chriscricket

First off, I have read the New and Potential Owners guide. What a delightful insight to the ins and outs of purchasing this car! I found the read VERY thorough and VERY helpful, thank you! So with that in mind, being the RX8 newbie that I may becoming, I wanted advise as to whether or not the following car is a good or bad purchase. Yes I realize this is just opinions/biases, but I'm very open to any hints or suggestions you veterans may have. I would love to own an RX8, and all the maintenance and upkeep should stay within my budget, so it's just a point of "is this car worth the buy."

Here are some specs:
2007 Manual 6 speed RX8 Sport. This is the third owner, and the car has 63000 miles on it. Auto reports are clean, I have test driven the car, (runs great from what I've experienced). Inside and outside are very clean and well kept, looks almost brand new. I sent these questions to the current owner and here are the results:

1. Has the engine ever been replaced? If so, how many miles are on the current engine?
To my knowledge, the engine was never replaced.

2. Has the Catylic Converter ever been replaced?
To my knowledge, the catalytic converter was never replaced.

3. What was the mileage of the last oil change?
62,673 miles on Jan. 23, 2014

4. What was the mileage of the last coil, spark plugs, and wire changes?
I have not replaced these items while I owned the car, as the engine always started rapidly and I’ve had no problems. I believe the spark plugs are “platinum” and have a longer life span. Also, I have replaced the battery in the car.

5. Has the engine ever been flooded?
I never flooded the engine, but I am the 3rd owner and can’t speak for the previous 2. To avoid flooding the engine, make sure to always allow the vehicle to warm up before turning it off.

6. How much oil does this particular vehicle burn?’
I read that it’s recommended to change the oil in the car every 3000 miles. During this time period, I would add oil as needed to “top off” the levels. In total approximately ¾ quart added per 3000 miles.

7. What type of oil do you use?
5W-20 super premium conventional motor oil (I will include a quart or two so you can see the exact brand). Never use synthetic oil…

8. How much is the gas mileage?
EPA rated 16 city, 22 highway miles per gallon. I found this to be pretty accurate.

9. Has the clutch pedal ever been: replaced, re-welded, or reinforced?
To my knowledge the clutch pedal has not been replaced, re-welded, or reinforced.

10.What is the cranking time before starting in cold?
If very cold in winter, the car might crank 3-4 times before starting. However, if you are driving the car every day it’s usually 3 times or less before starting cold (maybe around 1-1.5 second(s)).

11. What is the cranking time before starting in hot?
Starting the vehicle hot is much quicker than starting cold. The engine will usually start within 1 crank (maybe around 0.5s).

I'm asking how many miles were on the car when he bought it and how long he's had it. He is also scheduling a compression test to be run soon, so I'll post those numbers as soon as I get them.

Any tips, hints, suggestions would be appreaciated!

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like a pretty good car, pending those compression results.

I'd budget for replacing the coils, plugs, and wires as soon as you pick it up at a minimum, with the rest of the unaccounted for maintenance list in the new owner's thread recommended.

The OEM plugs are the best and I'm sure that is what he is referring to. The only "longer life" they have is that they last longer than cheaper inappropriate plugs, but still no more than ~30,000 miles. Many people change them every 15,000-20,000. It's not the plugs that are the problem, it's how filthy the combustion is. The plugs foul up easily. Cheaper plugs just means a dirtier burn and faster fouling.

Ethan Melamed

depends on how much he's asking I would think. And since it's been winter driven make sure it has been rust proofed and there's no rust starting on the body, key places to look at rocket panels and around the lights, especially the middle brake light on the trunk

chriscricket

Price : he was asking $10,500, but we have negotiated down to $9,500. I'm located in Central Texas (as to help with price range, since you know, everywhere prices can be different).

Also there are three places the paint is chipped on it. Two on the edge of the hood near the sides of the car close to the windshield, and one near one of the front headlights (if I remember correctly). The two chips on the edge of the hood panel are starting to rust. Part of the dash on the inside has a very small, barely noticeable crack. Those are the only cosmetic issues with the car, in which I consider to be very minor.

The car is equipped with a moonroof, bose sound system, 6 CD changer, heated seats, and a powered driver seat.

The owner put on new tires and a new battery at the end of last year.

