I BOUGHT The Cheapest "RUNNING" Mazda RX-8... How Screwed Am I?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ค. 2024
- The Mazda RX-8 is a car I've always wanted to own... but they sell for way too much. They typically pop up for $1000 with a note saying "needs fuel pump" and you instantly know the engine is trash. If they run they're far more expensive at around $5,000 for a well used (Read: beat in to the ground) example. This 2005 base model with the 6 speed manual was delivered to my house for just $1,300 and it runs and drives. After taking it out for one drive I fell in love with this car, this could be very bad for my wallet.
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#RotaryEngine #MazdaRX8 #CheapCar - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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When expectations are low, everything feels amazing.
Moto of every GM and Ford buyer in the last 50 years
"No expectations means No disappointment". LOL
“Title of your sex tape!”
That's what she said!
I used to flip rx8's and still own two, you can rebuild the entire renesis engine for cheap compared to most other engines if you're going factory (which if we're being honest, you probably will, if you want power the renesis model of the 13b isn't exactly first pick) all in a day or two including popping the engine in and out.
Honestly the renesis, if you treat it like the oiler is dead already and properly add premix, is a fairly reliable engine. I've had older 12b's and 13b's that used mechanical oilers with over 250k miles, 300k for the 12b. Those oilers put a LOT more oil in with the fuel (basically the same mechanism as other modern two strokes with automatic oilers) because there weren't any restrictions on environmental stuff. Over time they put less and less oil in while pushing more and more power eventually getting to the electronic oilers that did basically nothing and failed a lot with the RX8. A combination of lack of oil with the fuel for lubrication to keep heat off the apex seals and eventually dead oilers in general are what gave the car such a bad reputation for around 45 and 96k miles (those were usually when uneducated owners would have to have an engine swap or rebuild). One of my RX-8's is on its original engine at 180k miles no issues, I just know how to take care of rotaries. At 200k I'll probably pull it out to do a deep inspection and redo the seals while it's out, but I'll wager it's perfectly fine.
I vote for a viewer guest collab rebuild video with this guy
I’m helping a buddy “rehab” an ‘09 R3 with 115k miles. It has some of key RX-8 longevity upgrades but one rotor low on compression due to what i wager is a side seal failure. Do you know if we can cause more damage by driving it with a bad side seal?
i know rx8 alot because i did alot of good research and own one and its the lubrification the most important thing is how to let it heat before usage and how to stop it, wich require a few steps
can confirm all of this. I've had 1st gen, 3rd gen RX7's, as well as an RX8. These are not unreliable cars by any means, as long you pay attention to the oil. My 1985 RX7 went 250k on it's original engine because I had it since only 5k miles and kept a close eye on the oil. Also, always - ALWAYS - use Mazda oil parts. Aftermarket parts are a gamble that you don't want to take.
JR's car sounds like it has a serious compression issue. That idle problem is usually the tell-tale sign that your rotary is days if not minutes from complete death. And like others have noted, just from this inspection, this car was not at all cared for so it's not likely that the engine is salvageable. Not a hard rebuild though. If it weren't for the rust and a few other issues, I'd say it's worth keeping and rebuilding. But this one is probably better suited to either scrap or mod for fun, unfortunately. (Also, I'm not too sure about that "not stolen" thing. It's got basically all of the hallmarks of having been stolen, but I wish JR best of luck on that!)
How much premix per gallon of gas do you use?
I bet your neighbors are looking out their windows and thinking " Damn . He's back with his junkyard " I'm sure all your neighbors will happily help you move out !!! 🤣
And the people in that office across from his shop probably had a party when he moved out lol :)
I asked JR if he proactively went around to all his neighbors when he started his TH-cam channel to sort of set some expectations. He said he didn't but they have all been really cool about it.👍
I won’t lie, I missed the OG at home videos.
100% bro!
Truth! Same here…
Same!
