So I joined the club, I own an RX-8
11-24-2007, 01:28 AM
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So I joined the club, I own an RX-8
Well first off I would just like to introduce myself and then ask a couple of questions, First off I'm a 22 year old who is just coming of 2 years of chemo, and a Bone Marrow Transplant, So far the Health is holding up well, but after all I went through My Step-dad Co-signed on the Rx-8 for me.
Its kind of funny, but the car is the same color yellow of the live strong band, I was originally looking at a 350z, the problem was that after driving it, I didn't really like it like I thought I would, It just felt kind of cramped and vanilla. So in the end we then went and test drove the rx-8 and loved it, I was always a big fan of the Rx-7's, So im not a complete idiot and know a little about the Rotary engine. I have a lot of pictures of the car, but I really don't know how to post/where to put em up.
As far as the care, So far I love it, the problem is, after a week I'm still not sure about a couple of things, I've read the manual for everything I could, but theres still some stuff that I would like to know about. I have read about the Flooding problems, and Try not to turn the car on/off real quick.
First off, The car is a Manual, I am a new driver to Manual, and I really feel like I'm not "getting" it like other people" Like if I move my feet slowly I can keep it from stalling and jerking, but if I get flustered, I try to do everything too fast and bam, I really hate it because you know people are like "look at that kid, can't even drive his car" which is kind of annoying. So if any of you have any tips on shifting or words of encouragement that would be nice. This is my first "newer" car, I paid 19.5 for it, and I really hope The car lasts me till 2010 - 2011, and helps me build up my credit, because at 22 I have no real credit history, and the 2010 SS camaro's look pretty nice.
A few questions I have in general, like technical wise is, I see a lot of problem posts, and its kind of scary, you know I just got the car, and everyone on here seems to be ******* the car, It's pretty scary for someone who just got an 04 with like 35k miles. Another thing I have is, the manual says to switch gears at really low speeds, like 51 and up you should be in sixth gear, what is generally the best gears for the speeds, I heard you should red line the car every once in awhile like the Rx-7 for the carbon deposits.
Next thing is, A lot of people say that they have a rebuilt engine, How much is that going to cost, I mean I'm a college student living at home still, but its still $500 a month, Is that a common thing, if it goes how much would it cost to fix it?
The final thing I want to know about is, Near the end of the cars payments, and once its paid off I would probably spend the 5 grand to "turbo it" but speed really isn't that important to me, people kind of see the car and know you can go pretty fast (or assume) so I dont ever feel like I need to impress anyone, I mean im 22 but really pretty mature, I dont need more speed until I def have the car down.
All in all I love the car but what are some of the common pitfalls, I'm def going to get a Radar detector, just because this car at 80 feels like 55 haha. Anyways just wanted to say hi, and kind of get re-assured that the car isn't gonna just break down on me lol.
Also, since the car is bright yellow like the live strong I was thinking about putting a graphic on the side, My idea was a dragon on the driver side door the tail going over the front tire, and the dragon sitting on top and looking over a cliff, and the words live strong reflected in the water down below, All of that has extreme meaning to me, just cause when I was sick, I had a dragon charm, and everyone said it was good luck, and I kind of feel like it helped me through the tough times, kind of looked at the dragon when stuff was hard and said I have to toughen up and do what I had to do. The cliff over the water is a reference to Lance Armstrong, in one of his books he says after you've been through the stuff, that you have to do things that truly make you feel alive, in his book he says he bikes to a cliff and jumps off into the water, and thats kind of how I want to live my life, and help people.
Think it would look cool, or just kind of meh.
Anyways Nice to be here, I've been waiting for a Rotary engine for like 8 years haha.
Its kind of funny, but the car is the same color yellow of the live strong band, I was originally looking at a 350z, the problem was that after driving it, I didn't really like it like I thought I would, It just felt kind of cramped and vanilla. So in the end we then went and test drove the rx-8 and loved it, I was always a big fan of the Rx-7's, So im not a complete idiot and know a little about the Rotary engine. I have a lot of pictures of the car, but I really don't know how to post/where to put em up.
