Buying a Mazda RX8 in a few hours

Sammy_Jankis · 23-04-2013 09:37AM #1

Just looking for opinions on the deal i'm getting. I'm going in as a cash buyer and from a search on this site the dealer seems genuine. He does know a great deal about the car and has had a few of them before.

Deal is 5,400 with a 1 year engine and gear box warranty up to 1,300 euro. Car was advertised for 6,500 and he only reduced it a few days ago to 5,900. He has had it for over a month as a trade in. He has also offered to let me take to my mechanic and if there are any problems or i'm not happy I can bring it back. It does need two new rear tyres and he said he could source them for me quite cheaply. I dont really skimp on tyres but i'll see what he has.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4742613

pete4130 · 23-04-2013 09:42AM

Get everything he promises regarding warranty in writing.

bazz26 · 23-04-2013 09:59AM

Sammy_Jankis wrote: »

Just looking for opinions on the deal i'm getting. I'm going in as a cash buyer and from a search on this site the dealer seems genuine. He does know a great deal about the car and has had a few of them before.

Deal is 5,400 with a 1 year engine and gear box warranty up to 1,300 euro. Car was advertised for 6,500 and he only reduced it a few days ago to 5,900. He has had it for over a month as a trade in. He has also offered to let me take to my mechanic and if there are any problems or i'm not happy I can bring it back. It does need two new rear tyres and he said he could source them for me quite cheaply. I dont really skimp on tyres but i'll see what he has.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4742613

This would concern me. I'm open to correction but I recall reading somewhere that these rotary engines may need a rebuild at some stage of their life so €1,300 most likely may not cover that if it needs it in the next 12 months. Worth investigating a bit further all the same.

NinjaK · 23-04-2013 10:01AM

good luck, nice car:)

wandatowell · 23-04-2013 10:05AM

People will bitch about the fuel costs, f*ck 'em enjoy your motor pal

Sammy_Jankis · 23-04-2013 10:13AM

bazz26 wrote: »

This would concern me. I'm open to correction but I recall reading somewhere that these rotary engines may need a rebuild at some stage of their life so €1,300 most likely may not cover that if it needs it in the next 12 months. Worth investigating a bit further all the same.

Once its kept topped up with oil it shouldn't need a rebuild. Oh and of course warmed up before turned off.

goochy · 23-04-2013 10:59AM

Hope ur only doing low kms fuel consumption terrible hence low prices !

wandatowell · 23-04-2013 11:04AM

goochy wrote: »

Hope ur only doing low kms fuel consumption terrible hence low prices !

BOOOOOOO!!

mullingar · 23-04-2013 11:11AM

You dont buy a car like that for MPG, but SPG! (Smiles per gallon!)

goochy · 23-04-2013 12:49PM

There may be truth in that but u can be sure that many Plp have bought one and had to sell soon after because of mpg theres a reason they are so cheap !

goochy · 23-04-2013 12:49PM

There may be truth in that but u can be sure that many Plp have bought one and had to sell soon after because of mpg theres a reason they are so cheap !

fartman · 23-04-2013 01:00PM

i always wanted one of them ,i would go for it but make sure you get everything in writing for peace of mind,best of luck with it if you buy

hardCopy · 23-04-2013 01:02PM

Beautiful car, my dad had one when I was in college. I'll always miss it.

Well wear.

tossy · 23-04-2013 01:05PM

Bloody Irish motoring forum?

Someone posts up that the are buying a performance car and people get digs ( let's call them that) in a bout the MPG. Get the boat....

dickwod1 · 23-04-2013 01:09PM

A thinly veiled I'm buying a Mazda RX8 in a few hours

... enjoy it

23-04-2013 01:14PM

When you get it on the road, let it warm up to where the temp needle is in the middle then rev the nuts off it. If it's very slow to reach or doesn't reach the limiter, this means the catalytic converter is dead.

Since it's a 2006 it should also have the upgraded starter and upgraded battery (70Ah) so you won't have any trouble starting it. If you do, that means low compression which in turn means engine rebuild.

smash · 23-04-2013 01:15PM

bazz26 wrote: »

This would concern me. I'm open to correction but I recall reading somewhere that these rotary engines may need a rebuild at some stage of their life so €1,300 most likely may not cover that if it needs it in the next 12 months. Worth investigating a bit further all the same.

Engine rebuild is €2,300.

