Well, I just got a new 2004 Sunlight Silver RX-8 GT a couple days ago if you read my post. It is an amazing car and I am still breaking her in (up to around 307 miles now) and I'm already making a checklist for mods. Please go ahead and add on/comment if you wish.

Checklist:
#1 Clearn Corners
#2 Window Tinting
#3 Replace Bose Speakers
#4 Mazda MP3 Player or buy a FreqPod for my iPod (which way to go here?)
#5 Appearance Package (no spoiler)
#6 Fender Strakes
#7 Rotary Accents

What do you guys think and what order do you think it should come in? I am selling the system from my older car and I should be able to get around $1000-$1100 for it so majority of it will go towards the mods.

 

be carefull about adding the apearance packages and such.. if you ever decide you want a good aftermarket bodykit down the way..u just wasted ur money.. that's why i opted not to get that stuff. some other good mods are handling upgrades... yes..the rx-8 can be improved..lol it seems ur a more show than go guy..so it's up to you. but i always believed in the handling, power, show...order of upgrades..excluding window tint because of it's practicality.. it's really up to you how to upgrade your car..and in which order.. it's part of making your ride unique. deff. get some window tint..and i'd do that first. after that..up to you.. it's hard to mess with the sound system in the 8..but it can be done.. i for one am one of those guys who doesn't care less..i love the sound of the engine i bought a mazdaspeed front strut bar from trussville mazda for 213..and i love the thing.. really makes the engine bay look so much nicer while actually doing something for handling..(and braking if you can believe it)...the clear corners were a must..and my second purchase.. for my black eight..it looks stupid with amber.. next up i'm getting some sway bars probably from rb or tanabe..then a big brake upgrade from Grex...(read alot of money). i believe in you get what you pay for..

so in summary..doesn't matter what you do to your car..it's yours. but in my opinion.. try to make it all tie together.. if it looks stupid until there is something else that goes with it on the car...wait for that..then put them on together.. if ur going the stock way...with just some minor touches and stereo upgrade (which it seems u are)...it really shouldn't be a prob. good luck and come back often to post pics and keep us updated..

 

1. All-season tires
2. Racing Beat condenser/oil-cooler screens
3. Clear Bra to protect the front bumper cover
4. Redline fluids for transmission & differential
5. Driving school, like Skip Barber, BMWCCA, or similar, to learn how to control the vehicle.


Take care of business first. THEN pick your priorities for non-safety, non-maintenance toys like strakes, accents, etc. If you like those things, fine, but none of that crap will protect your car or make your driving experience safer for you, your passengers, or the rest of us on the road.

 

Yeh, I am basically a show kind of guy. I have never actually worked on performance of my car since I had a 96 Blazer before this, so really, no point in doing anything to it but putting a system in and making it look nice.

So I know that I'm going to get window tint for sure as my first mod along with clear corners. That should hold me over for a while and then I'm going to replace my Bose Speakers. I am keeping the components/amp I had in my Blazer so the only cost will be the cost for a shop to install them (I usually install everything myself, but I'll let the pros work on this car)

I'll wait a couple of months or so until I start working again and after about 2-3 months of work, I'll have well over enough money to finish off all the mods. Don't know if I'm going to go for the appearance package for the RX-8 or wait for a kit. Don't really like the look of any of the kits out there, maybe the upcoming Racing Beat one, the only thing I fear is less clearance room meaning scraping, also, the cost of having it painted/installed.

Hopefully later on in the future, my mod list will start being checked off. I will continue to update with pictures whenever a mod is completed. Keep on suggesting!

EDIT: Ah yes, Clear Bra, definatly want to get that, where and how much are they are how do you put them on? I think I saw one on an 8 at a dealer a while ago, couldn't really tell until you got right next to the hood and you could see the line where it stopped. Would like to pick this up and put on ASAP though because I think I already got a few scratches from debrie.

 

stay away from the fender strakes...the worse thing you can do to the 8...

 

ahh... i totally agree... of course i was assuming you knew how to drive..
yeah..totally..if you can take courses that teach you how to really drive your car..and apply it in real life when it counts to save urself or others.. that pays off infinitely... the clear bra is a really good one too.. unfortunately i didn't get one and my front is the worser for it.. of course i'm just going to dump it for a kit sometime down the line..so it wasn't a must for me.. but if you are keeping it stock..deff. get that ..if not before your window tint... lata

 

How about protection for your oil cooler and AC condenser? It's practical and can be made to be quite esthetic!

Oh, 3rd brake light mod is a nice, quick and easy one to do!

 

Can you expand on this a little? Are you talking about the front end, or the wing? How does it affct your handling and braking, and at what speeds?

TIA

 

Alarm Shock Sensor upgrade ~ $44 if you DIY

 

Yeah, I was thinking about that too...I"ll go search the DIY section...

So far, in order, I'm going to :

Tint my windows
Make my own oil cooler grills (that also make the car look even MO HOT...lol)
3rd Breaklight "RX-8" logo

@5,000 miles (change to redline for the tranny & rear end)

@1st or 2nd tire replacement (buy lighter rims)

The real fun will only start after warranty...lol...

Good luck with your upgrades but go check the body kit & interior upgrades section if you really want to see some COOL stuff.

 

Daytime driving lights
auto headlights with a by-pass (shut off by themselve when you turn ign off)

 

eyelids

the appearance package looks better with the MS side skirts instead, IMO

 

Why do you want to replace the bose speakers? I'll buy it. Get the Mazda MP3 Player.

 

lol..dude..that's funny.. i must have been on crack.. it was late and i was tired.. i meant the MS Front Strut bar!!...lol...thanks i'll go edit that one

 

Hey now, I like the way that sounds :D

You sir have made the wisest of all RX8 choices. All hail the Sunlight Silver. Find my "Garage" to see your RX8 future.

Cheers,
Oranje

 

Except for "the curse" :D

 

Haha, well since he got a Sunlight Silver, his first mod should be to get his 8 blessed by a priest and washed with Holy water to remove the curse. :D

 

LOL!!! Good one...

 

And what exactly is wrong with fender strakes??

 

After the blessing......get clear corners!! :D

- Irish

 

I think the first thing I'm going to get is a clear bra. I've already looked at my front bumper and there are some very very little "ditches" on it, but I'm basically just freaking out over a very small small thing, but I just thought about it, if I want to get the front air dam, I'm going to have to wait til I get that before I clear bra it hu? Or am I able to just add on to it whenever I do get my front air dam. I wasn't going to do the appearance package until a while.

Also, how much do clear bra's cost and has anyone seen one before? Is it noticable at all? Thanks for all the help, and nice Silver 8 Oranje, that's exactly how I pictured my 8 to look like.

 

get the dension icelink for your iPod. it's great.

 

Might want to take a look at the Racing Beat side skirts they look pretty good to me, also the rear fender flares. I don't like the front much though. I have the fender flares, and I really think they look nice on the car. Or they have an MS Style Urethane body kit for a bit over $1000. Looks real nice. I saw the kit on some of the cars at Sevenstock and they were shockingly fine products.

 

some clear bras are very expensive..u get what you pay for again though.. around 300 and up sometimes..might find it for cheaper. and yes.. you'll have to get a custom one if you get a body kit. that's why i didn't get one yet. when applied the bra is very hard to see unless you are right up on it..and you can't even see it then until you get to the edge.

 

I love the Racing beat body kit that they have coming out. It basically looks like a modified stock front bumper with modified front air dam, with MS side skirts with a little twist and then I think I'd just get the stock rear flares, but how do body kits work? Do they come painted or do I need to spend more money to get them painted? Also, how much does it cost to get them installed usually.