Welcome aboard! Car looks great.

Please SEARCH before posting a question. It's probably already been asked.

Here are a couple useful threads to read through:

What did you do to your MZ3 SA today?
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13150

How to guides.
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14276

Wheel figment guide.
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26833

Wheel and Tire Picture Thread
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/...zda-3-skyactiv-wheels-tires/2550-2010-12-mazda-3-wheel-tire-picture-thread.html

Will these wheels/tires fit.
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/...fficial-will-these-wheels-fit-tires-fit-what-wheels-tires-these-thread-152.html

Jack Points.
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8610

MZ3 Parts Websites:

OEM Parts
http://onlinemazdaparts.com/

Corksport
http://www.corksport.com/

James Baron Racing
http://www.jamesbaroneracing.com

Crossover Auto
http://www.crossoverauto.com/crossovershop/

Don't buy anything from SURE. Read:
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14593

SPEND!!!

 

First detailing back in 2011:

Since it's my first car, I slowly learn more about the car and what I want to improve.

WeatherTech floorliner for us with harsh winters.

CS LED light kit giving the car a modern look:

Tints, I went with FormulaOne Pinnacle series.

Then, investment went into a set of 16" Michelin X-ice xi2 with steel rims

After a lot of research, I decided on my graduation gift for myself:

Canadian car requires day-time running lights, which I swapped out to a pair of CS LED ones.

Then, priorities in life caused modding to be halted. Until the Fall of 2013.

JBR Rear sway bar!!

CS SRI!!!

Smoked rear tail lights and reflectors:

Much needed side skirts:

 

Racing Beat axle-back is one of the coolest mods so far. Nice deep tone and not too loud

A shot after last detailing in preparation of winter 2013. Winter tires on stock 17" alloys which plasti-dipped in Camo green.

 

lookin good so far man! im getting the same sri, exhaust and rsb lol...but the sri is gonna be red and black

 

For the upcoming season (which starts earliest May here), I am going what I call Stage2 for the suspension/handling. Also a lot of small detail mods I have in mind. Excite! :cool 1:



You gonna love these parts! I can't seem to get the colour theme straight as I got both red and blue parts among the car.

 

Your car looks awesome man ! Sedan love lol

Also did you get your tails/ reflectors done professionally ?

 

I got them done at a shop here, which needs to redo one side with peeling on the top.

Also, just some ideas upgrading the 3rd brake light with some F1 inspiration.

 

Those wheels go with your car very well. Very nice.

 

sweet ride. She's looking good.

 

Looks great!! Can't wait to see what else you have planned.

Those wheels go with your car very well. Very nice.

Thanks! any feedback you think I could mod better is appreciated.

Collecting various parts at the moment, and mods will go at full force once snow/salt is gone from the roads! :argh 1:

 

Looks great!! Can't wait to see what else you have planned.

 

You can go lower with 215/35 tires Will make your car look so much better

 

Been collecting parts for the new season.

One of those is to improve the enjoyment of daily driving; better sound tracks.
Installed two pairs of JBL GTO series speakers.
Bringing all the highs, great impactful bass. Overall great improvement.

 

How much did you pay for the speakers ? I plan on upgrading mine as well.

Also did you smoke your reflectors yourself or bought them ?

 

Got my packages from Corksport!

CS Tow plate.

More to come!

 

Made myself an early weekend to take care of the car stuff.

First off, I was notified by Avante Mazda that it's a good idea to change my ATF fluid during my last oil change. I declined their offer and off I go to research. I decided to go with Amsoil Signature Series Multi-vehicle ATF to match my 0W20 engine oil. Finally my appointment with Jimmy is here. I will be using the Ea filters next oil change.

At Jimmy's shop getting the ATF fluid changed out. Always a nice guy to chat with.
Initial impression, car drives so much smoother, shifts are quick, acceleration is improved. Overall very very happy with the results. Make me wanna drive it more.

GT trim has the nice looking LED tails lights which I was drooling over even before I purchased the car. Unfortunately, Mazda decided to use regular bulbs on the 3rd brake light to cut cost. I've purchased a LED one back in 2011, but I didn't have much tool back then. Removal of the OEM one was impossible to me. Now, I have purchased a heat gun to revisit this mod one more time; with no surprise. The housing seal gave in within a minute of heating. For once, I installed a part within the time suggested. Let's see the results:

Brakes off / headlights on:

Brakes on / headlights on:

Finally, a nice completed look. No more cheapo brake lights. Smoked lens matches the car and my tinted tail lights perfectly! Fit is great as well. This should be a nice light show to the drivers following, especially tailgaters.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for more updates very soon!
Thanks for reading.

