Well, I am sure this has been asked before, but I seem to really suck at using the search function, anyways sorry if it has. Right now I am at the point in my FD's life where thing's start to go, those things being the turbo's and random seal's.

I had bought the car from the original owner, completely bone stock, and I mean everything, I was just recently looking through the engine bay and I had seen things I've never seen before. So considering this I am completely stuck at which way to go, because on one hand:

1. I would like to conserve it in it's condition .

2. it would also be a big + when selling (if I chose to after getting it fixed since aftermarket parts add no value unless done to the utmost extent.

3. that would mean trying to strip those aftermarket parts to try to get my money back and reinstalling stock.

On the other hand:

1. I would like to get it running like the true beast these car's are with BNR twin turbo's ( one day single if I go aftermarket, just don't have the money) because I love having power (who doesn't).

2. I might end up keeping this car for a long time (when I got in the drivers seat after driving another car for so many weeks it just reminded me how much I fu**in love them) so resale wouldn't really matter.

So I was wondering what you guy's opinion is, stock or aftermarket.

Also, is aftermarket really worth it?

 

It's only worth as much as you want it to be worth.

 

If you want to keep it somewhat stock form, why not do the reliability mods and call it a day? Those MIGHT add some value to the car, ie a dp, IC, catback etc. In the event you want to sell it and go back to COMPLETE stock you can easily remove the aftermarket reliability mods and put back the stock items.

 

I was thinking about that, but then I was thinking, well I would like it in the 300-350 horsepower range, and that would mean upgrading pretty much everything anyways (fuel, computer, exhaust, intake, rad, intercooler), so then I was thinking maybe I should just do the turbo's while they're blown and go with a more reliable set

 

Figure out what you plan to do with the car. I've know many people who get the "modding bug" and start throwing stuff on their car because it's 'cool'. However, when they got done, they turned their car into something they couldn't enjoy.

Also keep in mind that a car designed to do "everything", will not to anything "great". A jack of all traits, but a master of none.

 

It is a hard decision. everyone loves a complete dtock FD though wehn they do come around and resale is really high specially with low miles

 

Remember at the end of the day you'll never get back what you put into the car so keep that in mind when you want to sell the car one day.

After modding the hell out of my first FD, second time around the only mods I have are subtle and easily reverseable, i.e SMIC, intake, exhaust and PFC.

 

yeah, I see what you guy's mean, thinking about it now, when I was driving it stock it was rediculous as it is (and I think it might have been having troubles without me knowing, so I probably havent felt it perform at it's best).

Over these past weeks I have been looking at parts and I would say your completely right Mahjik, it's the modding bug.

Everytime I look at these parts I think of this rhd FD I test drove and how it just kicked you in the pant's when you mashed the gas, but now looking at what I was doing has made me realize that it isn't necessary to mod the **** out of it, yeah maybe a nice exhaust or something but really, these cars are amazing stock without pouring tons of money into it.

 

Drive it for a while, get to know the car, how it behaves. Mod accordingly, but I find in stock form, it is more than enough to get you into trouble.

 

I agree, and that's what I did. I have all my stock stuff in my garage, but I added a downpipe, R1-2 oil coolers, a stock mount intercooler, etc. basically all to keep it cool when it's driven hard.

At least a downpipe is a (completely smog legal) must, IMO.

 

If you start building up your car you might not stop until you're broke.

Personally, my build budget has gone and doubled on me.
And I planned/researched ahead of time.
There's always just 1 more thing you can add to the list...

Maybe go w/ the BNR's? Hard to say w/out knowing your budget.
If you want resale... like others have said, just do reliability mods.

Personally, I don't buy sports cars to sell them.

...The 350Z was just a mistake lol, so it doesn't count

 

O.K., I'm going to go ahead and share what I was talking about... I need to get my post count up to 10 anyways

Here's the list that's draining my bank (w/out prices, but you can get an idea by searching)

"Planned" List:
Rebuild w/ Street Port
A-Specs 35R Single Turbo (Later changed to 500R because was sent wrong turbo)
RE-A Dual Tip Dolphin Tail Cat-Back
A-Specs Stainless DP
A-Specs Stainless Manifold
HKS Twin Power IS
Power FC w/ Commander
Supra TT Fuel Pump
550/1300 Injectors
RX-7 Stores V-Mount IC
RX-7 Stores Modified Koyo Radiator
Tial 44mm Wastegate
Greddy Elbow w/ BOV Flange
Greddy Type-RS BOV
ACT Clutch
Eibach Pro-Kit Springs
Tokico Illumina 5 Way Adjustable Gas Shocks
Hawk HP+ Brake Pads & Stainless Brake Lines
R1 Front Spoiler

"WTF" List:
Rebuild w/ Street Port & 3mm Apex Seals
A-Specs 500R SP divided T4 Single Turbo
RE-A Dual Tip Dolphin Tail Cat-Back
A-Specs Stainless DP
A-Specs Stainless Manifold
HKS Twin Power IS
Power FC w/ Commander
Supra TT Fuel Pump
550/1300 Injectors
FJO's Water Injection Kit
RX-7 Stores V-Mount IC
RX-7 Stores Modified Koyo Radiator
FDNewbie Imports Dual Oil Coolers
Tial 44mm Wastegate
Greddy Elbow w/ BOV Flange
Greddy Type-RS BOV
ACT Clutch
Tranny Rebuild
Eibach Pro-Kit Springs
Tokico Illumina 5 Way Adjustable Gas Shocks
Volk CE28N Wheels in Diamond Black + Tires
Hawk HP+ Brake Pads & Stainless Brake Lines
FRP FEED Side Skirts
R1 Front Spoiler
CF Rear Exhaust Bumper Guard
FlyRX7's 60mm Tripod Gauge Cluster
Defi Gauges (Oil Temp, Water Temp, Fuel Pressure)

May seem like it didn't change much but it did. The parts that got added on later added a big cost to the budget.