I think I own 9 rx8s they all run. As long as you take care of them they will start up all the time. They like a strong battery, good starter and fresh ignition system. They also like a lil premix 2 stroke when you fill her up with 93 octane. Driving them is amazing though. These cars can put handle the best. They are not fast in a straight line. But the weight ratio is excellent. Mazda is proud and should be proud of what they accomplished with the rotary. I think the rx8 will be a classic especially the r3 models.
did you disconnect the oil injector and fit an external 2 stroke tank to any of these cars.
@@ayedee6681 no I left them just added the 8 oz per fill up
I’m helping a buddy “rehab” an R3 with 115k miles. You’d have to be the best guy to ask about the best coil overs for this car. Any input? The rear of the stock setup is shot.
LOLOL the rx8. a slow peice of shit. looks terrible. unrealiable. slow as fuck. a great car for a 16 year old to learn to drive. thats about it.
@@marko3xl3 I have only stock setup on all my cars. Good enough for the street. I don't track my car and have never looked into buying coilovers. Depends what u r looking for. I think stock is already quite good especially r3.
Saab B204 or B234 swap is a common one in the EU for these, drops right in. Decent turbo, injectors and exhaust. Instant 400bhp. Paul @ The SAAB Clinic.
I had an RX-4. That thing felt like it had a gas turbine under the hood. Smooth power came on fast and revved with no complaints until the REV buzzer sounded at around 8K. Anyone who has driven a rotary knows how smooth and powerful they are. You can't find those things (RX-4s) used. They are almost unicorns.
As much as I liked the warehouse videos I love the driveway videos especially these hoopties!
My vote is to sort it for running and making safe to drive, then flip it to a better bones one and do what you do to the next one…
It makes me happy when JR goes through the trunk. Auto archaeology is one of my favorite activities when I buy a hooptie!
And it needs trunk struts, all is right with the world.
All the clothes and food in the trunk just screams "stolen vehicle."
When doing a cold start on an rx8, you must let it get to op temp, if you switch it off quickly like you did, there is a big chance itll get floded and will not start again easily.
"Perforated sun visors. Makes about as much sense as a perforated boat." Patrick Bedard, Car And Driver.
The reason for the perforated sun visor is to enable you to see the traffic lights they have in Japan that are above the lanes
I came here to say this - JR is the second person I've watched who didn't know what the holes are for. Even looking straight through to the sun, the grid cuts out a lot of light.
Even better if you tint the top of the windshield for added shade. Can look at the light with the sun shining through without even squinting
I use to work at a junkyard and these cars where every where ..nobody would even look at them..they had some nice stock wheels though
Most factory alloy wheels are nice compared to the ugly crap that many people replace them with. Even the fox body Mustang factory alloys are nice looking.
I’m sure the Vargas brothers can make it run really good with a few extra rotors!
I like seeing the videos shot at you're home
My claim to fame was purchasing, new, the second R100 brought into Ontario Canada in 1970. This rotary engine had no rev limiter and revved about 10 -11,000 rpm. Later models had rev limiters. It turned about 90 mph at about 16 seconds, through the quarter mile. Three engines later and it was bye, bye. Move forward many years and I have a Mazda 3. Great car.
Running it up to 10-11xxx rpm might be the cause of the three engines. I’ve got a 12a Rx7 that at most sees 7800rpm. 120 kms and perfect compression, original 1981 engine
@@travisgrover7163 could be. That was Mazda's call back in 1969/70. Certainly on today.
I have an 07 I use as a daily driver. 36k mi, all stock & in great shape except for some spots in the clear coat. Great drivers car and one of the best in handling. Bad gas mileage though. Rev it up to 5k before you shut it off and don’t shut it off until it’s warmed up.
36k is nothing, if like the old RX7 70k is the killer.
Revving before shut off has pros and cons. Cons is it shortens the life of the engine
In the rotary world, "Rev Limit" basically means "Shift Indicator." It's a neat platform.
I believe the auxiliary port with the light plugged into it is exactly that. It is an auxiliary port with a light in it instead of leaving it blank when not in use. Not 100% but it would make sense.
another great video from JR. thanks
Yesss! One of my favorite cars of all time! Looking fordward on where the build goes.
