May 2009's WinnAr: Nuke0907

[vex]

Year, model, mods, etc:

2004 Mazda RX8 Winning Blue

Exterior:
-Evo CF chin spoiler (before)
-Vertex Lang front bumper with Canards and custom midnight black 2-tone paint. (after)
-OEM front mud guards (before)
-OEM aero flares with custom CF overlay (before)
-R-magic replica side skirts (after)
-Custom CF Mazdaspeed rear under diffuser
-Vertex Lang rear lip spoiler
-De-badged trunk with custom midnight black 2-tone paint. (after)
-Midnight black fuse and ECU covers(after)
-CF B pillar covers
-CF mirror covers
-Carbign Craft CF license plate backing
-smoked side markers
-smoked tail lights
-8000K HID's
-PIAA plasma ion yellow parking lights
-PIAA mirror orange turn signals
-LED license plate light
-Shazbot's blue LED puddle lights

Interior:
-blue LED dome light
-blue LED door lights
-Rotary Rasp's blue LED foot well lights
-Rotary Rasp's blue LED trunk lights
-OEM all-weather floor mats
-Midnight black window switch panels(after)

I.C.E.:
-OEM iPod integration unit
-Zenclosure custom subwoofer box
-custom flush mount amp rack
-Kicker Solobaric 12" L7 subwoofer
-Kicker ZX750.1 amplifier

Wheels, Suspension:
-SSR GT2-H 18x10.5" +43 all around
-Kumho Ecsta XS 265/35/18 all around
-Tein S-Tech springs
-Progress Technology front and rear sway bars
-White Line front and rear sway bar endlinks
-Mazdaspeed front strut tower bar

Performance:
-K&N Typhoon type II intake
-HKS Hi-Power catback exhaust
-RX7store resonated midpipe
-Z-Ent grounding kit
-Optima yellow top battery

Questions to the owner:

Q: Congratulations for winning Ride of the Month! Tell us about how you acquired this car?
A: before i had my RX8 i had a 2004 Toyota 4-Runner. when i transferred duty stations with the Navy my pay was severely screwed up. i had to trade my 4-Runner in for something cheaper so the RX8 was it.

Q: How did you first become interested in modified cars? Have you had any previously?
A: i've been interested in modified cars ever since i was a kid. my dad used to take me to car shows. it was mostly muscle cars but imports eventuall grew on me even though i still really want something with a V8. i also have a 1995 Nissan 240SX that i use as my beater car. it is also slightly modified.

Q: Whats the biggest reason you chose a rotary powered car to modify?
A: i chose the RX8 because it is not a very common car. its also kinda rare to see an extensively modified RX8 around.

Q: Is this car your daily driver? Do you participate in any form of racing? (Drag, Auto-X, etc)
A: i do use my car as a DD, but i recently got a new front bumper with fresh paint so i won't be driving it as much for a while. i have considered doing Auto-X this season but i might have to wait til next year.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your car?
A: the handling and the attention......good and bad. its quite flattering.

Q: Do you have any future plans for the car, or any car?
A: i have parts for my turbo project now. there's just a few more things i need to get before i start the install. i also still need to do some interior mods. i have some Prosport guages i still need to install. i also need to finish my stereo install with a double DIN in-dash navigation unit.

Q: Any other hobbies besides cars?
A: my other hobby is photography. although i usually like taking photos of my own car i also enjoy taking night time city pictures.

Q: Anyone you'd like to thank?
A: first i'd like to thank everyone on several different forums that i bought parts from. i'd also like to thank the forum vendors. also thanks to everyone that voted this month.

Q: Anything in the pipeline for another ROTM win?
A: well.... i had a backup plan if i didn't win this month with my old setup i'd enter another month with my new setup. i'm kind of a firm believer that if i win i shouldn't be able to win again at least for another year.

Additional Pictures?[/QUOTE]
i don't have any good current pics but here are some before and after shots.

Before:









After:

[Phoenix7]

Wow! Great win, definitely a clean car...love the two-tone.

Thanks for the help Vex.

[vex]

np

[SavannaDan]

Tony, congrats. I was impressed with your car last year and this past DGRR meet. I really dig carbon fiber. Impossible to find cf parts for my RX-3 unless I find someone to custom make them. You lost some of the carbon fiber look with your new spoilers but it's ok the car still looks awesome. How about getting a wing for the rear?
-Dan

[nuke0907]

no wings for me Dan. i'm just gonna stick with the simple lip spoiler.

i love your car too man.

[My5ABaby]

I'd hit it...

[Phoenix7]

looks sick, what's the next set of mods?

[nuke0907]

Originally Posted by Phoenix7

looks sick, what's the next set of mods?

since i won, i've added a new headunit in my car. i got the Kenwood Excelon DNX8120. that thing is awesome. so many nice features built into it. i also have some Infinty component speaker i need to install.

my turbo kit is starting to move along again finally. just had some pipes welded up. sent the rest of the pipes along with the manifold and down pipe to get ceramic coated. after that, there's only a couple more small parts that i need before the install begins. i'm using a Greddy turbo kit that i am making a custom intake for. i'm trying to make the MAF airflow as smooth as possible so i can use the Cobb Access Port to tune it with.

other parts that i have to install with turbo kit:
BHR aluminum radiator (custom made Griffin radiator)
BHR ignition upgrade (GMC Yukon coils)
Mazmart Remedy water pump
Mazmart second oil cooler kit
Richard Sohn's oil metering adapter
black silicone radiator hoses
Greddy aluminum oil pan
Greddy oil catch can
custom tanks for 2-stroke oil/windshield washer fluid
Prosport gauges (oil press/temp, water temp, boost, AFR)
CF 2 gauge pillar pod
Racing Beat 3 gauge ash tray pod

after all that, there's not much more i want to do to my car. maybe some nice Bride seats or something, but i love the stock seats that came in my car already.

[nuke0907]

finally got around to taking some nice pics since all my new additions.

Vertex Lang Front bumper with 2-tone Winning Blue and Midnight Black
R-Magic Replica side skirts
De-badged trunk with 2-tone Winning Blue and Midnight Black
RX8club.com vinyl deals from Polak Graphics custom color matched to my wheels.
Kenwood Excelon DNX8120 headunit
Metra DD dash kit painted Midnight Black
fuse box and ECU covers painted Midnight Black

[nuke0907]

close-ups

[nuke0907]

Head Unit pics





Engine Bay pics







Trunk pic

[nuke0907]

check it out everyone.

my car is featured on Club Vertex on Vertex USA's website.

http://www.vertex-usa.com/customers-....html#more-819