check with Paul @ Mazmart for all your needs. He's a forum vendor here, you can find his subforum near the top of the home page.

 

Repairing that is going to be fairly costly.
1. Oil Coolers.
2. Headlights
3. Front bumper
4. Quarter panels
5. Hood
6. misc splash guards
7. Fog Lights
8. Clear Corners
9. New front end
10. Alignment

If you are going to take on this rebuild do it right the first time, saving a few hundred now on cheaper parts will show later on especially with the front end, I would contact Mazmart and see if you could get a discount for the amount of parts you are going to order.

 

hey guys, just got the car in yesterday... quick question.... does the xenon headlight w/ ballast and bulbs work all the same with the connectores there?? pretty much asking if i buy a pair of xenon headlights, do they plug and play?

 

It doesn't look bad.. Honestly, it should all be doable for under 5k. I repair RSX's alot, and granted the prices on the parts are a bit less but I rarely spend over 3k on them with more damage than that. You will probably need new inner fenders and quite possibly a new air condenser / radiator.

Don't listen to all the horror stories about if you need the frame straightened, it's not that big of a deal. I had the frame straightened on my friends STI at my cousins shop, and it was super bent, and he said it drives like the day he got it. If you have someone who spends the time to do it right, you won't even notice.

Actually, now that I look at the fenders.. You should be able to knock any of the bumps out. Since you're using it yourself I would spend the time doing as much of the body work yourself (fenders any dings). It will save you loads and give you good experience. Most things are salvageable after a wreck, I've gotten things that look impossible back to perfect condition.

The only reasons shops buy new fenders etc is because it saves them time, therefore meaning more money.

Also, if I were you, since it's already down for the count until you get it done, check EVERYTHING in the engine, check all the fluids for any metallic flakes, a whole flush wouldn't be bad at this point since you already have it on repair detail.. precautionary steps are good *shrug* and will usually eliminate any problems down the road.

The biggest problems I see are: 5mph bumper, your inner bumper may needed to be straightened, I can't see it well due to the picture size. The damage doesn't look bad at all actually.. most people see something like that and go "omagawsh".. The main thing I'm going to say is, the cost will depend on how much time you want to put into it. The more time you spend attempting to do the cosmetics yourself like dent popping, the more time you will save. Also, to check if there is any frame damage take a tape measure and measure from the inner hubcap / rim of the front, to the back, and write down the measurements.

By that I'm saying (if not clear enough) the Mazda symbol to the Mazda symbol on each of the rims / hubcaps to eachother. If they are off from the factory measurements or eachother, you need a straighten.

 

hey thanks for the advice, i don't expect it to cost much either, should be done within the next couple of weeks... i looked at the radiator and it looks fine.... if you mean the fender splash guards, i need the passenger front wheel

 

I saw a post about the headlights that somebody mentioned. After market headlights that look stock will be >perfectly fine<. Most people don't like doing them because of how hard they are to get to fit, but you don't have a fit problem since you have the whole front apart anyway.

I don't spend over $150 on headlights and the assemblies when I'm doing reapairs. Ebay is a godsend for these types of things.

Take the car to Mazda to check if the airbag is in proper order. Sometimes they blow.. but don't, if you get my meaning. The nice thing about the RX8 is the plastic cover over the engine though, there shouldn't be anything wrong that I can see. My previously mentioned inner bumper statement, may be because the part of the bumper that is left, is a little crooked and is throwing my view off on it.

I'll be honest, 2500 if you take the time to find the parts, etc. Jumping into it right away isn't going to be conducive to low costs. If you need to drive it asap as a DD, then 3000-3500 will probably be your cost.

 

Looks sorta like mine.... https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-multimedia-photo-gallery-6/blurr-down-count-139370/ ..... thats 15k in damage...

 

Who quoted 15k in damage on that? That's outrageous. 15k in damage would be just a frame left. I can see 1500, but not 15k on that. I see you said frame damage, but that's a little high bro.. I mean, I've fixed cars that have outrageous frame damage and and worse cosmetic dmg than that for like.. 8k in repairs. It does look like there is some frame damage on yours, greenblurr, because the front wheels look a little cockeyed. But srsly.. I've repaired tons of cars and that doesn't look too bad O.o

Unless you slid over something that is. With his he wouldn't have slid over anything from what I can tell, otherwise that whole front liner that is there would have been ripped off with the rest of it. What it looks like with his is it slid up under something (large SUV maybe) which would explain the gaping hole on the hood.

Also from my experience, most car companies total the car if the airbags are blown. I've gotten countless amazing deals on cars because the airbags are blown.

 

Im an Icar certified body tech, and i was with Both Appraisers during the estimate... the thing was there was substantial damage the crossmember, Power steering rack, etc... and they didnt want used parts to touch this car. so that estimate was for all new Mazda OEM parts. and all there was for frame damage was the nose was bent up about an inch from landing after going airborn.. and believe it or not, they didnt want to total the car either... they valued the car at almost 20k.. i actually am picking the car up this thursday. The shop doing the work i know the owner personally and have been in contact the enitre time, so i know its getting fixed right

 

Ah, I see, I thought you might have hit a rail or something and slid over it.



