How much would/did you mod your daily driver?
 

Since I got Lily (not a bad name for a white RX8, right?) last week, I've been thinking about the direction I am going to take her. She's a 2007 and has 30K miles.

She's my daily driver and I need her to last me 4-5 years. I don't commute (work from home), so I'll maybe put around 10K a year on her. I know I "shouldn't" do any FI if reliability is my #1 concern, but all of these SC and Turbo kits I see around are calling my name. I had a 98 Z28 with Heads, Cam, etc that put out 402 at the wheels and it was a monster. Couldn't handle worth anything, but still had great acceleration. I'm not trying to go as fast as that, but I'm cursed (blessed?) to know how it feels.

Is it irrational for me to spend 8-10K on a properly tuned turbo on my daily driver and expect her to last another 50-60K miles? I'm thinking around 280-300 rwhp; nothing tooooo crazy.

Should I just stick to bolt-on's, suspension and some NOS? I do have a VERY old beater (mid 80's Hyundai) that I can use in case anything catastrophic happens, but it's not exactly the most dependable vehicle around.

I'd love to hear from any FI people on the reliability of their engines....

FI RX8 can be made reliable, but with the added stress, it is still a gamble. No matter how well put together components are and how well tuned, you will still be facing more potential troubles than a stock RX8.

As a daily driver, I assume that the RX8 is your main car. Are you capable of dealing with down time of the RX8 if and when something happens? Are you capable of throwing out the cash for repairs or upgrades if any?

I can deal with downtime since I have my "thomas the tank" hyundai, however, it would probably be a few months before I would be able to get the cash for an engine rebuild (if needed).

Is your RX8 a daily driver? If so, would YOU put FI on it (if you havent already)?

Ive spent over $3500 on my 8, its my DD. But I also have the parentals (lol) extra car if I need it.

always have another DD

My RX8 is not a daily driver by any means. I have a daily driver and mass transportation. Most of the time, I let it sit under a cover. I even have it on limit miles insurance for cheaper prices, as if it is a collectors car. From now on, I should only be averaging less than 4000 miles a year on it. Even if I had the money to throw at my RX8 for force induction, I would not.

Dont mistaken my decision though; I do find force induction to be very fun. I have driven a few FI cars before and two particular ones stand out, such as the Lotus Exige S240 (tuned for 300+whp) and my cousins Evo 9 MR Special Edition. I havent driven a FI RX8 yet, but I do not feel the need for more power in the RX8, even though it would be fun to have a bit more punch. Perhaps its my inexperience with FI RX8s, but I like the characteristics of the RX8 as is. If i have a thirst for FI kicking my butt while im in the driver seat, I would go for a factory turbo fun mobile, like an Evo.

Everyone has a different opinion though. I am just sharing my own. If you have the urge and the money to slap some FI on your RX8, do it. There are quite a few FI RX8s roaming around as you can tell from this forum alone.

btw- it looks like we share common daily drivers.....:sad:




Attachment 256021

Anything goes except mods that would give straight pipe drone, over lowering and flashy chromy rice.

There are lots of mods you can do to a daily driver but I'd stay away from the loud, stinky ones.... LOL
There's a whole list in my sig that I consider to be reasonable.
FI on a DD is going to be a tough balance between power, drive-ability, reliability and mileage. I continue to ponder...

I spent close to $30k+ on mine

I used to daily drive the car and spent $400 a month in gas.

Get a daily driver than mod the car if you plan on doing big things. I have daily driven a Turbo 8 and a Supercharged 8.

If you like sanity just get another car to daily if you plan on going FI.

Either car can be daily driven as I had done it for months on both, if you are going to FI on a daily expect to pay $10k at least.

Edit: Also still on the original engine. Although I only have 24k miles on it, I have been tremendously hard on the car for the last 10k miles.

I modded with fuel economy, warranty, and livability in mind.

What I recommend

-Intake (Mod stock intake, or RB Revi intake)
-Supercat of some sort
-Accessport if you can find one
-If you want to lower, I found my TEIN Stechs to be quite forgiving for DD use.
-Sway bars

Quick way to gain some sound, little power, and feel like a go-cart around corners. However, if youre speaking of boosting, this doesnt yield much power over stock, sound more than anything.

Either that or invest a couple thousand in a beater to use and start with the big projects on the 8.

It all depends on your budget, goals, and what you're using the car for.

My last DD was very modified and I'm not really going down that road again.. not with the RX.
Way too much maintenance.

I'm not sure if this thread is meant for any DD or RX8 specific, but in anyone cares, I had a Toyota Paseo that started life at 93hp and 100lbft, 0-60 in about 11.5 seconds with the automatic. When I was done with it, it was pushing 160hp/163lbft out of the same 1.5L which had gone through 2 rebuilds and a manual swap; none of the suspension, brake or audio parts were stock and it was doing just under 6 seconds 0-60. I was autocrossing and tracking it, and it gave a lot of more "grown up" cars a run for their money. Unfortunately, toward the end it also leaked almost every fluid, required fixes and adjustments almost every week and was starting to eat into my wallet in parts.

So.. yeah, it was fun to do once, but I have other things to worry about than fixing my car every week, so I just have the BHR coilpacks on the RX and stopping there. On my first day tracking the RX, it was a second per minute faster than the Paseo ever was anyway :P

That rear dent in the quarter panel makes it a perfect DD. :)

You never hear any complaints for SC RX8's...

Going Turbo will be a headache. Expect to replace the engine soon.

I have no other car and every bolt on engine part you can imagine.

With that said the minute you modify your car is the minute it will start causing problems.

Regarding the above comment about SC's and turbos. if your forcing air into an engine that wasn't build for it you will run into problems.