As far as the care, So far I love it, the problem is, after a week I'm still not sure about a couple of things, I've read the manual for everything I could, but theres still some stuff that I would like to know about. I have read about the Flooding problems, and Try not to turn the car on/off real quick.
First off, The car is a Manual, I am a new driver to Manual, and I really feel like I'm not "getting" it like other people" Like if I move my feet slowly I can keep it from stalling and jerking, but if I get flustered, I try to do everything too fast and bam, I really hate it because you know people are like "look at that kid, can't even drive his car" which is kind of annoying. So if any of you have any tips on shifting or words of encouragement that would be nice. This is my first "newer" car, I paid 19.5 for it, and I really hope The car lasts me till 2010 - 2011, and helps me build up my credit, because at 22 I have no real credit history, and the 2010 SS camaro's look pretty nice.
A few questions I have in general, like technical wise is, I see a lot of problem posts, and its kind of scary, you know I just got the car, and everyone on here seems to be ******* the car, It's pretty scary for someone who just got an 04 with like 35k miles. Another thing I have is, the manual says to switch gears at really low speeds, like 51 and up you should be in sixth gear, what is generally the best gears for the speeds, I heard you should red line the car every once in awhile like the Rx-7 for the carbon deposits.
Next thing is, A lot of people say that they have a rebuilt engine, How much is that going to cost, I mean I'm a college student living at home still, but its still $500 a month, Is that a common thing, if it goes how much would it cost to fix it?
The final thing I want to know about is, Near the end of the cars payments, and once its paid off I would probably spend the 5 grand to "turbo it" but speed really isn't that important to me, people kind of see the car and know you can go pretty fast (or assume) so I dont ever feel like I need to impress anyone, I mean im 22 but really pretty mature, I dont need more speed until I def have the car down.
All in all I love the car but what are some of the common pitfalls, I'm def going to get a Radar detector, just because this car at 80 feels like 55 haha. Anyways just wanted to say hi, and kind of get re-assured that the car isn't gonna just break down on me lol.
Also, since the car is bright yellow like the live strong I was thinking about putting a graphic on the side, My idea was a dragon on the driver side door the tail going over the front tire, and the dragon sitting on top and looking over a cliff, and the words live strong reflected in the water down below, All of that has extreme meaning to me, just cause when I was sick, I had a dragon charm, and everyone said it was good luck, and I kind of feel like it helped me through the tough times, kind of looked at the dragon when stuff was hard and said I have to toughen up and do what I had to do. The cliff over the water is a reference to Lance Armstrong, in one of his books he says after you've been through the stuff, that you have to do things that truly make you feel alive, in his book he says he bikes to a cliff and jumps off into the water, and thats kind of how I want to live my life, and help people.
Think it would look cool, or just kind of meh.
Anyways Nice to be here, I've been waiting for a Rotary engine for like 8 years haha.
11-24-2007, 01:41 AM
#2
Welcome to the addiction!
Great news about your health - and congratulations on your recovery. The RX8 may not cure cancer - but it will keep smiles on your face.
As to your questions - barring Forced Induction (Turbo, Supercharger, Nitrous) for now as it is a long term thought for you; I would focus on learning to drive stick first. I know it can be frusterating and esp in traffic - but over time you'll get the hang of it. If you have ever owned or ridden a motorcycle you know about the "clutch zone" - basically with your car on a flat surface and without giving it gas slowly let off the clutch until it starts to roll. Practice this a few times and it will give you a better idea of the clutch zone - the part of the pedal travel that will make the car go forward. It will stall on you a few times - but as long as it is warmed up first you should be fine. The idea is that once you know where the friction on the clutch is - you can smoothly add gas to get going from a stop.
The graphic idea sounds cool to me! Do your thing - and if they give you a hard time about it; tell them to kiss your *** - works for me.
High RPM is where the car shines - so keep them up there. Pretty hard to "blow" a motor Naturally Aspirated there are some that fail - but if you do have problems a new engine can run about $4000 - so not the end of the world.
Check oil - drive it hard - do good maint. and you should be ok.
Again - welcome and congratulations!!!
