Introducing... RXtreme8

RXtreme8 · 10-31-2008, 05:50 PM

I decided it's time for me too introduce myself too.

Hi, my name is Mike McLeish, and I'm a rotaryaholic.

2004 Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring
Velocity Red w/ Black/Red Leather
19" Axis Hiro's (19x8.5 front, 19x9.5 rear)
HKS Legamax Catback
Custom full 3.5" polish aluminum intake w/ K&N cone
RacingBeat Screens
JDM Mazda Red/Black leather shift knob w/ LED
JDM Mazda Yellow Fogs
JDM Mazda Clear Corners
Mazda OE polished vent strakes
Chrome door handle accents
Mazsport Cooling Fan Kit
Tein S-Tech Springs
NGK BUR7/9EQP spark plugs
Moroso 8.5mm Spark Plug Wires
Custom 3 gauge dash pod w/ Prosport gauges
GTSpec Strut Brace
Custom master cylinder brace
VFAD deleted
"Velocity Red" Sony Xplod 12" sub in custom box
Concealed amp box
Optima Redtop battery

2003 Suzuki GSX-R 600
For Sale, $4500 Firm, Local Buyers
Great condition, 19k miles
Blue/White
Yoshimura TRS bolt-on exhaust
PowerCommander fuel management computer
K&N drop-in filter
PimpBike undertail
Polished aluminum chain guard
RK Blue 520 chain
Vortex front sprocket
Driven Blue rear sprocket
Lowered (1-1/2" front, 2-1/2" rear)
Electric seat release
Recovered rear seat in white leather to match fairings
Mini front/rear turn signals & fender eliminator bracket
Polished aluminum frame sliders and rear spools
Some LEDs to make windshield glow
White reflective rim tape

(oldddd picture, but about the only one I've got)

My Story (long):

I am a rotary fanatic and my RX-8 is my 4th. I'm also long winded!

My story began in 1977, but rotary obsession started shortly thereafter with my dad bought his brand new 1978-1/2 RX-7. He autocrossed the crap out of that car and drove it daily until I turned 16, at which time decided it wasn't safe or reliable enough for me and sold it. I loved that car! Instead I got the proverbial mid-sized station wagon with wood grain sides and an Olds Quad4 engine swap he and I had done a couple years before. I dug up this picture when I was like 1 or 2 helping my mom wash dad's car in Hawaii.

Fast forward a few years to 1996. That is when my best friend got his 1988 RX-7 TurboII for graduation, gorgeous Horizon Red, every option but leather. I loved rollin in that car.... so much so that I bought it. Well, his dad was driving it 8 months after he'd gotten it when rusty ass wastegate got stuck in the closed position, and ultimately blew the motor to pieces. So I bought the shell for $2000 and saved up for a motor. Instead of just yanking the motor and dropping in a new block, I came up with a genius idea to buy a whole car, with a healthy motor and cheap body. So I bought an '87 TurboII for $1800 and drove it until I could afford to do more work. A couple months later I yanked the motor and dropped it in the '88, then sold the shell (not so great) for $750 (after I'd burned all the tread off it's tires autocrossing first).

Fast forward to 1999 and I'm getting the 3rd gen bug. It bit hard. So following the success I had with the '88, I found a '93 base model with bad motor and new/clean everything else. A used car dealer took it in on trade and drove it around for himself and popped the motor. He then had his guys pull the motor and drop in a junkyard used one... except that couldn't get it to run. They replaced everything under the hood except the block trying to find the problem. (and gave me allll the receipts to prove it (a freaking binder). So their failed project sat for a full year on the lot while they pondered how to recoup their money when I got a tip from a RX7 club member about it. So I bought it. I immediately did a compression check and found good compression on all rotor faces except 1 on the rear rotor. Stuck side seal... sweet! So I pulled the motor, and disassembled it. Bought all new internals from Mazdatrix, then put her back together. It fired right up but wasn't running right. After about 5 minutes and worry building, I shut her down. But then couldn't get it to refire. my father and I check EVERY sensor and everything we could think of to cause it to not work. You name it, we tested for it. Except ONE detail that didn't cross our minds.... the fact that at this point the car had been sitting for a year and a half now. I'd had the injectors rebuilt, fuel filter replaced, pressure checked and even checked the injectors again for gallons/min flow and cycle signals from the ECU. But I never drained the gas tank full of shitty gas! damn it. After doing so, changing the filter, cleaning the injectors, and replacing the plugs, she fire right up. damn it again.

