I'd just like to say hello to the community. I've been here for a little while, read and learned a good bit, though I've never posted until now.
Anyhow, enough of the nonsense and on with the pictures

Introducing Ranton the Nord (04 Nordic Green Grand Touring)
The day I brought him home:






Parked next to another RX-8 at a mall in another city:


Since then I've fixed the tail light moisture, spray tinted the tail lights and fender marker lights.

Originating in the south, it has never seen salt or snow.
Tucked away, waiting for spring:


Today, it received an xCarlink iPod module and a ShiftStyle leather shift boot from ShiftStyle.com
Pictures honestly don't do this boot justice. The leather is about four times as thick as the factory vinyl faux leather.
I got black perforated leather with quadruple light grey stitching, thread has a nice shine to it and matches the silver interior trim very well.
Excuse the scratched **** (bought it that way):

 

Welcome to the Club.

Very nice indeed, except you need to polish your ****.

 

That was too easy. Lmao

 

Welcome aboard!

 

that is a nice looking boot--welcome.

 

Thanks fellas, this thread will serve as my modification log as well and I will update as modification occurs.
BHR ignition is currently en-route

Haha. Someday when I find the ambition.

 

That nordic green is such an interesting car color.

 

I really like it as it appears a different color in every light. On a clear night it looks like a very nice dark metallic blue. Cloudy night, black. Cloudy day, gray. Sun, the green shows with large flakes of blue, green, and purple.

 

Nice Color! Next cheap thing to do to make the car look better, Go to autozone or kmart/walmart etc. and pick up some Trim restore. Mothers Back To Black or turtle wax trim stuff.. use it on them gray exhaust shrouds. Brings em back to the nice black of the rest of the rear plastic. I really like that shift boot.. my OEM one is all cracked. I think I might get this.

Also, Plasti dipping the emblems would look good IMO.

 

Thanks. If what I've read is correct, Nordic Green is the rarest color for RX-8's.

Thanks for the suggestions too. I had planned to use some high heat paint on the exhaust shrouds, but if the trim restore really works then that would be easier so I'll look into it. My shift boot was cracked, had two holes in it and was starting to get a third. The ShiftStyle boot is really nice, thick leather that you can choose from a ton of different colors, patterns, thread or piping, everything.
Also was considering the PlastiDip emblems. I'll probably end up giving it a try.

 

I think so...i've never seen one of that color yet, maybe not here in Vegas...

 

Yea it brings it back to a nice black color. You just have to re apply it every now and then when it starts to fade. I have seen people paint the whole rear plastic and look really good.

I have only seen maybe 3 Nordic greens. I wanted to buy one, but ended up getting a good deal on a yellow one. Where I live now, I think I'm the only yellow in the area. Just glad I don't own silver. Too many of them!

 

Well I've only ever seen one other RX-8 in person, the black one in the picture with mine above. Saw it a couple months or so after I bought mine.


Hm, perhaps I will just paint it after all. I'm just waiting for the warm weather to come back so I can install the parts I've slowly been accumulating and drive it again

I really wanted a white one but all the whites I found for sale were either **** condition/lots of problems or automatic (no way was I about to buy an automatic.) And, as you said, wasn't going for silver either because they're all silver. So I came across my green one in nearly flawless condition and bought it up immediately
In the end, I think I'm happier with the green anyway.

 

Did the upgraded starter install today since it's sunny and almost warm, and I must say it is a HUGE improvement over the early model, slow starter. Definitely worth the investment.

Comparison photo (new one is slightly longer, motor is larger around, and a lot heavier):

 

Was finally able to purchase a BHR ignition a few weeks ago. To attest to the good quality and service reputation of BHR, the day after I placed my order (placed on a Thursday) I received an email from Charles stating that he was unhappy with the quality of anodizing on his recent batch of coil brackets, and that they would be redone and it would be shipped Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Sure enough, I was given a tracking number Monday afternoon and received my package on Wednesday. Less than a week total from order to receipt, WITH the brackets being re-anodized during that time, is absolutely amazing. Very secure packaging as well. Thanks fellas, install will commence today.

 

Nice looking Nordic. I also do think it is the rarest color of the 2004-2005 RX8s, but I think the rarest color for all of the years is Phantom Blue (I could be wrong though).

Anyway.....are you going to leave the wheels alone? I don't know how I feel about the red lip.....

 

No, they will change eventually. I have another set I'd like but it will be a while before I can afford them. The red lip is something I'm not into either.

 

Installed my BHR ignition this afternoon. I didn't find it to be as much of a pain as everything I read made it seem to be. Took me two hours, including spending a half hour or so just fighting the larger plug wires into the factory loom (though not necessary, I like everything to be as neat as possible.)

Comparison of new vs. old coils:


Installed on the engine:


Hint of blue peeking out:

 

Pictures of the old spark plugs. Was pretty worried when I saw a very small amount of oil coming from the leading plug of the first rotor, and more so when the plug was a little difficult to turn out. Cross-thread was the thought in my mind as soon as I saw the oil.
The new one went in without any incident though so hopefully it was just not tightened/seated properly. I'll be keeping an eye on it.

The crush washer on the leaker is also slightly smaller than the others, possibly a manufacturing error, which could also cause the leak.




I'd say they don't look too awful considering they're probably original to the engine replacement ~55,000 miles or so ago, though replacing them will definitely benefit.

 

The Fed-Ex fella brought me a nice package this afternoon.

Racing Beat midpipe!

 

After two attempts to install my RB midpipe, the first being unsuccessful due to a couple tools I didn't have, it is on the car as of today.





Also purchased an extra long reach, extra low profile jack from Harbor Freight this weekend.

 

that is the kind of jack you need for this car!

 

My thoughts exactly. All three of my cars are low enough that my standard Wal-Mart hydraulic jack required an angle/placement hunt every time, even after removing the carry handle.
This jack has a crazy low platform height of 2 5/8" while reaching farther than you should ever need to reach a frame rail or probably any other jacking point, without scratching your rocker panels, and also has a lift travel of two feet.
I'm completely satisfied, not the least bit wavered by its ~95 pound heft.

 

Do they provide gaskets with the RB pipe? Also, you gotta get on that Cat-Back!

 

With the midpipe, they provide the front crush gasket, but not the rear donut gasket as the instructions say to reuse the factory one. It also includes new bolts to the manifold and studs to the rear connecting pipe, but no nuts for either and says to again reuse the factory ones.

I bought all new nuts, used the new crush gasket and reused the factory donut gasket. The Rev8 catback will be my next purchase (hopefully within the next few weeks) and I plan to install a new donut gasket at that point. Then when I get the RB header I will replace the crush gasket with a carbon material gasket that is cut to the flange shape of the header and midpipe.

Other updates will come between the more major/more expensive parts