My 1990 vert na is my daily driver, and will be for several years to come (college and whatnot, perhaps longer)

Now the car has 70k original miles, painfully stock, and in great shape. I intend to keep it this way.

Down to business, what can I do beyond the regular 3000 miles oil changes and general good care? Are there any aftermarket parts that could improve how it runs, efficiency, etc over the oem stuff?

 

Get yourself a tub (not those silly little squeeze tubes) of dielectric grease and go to town on the electrical system.
Every bulb/socket, every connector you can find.

Relay the power window switches.

Replace every vacuum/water hose.

Get real oil pressure and water temp gauges.

I'm sure there's more but this should keep you busy for a while as others chime in.

 

jjwalker's premix = 4 ounces of idemitsu premix per 10 gallons of gas

You can use regular TCW-3 two stroke, but I like the fancy ****.

 

Agreed, additional premix will add to the extended life and reliability of your engine.

 

Use vinyl top conditioner to prevent cracking. I've been using one with UV protection and seems to work well. Could be time for an all metal rad as the plastic end-tanks on the OEM crack not only due to use, but age also.

In addition to the electrical system as a whole, I would check and clean a few critical grounds; ECU under kick-panel and top rear of engine.

Opened up exhaust is always a great mod on rotaries; better breathing is good for power and getting the heat away from the engine helps with wear, plus most of the aftermarket headers/full exhausts are SS and will out last the OEM mild steel.

 

Change your leading plugs every 20-30,000 miles tops. Make sure you wires are in good shape. Burning oil and high heat are hard on plugs. If ur car is losing performance to plugs it is probably building carbon too.

 

Well an open exhaust isn't a very good idea for a daily driver, especially since its a vert. But ill take a look at the condition of my radiator. What brand would you recommend if I did need one?

 

Dont forget the rubber heater hoses. These always seem to go out on me before the main hoses.

 

check all the rubber suspension parts.
Check the condition of all lines,hoses,brake pads,shocks to see if they are leaking.Regular scheduled maintenance,oil fuel filters,plugs,etc.Check fluids as they should be checked regularly.Change the coolant and it's good for a couple seasons.(thermo..use a OEM thermostat)

Over all,this is just another older car with a different engine.If you maintain it,and don't try to use it as a JET then it will treat you right.

 

If ur not heavily modded stock with the stock size. The larger radiators take longer to warm in the winter. If you live where it is hot all year thyself a different story.

Open exhaust doesn't have to be loud. You really should price some systems. Racing beat makes a nice exhaust and there are less expensive options that don't attract police.

 

With literally a completely stock system, how bad would the smell of a header/presilencer combo be? Being rather critical too

 

Invest in some good spark plug wires, auto parts store brand doesn't cut it. Buy NGK or Racing Beat and make sure you use dielectric grease on both ends.

 

If ur car runs good shouldn't smell any different to the human nose. As for the plug wires I use msd tylor kit 5551-5550. It's less expensive and you can dress the wires in how I want. The trick is to use the factory boot off the old wires. Clean it with goof off and slide it over the msd 8mm wire for a tight fit to the coil.