Hello all,

I am buying a 2004 Ti Gray 6spd GT model from forum member and close friend ndtechie09. I would have bought Polak's old car (also a close friend) but he sold it before I could afford it...

Anyway, I would like you all to look over my list and let me know if i'm missing anything. The car currently has 38,000 miles on it and was regularly serviced at Faulkner Mazda in PA.

Reliability Parts to be Purchased:

BHR Ignition Kit
BHR (Walbro) Fuel Pump
BHR Radiator
Sohn OMP Adapter
MazMart High-Flow water pump and thermostat
MazMart Oil Pressure Kit
OEM Cabin Filter
OEM NGK sparkplugs
Racing Beat Gauge Panel Kit (monitoring critical temps/pressures)
rx7store.net High Flow Cat
FLEX Innovations Grounding Kit
Brake Pads
Racing Beat screens
SEAFOAM!

 

something often overlooked are the oil cooler and A/C screens from Racing Beat. Just a suggestion

 

Added!

 

looks like a pretty solid list and definitely sounds like you did your homework, quite a few of those I still need to add to my ride.

 

Yeah, i've been a forum member since 2005 as both of my best friends had RX-8's and I loved them. I've been lurking for a few years now and now that I'm going to (finally!) own one I've been doing nothing but reading.

Thanks for any input you can put in guys!

 

Even if it's your mother's car.. get a compression test done first and make sure you have all the service records or service parts (oil, filters etc) invoices

 

Ok, ill put a proper compression test on the list.

 

Never do business with friends! Didn't u see that old I Love Lucy episode with the washing machine?

 

Out of what I have listed, what do you think should be first on the list? Lets assume the compression test is normal.

 

BHR ignition or SOHN oil adapter

 

lol

Didn't see it. What happened?

 

Had a feeling it would be those two. Thanks for the input!

 

If they have not already been done, put a starter and motor mounts on your list.

 

Yes in my mass amounts of reading the past few days i've heard of the motor mounts collapsing. This is something the dealer can take care of, no?

 

Yes, but it's relatively easy to do yourself (search for threads) - just be aware that the threads in the mount are aluminum and strip easily, so be careful when starting the bolt engagement.

My mount sheared in two, as opposed to collapsing, but it's all bad.

One more thing - consider a de-carbonization.

 

Seafoam? I'm quite familiar with that....

 

I like water, but then I don't always follow the crowd. Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes not.

 

As far as the TSB's go, there are quite a few. They won't all be listed under the hood, will they? Will any dealer be able to look up what was done and what wasn't?

 

Never buy a car from a friend. It can ruin a friendship when things go wrong with this car.

 

TSB''s aren't the stickers on the car, recalls are. And some dealers ran out of stickers, so some cars don't have those even tho the work was performed. TSB's are an advisory to the dealer on how to repair certain problems. They are not recalls. If your car is under warranty and you have this type of problem, the TSB will be performed under warranty. If it is out of warranty, the TSB will be performed at your cost just like any other repair.
If a service performed to the car was entered into the Mazda database, any dealer will be able to recall that record.

 

Alot of guys install oil catch cans on the 2004 models..

 

True in some way. Your friend will say "as is" and no warranty what so ever, unless, the friend will offer some help if problem occurs.

 

You can always get a new friend, we're talking about an 8 here, lol

Just understand that you are buying a used vehicle and if you expect some sort of assurrance in the future you should probabaly be in the market for something with a warranty. I wouldn't go out and bag a car I bought from a friend and then blame him when I need service. What difference does it make who the previous owner was? Just because you know where he lives when something goes wrong is no reason to to expect compensation.

 

Oh, and get one of these..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8avOiTUcD4Y

 

I think everyone here already made it clear. Buying a car from a friend can put a strain on your friendship. I sold my last rx7 to a friend. She was like a child to me. I told him everything I could about the car and what he shouldn't do. 3 days later he blew a coolant seal. Our friendship ended on that day. The car, my child, is now rotting under a tree. Worest deal I ever made. Lost a friend and now a awesome 7 is sunk in mud under a tree rotting away.