8 or buying a new car. Own an 8 long enough and you will be in the same situation. A rebuild is in the future if the car you are looking at hasn’t recently been freshened up. Great cars, just need to keep aware of the reality of periodic large dollar repairs. So far I haven’t found a car that handles my test road better than my 8.

luca1s

I'll definitely test drive the BRZ and 370/350Z! RX-8 might be tough to find for a test drive, but I'd definitely prefer it if it's financially viable due to the interior and of course, the positive aspects of the rotary. The one I'm looking at right now (which will probably change) has had a recent rebuild 6K miles ago by Rotary Resurrection, do you think that's enough to bring maintenance costs relatively in-line with higher-mileage FR86's? Or is it really worth avoiding the 8 until I can commit a lot more financial resources to it.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

86s are great cars, very capable in stock form. I was considering one too until I sat in it. A recent RR rebuild is probably as reliable a rotary as you'll find these days, I would expect it to last a long time ASSUMING whatever killed the first engine isn't still on the car (clogged cat, bad ignition, failing oil injectors..(

MincVinyl

@luca1s IMO The Rx8 calls for assuming the worst situation. As in if you have 0 knowledge there is a good chance you could either be struck by dumb luck or completely screw yourself. I always keep tabs of cars in New England as I am looking for extra chassis all the time. Simple rule to keep in mind is that at 80k miles the typical engine needs a rebuild. If someone else already rebuilt it.....why are they selling it?

Looking online there will either be the occasional 12-15k$ perfect 10kmile car. Or you see ~100k mile cars for 1k$ that has a blown engine. Anything between these two points is a gamble with no knowledge. Anything past 100k miles is likely rusted to ****.

I assume you are looking at the black one in Naples, ME. He is looking to sell it for 5k after probably spending 7k+ on the engine.....

1. The random electrical work he did gives some red flags.
2. You should ask for underbody pics along the rocker panels and anything else he can get. Get spammed with pictures.
3. Is there an emissions code for the exhaust, or does the car come with a tuner? Sound wise you may not pass anyways depending where you go (any retail place). Did he remove the CAT with his exhaust?
4. Can he compression test the engine and provide pictures.....as in current numbers.
5. How does it cold start (tells you health of basic systems like battery/alt/starter)
6. Can it go high rpm no issue (tells you health of coils/plugs/fuelpump) Several times?
7. How does it hot idle, should be stable at 850-900rpm. (tells health of vacuum lines and engine)
8. How does it hot start (tells you the health of the engine, ideally it should be just as quick as the cold start. An additional crank isn't too bad. Anything more and I'd question the engine.

---------------

Otherwise BRZ's are great cars as well. They are very similar power and handling wise. Compared to a 21' BRZ an Rx8 performs better, however not by much. The BRZ has a more thriving aftermarket I would say. At the same time you are just as likely to come across a BRZ that was butchered by some dumb kid.

All in all, the Rx8 just requires a learning curve and basic mechanical aptitude to keep running. LOTS OF READING.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Also consider something with usable back seats. The rx8 is great for that, but not the BRZ or Z cars or...many similar forms. If I was in college I'd go for a Maxima oe something along those lines. Good power, plenty of space for friends and activities

luca1s

Yeah that is the one I was looking at, the price is definitely very suspect. Even if it somehow runs great and passes inspection (which is unlikely considering the price), it's definitely not stock and I probably don't want to end up with someone else's project while I'm in college. A stock (or slightly modified) RX8 with a recent rebuild is definitely more than $5K as well right? I haven't seen anything else with <100K miles or without a major issue at a similar price.

As far as backseats go, can a human even fit in the backseat of a BRZ/FRS? At best it'd be a 3-seater with a small passenger right? (I'm 6' myself so that doesn't help either)

delhi

While price of entry may be low, sustaining it can be high especially you are not a DIY-er. Rotary specialists are getting rare. Any cars of these age will begin to have wear.
But boy oh boy, nothing quite drives like it at full song. Apart from the Cayman, I have not found a car that has the same sublime handling characteristics. BRZ/FRS are such uncouth wannabes. Zs are a butch. 350z' interior is horrible.
High quality RX8 owners are hard to find and they know it. You get what you pay for. This adage particularly applies to the RX8. You go cheap and you end up like the many newbies crying for their mommies after posting for help.

luca1s

Yeah, I think I'm going to wait till I can afford to give an RX-8 the best care possible. I'm thinking it might be worth just buying a "cheap" NA/NB Miata as an affordable, fun daily that I can take to the track until then (I don't and won't really rely on a car too much for the next 4-5 years) and then buy an 8 once I'm in a more stable financial position.