Really excited to see this one. As a youth I had two 1973 12A RX3 wagons I combined into one. RX stands for rust express. Motor was often trouble. Mpg sucked. But I sure loved it
I’m actually really excited you bought this!!!!!! I love Rotary engines!
This is one of those cars I always say I am gonna buy one, but they are always trashed and need apex seals or will need. Thanks for getting interesting stuff. Pretty sure that usb thing is just a night light.
Like the old school vibe of this video, reminds me of years ago when you started your channel, good work JR
this reminds of what you did on the the un-bagging the cube. It was really to see you take a car that was horribly modified and bring it back to normal. Hoping we get to see more of that in the future.
Looks like someone was living in that RX-8 for a while. '08 was rough times.
I actually like this version of the RX8 the best. Still looks up to date, in my opinion.
LOLOL the rx8. a slow peice of shit. looks terrible. unrealiable. slow as fuck. a great car for a 16 year old to learn to drive. thats about it.
That usb device in the stereo is just an led light, that's all it does. Seen a video of car gadgets and they showed one. I guess it's poor man's bling.
Loving it! Why am I so fascinated by RX8 content? I must be into S&M...
I see an LS SWAP IN YOUR FUTURE
Good video. Have to admit, the previous generation is my favorite. (not that I'd ever want to own a rotary) Nice little car and no doubt you'll have a lot of fun with it.
Sounds like a great upcoming project! I would love to see it!
I've never drove an RX8 but I did drive an FD RX7 turbo with an automatic and it was a weird fast. I can't really explain it other than it didn't feel like you were going fast but the speedometer was telling a different story.
that feeling is because they have barely any torque. Rotaries are all HP.
@@tehfalcon I had the same experience with a Yamaha FZ1 for the same reason. It made lots of horsepower but didn't have the torque I was acustomed to like my Bandit had.
LOLOL the rx8. a slow peice of shit. looks terrible. unrealiable. slow as fuck. a great car for a 16 year old to learn to drive. thats about it.
The green LED in the radio is exactly what it is ! They sell them on Amazon and eBay as ambient lighting
Wow lmao 😂
I think this will be a fun project to work on JR. You can always flip it after getting the main problems sorted out. Probably not worth fixing the AC.
These have always been my favorite also, my mom cleaned the Mazda dealership when these came out and I spent hours while she was working pretending to drive these when I was suppose to be helping her lmao
That's rad! 😎
Most owners of these today also have to pretend that they're driving them! :) lol
LOLOL the rx8. a slow peice of shit. looks terrible. unrealiable. slow as fuck. a great car for a 16 year old to learn to drive. thats about it.
Always loved the lines inside and out on those. Might just have to get one...and rebuilt it.
Welcome to the RX-8 club! It's missing the electric air pump that is normally on the passenger shock tower, that could be part of the check engine light. It just runs for 20 seconds or so on a cold start, no real good reason to remove it. AC compressor is belt driven down at the bottom right of the engine looking from the front. AC parts are cheap and easy on Rock Auto. For the surging idle, check for vacuum leaks, clean the MAF, and read up on resetting the ESS profile, it's an easy process. Also something is possibly wrong with the coolant temp gauge, it shouldn't be that far to the left with the car off, someone may have messed with it. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it! I have an '05 daily driver and a '94 FD, the RX-8 is a fantastic car to drive and it's easy to work on.
I have had similar problems with my 2005 RX-8 making it idle smoothly at idle. The technicians at my dealership only suggested expensive repairs, so I took the matter into my own hands. Only slightly familiar with the operation of a rotary Mazda engine, I turned to you-tube videos for some informative help. After replacing the Maf sensor and checking that all my vacuum connections were applied, I decided to check the three solenoids located on the top rear location of the motor block. It was a gamble, but two of these were giving somewhat high resistance readings on my multimeter, so I replaced them. It ran smooth and the check engine light cleared up immediately, so I suppose this made the substantial difference I had been seeking for a very long time. Not saying this is the magic cure, but it is worth checking into, but keep in mind the last solenoid vacuum part OEM cost me $135, hurt!
