Please rate your mods!

[nextcar]

My ms3 is still stock, but I just decided to order the Cobb SRI at Cobb's website, only to find that it won't be available for 6-8 weeks. If the Cobb SRI lives up to all the hype, I'll probably do other mods down the road.

Can you guys help out the newbies by rating all the mods that you have? Let's use a 1 to 10 scale, where 1=makes no difference to performance, and 10=makes awesome difference, whether it's more power or better handling or better shifter feel or whatever criteria. Also please add cost.

For example, if I had the cobb sri already, i might write:

cobb sri, 7, $175
adds power that you can actually feel, consistent with cobb's dyno torque gain of 18. excellent bang for the buck. easy install. noise sounds good.

 

[MicaSp33d]

i know this is gonna be pretty based on your own opinions.. but here it goes


cobb sri - 7 - good overall hp and torque increase for the money, less restrictive than that stock box. Also makes the car sound better .. whoosh

motor mount - 8.5 - no wheel hop and better shifting. Driving experience increased, stiffer is better performance wise, but adds vibes. I like the vibes.

Rear sway bar - 9 - i gave this a 9 because it makes me very happy through the tight corners, this is by far my favorite mod, again just my opinion. Cornering just got easier, faster, and more fun.

shifter bushing - 6 - this really only deserves a 5 or a 4 but there so cheap and worth the money. Gets rid of the mushy rubber feel

dashhawk - 6.5 - only reason i gave this a 6.5 because its not needed to have fun, but a very useful tool to monitor all

forge bpv - 7 - great investment if you have a leaky stock bpv. Does what its suppose to do at a great price. Some may not like the sound, but i think it sounds good only at high boost. At low boost it has the mario coin thing.

 

[phillyb]

edit

 

[imac]

blue painted brake calipers
rating: 8 until the paint starts to chip, which it undoubtedly will
cost: $7

mazdaspeed red billet oil cap delete
rating: 5.5 like the shiny red, but i lose 12.5 lbs with the old plastic one
cost: FREE!

mazdaspeed zoom zoom sticker
rating: 11 gotta love anything that's free
cost: FREE!

pink fuzzy dice
rating: 7 tough to take turns hard when your face is getting gently tickled by pink fuzzy testicle-like objects
cost: five finger discount

exhaust whistle tips
rating: just listen to the guy on the you-tube video... he knows whats up.
cost: FREE! just pulled the compressor turbine out of the turbo and bolted it right into the exhaust tip.

 

[stephani3]

^ LOL @ the exhaust whistle tips

Cobb SRI- 9... I love it, no complaints about anything

H&R Springs- 7... love the handling, I need a camber kit though my inner tread is getting worn out. And my drivers side front spring makes noises, I need to get that looked at.

Turbosmart Dual Port BOV- 6... I love the sound but sometimes I get this awful lurch. It never happened before I had the BOV so I'm pretty sure its what is causing it.

Corksport MM Inserts- 7... good enough.

Corksport Midpipe- 8... good little upgrade to the stock exhaust. makes it a little louder but sometimes it backfires.

TWM Bushings- 8... make a huuuge difference in the way shifting feels.

Audiolink- 10... I can't live without my iPod

Stickers-2000000... extra HP! Supar FASSSST.

8000k HID- 8...looks niceeeeeee. kinda wish i had 6000k now though lol i loved

 

[jville]

^ LOL @ the exhaust whistle tips

Cobb SRI- 9... I love it, no complaints about anything

H&R Springs- 7... love the handling, I need a camber kit though my inner tread is getting worn out. And my drivers side front spring makes noises, I need to get that looked at.

Turbosmart Dual Port BOV- 6... I love the sound but sometimes I get this awful lurch. It never happened before I had the BOV so I'm pretty sure its what is causing it.

Corksport MM Inserts- 7... good enough.

Corksport Midpipe- 8... good little upgrade to the stock exhaust. makes it a little louder but sometimes it backfires.

TWM Bushings- 8... make a huuuge difference in the way shifting feels.

Audiolink- 10... I can't live without my iPod

Stickers-2000000... extra HP! Supar FASSSST.

8000k HID- 8...looks niceeeeeee. kinda wish i had 6000k now though lol i loved

the backfire is probably being caused by the vta on the bov letting extra fuel hit the cat and pop.

 

[stephani3]

No it backfired before I had the BOV.

 

[aaronc7]

Tha Whistles Go Woooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

I'm not into this number rating s***

Cobb SRI: best powa mod for the money! Worth the wait, you'll love it

Corksport downpipe/race pipe: cheap and good downpipe combo. If you want catted, Cobb has set a price for theirs at 595 w/ a high flow cat and 3rd O2 bung for optional WB sensor. I should have waited for it, but im a cheapass and impatient.

Corksport CBE: I love the sound! Didn't add a ton of power but I love this mod, and get complimented on the sound all the time. Worth the money IMO.