These are the main problems I see with his, His inner bumper may be a little crooked but I can't tell. That thing I Circled on the right looks detatched ( I don't know this car well, so I don't know what it all is so im speculating.) he may have some pinched wires on both sides. I circled the hood dmg because you can kindof see where a trailer hitch would have hit, it looks bent up a little, then cracked like a hammer hit it, then its torn off.

 

the big thing i saw was the battery being pushed back past where the engine cover should have poped in.. that could be the rad support... or like it was in my case a swayed frame rail

Also look at the gaps in the hood... that could either be bent hinges. or again a swayed frame rail. the only way to tell is to get it on a frame rack and measure to see whats outta spec... but i think there is hidden frame damage

 

It's possible. It's kindof hard for me to tell from the pictures because they aren't high enough res. But you know as well, the more time he spends looking for things the more money he will save. Since the front is all apart, after market parts will be fine since he will be able to adjust them better. If he's looking for it to be a show car, it will be more, sure. But for me I get them looking back to stock, at as little cost as possible.

The best thing to do would be take it into a shop for a free quote, have them write down what needs to be done, and figure out what isn't neccessary.. Usually that will be the largest quote and will be high, but you will save a shitton on labor etc. Such as popping the fenders yourself etc.

I can see the hood crooked aswell, but I just can't tell if it's because of the skew of everything else. That white SUV in the back throws off our perception of alot of the car itself, It's telling our eyes that there is an angle and so we will tend to see everything at an angle. Which is why I like neutral pictures or seeing them in person better.

If it went unders something, I'm more willing to bet that it just bent under the pressure. If he can figure out what happened, it could save everyone a lot of speculation time.

 

unless they put it on a frame rack the quote will be low... i can tell from the engine bay pic that at the minimum... that the pass side frame horn was crunched.. and unless its pulled back out. nothing will fit right..

 

Ya, I don't know the car well so I can't make a true estimate or anything. I'm used to working with Honda's so there will of course be a dif. What looks okay to me from a Honda point of view, will look bad to someone that knows the car. I still wouldn't say it's going to be too bad.. I'm still gunna hold onto my ballpark of 2500-3500

this, to me, looks more like a buckle under stress.. but again, all speculation. I can't get under there and look so..

To thread starter: Figure out what happened, call the insurance company.

 

What im basing it off of, is the under hood pic... look at the engine cover toward the firewall... its still in place... then look that the rad support end on the drivers side... its poped out, but still lined up... then follow that edge... notice how the airbox, batt, get pushed under the cover? that says to me something on that end got crunched...

Either way, OP, good luck with the repair, hope it all works out in your favor... keep us updated with the progress

 

You might also keep an eye on the used parts section below, you may be able to find some OEM parts people are replaceing upgrading or parting out. Just a thought. Good luck.

 

Time to look for the exit clause in the contract.

 

looks like mine

but Mine has it that bad on both ends

pressure buckled above both rear wheels

only 5 months old - <4000 miles it will get fixed

9k so far and they still are not sure if the trans is right because its laying in pieces in the body shop waiting on parts

Going to order an 09 later this week and trade this wrinkled mess off - rental car coverage ends next week - Time to get my diesel out of the garage.

 

don;t forget those headlights cost about $950.00 a piece.but what ever you do take your time and do it right ! ask questions to keep you on track and most of all do not put a time line on repairs because when you do the way of the world is you will forget something of great importance.it's a costly and timely project so have fun be safe and let us know how it turns out and keep in touch with those junk yards theycan save you a lot!

 

Don't let these guys discourage you. I bought a rebuilt 8 last year and it drives better than most new cars I've driven, plus I got a great deal. Just take your time and repair it well and you won't have a complaint in the world.

 

you guys have some great advice...

im looking to return it stock as cheap as possible with the exception of the front bumper, which i am either looking into a ms replica or autobahn replica from shine....

after taking a good look at the car yesterday in the sunlight, i noticed the passenger amber side corner was gone and it looks like the wires for it were severed... i need to find a junk yard that will let me buy the right side including the wires that are ran near to where the headlight wires are....

so i called an aftermarket parts place in southflorida, PartsMax, not sure if you guys know them.... they told me they have the passenger fender in stock for $120... I went over there to buy it but opened it before paying... it was white and some kind of plastic... im guessing fiberglass... but wasn't near being sheet metal like oem.. i ended up not buying it because i was worried about fitment, weight compared to oem, and that sort of thing... called dealer and they told me $222 for oem fender, and about $388 for oem hood

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-05...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-05...spagenameZWDVW
370+ atleast, and then shipping for 2x headlights. You will still need the headlight mount from the looks of it, so thats probably another.. 75-100 from Mazda.

Just get some headlight repair stuff from Autozone or something, works like magic on the clouding.

 

Look at the bright side, it should be easier to get the clear corners in.

 

Its funny you mentioned those two items, as I have sent multiple messages to the seller so far....

one question... would those xenon be plug and play on my vehicle since they did not come with xenons originally?

 

im probably a little late in asking, as i am winning both items.... hopefully they work plug and play, and hopefully they're just a little cloudy and not disfunctional and/or have broke tabs