I hope you'll stick with it and build it into something cool! #MakeDoritosRadAgain
Back in '73 I traded in my '71 Malibu (350, 4-spd bought new) for an RX-3 because of the oil embargo and ridiculous (for then) gas prices. I remember that Mazda made some sort of significant improvement with the apex seals in the 73 model. I didn't really save much on gas because the Mazda didn't get very good fuel economy - but it was fun to drive. It handled pretty well - got into very predictable 4 wheel drifts areound some tight corners on back roads. The second gear synchros (it was a 4-spd) started objecting to my double-clutch downshifts to power around those tight corners, but otherwise it was a relaible car. It did not like Champion spark plugs - it wold miss at higher RPM. Nippon Densos worked fine. Sure wish I still had the Chevelle. If my lousy memory is correct, I traded the Mazda on a Dodge Aspen station wagon (slant 6, automatic). I turned into "Joe Practical". Did I mention that I sure wish I still had the Chevelle?
I’ve always loved the RX-8. Never actually owned one. Always test drove and then backed out of buying. I know people that put auxiliary oil canisters on them and put lots of miles on them.
LOLOL the rx8. a slow peice of shit. looks terrible. unrealiable. slow as fuck. a great car for a 16 year old to learn to drive. thats about it.
It handles so great, being the main reason my cobra build now has the best handling car suspension in it
I have the 04' have owned since new but if you adjust the dash light nob till it clicks it changes the color of the instrument cluster looks dope at night...
great video. as an owner of 2 rx8s n 2 fds. do your homework first on these. the ac compressor isn't over there. it's the air pump that was over there. no filter might have damaged the air sensor and the battery being loose could be another issue to your battery light on and off. good luck on your venture with your $1300 rx8. it's very hard to find one running for that price so you are still winning so far.
The light in the radio is just a light for ambient lighting. Hope you kept the hot wheels. I actually have that red one.
It amazes me that you were able to get a running car for 1300 in today’s market. Pretty sweet ride. I hope it will be good to you once it gets some love
When you hit the bump the battery connecter came off the terminal. Then the power steering reinitialized when you go under a set speed 18:00
Check your battery connections and terminals. Most likely will fix. I've had two 04's and still have one. If you need help with anything you can contact me.
I don’t think it even has a hold down.. I bet the battery bounced and hit the hood when all the lights came on 😬
@@WatchJRGo I didn't see the top cover for the battery either. Should be available used.
What a great idea, I loved 9k rpm in my 6port. 2 struck oil in the fell tank.
That tint job 😂. As soon as you cracked the door window and I saw that cheap dyed film all fading I LOL’d.
For me, the cool thing about the RX-8 was how much of a family resemblance there was between it and the Mazda3.
It is just a green USB light, you can get them off eBay for £1 in the UK
6 or 7 years ago I meet a Father Son team they had 2 of these don't know the year, but they had them set up for road reacting (hill climbing) , numbers on them were there ages, I don't know how well they did but they are good looking. I had a rotary pickup back in the day new from the factory, not problems had it for a couple of years it was a fun truck, put some bone tread tires in it it would run corners very well.
I've owned one for 9 years.
It's been amusingly reliable the entire time. The only thing that killed it was a bad sparkplug dropping into the engine - and it still ran after that. The only thing that killed it was a dead battery.
I've replaced the ignition coils with D585's. They made it so much happier.
I've taken it to the track - which collapsed the original shocks. Replaced with coilovers by Tein.
It's been good. The salt on the roads is killing it with rust. I
I have a 2005 RX-8 that I bought brand new in 2/2005. I have the 6 speed manual & when u drive it higher than 5,000 rpm, u will feel the car start to pull faster. I have 80,000 miles on it and it runs great. I always change the oil when needed or add oil when necessary. When u start ur RX-8 cold, always let it warm up instead of shutting it right off like u did in this video or u may flood the engine that way. Don't drive it in the snow because it's a death trap but it handles good in the rain or dry roads.
