MWisBest

I'm hoping I can get an RX-8 as my first car. My love for the RX-8 goes back to 2005, in the game Need for Speed: Most Wanted (hence my name, "Most Wanted is Best" as it is my favorite game in the NFS series). I always enjoyed driving around the RX-8 in the game and loved how the car looked (I'm not talking ricer body kits and that crap, just stock). Fast-forward 8 years and I'm now 17. I don't have a job yet but I have a few places in mind that would probably hire me that I can ride my bike to, and I have some money in savings (how much I don't exactly know, but probably at least $1,000).

The reason I don't want to get a cheap car for $1,000-$2,000 like most people my age do is because of my sister. She bought her first car at 18 or so, and she saved up money to get her a car that would go on to last her a good 5-7 years, a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero. She made a good decision and the only reason it didn't last her longer was because she totaled it driving on a very icy winter road.

What I'm probably looking for is an RX-8 with 60,000 to 80,000 miles on it, 2006-2008 model year with a manual transmission. A 2004-2005 might be acceptable with an engine that was replaced at one point and what price it's selling for. I've read through the "New and Potential Owners START HERE!" thread and have done some more research in addition to that. Yes, I also realize that most people (Americans at least) get automatic transmissions because they're easier to drive, but I've taken a ride in my uncle's Dodge Challenger (newer model year, 2010 maybe?) and just watching him go through the gears was thrilling. He's also a mechanic, owns his own body shop and whatnot, but he's not a huge fan of imports (not that he wouldn't work on it, just that he likes his American cars), so we'll see how that goes!

If I do go look at an RX-8, I definitely would want him to go with me to have a look at the stuff that he'd probably be more familiar with (everything but the rotary-engine-specific kinda stuff I'm sure).

I'm not going to be too worried about aftermarket kinda stuff, as none of it would seem to be worth it to me. Maybe some LED lights and a small stock-looking spoiler if the car doesn't have one but that's about it. Oh, maybe some speakers as I'm a huge audiophile, and my dad can help me with that as he's pretty handy with car audio. He even modified his Honda Goldwing GL1800 (yes, a motorcycle!) to fit speakers much larger than it was intended for, put an amplifier in the trunk, and even added a couple tweeters. His Dremel would certainly be handy!

Also, my parents definitely would not be paying for the car. If something happens where I were to be out of work for a month or two they'd probably loan me some money to make the car and insurance payments but that's about it.

What I'm looking for from you guys is:

• Your experiences with your RX-8 in winter weather, as I live in Wisconsin so it might need to drive in or after a nasty blizzard or something.
• What your experience has been with cost-of-ownership, and unforeseen expenses that I should keep money saved for just in case.
• If you've had to file an insurance claim, I'm wondering what your experience was with the insurance company. A friend of mine has a 2006 Hyundai Tiburon insured with Progressive and hasn't had any issues with them, whereas when my sister totaled her car she had to stand her ground with her insurance company to get the amount of money her car was worth. I'd rather not have to deal with that!
• Any potential information or advice that, with this hopefully being my first car, would be important to know or keep in mind.
• Anything else you can think of that would help me at all.

If you've read this far, thanks! Definitely a lot of stuff in this post but this seems to be a forum with people willing to help and listen so I feel it's okay to be detailed.

monchie

Start here... https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...t-here-202454/

MWisBest

I did mention that I read through that entire thread.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

With good winter tires, winter is not a problem, unless you're talking about deep snow. It's a sports car, not a plow.

Unforeseen expenses: I wouldn't get into this unless you could afford changing the engine. Not that you'll have to, but if you're ready for the worst, the regular stuff is cake. Cost of ownership for me has been oil changes, tires, brakes, 2-stroke oil... the usual. Without the upgrades, probably spent about 1500 in 3 years, so 500ish a year?

You seem to have a level mindset about this, good on you. The only other advice is don't put all your money into a car, and have nothing left for life, as some guys do.

MWisBest

Thanks for the advice.

Do you have a separate set of rims and tires you just swap out for winter? If so, any recommendations on winter tires?

