What to do with my Rx8
 

Ok So back in November i purchased a autostick Mazda Rx8 SHINKA with 86k, a month later the engine blew up and it was covered so i got a brand new engine for free and currently it was 1,100 miles on the new motor as you can see the picture in my sig thats my Rx8 and i need some idea's on what to do with it, i wanna tune it cause it accelerates slow as balls, but anywho any idea's / visuals as well as under the hood would be appreciated, i was going to buy a megan racing spoiler for 150 its pretty big, but i dont want my car looking ricey, yes or no to the spoiler?
Please no hating, im 18 im not very into the car scene yet, so anybody who has any tips they are very much appreciated, thank you.

Keep it stock and no to the ricer wing...lol

Leave it how it is? Im deff getting the windows tinted, black and red rims, possibly tinting the head/tail lights.

that spoiler would make your car even slower. you wouldnt want that would you?

Nope its pretty slow as it is, but i love her non the less

I meant was...keep the engine bay stock. You still could do some cosmetic mods like you said.

Look at all of the "calling all (insert color name here)" threads. Get an idea of what you like and come up with a game plan. The problem with a lot of people is that they buy things piece meal and try to cobble a bunch of looks together and it never works out.

Also if your car accelerates "slow as balls" then you may want to start with basic maintenance items that were likely not replaced during your engine install (Mazda reman BTW, not brand new). Change the plugs, coils, wires, air filter, oil, tranny fluid, and diff fluid. make sure it is in top notch running order and then start carefully PLANNING your mods, especially if you have limited funds.

Oh and don't get red/black rims, the time attack (black with red pin stripe) is sooooooo played out. Black and red rims have only been done right a couple of times and even those guys have moved on from that look.

The auto Rx8 comes with 20less hp then the stickshift, but nothings wrong with it, there just naturally stock slow accelerating i looked into it, what do you think will make that better? Like a tune, all small things like cold air intake, pullys? and hopefully later down the road a turbo or possibly supercharger but i gotta save up a few months to afford that.

Or how do u think all red rims and i think you can get red tint? That might be pretty sweet.

Search.

That will look horrible.

I have an 07 GT w/ autostick and I can tell you that these cars are not slow at all. They are not an omg fast cars in a straight line but plenty of fast enough especially at your age. I can understand you wanting to make your car faster cause that's what comes naturally at your age but truth being your not gonna make it any faster. Mazda has this car pretty well tuned from the factory.

1. People add cold air intakes to their cars mainly for looks. You will not get a noticeable gain in hp from one.

2. Any aftermarket pullies is a bad idea and I wouln't reccommend them to anybody for any car. You may gain a couple hp out of this but it's proven on any car that it greatly reduces engine life.

3. If your 18 and ballin then by all means go for the turbo but you will hate the gas mileage and all the problems that comes with one. You have an automatic as well meaning if you go turbo you will most likely blow your trans becuase they are not built for all that hp. If you blow your engine again don't expect Mazda to help you out with that kind of mod to your car.

I have seen so many threads on so many car forums about making an automatic go faster but truth being an automatic can't handle big horsepower like a manual transmission could. I always reccommend that people with automatics focus on the looks and handling of the car. There is still plenty of money you can spend on your car just know your place and know you can't have a 350hp automatic trans car when it comes from the factory with 215hp.

no ricer wing. black tint, no red/black wheels, maintence first(coils+plugs+wires fluids ect) mm cobb tune and maby a zex kit. mid pipe

welcome but search

If you have an auto RX-8, learn to drive stick and trade it in for a manual transmission car. Instant horsepower gain and a lot more fun to drive IMHO.

Nitrous oxide zex kit?!?!? I dont think i want nitrous... but everything else sounds good, what do the coils, plugs, and wires do? Like the aftermarket

yeah +1, autos blow. especially in cheaper vehicles like ours.

Cheaper vehicles? You're crazy. Car critics the world over say the rx-8 has supercar good handling, the quality is very good. (compare interior or just the seats for that matter with a Corvette) and the cheapest DSG gearbox I can think of in a car is either the Nissan GT-R or a BMW M3. Both well out of price range. Just because yours has a regular auto doesn't make the car "cheap" if anything you get a lot for very little money. But that doesn't make the rx-8 by any means a cheap car.

A cavalier now that's cheap.

Can you elaborate on any specifics on how a pulley may reduce engine life? I ask because my understanding of an underdriven pulley on this car may actually be beneficial in order to lessen cavitation; I am not aware of an aspect of using a pulley to be detrimental to the engine.

You guys are being unusually easy on the new OP... :suspect:

A catback is nice for sound; that'd be my recommendation.

Otherwise, stock is simple.

they're still not good autos though, in the rx8 that is. and for many vehicles ive driven that are sub £30k, the shiftings slow and sloshy with the manual option being better in almost every respect. i didnt mention any other aspect of the rx8 in my statement if i thought they didnt handle well and were crap quality i wouldn't have sold my e46 for one ;)

That's true of any auto save the DSG. not rx-8 specific. If Ferrari put regular auto's in their cars they'd shift just as slow. Hell, even the Aston Martin vanquish with (early gen) DSG won't downshift when you want it to. It waits for the computer to let you.
Manual boxes are more fun all the time, and faster most of the time but IMO it doesn't "cheapen" a car. It's just a lazy/comfort option like satnav or heated seats. None of which I have or want, I want my cars to be "pure" but I can see why other people would want them. For people like me there's the sport and for the people who want all the options and luxuries there's the GT.

I don't know if an underdriven pulley would be bad for this particular engine cause I have yet to modify this car and I can't say I experienced it myself cause I have never done anything like that to a car yet. But from what I heard from other people on other forums is that if you swap to an aftermarket steering pulley or something of that sort you could mess up the power balance and get too much power or too little power from certain parts and either lose power to the car or just completely destroy or badly hurt your engine. I have heard of people actually messing up their engines for just a 5-10 hp gain from the pulleys.

Don't take what I said to heart cause I'm just a basic tuner who does basic bolt on parts. An intake an exhuast is all I need to be happy with my cars. I don't get into the more advanced tuning cause I don't really understand it much so I just stay away lol.

rx8s dont have power steering pullies. ps is electric

It doesn't cheapen a car... im saying that in the majority of cars sub 30k autos are not good, especially in a 23k rx8. its a sports car, its not meant to have a slushbox.

And to the op, check out the the cars in the aggressive wheel thread, almost everyone in there is doing it right, looks wise. if you wanna improve the handling get coilovers, sway bars, poly bushes and other handling upgrades. the rotaries themselves are good as is besides the weak ignition systems. They can get you upto speed no problem.

I like boobs.