Steven Carones

iTrader: (2)

wats up jayr, man im around my way, work everyday, wat u been up to? when u get ur tire fixed hit me up and go down to starbucks wit me, me and my cuzins all chill up there, i wanna see ur ride

Gallowin

would that happen to be you that honked me about last month? i was in Frederick (BB rx8) following my brother somewhere, and i forget if it was a silver or gray that honked me and gave me a thumbs up, haha

Zephyrzone

I saw some women in a SS 8 pull into Dobbin center in Columbia (the one with the Walmart). I gave her the thumbs up and waved but she ignored me.

StephZoom

Hello all,
New to the forum but I've had my RX-8 for a couple of years now. Velocity Red with an Apple logo on the back window if you happen to spot it in the Rockville-Bethesda area.
Anyway, I have a little spare change and would like to spend it on the car. So, anyone who can recommend a good mechanic in the area who knows the RX-8? First, I'd like him to check the engine performance 'cause the car feels a little sluggish. I'd like to install new brake rotors and red sport calipers of some sort. Any recommendation on those? I also like to upgrade the exhaust to give the car a deeper rumbling sound but I don't want anything too loud. I'm not 20 anymore and don't want to look ridiculous.
Anyway, any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.

J2R

First off welcome. It's nice to see someone get on the forums.

I have been very impressed with Rosenthal Mazda in Arlington. I have had both our 8s serviced there a number of ones. Red calipers? You could paint those yourself. Mike and I have painted both of ours ourself. If you don't feel comfortable we could meet up and help you out with it. Go to www.polakgraphics.com for some preview pictures. Auto Exe and Mazdaspeeds exhaust are some good exhausts. I also hear people talking about Borla. If I had the money I would go with the Mazda Speed. But be beware because all of Mazdas accessories are very pricey. So do some shopping and look up videos on You Tube first.

Also if your interested there is a rotary rally coming up on April 10th-13th at Deal's Gap US129 on the TN/NC boarder. It's a long 10 hr drive but it is way worth it. Go to www.rotarycarclub.com or www.dealsgaprotaryrally.com

first-rotary04

iTrader: (4)

I could do the brake job for half of what you'd pay to the daler.
I just did mine( drilles rotors with Hawk HPS pads all around)

about painting the caliper, I have to do mine as well but i think I wait a bit until it gets a bit warmer so i don't have spend all my weekend on doing that.

Anyway, welcome and iof you need me just let me know

raphy3

yeah I drive my 8 everywhere I go, just about every day unless we take my wife's car. I passed by an 8 recently on 270 just around exit 6 in fact, so that probably was me you saw.

I see tons around. There's a green one where I work, still haven't seen who drives it. There's another SS one always parked about three blocks from my place, too.

first-rotary04

iTrader: (4)

check this thread

i'm trying to see if there is enough interest for a ride next weekend
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...21#post2378321

floridagirl

Well, I have horrible news. 2 days ago, due to wet road conditions, I spun my 8 into a guard rail on 702-N. I am ok (just really stiff/sore), and I was only going about 15-20 mph since I was just starting from a stop light, but the body shop is estimating over $16k in damages. The insurance company is *probably* going to total it. I haven't seen the line-by-line estimate yet, but I am really shocked at this. I hit my right front, and my right back (two impact points) but my airbags weren't deployed and I didn't think there was "frame damage". It was just crumpled at the impact points. I am devastated because I only had it for 3.5 months. And I don't think I will buy a second one. I am freaked out about how easily I lost complete control, and of course I am thinking that having the 8 as my daily (~70 mi round trip commute each day), wasn't the smartest idea with the gas prices. But don't get me wrong I LOVED that car. I would like to get another one 'down the road', as a secondary vehicle (might need to wait till I get a 3 car garage!!).

*SUX*

thebiggdaddy

oh my..glad to hear that you are ok. it sucks that you'll be looking for another car. i know you didn't have the 8 for too long either. gluck with everything.

Mandy

glad you're okay, but have you ever driven a RWD car before? just asking as it's easy to lose control in rain if you aren't familiar with a RWD vehicle

Im_DANomite

iTrader: (1)

sorry to hear about the car, but glad you're ok! hopefully they don't total it (unless you want them to). don't be a stranger to the forums if you end up losing the 8. update us on what happens.

StephZoom

Isn't that the truth! I still remember how blown away I was with the 8's stability in curves when I test drove it. Lucky for me it was on a dry day because otherwise I probably would have walked away from the car. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my car but it simply doesn't handle well in the rain. Don't even get me started on snow! My advice, buy the best tires you can get at any price if you need to change them, it's worth it to save your car or your life. I made the mistake of buying cheap tires for the back and had to throw them away after a week!

8newbTy

Ive posted on the general about it but then i saw the MD thread *woot*

Come monday afternoon i will have my 04 Titanium Gray (i called it grafite earlier, i work at len stoler lexus and thats our gray lol) 6spd. Im in the catonsville area, traveling 695/795 to and from work, cruising 40 and going all around! i plan on getting some accent stuff just to kinda stand out more, even though driving a beauty like a 8 makes you stand out already!

I def want to go to a meet and check out some other r's and meet some of you from the forum and start my learning of the r's! any word on meets let me know!

Tyler- piston guy converted rotary!

Zephyrzone

Sorry to hear about your accident, that's horrible. You're ok which is the most important thing, but it can be devastating to wreck your new car, especially when it is such a nice one. If you feel safer in another car, then by all means, examine you options. However Mandy has a point, a RWD requires different driving skill. The 8 is actually very good as daily RWD vehicle but you MUST put good tires on it. I changed the factory Bridgestone Blowtenza's within 6 months of owning the car. I put the Pirelli P-Zero Nero's on it and they're fantastic. Now RWD vehicle will drive well in the snow. I put 80lbs of cat litter in my trunk which helped dramatically.

