Rover414s Mazda RX8s... and then there were two! 24/08

[Rover414]

The clutch has gone on it! It's sitting in the work car park feeling very sorry for itself! It decided it had enough on the M62 and left me stranded so it had the indignity of being dragged into my works car park by our Land Rover. Hopefully it'll be sorted in a few days.

[Rover414]

 

It's back! I got the clutch done and after the garage taking their sweet time to come and get it and sort it out, I am now £300 lighter for the troubles. Feels like a totally different car now. Made up with it! I am nearly at the one month mark of ownership too. It's greedy on the fuel but I can live with that.

[Station]

If the engine fails, spend 700 quid on new Mazda parts and rebuild it yourself. There's a three part video on YouTube of a complete rotor and housing rebuild - there's nothing to them, rotors, shaft and housings, no special tools needed, and the engines are tiny. The most expensive thing to replace are the housings, the rotor seals are relatively cheap.

I managed Sussex to the Wirral on 40 quid which is about 35mpg, around town is horrific (25 miles on ten quid). I have an rx7 FD.

[SiC]

If the engine fails, spend 700 quid on new Mazda parts and rebuild it yourself. There's a three part video on YouTube of a complete rotor and housing rebuild - there's nothing to them, rotors, shaft and housings, no special tools needed, and the engines are tiny. The most expensive thing to replace are the housings, the rotor seals are relatively cheap.

I managed Sussex to the Wirral on 40 quid which is about 35mpg, around town is horrific (25 miles on ten quid). I have an rx7 FD.

Have you got links to these? Sounds an interesting video series in its own right.

[Station]

Here - it's very slow and sometimes you feel like nodding off, but everything is covered and he explains what can be reused and how condition of parts can be visually checked. There's no valves, timing, gaskets, springs, it's a beautifully simple engine. The shaft controls everything.

 

 

^ everything in that image is what's inside the engine.

Everyone thinking about buying a rotary should watch it, it's very informative.

Btw the engine comes apart by unbolting the 18 through-bolts.

[Rover414]

If the engine fails, spend 700 quid on new Mazda parts and rebuild it yourself. There's a three part video on YouTube of a complete rotor and housing rebuild - there's nothing to them, rotors, shaft and housings, no special tools needed, and the engines are tiny. The most expensive thing to replace are the housings, the rotor seals are relatively cheap.

I managed Sussex to the Wirral on 40 quid which is about 35mpg, around town is horrific (25 miles on ten quid). I have an rx7 FD.

 

This sounds well interesting. It might explain why there are so many 'rebuilt' engines out there on eBay and the like.

 

I have no real indication of what to expect yet, as I haven't filled it since I got it back. But before I had the clutch done I was getting about 180 miles out of a full tank (£50ish). The RX8 owners club reckon between 200-250 miles on a tank is reasonable, some appear to get over 300 out of them but I doubt I could.

[KruJoe]

Hmmm. I wonder if LPGing an RX8 is a thing.

 

 

Edit - apparently so

[Rover414]

It's been just over a month since I got this back from having its clutch done and about two months since I bought it. I have put roughly 1500 miles on it in that time and I have to say it has been performing flawlessly, touch wood it continues in that vain. Having said that, it is quite thirsty. I do use it for my daily commute to work and it costs about £55 to fill the tank on it which if I am lucky lasts for roughly 200 miles. I think on a quick work out, it was averaging about 15mpg which is not great, but I love it. The next this is to try and get the coolant sensor sorted as it always shows the low coolant warning on the dash, I believe that is quite a common fault with these and the level is fine. Here it is in the station car park, it's in need of a good wash.

 

[andrew e]

I'm bumping this, especially post 36! Such a good looking modern car, even now.

[dollywobbler]

Don't forget to keep an eye on the oil level too. Found out recently that if the check engine light comes on, you should stop immediately. Apparently, if there's a misfire, that pretty much bolloxes the engine. Was researching a thoroughly terrifying feature for Retro Japanese about living with one of these. Thoroughly fascinating at the same time though. I'd love to try one.

[Tickman]

I absolutely love the look of these.

I know of one local that is £500 in car tax! I couldn't believe it.

 

Would still like a go in one though.

[SiC]

I absolutely love the look of these.

I know of one local that is £500 in car tax! I couldn't believe it.

 

Would still like a go in one though.

Go 55reg or older - £290 p/y tax then.

[Station]

Apparently the 13B works really well on LPG. It's worth considering on such shitty MPG. (And that rhymed)

[SiC]

They also respond well to turbo'ing. As their stock efficiency is so low, turbo'ing it actually improves efficency. So you get much more power but the same (still appalling...) fuel economy.

 

Why they never offered a turbo in the RX8, like they did with the RX7, I have no idea.

[dollywobbler]

Make an offer on the one near you Ian, statistically you're never more than 11 miles from a broken RX8.

 

If you think that sounds unlikely, you probably can't see your nearest RX8 for the weeds growing up around it.

 

Oh dear. I floated the suggestion at Mrs DW. As soon as I mentioned Wankel, she recalled proof reading my piece in Retro Japanese magazine. "There's no way you're having one of those! They're too fragile!" Proof reading is dangerous.

 

I'd still love one as, while they certainly have their downsides and need a fair chunk of care, the concept still fascinates me.

[Station]

Some things I've learnt so far:

Put in 95 RON fuel it doesn't need high octane

It is happy on 'low ash' mineral oil. Semi/full synthetic supposedly leaves more deposits.