Easy_E1

iTrader: (2)

Go to/call the nearest Mazda dealer. Ask them to check the Warranty and Service records on the VIN#. Simple way to determine the history on the car. Mazda's history at least.

chriscricket

Here are the compression results to my post about wanting to purchase the car...
At elevation of about 367 feet
no.1, 256 rpm
port 1 : 725 measurement, 713.11 compen
port 2 : 712 measurement, 700.11 compen
port 3 : 699 measurement, 687.11 compen

no. 2, 256 rpm
port 1 : 701 measurement, 689.11 compen
port 2 : 664 measurement, 652.11 compen
port 3 : 665 measurement, 653.11 compen


Advise?

I love the car, I also expect it to last another 4-5 years (with proper care).

kops

iTrader: (1)

Unfortunately, those compression numbers are less than ideal. You might be able to get a replacement under warranty though, since you are registering under 6.8

Ethan Melamed

like ^^^ said that second rotor looks pretty rough. I'm no expert but I believe it will only get worse from normal use no matter how much you baby it and an engine rebuild is around $5k If the dealer doesn't want to give you the warranty engine, which they probably won't because you aren't the first owner, maybe you should start looking at other rx8s especially red ones

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

The rear rotor fails on 2 faces with the 3rd face only 9kpa from failing. The front rotor has one face that is 7kpa from failing.

It IS possible to increase rotor compression, IF, and only IF, the compression loss is from carbon buildup (instead of seal wear). You can't put metal back on the housings, irons, or seals, but you CAN remove carbon that is there. A 2007 with 63,000 miles that has probably been sitting on dealers lots a fair chunk of it's life (it changed hands several times) might qualify in this case.

See if the owner can get the engine replaced. If so, then you have a new reman on your hands. Alternatively, you could suggest a Mazda decarb to him, on the chance that it would restore some of the lost compression.

Otherwise, walk. There are ones with good engines out there. No reason to buy a problem.

chriscricket

Mazda is "analyzing" the test right now to see if the engine merits a replacement. I have let the owner know that the compression test deems a failing engine, and is not something I would purchase. As soon as he knows about the engine replacement/rebuild he will let me know.

Thanks for the all the advise, past and future!

chriscricket

Mazda is going to run a decarb and then run a full engine diagnostic and another compression test for him this week.

If the decarb restores the compression, is the engine still reliable?

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

um...yes? It will be as reliable as rotaries can be

(It will still be subject to all the normal potential failure methods, it won't suddenly replace metal that has worn away so you don't "get those miles back", etc...)

I had an engine fail a compression test after a cat failure, get decarbed, compression tested again and passed, compression tested a 3rd time 6 weeks later and compression scores were up further. The engine lasted another 40,000 miles before the original damage from the cat failure caught up with it and it failed compression testing permanently.

chriscricket

The tests came back after the decarb. Compression is now around 8.5 for both rotors. I think I can make the car last another 4-5 years (that's my goal, anything short of that will be upsetting). I know it's hard to judge the longevity of a car, especially one with a rotary engine that has already proved to be dying. My main concern is....

What is the probability that I can get another 4 years off the car? (I would only be putting about 8000 miles on it per year).

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

On the face of it, I'd say that you shouldn't have to worry about an engine failure in that time frame as long as you take care of it.

A jump to 8.5s is almost too good to be believed though? Maybe not. I had my first engine jump from 4.8s to mid 7s, but it's not the numerical increase for this one that i'm looking at. 8.5 would suggest a near perfect motor after 63,000 miles. It's possible, but I would have trouble ignoring the question in the back of my head of "did they spiked the test?" I guess not as much of a worry if it's just a dealer doing it for the current owner, more of a worry if it's a dealer selling the car in the first place and want to get rid of it.

chriscricket

Here are the exact results of the most recent compression test, done after the decarb.

838 800
826 788
823 845
Both at 262 RPM. This was done by Mazda North American Operations for the owner (not to a dealer trying to sell the car).

It's a little lower than I thought (not the 8.5+), but I think I'll still get the time out of it that I want.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

100 KPA isn't quite 1.0 kg/cm2 either though. Still, numbers are generally pretty good, just a bit off from a brand new engine when you factor the RPM.