FirstCarisaRX8

So im currently 17years old and just bought my first car and as you can guess its a rx-8, a 2005 white 6speed manual rx-8 to be exact. It currently has 107,000 kms on it and i plan on babying it from now on and i had a few questions about the car.

1. How can i tell how well it was maintained by the previous owner?

2. Are there any specific things i should do to maintain this car? I have recently figured out rotary cars are sensitive.

3. What are some modifications i can do to the car to make it better? I plan on getting headers intake exhaust etc and i know this will only add 25-30hp but Im doing this to achieve a better sound out of the engine not to loud but a quiet nice sound.

8 Maniac

iTrader: (1)

Read the forums... read the stickies... read the FAQ's...

1) Kind of hard to tell without records. The best you can do is just look at how much wear and tear there is on the vehicle, mostly.

2) Read the stickies and FAQ's. This question has been answered A LOT.

3) Again, read. You seem to know some of the basics... then it just comes down to personal preference and brands. Be sure to research which products actually help and which products are actually more harmful.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

Welcome to the club. Get some pics up!
1. Try calling mazda for records. If the previous owner(s) did their own, then you're SOL
2. Read this thread
3. You're already sounding like a "kid". Make sure you avoid mentioning "I want power..." type topics. Research your questions before asking

FirstCarisaRX8

Thanks a lot i just discovered some great threads on here about maintenance. And as far as power goes i don't want more of that right now Im looking to improve the sound of the car just a little bit.

dirkyd3rk

Welcome young Jedi, pics of the 8!

If you want to change sound get an exhaust/midpipe combo! I wouldn't worry about headers based on what I gathered you won't get any real gains, maybe sound though. Then again, you won't get any real gains until you go forced induction (Turbo). Congrats on new purchase!

FirstCarisaRX8

Will be posting pictures soon its winter here so Im storing it for now until school starts up and snow clears up too about 2 more weeks. As far as the turbo goes i only have around 2000 left after paying for the car not sure how much i would need for a full turbo set up but plan on waiting a while before doing major mods on the car.

ken-x8

You'll need way more than $2000. There's a forum here devoted to major horsepower gains. You should browse that.

Two things to consider are the BHR ignition kit and a short shifter. Or save that $2000 to spend on dates with all the girls you're about to meet.

Ken

FastFreddy61

Congrats on your purchase, and welcome to the RX8 forum/club. It's good to hear you dont want more grunt out of your ride. Like Ken suggested, the BHR ignition kit is a good investment, and will probably save you a few headaches down the road, maybe a decent set of tires would be okay too. Have fun.

bse50

With 2k left over from the purchase do a thorough checkup (compression, ignition,catalytic converter etc) for a car with that mileage, then buy what needs to be replaced.

monchie

+1 on pictures and welcome aboard. Congrats on the purchase and read the stickies for reference.

cornholio135

iTrader: (2)

1) oh my god a teenager with an 8
2) get a few years of driving experience under your belt before getting a sports car
3) sell it and get something else

sjschutz

I'm 19 with an '8 and have no tickets, nor have I ever been in an accident. To the OP, congrats! Please learn how to properly take care of a rotary engine. If you do, you'll be rewarded with one of the most fun cars to drive available for its class. Post up some pics ASAP!

FirstCarisaRX8

http://postimage.org/image/gey26zvpd/

Asked the old owner to send me a picture of the car from the summer so everyone can see and as far as me having a rx8 goes if im mature enough to save up money and buy the car myself i think im mature enough to drive it properly too.

comebackqid

iTrader: (13)

I was 19 and had 240sx tein HE coilovers every arm link front and rear, stock KA -_- but anyways congrats and welcome to the club.

tonik

+100

ken-x8

Or just stay at home hiding in bed (alone - see my other post) praying that the roof does not fall in.

Ken

Are-Ex-Eight

iTrader: (1)

Congrats and great color choice.

Don't turbo the car tho. Read the forums you will see why.


