Mazda RX-8 Build Thread from Florida

In Nov 09 I bought a Velocity Red 2004 RX-8, completely stock when I bought it and I slowly began to mod it, in Jan 2011 that car got totaled. I liked the RX-8 Chassis so much that I decided to buy another one. I came across a great deal on RX8Club for a very nice and already well modded 2004, the car was up in Chicago, I came to a deal with the owner and had the car shipped down to me in Florida.

Once I had the car I began modding it again and got bit by the mod bug pretty hard this time and it has now turned into an all out build. The majority of the work has been done by myself in my cramped one car garage, with the occasional help of a few friends.


List of Mods when I bought the car:
Mazdaspeed Front Bumper
Mazdaspeed Sideskirts
Mazdaspeed Rear Underspoiler
Tanabe Sustec Pro Five Coilovers
AFE Short Shifter
Borla Exhaust
RP Super Cat
Mazdaspeed CAI
Mazdaspeed Strut Bar
Work Emotion 11R Glim Silver 18×9.5 +30
Falken FK-452 255/40/18
MXP Purple Lug Nuts
10mm Project Kics Spacers (Rear)
Slotted Drilled Rotors(from RX7Store.com)
Hawk HPS Brake Pads
Stainless Steel Brake Lines
LEDs all around
Kenwood DNX-6140 Headunit
Metra Kit
PAC SWI-JACK
Backup Camera
Infinity 1300a amp
Two Infinity Reference 1052w 4-ohm 10″ Subs
Zenclosures Sub box
2009 Seat Covers
Blacked Out Emblems
35% Tint
6000K HID Headlights
PIAA Yellow Fogs
Replica Kei Office Eyelids
Lamin-x Yellow Fog light Vinyl


Some Pics:







Interior Pics:

Not too long after buying the car I continued to mod it...

Installed Progress Tech Sways and Evo-R Endlinks
Installed a Piano Black Voodoo Shift Knob
Changed Transmission and Diff Fluids to Redline MT-90 and Redline 75w-90 respectively
Replaced the RP Supercat with a BHR Resonated Midpipe
Installed Puddle Lights
Removed the Replica Kei Office Eyelids
Removed the 10mm Rear Spacers and straightened out the alignment due to Camber Wear.
Installed Upgraded Starter
Installed a BHR Ignition System
Removed Rotary FX Corners and Installed Clear Corners


More Recent Pics:











Interior Teardown

Full 2011 RX-8 R3 Interior Installed:






[/U

Custom Dual Vent Gauge Pod....
Here's what I started with...


Here's everything molded together initially before filing and sanding...


Test Fit...

Pics throughout the process, thought I had it finished, then test fit it again today and decided I didn't like the angle of it, so I cut the vent and gauge pods apart to angle it more towards me for a better view of the gauges...











And now for the finished product...

Start of the Teardown for the Turbo Build...

Cleanign the SSV Valve, a common problem with the RX-8 is this valve getting gunked up and stuck so I cleaned it while I had everything apart.


SSV was pretty clean compared to some others I've seen, 64k miles...










Sohn Adapter Installed to inject clean 2 stroke oil into the engine



Passenger Mount Bracket and Engine Mounts Removed



SSV came clean really easy with just some Carb Cleaner...





Motor Mounts Filled with 80A Shore Urethane...

Battery Harness was completely pulled apart and stripped down...

The battery was relocated to the trunk so I rerouted and re-sleeved the battery harness for a cleaner look.

The beginning of a wire tuck...

Progress on the Wire Tuck...

I was able to move this harness about an inch or two to the drivers side.

Rerouting these wires that connect to the battery

The one wire I've extended so far


These grounds will have to be extended, I just have to get some spade terminals

I had to widen this opening for a little more room.

My order of Wire Sleeving and Heat Shrink for the wire tuck....

More work done on the wiring...
I was able to get the harness ran back into the car and grommet in place pretty easily.

Harness re-wrapped in original split wire loom to protect it from abrasions.


Running back into the engine bay to the firewall, the other wire leads up the the windshield wiper motor.

Harness all wrapped back up.

MAF Wiring Sleeved, also for anyone who asks about extending the MAF wiring, You are able to pull the wires all the way back through the main harness to the fuse box area, which is what I did, this would give me more than enough slack to put the MAF almost anywhere in the engine bay. As you can see in this pic it reaches all the way to the passenger side strut tower.

Larger Diameter intake piping to match the Compressor Inlet of my Turbo 2.75"...Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic.

Here are some more pics of the recent work....
Brakes Painted






Cross Bar Repainted

Battery Harness Sleeved

Battery Harness back in the Car

P2 and Secondary Injectors Removed

Airbox Tray Template

Passenger Side Harness

Battery Wiring Ran, Sleeved and Temporarily connected to test.


Boost Sensors and Wastegate Solenoid Wiring

Fuel Pump Resistor and MAP Sensor Wiring

Fuel Pump Resistor Relocated

Battery Cable Routing






Battery Cable run into Trunk

Mess of headunit wiring before rewiring

Gauges


Profec

Cleaning up the wiring in the engine bay...

Manifold Ceramic Coated

Uncapped injectors back from KG Parts/Injector Rehab

Uncapped(Left) vs Stock Injectors(Right)

I got bored one night and Polished the SSV and VDI actuators

Lost one of the damn e-clips that hold on the SSV and VDI Actuators so I had to buy more, of course while putting some things back together I found the one I lost.

Start of a Template for a Canister bracket

OMP Plugs removed and Wiring was Sleeved...






After this I sleeved over the corrugated split loom, but forgot to take a picture of it, you can see it coming out around the Alternator Bracket in the last pic.

The Engine as it sits right now...

Custom Aluminum Tray

Teaser of Canister Setup, Recessed NPT Bungs for NPT to -AN adapters.

Part of the Canister Bracket



Canisters getting Welded

Bracket for Boost Sensors


GT3076R

Custom Wastegate Actuator Setup

Turbo and Custom Wastegate Actuator with Quick Connect Fittings and High Temp PTFE Vacuum Lines

Synapse DV with Quick Connect Fittings

Wastegate Solenoid with Quick Connect Fittings

Turbo Coolant Inlet, Sleeved with Insultherm Ultraflexx ends wrapped in DEI Cool tape.

Tubo Coolant Outlet, Sleeved with Insultherm Ultraflexx ends wrapped in DEI Cool tape.

Test fitting the piping before it get Powder Coated

Intercooler Brackets