I know everyone hates them for reasonable reasons, but jesus, well kept ones in the low $4k range with less than 100k are falling off trees around here. Seems like a lot of car for that little money.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/d/2004-mazda-rx-8-6-speed/6403687068.html
R3s are still around $20k though.
Why DO the R3s still cost so much? The only unique thing of note is the foam-filled front crossmember right?
thatsnowinnebago said:Why DO the R3s still cost so much? The only unique thing of note is the foam-filled front crossmember right?
Recaro seats, no sunroof, manual, all the good stuff for track days, none of the dreck. The foamed crossmember, yeah, that too.
CyberEric said:I know everyone hates them for reasonable reasons, but jesus, well kept ones in the low $4k range with less than 100k are falling off trees around herng e. Seems like a lot of car for that little money.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/d/2004-mazda-rx-8-6-speed/6403687068.html
"Drove it gently" should have you run away, immediately. Those things need to be driven like you're extra in an early F&F movie.
The 04s and 05s have been cheap-ish for a while, the 06s/07s have held their values a bit better and the S2s have really held their values in comparison. Pity that the majority of the aftermarket is targeting the S1s...
With RX8s you're usually better off spending a little more money for one that has been well looked after (for example like the one I've been trying to kinda sorta sell). They are out there, but harder to find than, say, an RX7 that's been owned by a rotary nut.
thatsnowinnebago said:Why DO the R3s still cost so much? The only unique thing of note is the foam-filled front crossmember right?
You're thinking of the Shinka, the R3 (as oldrotarydriver stated) has a bunch more desirable extras.
With RX8s you're usually better off spending a little more money for one that has been well looked after (for example like the one I've been trying to kinda sorta sell). They are out there, but harder to find than, say, an RX7 that's been owned by a rotary nut.
I just worked on and drove my friend's 2004 RX8 w/43k that's been owned by a long-time rotary enthusiast it's whole life, driven daily, 7k+ rpm daily, and STILL had the engine blow up at low miles. I don't disagree with 'better chances', but this guy is by far one of the smartest car people i know and if his blows up at low miles, i can't really say anyone will have 'good' chances. They're cheap because of stories like that, where you do everything right and it goes to E36 M3 anyway.
In reply to BoxheadCougarTim :
I was about to ask how you tune a first gen RX8 since the Accessport supply seems to have dried up but it looks like VersaTune added the first gen cars in since I looked last.
Now I want one.
I looked into this and talked to a multiple-RX8 owner.
The only way to get a (good) cheap RX8 is to buy one that's clean but blown up, then fix the motor. Anything that's cheap and running is a timebomb. Be ready to do a rebuild.
Such a bummer that they have a "ticking time bomb" of a motor. Most of the ones iv seen say "80k miles but only 20k on a new motor installed by mazda"
How good is the car itself? LS swap?
The RX-8 is probably the car that needs to have a good turn-key engine swap developed the most. Can't believe no one has a good swap for them yet.
The song of a cheap rx8 is getting louder and louder to me.
I've seen a number of them with blown engines for under $2k...
It's a great chassis... basically the same as an NC Miata. IIRC, V8 Roadsters has what's needed to LS or LFX swap them, though it's not "turnkey".
I was already well on my way to amassing a fleet of Miatas before I discovered what a bargain they are, or I would have one for a track car with an LS or LFX...
fanfoy said:The RX-8 is probably the car that needs to have a good turn-key engine swap developed the most. Can't believe no one has a good swap for them yet.
I want one! Any other modern engine.
In reply to Skervey :
80k and already on engine #2 or #3 is not untypical for the 04s and 05s. Mazda tweaked the oil injection a bunch of times and made some other reliability fixes, which is why later tends to be better. I know anecdotes aren't data, but mine has 130k on it on the first motor and when I had a compression test done about 15k ago it was still in spec.
They do have a bunch of other issues with the reliability of ancillary parts (radiators, ignition coils) that can also leads to the early demise of the motor.
I had a 2009 with 80,000 miles that was running strong when a friend hit a house with it. He totaled the car and a concrete block porch. It still ran afterwards but was not drivable.
I really liked the car.
I want one! Any other modern engine.
I would think an NC Miata swap would be the easiest thing. Maybe make it a 2.5 while you're at it. It still wouldn't be fast, but neither is an RX8 and if you wanted fast you'd be boosting either engine either way.
To me the Rx8 kinda feels like an FRS cranked up one notch which sounds like a good thing unless you also think to yourself that it's 1/4 the reliability for 1/2 the price. I love the looks and interior (and handling, brakes, wheels, etc) of the first gen rx8 and the thought of doing something with one will probably never leave my mind. But i realized at some point that what i thought would be a no-brainer when they reached a certain ridiculously low price point (you can find them broken for 1-2k) actually still seemed sort of iffy once they got there. 
My dream RX8 is a shell that started life as auto (so shifter, pedals, and lower diff ratio) with an LS motor and 4l60. Should be challenge eligible, should be quite fast, and should handle like the GT car it would be.
Maybe I'm weird.
They're so cheap now that I'm surprised more of them haven't been turned into track cars, which resolves the CAN bus swap problem. Maybe something like the 2.5L swap with a turbo.
The desirable extras on the R3 are pretty minor...
Blaise said:I looked into this and talked to a multiple-RX8 owner.
The only way to get a (good) cheap RX8 is to buy one that's clean but blown up, then fix the motor. Anything that's cheap and running is a timebomb. Be ready to do a rebuild.
As someone who actually likes rotaries, this brings up a question: Is there a recipe to address the failure issues on these engines without running afoul of CARB? I bought a POS 2nd gen RX7, beat it hard, and put it away wet. I'd love a RX-8 with the original motor....if I didn't live in fear of the motor's life.
In reply to Kreb :
Run the right sort of premix, beat on it, address the coil and cooling issues.
Yeah, I honestly think that if I were to get one, I'd just buy a cheap one with a junk engine, then install a Mazda rebuilt Renesis. That way you know that the engine is good. My big beef with these though is that it seems like the aftermarket never really took to these. And as someone who loves to mod cars, that's an issue with me.
In reply to NickD :
S1 has a decent aftermarket - not Miata level great but if you're willing to, err, overnight parts from Japan 
, there is an aftermarket.
Ideas I have had since I've owned mine.
1. And Most unlikely, get a cheap NC, take the engines out of both, swap the 2.0 with a 2.5 and add boost, refresh the RENESIS and make the largest ports it can handle, put the RENESIS in the NC and the boosted 2.5 in the RX and go from there.
2. Buy a cheap S1, make it run and talk with Keith at flyin miata and see if a monster paco lift kit can be retrofitted and go rallycrossing.
3. Buy a cheap S1, make it run, and go rallycrossing on stock suspension and just berkeleying send it to see if i could be competitive with the E30 folks.
I should do this with my current S2 but idk if I have the heart to do it with that car though.
What do those things weigh? I wonder how the Camaro/ATS LTG or Mustang Ecoboost 4-cylinder and manual transmission would fit/work in one....
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