I agree with Ken, save the 2k but for gas money lol.

cwatson

iTrader: (1)

1.) Call or go to a Mazda dealer. They can give you a complete dealer service record for free.
2.) Get a compression check and redo ignition
3.) BHR ignition, accessport with MM tune, high flow car or catback is probably the best you can do NA.

cujat

iTrader: (2)

This isn't really a good car for a teenager, unless your parents are going to help you pay for gas and stuff when you run out of cash, you know, since you're planning on spending it all now.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

The thread was linked, but just pulling this exerpt out of my thread.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=202454

Young Owners:
(This was writen to one specific owner, but I am leaving it with the personal and targeted verbage)
A side note added: about a year after I wrote this to that specific owner, he totaled his 8. One of the best and most respectable kids to show up on the boards, and it still happened to him.
To be brutally honest though, we often make heavy attempts to steer kids (sorry, you are ) away from the 8 as a first car. First cars are usually neglected, abused, and/or wrecked. And we don't imply that it would all be your fault either. My first car last 2.5 months, ending it's life with an SUV landing on it's hood while I was stopped. **** happens. How prepared are you to lose a car that you will probably form an emotional attachment to? (it happens. Everyone either loves or hates this car)

Abusing the 8 doesn't have the same definition as other cars, but, with no real road experience, driving the 8 properly is insanely easy to land you in significant legal trouble. My first day driving my 8 I was up to 123 on I-70 winding through the mountains without any straights before I got woken up from heaven by passing another car like it was standing still, glanced down at the speedo and was shocked to realize how fast I was. Most owners have this same type of experience. If it happens at a bad point, you are talking arrestable.

Again, you seem smarter than most teenagers that come on here, and with the money saved up for it, more responsible and probably would take better care of it, but just some things to keep in mind. You can find a great Miata for a few thousand that will help teach you about maintenance while still getting the same handling without nearly the speed potential.

Regardless of your decision, I highly highly highly recommend you get to local SCCA autocross events. Seriously. Even 1 event will help improve your driving. Keep doing it for fun and education though, it's the best bang for the buck that you can have in your own car. Driver mods before car mods.

Gingernator

same here. bought mine mostly by myself too.

Gingernator

I would strongly discourage you from babying it. I did that when i first got my 8 but quickly learned that babying your 8 only gets you half decent gas mileage, carbon build up, and a car that gets out of shape. Just like humans the RX-8 needs to be worked out to stay in shape and in good working condition. Hoon the **** out of it and redline the car AT LEAST once a day and ALWAYS, ALWAYS!!! Make sure it gets warmed up and maintain that temperature for a minimum of 2-5 minutes (that's about 1-2 dashes to the left of the middle of the temp gauge).

Also, it is good for the engine to first be warmed up before you drive it and it actually helps extend the life of the engine in addition to making it feel more "alive". And don't try to go above 5,000 RPM or so until it is warmed up, this could potentially cause damage, unlikely, but possible.

And as for oil, use only mineral oil (non-synthetic) and keep it right at the full line for best performance. Check the oil every fill-up as the gas is pumping.

If your 8 idles rough, that's just how it is, don't worry. If it idles reeeeeeally rough, then it might be a bad motor mount. I'd advise you to get an extended warranty for your car. Many things won't be covered but those few things that are would cost more than the warranty itself. One part that they do cover is the motor mounts mentioned above, I know this because I just had one replaced yesterday along with new ignition coils and wires which were causing it to misfire. Which segways into my next point: if the check engine light comes on, take it to the dealership ASAP. If the check engine light starts blinking or there is a major loss in power, drop everything you are doing and take it to the dealership and have the certified technitions look at it immediately! THAT would be a good time to baby it.

Apart from that carpel tunnel enducing post of information of first hand experiences, good luck and have fun!

FastFreddy61

Certified technicians at Mazda know less than many people in this forum. Only mineral oil ?

pistonhater

Not true. In fact, waiting until the engine is fully warmed up before driving is not necesary, and it is also a waste of gas and not good for the environment (if you care about that). Idling any car when cold- piston or rotary - all it does is inject more fuel into the engine as it needs more to keep it running until it warms up. This is the primary reason why you don't want to turn it off before is fully warm as it would have unburned extra fuel inside the chambers, which could lead to flooding in ignition-weak cars. Just start the car, wait a little and then start driving.

Also, in regards to not going into higher RPMs when cold, one of the reasons is because of the design of the Mazda OE filter. I forget at what psi the internal relief valve kicks in, but the point is that you run the risk of passing dirty oil when the right psi level has not been reached yet (actually, this is also true in some Toyota OE filters) - which can easily happen if you drive at high RPM when the engine is cold. Also, consider the engine's ability to properly lubricate at high rpm when there's right pressure is not in the system.

This is another reason why I want to have oil pressure and oil temperature gauges installed in my car -

jasonrxeight

bite off what you can chew kiddo.
you might want to keep that 2k just in case the engine goes kaboom since yours almost outta warranty.