Mazda RX-7 & RX-8 Upkeep

MassTorque

MassTorque

Member
I'm looking at a Mazda RX-8 soon, it'll be a daily driver for about a year, then after I've learned how in a cheap 240sx (180sx to y'all) I'll make the Mazda into a drifter. I know the pair has specific upkeep that's required, I was wondering if anyone would care to enlighten me?
 
Fuel filters, ancillaries, oil and cooling. If you keep on top of them (not that hard) and make sure you get the recalls done you'll be fine.

Head over to a mazda forum for all the ins and outs. People from other forums tend advise avoiding rotaries like the plague.

rx7club.com US
mazdarotaryclub.com UK

have a fair bit of info,
 
Why not make the 240sx into something a bit more proper when you need it? It's nicer to drift than the RX8.
However saying that the RX8 is a nice and it is newer. Please don't be put off too much by forum people claiming they will blow up as soon as you look at them. Look after it, keep it cool and you will be fine. What I've found when drifting an RX8 is that it feels incredibly long when sideways, you can hold a slide for ages. However, when it transitions it changes direction more violently than a 240sx. It does feel like its lacking torque low down but once you get higher up in the revs it slides absolutely fine. Handbrake is crap as standard but I haven't felt the need to use it too much.

Oh and stiffen up the suspension or get it on some coilovers otherwise it feels boaty.
 
Buy a decent RX8 with a fresh compression test and one owned by someone who knows how to look after them.

They are great cars suspension wise and there are enough parts out there to turn it into whatever type of driving car.

As mentioned by dthebuk fluids are critical. Make sure you change the oil every 3000 miles or less (I used to change it more often around 2000 miles in my FD) and top it up regularly. Also, im not sure about RX8's with the oil type but any mazda forum will advise. I used mineral oil in the FD not fully or partially synthetic. some people choose to run fuel additives for 2 stroke, this is worth looking into as well but do your own research into it and get all the pro's and con's
 
The only 240sx here is way overpriced for the condition. Otherwise I'd grab it. The one I WAS looking at is gone.

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I'll end up putting a stronger engine than the rotary eventually, any input on that?
 
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