What exactly constitutes a stage 1, 2, or 3+ RX-8?

 

Your guess is as good as mine. Personally those #'s are meaningless.

What are you trying to figure out? That's likely more important

 

I'm trying to figure out what makes your car stage 1 or stage 2.. like stage one is a certain pair of parts installed, stage 2 would be like forced induction or what not. I don't know, I hear cars being compared with different stages. I think maybe it's a different stage in their build? Like a certain checkpoint on their goal?

 

He just said it’s meaningless. There is no consistent “stage” system. You want to learn about power upgrades, read the forum. I’ll leave this here, but you’ll probably pay as much attention to this as you did Dan’s comment

https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...rx-8-a-233937/

 

If you paid attention to his comment.. he said personally.. maybe it's meaningless to him, but other people may have a weigh on it.

 

He’s a smart dude and a moderator. If there is something about the car he doesn’t “personally” know, it isn’t worth knowing.

 

And at no point did I question his knowledge. He personally doesn't see the value in it. Which I respect, If there is none then cool. I got my answer, but maybe someone else follows a "stage" process, and that.. Id like to know.

 

There is no stage process. It doesn't exist. Some parts manufacturers use that naming to distinguish the relative performance of their own parts, like clutches. But it doesn't mean anything outside of that product line.

 

LOL..... I wish I was that smart 😎

The "Stage" thing is like a fan boy thing.... there is no standard as to what it means..... and it is usually used to sell stuff and to make things appear to be better than they are

 

Stage 1 : read the section on power upgrades
Stage 2 : realise you are SOL
Stage 3 : sell rx8 and buy a car with power

 

guess I'm at a stage 1.5

 

Maybe we should make up a set of stage tiers...

Stage -1:
Low compression engine but having trouble diagnosing because you won't get a compression test (You're just assuming it's fine because you just had some guy do a "budget" rebuild). Overfilled your oil so your MAF is fouled but your K&N Typhoon intake is screwing with you so it doesn't really matter. Oil injectors and vacuum solenoids are bad and don't hold vacuum.

Stage 0:
Bone stock, probably asymptomatic low compression.

Stage 1:
Recent good rebuild/reman, fresh OEM plugs/coils/wires

Stage 2: Reliability upgrades
Mazmart/Racing Beat Oil pressure regulator, radiator, BHR coils/wires

Stage 3: Performance upgrades with minimal real-world impact
Tubular exhaust manifold, 2.5" catback, any intake

Stage 4: Forced induction
... but without adequate research.

Stage 5: Forced induction
After blowing up your first (second? third?) engine and spending several months reading the appropriate threads to figure out where you went wrong.

 

Stage 6: Give up on Renesis and do an REW Swap

 

I have seen this stage system in some other car forums, but they are usually cars like GTI or some family cars, where you can get some good chunk of power by just tuning and adding some bolt-on parts.

8s aren't like that. Bolt-on parts do little and tuning gives you about 10 HP at most. If you want more, then you have to go forced induction.

Believe it or not, I think NotAPreppie's system is pretty close to truth. If you want a very fast car, don't buy an 8. It's that simple. Muscle cars provide cheap, good power if that's what you are looking for.

 

Check me out! I'm a Stage 2.5 badass!!! I never knew that...

 

So do I average or all the stages I fall into? or Max? or Min? Median???

 

It's a complex Bayesian analysis.

 

Future archeologists will struggle to understand the Stage religion.

 

Modern day enthusiasts struggle to understand it (even when they think they do).

It's like quantum mechanics:
If you think you understand it then you don't understand it.

 

lol

We should just use the Richter scale. Like a magnitude 4 RX8 produces stock power levels with a $4000 investment. Magnitude 5 produces stock power with $40000 investment. Etc.

 

Mmmmm, base 10 logarithms... *drool*

 

The only stages for RX-8's are Stage hate and stage love, they alternate throughout ownership.

 

And,

Welcome to RX8 Club.com.....

One of the things that makes this hard is that the Rotary is entirely different from a piston engine. One of those differences is the way that it hides damage. There is no smoke, no shake, none of the triggers you usually see on a piston engine. All you do is lose power. So, an engine that seems fine, starts and runs, does not smoke and still works on the track can be completely dead, have 50 psi on the rotors for compression, and still behave correctly (Brandy's old motor). Not a lot of mods will work on this motor, compared to how they would work on a good rebuild by a talented builder.

Then Stage 1 is exhaust (lots of broken cats out there) with intake mods before the factory air box (revi duct) and a tune.

Maybe Stage 2 is a rebuild / blueprint / port by a top tier builder, likely with a refreshed tune, especially for an 04.

Stage 3 is then drinking beer and commenting on these threads.