neofreak

FC doesn't really count as a rare old school sports car.. plus every other 18 year old has one.

At least here. There are tons of them around.

anewconvert

iTrader: (1)

Kevin already built my engine. I have a 5/6 port bridge with and pri/sec streetport. The decision as it stands now is whether or not to turbo it, or have him disassemble it and bring the bridge down to the secondary as well.



Thanks for the discussion guys. At this point Im likely to stick with my 7 since I a) own it outright, and b) will be fixing up a wrnagler to be my daily driver soon. So at this point, as much as i like the 8, the 7 seems like the choice for me. Maybe when the 8 comes down in price.


BC

MechE00

My NA RX-7 gets better gas mileage than the RX-8 (but obviously is also slower).

RX-8 has airbags.

RX-8 will depreciate a HELL of a lot faster than the FC will...

anewconvert

iTrader: (1)

It will depreciate faster by virtue of the fact that the FC is already completely depreciated. At this point either the car is worth $3k, or its a non-runner at $1k-$1.5k. The RX8 has 7-10 yars of depriciation left.


BC

tandolla

iTrader: (1)

i have spanked a rx8 with my TII with exhaust intake SAFC2 and a 4 puck clutch.. and i have only paid like maby $3,000 only in speed performance. and plus another $2-3K on suspention mods. compared to $20,000 for a stock rx8.. $14,000 savings, sounds pretty damn good to me.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

I have a relatively powerful n/a (172rwhp) and a modded T2 (250rwhp), and I'm about to buy a real daily driver in the next couple months.

If you're only going to have one car, Rx-8 is the way to go. You don't have the annoying and embarassing bullshit of an 80s car with electrical problems and squeaks and rattles.

If you have a daily driver, just keep building your 7. But I'd say you're better off buying a T2 with a blown motor (or one recently rebuilt) than hacking up your perfectly good N/A. There was no way in hell I was going to do a turbo swap on an n/a that ran so well as it is, so I just bought another one. But I have a place to put them etc.

KhanArtisT

iTrader: (2)

sure lol, funny. If your area is full of 18 year olds with good condition modded FCs instead of hondas and 240s then I envy you, although I highly doubt it

As for being on topic, yours is a coupe right? If its already reubilt and ported I'd run a 6 port turbo with the stock S5 turbo and manifolds on low boost unless you're after high HP numbers. It'd definitely give you enough power to have fun with the car, mod the suspension and the brakes and enjoy. I don't see the point in buying a TII unless you plan to daily drive the NA...which wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. Buy a beater and start modding the 7.

Icemark

That would be wrong.

The stock RX-8 has a sub 6 second 0-60 and a sub 15 second 1/4 mile.

Even the stock S5 Turbo was not as quick.

And owning both a FC and a FE, I can say without any hesitation, that the simplest comparison between the two, is that the RX-8 is refined, while the FC is just crude in comparison. They both get the job done, weight about the same...

But the 8 is just radically more refined. Everything about it. The engine, the suspension, everything is just must more refined.

Of course the one thing that the FE doesn't have that at least the non-turbo FC's had is a voltmeter.

jpd3253

The volt meter was replaced by all those stupid rotor icons, which are obviously much more important and functional.

Icemark

actually that was a left over from the FD... The FD was too cheap to have a voltmeter as well.

jpd3253

Geez, give Mazda a break. Considering the cost of an FD at its introduction, cost cutting measures were necessary. LOL.

masao

ABS is for pussies

Jeremy Clarckson once said that the feeling of a manual brake pedal was better than sex, and was more fun too.

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

Weight and HP
RX8 = 3,029 lbs (manual, who cares about automatics), ~235 hp
S4 Sport = 2625 lbs, 146 hp
S4 TII = 2850 lbs, 182 hp
S5 N/A = 2800 lbs, 160 hp
S5 TII = 2987 lbs, 200 hp

Power/weight ratio
RX8 = 12.90
S4 Sport = 17.98
S4 TII = 15.66
S5 N/A = 17.50
S5 TII = 14.94

Braking Distance
RX8 = 114 ft.
RX7 = 120 ft.

Add that to the fact that the RX8 has new suspension, traction control, etc...

Some of the numbers may be off a bit (and some of the weights vary a bit by year), but you get the idea.

fcdrifter13

I totally forgot that the vert weighs 400lbs more than a coupe.

ProjectR13B

iTrader: (1)

on a plus side, FCs arent ugly, and parts are redily available.

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

He wouldn't know, though.

While I definately prefer the feeling of a manual power brakes over ABS, you don't really notice a difference until you're near full lock.

What I do enjoy is being able to step on the brake pedal enough to make the tires scream (not possible so much with ABS) to show the idiot who just cut me off how close he could have come to impending doom.

KillaKitiie

I think buying a t2 would be a better choice,its already turbo'ed has a strong proven tranny and diff and respond's very well to bolt on's. only things is it's older more worn so you will have to maintain it until its up to par on service then i see no reason why it wouldnt be as good as a daily as an rx8.

Syncro

iTrader: (1)

Mazda made hundreds (if not thousands) of little improvements over the 15 years elapsed between the FC and the FE. Like Icemark said, it's a much more refined car.

The Renesis motor is incredibly self aware, for ex. (compare that to the dumb-as-a-doorknob FC ecu). The Renesis even has aluminum housings, as well as using 40% less fuel at idle. 235hp from a reliable, quiet and fuel efficient 13b block is quite an achievement, especially since it's done without the added complexities of a turbocharger.

As mentioned before, the chasis and suspension have been updated and upgraded. As far as handling goes, the 8 is a better platform to start from. It would make a better all out sports car than an FC... just seems like such a waste to strip down a perfectly good RX8 while theres countless junk FC's out there that will get the job done.

It's safer. I'd rather slam into a wall at 120mph in an FE than in my little FC.

The NAVI is cool too

Can't beat a warranty.

If it weren't so damn ugly I'd get one as a DD.

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

So no one has ever ran faster then 15 seconds with a stock TII?? lol I guess I'm the first.....

My statement wasn't to the thousandth of a second, its a rough comparison....but I guess if you lay out the numbers side by side its wrong. In reality though its close enough.

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

I still enjoy this statement, but I think it's because a year or two ago I would have said the same thing.

Turbochargers aren't complex at all. To really dumb it down, it's just two fans connected to the same shaft - the exhaust blows on the exhaust side fan, which makes the intake fan spin and pushes more air into the intake. That's a turbocharger in a nutshell. More air through engine = more power out of engine.

There are a couple of caveats, sure - like more air without more fuel won't help. Then you just have to keep the turbo cool by running oil and water through it (or just oil for some) and really... that's it.

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

The theory isn't complex, but you have to admit it does add quite a bit off stuff to the engine bay.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

it is, my 1958 tr3 has one. FC does not. FC is power assisted. rx8 has nice pedal feel too....

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

It does take up some space, but really all you're adding is 2 water lines, and 2 oil lines - compared to the NA your intake already goes right by there anyway, may as well snap that 90 degree turn in there for an extra 70 hp.

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

I guess the big squarish thing on top of your intake is just for decoration...

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

There's a whole lot less metal goes into that than there is in the stock NA intake manifold. :P I'm doing the turbo 6 port thing - I got my turbo LIM UIM in the other day and I'm like "Where's the rest of it? There's only half of it here!"

Even just looking at the two, I'd say that the turbo intake with the intercooler included isn't THAT much bigger than the stock NA intake manifold (s4 is what I'm looking at) with the dynamic chamber and everything.

The turbo manifold without the intercooler looks like a lowercase c - the NA intake manifold looks more like a 2. You end up in almost exactly the same place coming off of the intercooler, so I didn't include it. In terms of design, it's pretty much just a wide spot in the intake path anyway.