I made the investment and bought wheels and tires from Tire Rack for about $1200. But man, what a difference. I live on an incline and I wouldn't be able to get up the driveway without these. Good luck Nick. :)

IGOZMZM, I haven't washed mine for a couple weeks now. I'm sure that layer of salt is geat for the paint. :D

Thanks :) Though, even if I did get wheels and snow tires, I think I'd miss the beautiful stock 18's too much, especially on those dry, clear days that we are bound to have lots of if I were to prepare for the snow :rolleyes:

Wow....I fall asleep on this thread for a couple weeks and look what happens. :) Welcome to the club, Nick, although it looks like you've been pretty active for a while already.

I'm in the South end of the valley, too, down in Riverton. I work in South Jordan, too. I see 8s every now and again, but there's enough that I can't really pick them out by owner, anymore. I think I'm the only Utahn that has been dumb enough to throw 20" heavy-a$$ chrome wheels on my vehicle as of yet, so I'm pretty easy to pick out, Velo Red, red calipers, and half of a mazdaspeed kit (going to be finished, someday) :) Somewhat of a "sore-thumb" in the RX8 community. Oh well, it'll be done soon, hopefully.

Hope to see ya around!

--Landon

Sweet... nice to "meet" you :)

I saw a red 8 up on South Mountain today. I think he waved, but I was facing the sun, couldn't see for sure. Anyone on the bored live over there? Oh, he also had a "Tire Rack" decal on the windshield.

I'm sure the "tire-rack" decal detracts from the vehicle ALMOST as much as Casey's (IGOZMZM) HUGE Mazda decal on the front windshield. ;) j/k, Casey.

--Landon

Okay guys, this is a long thread, and I'm too lazy to read all of it (okay, I skimmed through most of it, but not all of it), so I really apologize if this has come up before :) I've heard of these flooding problems a lot before, and really they kind of concern me. Its not really something that I want to deal with, especially when I pay $30,000 for a car. Sooo, my question is, how many miles do you Utah (or anywhere else it is cold for that matter) guys have one your cars? Have they ever flooded, or have you ever had a hard time with them running in the cold weather? Thanks guys (I'm a girl, and as hard as I try to understand cars, I don't usually pick up on it as fast as you guys!)

Well, I just got mine in August and have 5000 miles. I haven't had any problems with it. And as for cold weather, it has heated seats, which is more than I can say for the S2000. I think most of the issues were with the ealry builds (beginning of 2004 and earlier). One of my friends at work also has one and he got it when they first came out(back in 2003). I believe he's got about 15k miles on it. He's had all the flashes and applicable TSB's, but hasn't had any problems nor has he ever flooded. And he races in the SCCA events too.

I think the biggest issue people have is the gas mileage. Both of us get about 18mpg, but can pull 21mpg with just straight highway driving. I don't care about it, but there are plenty of threads on the subject.

Let us know if oyu have any other questions...

Nick that was me (nice to meet you)
I autocross and that tire rack sticker is required for national events. You should come autocross this year.

I've got about 11k on mine and never had a problem. I havent been in to get my reflashes since I got the notice after I put my car in storage for the winter. I'm very particular about revving to 3k before turning off though. I'm so used to doing it that I do it by habit when driving my girlfriends 3 hehe.

New 8 owner in Utah
 

Hey guys... just bought (on 1/17/05) a new RX8 at Freeway Mazda. Bought a 05' titanium gray with the 6 disc changer, navigation system, and the grand touring package. Its a blast! I love the car! Just saying hi!

Also to let you all know I am the finance manager for for Wasatch Front Kia (don't laugh), Freeway Mazda is part of our automotive group, and I've got the hook up for all your Mazda needs! The Mazda store is right next to mine and I can get stuff from the Mazda store and sell at cost out of mine!

NICE. Definitely good to have you, financeguy. :D I'll be calling you on that claim for mazda parts very shortly, I'm sure. ;) Congratulations on your purchase, and welcome to the cult!!

