Questions from someone looking to buy an RX8
 

Ok, so I'm looking to buy an RX-8.

But I have a few questions.

Other than the gas usage, the RX-8 is a great daily driver right?
I plan on getting snow tires for it since I live in south dakota. Any suggestions? (The one I'm looking at comes with an extra pair of stock 18s, could I put snows on those?)
I don't have a garage, I plan on getting a car cover to put on it, but any other suggestions for when I have it outside in the winter? (I will be driving it just about twice a day, to campus and back but its a 4 min drive...)

Thanks,

Yes.

Check Tire Rack ratings. Any of their listed studless winters are what I'd suggest if your roads gets plowed. If not, then try studded if your state allows them.

Yes.

Do you get a lot of wind and bird poop? Outdoor car covers are virtually useless with those factors from a practical standpoint.

Just wax/seal often.

Those short drives are not very rotary engine friendly. In the winter, you need to give it time to warm up before you take off and time to make sure the car has warmed up before you shut it down (flooding possibility). Also, you need to redline often to flush out carbon. Idling and granny driving builds up carbon in rotaries and will cripple the motor.

^^^ pretty much sums it up.

Check this thread https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/new-potential-owners-start-here-202454/

It's pretty comprehensive overview and will answer most of your questions. Read the winter tire stickies in the wheels/tires/suspension section. Actually read all of the stickies in all of the section. There is a wealth of info in them.

Thanks! Any ideas on where to get some good, CHEAP winter tires? (I can't afford the $200/tire)

Don't cheap out on tires man.

ok then... I'll just get a larger loan for car...

other things to think about:

-in winter, you have to have a strong battery and good starter, especially for rotaries. short trips equals drained battery.
-good ignition coils and spark plugs. short trips equals more carbon build-up.
-oil change every 3,000 miles, especially with short trips due to fuel dilution and condensation, plus oil to top off in between changes.
-probably looking at mid-teens for mpg.

You might want to sell the other set of stock wheels (try selling to Mazdspeed3/6 crowd as it's popular with them) and get narrower/smaller winters (cheaper), which reportedly work better in the snow, along with cheap steel wheels - might be cheaper overall.

My 2 cents.. if the oil looks dirty, change it. Just because you have another 500, 1000 miles to go doesn't mean anything when you have dirty oil going into your engine.

You are going to have to make an effort to drive the hell out of it once a week... like people have said, granny driving is a slow death to a rotary engine.

Do all your routine maintenance off the bat when you get your 8, so you know what was done and when. Coils, plugs, wires, oil change, seafoam cleaning, check intake for sludge, get a catch can if you have that crap in there...do the checklist on here https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/congratulations-you-got-8-a-202548/ , if it takes more than 2-3 sec to start, get a new starter now before winter hits.... Love your car and it will love you back.

*Nothing on this car is cheap, only cheaper when done yourself. * I got my 8 this summer and this forum has saved my life basically. To buy this car you only need money. To keep it you either need more money, and take it to the dealer for every little thing, or learn and do it yourself and do it RIGHT. Everything you need is on here somewhere, read anything and everything you can even if it doesn't pertain to you at the moment- it will come in handy!

Unless you pull the oil cooler lines, or use an oil vacuum/pump to get all of the oil out of the car, your oil is going to look dirty after the first drive. About 3 quarts of oil sits in your lines and oil coolers. This is why changing oil every 3k is highly recommended here, you're really only changing a little over half each time. About every other change, i "rock" my car by lifting one side and then the other until i don't get oil out, and that's still only about 6 quarts.

Just FYI.

My 2006 model doesn't have flooding issues, but my winters, as cold as they get, are never snowy. But, driving 4 min daily would certainly screw things up with any car. But, there are gurus here who can give you a good concoction of oil that will save reduce damage.

my goal exactly :D

That is my goal... I HATE the saturn SL I have now... I want a car I can DRIVE :D

When it gets dark, change it, especially when you're buying a used one. Because like you said, you can only change out 4-5 qts at a time, so if the previous owner neglected the car (like mine :eyetwitch), you will have to change it sooner. Just common sense, if it starts to look nasty change it.

Well it all depends if I can get the loan from my parents, but if I do I will be buying it from a member here.

My 8's oil never looks dirty. Not even the day before an oil change. Very different from every other car I've ever owned, where the oil looks dirty once the car has some miles on it.

Ken

Where abouts are you at in SD out of curiosity?

I personally have blizzaks on the stock rims and as long as the snow you are driving through isn't deeper then your ground clearance you should be fine...

Mine too. Compared to my two other (recip) cars, oil comes out clear.

honestly, I suggest you get something else for winter and try to find a better deal on the RX8.
you CAN drive it in snow but I wouldnt.

its because there is no carbon introduced into the oil circulation.
honestly, idk why we need to change the oil so frequently. maybe because it lubricates gears instead of just pure bearings in a piston engine?
gear breaks down lube pretty quickly, thats why gear lubes are heavy as hell.
BMW recommends 15k oil change interval.

Not to be cynical, but I suspect that has a lot to do with them providing free maintenance for the first five years. And, perhaps, a desire to make room to sell more BMWs.

Ken

well they use full synthetic oil to begin with, also the sump is HUGE. 8qt sump.

Check the For Sale section of this forum often. It's not uncommon for someone to be selling their 8 and then selling their 4 low-mileage winter tires, sometimes with rims included. I once found a set of low mileage winter tires (around 5K miles) for an MX-5 on the Miata forum. Saved about half over new ones.

Madison (mid east)

I've yet been able to find a better deal. I don't have any place to store it so I might as well drive it eh? and your one in many people who say don't drive it :D