RichardKs wanderings: There's a Serk, live! In its sink lair - see, five!

[RichardK]

2 hours ago, gadgetgricey said:

Those keys are amazing. Assuming that the two keys with the sleeves on are factory fresh as such and never been used.

Showing lack of RX8 knowledge here, but certain my keys had the remote buttons on the key itself, was there a facelift, or am I just mixing my previous cars up?

Not sure about facelift, but my 2006 one had keys the same as my MX-5 with the flip-out blades so I'm guessing there was a revision. This is a MY2003 car - the brochure has Nordic Green and Lightning Yellow. The fobs confused me too...

[Liggle]

Great buy, look forward to seeing how you get on with one, I've always fancied trying one!

How many hundreds of pounds did it cost in fuel to get home?!

[RichardK]

36 minutes ago, Liggle said:

Great buy, look forward to seeing how you get on with one, I've always fancied trying one!

How many hundreds of pounds did it cost in fuel to get home?!

It's on 1/2 tank and 148 miles. It took £80ish of Super Unleaded when I filled it at just above red-light roulette time... 

My old 192 used to return up to 33mpg, six port models are supposedly less economical, but I reckon it's not too far behind. The RX8 o.c. has a thing about '300 miles to a tank' which I was reminded of; my 192 would regularly get 325 between fills, and I once got 345. Gauges aren't accurate and there's no trip computer so we'll see where it is when I fill it up again. Also that includes about 40 minutes of 'idling + crawling' to cover 2 miles at Dartford where 40 minutes of 'working' would get me 30 miles... so that's a LOT of wasted fuel (thanks, M25).

Thing is, like any car - use case. If you drive around towns, do short drives, it'll be awful. When I had my new one I never drove it to the shops - shortest trip it would do would be 15 miles on country roads, always allowed to warm up <4,000 rpm then warmed and beeped. It was more economical than my 1.6 Beetle Cabrio, which at (the legal limit for the roads honest) the speeds I drove in the Borders would struggle to deliver 30mpg.

The eye-opener for me with cars/fuel was my 480 ES 2.0 auto. That could do 40mpg on a good run, but the live MPG readout was unusually clear. I lived 2 miles outside the town (Ednam to Kelso) and if I wanted to go to the shop, it reported 10mpg when first started and almost all the way to town, it'd creep up to 17mpg as the car began to warm up just in time for me to switch it off. I stopped shopping in Kelso and started saving my shopping trips for longer drives elsewhere... But likewise I had a Renault Clio, the round blobby 2000s one - 1.6. It did 24mpg when it lived in Birmingham and never left the city. It's why I'm so happy using a plug-in hybrid and quite happy to promote that solution for towns/cities, the 3008 does regular 1 mile to 15  mile round trips around Boston without ever starting the engine. Just wish they could make the car bodies lighter to compensate for the batteries.

Of course all of these costs pale beside the Cruiser's tax. £53 a month! FOR THAT?!

[RichardK]

Is that not one of the best "you could buy this for £20K" interiors of the mid 2000s?

Poking around the engine bay:

[DirtyDaily]

Is that not one of the best "you could buy this for £20K" interiors of the mid 2000s?

Really couldn't agree more. I need to have a look at the classifieds. I think these RX8s are so severely under valued. If it was identical with a piston engine this would be worth S2000 money. Forums are really bad for my mental health seeing stuff like this all the time.

[RichardK]

Going through the history now. Every MOT certificate since 2008 so far, now a lot of service notes.

Check engine light was investigated by main dealer in 2020 at 70,000 miles and includes a compression test and note that the upgraded starter motor is already fitted. Also notes O2 sensor didn't want to exit the cat for inspection... I wonder if that's why I have  EML. 123 = 7.2/6.9/7.1, 456 = 7.5/7.5/7.5, so it's probably got about 30,000 miles before it needs a rebuild.

