I'll try and TL;DR this

Had Integra GSR, LS1 Z28, 04 350z.

Bought 2016 CX5 for wife when we had kids. Then sold Z and Integra and bought a 2018 Mazda3 GT 6mt because the CX5 had been such a good car and the handling reminded me of my Integra. Modded the 3. Fun hatch. Had more kids. Bought CX90 turbo. Nice car. Now I've become somewhat of a Mazda guy somehow. Thought about a miata for a long time. Want to build a weekend track car/ canyon carver. Then I remembered the RX8. Love RX7s but $60-$80,000? Hah, no.

Looked at RX8s. Most are pieces of ****. Found a decent looking one. Clean title, but 6 owners (oof). Some private dealer wants $6,500 for it. Pocket change right? It's got 83,000 miles on it though. I asked if it ever had a compression test and I don't think the guy knew what I was talking about. I asked if it starts properly and if it smokes or overheats. He said "No, not at all". That's what a used car salesperson would say though.

It's been one accident. Moderate damage from a rear end (the mazda being the penetrator). Probobly got a new radiator and front bumper. I'm on the fence. On one hand, I like the car. On the other, Sakebomb is charging over $10k for rebuilds and with my luck that will come the day after I buy the thing.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Is it a decent deal or a disaster waiting to happen? I can afford the rebuild, but is it worth it or should I just grab a decent 370z and call it a day?

 

No way to know without a compression test and a proper inspection. 20 year old car with 83k miles doesn't scream "reliability" though. It could have had an engine replacement already. Look for a blue tag on the front cover. Can you test drive it to get a feel for the condition?

Think of it like a project car. If the body is good and you can afford the rebuild, assume you'll need one and buy based on that. There are really no guarantees with 20 year cars of any sort.

I personally wouldn't even compare to a 370z. You can't put your kids in the back seats of a z. My kid loves tearing around in the 8.

 

To add to the above, you really do need to go look at it and drive it. I'm not sure where you live, but if these cars were driven on salty roads, you absolutely have to look for rust. The metal is thin and these cars are VERY prone to rusting.

A proper compression test with a rotary compression tester really is a must if you have any questions about an engine's health. You can always contact your local Mazda dealer and ask them if they have the Mazda compression tester and a tech that knows how to do the test properly. It would be worth paying for it to be done to know the health of the engine.

The blue tag that Loki is talking about is on the left side of the front cover more towards the top of the engine. It faces outward and is a reman tag. Its made of aluminum and anodized blue and is marked as reman and is stamped with a serial number. Look for the coils on the left side of the engine and look inward from the front coil. You would see the tag in that area on the front cover.

These cars are amazing cars overall. The car will require upkeep and maintenance, just like any 20 year old car will. These cars are sensitive to fresh oil and coolant exchanges every couple of years. The weak link has always been the engine. But if it has a good engine, you will get quite a few years out of it if you maintain it properly. I would go drive it and see how you like the car. They are easy to fall in love with.