Ultimate detail trimmer in the trunk? So this came with TWO 9000rpm motors!
LMAO, one can only be handled with gloves 😂
Ash tray used well. Aftermarket head unit for amps in boot. Green led night light. His sidekick was rolling his 🌿 🔥
Oh, yay another rx8 series hopefully this one isn't given up on after a month like all the others I get excited for
I already sold it, not enough room at my house to keep all the cars right now 🍻
I had an FC for about 12 hours. If you do 91/93 with some premix and really flog them, they run fine. They don't like being putted around at all. Thing was a riot though. I did it for a quick flip, but I wish I kept it. Great weekend cars - especially getting low-mid teens lol
These are great driving cars. I would love to see you fixing it up.
The rx8 was my first cool car I absolutely love it your rough idle is from not having an air filter your rattle is from a cheap eBay cat back I have the same one with the same issue you are also missing your front strut tower brace
Rx8 are a blast to drive. They may not be fast off the line, but, a lot of fun the drive fast in the twists.
My friend had an 1986 RX-7 new back in the day. He upgraded to an Alpine sound system. It was a sweet car.
Awesome car John - make it beautiful and trim it up. 🙃👌
My guess is a faulty Coolant Temp Sensor. Would explain the temp gauge not reading correct at operating temp, poor idle/stalling/flooding/hard starting once warmed up, and the C.E.L. being on. Also of course it'll be down on power with the C.E.L on and running rich. Should be an easy fix as long as it hasn't fuel washed the rotors and rotor housings too much, and the cat isn't smoked👍🇦🇺
Assuming stock sensors, the dash temp and oil pressure gauges are liars. They're literally idiot lights on a stick. A cheap odb dongle and phone app will show accurate temperature. But there's no way to get oil pressure without adding a pressure sender.
@@AerinRavage I suspect all of the gauges get their info from the engine ecu. The ecu will report whatever it sees from the engine sensors back to the instrument panel and then it's displayed by the gauges. Irrespective if using an obd scanner or not, if there is a sensor reporting incorrect/faulty information to the ecu, everything that's receiving that incorrect information including the gauges or an obd scanner, will all be getting the same skewed information. My point is the engine computer needs accurate information from certain critical sensors to maintain correct fuel strategies throughout different operating conditions, the engine ecu doesn't care in the slightest what the gauges might be showing to the driver🤣
@@simonilett998 I've owned an rx-8 for 15 years now. I guarantee you in stock form, both of those gauges are not displaying actual data. Word on the forums is the temp gauge was 'simplified' because the Renesis swings wildly through temperature ranges and Mazda didn't want the headaches of needless service visits.
@@AerinRavage That may be true, but I think you have totally missed the point of my original comment.
@@simonilett998 I just checked, and I did - my apologies. Though with my car, I had way more idle issues with bad O2 sensors.
Excellent video, thank you..
had an 06 shinka, one of the funest cars ive ever owned. treated me well....redlined it every drive and she was happy.
Runs just like my son's ...before we rebuilt it....keep it full of oil. you also may want to switch to higher weight like 10w-40, clean the maf and put the right plugs in it and see.
A quick google suggests that in most markets the 6 speed manual came with a 267hp engine (268 for europe). This should be good for a few very entertaining episodes, I hope, while you get your new workspace sorted.
Love my 2005 Mazda RX 8 50 km, original owner. Don’t forget about the BOSE speakers system
Lots of companies looked at building rotary-engined cars in the late 1960s and early 1970s but they were wary after the demise of NSU. There are inherent problems with the rotary engine design but despite this Mazda stuck with the concept from the late 1960s onwards. Years after everybody else had given up on Wankel power the Mazda RX-8 arrived and while the car looked superb and handled brilliantly, that rotor tip weakness had never really gone away, with engines often losing compression well before 100,000 miles had been clocked up.
