I am new to the forum and to the Mazda 3. I purchased my 3i at an insurance auction with some front-end damage. With the fiberglass radiator support on the Mazdas, replacing front-end parts is way more convenient than on cars with metal weld-on radiator supports. This restoration has gone relatively smoothly. The only difficult-to-find part at a reasonable price was the intake manifold that was cracked from the collision. I still need to buy the hood, and then install the hood and grill. The broken shards from the old radiator support made a small puncture in the a/c condensor, which I had repaired at a local shop today. So I can now charge the a/c system. I know a guy who will paint the hood, front bumper cover, and left fender at a decent price, although I should invest in a bigger compressor and paint the body parts myself.
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