Great news about your health - and congratulations on your recovery. The RX8 may not cure cancer - but it will keep smiles on your face.
As to your questions - barring Forced Induction (Turbo, Supercharger, Nitrous) for now as it is a long term thought for you; I would focus on learning to drive stick first. I know it can be frusterating and esp in traffic - but over time you'll get the hang of it. If you have ever owned or ridden a motorcycle you know about the "clutch zone" - basically with your car on a flat surface and without giving it gas slowly let off the clutch until it starts to roll. Practice this a few times and it will give you a better idea of the clutch zone - the part of the pedal travel that will make the car go forward. It will stall on you a few times - but as long as it is warmed up first you should be fine. The idea is that once you know where the friction on the clutch is - you can smoothly add gas to get going from a stop.
The graphic idea sounds cool to me! Do your thing - and if they give you a hard time about it; tell them to kiss your *** - works for me.
High RPM is where the car shines - so keep them up there. Pretty hard to "blow" a motor Naturally Aspirated there are some that fail - but if you do have problems a new engine can run about $4000 - so not the end of the world.
Check oil - drive it hard - do good maint. and you should be ok.
Again - welcome and congratulations!!!
Last edited by Kane; 11-24-2007 at 01:45 AM.
11-24-2007, 10:20 AM
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Good news all around with the health and the car. My GF digs dragons too (sometimes she gets a lot of flack about it from other people, but I like them as well... when done right, they look slick).
1) Manual- This car was my first manual as well. It took me a few days to get the "feel" of the clutch and the shifting- many stalls. By the end of the first week I was doing great, and by the end of the first month, I was a pro. It just takes time. Don't hesitate on finding some empty school parking lots to practice in. The best advice I've heard about learning to shift is practice on being smooth... when you get that, then you can practice on being quick and the other tricks.
2) Problem posts- Don't worry about the problem posts... there's a big deference on what you read versus reality. That's not to say that there are not problems (I had my engine replaced under warranty, but I still love the car), but when you're driving your car everything just flies away. Don't let bad posts influence you, but there are some people here that have good words, critiques, and ideas.
3) Turbo/super charging- Whatever floats your boat. A lot of people here would like more power, but for me... 100% of my driving is regular city driving to get from point A to point B, I haven't autocrossed or found a track to take it to... so the power is plenty fine for me. But I have thought about it too, after a few years when I get a new car, that I'll hold on to my RX8 and start modding it as a hobby.
4) Enjoy your rotary. Check back in a week or two and let us know how the driving is coming along.
michael
1) Manual- This car was my first manual as well. It took me a few days to get the "feel" of the clutch and the shifting- many stalls. By the end of the first week I was doing great, and by the end of the first month, I was a pro. It just takes time. Don't hesitate on finding some empty school parking lots to practice in. The best advice I've heard about learning to shift is practice on being smooth... when you get that, then you can practice on being quick and the other tricks.
2) Problem posts- Don't worry about the problem posts... there's a big deference on what you read versus reality. That's not to say that there are not problems (I had my engine replaced under warranty, but I still love the car), but when you're driving your car everything just flies away. Don't let bad posts influence you, but there are some people here that have good words, critiques, and ideas.
3) Turbo/super charging- Whatever floats your boat. A lot of people here would like more power, but for me... 100% of my driving is regular city driving to get from point A to point B, I haven't autocrossed or found a track to take it to... so the power is plenty fine for me. But I have thought about it too, after a few years when I get a new car, that I'll hold on to my RX8 and start modding it as a hobby.
4) Enjoy your rotary. Check back in a week or two and let us know how the driving is coming along.
michael
11-24-2007, 10:36 AM
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First of all, I wish you the best of health which is the most important thing. Keep up the good fight, we're behind you all the way.
Congratulations on the 8 and hope it contributes to your positive state of mind and body.
So you're new to driving manual. Don't sweat it, you will improve greatly with time. Don't be too embarrased if you stall or chirp, I've been driving stick forever and still do this once in a while. And if you DO stall, well that'll just give onlookers more time to admire your car before it zooms off.
