So I recently bought a silver 05' rx8 with an recent engine replacement. I'm loving the car and have always wanted one. She is beautiful and so far have had no issues with her. Super excited to do some mild modification and would love some input from some experienced 8 owners. First I intend to do some performance mods then some cosmetic changes. First off I plan on dropping the cat and putting in a BHR midpipe and a turboxs catback. Then an AEM intake and BHR ignition system. As far as performance that's all I really want to do unless others have some input, no FI for me however. This will be my daily driver and I just want it to run as nice and last me a while. For cosmetic stuff I plan on putting a KBD poly MS bodykit on and getting some nice wheels. Not sure if I want to lower it due to the fact that it will be a daily driver and I don't want to have to worry about speedbumps and curbs. Hope this wasn't too long for you guys to read through. I would love to hear what everyone thinks about what I plan to do and opinions of the products I have chosen.

 

this is my 8 by the way

 

Hey MazterWheelz, welcome to the cult....errr.... 'club'!

First off, congrats on the '05 and just wanted to say that it looks like you've done your homework and are off to a good start with the mods.
the BHR kit has a great track record of being a solid upgrade over OEM coils and if you can get away with running catless, their midpipe should work quite well. Not sure if you've driven a catless rotary before but the smell can get to some people if they're daily driving.

As for the intake, the AEM is super nice (it's what I run) but you should check out a company here in California that's making a similar setup without the silly rubber pieces.
I think you can find them on FB or IG under Aced Autoworx and I believe they just did a group buy recently with some owners on FB.

As for the body kit, the MS is a great look but make sure you do your research because some of those knockoff kits are TERRIBLE as far as quality and fitment. Often times, it'll take quite a bit of work at the body shop to make them look presentable.

 

Thanks for the input. It is greatly appreciated. I have seen you around in other forums. I have definitely done alot of research into what I plan to do with my 8. With the cat I dont forsee it being an issue. Will just have to put the cat in for inspections once a year. The smell thing you mentioned I guess I'll find out soon lol. The midpipe is the first thing I plan on doing. So about the intake you mentioned, what is the issue with the rubber? Is it do to the heat produced from the rotary? And third the bodykit. I have heard all kinds of thing about what's out there these days and the difficulty of obtaining authentics and the vast difference in fitment and quality of the different manufacturers of body kits and that it my BIG worry. I have heard some decent things about KBD. I am also considering a similar VSAERO kit. Would love some input from anyone that know about these companies or has had products from them. Thanks again for the reply Jedi.

 

This is a little list I've been working on that I don't mind sharing. I've done quite a bit of research and picked the mods that work best for me. I'm also keeping NA, and actually, will probably keep it stock performance-wise until I learn the limits of the car. Right now, I'm focusing exclusively on reliability mods and maintenance as things break (e.g. radiator and coolant tank). Hopefully it's a good starting point for you and it addresses some important reliability mods that you hadn't listed.

Reliability:
$620 BHR ignition and NGK plugs
$599 BHR midpipe with cat (NY has strict emission laws)
$150 Mishimoto Catch Can
$150 SOHN adapter
$100 Tank kit for SOHN
$345 Mazmart starter (or series 2 starter from dealer) ($260 from RX8 Performance??)
$635 Gauge panel kit (Water temp, oil temp, oil pressure) (Racing Beat)
$120 Racing Beat AC condenser and oil cooler screens

Maintenance:
$255 & $160 Mazmart O2 sensors, front & rear ($235 & $130 at RX8 Performance??)
$187 Mazmart mass air flow sensor
$295 Mazmart fuel pump
$330 Mazmart Remedy water pump & thermostat
$280 BHR Koyo Al radiator
$500 Continental Extreme Contact DW 225/45R18 + $50 per tire for TPMS
$350 Excedy racing OEM clutch MZK1002 at Mazmart
$1360 RB 2-piece rotors OEM size (Goodwin Racing)
Delrin or poly bushings (good-win racing)
$375 BHR Engine mounts
$113 Sun Visors Mazmart
$125 Mazmart coolant bottle and sensor
Mazmart coolant lines
$125 Racing Brake Stainless brake lines (RaceRoots)
 
Cosmetic:
Axial-Flow short-throw shifter
$1300 Mazdaspeed painted front bumper (Can't find anywhere. Search "For Sale" forums)
$635 Racing Beat Type II front bumper (~800 for painting and install??)
$1200 TSW Interlagos Wheels or Nurburgring Wheels 18x8 (street)
$1200 Enkei RPF1 17x9 (track)
$150 BHR undertray
$76 Mazmart clear side markers

Performance (someday, but not soon):
$535 ACT Street flywheel 13 lbs (BHR) ($487 at Enjuku Racing)
$295 Racing Beat PCM Flash REN.V1 (cooling fans and revised fuel mapping at high rpm)
$370 or $360 Mazdaspeed or AEM intake (340 at parts)
$600 Racing Beat header and gaskets
$750 Racing Beat catback (690 at mazmart)
$810 4.777 Final Drive Ratio (racing beat)
Cobb AccessPort and MazdaManiac tune

Suspension:
$250 Mazdaspeed strut tower bar (285 at Mazmart, 230 at parts)
$1000 Bilstein B14 Coilovers
$350 Racing Beat Sways

 

Thanks for taking the time to type all that out. You have definitely done some serious research. This will be an awesome reference for moving forward on my rx8. I only wish I had more money and could just go all in lol. Will enjoy taking my time and making my rx8 a beautiful machine.

 

You're in good company in having more dreams than money.

 

thanks MW, but I'm afraid to ask which other forums.

the heat doesn't do it any favors but mainly it's how it looks in the engine bay. I've never seen anyone install an AEM intake where it's actually straight because of the rubber attachments near the MAF sensor, everyone always ends up with a crooked looking install.
Plus, those damn screens can come loose in there (ask me now I know)
I just like the look of this intake better
Aced RX8 intake and small J Tray ? ACED AUTO WORX

I don't have any hands on experience with those companies but I'm sure if you do some reading in Series I Aftermarket Performance Modifications - RX8Club.com , you might find some reviews by people who have purchased what you're looking for.

One last item I typically recommend for owners who have recently purchased a used RX is to pay careful attention to the cooling system of the car. Our beloved RX-8 is quite the little fire breather so cooling (especially during the summer months) is critical.
Give the car a good one over and pay careful attention to the radiator to make sure it's still well insulated with the surrounding foam, that the water pump isn't showing signs of leaking and do not mess with the coolant overflow tank. That things is sooooo delicate that if you even look at it funny, it'll break.

 

The nipple on the radiator breaking is the fragile part, they break easily, and result in replacing the radiator.