She was so much fun for about 6 months, ignoring the constant maintenance like door locks breaking, stock stereo shorting out, blah blah bah, then the freaking tranny headed south. Ok, that's it, I'm selling it. It took me another 5 months before I replaced the tranny and sold it in 2001. All the while I still had my '88 as my daily for the next year until the alternator belt broke. no biggie, not the end of the world, except for the unseen damage. The shredding and flapping belt whacked my OMP lines and cracked them, but I didn't notice until a few weeks later when 2 of the lines broke all together. No longer lubricating the front rotor and slowing pumping my oil all over the interstate, the rotor ceased and sheared my eccentric shaft in 1/2 (according to my buddy who bought my carcass and parted it out. bastard). Searching for something more reliable power, I began my wander into the DSM world of boosted TSi's.

Enough of that, Fast forward to 2006. It's Memorial Day weekend and I'm getting a new car bug because my aging modded TSi is well, aging and freaking LOUD as hell. While surfing eBay for RX-8's and never really paying much attention to them, I decided to look at one in particular. It was a 2004 Velocity Red Grand Touring with 28k miles. It was advertise on eBay by a local Lexus dealership. I watched the auction end at $17,000 without meeting reserve or the $19000 buy it now. So I printed the auction and took it with me. The second I saw the Velocity Red car and it's black/red interior, I'd fallen in love, except it had a stick on it saying 24,999 and a salesman to back it up. I laughed at him and handed him a copy of the ad. We went inside while he "talked to his manager". He came bad saying they'd take $20k. I reminded him about the buy it now price and the highest bid and said I wouldn't pay a dime over 19. He came back and accepted my offer. It was now 9pm and so he handed me the keys and said bring it back in the morning and we'll do the paperwork. I never even test drove it, because I knew I'd love it. Within the next week, I was already at a local RX-8 meet and hooked again.

So that's my LONG story. I'd been an active member of the RX-7 community since the Summer of '97. I was heavily involved with the FC community including being webmaster for TeamFC3S for several years (which no one has touched since I left 7 years ago).

Since then my now roommate and I started Rotary4Life.com, after basically getting fed up with the local RX-8 club and needing a channel to drive our motorsports and feed our rotary interest.

He and I both have RX-8's, his ex gf, who also lived with us had a RX-8 & 91vert. In fact, here's an all too common picture from our house (and another 2 more cars if you looked behind the camera man).

That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

***Herblenny*** · 10-31-2008, 06:57 PM

Great Story Mike! And welcome to RCC!!

Phoenix7 · 10-31-2008, 07:11 PM

wow, great story....a rotary fan from infancy! Long story and a great read...welcome to the club!

10-31-2008, 08:15 PM

WELCOME ABOARD... great story.

Phoenix7 · 10-31-2008, 08:20 PM

The last pic rocks.

JL1RX7 · 10-31-2008, 08:41 PM

yes it does!! Welcome my friend.

AwakenNoMore · 11-01-2008, 07:57 AM

your my hero, my mom was stupid and picked a turbo daytona over a 7 back in 84

VR8 · 11-01-2008, 08:53 AM

We should require everyone start with a post like that. Welcome Mike. Velocity Red rules!

RXtreme8 · 11-01-2008, 10:23 AM

thanks guys. i feel all warm and fuzzy now.

JShiz · 11-02-2008, 09:22 PM

Have you had your bike for sell in Mobile? I seen it before

RXtreme8 · 11-03-2008, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JShiz

Have you had your bike for sell in Mobile? I seen it before

Nope, it's never even left Florida.

