Gripen

iTrader: (2)

Long-time lurker, first time poster. I'm Frank and am located north of Seattle. I currently own a 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S and have been eyeing the RX-8 since my first test drive in 2005 as I need something more reliable, yet just as practical and fun to drive. Been lurking here on and off for the past two years. I'm hoping to pick up an RX-8 within a month or less.

Found a 2007 sport model (stick shift as that's the only way to go) with less than 100 miles on the odo. Been verified through Carfax. It's not in the color I want, but with that low mileage, it's hard not to consider. I can accept the color, just not my top two (more like #4 on the list). With that low of a mileage over two and a half years (car arrived in the states some time in the fall of 2006) I'm worried about issues with it sitting for so long without use like dried up rubber seals and gaskets, inadequate lubrication of greased parts, etc. Are my worries valid? Anything else I should be cautious about?

I'm in no real rush and would rather take the time to find a good, pristine example. Not interested in the new 2009 models as I still loathe the new front end regardless of the improved mechanical changes.

RXheart

Welcome Frank !

How much do they want for a 2007 with 100 on the odometer? If cheap enough it's a good deal IMO because you would still have plenty of warranty. If the price is too outrageous wait until you can get something you want. If you are making payments on something you should always get exactly what you want, so in the end you have nothing to frown about.

btw-- what color is it ?

Jace

Yep, I would wait if I were you. Get the car with the color you really like. That way when you walk outside and see it everyday you remember why you make payments. It will indirectly make work more fun too =)

Socket7

The 07's are nice. I've got one. I'd ask the dealer if they could replace the battery for you, as well as the fluids, but they should be fine. Really the battery is the only thing I'd worry about personally buying a car thats sat in a dealers lot for a year or two. Also make sure it's had MSP-16 flash installed.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

My '05 sat on the lot for about 9 mos. before my purchase and I'm still on the OEM battery (Interstate). I do keep it on a Battery Tender most of the Winter. I may be looking at an Optima Red Top this Fall tho' just to be sure.

Do make sure the Mazda Special Program (MSP) -16 (reflash) and any other required in-warranty Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) are performed. TSB listing (obviously only if you have a specific problem will it apply): http://www.finishlineperformance.com....php?pageid=11

Welcome and Enjoy!

Gripen

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the warm welcome and replies!

The car has 82 miles on it and is Velocity Red. They want $19,999. Easy to find on Autotrader.com if anyone else is interested. Located in Denton, TX. The internet salesman wouldn't go below $19,799.

I'm personally looking for one in white. What's making my search difficult, though, is that I don't want a sunroof. I sit fairly upright and thus my head barely scrapes the roof of the car if it has a sunroof. I did find one, also in Texas, with 13,500 miles and the lowest that the dealer will go is $19,247. Originally they listed the price at $20,855. However, some rodent had gotten under the hood and chewed up the insulation on the firewall and shock towers. I had a pre-purchase inspection performed and the tech stated that there was no other damage to the underside of the hood (ie. still good wiring). Also, at some point in the car's life there was an aftermarket sound system installed in the trunk and then removed. The carpet in there has a few cuts from the job.

For the white 8, Edmunds.com's TMV listed the car at $17,353 retail. Kelly Blue Book states $20,105, but that's at an "Excellent" rating. NADA lists $18,825. I offered $19k, but the dealer wouldn't, err... deal.

renesisgenesis

I think this may be because of my tendency toward superstitions, but I would stay the hell away from anything that has been modified in any way. Stock is definitely the way to go for a purchase. If anything has been modified, it is too difficult to tell if the previous owner was a complete moron or not.

mscamp02

iTrader: (3)

^exactly if you want a modded car get a good stock car and then take your time and get it the way you want it

rev8

the last thing you want is to be making payments on a car and have to clean up the mods the other owner made because they were done wrong.

Gripen

iTrader: (2)

I agree on finding one without modifications and am willing to wait. Also, for what has been done to it (both by the previous owners and the rodent(s), the price is still way too high for what they have.

Razz1

Problem is.......... you don't know what is stock.

There are so many modified cars that were stripped and returned to stock.

Look for rounded edges on bolts scratches on threads.

Stock car should be Virgin. Check color of brake fluid. No one changes that and if used alot it will be black not brown indicating posible aftermarket brakes and rotors were on the car, perhaps just abuse.

Gripen

iTrader: (2)

Another one of my fears. I'd hate to buy a car and realize a few months later as I dig deeper into the car that I'd been had.

Being a car enthusiast for several years has made me more aware and more careful when I'm on the lookout, but that doesn't mean that I'll find everything. Emotion is against me. That'll make it easier to tell myself that this little flaw or that little ding is okay and I'll be less careful to check the car out in general.