My GF has a G35 which is far worse than the 8. A Mustang or vette is unthinkable. If you need a daily driver for bad weather consider a Civic SI, another 8 (if you're not gun shy now) of a Hyundai Tiburon.

Best of luck, we're all glad you're OK. The 8 has an amazing reputation for being safe.

raphy3

True the 8 drives like sh*t in the rain. I mean, it is pretty ridiculous. But blame it on the tires mostly. They are terrible and just slip and slide all over the damn place.

Started driving in the snow, used engine braking to slow down (i.e. don't slam on the breaks on ice). Well, engine braking on the 8 in ice is like putting the brakes on the back tires, fish-taling reponse is almost instant, lol. Learned that one quick.
It's manageable though. I could see how starting from a light could be troublesome like what happened to floridagirl. Increased chances of spinning the tires as you plant your foot on the gas; increased chance of fish-taling.

As Zephyr said, I can vouch for a Tiburon in the rain. I had one for about 4 years. It comes with summer tires but they're pretty good Michelins, soooo much better than these horrid potenzas (I can't even believe that frankly). As far as the handling goes you don't need to worry about being more careful than when it's dry; it's pretty easy in the rain. As for snow... I once drove 70 miles during a blizzard with 15 or so iced over bridges between me and home (not the smartest thing I ever did). I saw 22 cars on the side of the road. At one point a 350z blew by me... and ten minutes later I saw cop lights and the Z, crunched like a can into the guard rail. Same thing with a Kompressor, too....
Don't know if I would have tried that blizzard in my 8, lol.

StephZoom

It may be a good time to start a thread on tires. I looked at the PZero Nero you mentioned and I found this quote:
"Unlike some of Pirelli’s other products, such as the PZero Rosso and PZero Directionale and Asymetricos, the PZero Nero’s tread pattern is designed to be the same for the front and rear tire. It is actually a better tire designed for either AWD vehicle or FWD vehicle, unlike the other high end PZero tires with the different pattern front and rear tires optimized for RWD cars. "
Are the Nero the best choice for the 8 since it's a RWD?

Zephyrzone

There are a TON of threads on 8 tires, just do a quick search. Omicron was the first to try the Pzero Nero's and he was very happy. Many forum members followed and I think we've all been happy. I can vouch for them myself personally. Be careful though, there is a difference between the PZero Nero and the PZero Nero M+S. I have the M+S which is a softer compound made specifically for snow and rain. Check Tire Rack's website, all you need to know is there. Make CERTAIN you get M+S rated tires- there is a big difference.

I can't speak highly enough of the Pirelli PZero Nero M+S tires. I was so impressed I put them on my GF's G35- a high improvement over her stock tires. Be warned though, nothing is going to help you in more than a few inches of snow on a hill in a RWD car.

Mandy

I'm in Catonsville!

Salamanth

Sorry to hear about the accident floridagirl. I've had some issues with rain myself, thankfully I kept the car on the road. Hydroplaned on 83 at 4 AM on a sunday morning going faster than I had any business going... thankfully I managed to get it pointed straight again. More due to luck than anything

I recall watching a review of the 8 by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear and he noted that he loved it until he drove it in the rain and was horrified by how squirrelly it got. I think a good set of all-seasons will help with that if it's a daily driver. I'm still on the stock rubber (blowtenzas) but I'll be switching to either toyo or the neros by mid summer.

bladerunner10121

iTrader: (1)

its was me. I got a black MS bumper on now. Have I seen You. I raced a silver rx-8 recently, I think it was an auto because I killed him.

muythaibxr

strange what people are saying about the nero's, I've always had problems with pirelli's getting bubbles in the sidewalls.

I agree that the stock tires suck though.

Ken

Zephyrzone

I can't believe what Bridgestone charges for those tires. Yes, they grip well when it's dry but you can get 80-90% of the performance from many other brands for half the cost, and better all weather traction too!

As far as bubbles go, I hope that doesn't happen to me, but I always buy the road hazard warranty, so if it does, I'm in the clear. My previous car (Acura CL Type S) had Michelin Pilot Sport MXV4's (17" btw) and they were $250 a piece. 2 of them developed sidewall bubbles so I went with Yokohamas instead. Michelin is the worst offender of overpricing. Aside from reliability they were nice tires though.

I've only had my Pirelli PZero Nero M+S' for about 6 months but so far I'd rate them a 8 or better in every category. They're almost as grippy as the stocks and waaaaaaaay better in bad weather. I paid about $900 to reskin the entire car (after tax and warranty and other fees) and it was well worth is. IMHO if you're only going to have one tire on your 8, these are it. I've had no problems at all in the rain or light snow.

And I do recall the review from Top Gear. It pissed me off that he went back on his word of "the most sensational car all year" just because the tires suck.

Im_DANomite

iTrader: (1)

anyone going to Hot Import Nights this Saturday down in Chantilly, VA????

zoomzoomnash

Florida Girl, sorry to hear about your loss. You had a pretty car. You have to get another one. Stay in the club.

Besides, I can handle you beating me badly in a road race with a 8, but any other car would just hurt too bad.

It is just a lesson you needed to learn. I spun mine out in December after a light snow. It happens. Luckily, I wasn't going too fast and there wasn't anything close by to hit. Now, I know to take it easy on slippery roads and have practiced driving out of a slick road spin.