HMC- Lada back from exile

[83C]

Has this particular RX8 got a different coloured bumper and is in Devon?

[Bren]

Rear spoiler needs to go - shouts " Tokyo drift."

[Sheefag]

Needs a Ford V4 in it

[HMC]

Well I went, I saw, and I BOUGHT

 

 

It's as straight and tidy as it looks; almost mint which is an unknown world for me. Full history etc etc. Drives like only a rotary can. It's at this point I have to admit to knowing virtually nothing about these engines. Hot start problem = not good. However it's so straight and tidy and unrotten it's like a mobile spares bank in waiting for somebody should Dr felix Wankel's engine blow up.

 

I figured I'd just live with it like this and strategically plan journeys (5 min delay when hot= won't go, leave it 15 and it's fine) worry about other stuff like a recon engine some other day (or let a future buyer decide that one) In the meanwhile it looks great and sounds amazing. Hopefully this brief fling with something high maintenance will be fun*.

[beko1987]

That's amazing! Our department director had one a few years ago with a duff battery. We jump started it and off she went for an hours drive!

 

They do look flipping smart though! Well bought

[dollywobbler]

High-speed starter might coax a bit more life out of it. One warning, NEVER turn off the engine until it has reached operating temperature. These things flood very easily and are a sod to get going again.

[twosmoke300]

Plan your fuel stops well ! I suppose you could walk round the corner with a jerry can where you live

[DodgeRover]

Has it actually got a decent battery on it, if you have a known good one on something else it would be worth trying.

It does look good though.

 

I couldn't be doing with something that won't restart though - if all else failed it would be getting fed 24v to the starter and nothing else.

[SiC]

Things to try before condemning the engine:

- battery

- plugs

- starter

- coil packs (and leads)

 

They have got a bad reputation for engines failing but a lot are condemned before checking those bits due to the reputation.

[Sheefag]

Well I went, I saw, and I BOUGHT

 

Now here's a man who doesn't fuck about.

 

 

 

You'll live to regret it, mind.

[bezzabsa]

has this got the Bose sound system in it??

 

sposed to be REALLY good

[Sheefag]

He'll enjoy that when he's waiting for recovery.

[tooSavvy]

oopssss 

[tooSavvy]

He'll enjoy that when he's waiting for recovery.

... watching this & dreaming....

 

 

TS

[Asimo]

Before you reach any conclusions at all about the engine, change the plugs. These are probably quite expensive but Wankel engine plugs are pretty special. They spark twice as often as a plug in the equivalent four cylinder fourstroke and most significantly they never get the suck squeeze blow time to cool down, it is just bang bang bang. Poor plug!

 

I'd change the oil too, just to make sure it had the reccomended stuff in there. Wankel engine oil stays clean because the oil that lubricates the combustion seals is always burnt rather than returned to the sump.

[dollywobbler]

Ah yes. Most specialists seem to reckon mineral oil is the way to go. 

 

Oh, and if the engine management light comes on, the advice is to stop, as misfiring causes insane engine damage. 

 

But, they are meant to be a lot of fun as well!

[SiC]

Yes only run mineral. It's a loss oil system so it burns naturally. Mineral has qualities more suited to this. The Americans, against Mazda advice, seem to insist using it and it can cause problems.

[SiC]

I loved driving my RX8 but hated the 16-22mpg (22mpg was a 60mph motorway run) and the depreciation (lost £3k in a year). Admittedly I got mine when it was only a few years old, so not sure how well they go after time and owners has taken their toll on them.

[Hertz]

I looked at one of these earlier in the year but got outbid as I was trying to snag one at no brainer money. My mate has one and it sounds awesome, hes had no major issues with his at all.

 

Is yours the 231 full fat version?

[SiC]

I looked at one of these earlier in the year but got outbid as I was trying to snag one at no brainer money. My mate has one and it sounds awesome, hes had no major issues with his at all.

 

Is yours the 231 full fat version?

No this is the 192bhp because it doesn't have the headlight washers for the HID lights. They only came on the 231bhp.

[/geeky]

[twosmoke300]

Am I the only one that thinks that Hendry needs to go to HMC school of buying old cars ?

 

No deliberating - get the fucker bought .

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Barg. Were these designed by Mazda UK? I can just imagine the conversation in the pub.

“Roight then lads, we’ve been asked to build a big brother to the MX5, but it’s got to break the mould. Forget reliability, conventionality and longevity, and let’s build the RX8.”

 

Piss-taking aside, I still think they look good, despite their relative age.

Would.

[richardthestag]

rotary is for winners, I would imagine that I totally looked and sounded like this every time I drove it

 

 

and

 

https://youtu.be/DQrrcsEftZ8?t=1m28s

 

great parenting skillz in that one ^^^

[Zelandeth]

Failing coil packs can (and do) kill the engines.  Annoyingly there's no feedback to the ECU so this doesn't often trigger the check engine light.  It causes a missfire and results in fuel washing the oil film on the inside of the combustion chamber = wrecked rotor seals in short order.  Doesn't make a major difference to the engine behaviour at the time though.

 

...why they didn't put feedback in there to provide warning to the driver this was happening I've no idea.  I honestly didn't believe it was true the first time I heard someone mention it.

 

As such I believe coil packs are considered items that need to be replaced every X years or after y miles.

 

I looked at one of these a couple of years ago when they started to appear for silly money - then looked at the vehicle tax band!  Stopped looking then.

[Skizzer]

I’m just going to say very well bought, sir.

 

I nearly bought one new. That was a close shave.

[beko1987]

I'm amazed dollywobbler hasn't said it needs a Daihatsu triple fitting...

[cort16]

You need to get one of those f1 type external starters.

[Sheefag]

I'm amazed dollywobbler hasn't said it needs a Daihatsu triple fitting...

 

Now you mention it, a Mazda rotary engine would make perfect sense in an Invacar. 

[DodgeRover]

Having seen turbo rotary sprint cars mixing it with the V8s on the oval I can only imagine what a rotary Invacar would be like!

Trial fit one after the V8 mercury 2 stroke test...

[HMC]

RX8 FTP! Actually this was a planned one. To get it up to temperature I went for a moorland spin and parked it up in a convenient if it FTPs place to try a hot start. Tried a hot start and it didn't want to know. Left it 15 and it didn't want to know. I receipts show fairly recent coil packs for ££££ and some other stuff for £££ but no note of a plug swap. The recommended iridium plugs are about £80 for a set of 4. Worth a punt maybe?

 

After pondering this I gave up for the evening and took a dash at night pic...