Exhaust Depot FMIC: Again I'm a cheapass and opted for this for $700 instead of waiting for cobbs at $995 or whatever it is. Honestly though it works and looks great.

Cobb springs: got these really early in the game and can't really compare much to stock, but handling was improved and I like the stance

Cobb F&R sway: I didn't think I would love these as much as I did. I got them because I saw a good deal in the F/S section, lol. The car feels soo much better in the corners now, combined with the springs. It really transforms the car and I can take turns at speeds I was totally not comfortable doing before

Corksport Inserts: Had these first.....awesome for the money and my recommendation for a daily driver that you don't plan to mod a whole lot. Stock feel but with 10x better shifting and less wheel hop

TRZ poly MM: a lot stiffer than the inserts, but vibes a lot for me. I sold it. Good if you really want to feel connected to the car, would be a great track mount too.

Street Unit MM: Right in between the two and the I've been really really happy with it. I originally was just going to do intake and racepipe (hahahaha) so that's why I orginally got hte inserts. Now that I've done more, etc. it was time to move to something a bit stiffer.

TWM Bushings: noticeable difference (good) for cheap. Do it if you plan to keep the stock shifter.

Cobb AP: I still don't have a working FMIC map, but Cobb is working their ass off with new maps and such. In the long run it will be a great tool to have. The flashes are a bit weird/picky sometimes but according to the 1/4 mile calc on it...I AM faster with the reflashes. It keeps getting better and better every week (new maps, etc). I would monitor this and keep an eye out for it, but not going to be the best bang for buck for a stock, or close to stock car

I have a Dashhawk on the way (this thing looks badass, should have got it long ago). Next up I'm looking at (in no particular order....) HID fog light kit, some sort of stock like bpv/BOV (cobbs?), short shifter(not decided yet). and then long term: exhaust manifold and the street tuner software for the AP, and fuel pump upgrade.

holy s*** my longest post ever

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

Injen CAI - 8; noticeable power and torque increases, love to hear the turbo and stock BPV
TWM SSw/bushing - 8; I did them one at a time and was very happy with both and super happy in combination with each other
AWD Race Motor mount - 8; extremely noticeable with no wheel hop, crisper shifts and no hesitation. People complain about the vibes, I like them, makes it feel like a true performance car.

That is it for now, looking at the Turbo xs BPV, Cobb Sways (coming soon) and maybe the bigger TMIC.

 

[RXMmazdaspeed]

Tha Whistles Go Woooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

I'm not into this number rating s***

Cobb SRI: best powa mod for the money! Worth the wait, you'll love it

Corksport downpipe/race pipe: cheap and good downpipe combo. If you want catted, Cobb has set a price for theirs at 595 w/ a high flow cat and 3rd O2 bung for optional WB sensor. I should have waited for it, but im a cheapass and impatient.

Corksport CBE: I love the sound! Didn't add a ton of power but I love this mod, and get complimented on the sound all the time. Worth the money IMO.

Exhaust Depot FMIC: Again I'm a cheapass and opted for this for $700 instead of waiting for cobbs at $995 or whatever it is. Honestly though it works and looks great.

Cobb springs: got these really early in the game and can't really compare much to stock, but handling was improved and I like the stance

Cobb F&R sway: I didn't think I would love these as much as I did. I got them because I saw a good deal in the F/S section, lol. The car feels soo much better in the corners now, combined with the springs. It really transforms the car and I can take turns at speeds I was totally not comfortable doing before

Corksport Inserts: Had these first.....awesome for the money and my recommendation for a daily driver that you don't plan to mod a whole lot. Stock feel but with 10x better shifting and less wheel hop

TRZ poly MM: a lot stiffer than the inserts, but vibes a lot for me. I sold it. Good if you really want to feel connected to the car, would be a great track mount too.

Street Unit MM: Right in between the two and the I've been really really happy with it. I originally was just going to do intake and racepipe (hahahaha) so that's why I orginally got hte inserts. Now that I've done more, etc. it was time to move to something a bit stiffer.

TWM Bushings: noticeable difference (good) for cheap. Do it if you plan to keep the stock shifter.

Cobb AP: I still don't have a working FMIC map, but Cobb is working their ass off with new maps and such. In the long run it will be a great tool to have. The flashes are a bit weird/picky sometimes but according to the 1/4 mile calc on it...I AM faster with the reflashes. It keeps getting better and better every week (new maps, etc). I would monitor this and keep an eye out for it, but not going to be the best bang for buck for a stock, or close to stock car

I have a Dashhawk on the way (this thing looks badass, should have got it long ago). Next up I'm looking at (in no particular order....) HID fog light kit, some sort of stock like bpv/BOV (cobbs?), short shifter(not decided yet). and then long term: exhaust manifold and the street tuner software for the AP, and fuel pump upgrade.

holy s*** my longest post ever

forgot about your Enkei's . putting mine on this weekend....