10-31-2008, 05:50 PM	#1
RXtreme8 The Newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: St Pete, FL Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	Introducing... RXtreme8 I decided it's time for me too introduce myself too. Hi, my name is Mike McLeish, and I'm a rotaryaholic. 2004 Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring Velocity Red w/ Black/Red Leather 19" Axis Hiro's (19x8.5 front, 19x9.5 rear) HKS Legamax Catback Custom full 3.5" polish aluminum intake w/ K&N cone RacingBeat Screens JDM Mazda Red/Black leather shift knob w/ LED JDM Mazda Yellow Fogs JDM Mazda Clear Corners Mazda OE polished vent strakes Chrome door handle accents Mazsport Cooling Fan Kit Tein S-Tech Springs NGK BUR7/9EQP spark plugs Moroso 8.5mm Spark Plug Wires Custom 3 gauge dash pod w/ Prosport gauges GTSpec Strut Brace Custom master cylinder brace VFAD deleted "Velocity Red" Sony Xplod 12" sub in custom box Concealed amp box Optima Redtop battery 2003 Suzuki GSX-R 600 *For Sale, $4500 Firm, Local Buyers* Great condition, 19k miles Blue/White Yoshimura TRS bolt-on exhaust PowerCommander fuel management computer K&N drop-in filter PimpBike undertail Polished aluminum chain guard RK Blue 520 chain Vortex front sprocket Driven Blue rear sprocket Lowered (1-1/2" front, 2-1/2" rear) Electric seat release Recovered rear seat in white leather to match fairings Mini front/rear turn signals & fender eliminator bracket Polished aluminum frame sliders and rear spools Some LEDs to make windshield glow White reflective rim tape (oldddd picture, but about the only one I've got) My Story (long): I am a rotary fanatic and my RX-8 is my 4th. I'm also long winded! My story began in 1977, but rotary obsession started shortly thereafter with my dad bought his brand new 1978-1/2 RX-7. He autocrossed the crap out of that car and drove it daily until I turned 16, at which time decided it wasn't safe or reliable enough for me and sold it. I loved that car! Instead I got the proverbial mid-sized station wagon with wood grain sides and an Olds Quad4 engine swap he and I had done a couple years before. I dug up this picture when I was like 1 or 2 helping my mom wash dad's car in Hawaii. Fast forward a few years to 1996. That is when my best friend got his 1988 RX-7 TurboII for graduation, gorgeous Horizon Red, every option but leather. I loved rollin in that car.... so much so that I bought it. Well, his dad was driving it 8 months after he'd gotten it when rusty ass wastegate got stuck in the closed position, and ultimately blew the motor to pieces. So I bought the shell for $2000 and saved up for a motor. Instead of just yanking the motor and dropping in a new block, I came up with a genius idea to buy a whole car, with a healthy motor and cheap body. So I bought an '87 TurboII for $1800 and drove it until I could afford to do more work. A couple months later I yanked the motor and dropped it in the '88, then sold the shell (not so great) for $750 (after I'd burned all the tread off it's tires autocrossing first). Fast forward to 1999 and I'm getting the 3rd gen bug. It bit hard. So following the success I had with the '88, I found a '93 base model with bad motor and new/clean everything else. A used car dealer took it in on trade and drove it around for himself and popped the motor. He then had his guys pull the motor and drop in a junkyard used one... except that couldn't get it to run. They replaced everything under the hood except the block trying to find the problem. (and gave me allll the receipts to prove it (a freaking binder). So their failed project sat for a full year on the lot while they pondered how to recoup their money when I got a tip from a RX7 club member about it. So I bought it. I immediately did a compression check and found good compression on all rotor faces except 1 on the rear rotor. Stuck side seal... sweet! So I pulled the motor, and disassembled it. Bought all new internals from Mazdatrix, then put her back together. It fired right up but wasn't running right. After about 5 minutes and worry building, I shut her down. But then couldn't get it to refire. my father and I check EVERY sensor and everything we could think of to cause it to not work. You name it, we tested for it. Except ONE detail that didn't cross our minds.... the fact that at this point the car had been sitting for a year and a half now. I'd had the injectors rebuilt, fuel filter replaced, pressure checked and even checked the injectors again for gallons/min flow and cycle signals from the ECU. But I never drained the gas tank full of shitty gas! damn it. After doing so, changing the filter, cleaning the injectors, and replacing the plugs, she fire right up. damn it again. She was so much fun for about 6 months, ignoring the constant maintenance like door locks breaking, stock stereo shorting out, blah blah bah, then the freaking tranny headed south. Ok, that's it, I'm selling it. It took me another 5 months before I replaced the tranny and sold it in 2001. All the while I still had my '88 as my daily for the next year until the alternator belt broke. no biggie, not the end of the world, except for the unseen damage. The shredding and flapping belt whacked my OMP lines and cracked them, but I didn't notice until a few weeks later when 2 of the lines broke all together. No longer lubricating the front rotor and slowing pumping my oil all over the interstate, the rotor ceased and sheared my eccentric shaft in 1/2 (according to my buddy who bought my carcass and parted it out. bastard). Searching for something more reliable power, I began my wander into the DSM world of boosted TSi's. Enough of that, Fast forward to 2006. It's Memorial Day weekend and I'm getting a new car bug because my aging modded TSi is well, aging and freaking LOUD as hell. While surfing eBay for RX-8's and never really paying much attention to them, I decided to look at one in particular. It was a 2004 Velocity Red Grand Touring with 28k miles. It was advertise on eBay by a local Lexus dealership. I watched the auction end at $17,000 without meeting reserve or the $19000 buy it now. So I printed the auction and took it with me. The second I saw the Velocity Red car and it's black/red interior, I'd fallen in love, except it had a stick on it saying 24,999 and a salesman to back it up. I laughed at him and handed him a copy of the ad. We went inside while he "talked to his manager". He came bad saying they'd take $20k. I reminded him about the buy it now price and the highest bid and said I wouldn't pay a dime over 19. He came back and accepted my offer. It was now 9pm and so he handed me the keys and said bring it back in the morning and we'll do the paperwork. I never even test drove it, because I knew I'd love it. Within the next week, I was already at a local RX-8 meet and hooked again. So that's my LONG story. I'd been an active member of the RX-7 community since the Summer of '97. I was heavily involved with the FC community including being webmaster for TeamFC3S for several years (which no one has touched since I left 7 years ago). Since then my now roommate and I started Rotary4Life.com, after basically getting fed up with the local RX-8 club and needing a channel to drive our motorsports and feed our rotary interest. He and I both have RX-8's, his ex gf, who also lived with us had a RX-8 & 91vert. In fact, here's an all too common picture from our house (and another 2 more cars if you looked behind the camera man). That's my story and I'm stickin to it. __________________ Mike McLeish '04 RX-8 GT Turbo, Velocity Red '93 RX-7, Brilliant Black (sold) '88 RX-7 TurboII, Horizon Red (parted/sold) '87 RX-7 TurboII, Burgundy (parted/sold) Last edited by RXtreme8; 11-06-2008 at 11:00 PM. Reason: new mod

