Bullsinn

iTrader: (1)

New guy here. Just starting to look around. So my son is turning 16 and starting to drive. Me in the throws of mid life think hey maybe I can get a good deal on a used RX8 and let the kid drive it and when I get the itch I'll drive it. Plus it will give us a good father son project...fast forward a few months and I find a 2004 GT manual. 128000 miles needed new clutch and a little body work, new tires. Engine started right up and sounded good. 2500 bucks out the door. Mechanic gets it and now in for a penny in for a pound. I will end up with new/reman motor, mounts, clutch, radiator, tank, hoses, belts, coils, wires, plugs, starter, Ssv and tires. Add another 5400. So now I will be 8k into it and the boy will be driving the RX8 for a long time! Still plenty for the Father son team to do. My goal is to bring this car back to like new or better. I love this color. Look forward to the journey. Might need a Cat, and the transmission is still a bit of an unknown.

Nordic Green GT
Manual
leather black and saddle interior
Bull.

Khurram

Hey Welcome to the forum.

I think its a great idea to start a project together it will help strengthen the father son bond and also allow you guys to have alot of quality fun.

I think you can get decent 04-06 rx8 for under 5k. 8k for an 04 seems a bit too high to me.
I'd suggest you go for at least 06, Mazda fixed initial bugs starting 06. No matter what year you go for make sure you get the compression test. Also, read the stickies for new /potential owners it is loaded with a ton of great info. Don't rush in buying an rx8, you'll always find another deal on them its not like an rx7 or a supra lol. I love my 04, its got 262k

Read the stickies to get a better picture of what you should be looking for, at the end of the day rx8 is a blast to drive though.

all the best

gwilliams6

Yes I hope you have NOTalready bought this one and spent over $8000. That is too much for any 04 with that high mileage. There are tons of other things that are gone or about to go with that mileage. As Kurrram said there were some important upgrades and improvements from 06 on. Here is the club's list of things to do maintenance on at your mileage. If you don't have service records of these being done, count on them being needed . The dealers maintenance sked is worthless. Hey I am all for the son-dad bonding stuff, but a used RX8 can be a real trial for anyone. (BTW, I have owned seven RXs since 1973) so I am a devotee. I just don;t want your dream or project car to turn into an expensive nightmare for you both. Shop around , there are other newer ones in better condition out there. Always get that compression test before considering any rotary car. Best to you both !

30,000 miles:
- Replace Ignition coils
- Replace Plug wires
- Replace Spark plugs
- Clean MAF (mass air flow sensor)
- Clean ESS (e-shaft sensor)
- Reset ESS profile
- Clean power steering connections
- Clean battery terminals and clamps
- Replace transmission fluid
- Replace coolant (Mazda FL-22 is highly recommended)
- Replace air filter
- Replace brake fluid (fluid in the brake lines AND the clutch line)
~$300 USD in parts if you shop smartly.


every 60,000:
...all 30,000, plus...
- Clean all chassis electrical grounding points
- Replace accessory belts
- Clean OMP lines
- Replace rear differential fluid
- Replace thermostat
- Clean / Straighten AC condenser fins
- Clean / Straighten oil cooler fins
- Inspect catalytic converter
- Clean / Inspect intake valving
- Consider / inspect all points in 90,000+ as well, many items fail early
~$130 USD in parts if you shop smartly.

90,000:
...all 30,000, plus any 60,000 not yet done, plus...
- Replace coolant bottle
- Replace radiator hoses
- Replace radiator
- Replace front O2 sensor
- Replace motor mounts
- Inspect clutch pedal assembly for flex / weld breaks
~$900 USD in parts if you shop smartly.
At 100k, anything original in the cooling system is really suspect and failure prone. It represents the biggest threat to your engine.
__________________

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Welcome.
If I understand you, you already have the car and are already invested in it.
Don't sweat folks telling you what it's worth, just keep on keeping on.
It's a good way to learn, and if you and your son get the rotary bug, and learn the ins and outs, you can always sell it and get another late model, or find another NG in better shape.
I found my '04 LY GT 2 1/2 years ago with only 18k miles on it.

Better to learn on an older one rather than investing in and learning on a more expensive, nicer one.
If I was younger, I'd want to fix up & flip a couple.
There are probably some out there that are easily fixable, the owners don't know how, get tired of paying others to maintain them, and sell them cheap.
Nice color btw, my second fav after LY.

If you have any questions you can find the answers here.
This forum and the many knowledgeable members have taught me plenty about my 8.

If you need to replace your cat and don't have to have one, you might replace it with a midpipe.
OEM's are around $1400.
Mine went bad & I got a BHR midpipe & a direct fit Walker cat for less than $200 that I install every 2 years to pass inspection, then take it off again.
Don't have to worry about a bad cat killing the engine.

Good luck, and have fun working on your car with your son!

Bullsinn

iTrader: (1)

Bigcajun is correct here. Sorry if I were not clear. I did buy the 2004 NG for 2500 bucks. Now I'm paying the Mazda mechanic to fix her up and get the car going. I don't at this time have the tools or the time to rebuild the engine myself. So the 5400 is to replace the engine and fix all the other things listed. Once we get the car back we will start fresh there and continue the restoration. So for around 8K we will have a pretty solid mechanically RX8 with a 12 month/12000 mile warranty, that the boy can drive for some time. Yes I have started reading all the threads and sticky on what to work on and how to maintain the car. So yes based on what I know now I paid a little much for the car initially but live and learn..its only money right? From my internet surfing I understand they only produced the Nordic Green for 2 years. 2004 and 2005 right. So for this color I'm pretty much restricted to these two years.

Bull.

Khurram

Welll I guess, when it comes to RX8 no price tag is high or low enough. The car is an absolute blast to drive. Just maintain her, keep on top of her needs, and she shall bless you with a thrilling ride, enjoy the twisties, and that screaming monkey at 8.5k rpm ;-)

Just have fun, be safe and enjoy the ride.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

I think you did well..

Check the threads in my sig if you have not for an 04 All that stuff applies with a new motor as well.. And, Green is by far the fastest color.

Bullsinn

iTrader: (1)

So just an update. We picked the car up this weekend from the mechanic. New radiator, new overflow tank, new motor mounts, reman engine from Mazda, new clutch , new master cylinder, new oil lines, new ssv and solenoid, new rear toe link, new starter, new spark wires and ignition coils. Car runs great! sounds great, will need to redo the suspension next. Spent all weekend cleaning it up and detailing the inside and teaching the boy how to drive a manual! He was most impressed that it had an IPOD jack already....go figure.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like a new car..

Let him play music, you can take it to the track...