I definitely couldn't afford changing out the engine for quite a while. I'm sure as long as it is taken care of and the previous owner(s) didn't cause too many problems the engine wouldn't throw me any fits, but since I really won't have any expenses besides the car for a while I'd be able to store any money left over from paychecks into my savings account for college and car maintenance/repairs. I probably won't have any other expenses really, as my mom would be willing to let me live with her til I graduate from college, as long as I help out around the house and stuff like that. Just yesterday and today I was fixing the hot water heater! Also, again, fortunately my uncle is a mechanic and would probably be willing to help out with repairs and charge me little to nothing in labor, because that's where mechanics normally rip off at least an arm, most times a leg too.

Thanks! While I know I'd certainly enjoy spending every dime I have on the car, I'd more enjoy the satisfaction of being smart with my money. When I was younger I used to go spend birthday money on video games but a few years ago I realized how much greater it feels to save it.

Thanks again for the response.

comebackqid

iTrader: (13)

good luck on your search man

ken-x8

Best winter tires would be 17" Blizzaks on a set of inexpensive rims. Check out the winter tire stuff at Tire Rack. That will set you back around $1000, which is your entire life savings. So you can afford the winter tires but not the car.

At 17 you're going to be paying a fortune for insurance no matter what. I share Loki's concern that even if you can swing this, you may be pricing yourself out of life.

Ken

altspace

iTrader: (2)

Here's mine. 2004 MAZDA RX-8 GRAND TOURING

FYI - Engine was rebuilt 6 years ago by Mazda, so only 47K on it. Runs perfect and never had an issue.

Luckyboii69

why are u selling it?

jasonrxeight

first car? oh dear.
need for speed? oh double dear.

JamesD31

Nice car, very clean. You even did some cosmetic mods I did - kinda. I like the gold leaf engine bay funny, different which makes it cool but funny.

MWisBest

Thanks!

I would probably be getting the car in mid-spring of 2014, and would be saving all the money I make until then. That'd give me plenty of time to get some winter tires. I'm just planning ahead. I have good grades, close to the top of my class, so I could probably save a bit on insurance from that and will see what kind of quotes I can get. I know it isn't going to be cheap, but I've heard some insurance companies classify the RX-8 in a non-sports car kind of category so I might be able to find a cheap rate somewhere. I believe I also read that taking some defensive driving courses could save on insurance, I'll have to ask them about that.

Really, the only reason I only have around $1,000 in savings right now is because I haven't had a real source of income. If I could get a job at the place I'm thinking of, I could make at least $11-$12 an hour, and my dad and sister know the manager there well so I have a good chance at it. Let's say during the school year I work 25 hours a week, and during the summer 55 hours a week at $10 an hour. That's around $7,000 between now and next year during school and $6,500 during the summer. I could pay for a used RX-8 in full with that (which I wouldn't, to save money for maintenance, gas, etc, would probably spend about half on a down payment). Even if I work a minimum wage job with those hours I could still potentially earn around $10,000 total. Like I said, I don't have any expenses to worry about until then, so I can save all of it.

Don't worry, I'll follow the intro's advice to always follow the laws of the road, wear my seatbelt, and keep any racing on the track!

kiker14

MW, you remind me very much of myself when I was your age. I made the mistake of overestimating what my earning potential was, and underestimating the true cost of car ownership. Be careful of that. The difference between us however, is that I went the route of buying a beater and spending a few bucks on it to keep it running, and spent many hours in the garage learning some valuable lessons.

In my honest opinion, there are many better cars out there for a first car. The RX-8 is a fine car, and maybe in another 5-10 years when the price continues to plummet on it, it will be a better choice, but for now, it's very expensive for a first car.

Do you plan on going to college? You're going to want to have a few spare dollars around for other activities. I poured 80-90% of what I made into my car so there was more than once that I didn't go out with buddies or go on a trip or whatever because I just couldn't afford it. I wouldn't say I regret my decision, but I think some of those trips / parties / etc. would have been great fun too...

Try not to get too fixed on just an RX-8, there are a ton of other fun to drive cars out there, and many are much more reasonable when it comes to resale and regular maintenance. One of my most treasured cars was a 1986 nissan maxima station wagon. It was big, slow, and ugly, but it had boatloads of character and I had some really great times in that car.