10-31-2008, 06:57 PM	#2
*Herblenny* Founder/Administrator/Internet Pitbull :) Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 644 Rep Power: 10	Great Story Mike! And welcome to RCC!! __________________ DGRR 2013 - Year of 13B www.DealsGapRotaryRally.com http://www.facebook.com/Herblenny

11-01-2008, 07:57 AM	#7
AwakenNoMore Rotary Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilbert, Arizona Posts: 107 Rep Power: 18	your my hero, my mom was stupid and picked a turbo daytona over a 7 back in 84 __________________ 1993 VR Touring, motor built by Arizona Rotary Rockets.

11-01-2008, 10:23 AM	#9
RXtreme8 The Newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: St Pete, FL Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	thanks guys. i feel all warm and fuzzy now. __________________ Mike McLeish '04 RX-8 GT Turbo, Velocity Red '93 RX-7, Brilliant Black (sold) '88 RX-7 TurboII, Horizon Red (parted/sold) '87 RX-7 TurboII, Burgundy (parted/sold)

10-31-2008, 08:15 PM	#4
SpooledupRacing Guest Posts: n/a	WELCOME ABOARD... great story.

10-31-2008, 08:41 PM	#6
JL1RX7 Rotary Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Front Royal, VA Posts: 487 Rep Power: 18	yes it does!! Welcome my friend.

11-01-2008, 08:53 AM	#8
VR8 Dragon Slayer Alumni Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 204 Rep Power: 18	We should require everyone start with a post like that. Welcome Mike. Velocity Red rules!

11-02-2008, 09:22 PM	#10
JShiz ZOMG WTF BBQ!!! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mobile, Al Posts: 280 Rep Power: 18	Have you had your bike for sell in Mobile? I seen it before