The overall mod help me out with my decision making skills thread...thread

M

my3needsaname

Alright so if anybody has been to the new owners section for Mazda3's you should see I am the top person there, newest member, Fresh Meat!, etc. etc...

Anyways, some days I have poor decision making skills and others I don't but this is why I joined our lovely forum (woot woot!!)(breakn)

I have owned my car going on 2 days now (lmfao) and
I am considering each of the following mods (some of which I should post in the marketplace but honestly here is better than splitting it up and using more bandwith and hdd space so please don't ban me for some of this):

1) getting an auto-dimming mirror from mazda or from a forum or some place that it isn't $275 + this stupid california 8.25% tax. anybody with one, doesn't matter if it has homelink or not and is willing to part with it should let me know.

2)wheel locks, which are much needed and I can tell go faster than a $21,000 Speed3. If anybody has a set of 4 with the lock remover thing attachment that they would like to part with, lemme know.

3)window tinting, and I am very aware that it's really based on where you live that you should go but any help is good help...unless it gets you in a worse predicament than before (doh). I am just wondering where this might be and maybe a price and where you all have gotten this done before or if I can do this myself? I would prefer not to but sometimes you gotta do what you don't wanna do.

4)perma plating, clear coating, whatever the other names are for it...I am just wondering if mazda does this since I am the first person in my entire family ever to own a foreign car muc less a Mazda besides the Volvo and if they don't does it really matter where I go? for instince there's a Ford dealer right by the Mazda dealer that does this.

5)a new cat-back exhaust system, I would love to have the Magnaflow system but it's waaaay too much money so maybe anybody who's experimented with this or knows of a system that's (much) cheaper and sounds basically the same (like a MS3) could lemme know what you've got? or if it's just a muffler that can do pretty much the same power boost and make the same orgasmically good noise?

6)i've noticed the one time I drove my 3 at night that the regular Bi-Xenons are brighter than the brights (lolll) but are just pointed too far down. I've noticed the fog lights are also simply over powered by the Xenons. so if somebody out there has found a brighter bulb that works much better and provides a white light (or same color as the Xenons) for the brights and the same or different bulb for the fog's I would love to know the model number and all that fun info for it please.

7)I think that a nice little touch to the car would be some MS3 sill plates, you know, the aluminum ones that say Mazdaspeed3 on them, well I would like to know if anybody is getting rid of 4 that're in mainly good condition (need polishing) for a good price and if they fit on the regular 3 without much modification?

Anybody with any of this information would be greatly appreciated to share.
For any help with finding shops that do any of this, I am located in the San Francisco, Bay Area (East Bay to be more specific)
Thanks,
Jeff
 
welcome to the forums - this should help get you on the way to the mod bug

1)found it on www.ocmazdaspeed.com for $124 (they are based in Tustin, California by the way. not sure if it's close or not)

2)you can find these online definetely. theres also a place in the trunk where part of your jack goes above the spare and my lock fits in there perfectly.

3) State of Californias tint laws:
"Windshield Non-reflective tint is allowed on the top 4 inches of the windshield.
Front Side Windows Must allow more than 70% of light in.
Back Side Windows Any darkness can be used.
Rear Window Any darkness can be used."

I live in North Carolina and we're limited to 35%. I have 15% on my windows but I have a place that passes me for inspection and cops won't pull you over for it really here. but they will tack it on with anything else they pull you over for.

4)no idea. your dealership will probably do it but i'd bring it somewhere else where they are known for it. probably be cheaper there too.

5)trubendz/corksport/vibrant (trubendz for the win!)

6)no idea what they come with stock but i have 6000k hids and a 2500k 55watt fog and i can still see it. so perhaps a 55watt fog? i need to find some bright highbeams since my hid's over power them now...sooo we're both stuck on that one.

7)you can find these on groupbuys every once in a while. in another mazda 3 forum they are doing a gauge interest for mazdaspeed sill plates
 
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Alright sweet, thanks for your help. My M3H is going in i think next tuesday to a Ford dealer for perma plating and to tint the rear windows but I have to find out how much (hopefully black them suckers out).

Where did you get your fog bulbs? Or just throw a brand name and model number my way and I'll do some shopping.
 
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So they're yellow tinted instead of pure white?

Would you be so kind as to post up a nice pic of them?
 
So they're yellow tinted instead of pure white?

Would you be so kind as to post up a nice pic of them?

not my car but i have the same HIDs and fogs...

mazda3carleton.jpg
 
Holy s*** that is a gorgeous picture!!
The only problem is I absolutely hate yellow bulbs, it's just personal preference, but I mean those look like they would do the trick. So I guess I'll just head out and look for 55watters in pure white. Thanks for your help.
 
Hey, quick question, h*t*t*p://www.h*o*e*n-usa.com/fog.htm at this website there are model numbers for fog light bulbs and I was wondering which I'm guessing model number (893, 9006, H8, H10, H3, H7, H11) would be suitable for my Mazda3HGT fog bulb replacement.
Thanks.

*take out the asterisks
 
Hey, quick question, h*t*t*p://www.h*o*e*n-usa.com/fog.htm at this website there are model numbers for fog light bulbs and I was wondering which I'm guessing model number (893, 9006, H8, H10, H3, H7, H11) would be suitable for my Mazda3HGT fog bulb replacement.
Thanks.

*take out the asterisks

depending on what year you have it could be a 9006 or an H11 i believe
 
2008.5 is the year I've got.

Here are the pictures of my tint and speed sill plates.
 

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oh man. where'd you pick up those sill plates at?
Literally from the dealer in the parts department.

wow sorry man but putting ms3 plates on a reg mz3 is pretty dumb
It's my car and I like them, they also match very well...not with the Mazda3 mats...but with the paint. So (upyours)

dont waste your money on those dealer offered paint treatments...
Clear coating actually works very well. We had an 89 Oldsmobile Cutlass that was clear coated and then we hit a deer in it and had to replace the hood but it was never clear coated and 13 or 14 years later with 117,000 miles the paint was perfect red like the day it was bought but the non-coated paint on the hood was peeling and rippled and crap.
 
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(lol), OEM parts are a rip-off...but they last the longest and look the best (in most cases). Plus they have factory warranty on them.
 
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IDK if you can post twice so please don't ban me for this, just tell me to fix it and it's done.

But I talked to the tint guy today and he said that getting it perfect (absolutely no bubbles) is near impossible and that doing the back window took him 3 times in the first place to get it to look like it does in the pictures. He also added in that if it ever does get worse then I could bring it back and he would re-do it no charge. But he also did tell me that to comp for the bubbles he would tint my front windows 70% (legal limit) for free which is basically a UV protectant to shield the interior from fading and block out 1/3 of the heat. Normally he charges $100+ for this job and that if i ever got cited whilst pulled over for it he would remove it for free too.
I'd say it's a good deal.
 
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