I recently bought an RX-8, and I've been looking to do some performance upgrades... but I'm in college and have limited resources. Any suggestions?

 

remove vfad and filter walls and get a k&n drop in filter

 

You won't get any decent performance upgrades for cheap with this car. Search around for

exausts
intakes
midpipes
cobb accessport

 

find a rich girlfriend

 

or get some lowering springs and upgrade the handling performance ohhh

 

Seems like the most viable option

 

or get some really nice tires tbh

 

I bought some Goodyear Eagle GTs and put them on. Are those pretty decent?

 

You will not find any inexpensive HP upgrades for this car.

 

do the throttlw body bypass

 

Exactly. Best low cost bang for the buck. I wouldn't modify the stock filter box tho'. Just remove the VFAD and drop in a K&N flat filter. You'll have a noticeably smoother transition without the VFAD shutter hesitation around 4k rpm and more airflow with the K&N. You can also add the Racing Beat Duct to more directly intake ambient cold air to the filter.

 

Is there a diy guide for it?

 

yes its very easy , and the walls inside the airbox come out with a screw too so theres no hack job

 

Do not expect much if any gains by doing these mods...

 

Thanks for the input guys. Im probably just going to end up pinching pennies to get an intake or exhaust.

 

not much gains but cheapest thing to do its basically free except for thr drop in filter which i got free, and throttle body bypass is like 10 buxs and worth it for a slightly better response

 

neither of whick will add power uless you get a midpipe

 

Can you post a sticky for the DIY

 

yeah lemme search it

 

diy vfad removal

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...y+vfad+removal

diy intake box mod

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...y+vfad+removal

diy throttle body bypass mod

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ody+bypass+diy

 

And here's the Racing Beat Duct mating to the stock airbox DIY: https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...highlight=Duct

Note that you have to remove your front bumper to remove the VFAD. It's really pretty easy. You disconnect/remove the side marker lights (aka "corners'), undo a series of nuts above and below and lastly disconect the foglight connectors. There's a good DIY for the bumper removal as well. The first time you take off the bumper takes some time (noobie caution factor) but thereafter can literally be done in 10-15 minutes. Video and text:

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...bumper+removal

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...bumper+removal

 

thanks i forgot to tell him about bumper removal

 

Low budget and performance dosen't go together.

Give your car a nice maintenance instead, new coils, plugs, plug cables, oil, filter etc..

 

I would agree in principle that true performance enhancements on the '8 cannot be done on a tight budget. But there are some things, such as VFAD removal, a more efficient air filter, a short shifter, better tires, etc. that can give a "butt dyno" feeling of enhanced performance. I believe the OP is aware that there's no free lunch and these "low budget mod's" are what he's looking for.

Heck, I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum from college days and still like a inexpensive 'feel good' mod when I can find it. Frugal Yankee in me I guess.

 

You are right, there are some goddies there.

Im also a fan of most bang for the bucks and a good maintainend car is a fast car.