[DirtyDaily]

Going through the history now. Every MOT certificate since 2008 so far, now a lot of service notes.
Check engine light was investigated by main dealer in 2020 at 70,000 miles and includes a compression test and note that the upgraded starter motor is already fitted. Also notes O2 sensor didn't want to exit the cat for inspection... I wonder if that's why I have  EML. 123 = 7.2/6.9/2.1, 456 = 7.5/7.5/7.5, so it's probably got about 30,000 miles before it needs a rebuild.

I assume that 2 should of been a 7? Those are REALLY strong compression numbers. Must of been someone who actually knew how to look after a rotary to have those figures at 70k miles. What a buy. If you premix, remove the factory oil squirter and possibly look at someway of decoking the engine regularly (meth injection would be my choice) you could many many miles of compression filled motoring!

[gadgetgricey]

Just asked about one on FB marketplace that in advert has been stored for a few years.
Finally got reg, and last MOT's in 2014.....

[RichardK]

2 hours ago, DirtyDaily said:

2 hours ago, RichardK said:

Going through the history now. Every MOT certificate since 2008 so far, now a lot of service notes.
Check engine light was investigated by main dealer in 2020 at 70,000 miles and includes a compression test and note that the upgraded starter motor is already fitted. Also notes O2 sensor didn't want to exit the cat for inspection... I wonder if that's why I have  EML. 123 = 7.2/6.9/2.1, 456 = 7.5/7.5/7.5, so it's probably got about 30,000 miles before it needs a rebuild.

I assume that 2 should of been a 7? Those are REALLY strong compression numbers. Must of been someone who actually knew how to look after a rotary to have those figures at 70k miles.

Yes, 7.1! It has history like 75,000 mile service at 35,000, and the (sadly, no longer with us)  owner's son works for Mazda UK, and who also used to race MX-5s...

[RoverFolkUs]

You've struck very lucky to get an RX-8 with good compression! Usually they've all got bad apex seals at least by now, I'd love to have one at some point but the engines scare me off!

 

[RichardK]

I think I've solved the 'not sure if it's down on power'; codes 2008/0661 which both imply a problem with the inlet manifold valves; it's had issues with SSV in the past but they're vacuum solenoids so... I'm thinking replace some vacuum pipes and get some contact cleaner on sensors, and rag it properly for a while. It's TRYING to work - I feel a change around 5000rpm as it presumably adjusts fuelling, then gets the wrong airflow and winds it back. Either way, 'it's just stuff'.

Tempted to get a garage to replace/rebuild the calipers so I'm not wasting time not driving it.

[Crackers]

1 hour ago, RichardK said:

Tempted to get a garage to replace/rebuild the calipers so I'm not wasting time not driving it.

Seems to be a distinctly "2000s Mazda" character trait this. When their cars were so good to drive, why did they insist on making one of the most important bits ruin the fun?

[RichardK]

Really cheap components 😕 OTOH really cheap car, so...

The Cruiser got some attention:

This car has had the same owner from 2009 to now, apparently. Always serviced at the same Derbyshire garage. It's had wishbones and bushes yet has a steering wheel at an angle and all the directional stability of a giraffe on ketamine, and guess what - if these plugs have been changed I'd be amazed, but two of them were spin-out by hand tight, two needed the "tap ratchet with palm" caution that experience of stripped alloy head threads brings. One looks like a replacement but it was the "easy to get to" one.

I put Iridium plugs in with new leads and torqued "hand tight" as they don't have compression washers; will recheck after a few miles. New PCV valve but the (original) one still rattled so maybe didn't need to.

Difference in performance and smoothness of idle is astonishing. It feels like a different car and much less "sickly". Slightly concerned by the oil around the plug body (that was one of the loose ones) but the sparky ends look okay. 

13 years. Elderly woman owner. Many receipts. These plugs.

[gadgetgricey]

Did the service on a mates ZT he'd owned for years , taking it to the local garage each year for a service.
I was trying to teach/show him how easy it was, but was appalled at the pollen filter when removed.
Obviously not been changed for many many years.
We kept it, and he cross checked receipt history and he'd been charged for one every year.

He never went back to that garage again.