Personally, I wouldn't mess up the car with stickers/decals because it looks perfect as is. Maybe a couple window stickers (ie. rx8 club) but that's it, imo. However, I understand that the dragon has special meaning to you and that's the only thing that really matters. Another dragon idea is ... if you go to rx8strakes.com, they have some decals that go on the third brake light (a rotary dragon) and shows up pretty cool when you hit the brakes.
Anyhow, all the best with health and rx8!
Congratulations on the 8 and hope it contributes to your positive state of mind and body.
So you're new to driving manual. Don't sweat it, you will improve greatly with time. Don't be too embarrased if you stall or chirp, I've been driving stick forever and still do this once in a while. And if you DO stall, well that'll just give onlookers more time to admire your car before it zooms off.
Personally, I wouldn't mess up the car with stickers/decals because it looks perfect as is. Maybe a couple window stickers (ie. rx8 club) but that's it, imo. However, I understand that the dragon has special meaning to you and that's the only thing that really matters. Another dragon idea is ... if you go to rx8strakes.com, they have some decals that go on the third brake light (a rotary dragon) and shows up pretty cool when you hit the brakes.
Anyhow, all the best with health and rx8!
11-24-2007, 11:19 AM
#6
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Welcome to the club and the car.
As everyone else is saying, don't worry about getting the hang of shifting. Focus on being smooth, and it will come. Also, on shifting: the upshift speeds in the owner's manual are on the low side. OK if you're puttering around slowly, but you're well out of the useful torque range. I shift in the 4000 to 5000 rpm range, and I think that's where most people shift the RX-8 for normal driving. The engine likes to rev. Think sport bike, not tractor.
Don't worry about all the posts of problems. Internet forums for *any* product are grim. I nearly did not buy a new TV set a few years ago because the internet fora made it seem like 30% of every model was a lemon.
IMHO, rather than get a radar detector, learn how to control the car's speed. I had the same problem as you when I first got my 8: I'd find myself going faster than I thought. I took to using the cruise control in the silliest places (like residential streets), just because that way I could set and hold a non-violation speed. Eventually I got the feel. Knowing how fast you're going, and holding the speed you want, is part of car control.
Ken
As everyone else is saying, don't worry about getting the hang of shifting. Focus on being smooth, and it will come. Also, on shifting: the upshift speeds in the owner's manual are on the low side. OK if you're puttering around slowly, but you're well out of the useful torque range. I shift in the 4000 to 5000 rpm range, and I think that's where most people shift the RX-8 for normal driving. The engine likes to rev. Think sport bike, not tractor.
Don't worry about all the posts of problems. Internet forums for *any* product are grim. I nearly did not buy a new TV set a few years ago because the internet fora made it seem like 30% of every model was a lemon.
IMHO, rather than get a radar detector, learn how to control the car's speed. I had the same problem as you when I first got my 8: I'd find myself going faster than I thought. I took to using the cruise control in the silliest places (like residential streets), just because that way I could set and hold a non-violation speed. Eventually I got the feel. Knowing how fast you're going, and holding the speed you want, is part of car control.
Ken
11-24-2007, 11:34 AM
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You could change the oil at 3000 miles and never need to add a drop. Manual transmissions can be tricky and the 8 is no exception however once you get it down you'll find it's one of the easier manuals to operate. I've been driving a stick for 26 yrs. having learned to drive on one and owned a manual of one kind or another ever since. I find the more you try(concentrated effort) the worse it gets.
Try to relax, use your senses,( touch,hearing,etc.) Leave the music off. Listen to the engine. Feel when it's in its power range.
Don't concern yourself with down shifting. You've got excellent brake....use them....a brake job is far cheaper than a clutch anyway. Use the E-brake on hill and incline starts ( It's not cheating..it's smart) Drive by yourself a lot ( passengers tend to tense you more) Enjoy your RX8 manual and rest assured you made an excellent choice. Congratulations!
Try to relax, use your senses,( touch,hearing,etc.) Leave the music off. Listen to the engine. Feel when it's in its power range. Don't concern yourself with down shifting. You've got excellent brake....use them....a brake job is far cheaper than a clutch anyway. Use the E-brake on hill and incline starts ( It's not cheating..it's smart) Drive by yourself a lot ( passengers tend to tense you more) Enjoy your RX8 manual and rest assured you made an excellent choice. Congratulations!