I've got over 24,000 miles on my velo red, Traci, I don't rev to 3000 when I turn my car off (like I'm supposed to), I don't let my car warm up before turning it off, and I have never flooded, not once. Keep in mind, the only people that post about problems and respond on posts about problems, are, uh, the people having problems. People who can't relate to the problem don't usually care enough to voice their opinion on the matter.

The actual ratio of people with flooding problems versus the people without is VERY low. Flooding wouldn't be a reason to avoid purchasing this awesome vehicle......in my opinion. :)

--Landon

Very jealous! I want one SO bad!

I have dealt with Freeway Mazda a couple of times with my mazda protege....they are an awesome dealership. They have never been rude, or anything. So, when I buy my mazda (hopefully in the next 6 months), I will definately be heading your way!

Hey, awesome! I didn't think you were actually on the board, but that's cool! Do you remember seeing me?

Freeway Mazda
 

When/if any of you come up to Freeway to do any business let me know. The RX8's have quite a bit of markup on the invoice compared to most vehicles and I have the ability to save you several grand.

Travis

I do remember. I just live below the South Mountain golf course. Do you live in South Mountain?

You guys are stongly making me think about Freeway Mazda. I recently when dealer hunting based on recomendations from here. Well, I was really impressed with Bountiful mazda, clean and orginized shop, and a really nice show room, and the salesman talk to me, not my dad. Which I liked because I was the one interesting in the car. They treated me as a 20 year old adult. Murray, I know some recomended this dealship to me, but I was not impressed, their view on me was a 20 kid not a 20 year old adult. The salesmen avoided me. I will check out Freeway when I get a chance, poor Murray for miss reading me, As I currently have enough for a commanding down payment, have the same amount ready when I visited Murray.

No, I live in Draper, but over by the freeway.

They treated me as a 20 year old adult. Murray, I know some recomended this dealship to me, but I was not impressed, their view on me was a 20 kid not a 20 year old adult. The salesmen avoided me. I will check out Freeway when I get a chance, poor Murray for miss reading me, As I currently have enough for a commanding down payment, have the same amount ready when I visited Murray.

Hey I know what you are saying man. I went into the Murray Mazda dealership as a 19 year old. They didn't give me the time of day. When the dealer came back with my credit pull he tried to make up for it. I scored high enough to qualify with elite credit and have no co-signer. Needless to say I still bought the 8 cuz it is a beautiful car.

That sucks to have that sort of interaction. However, I've NEVER considered the salesmen when I'm rating a dealer. You interact with them only once, and just by the nature of what they do & how they make their money, I usually never find myself very fond of ANY salesmen. I look at the service department, parts department, etc., the parts of the dealership that you have more than just a one time interaction with. Salesmen are salesmen. They come, they go, some you hate less than the other one.

Regardless, welcome to the board, Corndizzo!!

--Landon

So who do you suggest for service in Northern Utah? I bought my car at Freeway and have taken it in 3 times now. I have been somewhat dissappointed on how they treat my car. I now have a scratch in the doorwell, they installed a '05 HU panel in my '04, they leave fingerprints all over it, I have little broken plastic pieces in the center console, and I forgot to tell them not to wash it. They took a perfectly clean car and left spots all over it.

I take mine to Bountiful Mazda and they have always done a good job for me. Although I really haven't had them do anything more than a oil change. Their shop is spotless. I did consult with them on winter tires (but ended up buying frolm tire rack) and their staff was very knowledgable.

Thought I'd post my 400th post here.

:cool:

--Landon

Ahoy mateys!

I haven't checked in with you guys for a few months. Any casualties while i was gone?

Also, I haven't been too impressed with Bountiful Mazdas shop. I took it in to have the creaking rattle in my moonroof looked at as well as the swishing behind my glovebox under acceleration. The rattle they said was caused by 'dry tracks' which they 'lubricated'. The swishing they said was completely normal and did absolutely nothing about. When I got my car back and opened my moonroof, the rattle was still there only it was about twice as bad...