[RichardK]

Definitely needs a clay bar and deep polish day...

[RichardK]

I've made enquiries

about

getting someone

to work

on part of

my car...

Specifically getting the wheels refurbished.

Because this:

Looks so good like this:

Until you spot:

It looks like it'll cost £240 but that should be a very thorough job.

Then I need to refurbish those calipers, they look terrible. EBC slotted/drilled discs and good pads will finish the job.

And off goes the Range Rover.

Here's why the RX-8 wins. 2006.

[RichardK]

Windscreen shapes and framing of the world through them...

Car designers are clever buggers:

[RichardK]

Little things:

Zoom. Enhance.

Just enhance:

Zoom zoom zoom!

 

[RichardK]

Things I hate: incomplete stuff and selling expensive things on eBay that need packing and having to stress about it.

So the MIDI guitar sold which paid for the RX-8 but they're in Wales. ARGH. Hate packing guitars.

Their folks are in Chelt. My friend is in Gloucestershire. Bonus, I sold an ADAT machine and the buyer is in... Gloucestershire! A PLAN!

ADAT buyer also owns many BXs and a fine whippet. Lovely bloke.

Anyway, logistics already planned, I find a thing for Boris on Facebook as well and they agree to leave it outside for me to collect when passing.

3008 goes Boston, Chelt, Stroud - drops things off - visit friend, help make progress to resurrecting her BMW 120d cabrio from slumber, watch Ukrainevision, sorry, Eurovision, then drive home.

After the final scores.

Via Cambridge.

20 hours awake, 400 miles, most of a Niven/Pournelle audiobook listened to, and:

Lovely club member let me have this unused cover for £60, which is a great deal. So far I'm finding all the PT Cruiser people suitably nice and suitably lovely - I guess you don't get and customise a Cruiser (whether thats stickers and wheels or full-on stainless grille and two-tone commitment) unless you're non-neurotypical so hopeful they'll be a good crowd.

[RichardK]

Good news/bad news:

Went to collect a bonnet. Stopped to put roof up, pulled away, car felt wrong.

Very annoying.

So I decided to grease the RX-8 steering as the last MOT advisory said "rusty steering components" and forum says "blast UJs with bike chain grease".

This isn't what I was expecting to see.

This car is really winning me over.

Even the headlights washers work.

[RichardK]

Farewell...

[RichardK]

So... I no longer have a car with a lovely light leather interior, this will not do.

Spare wheel! Wish I could have bought three more like this...

Clean first, then fit:

Nordic green with stone leather. Not an option Mazda offered AFAIK but it is one of my favourite combos...

Some body colour and new seat...

[GarageOfLuke]

You're working fast with that interior! Can't wait for the full photos once all in, it's a fantastic combination, as you rightly said. 

[RichardK]

Fast is probably not a fair assessment with the rear seat bases, I've spent longer removing an ashtray! I'm giving the seats and clean and condition before fitting them, but if the car makes it to next week with black ones left I'll be amazed... thankyou for the chat, interior and wheel, it was great to meet you.

Shopping for cats now, unsurprisingly!

[RichardK]

After some adjustment of the mounting hooks, and some swearing at a trim clip that didn't want to leave home...

Still need to do front:

Why of course this is now full of waxoil spray...

Except for the foam-filled sills. That's a wonderful* idea for rust, isn't it...

[Crackers]

23 minutes ago, RichardK said:

Except for the foam-filled sills. That's a wonderful* idea for rust, isn't it...

If that's closed-cell foam and adhered properly to the e-coat it shouldn't* let any water through. 

Not to say that it doesn't, though. 

[RichardK]

That's a big if 😂

[RichardK]

Yes. I think that was worth the effort.

[Zelandeth]

Absolutely.  The black hole approach which seems to be the universal model for modern car interiors is something I really despise.  That looks way better.

[RichardK]

Nailed it!

12 bolts - four per front seat, two per rear side - 12 screws (three per door). The rest is clips. If I weren't in pain etc I think I could strip an RX-8 interior fully and without damage in three hours.