FIXERUPPER of the week/day

Toyotafanboi · 17-12-2014 06:33PM

that kind of answers that then :pac:

ba_barabus · 17-12-2014 06:49PM

26000 Elephants wrote: »

I was working in IT for a sub prime car finance company in the UK at the time, and we would loan money on anything, but one of the few cars we banned was that infernal Mazda.

A very good friend who regularly writes an article for Car Mechanics, the anonymous trade insider, was hounded with abuse about 2 months ago when he wrote an article saying that the RX8 was now a regular feature of scrap yards in the UK because of the fragile engines.

The owners clubs and some of it's member literally lost the plot over it.

rizzodun · 17-12-2014 07:27PM

Is it possible to change the engine for a more reliable type (i.e. not rotary)?
Might insult the purists but I think they're a great looking car if you could get a more reliable powerplant for it.

mickdw · 17-12-2014 07:50PM

I saw a guy on the net put a 1.8T audi engine in one

rizzodun · 17-12-2014 09:47PM

mickdw wrote: »

I saw a guy on the net put a 1.8T audi engine in one

l know nothing about engine transplants but if you could get an engine, gearbox wiring loom etc cheap and do most of the work yourself would it be a decent buy in that case?

26000 Elephants · 17-12-2014 10:25PM

rizzodun wrote: »

l know nothing about engine transplants but if you could get an engine, gearbox wiring loom etc cheap and do most of the work yourself would it be a decent buy in that case?

I cant see you doing it for less than the cost of a rebuild of the original engine.
Plus, I think you need to keep the rotary, its the cars USP. Would help resale too, or at least broaden it.

mickdw · 17-12-2014 10:54PM

26000 Elephants wrote: »

I cant see you doing it for less than the cost of a rebuild of the original engine.
Plus, I think you need to keep the rotary, its the cars USP. Would help resale too, or at least broaden it.

I don't agree. At the value those cars are at now, a version with a transplanted reliable engine would imo be worth multiples of what a rotary one would be worth.
Would a car with a different engine still be emission exempt at nct?

ba_barabus · 17-12-2014 11:04PM

On the Subject of Rotary engines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxsY4lEGRBI

joujoujou · 17-12-2014 11:10PM

mickdw wrote: »

I don't agree. At the value those cars are at now, a version with a transplanted reliable engine would imo be worth multiples of what a rotary one would be worth.

Depends - what if buyer seeks for "original" state of car?

mickdw wrote: »

Would a car with a different engine still be emission exempt at nct?

Definately not. And engine replacement must be reported to be amended on VRC.

mickdw · 17-12-2014 11:12PM

joujoujou wrote: »

Depends - what if buyer seeks for "original" state of car?

I'd suggest that there are hundreds of original cars to cover that market.

CianRyan · 17-12-2014 11:59PM

mickdw wrote: »

I saw a guy on the net put a 1.8T audi engine in one

Got the details on that?
Seems like an awful lot of work to put a FWD engine (and the gear box, etc that would have to with it) into a RWD car, especially seeing as there are easier swaps with more power.

mickdw · 18-12-2014 12:24AM

CianRyan wrote: »

Got the details on that?
Seems like an awful lot of work to put a FWD engine (and the gear box, etc that would have to with it) into a RWD car, especially seeing as there are easier swaps with more power.

Will have a look. The 1.8t had the Quattro setup so I don't know. It must have made sense.

CianRyan · 18-12-2014 08:36AM

mickdw wrote: »

Will have a look. The 1.8t had the Quattro setup so I don't know. It must have made sense.

Nice one, I was thinking of the Quattro set up alright but the engine would still be mounted the wrong way unless they did an AWD conversion.

Really interested in how it was done.

vectra · 18-12-2014 10:47AM

CianRyan wrote: »

Nice one, I was thinking of the Quattro set up alright but the engine would still be mounted the wrong way unless they did an AWD conversion.

Really interested in how it was done.

Have a reads here
http://www.pistonheads.com/GASSING/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1097451&nmt=rx8+VAG+20v+motor+

Ferris · 18-12-2014 11:42AM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i kind of assumed that €1250 would cover or go a long way towards a rebuild, but i have no idea really. what are you talking for a full job?

i reckon if it cost you €2.5 - €3k to buy it and get it on the road, you could get a fair chunk of that back in a years time with a "fresh rebuild", plus, that'd make it quite saleable too.

Was looking at that myself. I think a car like that with a rebuilt engine (2.5k by a specialist in dublin btw) for ~3500quid all in would be a super buy. Great car and great fun for the money and nothing to touch it value wise once you can stomach the 17-20mpg. It would also give you the opportunity to get it ported which would improve the torque curve/driveability.

Incidently I read a thread on the uk owners club where a guy bought a clean non-runner, put new coils on it and gutted the cat and it ran perfectly for him.

26000 Elephants · 18-12-2014 06:34PM

mickdw wrote: »

I don't agree. At the value those cars are at now, a version with a transplanted reliable engine would imo be worth multiples of what a rotary one would be worth.
Would a car with a different engine still be emission exempt at nct?

What are you not agreeing with? My point is that it would be cheaper to rebuild the engine than try and put a conventional motor in.

And if you seriously think it would be worth 'multiples' of an rx with a rebuilt rotary you are wrong. Maybe if you spend about 10 grand putting something special into it, like a supercharged v8, you might get half back if you were lucky. Engineers reports, NCT emission hassles, insurance loading... :rolleyes:

Smart money says rebuild the rotary. Or smarter money says "buy something else..."

