https://www.carthrottle.com/post/maz...-100000-rx-8s/

Thoughts about this?

 

Rx8's are great, get all the recalls done and enjoy it!

 

So many recalls for my 8 but mine needs a new engine first. LOL

 

Mine's in the "you can drive it somewhere as long as you don't need to stop on the way and you aren't going to leave the destination for a couple hours" stage so I haven't bothered taking it in.

Upside is my FC is getting a ton of attention all of a sudden

 

How many miles if you don't mind me asking?

 

Never had a problem with my old 1st Gen rx8 other than a whole lot of TSBs. Bulletproof over 70000 miles. I wouldn't think twice about this update and just do it.

 

i checked my car, and found that there are a few recalls.

there are two airbag recalls, no news there. the actual work is about 20 minutes.

this fuel line recall is actually two recalls, and they say pending. no surprise there, they just announced them this week. they need to send out the letters to the owners, and then order the parts (or not!) from Japan, so this can take a while.

there is also one i didn't know about for the Fuel pump retaining ring.

 

I've had both the airbag recalls, but still no notices for the fuel pump ring which came out awhile ago or the new fuel line one.

 

This is for your RX8 right?

How many miles if you dont mind me asking?
-Im really interested in what type of lifespan you can expect before a rebuild.

 

it varies. if anything my Rx8 experience highlights how poor the automotive service industry is.

#1. the guy bought new, and at 98k the engine was just tired. he tried to get Mazda to warranty it, but it needed a cat too, and he didn't have the $$. so i bought it, warrantied the engine, bought a cat ($1000).

#2, had an engine at 28k, and then another at 44k, and i believe the reason why i was able to buy that car was because engine #2 was installed so poorly. the PPF is adjustable, and when i got this one, the trans was sitting on the frame, made a HUGE racket. the dealership also didn't do any of the bulletin fixes that they should have done (and Mazda would have paid for, like the updated engine mounts, and starter). the owner (i believe it was a big dog that spilled a lot of soda), also spent zero dollars on anything. i bought it at 96k, and after putting a bunch of stuff right, it was trouble free for 4 years, and odometer is at 120k now.

#3 was an 04 that the owner skipped the 60k on because of a divorce, and at 70k, the coils died, she took it to a shop that does race cars, and they told her it needed an engine. i bought it, engines were $1800 at that time, so i would have been happy to put an engine in it, but i deiced to diagnose it anyways, and found no spark. 4 coils, and 4 plugs later it ran fine.

i have a couple of friends who bought Rx8's new, and none of them have had to do more than normal servicing and ignition coils.

its also built like a lego, and its made to come apart, so its really really easy.

 

I picked mine up with 80k and it now has ~120k. I don't premix, and drove it pretty normally (not hard, but did redline it daily). It's an automatic (hey, killer price on a trade-in at the dealer I was at) and was/is in really good shape otherwise, so I know it was taken care of earlier in life.

As with other generations I feel the expected lifespan can really vary. I had an FC with 400k+ on the original motor (mostly freeway) before it started blowing smoke, then of course you hear haters with their "plan for rebuilds every 30k" B.S.

 

I figure if I ever get an Rx8 it will be a series II due to the updated OMP. Not many were produced.

 

And the better gearbox :/

I had an '04.
Bought with ~113k. The car was in an accident and totaled about 3 years later at around ~125k.
The gearbox had been thrashed by the PO, so shifting from 1st to 2nd took a very delicate touch and could be timed with a calendar.
The engine had hot start issues, and got fairly awful MPG, but still ran fine other than that.
The car was great, and I was in college and had a 2 year old girl and the rear doors make putting a kid into a car seat the easiest thing ever.
Great car, and although the engine could have used a rebuild, it never let me down even with so many miles.

I do miss the car, but I think I like my MS6 better.
And I still have my FD, so I get the best of both worlds!

 

I think I read on Jalopnik that the series II transmission is the same as the Miata of that time period, and that this transmission can be used on the series I as well, right?

 

Everything I know says that it can be used on the Series I, but there was something else that had to be swapped as well. Nothing too complicated, but it wasn't a "direct" bolt in. (like one of the switches or something was different. I don't remember).
As far as it being the same as the NC Miata, I have no idea, but I really wouldn't doubt it.
I was planning on doing the swap myself, and had been looking for SII gearboxes for a few months, but then my car was totaled and it never happened. The gearboxes were way overpriced back then, as well. No idea if they've come down in price.

 

the S2 trans is the same family as the miata, but they are not the same. Bart and Homer are both Simpsons. the S1 trans is Ned Flanders

imo its not really worth swapping to the S2 trans, the S2 isn't that much better