SC's and turbos will all fail. Simple fact is we see more turbo failures becuase its more affordable to get a turbo, and more people have them.

Before i went FI i had practically every bolt on you could do to a DD. Honestly, it was not worht all of the money. I spent way to much money for verry little horsepower gains. I would suggest the cosmetics and some suspension mods and call it good.

Finally, i went FI. i have driven my car TWO days in the last one and a half years and counting. Stupid random problems that never seem to let me car get back on the road. If you dont have a second car, dont go FI.

lol, this is very true. My car just seems to keep getting louder with minimal gains. Intake/Exhaust is the end of my performance run, the rest will be shocks, sways, wheels, and cosmetics. Then when the 8 is paid off (under 24 months woohoo!!) Ill buy a second car that I can make fast :rolleyes:

Oh yea, Ill have my cake and eat it too lmao

8-10k? dude just daily drive the 8 and find you an FD... like me. :D: problem solved. you have a boosted rotary and.... a reliable rotary.... THAT is cake and eating it too. or you could ls6 swap the FD like i'm doing. or better yet, ls6 swap the 8!!!

or take that 8-10K and buy and FC and build that up lol.

You guys make a bunch of sense. I bought the RX8 because I want to DRIVE it. Even though I have a beater for emergencies, I do not want to have to use it.

I think I'll do basic bolt-on's, suspension, tuning and some nitrous for the times I feel silly.

You guys make a bunch of sense. I bought the RX8 because I want to DRIVE it. Even though I have a beater for emergencies, I do not want to have to use it.

I think I'll do basic bolt-on's, suspension, tuning and some nitrous for the times I feel silly.

If the 8K were mine, I would spend the cash on suspension parts (coilovers, rear shock brace), a lightweight flywheel, and some interior enhancements, like, oh I dunno, a CarPC in the nav hood.

That would make my ride perfect. No need to go fast 1/4 mile at a time, I would rather go fast a turn at a time, and in style.

Read up on the Nitrous threads, theres a lot of good information, this wouldve been my next recommendation for you. Nitrous + a few bolt ons and suspension upgrades would be insane for a DD.

My FI 8 is my daily driver . I do have other wheels for emergencies and that has come in handy more than once .
The experience has taught me that it is not something you want to do if you don't have spare cash and don't like working on your car.
Now that I'm pretty much finished tinkering with my system I just enjoy the extra power and have to say I couldn't go back to stock (and be happy with it ) .

getting an fc is a great idea. they're pretty easy to find, and you can luck up on them cheap. i got a turbo for seven hundred and just needed a new trans. lots and lots of fun. and there is TON of aftermarket support for them.

All Series I engines will fail based on the design failure, putting a turbo or SC on it will just speed up the process...

All engines will fail based on the fact that they are constantly holding in explosions. Your average piston engine wont see 160k average rotary engine wont see 120k. With that said I rebuilt my 124k engine and am expecting it to last another 40 to 50k on the same internals.

With proper premixing you can minimize the effect of the failed design from the series I.

If your running a SC or turbo with W/M you can minimize the downside of FI.

Its all a matter of how you mod and the thought process you put into it.

If you mod becuase its aftermarket and you think your car will go faster (intake, exhaust and no mid pipe, chassis bracing, most upgraded radiators, most pulley kits, the list goes on of non functional parts). Then your just being stupid and silly.

Functional mods.
Tune, Mid pipe, K&N or Green filter panel filter, Lightweight Flywheel, Lightweight exhaust (HKS Hi power, sounds decent, or a TI exhaust), premix, Sohn adapter, BHR ignition, wider tires, Tein Stechs, SS brake lines, new brake pads and resurfacing of the rotors.

That would get you a fun to drive 8, that's reliable and fixes allot of the glitches that the renesis is plagued with. Its expensive but you can find used parts on the forums if you look.

Im sorry let my Rephrase what I said then...

1- Yes all engines will fail, but not because of design failure, its because of what you said, holding in explosions, but you also have to factor heat in there. Heat is one of the main factors (if not the top) for any internal combustion engine failures... A good quality oil will help prevent this as well as regular oil changes with a good oil filter.

With that said there will always be metal on metal contact, even though slim or with a fantastic oil (Royal Purple :naughty: ) you will get wear and you will slowly but surely lose compression. This goes for any engine...

With that in mind I still stand behind what I said: All Series I engines will fail because of design. I suppose I should add with a chance for it to fail "Prematurely" in there as well...

2- I have yet to see any data behind premixing doing anything to help make a Renesis engine last any longer. Some swear by it, and others dont. Some say this brand of premix is good, other says it is way too strong and is more of a cleaner than a premix. I think its fair to say we all have seen a 04' model go for 90K on the original engine without premixing and other 04' models premixing and still prematurely failing (Go ask 9KRPMrx8). The MSP-16 flash from Mazda has the OMP increase oil but still doesnt fix the design flaw. It will help but it will not fix the flaw.

3- Yes there are alot of aftermarket mods/parts you can get for you RX-8 that will net hardly any hp or even function.

Underdrive pulley nets you nothing except reving faster, it makes you think it gives you hp when it doesnt.

Some exhausts weigh more than stock negating the effects of maybe the +1 hp you get from it.

Most if not all intakes will just give you noise if not hurt your HP (K&N Typhoon). The stock intake is pretty much is good as its going to get, the AEM/MS CAI are pretty much only for sound/look and might give you 1 hp.

upgraded radiators suck for the RX-8 and will actually make your cooling worse. You're better off sticking with the stock Rad or buying BHR's rad that has been proven.

4- Yes all of those will net you some performance and reliabilty...