I'm looking at buying a 2005 Black RX8 with 44k miles on it. The seller is asking just under $13k for it and it's had 2 owners total (ie. I'd be the third). I test drove it and it drives really well (power feels great all the way up the rev range, handling feels more responsive than others i've driven somehow, brakes feel excellent, engine runs smooth, clutch pedal just sounds a bit squeaky).

Being a black '8, it does have some exterior cosmetic issues (dents are scratches - 2 big scrapes on the front bumper). Cosmetically, the interior is just about spotless (it's got cloth interior).

The big issue at the moment is the tires. There's zero tread left on them, so I'm gonna need to get new tires as soon as I buy it. No matter what I get (I'm thinking of all-season tires to keep the cost down? I want to be able to survive the winter on this car, it's gonna be a daily driver for me), i'm looking at... what? $1000 total for new tires?

I haven't yet taken it in to a mechanic to do a compression test and to check the rest, like brakes etc, and i haven't had a chance to get Mazda to tell me some more based on the VIN (engine replacement, MSP, etc) but based only on the way it drove, i'm expecting it to perform well.

I've already offered to pay $11k for it, she's saying she doesn't wanna do less than $12k... maybe a bit less because of the tires. I said $11.5k? She said sure.

So tomorrow i'm taking it in to have it checked out by a mechanic, but i wanted to know; assuming all is well mechanically and i just need to switch out the tires, am i paying too much? Is this a good deal?

Thanks!

 

any hard cold/warm start is an indication of bad coils/sparkplugs/low compression.
as for tires really depending on what kind of snow you getting. if its something like 10 inch, its gonna be tough on all-seasons.

 

It started up just fine, but to be fair she'd been driving it around before i got there. Tomorrow when i go check it out, she's taking her boyfriend's car, so the RX8 SHOULD have been sitting there overnight.

as for snow, i thought the '8 was hard to drive on any kind of tire as soon as snow started falling... is it easier to drive winter tires (ie. like any other car) instead of all-seasons?

 

winter tires are a MUST. You should really invest in 2 sets of tires, if you drive all year round.

As for the starting up hot/cold. It's actually a bit more effective to try and start the engine after it's been driven. Hot start issues are a sign of low compression.
Either way, I'd have the compression, plugs and coils checked. Also, check the cat converter, and see if the owner has all of her service records.

 

That's a decent price. go for it.

 

The price seems firm, otherwise, it depends on the condition of the car.

 

this, and people are always selling sets of OEM wheels for the cheap. the winter tires last a very long time so you'll get a few years out of them. other wise, the other set could be whatever you want

$1000 for tires can get you some really good tires or probably 2 sets

 

thanks for the responses guys. Getting it checked out in the early afternoon by D. Dahle Mazda.

I'm not entirely sure what i'm gonna do about tires... i'm really very tempted to just get all-seasons, but all the research i've done tells me there's no such thing as good ones and they're just a compromise all around :/

the general consensus is that winter tires are it, or i'll regret it. Any suggestions for which winter tires i should get?

i'm also moving out of my house into an apartment (soon-ish), so i won't have a garage to store extra tires in... I figure the best way to go about having the tires is what you said Bigbacon; get an extra set of wheels so i can swap out whenever needed. I just don't know where to put 'em.

Any apartment dwellers with suggestions?

 

look in the "for sale" section of these forums. Lots of people selling winter tires for a reasonable price.
MOST winter tires are better than all seasons. A popular brand for winters at the Bridgestone Blizzaks.
Search around a few threads in the "tire" section to find out which would be most suitable to your needs.

Good luck with the 8 this afternoon

 

Mechanic said everything looks good, motor mount needs replacing, and the air filter, but the rest looks good! Cat converter, plugs, coils, compression (he wouldn't give me a number, i'll get that once i get shuttled back to the dealership).

Pretty excited for this!! I think i'll make her an offer and take the '8 to its new home! :D

 

Ok, the horror story of local Utah dealerships begins....

I get to the dealership and a different mechanic tells me the car is NOT ok. It needs an engine rebuild. It tested at around 4.0 on both rotors, when it's supposed to test at 7... I asked him for PSI figures (4.0, 3.8, 4.2, etc doesn't really mean anything to me...) and he said that if a mechanic gives you a PSI figure on a compression test, then they don't know rotary engines... Is this true? What do these figures actually mean? Are they a factor of something else or what?

So at this point i'm waiting for the owner who's gonna try getting the engine rebuilt in the coming week or so and then we'll see from there. The rebuild will probably happen under warranty before i buy (it's a 2005 and the owner got an extended engine block warranty). I've also told the owner i'd like to get another try at test-driving it before i buy, just in case the dealership botches the job and the car drives like crap.

Everything else on the car did look good except the motor mount...

Should i be looking out for something at this point? Should i be thinking of walking away?

I started the car cold and hot, and both times it never struggled to start. I drove it around about 20 minutes and never had any issues with it struggling to stay on (wouldn't bad compression have the car struggling as soon as i came to a light after a long-ish drive?)

Any thoughts would be very helpful. Thanks!

 

if the engine is being replaced, I'd say that's a good thing! If you do purchase, make sure you follow the new engine break-in procedure.
Here are different threads about compression test results.

Motor mounts are a 'wear' item. Just replace them, or search for some aftermarket

 

so the mechanic was right and this isn't a dealership horror story at all (aside from the first kid telling me compression was great).

And you're right, this WOULD be a great thing to have a brand new engine! He's saying it'd be remanufactured though... But still, that's great.

Thanks RX8Soldier

 

A rebuild engine is better, it's like a new car now. Anyway, you should get it then. Good luck and post pics if you can.

 

monchie, yes indeed. My only concern now is that it's gonna be really hard to bring her down to $11.5k. My argument is still gonna be that i need to get new tires (which i do).

excited for next week!

And oh yeah, i'm a photographer. I'll do a shoot at some point of my new baby and photoshop any dings, dents and scratches haha

 

do that!
And then post in the "photographer's" thread Always good to have your trade around

 

There's a photographer's thread??? Link please??