11-24-2007, 11:41 AM
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Wow, sounds like you've been through a lot. Glad to hear your health is doing well. Good choice on the car (:
Don't worry about what other people think of you when it comes to learning manual. For those that know how to drive manual, we all went through the same thing at some point. Luckily, my dad forced me to learn as soon as I got my license as my first car was a manual.
Checking your oil often, high revs and regular maintenance are key to keeping this car happy.
Pitfalls; gas mileage seems to be the biggest issue with people when first buying the car. Gas mileage and the price of 93 octane will make people a bit cranky. But you don't buy a sports car for gas mileage.
Don't worry about what other people think of you when it comes to learning manual. For those that know how to drive manual, we all went through the same thing at some point. Luckily, my dad forced me to learn as soon as I got my license as my first car was a manual.
Checking your oil often, high revs and regular maintenance are key to keeping this car happy.
Pitfalls; gas mileage seems to be the biggest issue with people when first buying the car. Gas mileage and the price of 93 octane will make people a bit cranky. But you don't buy a sports car for gas mileage.
11-24-2007, 11:44 AM
#9
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shifting
1st 4300
2nd 4000
3rd 5200 (let out easier cause mine sticks a little bit)
4th 5000
5th 4000
If you hear a scraping / whisteling wierd sound downshift. I dont know how to really explain it but if there isnt that normal sweetness you are probly in too high of a gear. Normally I try to keep the revs around 3600...
anyone do anything diff?
once a week I race my brothers truck (usually loose) hahha (07 hemi with a magnoflow exhaust and aem intake / tuned)
launch at 2800
shift from 1st to second at 5000
shift other gears at 7500
Thats just me. i have an 04 6mt ---- im sure if you asked 10 people you'd get 10 different answers . lol
welcome to the club
Bam 6th!
PS........ in 6th your doing about 85 mph at 3,500 rpm
1st 4300
2nd 4000
3rd 5200 (let out easier cause mine sticks a little bit)
4th 5000
5th 4000
If you hear a scraping / whisteling wierd sound downshift. I dont know how to really explain it but if there isnt that normal sweetness you are probly in too high of a gear. Normally I try to keep the revs around 3600...
anyone do anything diff?
once a week I race my brothers truck (usually loose) hahha (07 hemi with a magnoflow exhaust and aem intake / tuned)
launch at 2800
shift from 1st to second at 5000
shift other gears at 7500
Thats just me. i have an 04 6mt ---- im sure if you asked 10 people you'd get 10 different answers . lol
welcome to the club
Bam 6th!
PS........ in 6th your doing about 85 mph at 3,500 rpm
11-24-2007, 12:09 PM
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Welcome to the forums & glad to hear that your health is improving!
I've been driving my first manual, the RX-8, for about a month and I can agree with your comments. If I'm in no rush, with no pressure, I can shift fairly smoothly. Add complications and it can get jerky. I've actually kinda grown to like to goofy things that can happen while I'm learning though! 
I've been driving my first manual, the RX-8, for about a month and I can agree with your comments. If I'm in no rush, with no pressure, I can shift fairly smoothly. Add complications and it can get jerky. I've actually kinda grown to like to goofy things that can happen while I'm learning though!
11-24-2007, 01:31 PM
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im glad to hear you are better, i have lost many family members to cancer. i think its a great idea for that dragon. its like a tattoo for your car. it will give you something to remember the hard times and how far you have come.
a key for shifting is clutch slow and smooth. for good gas mileage try to shift below 3750 rpms, cause that is where the secondary ports open up. if you are racing, shift at 9000, cause the tach is actually 500 rpms faster than the engine, and the engine, unless you have the Racing beat Reflash, makes peak power at 8500 rpms.
good luck and welcome to the club.
and one more thing. dont let what people say on here get you down. every 8 seems to be different. some peoples engines die early, some last forever, like expo1. he is 100,000 + miles on his. just take care of your 8, and have fun. take it to the track if you REALLY want a smile!
a key for shifting is clutch slow and smooth. for good gas mileage try to shift below 3750 rpms, cause that is where the secondary ports open up. if you are racing, shift at 9000, cause the tach is actually 500 rpms faster than the engine, and the engine, unless you have the Racing beat Reflash, makes peak power at 8500 rpms.
good luck and welcome to the club.
and one more thing. dont let what people say on here get you down. every 8 seems to be different. some peoples engines die early, some last forever, like expo1. he is 100,000 + miles on his. just take care of your 8, and have fun. take it to the track if you REALLY want a smile!
