As a twist on the List your aftermarket parts thread, I thought I would create a thread where you not only list the items but also rate them.

Let's go with:

Not worth it

Undecided

Worth it

...as the ratings.

This can help those of us looking at mods decide which ones provide the most bang for the buck.....

 

Dont have many mods so:

1) Goodridge SS brake & clutch lines--definitely worth it.
*like most mods, it's not "day and night" but I appreciate them.

 

2) axial flow short shifter-- worth it

but i thing mostly everyone knows that. haha.

 

Mazdaspeed CAI--Worth It

Mazdaspeed Catback--Worth it

I cannot say for sure how much power was added if any at all, but BOY does it rev quicker and feel so much quicker. If I had to make the choice again even under threat by my wife that she would flog me if I got them (well, I may kind of like that....) I would do it again..

 

AP under drive pulley-worth it
Rb intake w/ ram air-definitly worth it
Rb exhaust-definitly worth it
axial flow SS-worth it
All my mods were worth it, that's why I bought them.

 

AFE SS, 4/5 stars. Worthwhile, but seems a bit pricy.

GReddy Turbo kit, 2/5 stars. Worthwhile, but the hoses are crap, and the kit required forum members to come up with fixes to make it work well. For the cost, I am not going to complain too loudly.

Racing beat swaybars, 5/5 stars. If you only do one suspension mod, this should be it. It's cheap, and makes a world of difference in handling.

Royal purple fluids, 5/5 stars. Works great, huge impact on shift quality, and makes the gearbox feel like it's warmed up even when it's still cold. No notchy feeling.

int-x, 4/5 stars. Costly, insane software, but it gives me peace of mind and does it's job well. Definately worthwhile if you're FI.

 

RB intatke + ram air: worth it, nice sound and a few extra HP

Mazdaspeed strut tower braces front + rear: worth it for looks, not much performance benefit

RB front+rear sways: worth it, eliminates a lot of body roll

HKS Hypermax II's: absolutely worth it, gets rid of any body roll left from the RB sways, fixes the car's stance, kills wheel hop, makes the car feel like it's on rails, and keeps the wife from driving it

OZ Raffaello's: worth it, look cool, nice and light, and so expensive NOBODY else has them

Yoko Advans: worth it, way better than the stock tires

RB Oil Cap: very high quality, looks nice, probably worth it

RB Wires: look nice, has nice labeling system, probably worth it

 

Tires :
Toyo Proxes 4 - Worst of the Worst. freaking weak sauce. Dont ever get it. I tried 2 sets still suck ****. So no its not me.
Bridgestone RE 960AS Pole Position - Worth it , Great Traction Great Durability.

K&N Typhoon Version 2 - Worth it , While many said about hot air and stuff. I dont have any problems with it and my engine does rev faster after it.

RB Ram Airduct - Worth it. But I really dont feel much diffs between the VFAD and this. But hey at least I can get colder air so why not ?

*Edited* Forgot my RB Airduct.

 

RP Midpipe: 4/5 stars. Very little performance gain, but it sounds great.

RB ram air duct: 4/5 stars. Coupled with a K&N filter in the OEM airbox it sounds great and pulls noticably smoother and harder throughout the revs.

AP Pulley: 5/5 stars. For the money the gain was definitly there, revs come up quicker, and install was painless.

ACT Prolite Flywheel: 5/5 stars. Although a PITA to install, for $280 it was an amazing gain in power from 1st through 3rd gear. Coupled with the AP pulley, engine revs effortlessly.

Greddy Strut Bars: 3/5 stars. No change in handling or stiffness, but they are the same stiffness as stock so I expected that. For the price they do their job and look pretty enough.

Tein Basic coilovers: 5/5 stars. Single best mod Ive done on my car as of yet. I can push the car twice as hard as I ever could before and it still handles better than OEM. Without a doubt best bang for my buck yet, and has made the car safer to drive which is a huge bonus.

 

Just added:
*RB REVI intake: 4/5 stars. While not flawless, as most argue, it is an overall good upgrade. Silent at idle, growls at WOT. The only negatives are that it's pretty expensive and you have to canibalize you stock setup to get it to work which, means you cannot sell your OEM stuff outright without making somekind of crazy price deal and if you ever want to switch back it's not as easy as "take off old one, put on new one." And it also, makes low end power feel wimpier. Feels like you have to give more gas (press the pedal more) to get the car going. Not sure if it really makes the car faster or if I'm just giving it more gast to hear the cool intake sound?