That multimeter was a Harbor Freight free-with-coupon meter. I think I have 2 of them myself. 🤣 That trunk sure has some stories to tell!
Previous 85 RX7GS and 2011 RX8 Sport owner . Both purchased new.
Great cars although you have to add oil between changes. Mileage was always 20mpg with manual transmission in both. Didn't keep either that long. I hardly ever see these anymore. Might get another RX8 one day. Do miss that 9000RPM REV beep.
Do a compression check asap. Also, look under the alternator on the driver side and see if you have a blue reman plate on the front cover? If so, you may be able to contact your local Mazda dealer and given them your Vin to see when an engine was put in under warranty. If you keep the carbon out these engines, they will last a very long time. By the way it's reving, I can tell that either the secondary shutter valves, VDI, or aux valves and stuck.
You shloud check to vin at the dealer. It might get a new fuel pump. PS lines and if they can't unscrew the PS lines you might get a new engine cradle. At least here in Europe I have to deal with those kind of recals. Cheers from poland
Old school JR content. This is what is fans who have been here for years want to see
Back in the garage ah retro
I remember racing a motorcycle in a friend's RX3. Down a sidewalk. God, I miss the '80s!
The idea of these cars was fantastic and are fun to drive. Mazda bareley honored the warranties on them and skirted some lemon laws while doing it..
Back in 2017 I got a RX-8 automatic for $500. The person that I got it from had flooded it and could not get it started again so it sat for a bit. i got it running again reasonably easy enough. It was fun to drive but it was a pain. If i wanted to use it, i had to move it out of a space where other cars were behind it in the driveway. I then had to take it on a drive around the block to warm it up a bit before I turned it off or else it would not start again due to flooding. I found most of the time it was easy enough work on (the seized front brake caliper was no fun though). It was a pig with gas.
The fact that it runs and has compression enough to run, is still impressive
I had a RX7 for about 36 years they are great cars if you take care of them, put $216,000 mi on the same rotary engine although it was a 12a. 0 to 60 suck but it sure ran well on the freeway... I'm still playing with the idea of picking up an FD RX7.... If you test drove it and you say it's doesn't have very much power or not very fast and it doesn't either well I would check your catalytic might be plugged....Good luck with your RX8, 👍
Can't wait to see the list when it's scanned with the Autel... O2 sensor(s), coolant temp sensor, who knows. Fun car to save for the price, though! A K20/K24 swap would fix the reliability issues :D
There's nothing like easing the revs to 5000 in second, then flooring it all the way to the beep, it's not fast as such but it is brisk at higher revs and just keeps going, I mean 70 in second!
Someone was def living out of that thing.
Also I’ve never seen anyone not recognize the Jordan brand and call it ‘And1’. Too good
Hey JR, I LOVE Mazda Rotory engines. Ya, they have there problems but still,. they can be a real fun drive !
If your airbag need to deploid when you hold your sterring like this!!!Outch. Exellent vidéo by the way Hope you still enjoy your ride.
I hope you work on this and bring this one back.
Hahaha, great vid! Love to see you race it!
We took a road trip from Anderson SC to State College PA in a RX-8, it did completely fine there and back. After that the guy who still owns it put it under a tarp and parked it for years for no reason
Wouldn't surprise me if it's a sensor issue at all. Not just the guage but the rough idle. Makes sense. Fix it and take it to the track.
That rear window always makes me think of a late second gen Camaro/Firebird.
Maybe check the switch on the clutch. Didn't see a full diagnostic but I know in Australia if box is in gear and ecu doesn't know whether clutch is pressed down or not the idle will hunt massively when you have the clutch pressed. Think mazda implemented some smarts to make it harder for people to snuff it with the manual box.
Please save it! I'm a super biased new owner of a 135K 2004 RX-8, and I think they are absolutely worth a little love. I just drove mine on a 1000 mile road trip with no issues.
I had one loved it. Turn your lights on and gauges go red
Get Dahm to machine you a new trackable two-rotor.
Four rotor or nothing!