Crashunit

I just got one of the first Rotary Extreme intakes from Chuck about a week ago, and it took me about 30 minutes to install. I would have posted about it earlier but wanted a few days to test it out so I could give a full report on it, which was part of the agreement for getting mine sooner . (Plus I’m Special :p )

Customer Service:

First off, Chuck (Rotary Extreme) was extremely helpful with everything, from customer service to answering all my questions and fast delivery. I don’t have one bad thing to say about the company or owner, and I have dealt with Chuck on many occasions and for a very long time. Shipping took only 3 days from when I ordered it, and packaging was great and came with everything, minus instructions, which are posted on his site.

Installation:

Installation was pretty straight forward even without instructions, since it’s your basic intake install, and shouldn’t be very hard even for those who never even touched an engine bay. Hardest part if there is one, however, is to disconnect the vacuum line and reroute it. Which is explained in the instructions. Once completed, the intake looks absolutely beautiful, and very tasteful. The polished intake cover and tube really makes the engine bay shine and look great. The intake even retains the stock holes to keep the engine cover in place and looks great with it on or off. The fact that this intake is the best looking was the main reason why I decided on this over the K&N, and others. Its also not too expensive, and built very well and doesn’t look like a half *** intake someone just put together from “you-know-where,” so I was very happy with it.

Results:

After having the intake installed and everything back together, I turned on the car and noticed just a slight growl from the intake once cranked (oh yeah ). At idle after initial start-up, the car sounds the same as stock. Once the car warmed up and no warning lights or anything else seemed wrong, I took it out for a spin and that’s when my fun began :D .

The car really starts to sound like a rotary after an intake is installed, and gets nicely loud and robust when needed. When driving at regular speeds and keeping RPM's low, the car keeps its stock sound and won’t offend anyone with even the lightest ear. Give it a half throttle and it will give you a nice deep growl only a rotary could make . Floor it and the car sounds significantly different from its former OEM self, and your greeting to a nice deep wailing growl all the way to redline. I was pleasantly surprised how much louder the car actually got with the intake, since the car is super quite in stock form. By no means does it sound bad or obnoxiously loud, however, and everyone I took with me in the car complimented on the beefier sound the car made. If you prefer keeping in quite though, just don’t floor it, and it sounds just the same as stock, so it only sounds like a rotary beast when called upon .

As far as Hp and TQ gains go, I didn’t dyno it, but my butt and ears tell me I’m defiantly making some more power. Even if its just my ear deceiving me into thinking the car is faster, I don’t mind, since the car just sounds so much better now . However, the car does respond quicker then before, and pulls a bit harder at top end.

Conclusion:

Over all I am very happy with the Rotary Extreme Intake in all aspects and it just looks so dam cool to boot . I would defiantly recommend it to everyone looking for a simple mod for the car, since it really helps you enjoy the car more, and really gets it to sound like a rotary, which I was really missing from the car.

- Marvin


Cliffnotes:

- Chuck + Rotary Extreme = Good

- Intake + RX-8 = even better

- $260 + shipping + tax = you getting one

- You getting one? Priceless :D

guy321

I just installed mine over the weekend.

As the previous post mentioned, this intake was easy to install even without instructions. However, thanks to Chuck, there's a nice web page with good instructions now. Also, Chuck was very quick to answer any questions via e-mail, usually within the same day.

The intake does make the car sound MUCH better, it even inspired me to take a 2 hour drive to buy 2 shirts at the Outlet mall for no reason.

AND if you get hungry, I think you can fry a burger on the heat shield!

Irish_in_a_RX8

iTrader: (1)

Great posts, thanks for sharing!

XeRo

any of the 2 of you have access to a dyno?...or if anyone else purchases this in the meantime with dyno access...please post your results...so far sounds promising...

Thanks guys for the info..

ELX13

thanks crashunit and guy321 for your insights! i was waiting for a customer report before i decided whether or not to buy.

i guess it's time to order!

btw...do either of u have the borla exhaust installed as well? i'm planning to do both and am curious to read a customer report on having these 2 installed in tandem.

thanks again! (man, i LOVE this forum! :D)

guy321

I dont have the exhaust yet. I'm going to be brave and try the Intake with canzoomer's FC first.

huhsler

What's the latest word on the Ram-Air Intake, RotaryExtreme?

Panting...

Crashunit

I have access to a dyno, however, I would have to pay. At this point I really dont see a reason to dyno just to see it make power with an intake, really no point to it, unless it was free or if someone wanted to pay for my run . And I probably wont even want to dyno the car till it either needs to be tuned or if the car gets pretty well modded with alot of other stuff. IMO, I probably wouldnt doubt Chucks dyno results from the Intake. It is a significant increase, however, just having an intake will by no means make the car significantly faster, so I just dont really see a point to dynoing the car after each performance mod I make.