MWisBest

Definitely some things that I will have to keep in mind. Going to have to see what I can get for scholarships, and how much at least my first 2 years of college will cost. I plan on getting an Associate's Degree in Computer Science from Milwaukee Area Technical College, and then transferring that over to somewhere I can get a Bachelor's Degree. The reason I want to go through MATC is that they are the only school in the state that (currently) offers that entire degree online. That'd save me on things like gas to go back and forth from an actual building, room and board or rent, etc, and I'd be able to stay close to my family.

You are correct in that I'm probably over-estimating how much I can earn. I understand that the RX-8 isn't a car with a low cost of ownership but I feel that it's something that if I take care of I could put at least another 125,000 miles on it. One of my other uncles once owned an RX-7 (probably the FC model), which he bought from a friend who had at least 4 RX-7s. It had 90,000 miles on it and he put at least another 100,000 on it. I talked to him about it today and the thing he stressed most was changing the oil very often. He did his every 3,000 miles. The only reason he didn't put more miles on it was that he sold it because he was starting a family and needed something else for that.

There's no doubt that I'm way to fixated on an RX-8. I totally agree with that. There is probably something else out there that I'd enjoy driving and wouldn't cost as much to own, and the best way to find that out is to test drive some cars.

Another thing, I'm not really a very social person. I'm trying to work on that, but I don't think I'd be spending much on going to parties or taking trips.

About the fixation thing: that's part of a mental disorder I have called Asperger's Syndrome. It's a form of autism. One part of it is getting fixated on one particular thing or subject (for me it's computers and electronics, my dad his car and motorcycle). I can't thank you enough for pointing out that I was fixated on the RX-8, as it's hard to realize this on my own. It's definitely made me more open to other cars just hearing that.

Sorry that my replies to your stuff is kind of jumbled up, I'm just all over the place right now as my caffeine and ADHD meds decided to wear off at the same time causing me to just totally crash and feel nauseous.

Thanks again for the reply.

ShinkaEvo

iTrader: (3)

Driving the 8 is enjoyable, on the other hand owning it is another thing.
As much as I love my 8, i never recommend it to my friends.
Simply because of maintenance reason.
I would get a miata, if I were you, just a thought.

If you've done your research, good luck young grasshopper.
Makes sure you got extra "few" grands to cover your motor when it's out of warranty.

altspace

iTrader: (2)

It's pro racing HRP gold heat reflective film. HRP Gold Heat Reflective Racing Film

Actually works awesome on the AC line that's just above the engine.

I've owned the car for 6 years, just time to move on. I'm looking into building a Miata next.

altspace

iTrader: (2)

Here's the car in full show form. Won many 1st place trophies with her. Very well known in this community.

MWisBest

I don't really appreciate the thread-hijacking from some of you guys. I'd really appreciate it if we could just keep the thread on topic, thank you.

I was hoping for something with back seats. Another car I'm going to look into is the Infiniti G35. I like Nissans, and like the Z series but definitely want the back seats and the G35 has a 350Z engine with 4 seats. Can't go wrong with that. Insurance on the G35 could potentially be cheaper as well, especially if I get the sedan.

Yeah I'll definitely be keeping a good stash saved up regardless of what car I get. It would be horrible to have to get something expensive fixed on a car and not have the money to pay for it. Still, if there is something that expensive wrong with my car my uncle would probably be willing to cut me a deal, and I know when he's done some work on my dad's vehicles he'll accept stuff like tools he doesn't have as a "trade-in" of sorts. :P

Also, I have adjusted the timeline a bit for getting my first car. I'd just like to get it before I graduate, around June of 2014. Should give me an extra few months compared to what I was originally thinking. I want the last memory of me for the people I'll most likely never see again to be my car. :D

Coldwound

iTrader: (1)

Don't forget... 93+ gas and sub par gas mileage (around 18mpg) and that's being generous with how you drive.. If your a student on a bit of a budget that alone could cripple your finances


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JamesD31

Yea looks awesome. Did you swap out the MS kit to sell it or what?