26000 Elephants · 18-12-2014 06:40PM

Ferris wrote: »

Incidently I read a thread on the uk owners club where a guy bought a clean non-runner, put new coils on it and gutted the cat and it ran perfectly for him.

Lots of stories like that. Largely untrue, or at least they dont address the issue. Replacing the coils just fixes the issues of damaged coils from a misfiring engine/extended warm starting efforts. Unless you fix the underlying issue, it will just come back. RX coils aint too cheap either.

Also, busted coils have a nasty habit of sending a back emf to the driver transistors in the ecu. Might be replacing that too!! :cool:

CianRyan · 18-12-2014 08:15PM

I'd put an an older 13b from the FD3S RX7.

Ferris · 19-12-2014 12:08AM

26000 Elephants wrote: »

Lots of stories like that. Largely untrue, or at least they dont address the issue. Replacing the coils just fixes the issues of damaged coils from a misfiring engine/extended warm starting efforts. Unless you fix the underlying issue, it will just come back. RX coils aint too cheap either.

Also, busted coils have a nasty habit of sending a back emf to the driver transistors in the ecu. Might be replacing that too!! :cool:

I changed the coils in mine for 190eur for genuine coils. I also replaced a blocked cat and apart from replacing the engine mounts that was all the work it ever needed. The car had 70k mls on it when I sold it and the engine was perfect, don't believe all the hype about rotaries, mine was probably the most reliable car I've owned. With simple and sensible preventative maintenance they can be very dependable cars.

I agree with you on a rebuild instead of transplant. Many have tried to do this and few of succeeded due to the complexity of the rx8 and the fact that the car is basically built around that engine.

26000 Elephants · 19-12-2014 04:06PM

Anybody done a belt(s) on one of these? Looking for an AWD for the winter roads. Thought this looks like good value:

Asking just under €2K, runs but difficult to start due to probable timing issue. Could be anything i suppose!!

Edit: Ok, seems that has the EL motor which has variable valve timing, so most likely a variator issue. Anyone have insights into this? is it a hydraulic variator like the fiat 1.8 unit?

bear1 · 19-12-2014 04:29PM

A 1.5 Impreza

26000 Elephants · 19-12-2014 05:09PM

bear1 wrote: »

A 1.5 Impreza

Yep. 104 horses. Its like the WRX'x flat spot, but all the time. :cool:

Anyway, cant afford to fuel and insure a wrx, so needs must.

Cantona's Collars · 20-12-2014 11:30PM

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-is200/8112837

€700 for a 01 Lexus IS.

jcon1913 · 22-12-2014 01:16PM

26000 Elephants wrote: »

Nice looking Audi. Intermittent gearbox ecu issue - the cheapest kind!!!

This is still on the go - no takers at just shy of €5,000, anyone view it?

johndaman66 · 23-12-2014 12:45AM

zerks wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-is200/8112837

€700 for a 01 Lexus IS.

Ugh read the ad though....were told it needs a good service. When you see that line mentioned you can be pretty sure theres something badly amiss under the bonnet...

Cleveland Hot Pocket · 23-12-2014 11:52AM

26000 Elephants wrote: »

Anybody done a belt(s) on one of these? Looking for an AWD for the winter roads. Thought this looks like good value:

Asking just under €2K, runs but difficult to start due to probable timing issue. Could be anything i suppose!!

Edit: Ok, seems that has the EL motor which has variable valve timing, so most likely a variator issue. Anyone have insights into this? is it a hydraulic variator like the fiat 1.8 unit?

from the add:
.Timing belt stretched causing timing to jump.Car hard to start but running

Perhaps it's just the timing that's off. New belt reset timing, bob's your auntie's husband possibly?

CianRyan · 23-12-2014 02:21PM

26000 Elephants wrote: »

Yep. 104 horses. Its like the WRX'x flat spot, but all the time. :cool:

Anyway, cant afford to fuel and insure a wrx, so needs must.

What about a turbo forester, non STI?
They're cheap, rugged as **** and can make decent power or grand power depending on how you want it (tune it).

I'd have it over a fake WRX any day.

26000 Elephants · 23-12-2014 08:18PM

CianRyan wrote: »

What about a turbo forester, non STI?
They're cheap, rugged as **** and can make decent power or grand power depending on how you want it (tune it).

I'd have it over a fake WRX any day.

Its not for me, its for the SO. She does about 60km per day so needs something reasonably economical. Ive tried explaining that she wont do better than her current punto multijet, which at 250k km is still averaging 68mpg.

Im thinking i could punt on that wrx-lookalike to some spotty, greasy haired member of the yout sub culture next march. The forester may not be so easy to shift, and costlier to run.

colm_mcm · 24-12-2014 01:02AM

Even a 1.5 impreza would double her fuel bill and be slower. Why bother?

bear1 · 24-12-2014 10:28AM

26000 Elephants wrote: »

Its not for me, its for the SO. She does about 60km per day so needs something reasonably economical. Ive tried explaining that she wont do better than her current punto multijet, which at 250k km is still averaging 68mpg.

Im thinking i could punt on that wrx-lookalike to some spotty, greasy haired member of the yout sub culture next march. The forester may not be so easy to shift, and costlier to run.

Is the Punto going well? Must be if it's at 250k.
Personally I wouldn't change a car that is in fine working order and does what the person requires.
But tbh, if all she does is 60k per day then it's not even 4k per year. I'm not counting weekends or anything.
Diesel is seriously not needed for that sort of mileage.

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