Crashed the RX8 - Oil cooler ?
 

So between Christmas and New Years I took my car out on a nice day and got caught in a storm driving home. I ended up sliding sideways off of the highway and went engine first into the concrete base of a bridge. The car was towed home and has since been started after a good 10 seconds of turning over.

I've had the damage estimate at $8400 CAD which included a hood, bumper, passenger fender, complete support assembly and all of the other front goodies. I'll be paying out of pocket for the work.

After successfully driving the car to the body shop I was fairly relieved that there might not be any mechanical damage. Tonight while playing around however I found a coating of oil on the hose fittings to the oil cooler. This worries me as the undamaged side of the car has completely clean fittings. Could this be the cooler misting the fitting with oil... or the fittings themselves leaking? I don't know that I want to be putting the oil coolers well being in the hands of the body shop's mechanics. There is an RX7 specialty shop in town and I'm wondering if I should be taking the car over to them for an opinion?

Does anybody have experience with front end damage and the consequences to the car and coolers? Any opinions?

Pictures below show the clean (dried muddy) oil cooler fitting on the drivers side and the oily (oily muddy) oil cooler fitting on the passenger side.

Thanks!


Good drivers side
Attachment 289924

Oily passenger side
Attachment 289925

Attachment 289926

Attachment 289927

Attachment 289928

not to piss you off but if u want me to pay 8400 bux I rather just see if I can get a used one.

as for your question, I think Canada has a recall on the hose because it will rust and leak oil.

Basically your saying scrap it then?

you can go with the racing beat upgrade?

part out would be best ... talk to rotary shop if they may wanna buy it to part....

Buy someone's RX-8 with a blown engine for cheap and swap you engine into it if your engine is any good.

8400? You would probably be better off selling / parting out your current one and buying a used one.

Think about the resell value also, no one will want to buy your current car since it was in a major accident if you decide to fix it.

nycgps - The car is from the US so the Canadian hose recall doesnt apply.



What can a guy get for a parted out car?

Keep in mind guys that I think RX8s are worth a bit more around here. I'm not sure I could get another half decent '05 for much less than 15 grand. The very cheapest I could find on Kijiji was an '04 for $10,500.

that sux dude

u could try to get a front clip and fix it?