I have an 82 12a rx-7 GSL just purchased as my first car about 2 weeks ago. so the main question. what can i do that'll make my car sound good, be economical, and still be somewhat of a fun car. the guy who previously had it had stripped the interior completely, dont have AC or even a deck. i wanted to put a cold air intake kit in there, and just replace the whole air filter all together. im not looking to swap the motor what so ever. but i was wondering if anyone knows any decently priced parts shop.. and what i could do to make this car better.

 

Welcome to the 1st gen section and the Darkside. 1st thing to do is start reading through the forum voraciously. Start with the stickys and the archives, paying particular attention to the FAQs. A CAI will improve performance a little, but not much. Easiest, quickest and cheapest hp gains are exhaust, then carb/intake. Choose the right parts and you can see a 40% gain in hp. If you want more than that, the it's time to crack open the engine for a rebuild and some porting, or a 13B swap.

In my sig line is a link to the online FSMs, carb manual, and other rotary related reading. Download whatever you need. Best course of action is to bring all of the mechanicals up to oem specs, then begin modding for hp/performance. As parts need replaced, upgrade them.
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thanks bro.. im really diggin your ride.. im new to this so im going to have to figure out what stickys and everything are.. im still learning about my car and engine still so im slowly getting everything. i hope to keep the engine the same unless i end up ever getting money for an engine swap.. where did you find your parts at?

 

Parts is parts and they can be found all over the place. Black Dragon now sells the body kit that I have. Develope a mental picture of what you want the car to look like before you even start. Decide on a hp goal, then assess your budget and skil level. Once the budget has a number, add another 50% to it and double your build time.

Once you've determined those items, ask your question again, after much much reading.

 

i was actually really only interested with engine mods.. i mean, im not too worried about the look of the car quite yet.. like i said, im pretty new to this car, so im not sure how much HP it has already, im just looking to change the typical as you said.. exhaust, cooling system, ignition etc. right now, im focusing on those, and will buy one at a time, since im a broke incoming college freshman as well.. but thanks for your help and input

 

Living in Cali presents a problem when it comes to hp mods and still being able to pass emissions. Steve84GS has successfully completed an S5 TII swap that passes CARB, but that's not an inexpensive process, nor is it one for the inexperienced.

At this point in time, I would suggest doing all of the normal maintenance and upkeep repairs, then start building up the braking and suspension systems. Once you can fund the hp upgrades, the car will be ready to handle whatever you throw at it.

Read through the FAQs at the beginning of the 1st gen section. There you will find plenty of info on what 's needed to maintain the mechanicals and bring it up to spec.