Last edited by chetrickerman; 11-24-2007 at 01:33 PM.
11-24-2007, 01:44 PM
#13
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shifting
1st 4300
2nd 4000
3rd 5200 (let out easier cause mine sticks a little bit)
4th 5000
5th 4000
If you hear a scraping / whisteling wierd sound downshift. I dont know how to really explain it but if there isnt that normal sweetness you are probly in too high of a gear. Normally I try to keep the revs around 3600...
anyone do anything diff?
once a week I race my brothers truck (usually loose) hahha (07 hemi with a magnoflow exhaust and aem intake / tuned)
launch at 2800
shift from 1st to second at 5000
shift other gears at 7500
Thats just me. i have an 04 6mt ---- im sure if you asked 10 people you'd get 10 different answers . lol
welcome to the club
Bam 6th!
PS........ in 6th your doing about 85 mph at 3,500 rpm
1st 4300
2nd 4000
3rd 5200 (let out easier cause mine sticks a little bit)
4th 5000
5th 4000
If you hear a scraping / whisteling wierd sound downshift. I dont know how to really explain it but if there isnt that normal sweetness you are probly in too high of a gear. Normally I try to keep the revs around 3600...
anyone do anything diff?
once a week I race my brothers truck (usually loose) hahha (07 hemi with a magnoflow exhaust and aem intake / tuned)
launch at 2800
shift from 1st to second at 5000
shift other gears at 7500
Thats just me. i have an 04 6mt ---- im sure if you asked 10 people you'd get 10 different answers . lol
welcome to the club
Bam 6th!
PS........ in 6th your doing about 85 mph at 3,500 rpm
11-24-2007, 02:07 PM
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hey welcome to the club...
as far as manual driving...this is my first stick car and the test drive wasn't pretty! But after a bit I stopped trying so hard and sort of felt out the car...seems to me the less I think about it and worry about what rpm i'm shifting at the smoother things go...after about 3 weeks I was a "pro" so don't worry it'll come around...
Best wishes the future...
as far as manual driving...this is my first stick car and the test drive wasn't pretty! But after a bit I stopped trying so hard and sort of felt out the car...seems to me the less I think about it and worry about what rpm i'm shifting at the smoother things go...after about 3 weeks I was a "pro" so don't worry it'll come around...
Best wishes the future...
11-24-2007, 03:06 PM
#17
Insanely Yellow
Well first off I would just like to introduce myself and then ask a couple of questions, First off I'm a 22 year old who is just coming of 2 years of chemo, and a Bone Marrow Transplant, So far the Health is holding up well, but after all I went through My Step-dad Co-signed on the Rx-8 for me.
Its kind of funny, but the car is the same color yellow of the live strong band, I was originally looking at a 350z, the problem was that after driving it, I didn't really like it like I thought I would, It just felt kind of cramped and vanilla. So in the end we then went and test drove the rx-8 and loved it, I was always a big fan of the Rx-7's, So im not a complete idiot and know a little about the Rotary engine. I have a lot of pictures of the car, but I really don't know how to post/where to put em up.
As far as the care, So far I love it, the problem is, after a week I'm still not sure about a couple of things, I've read the manual for everything I could, but theres still some stuff that I would like to know about. I have read about the Flooding problems, and Try not to turn the car on/off real quick.
