My old N/A five speed in my 87 GXL has seen better days. I have needed a clutch since I bought the car 30,000+ miles and twenty plus years ago. I am also having some syncro issues, too. Synthetic oil in about 400+ miles of driving seems to have helped some. I am not really ready to pass judgement quite yet.

I am looking to get an S1 RX8 gear box. I know that a S1 is weaker and geared differently than and S2. I will need mounts, t2 clutch, an extension for the shifter, driveshaft, etc. However, for a cheap price of $250, I can get one.

Should I just wait for an S2/buy new or just live with the old box and get an new clutch? Certainly, it would be cheaper, easier to just do the clutch. Let's just set aside cost for the moment and decide that way. Is a scrap yard S1 too risky to buy? It could break quickly or already have issues.

Also, I have a 3.9 rear to pair with the new gearbox. I would like to track the car at some point.

 

As someone who has spent plenty of time dealing with FC chassis configurations, my strong advice is to pass on the S1 RX-8 transmission. Even at $250, it is a false economy that will ultimately cost you more time, frustration, and money than doing a proper upgrade.