*RB screens: 4/5 stars. They should do their job and protect my AC and oil coolers. I guess they also add a bit to the aesthetics of the car. Down side is they cost a lot for what they are--screens.

Edit: *AFE Short Shifter: 5/5 stars. Makes shift feel much more clear and communicative. Throw is a bit shorter (was already pretty short). RP stand behind his products something fierce!

All-in-all, yes. I'm a cheap bastard and unless it's free, it's not flawless. No mod with an upside is without a downside, financial or otherwise. So my advice is, pick your mods carefully and balance what you'd be willing to "lose" with what the product claims to "give!"

For me, I'll be on "Cup-O-Noodles" for a while but, it IS worth it!

 

It seems that way till you look at the $400 price tag on the mazdaspeed STS

 

Koni shocks (mated to stock springs): Definitely worth it. They eliminated rear wheel hop during hard acceleration off the line, and they allowed the car to track straight when put hard through a long sweeper. A little more road feel, but not bad at all.

Wheel Skins Steering Wheel Cover: Definitely worth it. Great yellow and black look to match the car, and great feel to the touch.

 

read my sig.

top to bottom..

it is in order of what is good..

beers

 

PRolite flywheel - 5/5 great mod
Act HD clutch - 1/5 not worth it for N/A car . Stiff & harder to drive
Powermod ECU - 5/5 great piggyback (the best IMO )
AP underdrive pulley - 4/5 still think this is a good mod even though my dynos showed no gains.
RB duct 4/5 anything that keeps intake temps down is worth doing
AFE short shifter 4/5 good mod - would not rave about it though . Stock shift is a already good.
Hymee Scanalyser - 5/5 a must if you are into modding your car.

 

Tein Shocks and Koni Springs: 5/5 LOOK GREAT!! Handling great increased
AFE SS: 5/5 Price was decent....feels great
19" Axis Hiros: 4/5 Look nice
Toyo T1R 235/35/19 275/30/19: 5/5 WOW
Royal Purple ((3 fluids)): 5/5 Oil makes car smoother...tranny and diff. shifts smoother
Rx7store Midpipe: 3/5 Too loud...but felt good on the butt dyno
HKS exhaust: 4/5 Too pricy for the quality
Clear Corners: Very nice look...ebay cheap
Evo-R replica vents: 5/5 Look great..perfect fit...great savings!
AP underdrive pulley: 3/5 Really just don't even remember its on the car!
Some Ebay Engine caps ((radiator,oil,etc)) 4/5 CHEAP...price and feel

 

Read my signature.

Plus more.

Beers

 

Ditto

 

Mazdaspeed strut tower brace : 5/5 - I can't really feel a difference in front end stiffness (there shouldn't be one), but it was worth the money just for how dramatically it stiffened up the brake pedal.

Mazda OEM front splashguards : 3/5 - Offers some protection and doesn't look half bad, but the fit on my right side guard is a bit off and I think it's a manufacturing issue since I've tried reattaching it with fresh molding tape and the fit is still the same. Rear splashguards are on backorder.

Royal Purple fluids : 5/5 - Transmission feels much better with the Royal Purple.

Redline fluids : 2/5 - Slight improvement over the factory fill when the transmission was warm, but crunchy on the 1-2 and 2-3 shift when cold. Was changed for Royal Purple fluids.

Motul RBF600 brake fluid : 3/5 - Expensive and not really necessary for the street, but extra fade protection is always welcome on the weekends.

Homemade oil cooler screens : 3/5 - I'm not sure if they offer the level of protection that I desire, but for a couple of dollars and some rivets I can't really complain.

Custom gas pedal extension : 4/5 - Completely free and really meshes well with my heel and toe style. I'd like a more OEM fit and finish and a harder contact surface, so rev. 2 of the pedal might come eventually.

 

One small item: LightInSight.

Definitely worth it if you're six feet and like a stretched back driving position. 5/5

Ken

 

vent pics where?

beers

 

Borla catback - Absolutely worth it. Nothing but compliments on the sound. The tone, volume, appearance... all just fit the car perfectly. 10/10