Hi Reggie-
You may be able to source some of the items you need from an auto recycling faciliy (which is a fancy way of saying 'junk yard'! (rolleyes)
The website
www.car-part.com is an AWESOME resource to help you find various parts taken from totaled vehicles for salvage/resale. My 2006 Mazda3 had a freak transmission issue that caused it to pop out of 3rd gear as soon as I started releasing the clutch! For a few weeks, my car was a 4-speed manual, and I had to wind it out in 2nd to get up to speed before shifting to 4th. My A/C compressor also went out about the same time (all in late 2009).
I couldn't find a transmission place or a local mechanic who would open the transmission housing. Every shop I called told me the same thing- you just need a new transmission. So I went on car-part.com and found a 5-speed manual transmission and an A/C compressor at the same salvage yard. Both were from a 2006 Mazda3 that was totaled at 21k miles and I paid $500 for the transmission, $125 for A/C compressor and $100 in freight to ship the transmission. Very reasonable IMO.
If you decide to purchase the Chrome Tailgate Finisher, it retail for $200.95 but the dealer that I always order parts from has it for $174.19. Something else that looks AWESOME is the Chrome Rear Bumper Guard/Protector. It mounts on top of the black plastic trim that you see now on the top of the bumper at the base of the liftgate door. It retails for $152.95 but you can get it for $119.14. I actually just ordered the Chrome Bumper Guard last week and it arrived yesterday. It looks great on my Crystal White Pearl, but it looks even better on a darker color, so it would really look great on your Copper Red! (cheers)
The dealer where I get the discounted items is MedCenter Mazda in Pelham (Birmingham), Albama. Just look up the dealership name and click on the PARTS button toward the top of the page. Then you just choose your vehicle and you can see all the Accessories available for your model. They also include the List Price and their discounted price. They ship very quickly but securely, they don't charge sales tax unless you are an Alabama resident AND they ship all orders over $100 for FREE!
Based on my my own research for the last seven years, since I first became a Mazda owner, I have searched high and low for the best deals on parts and accessories. To date, I haven't found anyone whose prices or service can beat MedCenter's.
It doesn't look like you have splash guards on the front or rear wheels. They are so subtle that no one would notice they were there, but they make a HUGE difference in keeping the front doors and sides of the rear bumper clean. Without them, the tires pick up all the grime and dirt on the road and deposit it right onto the areas I just mentioned. The front and rear splash guards are sold separately- $57.99 for Front and $58.35 for the Rear.
Some of Mazda's accessories seem ridiculously overpriced and Foglights are an example of that- List price is $647.85 and MedCenter has them for $560.68!
I don't believe you mentioned anything about the Roof Rack and some like how they look and other don't. If you do want to add one later, you have the option of installing the Side Rails for looks or with the Crossbars (for about $100 more) if you even plan to actually use it!
One final thing I wanted to mention is your Wheels. The 20s have always looked great on the CX-9, but the 18" had very similar styling just slightly smaller. They looked fine on the Sport and Touring models. Then in 2011 Mazda decided to change the design of the 18s and 20s- the 20s turned out looking sharp, but the 18-inchers on the Sport and Touring now look hideous to me! (rockon)
I'll check the other one!
