How about Richard Paul's short shifter?

I've heard nothing but good comments on it.

There are some good ideas so far. Even Mugatu's... It just depends on what you are looking to acheive and how much cash you have.

Cosmetic changes to 'personalize' -- tons of stuff to do there many mentioned already. Simple things are the clear corners or the Fog light DIY which is also functional, light bulb upgrades eg superwhites etc. and of course wheels, tires and body kits and sound upgrades. Search Read, Search and read some more. The forum is a lot different today in content than when I joined in late 03. Newbies have a lot of catching up to do...

Performance changes (need to focus on specifics here)
-- For me, a few days of HPDE a year and autoX called for but didn't demand, upgrades in brake fluid and front brake pads as well as front and rear sway bars. I am still using the OEM bridgestones for the warm months but will not get them again when they are trashed.
-- I joined the RB REVi bandwagon and see improvement in MPG but can't say for sure if it helped 'power' and don't care. I will add the Ram Air kit from RB next month.

i might say this is actually even better than Mugatus...Seriously, light weight mods are great, like new lighter rims. Then just learn to drive fast. Number 5 can be tricky, but accomplishing 1-4 sometimes gets you 5.

I am more of a power guy..but not into Forced Induction yet:

1st) Racing Beat Aluminum Flywheel ~$750 Installed (one of the biggest acceleration gains)

2nd) High Flow Catalytic Converter ~$320 or Midpipe (No Cat 8HP)....a full race exhaust systems with headers will only give you ~10HP. A muffler will give you 3HP...if you buy the correct brand...if you buy the wrong brand you can lose power. Check out www.racingbeat.com

3) The next mod I am thinking about is an aluminum radiator to increase the cooling on the 8.....save engine life maybe

Other options are:
*Racing Beat's air intake system. I think that is a gain of 2HP. ~$480 for 2HP ????

*Other then that you will get into the Canzoomer ECU that needs to be properly adjusted. People have had mixed results with it.

*The new ECU holds more promise but no DYNO testing has been done yet with the Interceptor EMS on a NA that has been posted. Tetsing has been done on a Greddy fitted car....Price is ~$1600 or so

* Greddy Turbo ~$3,800 installed (not tuned) plus voided warranty.

Oh yeah one other item...if the HP gains are nothing or very small then some people on the board will say something like this: Install is done and the idle is much smoother then before...... :-/

With all these smooth idle mods being posted, I suspect our 8s should be idling like Lexus V8s.

You're always so bitter, I don't get it. :confused:
Just because you don't think the 8 is worthy of modding doesn't mean other people can't/shouldn't. A bunch of people have their cars running smoothly and much faster than a stock 8. Charles may not be around right now, but his car wasw pretty damned fast. Manuel from Puerto Rico has a sick car and his friend's is even faster :eek: People will test the limits of this car and determine what is possible as far as straight speed and as a fast daily driver.

Nothing wrong with modifying the car.. just don't kid yourself into thinking that a "magical transformation" will occur and you'll be smokin' vettes. As long as you approach modifications with rational expectations and a fat wallet, you'll be fine.
Flywheel, clutch, RP cat, RB intake, RB exhaust, and *some* ecu or another, as long as it isn't a POS like the emanage ;)

You know Thomas Edison commented on the first attempts at flight that all the potential variations on the possibilites of flight had been exhausted, it was impossible, and that everyone should give up trying to fly since it was impossible. Thank god everyone didn't think like Edison. This is from the great genious who was so persistent with the lightbulb, that when he was asked after having made nearly a thousand attepts at trying to make a lightbulb, and unsuccessfully I might add, that he didn't prove a lightbulb couldn't be made, he just found that many ways not to make one and therefore he should keep trying. Strange that he went against his own way of thinking.