First off, The car is a Manual, I am a new driver to Manual, and I really feel like I'm not "getting" it like other people" Like if I move my feet slowly I can keep it from stalling and jerking, but if I get flustered, I try to do everything too fast and bam, I really hate it because you know people are like "look at that kid, can't even drive his car" which is kind of annoying. So if any of you have any tips on shifting or words of encouragement that would be nice. This is my first "newer" car, I paid 19.5 for it, and I really hope The car lasts me till 2010 - 2011, and helps me build up my credit, because at 22 I have no real credit history, and the 2010 SS camaro's look pretty nice.
A few questions I have in general, like technical wise is, I see a lot of problem posts, and its kind of scary, you know I just got the car, and everyone on here seems to be ******* the car, It's pretty scary for someone who just got an 04 with like 35k miles. Another thing I have is, the manual says to switch gears at really low speeds, like 51 and up you should be in sixth gear, what is generally the best gears for the speeds, I heard you should red line the car every once in awhile like the Rx-7 for the carbon deposits.
Next thing is, A lot of people say that they have a rebuilt engine, How much is that going to cost, I mean I'm a college student living at home still, but its still $500 a month, Is that a common thing, if it goes how much would it cost to fix it?
The final thing I want to know about is, Near the end of the cars payments, and once its paid off I would probably spend the 5 grand to "turbo it" but speed really isn't that important to me, people kind of see the car and know you can go pretty fast (or assume) so I dont ever feel like I need to impress anyone, I mean im 22 but really pretty mature, I dont need more speed until I def have the car down.
All in all I love the car but what are some of the common pitfalls, I'm def going to get a Radar detector, just because this car at 80 feels like 55 haha. Anyways just wanted to say hi, and kind of get re-assured that the car isn't gonna just break down on me lol.
Also, since the car is bright yellow like the live strong I was thinking about putting a graphic on the side, My idea was a dragon on the driver side door the tail going over the front tire, and the dragon sitting on top and looking over a cliff, and the words live strong reflected in the water down below, All of that has extreme meaning to me, just cause when I was sick, I had a dragon charm, and everyone said it was good luck, and I kind of feel like it helped me through the tough times, kind of looked at the dragon when stuff was hard and said I have to toughen up and do what I had to do. The cliff over the water is a reference to Lance Armstrong, in one of his books he says after you've been through the stuff, that you have to do things that truly make you feel alive, in his book he says he bikes to a cliff and jumps off into the water, and thats kind of how I want to live my life, and help people.
Think it would look cool, or just kind of meh.
Anyways Nice to be here, I've been waiting for a Rotary engine for like 8 years haha.
Its kind of funny, but the car is the same color yellow of the live strong band, I was originally looking at a 350z, the problem was that after driving it, I didn't really like it like I thought I would, It just felt kind of cramped and vanilla. So in the end we then went and test drove the rx-8 and loved it, I was always a big fan of the Rx-7's, So im not a complete idiot and know a little about the Rotary engine. I have a lot of pictures of the car, but I really don't know how to post/where to put em up.
As far as the care, So far I love it, the problem is, after a week I'm still not sure about a couple of things, I've read the manual for everything I could, but theres still some stuff that I would like to know about. I have read about the Flooding problems, and Try not to turn the car on/off real quick.
First off, The car is a Manual, I am a new driver to Manual, and I really feel like I'm not "getting" it like other people" Like if I move my feet slowly I can keep it from stalling and jerking, but if I get flustered, I try to do everything too fast and bam, I really hate it because you know people are like "look at that kid, can't even drive his car" which is kind of annoying. So if any of you have any tips on shifting or words of encouragement that would be nice. This is my first "newer" car, I paid 19.5 for it, and I really hope The car lasts me till 2010 - 2011, and helps me build up my credit, because at 22 I have no real credit history, and the 2010 SS camaro's look pretty nice.
A few questions I have in general, like technical wise is, I see a lot of problem posts, and its kind of scary, you know I just got the car, and everyone on here seems to be ******* the car, It's pretty scary for someone who just got an 04 with like 35k miles. Another thing I have is, the manual says to switch gears at really low speeds, like 51 and up you should be in sixth gear, what is generally the best gears for the speeds, I heard you should red line the car every once in awhile like the Rx-7 for the carbon deposits.