Also I was in an accident that bent a wheel hub and cracked the wheel last winter. They replaced the hub and the wheel and called it good. Everything seemed great at first but gradually I've been noticing a thrumming road noise and a regular vibration in the steering wheel that increases with speed. I asked them to check it out worried that I may have bent my axle as well and all they did was tell me the wheel hub wasnt bent (no shit, you replaced it with a new one!) and that its tire wear causing the vibrations. Now I realize that tire wear COULD be a cause of this problem but it seems to me they didn't do a very thorough job of investigating my concerns. :(

I'll probably keep taking my car there for engine related issues because I don't know who else to trust with a rotary but thats about it. Any of you have any recommendations on a good shop?

Hey Project....Good to hear from you again!

Casualties= Jercs (Guy), sold his 8, but he has a 1st or 2nd gen Rx7, now.

That sucks about the bountiful shop. The Murray shop has been good for me...? Modern Garage is also a good aftermarket/rotary shop(where we met before the porcupine pub meet) if you're beyond warranty. Otherwise, I'd suggest sticking with Mazda, even if you have to go to another dealership.

--Landon

I'm still here. Who's up for a meet before the annual meet?

What's the difference between the '05 HU and the '04???? I thought 99% of the car was the same between the two years, and the things that are different most people have been trying to get mazda to trade them out for anyways.

Good to hear from you again, IGOZMZM. I'd be up for a meet...I'm moving to Atlanta, Georgia on the 29th of April, though, so we'd have to make it quick.

--Landon

The '05 HU has a SAT button where the '04 has the AM button. They just made the FM become a FM/AM button. I did get it all swapped back. Some poor sap would have gotten a '05 with a '04 HU.

I have been commuting to Atlanta for the last 3 weeks, heading back tomorrow morning to finish up. People in Atlanta love their cars, lots of S2000, RX8, Vipers, etc. Love to meet up with yall next weekend or so.

Had I known that happened when it did, I would have traded you my '04 HU for it :D for some reason when I first read it I was thinking you meant HUD. But now I understand (just a temp brain fart)

Hey everyone..... I don't have everyone's email addy's or phone numbers. I am trying to find out who if anyone is going to the Rocky Mountain RX-8 Club Annual Meeting. I've sent out some PM to members that I could find.

Project, I saw your name on the comfirmed list of attendees. Are you up for driving out there together again? ANYONE else that is thinking of going you are welcome to join in the group drive out there.

Please reply or message me ASAP so we can get a comfirmed list of people going and get the appropriate schedule going for a group caravan out there.

igozmzm

While in Colorado at the June meet you had the problem of not being able to past 7000 rpm with the engine....what did you find was the cause?

Well I took it in to the dealership and at that time it wouldn't go past about 6000 rpm. They found that the cat was plugged up. They replaced that and it would rev like normal again. Well they didn't find what actually plugged up the cat, and now I'm having the same symptoms as I was having before of lacking power now and then. And I am also having some really hard starting problems sometimes. I personally think there is a compression problem and that is contributing to the cat plugging up and the hard starts sometimes. So I will be taking it back in again soon. :( oh well it's a love hate relationship..... I hate having problems but I love the car enough to make it through the bad times. ;) :D

Any updates on the power and starting problems?

Not yet, I'm kinda waiting a bit so that I can get the recall work down at the same time and not have to wait for weeks for just the recall parts to come in. I have read of a few people that took their 8's in minor/serious problems and they could fix that stuff in a timely manner but they couldn't let them have their cars back until the recall work was done.

Seems fair...I know I haven't even been driving by the dealer for fear that they would run out into the street and take the car away....lol. Still haven't heard anything from Mazda...and it would appear that no one else has either, but it would be nice to hear something from Mazda. Anything!

I had a starting problem a few months back. Came back from a trip and had not driven the car for 6 days. It would not start. Mazda came and towed it to Freeway. They said I flooded it. They cleaned it out, changed the spark plugs, and sent me on my way. They made sure to instruct me to rev it past 3000 for a second or two every time is turn the engine off. All work including towing was covered under warranty. Sounds kind of funny to me that they would cover this under warranty with no questions asked if I actually flooded the engine. Anyway, no problems since.