Genuine oil filter from Mazda is £9 (much cheaper than eBay), change the coolant with the oil, the coolant passage can rust through the housing, knackering the engine. Any particles not caught in the filter will end up meeting up with the rotor tips.

The only routine I do is after really laid back driving, gradually floor it to 9000 rpm (until the limiter beeps) and let it cool down for a few minutes before putting it away.

 

I think the rx7 suffered from heavy abuse and extreme modifications and the rx8 suffered from poor maintenance.

There are 100k plus cars still going used as daily drivers without engine overhauls. The engine runs very hot, I burnt my hand on the tail pipe, it was red hot.

 

The mpg doesn't bother me, it's such a fantastic driving car it's a good enough pay off.

[garbaldy]

I wouldnt describe them as fragile though as I have seen loads with over 100k on them, I think it's main problem is owners who think they can treat them like a new Vauxhall with 20k service intervals

[Rover414]

Christ, let this one break first before we all wade in with transplant suggestions!

 

(I guess April)

 

I thought I'd quote this post as we reach the end of April..... it's still going!

 

I have just had 4 new tyres fitted on Monday and it went in for its MOT today which I am glad to say passed. It's going well although the emissions aren't great, neither is the fuel consumption, averaging 200 miles out of a full tank which seems fairly usual for these but as a result is fairly poor on my bank account. Never the less,  have a shot of it in the works car park this afternoon after passing it's MOT, not much shite for a bus company car park!

 

[hauserplenty]

I'll just leave this here then:

http://www.motortrend.com/news/mazda-files-for-patent-on-new-rotary-engine/

 

The Renesis was a better engine than the 13b, but it seems Mazda have completely reworked the original design. The exhaust port has been located atop the engine, which reduces the heat soak effect, and shortens the path of exhaust gases to the turbo. The new intake runners allow for a forced air induction effect, and there is a "Dynamic Pressure Turbo" already in use on the new US market CX-9s. By using a butterfly valve on the turbo intake port, they can use the venturi effect to improve low-speed torque. I have reason to suspect they might use this on the new rotary engines as well.

 

http://m.autoevolution.com/new-mazda-rotary-engine-presented-in-patent-application-106139.html

 

If you've been waiting for a rotary...just wait a bit longer...

[Rover414]

The new rotary looks interesting, I have to say I really like the concept of the new car but I do wonder if it will ever come to pass.

 

I've had this nearly 5 months now and I have to be honest, barring the clutch change it has been completely hassle free motoring. It's an absolute pig on the petrol but that is what I expected. I think if you keep on top of the general maintenance there is no real reason why they won't just last it out. I've topped the oil up recently (oil light came on briefly on start up outside the house a few times) and changed the air filter and it is running really nicely. 

 

 

Since I've had it I've done almost 3,000 miles in it and it just brings a smile to my face every time I use it. It makes commuting to and from work an absolute joy and since it has had new tyres it has felt like a different car to drive. Touch wood, here's to the next 5 months!

[Rover414]

Well, there has been some changes here. As some of you are aware I had an accident at work back in April on the buses, so had an ongoing claim. I absolutely love my RX8 to bits but toyed with the idea of getting an R3 with my payout whatever that may be so I have for the past month or so been looking at them. Fast forward to last week and I came across a 1 owner from new with full Mazda history 2009 R3, with 71k on the clock (nearly 20k more than my own RX8. Contact was made and basically yesterday I became the owner of this:

 

 

It was effortlessly brilliant on the way home, although I didn't go straight home I went to the cinema and by chance I parked next to a 40th Anniversary RX8 that I had also considered looking at recently, small world:

 

 

Finally, the one I was waiting for, both my RX8s together in the work car park:

 

 

To say I'm made up with them is an understatement.

[vulgalour]

Soon as I saw that picture this advert came to mind.

 

 

 

[Eddie Honda]

Me too, I started singing it in my head.

[garbaldy]

Yea but now your not allowed to call him smart old blue for some strange reason they changed it,

[Rover414]

Funnily enough a few people in work commented on the same thing. Had a lovely drive through the Peak District bringing it home.

[vulgalour]

The power of advertising.  RX8s are a super thing to see out and about, an increasingly rare event now.

[Rover414]

They are a lot cheaper to pick up in the UK too than in the UK. I know they don't have the best reputation about but if they have been genuinely looked after and you go into them eyes wide open understanding what could go wrong then they're not that bad. My red one cost me about £1200 to buy and the blue R3 was £5k, yet where I got it from had a older Honda S2000 for far more than that. You do get a lot of car for the money, considering the R3 is a 1 owner, full Mazda history with a solid compression result on it. They are something else to drive, really love being in that high RPM band and just seem so effortless to get there. Next step is to clear the garage out and give the red RX8 a bit of a permanent home for a while.

 

[Station]

That blue one looks sexy. The body kit is nearly identical to the RX7s.

 

[SiC]

Nice! I'm guessing that dash shot with 82 miles on the trip counter accounted for the quarter of the fuel gone!

 

Those last gen ones are pretty darn rare. They were the last hurrah before the canning.

 

Have a much improved oil lubrication system iirc.

 

I always fancied the prodrive one. I don't think I could stomach another Rx8 fuel drinking habits again. At least with a v6/v8/etc, you can drive it carefully and get >22mpg. No chance on the Rex unfortunately.

[dollywobbler]

I'm getting the major horn for one of these again. Surely if I've got the Rover, the fuel economy sort of balances out?