My Wee Economical 1.3l... Rx8

[2.2_Coupe]

Figured its been a while since I sold the Mx5 Turbo, went AWOL, so figured I'd post one of my current shopping cart...

Still to fit when the salt fooks off:

Gratuitous arse shotss with my ghost plate stuck over the top

Video of it on the dyno yesterday:



Current Spec:
191.6 Bhp 171 Lb/Ft Torque
Not bad given they are notorious for being upwards of 40Bhp down on claimed

New engine fully built by Rotechniks
K&N Typhoon induction Kit
Lightweight Pulleys
Competition Clutchs Full Clutch Kit
Stainless Manifold
Stainless Decat
Stainless Catback exhaust
NKG Plugs and Leads
Circuit sports Ignition amp and latest 'D' revision coilpacks
Stock ECU in bad need of mapping lol
BC coilovers
Eibach 20mm Hubcentric spacers
Mintex pads with Grooved and drilled discs
Carbon bonnet, Boot and rear spoiler
Lockwood and Zunsport stainless Grilles
R-Spirit carbon Brows

 

[Boabybooster]

I loved my rx8 when I had it , only went due to the awful mpg I was getting and it had developed the marbles in the blender engine noise! Amazing handling cars!! Good luck with it.

 

[2.2_Coupe]

Thanks very much ive noticed of late that its 'reasonably frugal' on motorway runs, its town that kills the economy.
I had bought this from a dealer with warranty, FSH etc, and it still died, so I had looked at buying something else but nothing handled the same as the 8, in the end I stumped up and paid Rotechniks to build me a lump for it - just need to be proactive on the maintenance front really.
No doubt the MPS in your avatar would make an awesome replacement though - great cars!!!

 

[Boabybooster]

The Mps has been great for the last 2 years, lots of power ,but probably not as much fun to drive as the rx8 was , and it goes tomorrow unfortunately to free up some funds or my wedding. Ill keep an eye out for the 8 in carrick if you see a beige saab 900 driver giving you looks it probably me . haha!

 

[Lappintyre]

Will look well with the new boots!

 

[Boss Of Gloss]

will look better with the new wheels but the bonnet and boot lid arent helping it i dont think

 

[2.2_Coupe]

I need this weather to flook away off so I can get the new wheels on, they're a deeper offset too, which should help push her out out a bit, as well as being wider. The bootlid came about after my search for a replacement with a clean 3rd brakelight stalled, and the bonnet after a discussion with Rotechniks about 8's in traffic. "did you ever notice how many vented bonnets there are for the 8?" they asked, "quite a few" was my reply.... "theres good reason for it" they replied lol!
I was going to buy a GRP boot, only to be warned of how pants the finish is, so carbon it was.
Are there any traders on here who can carbon wrap the roof to tie the whole thing together?

This pic kind of sealed the deal for me... albeit sans spoiler

 

[106lad]

I think ive seen this car about a couple of times over christmas, racking my brain trying to think, but did i see it in ballymena, and possibly outside lisburn?

 

[2.2_Coupe]

Definately in Ballymena, not so definately at Lisburn - at least not that ive been aware of lol!

 

[106lad]

like i say im not sure. But i think it was parked near peacocks in ballymena?

 

[2.2_Coupe]

I could well have been in the town doin a "qwer locka" shopping possibly - though I assure you I wasnt in Peacocks lol - ive a rep to maintain haha!

 

[2.2_Coupe]

I mentioned earlier about the rusty 3rd brake light - I figured it was beyond repair as it was inherant that the rust was coming from behind, so off it came to be replaced by a Seibon carbon item:

The side effect of this was that it deleted the spoiler, and there was no way I was going to put a painted GRP one on. So the search began for a carbon spoiler too!

which when added gave:

I shipped the car off to a local garage who to about the only guy I trusted with the 8 - Gordy @ GMAC in larne!

While the car was there, and off the road, I was saving about £145 a week on fuel, which I blew on other things for the car lol!

Some small things like painting the winter wheels I tackled myself:

I shod the 18s in Hankooks excellent Icept Evo tyres all round, just in time too as the first week I got it back, the weather turned NASTY!

 

[2.2_Coupe]

While I was off the road I indulged in a few other 'non essentials' to entertain myself lol!
Like a baby Recaro so I can take my nephew for icecream runs to the beach in summertime lol!

Model Rotary Engines....

Bloody hyper rev issues... torture!

Even models incase I forgot what it looked like

All the while, parts were gathering up in my livingroom!

The perk of it taking so long to put together was that I could wax the bejaysus out of the body parts:

all drenched in Swissvax Best Of Show.
Your probably noticing a carbon theme appearing, Im on a mission to gather loads of oddball carbon bits

I sort of stopped at boot, spoiler, bonnet, mirrors, and eyelids, though Ive now found a place in the states doing interior parts, but I need to work out which can be swapped from LHD to RHD.

