Hello friends.

So before I jump into questions, I'm at this point torn.
I've been talking to a guy with a slightly rusted old FX RX7 for a bit, it's cheap(ish) -- but it's a 5 hour drive away. Wait! That's not about RX8s! Well here's where the RX8 comes in -- there's a handful of RX8s available within an hour drive of me for just a bit more. The Renesis is perhaps less reliable than a 13b, but I have a daily driver already.
Before you say "NO DON'T BUY A CHEAP ONE, YOU'RE BUYING PREVIOUS OWNERS MISTAKES AAAAAAAAAAAA" there are 2 things I'd like to say.
Numero uno, economy is poor here right now, lots of people selling their toys to pay bills.
Number 2, because of the first point almost all of these cars are in decent condition.

All this being said, what I'd REALLY like to know is this: if I go to look at any RX8s, what issues should I be looking for primarily?
Common failure points, signs of the engine being on the way out, etc.

Oh and I like the look of the 8 more, and not having to do bodywork would be a plus.
Pretty much this thread is 2 things. One being "convince me not to drive 5 hours to look at a rusty RX7", and the other being "what to look for when buying a used RX8".

I appreciate any responses you guys can give in advance!

P.S: Here's the rusty RX7 I'm talking about if you're curious at all :^)
https://www.rx7club.com/new-member-r...g-buy-1139112/

 

The RX8 is really under rated which makes it a good buy. It’s better than the FD in a lot of ways. More modern, better chassis, more practical and the engine is actually reliable if taken care of properly. Make no mistake, the Renesis is a 13b, it’s stamped right on the engine. The problem was it’s a high compression engine so there’s little room to make real power on it. The FD had a lower compression and better exhaust porting so you could get a lot of power out of it. If the lack of power doesn’t bother you, it’s a fantastic car.

Read the new owners sticky and always compression test and check the usual suspects like you would any other car before you buy. Good luck!

 

Oh, I was under the impression the Renesis was a different engine design due to the different way the ports were handled (I have like 50% of an idea what I'm talking about?).
The RX7 I'd be going to see is an FC S4 with a recently rebuilt engine, not super relevant though.

And yes I think they're under rated, I like the look of them a lot more, but the engine is a bit more finicky if the information I've read is correct.

And yes, whichever car I go for, I would get a compression test before purchase to make sure.

 

You are correct, the porting is much different. The Renesis 13b-MSP is NA using side porting, while the FD 13b-REW was designed and ported to have turbo forced induction. Keep in mind, the Renesis was built to be just a sporty car like the 350z while the FD was a different price point to be a true sports car like a 911 or Corvette. Also, emissions caused issues and this was all they could do.

The engine is cared for exactly the same way as the FD and it’s a bit finicky with sensors and stuff but it’s really not that bad. The trick is to buy one that’s cosmetically and mechanically in good shape with a strong engine. Those are hard to find these days but worth it to shop around.

 

Fortunately all of the ones in my area are cosmetically sound. This area of the country has/had a lot of oil money, so many people have had them as summer cars etc. Difficult part will be the engine haha.

I want to say there's 3-5 around town in my price range, will have to check them all I guess.