Upgrading RX8
 

Hey everyone, I am new to the forum and have been doing a lot of reading, and to be honest you guys have made me want to start upgrading my car and I just got it! lol

I have a 2004 auto RX8 and love the car!!

I guess what I am looking for is what are the best initial upgrades I could do? I am looking at a cold air intake to start but am not sure how much benefit they will have?!

I have been reading up on Cobb AP and think I will get one as soon as I have the money as they seem to be highly recommended around here.

I also want to upgrade the exhaust but being in Canada and the damn emission laws being so strict I would need one that would still pass the emissions test, so I am stumped with this one!

Also how much of a benefit is it to swap the tranny fluid and what would be the best kind of fluid to switch to?

And in the future it is SC or TC for me :)

Thanks

welcome to the addiction, now SEARCH! :banghead:

JK....a cold air intake is just for looks and sounds, as for the exhaust any exhaust will do, just dont remove your cat

Yes but removing the cat = more power does it not? I want more speed lol

One of the two are definately going on the car at some point. For now I am just looking at the little things I can do to get the car ready for one I guess.

It's also hard to choose what to put on because everyone who has a SC says go with a SC and the same for those who have a TC. Has anyone ever had both or driven both and can actually make a fair, unbiased comparison? I would think that the SC would give more power throughout the rev range whereas the TC would give more peak power, I think.

yes but as you stated you still want to pass emmissions...and you cant if you have no cat

As long as you leave the catalytic converter intact, you are free to do whatever you want with the exhaust system (both emissions-wise and factory warranty). Noise laws do still apply....

All (almost all) the exhaust systems talked about here are "Cat-Back". This is what you're looking for.

AFAIK, the only "Canadian" exhaust(s) for the RX-8 are from Exoticspeed in Richmond, BC.

Good luck.

I would go with the intake for starters. It is my understanding that, while good, the stock intake is a bit restrictive.

not really..

If you look at the very well respected (and expensive) REVII intake, it's basically the stock intake with the two inner 'baffles' and the VFAD removed. You can mod your stock intake like that with a philips screwdriver, a vacuum nipple, and a K&N or Green filter for $40.

For straight-tube intakes, unless they move the air filter outside the engine compartment, they are WORSE than stock. At best, they could flow a couple of horsepower better.

It's been said here many times by some very smart folks that the intake and manifold setup from stock flows better than the engine can ever use (N/A).

:)

I suggest swapping out the final drive for a 4.77 Gear ratio, trust me, it will make the car feel MUCH more faster!

Edit: yay, this one gives me my 2.00 post average :)

If you want to go FI, hold off on the intake.

You could look at an RP supercat. Might give you some small actual gains and doesn't trip a CEL. What kind of emissions inspections do you have in Canada? Do they just check your codes or do they do a sniffer test?

If you want to go FI, get a second oil cooler like the Manual versions do. It would keep everything much colder and make the car run better. Don't forget the Feed 4.77 gears I mentioned earlier.

No one minds a new member asking questions on this forum but how about a specific question about a specific product, option or change and see what you can find first by searching on the subject. I doubt that you could ask a question that has not been asked before (many times) You will get better results by doing your home work and then asking a pointed question with giving the proper information needed to answer

If you want to go FI most people will suggest a turbocharger. There's no argument that they flow more air across the powerband and there's nothing that can go wrong on a turbocharger that can't go wrong on a supercharger so you can't argue which is more reliable in theory. Although I'm sure the supercharger guys still have a blast with their cars and have much less hassle with their cars (a supercharged RX8 has bone stock like maintenance).

For a basic bolt-on part the AEM cold air intake isn't a bad start. Sure there are mods that yield more horsepower but that was my first mod and I have no regrets. If you're tight on cash though (like I am) I'd hold off on the mods and put your money towards new spark plugs, tires, coils, etc. You can lose over 10 horsepower easily by not maintaining these cars.

I will definately look into the second cooler and swapping out the final gear...gonna do some research on that now!

They hook the car up to a sniffer and have an upper limit the car can emit...I am not sure of the limits but I can check that out for you as I have the sheet lying around somewhere, and get back to you if you like.

One other question I have is about oil...can you use synthetic oil in a RX8? I have heard people say absolutely not and others say its fine. And the same goes for the weight of the oil, 5w20, some say only use it and others say use 5w30.

Lol im not going to get into which oil type to use, but Oil is Oil pretty much... theres been huge arguements on which to use... I personally use Royal Purple 5w-30 Synthetic, im thinking about switching to 10w-30 here soon because its getting hot in Texas around this time... Pretty much just check your oil, top it off, and change it often and you'll be good...

Only way to make your car faster is FI, ive been in a manual 8 and the difference is big heh... look into the 2nd oil cooler too btw and just get a drop in K&N air filter. Exhaust might give you 2-3 HP, I didnt mine because it looks and sounds alot better than stock.

I would get the BHR ignition system. Get upgrade and product. Also replaces the weak oem coils and wires.

Since your in Canada: there's a company called exotic speed which sells rx8 performance parts. I would buy the mid-pipe with cat included. its better than stock i believe. they also have some seriously nice cat-backs.

after installing my CAI and cat-back i felt a difference but it wasn't impressive. i have Cobb-AP coming soon.

Oh and when u buy your CAI get the AEM brand. It's cheaper than most and you can make it a cold air intake with ur turbo if u choose.

Well, if they do a sniffer test, you'll have to check with the guys at rotary performance to see if the tailpipe emissions are worse with the RP Supercat. I don't think they are supposed to be, but I'm not sure.