The Engine I commisioned Rotechniks to build, features a mild port job, so I figured Id help gasses out by fitting:

Note the three branches, this is due to the twin rotor engine having exhaust ports on all three sandwiching plates. This then feeds into a decat (im keeping my new cat good for MOT)

If you note, one end is wider, this is due to the cat pipe having a variation in pipe diameter where the Lambda sensor is - if you dont replicate this, the CEL light will stay lit.

ending in a replica 'HKS Legamax style' system:

On the Induction side, I would only settle for one intake - K+Ns proven typhoon system:

I had looked at others, but K+ns came with a full metal heatshield to box in the induction, so it made the price seem worthwhile.

 

[2.2_Coupe]

The only other things I looked at were ignition:

I chose the Circuit ignitions amp, as it was totally plug and play, the loom is excellent, and provides a voltage hike to 16.5V
The other ignition parts I dont have pics of, are the Knightsport revised coilpacks, new plugs (again) and NGK leads, they all got shipped straight to the garage, as the were only ordered in the last week or two before I got it back,

Aside from this, I figured it would be rude not to fit a new clutch while the old one was out. so I went for a trusted Excedy 30% uprated kit, and a Competition Clutchs Chromoly Lighter flywheel (stage 2)

While I was at it, I got a really good deal on lighter pulleys:

These further reduce parasitic loss, and lopped pounds of the ancilliary drive side.

Speaking of drive, I bought two sets of Eibachs excellent hubcentric spacers:

I had done a little homework, and the US stance guys were all running 25mm spacers with no reported issues after 100000 miles, so I followed suit and played it safe rather than go 30mm and encounter all manner of scrubbing issues.

In order to drop her down onto the wheels, I hummed and ha'd about going for Teins again, but I wasnt that keen after my last few sets on other cars and fancied a change.

We basically dropped her to leave about 15mm of a gap between the front wheel and arch, and a little more at the rear due to the fact that I load the boot with my DJ gear at weekends.

in order to make the thing stop, I opted for grooved and dimpled discs to avoid cracking issues ive had before with drilled discs

and Mintex pads

Then the big day arrived!!!

CRATE ENGINE DAY!!!

I near peed myself with excitement when the crate arrived, there was over £3k resting in that baby!

 

[Smick]

Wow, you def have more money than sense!!! That's a lot of nice bits

 

[2.2_Coupe]

Thanks Smick - your 231 is beaut by the way! out of noseyness does your front valance protrude lower than the original front splitter? id been noseying at a carbon one, but im afraid of destroying it coming to work as I 'just' scrub the underside of the air deflector coming over the insanely large bumps designed to slow trucks coming into work.

 

[Smick]

Yes it does sit a bit lower at the front on mine than standard. They must be huge bumps, haven't had a problem anywhere I've been. I'm on standard suspension though.

 

[2.2_Coupe]

Theyre easily the height of the kerbs, with very sharp inclines to them. I crunch the solid mudguards quite badly though the floorpan 'just' passes it and no more. Everywhere else isnt a problem apart from the odd rogue bump in housing developments. I wish I had measured the total drop from beforehand.

 

[Boss Of Gloss]

mines is on its knees and the front undertray gets alot of buffing ramps are near impossible

 

[2.2_Coupe]

are you having any fouling issues further back? ive scuffed the metal guard down near the middle of the car, thankfully everything vital is up in behind there - Im determined not to raise it up any more lol

 

[Boss Of Gloss]

yeah it scrubs the rear tyres on the inside after about 4k miles but if it is any higher wouldnt look as good with 9.5" wide rears needs to be low to pull them off

 

[syecadelic]

90% sure I seen you last weekend (7th/1) going up to the top of sloefiled road, near Mauds factors, I was out n Hyundai i40 on a test drive. Was wandering wtf the black nose on the front was. Looks pretty mean Nice stuff.

 

[2.2_Coupe]

Indeed that was me - heading round to get a price for 4 wheel allignment - went n got it done on Monday there. Serious difference having dropped it and fitted spacers - it was a couple of degrees out all over the show. Thanks very much!

 

[2.2_Coupe]

yeah it scrubs the rear tyres on the inside after about 4k miles but if it is any higher wouldnt look as good with 9.5" wide rears needs to be low to pull them off

Floorpan wise aare you having any more issues though? Id go lower if it wouldnt beach itself like a big silver whale everywhere :/

 

[DaddyCC]

Sorry but the bonnet is desperate looking imo Mightnt be as bad if you painted the roof to flow between it and the boot however (even tho normally i hate that type of thing).

Good job on spraying the oem wheels, but the LM's should definitely be a bit more trick You've certainly not scrimped on getting the proper parts thats for sure! Look forward to seeing your progress