I'm looking to get into rotary, and I'm trying to decide

>>16854088
do a compression test, that's what matters the most. i've seen plenty of nice looking cars for a high price with shit compression and plenty of cars that'll require some interior bits, maybe a fender or paint and have a decently recent rebuild so good compression.
na rotary lasts the longest when treated right before needing a rebuild. the turbo cars are way less forgiving if they weren't looked after correctly. the fc can have the power bumped up for almost free vs it'll cost lots to barely get a power increase from the rx8.
the fc turbo stock intake and exhaust are restrictions to keep the turbo in check because shit wastegate and i've rarely seen an fc sold with a stock exhaust. parts store together a new afm to turbo inlet for ~$30 and that's inprovements there. get atleast an adjustable fpr or rising rate fpr, and get the wastegat ported if it's and s4 (86-88) the ht18 doesn't outputting more than 10psi and won't do it for long. get a watermeth kit and the tmic is ok at up to 15psi with decent IATs, cx racing makes a copy of the impossible to find intercooler that fits in front of the radiator with angled outlets that everyone likes since it's an FMIC and keeps short plumbing, stock turbo should last a good while at 9psi, put in a better fuel pump and back timing down a few degrees and stock injecors will be sufficient. if you make the stock turbo into a hybrid with a t4 compressor you'll need an adjustable fpr for sure, 2 would be better (one for each fuel rail so you won't be too rich while just running the primaries)
obviously get a wideband o2. stock ecu won't retard any more timing after you pass 9psi so if you do with a hybrid/new turbo make sure to back down the timing with the cas at least.
that's the cheap dirty way to do it and it'll work. rtek is garbage and seems you can't use a computer with it easily so save up for a standalon EMS if you want more. unlike the rx8 the stock turbo trans can handle being hard on more than 300whp

also you'll need a cheap fuel cut defender (you can make it yourself if you can't find a cheap one) or the 1.8 RTEK (whatever the cheap options are) to disable fuel cut at the least and it'll let you run bigger secondaries at the stock fuel pressure.
you can safely run pretty high hp on the stock ecu and with most ports, only issue is you might have a shitty idle and you'll use more gas. and tuning is much more work.
install the wideband as far back on the exhaust as you can as well, it'll keep the o2 cooler, less likely to damage it from heat, when you remove the stock turbo just take it out with the manifold through the front, remove the rad hoses and it'll fit. check hatch drains for rust.
rx8 dashboards like to crack
12 afr is fine around 5psi, as you get above 7 go for 11-10, above 9lbs 10.0 at the leanest under full boost/high rpm
watch out for 5th gear synchros, they brake easy if they haven't been changed to thenew one you can get (from a miss shift, 2nd to 5th instead of 3rd) mainly an issue of shifter return springs are bad

>>16854233
>>16854201
That's quite a lot of info, thanks a lot. I don't know how much power I'd really be looking to make, or even how soon. Like I said, I've been driving a 90s pickup with barely 100hp for quite while so either one of these cars would feel pretty fun at first I'm sure. Which one tends to handle better stock? People rave about the RX8 being surprisingly nimble, but I don't know if "surprisingly" translates to good, especially compared to the ~200?lb lighter FC. Of course suspension can always be changed and I wouldn't mind it down the road either.

>>16854258
Neither the FC nor RX8 have particularly good handling for rotary cars. Obviously the FD fucks them there, but the FB is 500 lb lighter than both cars and is also superior in handling. FC is for cheap power and RX8 is for modern features.

>>16854258
either way both handle very well, the rx8's backseats are useable even if you aren't a manlet, if you are a manlet i'd still question the fc's rear seats. the rx8's mudflaps will bottom out against the ground with very little weight in the car. even with worn out bushings, etc the fc is comparable to the 2004 15k mile rx8 my friend bought. with worn bushing's it's much less predictable over bumps or when the ass is out. the bushings are cheap, and if you get an s5 fc buy s4 lower control arms and balljoints since those are 1 piece for the s5 and sxspensive.
the rx8 will need less maintenance done since it's newer. stock fc suspension isn't the greatest so some coilovers will help lots, honda swaybar links are used to fix the uneven rear camber depending how far you lower it

>>16854295
this guy is right that the fd fucks them there, but the fc and fd aren't bad at all. there's plenty of cars that lots of people consider t ohave great handling and they are just as good or better than lots of them. the fd is just incredibly better

most of the modern niceties of the rx8 aren't hard to add to the fc, i've seen a few for sale local to me with rx8 seat's installed with the heat functioning, double din fit's well (nav wouldn't be in the nicest spot, but not having to worry about the lcd for the stock radio and hvac controls needing dissasembly and reinstallation is nice)
the fc will need a better alternator retrofitted, run hids with battery connections for power and a relay to turn them on to keep the headlight switch from burning out (you could put the relays in the harness) they run the power straight through the headlight switch and it doesn't like 30-40amps that halogens draw

fc will require work much more often and you can do as lot in way of modifications
rx8 is just basic maintenance and no engine mods
also pld car vs modern car
up to personal prefernce

>>16854295
rx8 will out habndle fb/fc by 100 times
fb has awesome feedback and handling but is squirrelly as when going hard down a shitty surface backroad

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This thread has some good info. I've heard the FC fuel line (or something like it) runs on top of the exhaust manifold in early models that was prone to leaking, how easy is it to swap it out to a later model that won't cause a catastrophic engine fire?

t. considering buying an FC

>>16854388
fuel damper/pulsation damper in the fuel rail leaks, easy to change but need to remove intake manifold

>>16854353
from those that i've talked to rx8 stock handles better than a stock fc, but if you do suspension they prefer the fc over the rx8

i doubt anyone getting an fc will want to put stock suspension on it for hooning unless they are poor (it's not terrible, butthe rx8 does have a better setup for doing "sporty" things stock)

>>16854597
>easy to change but need to remove intake manifold

Good to know, thanks.

>wants an early model rx8

wew lad youre in luck. they are cheap as shit because they are in fact really shitty cars.

>>16856091
engine mount would go bad from heat, mazda dealers thought the motor shit the bed and replaced a good motor with ones that were rebuilt incorrectly. that's where the rx8 shit reliability came from. they aren't bad, but might need mounts. i'd be weary if they had a new motor put in at a dealer