Crashunit

BTW the intake box Chuck is selling now also still retains the stock ram air from the front of car's grill that the OEM one used, so it actually works as a cold air box. So I dont think the Ram Air intake that will becoming out later will make anymore HP increase, then this one. Just a FYI.

Omicron

I have the Borla, and my am planning on installing my Rotary Extreme intake this weekend... if it's not so cold my fingers don't freeze to the metal.

And while I don't have a dyno, or easy access to one, I do have a G Tech Pro Comp, which has datalogging capability. I plan to use the G Tech to "dyno" the car with just the Borla (wish I'd had it to do this without the Borla, but it's too late now), then with the Borla + Rotary Extreme CAI, then with (evil grin! :D) the previous two plus CanZoomer's Stage 1 ECU piggyback. I'll post results here. Should be interesting!

Digisan

Tell me about it, damn it's cold!

Red8

Noticed that Rotary Extreme is offering discounts for group buys...anyone doing this, if so I'd like to get in on the purchase!

Omicron

You have to sign up with Rotary Extreme, and thus far, no one has done so.

Irish_in_a_RX8

iTrader: (1)

Did you get a good deal with RE? I'll be interested to hear your feedback...goodluck with the install.

Omicron

Well, I feel that $260 is a reasonable price for the intake, so yes, in a manner of speaking, I got a good deal. But I didn't get any special discounts... but I wish I had, for all the talking up of the intake I've done on this forum! :D

guy321

Crashunit is in LA, Im in Fl... Anyone try the intake in cold weather yet? I'm driving to VA this week. It's supposed to be in the 50's-30's there this week. Think I'll have any cold-start problems? (I know 30's isnt that cold, but it's cold to me )

rxtreme

iTrader: (1)

I want to buy the intake, but I want an exhaust, too. I'm getting Canzoomers Stage 1 kit + one additional mod and I'm trying to decide on which to get. I've got good info saying I should go with the exhaust (Borla or maybe Racing Beat). If it were up to any of you, what would you get? Intake or exhaust? Which is the better bang for the buck? Which will come closer or live up to the HP claims?

Omicron

Both about equal performance gains. But OTHER people can hear the exhaust, while just YOU can hear the intake.

zerohour

What is the clearance to the other plastic covers in the engine bay if the shielding gets hott on the intake what is the chance of it melting the other adjacent plastic covers?I only ask because I am very interested in this intake.

As for the exhaust I would also probably wait for racing beat. They have a great reputation as do borla and might be able to improve on others designs.

I am going to get canzoomers ecu mod as well. When is it comming out??

guy321

The plastic engine cover touches the heat shield. However, I believe the plastic was designed to withstand high temps and is not harmed by the contact with the heat shield...

Also, as a tip .. to secure the shield to it's mounting bracket two wrenches are required to fasten the bolts.. I fabricated a ring from a coke can to hold the bolt facing upwards so that I can slide on the heat shield and secure it with two wing nuts i bought from wal-mart. I can now remove the cover with my hands and I dont have to worry about the bolt dropping out.

Rotary Extreme

The top engine cover is not going to melt if it's not melting right now. It's exposed to the same engine heat as the heat shield. The heat shield might feel hotter than the engine cover because metal has better heat transfer. Just like on a cold day, a metal piece appears to be colder than plastic but they are actually at the same temp.

Chuck Huang

Omicron

Canzoomer says that the first 50 or so orders should get fedex'd off approximately the second week of December. Then he's got another 450 or so orders to fill, so I would guess it would take about a month or two to catch up with this demand. New orders will most likely start getting filled in February then. But I'm just talking out my a$$ here, it may go a lot faster or slower. Best to ask Canzoomer. :D

Peter Sawko

Sounds like Canzoomer has got more orders than he expected! Think that's great but am still wondering abput the Dyno testing promised. Assume all these orders are on good faith.

Wonder if Canzoomer will accept returns if these units don't achieve expected gains??

zerohour

Thanks for your response. I appreciate your attention to my questions.

What I like most about the intake is it seems to contain one thing that the others do not and thats style that follows function. It seems to compliment the car greatly.

I will make sure to visit your site to check for sound clips.

Many Thanks.

rxtreme

iTrader: (1)

Omicron, did you ever get to testing out the intake with your G-tech? Or what the gains were with the exhaust? Inquiring minds want to know!