 

[aaronc7]

Enkei evo5: obviously for visual... they are 7.5" wide and i think weigh a little less than the stockers. i like them!!! I am running 235/40 tires with no problems. lol

more

Falken 452. in 235/40 i found a really good price and they are pretty sticky and as lasting longer than the stockers.......we'll see how long though

 

[imac]

Enkei evo5: obviously for visual... they are 7.5" wide and i think weigh a little less than the stockers. i like them!!! I am running 235/40 tires with no problems. lol

i gots to get me some rims too. it'll prob have to wait till next year tho, when i'm out of school and have a legit job again. not really a big fan of the stockers.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

Yep forgot rims as well and have my PRADA spec2's in the garage waiting for the death of these Potenzas which is nearing quickly.

 

[imac]

Yep forgot rims as well and have my PRADA spec2's in the garage waiting for the death of these Potenzas which is nearing quickly.

i'd love nothing more than to slap rims on it, especially since that wouldnt run me into any warranty issues. im sure if i did some shopping around, i could find a decent set + tires for under $1000, tho they'd prob have to be 17s. might look kinda odd if i throw 17s on it and dont lower it, gonna be a lot of open wheel well.

prob best to keep the cash for now in case i need it up at school when im not really working. tempting tho...

 

[nextcar]

i know this is gonna be pretty based on your own opinions.. but here it goes


cobb sri - 7 - good overall hp and torque increase for the money, less restrictive than that stock box. Also makes the car sound better .. whoosh

motor mount - 8.5 - no wheel hop and better shifting. Driving experience increased, stiffer is better performance wise, but adds vibes. I like the vibes.

Rear sway bar - 9 - i gave this a 9 because it makes me very happy through the tight corners, this is by far my favorite mod, again just my opinion. Cornering just got easier, faster, and more fun.

shifter bushing - 6 - this really only deserves a 5 or a 4 but there so cheap and worth the money. Gets rid of the mushy rubber feel

dashhawk - 6.5 - only reason i gave this a 6.5 because its not needed to have fun, but a very useful tool to monitor all

forge bpv - 7 - great investment if you have a leaky stock bpv. Does what its suppose to do at a great price. Some may not like the sound, but i think it sounds good only at high boost. At low boost it has the mario coin thing.

when you say the mm adds vibes, is the vibes felt throughout the car or just through the shifter?
with the mm, when you shift from 1 to 2, is the clutch engagement smoother?
people keep talking about wheel hop, but i don't think i've experienced it. i guess i'm not driving aggressively enough?

also, this is the best handling car i've owned. i drive through corners faster than ever, and i've yet to hear tire chirping or feel the car leaning. i guess i'm not even approaching the limits of the stock suspension system. at this point, i don't think i need any stiffer sway bars.

 

[phillyb]

when you say the mm adds vibes, is the vibes felt throughout the car or just through the shifter?

whole car. in your feet, in your hands, in your butt

 

[ZooMIN3]

MSCAI= Rating 10... its just freakin cool, and you feel the difference...
(i am interested in seeing just how much better if at all the COBB SRI is..may pick one up some point in time...)

TRZ Delrin MM= Rating 9...Puts the power to the ground... car now launches rather than rubber bands forward!! Vibes are there...

TWM STS+bushings= 10 love it! the throws are awesome..and it gives you that nice mechanical feel..if you miss a shift with this, you should stick to automatics... IMO of course.... =)

MSCBE=5 Rate it a 5...no big gains or anything, just sounds sexy... although taking out a cat or 2 will up the gains... not going that route yet though.. ease of installation I'd give it a 10...10 being easy. =)

HotckisSwayBarKit=N/A still sitting on garage floor...

MSLoweringSprings= still handles like its on rails... may go COBB eventually though... =\

other than that, next thing I have planned are aftermarket wheels... not sure yet...

 

[gtlaw]

bone stock - 10

 

[ZooMIN3]

^^ 10 has to be... cuz all the money you're saving at the moment?? lol

 

[SwampAss]

My car is stock, so I'll rate my friend's MS3


MSCAI/CP-E Xcel intake (he's had both) (9) Dollar per ass HP is great.

3.25 ETS TMIC (he's had two) (7). Works very well, it would be a 9 if the CAI didn't rock so hard.

AWR 88 duro trans mount/corksport inserts (he's had both) (8) for the 88 Duro, (7.5) for the corksport. Both were very needed and worked well.

TWM STS (8) works great

TWM bushings (5) worked well, cheap, but made about a $30 difference. So they were a wash

CPE DP (catted) (7.5) noticeable and not much change in noise levels. Kinda pricey

MS CBE (3) performance was a touch better but sounds much better. Looks pretty much like the stock system but with a slightly larger tip

Forge BPV (4) holds boost longer, but loud.

CPE standback (10) changed car dramatically. Easily the biggest difference made yet

MS Springs (8) a little lower but handles a lot better. Actually rides better than stock IMO

Cobb rear sway (10) Holy crap. new car!

18lb wheels (7) better mileage, slightly better acceleration

I'm leaving some stuff out probably. I mean, it's my friend's car so I don't remember everything he did.