Exhausts do provide a small gain. Flywheels provide a gain in acceleration, intakes provide a small gain. Many small gains when done together add up to one larger gain. On their own they are "diddly". The Greddy turbo kit is not bad because it doesn't work. It is bad because their ecu option was a poor choice. Fortunately with the newest ecu's out now, this is no longer a problem and we can get power out of the car. I've seen 400+ hp street driven Honda Civics. They were only intended to be economy cars. That is defninitely making them into something they were not made for but they've done it and there are many of those "rockets" out there. We've now also got 6 and 7 second 2 rotor engines out there drag racing. I seriously doubt Mazda ever intended for them to put out that much power. Maybe we should just be content with what the rotary is in it's stock form since it has no potential. No use trying to build a 700 hp rotary when we can be content with the intended 200. Nevermind the fact that it is possible.

i like that list

there is no reason to spend $600 on an exhaust for 2hp or $500 for an intake system for 2hp

Well, I won't say that my intake and exhaust did nothing. They did do something, they make my car more fun for me. If you're into dyno numbers then the gains are pretty minimal. I've never had my car on a dyno and have no plans to do so anytime soon. The car sounds better without being obnoxious, and it definitely felt more responsive. Dyno-measurable gains have certainly been very minimal, not sure about G-Tech or track-measured gains. If big dyno numbers are what you're after you'll have to look into ECU changes or forced induction, and the headaches associated with either option. Or as Mugatu said, get a different car.

jds

Yes there is, if you like the car better that way. See my post above.

jds

throw a HEMI in there!!!

It started with SilverStar headlights (as I have the non-HID base model) then of course progressed to the clear corners and oil cooler/ac condenser screens and Green drop-in filter. I tried to stop, really, but everyone was talking up the REVi intake and I got weak( anyone want to buy a Green filter?). Next was the RB catback and OMG! they released the Cold Air Intake duct. I was a sitting "duct". What's next? I need to go to the Betty Ford Clinic for add-on addiction but it makes driving my "8" that much more fun. I smile everyday I drive to work! :D

Amen brother. Sounds like Mugatu is depressed or something, watch out everyone, he's officially on suicide watch.

Heres my list-

1. Midpipe
2. Header
3. Canzoomer ECU
4. HKS Intake
5. HKS Coilovers

1. Quart of oil in the engine bay
2. Barf bag in passenger side rear pocket
3. Carmate air freshner
4. Kleenex tissue in center console
5. zoom zoom sticker on window

Says the guy who's advice was to go buy a Civic if you want to mod. :rolleyes:

"Don't mod an 8 because you're trying to turn it into something it's not, so go buy a Civic"? If anything on this planet has been made into something it's not, it's Civics. Hasn't stopped them from trying and the modders churn out some incredible Civics.

have a bottle of HATERADE!

Hmm, no mention, so far, of braided brake lines.

I always find it weird when threads are resurected from a 1+ years ago.

Modding the 8 can yield awesome results.... You just have to know how to do it properly.

We have had a supercharged RX8 running for 20,000 + miles, with no problems. Go figure, I guess you guys are right, modding the RX-8 is pointless.

1 and only - 20B transplant

I assume the original poster's car is new and he doesn't want anything radical. If he did, he'd be posting a "which turbo?" thread.

1) Synthetic transmission fluid. Cheap and easy, makes shifting considerably better.
2) Different pads. I did Hawk HPS just in front. Pedal feel is more consistent, pad dust is reduced.
3) Tires. Sell them while they're new and get better. Factory tires don't last long, get LOUD, and have mediocre ride/handling. Other tires will at least get some of these issues right.
4) Suspension: springs/shocks and sways. Everyone says this is the shit. I wouldn't know firsthand.
5) Axial Flow shifter. Everyone seems to love it, though it's not going to make you significantly faster, it will just give better feel.

Non-turbo acceleration mods?

Emanage ultimate, high temp cat or midpipe, and lower rear gear (or 17" wheels). That's about it. Hymee's header, if he decides to produce it and sell it. Intakes and catbacks don't do a whole lot. Flywheels are well-liked, but from what I understand, this is another "feels awesome but doesn't actually make you go much faster" type of mod, like the shifter.

if I had to only pick 5 things to change, i'd go with:

1) greddy turbo kit with ultimate.
2) lightweight flywheel
3) upgraded clutch
4) midpipe
5) catback

I might swap clutch upgrade for ms body kit though.

1. GReddy turbo kit
2. Interceptor-X
3. ACT Prolite flywheel
4. veilside body kit
5. catback

1) TurboXS Exhaust + Race Pipe
2) AEM CAI
3) Cobb Flash (when available)
4) Agency Power Pulley
5) FEED Final Drive