 

Eh, of all the cars that I've owned, I've enjoyed the ones that were not modded and I could daily drive them while still having fun. And it saved a lot of money...lol

~Tom

 

My car is pretty much stock when it comes to driving it, I drove an FD with a real nice suspension and it was a completely different world. What i say is:

1. Get it rebuilt and a streetport
2. PFC
3. Catback, DP, High Flow
4. Boost controller
5. Bigger intercooler such as a coolcharge
6. Supsension (nice set of street coilovers, new toe links, traction rods
7. Replace all bushings with a solid kit
8. Grounding kit
9. Intake kit such as the M2
10. Wheels and tires

Not in that particular order. But that right there will make a nice respectable and very street-able FD. Then if the mod bug still is itching at your wallet go bigger single or something. But that list right there makes a reliable FD thats a great time driving. and if you want to make "future problems" easier to troubleshoot, Switch your sequential system to parallel while the stuff is already out.

Good luck, and hope i helped.

 

good list, i got all those suspension stuff, car feel great.. only thing i dont like about my car is the Kaaz 1.5 LSD, to much noise when turing under 10mph, everyone always ask if my car is going to fall apart lol.. also with that much power you might want to look at the a good new clutch and diff (turbo II or kaaz but get te special coating they have to reduce the noise).

 

I think im starting to see the light, just got mixed up in all the fancy parts, get it running then get a nice exhaust and go from there with an intake or something, I know exactly what your saying eminent, I was pricing out a build along time ago and I just kept finding parts I wanted, I think it would have ended up costing me over 12000

 

stay subtle, go piece by piece. you will be happy with your new mod... then when it gets old, add one more. I bet you find that after you get to a certain point you really like, and then you add the next mod... your going to want to go back to that one point. You will find a sweet spot and want to stay in it. just take it slow, start out with a nice rebuild and streetport and go from there.

 

The only problem with piece by piece comes when you have to factor in labor costs. Unless of course you're doing it yourself...

That's why doing everything right out of the gate can be cost effective; a lot of the total labor costs are taking parts out and putting them back in.

The drawback, like you mentioned, is getting use to the set up over time and in the case of doing everything at one time, you don't have much room left to improve/change things.

It appears to be a trade off.

 

Wow this thread really made me change my outlook on the car. I'll probably be staying closer to stock. I really enjoy it and will save myself a lot of money in the long run. It's hard enough to keep up with the car let alone modify.

 

sell?? I thought the same question about what I want to mod vs keep stock for resale value, etc. It took me less than 10 seconds to conclude that I don't plan to ever sell my FD. Not to say I won't get an additional FD or other vehicle at some point, but I just don't see myself ever getting rid of it--so I figure I might as well do the improvements that I want.

However, if the turbos are blown and you want to stay stock, consider getting 99-spec efini turbos which are an improvement over the originals and should not decrease value when compared to 'modding' the turbos since they are OEM.

Let us know what you decision/action you end up taking

 

upgrade ONLY the reliability mods if you plan on selling it in the future and enjoy the car for now.

 

+1 With a stock car, the only things that I would do would be those that are easily reversible. I would avoid making any changes that require any modifications that aren't easily reversible. This would include some IC's, radiators, etc... If you make a number of flow mod changes (intake, dp, hi-flow cat, catback), then consider an ECU such as Pettit that will provide the extra fuel to be safe and again is an easily reversible mod.

 

I was thinking to go efini twins, but then that led me to the bnr's, so I decided not too go that route.

Right now I have found a set of stock ones, there like 1000, but basically brand new factory turbo's, somebody had stripped them down so I need to put on my actuators and a few other parts.

As for modifications, I never thought of doing water injection (maybe larger intercooler later) but I just can't risk detonation. I haven't yet decided what catback I will be doing ( maybe apexi ps revo, I want something not too loud with a decent rumble and not the blue on the tip) and downpipe (high flow cat later). I might be doing a greddy intake now ( but Im not too sure then if I need to buy a new bov since that might elimate the stock one) maybe later. Also AEM engine management system (just because as I understand it just piggybacks off the stock computer and it just basically plugs in), AEM air fuel monitor, as well as greddy exhaust engine temp and oil pressure gauges on a triple a pillar pod.

So the mod's I will for sure be doing now is the gauges, and the rest will depend on money.

 

ohh yeah, I almost forgot, maybe lowering springs, a differential brace, trailing arms, toe links, and solid differential mounts, just because I was having a hard time with wheel hop