 

Perfect day to add another mod to the car.
These are the Corksport Hood Strut dampers. The install a bit tricky; the dampers are fully extended and they are too long even for the hood fully opened. After brainstorming a few times how I can get it compressed and install in such tight space. I compressed it with my body weight a few times helped it to break-in and it just snapped into place.

It's a joy to open the hood now:

 

Looking good, nice mods goin on...

 

Thanks!

How much did you pay for the speakers ? I plan on upgrading mine as well.

Also did you smoke your reflectors yourself or bought them ?

I bought off someone locally for $100 for 2 pairs.
I got a shop to do the smoked tail lights, got headlights done to match now.

Smoked tails look good. If you get the multi-mode rear reflectors as well that'll finish it off. SPENNND. :tt2:

I recently smoked the headlights as well, will update when possible.

I've actually really crave those LED reflectors ever since I've saw them. But it's just too much lights at the rear and I want to keep it clean looking.

That looks to be the jbl 2 way speaker which you can find around $50 on Amazon. I'd go with the component jbl speakers for $110 so you can have the tweeters separate from the mids

The shop that installed my speaker for me. Might have wired up the stock tweeter as well. I can slightly hear em making sound if my ears are close to it.

 

Smoked tails look good. If you get the multi-mode rear reflectors as well that'll finish it off. SPENNND. :tt2:

 

Long weekend update time; got a lot done on the car.

First off, gave her a good wash and wax to get ready for the upcoming car meets. The rims and tires are also treated and protected. Front headlights and fog lights are smoke tinted which you barely can tell from the picture.

List of what I used:
- Wash with AG Bodywork shampoo & conditioner
- Wax with Mothers FX Spray Wax
- Rims treated and protected by Optimum Opti-Seal
- Tires treated with AG tire dressing

The results:

I also installed the Corksport Front Strut Bar. The following will be a mini-review:

First off, install can't be easier. Grab a 14mm with extension and unbolt the strut bolts. Fit the bar and go around and tighten everything down. You got yourself another great handling mod on your car after 15-30 minutes tops.

First impression after driving in City with a few hard corners. Car feels much more controlled when pushed mid-corner. It is possible due to the increase in feedback from the car, which I will add on later.

As I drove more during the weekend at various speeds and conditions, the improvements begin to show. It is nothing like the rear sway bar where you can tell from the first corner. In my case, I actually felt the steering feedback is more direct and instant. Also, I feel the car drives straighter with less jerkiness from oversize wheel setup. Secondly, possible that the front end is more rigid. the chassis is less affected by road bumps; it feels more composed after- bump and planted. Lastly, I am able to take high speed corners at a much higher speed with ease and confidence.

I am aware strut bars has been more so a myth in the modding scene possibly due to a combination of universal bars, lack of engineering, and bad material. I am just sharing what exactly I am feeling after installing the product. Feel free to ask me anything here or during the meets. On the other hand, this Corksport Front strut bar is a solid piece of aluminum engineered specifically for the Mazda3. There are no hinges, just one solid piece of super light metal connecting the two front struts. If anything, that would explain it. If you drive your car harder than a grandpa or average joe and cares about handling on your Mazda3. I highly suggest you look into purchasing the CS one, it will be a great match to your upgraded suspension and sway bar(s).

PS. Shoot out the crew at Corksport & Thanks to @Spencer@CorkSport helping me out!

 

Thanks for the fantastic review! Looks great and sounds even better.

 

Update on what I've done for the past couple of weeks:

My buddy and I decided to tackle the upgrade ourselves.
All wheels are off, sitting on stands. Looks like something big is on its way:

New suspension (left)
Road Magnet 1.75"
Koni Yellow Shocks/Struts (75%)
JBR Adjustable Rear Camber Arms

versus

Old suspension (Right)
Eibach Pro-kit
Stock Shocks/Struts
Stock Camber Arms

I probably would do another mini-review on the new suspension.

In order to keep intake temperatures under control, Corksport SRI Airbox is added to complement the CS SRI itself and another goodies in the engine bay.

Just a quick shot of how she looks as of right now: