what mods should i get for an 87 non turbo. i'm thinking mainly headers straight pipe, intake, and what else can i do to get some hp up in that badboy!!!

 

since it's a 87, you'll need SOME back pressure for your 5th and 6th ports to open unless you remove them. An open exhaust, save for a high-flow cat, would do the trick. Nice HP gain and still allow your 5th/6th ports to open.

Other than that, get a good high flow intake like K&N or APC. Next comes porting. So far I have a mild port on my throttle body. You can also port the engine, but that requires removing it.

 

MazdaRx7Power,

Hey check out the "staged" upgrade list on rx7forom.com and rx7.com.

Usually stage I is perf. exhaust, catalytic converter, intake, cold air box, fresh air headlight scoop, ignition system, suspension upgrades, downpipe, gagues including air/fuel, boost, exhaust temp, coolant temp, etc..

Stage 1 can take you to 240 rear wheel HP (vs 150 rear wheel OEM).

stage II is usually front mount intercooler, fuel system upgrades, and other ways to maximize the OEM fuel delivery & boost systems

Stage 2 can take you to 300 rear wheel HP

stage III is fuel injector, aftermarket ECU, turbo, huge upgrades.

remember you want to control boost and air/fuel ratios, so just don't go slapping any old engine upgrades on. Those gagues are invaluable in determining if your upgrades are working incorrectly. So long as you don't run lean these will be reliable.

 

READ: he's got an 87 non turbo, doesnt help him much

 

Alrighty since you have NA *like I do* you're going to have to concentrate on maintaining the speed you eventually will get on a straightaway through turns. No matter how hard you try it's going to be extremely difficult if not impossible for you to beat people out there on straightaways with turbo kits/superchargers, etc.. However you can still get mucho power out of the engine regardless.

A good place to start is your air system. *IE: Intake, Exhaust, etc..* A simple switch from stock airbox to a K&N*ish* cone filter will give you 5 extra horses. From there a good place to go next is the Catback exhaust system. This is probably where you'll have the most flexibility or customizability you'll have in the sense there are many many exhaust systems out there for you to choose from. I decided to go with HKS becuase I like how the tips look extremely old school and it'll keep my car 'stealth'. Next changing out the headers to a Racing Beat Header or at the bare minimum getting a hi-flo cat will be a must. Overall you'll probably get at least 20HP total increase by doing this.

There are a couple of routes you can take that'll give your car an edge over all the others one of which *the way I went* was to upgrade the suspension and everything related to it. I got new Springs, Struts, Sway Bars, Rotors, Pads, etc.. I have a corner near my house that I usually take 50-55 maximum speed before I start feeling the car give and now I can probably go at least 65. It's more important for NA cars to MAINTAIN their speed through corners than to have great pullaway power.

Well I hope this helps you in your final decision! Good luck!

Peace,
AJ ^_^