What recalls are you guys hearing about?

Go here to read about the potential recall

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...2&page=1&pp=20

I had the same thing happen here! When me and the wife bought the car we were informed that we could not just drive a little ways and then turn the car off. Tis was also mentioned in the owners manual as well. That we had to let the 8 warm up to normal operating temp and then we could shut it down. The tow bill the cost of the de-flooding process and such was all coverd under warranty. But we were informed that it would only be covered once. So far this has not happened again.

Another confirmed RX-8 owner
 

Hi everyone,
I am kinda new to the forums here. I purchased a 04 in February. I love the car. I got my first door ding this past weekend. I am wondering anyone know of a good body shop in the Salt Lake area. It didn't scratch the paint, but put a small dent in it. I hope to hear from you all. My poor baby. Oh, I live in W.V.C, so if anyone sess a black with the wing in the area, it is me.

Dent Repair
 

I also purchased my '04 in February of this year and got my first dent while golfing. That will be my last trip to Bountiful Ridge. After a company golf tournament I came back to a car covered in dried grass that had been washed off a lawn mower next to my car. After a pissed off look around at the car I noticed a dent in the driver quarter panel. The car had been hit by a golf ball.

I talked to the golf pro and filed a report (no call back, typical). He offered to wash the car off with a pressure washer, no way on this earth was he using a pressure washer on my car. And that is all he offered, (no free golf).

So the car is fixed now. I have the utmost praise for the :D DentPro :D office in Ogden. can't even tell it was touched. I don't have pictures of the after right now but here is what it looked like after I got a camera and had wiped some of the grass off.

- Casey

http://www.sledgeek.com/DSC00168.JPG

http://www.sledgeek.com/DSC00170.JPG

I'm sorry to hear about everyone's bad times.

I've been rather busy lately with work so I haven't been able to get out much and plan for stuff. So here is my current situation: I had planned on going to SevenStock 8. I even have the time off from work to do so, but with costs of gas, friends falling out, minor car problems (read about it a few pages back), and other miscellaneous things..... I've basically come to end that SS8 is out of reach this year for me.... :(

Now for my solution: I've decided that we haven't gotten together for sometime now, and it's long over due. I'd like to meet all the new owners, and catch up on stuff with everyone else that I've already met. So my idea is to have a meeting/road trip/getaway from normal weekend/day. I'm going to be going out to Wendover the weekend of SS8 (Oct. 8th and 9th) and would like to invite anyone that would like to come and hang out and have good times. I will probably throw out an invite to the RX-7 guys too so we can have a fun little caravan going out there (carpooling is an option too since gas is a factor). if we have enough interest I will even see if they can hook us up on a hotel deal (I usually get my nights free from playing too much :cool: ) Well either way chime back in if there is interest since time is drawing near.

IGOZMZM
Casey

SledGeek,
I hear you about the dent issue. I recieved my first one this weekend. Someone opend up there four door on me. thankfully the paint was scracthed, but a small dent is there. It just bothers me though, and is frustrating. I wish when people do that they would give you the courtesy to at least leave some money or contact info on your windshield.
I am going to get mine looked at by the people that we use at my old dealership I used to work out. They use the Dent King. How much did you cost you to get your golfball dent out?

IGOZMZM,
I would be down for a Wendover meet. I was going there quite often for awile and now I only make it up for the Blackjack tournaments. What games do you play while you are there, and where do you prefer to stay.
I play mostly Blackjack and prefer to stay at the Montego Bay. I am going up this weekend for the Peppermill Blackjack tourney.
Let me know what happens with the meet. Oh, I am gonna take my car in for the recalls. I am taking to D. Dahle, has anyone ever been to Allen Patch in Orem?
Where did or do you guys take your 8 for work?

DentPro
 

DentPro got me for $95. I was so glad to see it look as if it was brand new I would have paid $195. They were great.

