To Mod or not?
03-13-2011, 04:17 AM
#28
3-wheeler
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A great question and kudos to you for asking it. Asking IF to mod is a much different question then asking WHAT to mod. Here are some things to consider as someone who has been up and down the modification process.
First and foremost you need to decide what your goals are with the car. This is probably the absolute biggest mistake I made when I purchased my RX8 and one that took some time to correct. I bought every part I could get my hands on regardless of whether it actually made sense. I made some good decisions but also some bad ones. These days any modifications are decided on a series of factors such as cost, availability (rare parts or common ones), and function. Now, you might not be a person that is concerned with function but I was always brought up with the belief that if I am going to spend my money I should get something that DOES something.
Quickest path here is to figure out how long you plan to keep the car. One or two years only means you'll no doubt lose money because no one pays for mods and some dealers will insist you remove them depending on what they are. Obviously there are exceptions but if you see yourself keeping the car for 3+ years then at least you'll get your money's worth with parts.
All things considered 100,000 miles does put you into a danger zone with the car. Not everyone has issues at that mileage but a compression check of the motor would give you an idea of it's overall health. Since you're out of Mazda's engine warranty any engine replacement/rebuild would be out of pocket if you have problems. You'll spend good money for a replacement or rebuild unless you can perform much of the labor yourself. If the compression is low then you'll have to decide whether keeping the car is worth it.
Now, what to modify depends on your goals as well. Are you looking for straight performance or just looks? Visual mods are purely personal taste so there's not much I can say there. Performance modifications wise I think you'll find that the BHR ignition upgrade, our midpipe and the COBB accessPORT provide the best performance for your money. There are threads for all these products with reviews and opinions and both the AP and the Ignition upgrade have over 400 units in the field. It's probably one of the widest done modifications short of an intake or exhaust.
Poke around the forums as you'll find threads with a wealth of information. Also, do a search for the "mods I regret" thread as that is one of the best do-not-buy threads out there.
Best of luck with your new found addiction!
First and foremost you need to decide what your goals are with the car. This is probably the absolute biggest mistake I made when I purchased my RX8 and one that took some time to correct. I bought every part I could get my hands on regardless of whether it actually made sense. I made some good decisions but also some bad ones. These days any modifications are decided on a series of factors such as cost, availability (rare parts or common ones), and function. Now, you might not be a person that is concerned with function but I was always brought up with the belief that if I am going to spend my money I should get something that DOES something.
Quickest path here is to figure out how long you plan to keep the car. One or two years only means you'll no doubt lose money because no one pays for mods and some dealers will insist you remove them depending on what they are. Obviously there are exceptions but if you see yourself keeping the car for 3+ years then at least you'll get your money's worth with parts.
All things considered 100,000 miles does put you into a danger zone with the car. Not everyone has issues at that mileage but a compression check of the motor would give you an idea of it's overall health. Since you're out of Mazda's engine warranty any engine replacement/rebuild would be out of pocket if you have problems. You'll spend good money for a replacement or rebuild unless you can perform much of the labor yourself. If the compression is low then you'll have to decide whether keeping the car is worth it.
Now, what to modify depends on your goals as well. Are you looking for straight performance or just looks? Visual mods are purely personal taste so there's not much I can say there. Performance modifications wise I think you'll find that the BHR ignition upgrade, our midpipe and the COBB accessPORT provide the best performance for your money. There are threads for all these products with reviews and opinions and both the AP and the Ignition upgrade have over 400 units in the field. It's probably one of the widest done modifications short of an intake or exhaust.
Poke around the forums as you'll find threads with a wealth of information. Also, do a search for the "mods I regret" thread as that is one of the best do-not-buy threads out there.
Best of luck with your new found addiction!
03-21-2011, 10:24 PM
#29
Registered User
Thread Starter
Thanks alot for all the input I do appreciate it. I have plans to do a compression check first since alot have suggested it. I also been poking around and looking at ideas before I do anything. I love the car and if I can keep it running for a few years Id say it would be worth it. I think given the fact that it does have a few years on it and miles Ill look into performance first after I get a idea on my engine and other components wear and how "realistic" me fixing it up will be from a mechanic. Again thx alot now I atleast have a little idea on what to look into.
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