So, I'm new to the forum. I'm selling my 240SX (12 PSI turbo), and after a couple life events unfold, I'm planning to join the RX8 family.

I've never owned a rotary car before, but I've read up a bit and looked around the forum, here. As evidence of such, I will politely ask you to save your sarcastic remarks for another newb who is asking "What is the best way to add horsepower to my car?".

I'm not going to search ebay for a magic chip or electronic "supercharger" either.

I'm still debating if I will want to go all motor, turbo, or Nitrous. I've ruled out the LS swap, sadly. It seems like these motors would benefit the most from a turbo, but at a $10k price tag to get in the game, I'm a little hesitant to put that much skin in the game. Then you have all of the problems with heat and pressure that turbos introduce. I swore off turbos how many times while working on my 240SX? An All Motor build is definitely cheaper and safer, but also seems to yield smaller results. Then, nitrous looks like a less-invasive way to make some respectable horsepower, on even a stock engine. Being me, I'd still upgrade some reliability parts. Then, you gotta keep re-filling the tank, though. Or who knows, maybe I'll just work on the body and suspension for the first couple of years and just make it a cruiser. Anyway, I digress....

I'm still some time out from even purchasing the car, so I have a clean slate to start from.

My question is to you guys/gals who have been in the game for a while: If you were going to start all over, from scratch; what would you do differently? Do you wish you went with a different build? A different supplier? Maybe pulled the entire engine before even modifying it? Went with a different year model or body style? Maybe drove it stock for a year before modifying things?

I think one of the best ways to plan my forward path is to hear regrets or wishes from others who are in the trenches.

Thanks.

...And yes, I know it's cheaper to mod a Civic. But I'm not going to be caught driving the same car as every other tuner wanna-be. Who tunes a front wheel drive car, anyway?

 

welcome. read all the stickies and the new owners threads. turbo or s/c is the only way to make decent power. the renny is almost maxed out in stock form. easy/cheapest powed is a mid pipe. a good tune and fresh ignition or bhr/sb coils will help a lot. i had just about every bolt on, tune and ran nitrous for years and never had an issue. i sold my n02 kit to my buddy travis after a deer totalled my car. hes selling it now cause hes turboed

 

Thanks 200.

Were you happy with the way you went about your build?

Once the nitrous was installed, how expensive was it to keep it running? Such as re-filling the tank and any other maintenance that would be required beyond an all motor?

Sorry to hear about the deer situation.

Yeah, I'd probably upgrade easily bolted on items, first.

 

Don't pursue it if you don't have the funds to do it right the first time. Plain and simple.

Read through other members' builds. learn from what they did/didn't do. Hoping to gather all that info in just this thread is asking for too much.

Most importantly, you need to ask yourself what your realistic goals are.

And remember, have your engines compression checked prior to purchase!

 

Preach on Brother RX8Soldier! The gospel of the church of the rotary!!!