I took my car to Freeway Mazda in Riverdale for the recall. I got my best gas mileage ever right after that (21.x mpg) recall, also had my first oil change at the same time. I am currently averaging (19.x mpg).

Also just received a DVD from Mazda today on oil consumption and cold starting, I had read about most people receiving this months ago. They took their time getting it out to everyone.

- Casey

Wow! I might have to check them out. Do you have the number available? I called someone I know today, that guy who does the work for my old dealership today, but hasn't called back.
I am scheduled to do the recalls at Dahle, I haven't had that great of experiences at Bountiful. Their shop is state of the art, but the servie that is questionable. I took in a few months ago, for a reflash, and they came out and said the computer that was doing it went down right in the middle of the flash. Which sounded a bit dangerous. I ended up having to go back for it. I think they were just full of it originally, but damn it is a nice looking service dept. But I guess as my one my lady friends told me it isn't always about looks.
I did order the 05 key fob today. I am looking forward to it.

be home in december
 

well i picked up my black 05 in june love that car and got sent to iraq a couple weeks later. would'nt mind getting together when i get home for about a month in december before i have to go back to ft bragg nc for awhile. :( my dad has my car and told me that he took it to d. dahle mazda where i bought it for the recalls and never had a problem. BTW everything is stock so far but i did get the windows tinted at a place called auto rage in WVC awesome tint job :D

Well as of this morning I'm currently without my RX-8 :( I finally got it in for:

Oil Change
Recalls
Light grinding noise from the rear
Lack of power sometimes after long drives
Hard starts
Front brakes squealing (should be getting the new brake pads)
Oil light coming on when it isn't low (should be getting the new oil pan)
and part of the E-brake cover broke off

I'm afraid that they will come back once again and tell me they can't find anything wrong with it (hard starts, lack of power). But has anyone heard of any problems with the rear differential making a grinding noise, or any other part for that matter. Sadly I'm driving a Ford Expedition. It's like trying to drive a damn oil tanker compared to my 8.

D. Dahle Mazda:The Nightmare of Finding a Good Dealer in UT.
 

Well, I took my car in for service at D. Dahle Mazda in Murray Ut.
I asked for the following:
Current Recall for Ball Joint and Heat Pad.
Squealing Breaks
22,500 Service
Moonroof Rattle
Drivers Side Mirror Rattle
Rust on Hubs.

Well anyone want to guess, what work was performend?....In a few seconds, first you need the story. I called ahead twice to confirm a time. The first time I called they said drop it off all day. The next day I called to set up a confirmed time, thankfully someone else answered and I did. I went there, told the Service Advisor what was wrong. She mentioned she would look into it. Well, 8 hours later I called. They just got done. I did get a rental it was a bron Ford Focus. I can't complain at least I got a car. Well, I picked up the paperwork from the receptionist as they were closing service and had dropped it off up there. I looked at the invoice, the only thing they did was the recalls, everything else wasn't on the paperwork. I thought maybe the didn't write it down. Wrong, apparently they only did the recall, supposedly. I swear, how hard is it to be honest? Needless to say, I called today and they apologized. Didn't offer a free oil change or anything like that. I am supposed to take it down there again on Saturday. I was thinking about taking somewhere else like Bountiful However, the last time I was there in in Bountiful I was having a reflash, the computer went down, and they couldn't do it. Which made me nervous when they said it went down while doing mine. I was afraid to bring it back there again, since who knows what could happen there next. At least the work would get done right. So needless to say, anyone have any good experience with any of the Service Depts in Utah. Let me know.
D. Dahle Mazda THUMBS DOWN! I DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Well when I went in last week to make my appt. I watched the guy type in my concerns. Also when I dropped off the car today I saw all the stuff on the paperwork. Now if they will actually find the problem and then proceed to fix it is the story to come......

I have been taking my 8 to Freeway Mazda in Riverdale Utah. Talk to Jerry if you go there, he seems to be a good guy. :shrugs: