Hi all,
this is my very first post so please dont flame me if i did anything wrong
I have read most sites about their reliability mods and recommended modification steps but what i would like to know is what brands are good and which ones to stay away from?
I am about to purchase a late model 01/02 RS or a spirit R that is unmodified (because of our import laws) and want to do some basic mods to it like full exhaust, intercooler, ecu, boost up, and intake. Supposing that money is not a problem (and no, i'm not a very rich bastard, i just want to know what's good, and what's not without cost thrown into the equation), what would you recommend for a total newb on rotary engines like me? I would like to stick with japanese brands so please share your experiences with me.
btw, i'm in australia so it gets pretty darn hot, would i still need to do reliability mods on a late model? if so, would i need to do them all?
thanks in advance all!

 

wow, 01, 02 or spirit r? lucky you. Keep it stock.

 

poop2003,

Most of the people that post here are in North America where access to models later than '95 didn't happen. You'll probably get more information asking in either the Australian or Far East sections:

Australian:
https://www.rx7club.com/australia-new-zealand-forum-43/

Far East:
https://www.rx7club.com/a-105/


Good luck!

 

Another thing: many of the brands available here in the US are not readily available in Aus, and vice-versa. Many Japanese brands aren't available here at all, and so you won't find them mentioned much in this section of the forum.

Yes, if you have heat you should be extra attentive to cooling system maintenance and reliability mods. An all-aluminum radiator, AST elimination / replacement, and new coolant hoses all around are vitally important.

The exhaust is a big deal for us here, since our downpipe has an extra catalytic converter in it. But yours will not. Also, the stock main cat isn't exactly crap - many people don't have the proper boost gauge and boost control to handle the high flow caused by a full exhaust. So I would start with a bolt-in cat-back and leave the exhaust at that for now, but that's just me.

Dave

 

Even though we are not fortune enough to get the good stuff from Japan and that Mazda did some upgrades on the Spirit R, they still used rubber hoses on the rat's nest. Change 'em! Change the cat, add intake and exaust. I know the suspension and ecu were upgraded. If you want more than this, Talk to the guys at Dragon Motorsports. I believe they are in Australia also but don't quote me on this.

 

Man a Spirit R is like a Ferrari to us. You just don't mod those cars. Leave it stock and that's all that should ever be done to it.

 

I would upgrade the radiator, put on a catback, and do the cheap air intake mod. Maybe a PFC.

 

Thanks for all your replies. I have thought about keeping it stock but i know that i'll want more power real soon I currently have a gtr and i'd like the 7 to at least be able to keep up

 

ausrotary.com - members' section - FD thread (you need to register to see it) - there's over 180 pages of info - and a nice group of owners. Go there for personalised help - and/otherwise read all the faqs here.

 

thanks dai, i'l go there and check it out