Chris_Heilong · 23-04-2013 01:15PM

fair play, I was only looking at these last night. they are advertised at 220 hp but in reality make around 197 hp which is more than enough for Irish roads. Join http://www.irishrotary.com/.
They have the best info on these cars.

pippip · 23-04-2013 01:18PM

They are available as 190bhp or 230bhp, I'm surprised the ad doesn't mention which this is.

tossy · 23-04-2013 01:19PM

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

197 hp which is more than enough for Irish roads..

Another Irish motoring forum classic

ARGINITE · 23-04-2013 01:26PM

Have the exact same colour combo just with a UK reg

Read the RX8OC buyers guide

Sammy_Jankis wrote: »

Deal is 5,400 with a 1 year engine and gear box warranty up to 1,300 euro.

This seems funny, a rebuild for low compression will be €3K ish, cheapest rebuild in the UK is £2250. But as long as compression is good then this is not required at any milage.

Get a compression test.

If the service history does not include a coil change in the last 20K (coils need to be changed every 30K) then budget for that, there is currently a group buy running on rx8ownersclub.co.uk for uprated Rotary Rev coils with a free set of plugs.

Have you taken it for a test drive yet?
Does it start from hot without issue?

What sort of MPG do you expect from it?

23-04-2013 01:55PM

pippip wrote: »

They are available as 190bhp or 230bhp, I'm surprised the ad doesn't mention which this is.

192 = 5 speed, 230 = 6 speed.

And no, you can't remap the 190 to 230 as there's also an extra 2 ports on the engine which you'd have to cut into it :P

Just from looking at the ad, I'd say it's a 230 as they usually came with the red and black leather interior and were normally either black or red.

I would also echo arginite's comment about a compression test. Sadly, it's not as easy as you'd think because the rotary engine requires a different compression tester which only a handful of Mazda dealers have in ROI and even at that, they're shared between them.

wandatowell · 23-04-2013 02:16PM

mullingar wrote: »

You dont buy a car like that for MPG, but SPG! (Smiles per gallon!)

Thats quality

coolisin · 23-04-2013 02:16PM

Well wear OP yeah you'll spend a few bob on petrol and oil but enjoy it they are a lovely car and can be gotten cheap, because Mazda is the badge mostly.

Enjoy and have the craic with it listen to MM on this he knows his stuff with regards what to look for.

My only concern would be the low amount of warranty he's given price wise.

wandatowell · 23-04-2013 02:25PM

Has anybody driven one of these badboys before, or better still owned one?

Whats it like to live with as a daily runner.

ShadowHearth · 23-04-2013 02:28PM

wandatowell wrote: »

Has anybody driven one of these badboys before, or better still owned one?

Whats it like to live with as a daily runner.

:pac::D:pac::D

pippip · 23-04-2013 02:32PM

wandatowell wrote: »

Has anybody driven one of these badboys before, or better still owned one?

Whats it like to live with as a daily runner.

My mate has one and the only thing that would bug me is the need to warm the engine up before driving anywhere. He literally just sits there for 5mins. When your just going to local shop or running late that would annoy me.

wandatowell · 23-04-2013 02:40PM

pippip wrote: »

My mate has one and the only thing that would bug me is the need to warm the engine up before driving anywhere. He literally just sits there for 5mins. When your just going to local shop or running late that would annoy me.

Damn that is annoying, might entice you to walk to the shops more though. Its the time of the year for it anyway

ARGINITE · 23-04-2013 02:40PM

wandatowell wrote: »

What is it like to live with as a daily runner.

Currently own one and the GF using it everyday.

As a daily runner it's like most other cars except for the 15MPG that you get with city driving and remembering not to turn it off while cold. As for oil usage it's not really an issue just as long as you keep an eye on it.

Regarding maintenance in the last year of ownership I have done four oil and filter changes, new set of plugs, coils, and leads, all four drop links have been changed and gearbox and diff oil change.

ARGINITE · 23-04-2013 02:45PM

pippip wrote: »

My mate has one and the only thing that would bug me is the need to warm the engine up before driving anywhere. He literally just sits there for 5mins. When your just going to local shop or running late that would annoy me.

There is no need to wait for five minute to warm the engine up, turn the car on wait a minute and then drive keeping the revs below 4K until the engine is up to temp.

Nonoperational · 23-04-2013 02:47PM

No way in the world I'd buy one without getting a compression test done. Just not worth it.

Buying a Mazda RX8 in a few hours

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