Choosing the right RX8 second-hand... thanks!
11-04-2011, 03:06 AM
#1
Mechanical Nightmare
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Choosing the right RX8 second-hand... thanks!
Firstly, hello denizens of RX8Club! Your not-so-little forum has been an amazing wealth of info, humour and horror over the past week.
You see, I have to sell my current 7-year ring tool (
) as the pesky Germans don't like it; too modified for the German system. And I can't keep fudging the paperwork and running it on UK plates, as the insurance could be an issue in the worst case scenario...
... long story short I'm looking for a replacement track car and the RX8 came up at the right price and a variety of mileages. I can import this car to Germany with no problems (unlike the MX5, which was actually a JDM Eunos Roadster, and didn't technically exist on the German's computer! Er, hello?)
My FIRST question for you guys is this:
Mileage or condition?
Some of the best cars I've been finding (good compression, full service history, new starter, plugs and coils) are also over 90,000 miles! Other cars doing less miles are not always more expensive - but sometimes they have horrible caveats like "yeah, the idle's not really smooth and it's hard to start warm"
I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that 2004 cars with less than 50,000 miles seem to have more problems with compression and spark than those above 75,000! Is this just bad luck on my part? Or is that how it is?
What's your opinion of second-hand RX8s, now we're nearly at 2012?
If a 90,000-mile engine is still verifiably good now, and I take care of it (OMP and pipes service, pre-mix, correct warm-up and cool-down) is it worse than buying a low-mileage engine?
Cheers!
You see, I have to sell my current 7-year ring tool (
... long story short I'm looking for a replacement track car and the RX8 came up at the right price and a variety of mileages. I can import this car to Germany with no problems (unlike the MX5, which was actually a JDM Eunos Roadster, and didn't technically exist on the German's computer! Er, hello?)
My FIRST question for you guys is this:
Mileage or condition?
Some of the best cars I've been finding (good compression, full service history, new starter, plugs and coils) are also over 90,000 miles! Other cars doing less miles are not always more expensive - but sometimes they have horrible caveats like "yeah, the idle's not really smooth and it's hard to start warm"
I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that 2004 cars with less than 50,000 miles seem to have more problems with compression and spark than those above 75,000! Is this just bad luck on my part? Or is that how it is?
What's your opinion of second-hand RX8s, now we're nearly at 2012?
If a 90,000-mile engine is still verifiably good now, and I take care of it (OMP and pipes service, pre-mix, correct warm-up and cool-down) is it worse than buying a low-mileage engine?
Cheers!
11-04-2011, 04:23 AM
#2
Unless it's a rebuilt engine, I'd never buy an Rx-8 with 90,000 miles.
Any sports car with 90,000 miles, unless a 1 owner corvette owned by a 70+ year old guy is going to be driven a little hard so things are bound to need replacement, not just an engine.
Idle not being smooth could just be the engine mounts, not necessarily a bad engine.
Any sports car with 90,000 miles, unless a 1 owner corvette owned by a 70+ year old guy is going to be driven a little hard so things are bound to need replacement, not just an engine.
Idle not being smooth could just be the engine mounts, not necessarily a bad engine.
11-08-2011, 03:29 AM
#4
Mechanical Nightmare
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The deed was done. 75,000 miles on this one, but it sailed through a compression test, great condition, full spec and has full mazda service history with all relevant upgrades. Had the red radiator light, worn out rubber and kerbing on all four alloys. Hence price was equivalent to $4400US.
I can now post on here as an RX8 owner, not just a prospect
I can now post on here as an RX8 owner, not just a prospect
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