What have you done to your MS3 today?

bbrich57 said:

What eric said. Tires make all the difference. Never underestimate them.... but it's not just about the money anymore. Spending money just gets you expensive tires that may be just as bad as the old one's. I've found that out the hard way.
Decide what YOU need for YOUR driving conditions. Decide what compromises you are willing to make (there are ALWAYS compromises,) and choose a tire that matches that, no matter how cheap or expensive they are.
That's my advice through years of buying tires. Take it or not

Oh and for me, 200 TWR is definitely FTL!
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as you correctly mentioned , tires are application specific . I dont drive in winters or poor weather . I too have used many different tires. Both brand and models .
200 is a track tire . probabably very slippery when cold ( mine are ) and wear too damn fast. But when they are warm they can bring a smile.
Next pair of tires i am going to try something different .

BBrich i also have driven new tires that were just offensive. The stock ones that came with my 2007 Speed 3 were horrid for me. I replaced them at about 2000 miles. Actually they are still on stock wheels in the garage.
With the the TPS sensors still DOH !
 
Couple things: I drove down to the epic NATOR meet with basically bald BFG g-Force Sports. Like, I really shouldn't have driven it. They were that bad. Now I really have no reason to worry about these tires in the rain, I have a near-new set of BFG g-Force Sports in the rear and they handle the rain just fine. And to be honest, unless I get caught in it I have this for daily duties. I'm really not that worried. I need 200 tread wear sticky ass tires because I ******* spin through 3rd gear. This is as much out of necessity as it is for thrill. I genuinely don't know what 2nd gear acceleration feels like. Not since I put the BNR turbo in.



 
Yep even my teensie weensie little ported and molested K04 spins 3rd as soon as boost comes on.
I am not putting anything wider than the 235s up front ( rotational mass you know ) so softer compounds are the best answer. I also tend to enjoy the twisty roads that the Finger lakes area provides.
Spinning the tires used to be fun . Now its a nuisance.
Like Anthony said second gear is pretty useless once you put enough parts in the car and turn the boost up .
 
I'm back. Just bought a 2010 Black Mazdaspeed 3. I missed my 2008 so much.. I had to get back into a Mazda.

Few minor issues.. bought it on an impulse and didn't do a thorough check. Front windows stick going down. Missing the map light/front dome light? slider switch. Gonna have to go through it again on the weekend. Hopefully I didn't miss anything major.

Dear lord.. what have I done.
 
We replaced the OEM Dunlops on our MS3 with Continental DW's as they are one of the best tires in the rain, dollar for dollar one of the best Summer tire you can buy. The sidewalls are soft, one of the tings I don't like and the dry grip is good and the ride comfort is exceptional....we have a set for each of our 4 Mazda's
 
Carbon fibre wrapped the door panels for window switches and glovebox trim, looks good(yippy)
20140504_201750_zpsxt3wtzv6.jpg.html
 
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Thinking about getting a short shifter. Been running the JBR shifter plate and love it. But want a true short shifter. Opinions of TWM's vs. Corksport's?
 
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Oh and to continue the great tire debate. Just do your research. I ended up going with something I've never tried before and absolutely love the results. I'm usually a Hankook man but just went with General G-Max As-03's due to the price, weight, and wet weather traction. I absolutely love them. Great traction dry or wet and very quiet/smooth ride for my everday long commutes to work.
 
Gen 1 - 89k miles. Just changed the OEM brakes. Other than ceramic pads, all stock. Brakes in the Speed 3 were Enormous right from the factory. Royal Flush - all the fluids changed, repairs as needed. Still on the original clutch. Stripped out the rear interior including spare and jack. Having a custom lightweight cover made that will flatten the floor, deaden sound and create dad's enclosed pickup. Am saving the factory tie-downs for use with a cargo net. Next, the guy is making me custom lightweight rear door skins/panels in the back.

So far, I'm thinking I've lost about 125 pounds. Lighter wheels will come next. I have access to a metal shop so I'm going thru the engine bay to see what bracketry (is that a word?) I can re-imagine. I'm not much for drilling holes, so will skip that. Also got rid of my coil-overs and went back to OEM springs, KONI yellows, new adjustable bars and braces from Corksport. Altho it rides high again (so to speak), it handles better and rides smoother. Do I notice any difference at stoplights? Yup. Between the 40-pounds I lost when I stopped working, and the 125 I think I've deleted from the car, seem to make the Speed 3 leap (used to just jump) off the line.
 
blackmsp003 said:
Oh and to continue the great tire debate. Just do your research. I ended up going with something I've never tried before and absolutely love the results. I'm usually a Hankook man but just went with General G-Max As-03's due to the price, weight, and wet weather traction. I absolutely love them. Great traction dry or wet and very quiet/smooth ride for my everday long commutes to work.
Click to expand...

General Tires is owned by Continental Tire, BTW...
 
Perro del Sol said:
General Tires is owned by Continental Tire, BTW...
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General makes incredibly awesome tires. I loved the General tires I put on my P5. I believe they've been discontinued at this point, but I've sold many, many sets of them and haven't had a complaint yet. Also, got into an argument of sorts with a friend who believed that Continental tires were a generic, cheap, poorly-made tire after posting a picture of a Porsche with them on it on Facebook. Like I explained to him, both BMW and Audi (who is Volkswagen AG, i.e. Porsche) uses them from the factory. They're great tires.
 
I didn't notice until you pointed out. It kinda bugs me now too, but I would assume it functions just as well. ;)
 
Got my Cobb AP V3, installed, flashed to Stage 1 map for modified intake TIP, stock FP internals, and felt no change. Going to install new spark plugs tomorrow.
 
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