I want to say that I've learned my lesson after helping my brother buy his first car. It was a 1989 Nissan 240SX coupe. He and I were just absolutely fawning over the car despite its (many) flaws. After purchasing, we found the brakes to be on their last legs, previous collision damage (repaired, but not reported), fresh paint (big ol' red flag), and the under side of the car was just battered. Looked like it landed on a log or concrete parking space stop.

Even with that experience, I still don't trust myself to be careful. More careful from that experience? Yeah. Unbiased? There's that emotion thing again. I am glad that I had a pre-purchase inspection done, otherwise I may not have found out about the car's issues until it was too late. So, I turned down the dealer and will continue my search. Something will turn up. Hopefully within the next couple of months.

Wow, didn't mean to turn this into a long read...

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

I can see that there might be some concern that with mod's comes potential hard use/abuse.

But of course the reciprocal argument is that those who take the time to modify their vehicles also tend to better maintain them.

I myself have only done small cosmetic mod's to date (clear corners, strakes, rotor accents, tire valve covers, oil cooler & a/c condenser screens), but I plan a RB cold air access duct and RB gauge pod in the not too distant future.

My 'plugs, filters and all fluids have been changed ahead of schedule (20k), oil/filter changed every 3k (5W-30), tires rotated every 6k, pre-mix used (4 oz/tank), fuel treatment used periodically, and spirited-driven to stave off carbon deposits. I'd much prefer buying my vehicle than some 'stock.'

Just another perspective.

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

dont get a color you dont want. i wanted winning blue and i got velocity red. red was #2 on my list. now its more like whatever.. cause WWP, SS, and Titgray are very very nice colors. i love my car, but i regret the color. the color is almost overbearing. it tires on you quickly.

also, $20k.. ehh.. it does only have 82 miles. but you can find a nicely modded rx8 on these forums for far less than that. but $20k is what i paid for my car, it had 19k miles, 2 years ago. bought it in 2007, and its a 2005. so the $20k, 2 year old car is similar. mine was a GT model though. fully loaded. personally, i regretted spending $20k when i found similar cars in the for sale section for way less and already modded.

especially bad was the VR, full mazdaspeed kit, gold volk gt-s, and a host of other mods. for $14k. afair, it had less than 30k miles too. damn.

carcrazy95

IMHO, $19.8k for what is essentially still a new car sounds like a good deal. Yes, the market is terrible for for sellers and great for buyers, and yes, it's a 2007. But then, it's also about $10k off of MSRP price as well.

I just bought a 2007 with 2k mi, and looked at a LOT of cars and tested the market pretty thoroughly as far as what people (dealers and private) are really willing to take for cars. Even in bad markets, there are floor prices below which people just aren't willing to go. I found several new 2007's for which dealers weren't willing to go below $24k. $19.7 seems pretty good to me (plus Velocity Red is my favorite color).

Go for it!

Gripen

iTrader: (2)

Red does work well for this car, but like kersh4w stated about his feelings for the color, I think I would tire from it as well.

Took a look at a 2008 40th Anniversary model before work yesterday and I liked the color of the exterior and interior a lot more than I was expecting. I believe I would have been very happy with it had it not had a sunroof. The salesman and I were of similar height (I'm about 5'11"), but where he had a good two to three inches of space between his head and the ceiling my head was grazing it. I would have had to recline the seat back to an uncomfortable position to get some modest clearance. Were sunroofs a standard feature on the 40th AE?

RXheart

I think the only model that doesn't have the sunroof is the base sport model. Everything after that has it I believe. Anyway i'm 6 ft 1 and I fit fine. Maybe i'm all legs thats why.

Gripen

iTrader: (2)

I think that's what the difference was between me and the salesman. I had a taller torso. I'm still unsure on the sunroof being standard in anything above the base Sport. I've got the Road & Track supplementary booklet from when the model was introduced and there is a picture of a Velocity Red model that appears to be Grand Touring model with no sunroof. Then again, it could have been a preproduction car for the media so Mazda could show off the best trim level, but keep the extra headroom just in case of those taller journalists?

RXheart

In Japan there is no sunroof on the GT I believe.

Gripen

iTrader: (2)

After much scouring over the internet I found what I have been looking for. It's an '07 in white with no sunroof and only 7500 miles. Picking it up the last weekend of this month and driving it back. Figure it'll be a nice road trip with my brother. Had a mechanic contracted by Carchex.com to perform a pre-purchase inspection and, other than worn tires (6/32), it is in pristine condition. Settled for a price of $19,300. Wish I could have found a car like this in Seattle as it would have gone for $2,000 less, but such is the desirability of a sports car in a sun-soaked environment.

The next week and a half will travel at a snails pace now that I have something to look foward to.

iuillustrious

Congrats on the find....be sure to post pics.