Rotary-RX8

iTrader: (1)

You have alot on your plate with this one. ALright lets say the mileage is indeed accurate. BUt what about that turbo. As you mentioned yourself, NO WARRANTY !!! You dont know how this car was tuned. Whether it was tuned professionally or by some half *** tuner.

I was in your same boat when i was shopping some my 8. I turned down about 9 rx8s that i was considering. And some of them were perfect. Everything i wanted but sometimes YOU WANT SOMETHING SO BAD THAT YOU IGNORE THE THINGS THAT CAN POSSIBLY GO WRONG.

Bifman

I dig what you're saying Rotary but I guess my hang up is that despite the turbo, the warranty on any 04 is going to be burned up by now, and that's almost the case for any used car that's not certified (therefore costing more) regardless of the brand (i.e. the 08 GTI i drove last week has 4k miles left on original warranty, and maybe 15k left on powertrain). This is the first time I'm solo shopping for a car, so I'm looking for any help I can get.

I realize the 04's had their fair share of problems, but if I'm willing to fanatically check the oil and follow all the other advice i've gleaned from this forum the past couple days, aren't I minimizing my risk? Honest questions, not trying to argue it's just tough to pass this beauty up

Doesn't help I leave for Naval Officer Training in 4 days and was hoping to buy myself a toy to look forward to!

Wallets

iTrader: (1)

look in the cars for sale here.... there are cars that amazing and you know they have been maintained well.. included turbocharged and super charged and some with full mazdaspeed kits it just depends what you want. If you are stuck on that one I would try to talk to the previous owner to get more info about the turbo and maintenance

Rotary-RX8

iTrader: (1)

^ lol im telling you. You know how many "beauties" i had to pass up. Its just not worth it. If something goes wrong itll cost you big money. Keep on shopping and find one that has a bit more information about it.

Better to be safe than sorry

Flashwing

I'm sure that you would agree that when something is too good to be true, it probably is.

The mileage could be real. The proposed watermarks around the console could simply be dust built up around the edges. The car will have signs showing the low mileage even if it has been stored. A friend of mine has a 1996 Mystic Cobra w/ 2,000 miles on it and even in 2003 when I last saw it, it still smelled new.

There are many things to consider if you were to purchase an RX8 with these modifications. First off, there are a lot of things you'll need to check. If the car is tuned with anything other than an AP you'll want to ditch it. Either way, you'll want to get the car re-tuned to ensure it was done properly. You might need other parts such as a radiator, ignition upgrade, fuel pump upgrade, gauges to monitor the car etc.

Then overall you're stuck making sure the install job is done correctly.

The problem is when you buy a car this modified there are a lot of variables. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a paperweight you just paid a lot of money for.

My advise? Buy yourself a low mileage 2004 for next to nothing, rebuild the engine and piece a turbo kit together yourself with all the right parts. You might spend a bit more but you'll know who did the work and that it was done right.

dirkyd3rk

Dude not to sound rude or anything but this should be a no brainer. My 1 year old would know what decision to make lol. 2004 car with 2600 for 20k (only core warranty) or a new 2011 with same mileage for 19k or ever lower w/ warranty. This isnt a cheap car to maintain; not saying you cant afford it but I didnt realize that before I purchased mine. Once **** starts going wrong since its already turbo charged and tuned be ready to lose serious dinero. Low mileage doesn't mean anything, warranty means EVERYTHING with an rx8. Investing 20k in a car with no warranty is and could be the worst decision in your life. Those upgrades wont mean anything when your car it stuck at the dealership. Just my two cents

gwilliams6

Pause and think here before you leap. Yes it is a good idea to have a ROTARY qualified mechanic look at the car, check all the hoses ,electrical,manifolds,exhaust, suspension parts etc. But no matter if the mileage is correct and the car IS as advertised, you WILL HAVE wear issues with any RX8 that has sat that long, especially with fluids in it. You need to research what turbo kit it has in it, who did it, and check with that mechanic on when that was put it , and was everything tuned properly. You need a compression test of the engine, even with it being a turbo, you need to know the condition of the engine.

Looking at the carfax, It does not look like any Mazda updates (that were done to other 2004s) were ever done. Without a warranty, any of these you might need, will have to be paid for yourself. Some items may be redundant or unnecessary if changed in the turbo conversion. But you need to quickly become a RX8 FI expert (check the threads here on the subject and connect with Rx8 owners of similar turbo systems) .

I have owned seven rotary Mazdas since 1973 (street and race),a RX3, two RX4s, and all three generations of RX7, and bought both a 2008 40th anniversary Edition RX8 and 2008 Mazdaspeed3 GT. I easily have a million miles driven in rotaries. I have had NA rotaries and heavily modified street and race turbocharged RXs too. I am a guy that has spent countless tens of thousands of dollars over 38 yrs on modifying these cars. Everything that will need to be replaced or adjusted on the car WILL come out of your pocket. That rush and thrill you are feeling now after driving this car could quickly fade to angst and sorrow if ANYTHING breaks and you have to fix or replace it going forward. I hope you have deep pockets.

I personally would NOT buy any 2004 RX8 this heavily modified with so little documented history on it. As many other posters have suggested, a wiser move is to buy a newer RX8 with a warranty and documented history for the good prices that can be found now around the country on used RX8s.

Yes the car looks great on the outside, but for a rotary it is whats going on in the inside that matters most, and WILL cost you the most!!


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2008 40th Anniversary Edition RX8

Bifman

I owe thanks to all you guys, I'm going to pass it up. I thought about telling them I'd take it at 17,000, but it's still just too many unknowns. I don't know if it's their inability or unwillingness to provide info, but it's a giant red flag and not worth it!

Thanks for bringin me down from the clouds fellas, hope to keep looking at RXs though (p.s. what's the thought on a 2009 Touring with 5,5k miles going for $21,000)?

Bladecutter

You should be able to do WAAYYY better than that, price wise.
Dig up the trade in value of that car for your area, and start with that as you beginning offer.

BC.

Bifman

Edmunds says $18,372 trade in value on that car, so I should offer $19,290? I'm only looking at purchasing through a dealer since I have 2 cars to trade in.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

Edmunds isn't bad for finding a cars value. KBB is way too high. NADAGuides is close to what the dealers use. However, a car is only worth what someone will pay for it.

If your going to have it looked at by a rotary mechanic, don't use the same place your buying it from (Pugi). You can never be sure if they will give you a true evaluation. The local club has a good relationship with Continental Mazda in Naperville which isn't too far away. Their service department requires a reservation.