Introduction... Again.
 

Hey all, I'm introducing myself.. Yet again. I did a while ago, but I disappeared off the forum, and I'm now coming back! So, my name is Andrew and I come from the land of igloos... Canada <3. Ottawa Ontario to be specific. I'm 17 years old and I'm going to be getting an Rx8. Unlike most other Teens, I know how to take care of a rotary. My best friend and his dad each own one. My buddy has an Rx8, and his dad has an Rx7. I've been learning a lot about rotarys for about 4 years now, and I want one so bad! I just sold my Civic, and I should be looking at getting an 8 once winters up :).

Thanks

-Andrew

Do you what year/model of 8 you are aiming for? Just curious, oh and what color?

An 04-06. I'm gonna go for a red one, or winning blue. Oh, and a GT with the full OEM lip kit if possible :).

Good move selling the CiViC.
You should be able to find an 04-06 fairly cheap, esp the 04's.

Lol, I hated it. Was a pain in the a$$, was starting to have major issues too. Needed an input shaft bearing, flywheel bearing, clutch was starting to slip, rust was getting a little to nasty. I still managed to sell it for $1200.00.

Get an 06. Seems like a lot of 04 owners are starting to have issues on here lately.

My buddy has an 04 without any issues. 100.000km on it. Runs fine, pulls hard. But yeah, I don't wanna risk anything

As long as an '04 has been properly cared for and kept up to date with flashes, upgraded starter, etc then it will be as reliable as any other RX-8. Just make sure to get all the maintenance records and a compression test before buying.

I will, I'm not going to rush into buying one either.

Research the car before you buy it. Most 04's have issues, but some should be fine (if owner takes care of them seriously). Anyway, shop around and you'll find the one...good luck.

Before someone talks you out of getting an '04 let me just say the "issues" with 04's are the exact same as 05's... which was mostly due to Mazda trying to sort out the problems with the flashes, which I believe wasn't sorted out till around '06. The only major differences between an 04-08 are the upgraded starter, ecu flashes, the negligence of owner's knowing how to care for a rotary and minor things like suspension upgrades (Shinka), colors, and what's left of the warranty. Now an S2 compared to an S1 is an entirely different story...

Personally, I would go with a newer Rx-8 as there would be a warranty remaining in case something goes wrong with the engine. '04-08 have the same life expectancy. I've seen 04's with over 200k miles on original engines and 07's with less than 50k before needing a replacement.

04's would be cheaper so if you don't mind the risk and the potential engine replacement fee than I would say go with an earlier model. If you want to mod your car, than an earlier model would save you money and the styling is entirely the same.

Make sure you have the engine's compression tested before purchasing and try to get one with service records as that's the only way to really prove that it's been maintained. If you're purchasing from a dealership, they should be able to look up any sort of maintenance such as recall information, warranty replacements, etc.

I plan on modding the car, so I'm looking at an earlier model. I'm obviously not going to get the first clean one I find. I'll make sure the car is perfect before I buy it.

Good luck in your search.