Next thing is, A lot of people say that they have a rebuilt engine, How much is that going to cost, I mean I'm a college student living at home still, but its still $500 a month, Is that a common thing, if it goes how much would it cost to fix it?
The final thing I want to know about is, Near the end of the cars payments, and once its paid off I would probably spend the 5 grand to "turbo it" but speed really isn't that important to me, people kind of see the car and know you can go pretty fast (or assume) so I dont ever feel like I need to impress anyone, I mean im 22 but really pretty mature, I dont need more speed until I def have the car down.
All in all I love the car but what are some of the common pitfalls, I'm def going to get a Radar detector, just because this car at 80 feels like 55 haha. Anyways just wanted to say hi, and kind of get re-assured that the car isn't gonna just break down on me lol.
Also, since the car is bright yellow like the live strong I was thinking about putting a graphic on the side, My idea was a dragon on the driver side door the tail going over the front tire, and the dragon sitting on top and looking over a cliff, and the words live strong reflected in the water down below, All of that has extreme meaning to me, just cause when I was sick, I had a dragon charm, and everyone said it was good luck, and I kind of feel like it helped me through the tough times, kind of looked at the dragon when stuff was hard and said I have to toughen up and do what I had to do. The cliff over the water is a reference to Lance Armstrong, in one of his books he says after you've been through the stuff, that you have to do things that truly make you feel alive, in his book he says he bikes to a cliff and jumps off into the water, and thats kind of how I want to live my life, and help people.
Think it would look cool, or just kind of meh.
Anyways Nice to be here, I've been waiting for a Rotary engine for like 8 years haha.
The other guys have answered the mechanical stuff, so I'll weigh in on the graphic stuff.
Ordinarily I'd say you'd be a fool to muck up a good yellow RX-8 but with all you've been through, I'd say if it feels good, do it! Get it done professionally though and it will look really cool and the bottom line is if it gives you power and makes you feel strong, then go for it.
Welcome to the brotherhood.
11-24-2007, 04:53 PM
#18
Rotary wanabee
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dammm i should have mentioned I have an emanage and a tune. so ... yeah your shift points would be diff..... hahaha
also I now average around 18 - 20 mpg ... so sure all you guys with your 15 mpg ... sure make fun
also I now average around 18 - 20 mpg ... so sure all you guys with your 15 mpg ... sure make fun
11-24-2007, 06:04 PM
#20
They made me buy my RX8.
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hey OS. I'm a new owner too for about a month now. I know what you mean on the diffs between the 8 and the 350Z. The nissan may be faster in a straight line... but the 8 is way more comfortable and just utter joy to drive.
I'm pulling down 15mpg right now on city driving, so we're still doing better than some SUVs like hummers and what not.
I'm pulling down 15mpg right now on city driving, so we're still doing better than some SUVs like hummers and what not.
11-24-2007, 08:02 PM
#21
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Welcome to the club! Keep at the manual, the 8's clutch very light and has a slim slip point, so it can get tricky, but the gearing makes this a fairly easy car to get moving in stick-shift form. A good technique for getting the hang of it is to practice getting it going without touching the gas (dancing on the clutch). It's not the best for the clutch but doing it once or twice is not a big deal and learning well will save you wear in the long run. Good luck and best wishes!
11-25-2007, 08:50 AM
#22
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I wouldn't worry one bit about people posting "problematic" things about their car, with all things considered every car out there sold has the same if not more problems - you just wont hear about them often because they aren't enthusiast cars.
Some people have problems but the majority of us don't. You just never hear about posts talking about not problems? ya know. haha.
The only downfall I've found is fuel mileage... but thats not the cars problem, its george bush and all his greedy overseas friends.
Some people have problems but the majority of us don't. You just never hear about posts talking about not problems? ya know. haha.
The only downfall I've found is fuel mileage... but thats not the cars problem, its george bush and all his greedy overseas friends.
11-25-2007, 03:31 PM
#23
Rotary wanabee
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well there are 2 issues really , getting an aux imput with a firmware of 9.50 and not 9.55, and gas. After driving the car, yeah that only thing that bothers me is the firmware version of my radio........ but i hear there is a firmware fix out there for 100 ish.
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