_MJ_

I am also (kind of) in your situation as I bought my Mazda RX8 as my first car last week. I'm a college student but money is not an issue because I work as a Computer Technician on campus and develop Android apps on the side.

Insurance for the Mazda RX-8 would have been pretty high but my parents put the car under their name and one of the family cars under my name (I just pay for the RX-8 insurance that is under their name.)

To be completely honest, you should focus on making sure you will be able to attend college financially first before you go spending your savings on a car. After you are able to do that, get a steady part time job during the school year that will give you more money than the cost of car payments per month (Loan + gas + coils, etc.)

Moral of the story: Make sure you are financially stable and that you can get into college before buying a car like the Mazda RX-8.

Wolfe

iTrader: (1)

I have 17" Blizzaks on my car and it does fine in the snow. Get them used. Personally I dont think any first car should cost more than 5000$. There is a good chance you get into an accident with it. Even if its not your fault. The RX8 is one of the most expensive cars to repair after an accident. As shown in this recent yahoo article. The top 10 most and least expensive cars to crash | Motoramic - Yahoo! Autos

The car is wicked expensive to own and operate as a poor college student. But I have a badass job that lets me do it. Gas mileage is terrible compared to what you can get with the same money. I love owning my RX-8, but there are times I really wish had bought a different car. I would never recommend it to someone.

My first car was a 1996 3000GT. Got it in 2008 my junior year. It was cheap, looked good, sounded good, and was SUPER unique. No one else at my school had anything close to something like the 3000GT (sure they had better newer cars, but nothing as "cool" as my dark green 3000gt). It was the perfect car to own in HighSchool. got it for 4000. girls loved it. Badass 90's cars. No car payments, little maintenance, cheap insurance, and ok on gas (15mpg) When it broke last summer I could afford a better car and "upgraded" to the 8. I almost want to buy another 3000gt for fun...

NotAPreppie

IMHO, if you're buying a car because you fell in love with it in a game, you're going to have a bad time.

The video game version of the car is writing checks that the real life version can't cash.

Just my opinion.

MWisBest

Wisconsin is a bit below the national average on gas prices, and I won't be putting more than 6,000 miles on it in a year for at least my first 2-3 years of owning it. If I knew I was going to be driving more than that, say 10,000-15,000 miles a year, I would definitely reconsider due to gas prices.

Since I'll be waiting until just before I graduate high school, I'll definitely have a good handle on where I'll be able to attend college, how much money it'll cost, and a (realistic) estimate on how much I'll be able to afford it. Putting the RX-8 under my mom's name would be a good idea for sure, not sure if she'll go for it. I'm not really sure about putting it under my dad's name, as he had a history of speeding tickets so I don't think insurance for him would be that much cheaper than for me.

I'll have a look at the 3000GT, thanks. I think the person that lives across the street from my grandma actually owns one as well.

I totally understand how the video game is completely unrealistic of a real-world representation of the car. Seriously, like I'm going to be able to put turbos, nitrous, and stuff like that in a rotary engine and expect it to hold up? Or expect to drive 200MPH in it? That's not why I want it.



Just a thought here: if anybody can think of a car that meets the following list let me know;
-Seats at least 4.
-RWD or AWD.
-Manual Transmission.
-Above-average redline (7,500+ RPM?).
-Community behind it that is at least half as good as this one is for the RX-8.

What I can potentially think of is an Infiniti G35, Mitsubishi 3000GT/Dodge Stealth (pretty much the same car, correct?), '90s Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX, not sure what else.

ken-x8

Yet there's nothing wrong with falling in love with one from that. My path to RX-8 love began with seeing a picture and a short paragraph in Motor Trend's annual car issue. Anything nice is going to cost you as much as an RX-8. Probably more, since all of the bad mouthing on this site ("needs lots of maintenance," "this car isn't for you," "it will flood if you look at it wrong," etc.) tends to drive the 8's price down.

Just make sure your finances are in good enough shape that whatever you buy won't make you car poor. And have any used car checked out before you plunk your money down.

Good luck...and have fun.

Ken