So I just got an insurance settlement of about $100. Not much money but it's going towards the car because the COBB SF intake I bought has given me the mod bug...but I want to spend it on the car for sure. Any ideas for mods? $100 is not the limit but I don't want to spend a ton of money seeing as I'm a poor college student. So pretty much I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive mod. I'm very open to suggestions.
The motor mounts and the shifter bushings are mods that I have thought about. I'm relatively new to car modification...would you think that I would be able to either of those things by myself or should I pay someone to install them? Brands and prices?
Both mods are very straight forward, They should come with instructions but I know you can find How To's on them.
Just take your time and you should have no problems.
Shifter bushings are EASY to do yourself (if a little tedious). They're cheap too- $30ish. Theres a few brands around, TWM was the first to make 'em I think.
There are several brands of MM too. It's easy to do on a lift, but doable with jackstands. The SU one is $120.
I agree with shifter bushings and rear motor mount...those are the two modifications I first went with
after that, I would say go with the cobb sf and turbo inlet combo....it might be out of your price range....but it's definitely a nice addition to your car
all the other upgrades get pretty expensive....like downpipe, FMIC, TMIC cobb AP, etc.....so I would stick with the rear motor mount and shifter bushings for now
Cp-e makes a REAL nice rear motor mount....kind of pricey...but definitely worth it for minimal vibrations and maximum performance....
TWM, mazda3mods, street unit all make shifter bushings
Agree, if you've already got an intake, think bushings and torque mount. I'm a big fan of the corksport inserts, and I had a SU previous to that. If you don't beat on your car much and don't want added harshness, the inserts are a great choice. Cheapest, too, and look stock unless you look *very* hard... which is good for any warranty visits. All the mounts are good products, really, just up to your personal preference.
What part of the bay are you from. There is a great mazda presence here and you can get a lot of great assistance as well. check out your local forum MOCCforums.com
[quote author=trdsw link=topic=135959.msg2930753#msg2930753 date=1234407455]
What part of the bay are you from. There is a great mazda presence here and you can get a lot of great assistance as well. check out your local forum MOCCforums.com
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I'm from Castro Valley, but I'm going to school in Davis. I travel betwen both and can go anywhere in between. I know about MOCC but haven't registered yet. You guys having a meet soon?
you could do shifter bushings and corksport motor mount inserts for less than $100 if you wanted to. the inserts are great if you aren't planning to do much more than the intake, and don't want the added vibrations of a full mount replacement.
[quote author=Strizzo link=topic=135959.msg2932681#msg2932681 date=1234478353]
you could do shifter bushings and corksport motor mount inserts for less than $100 if you wanted to. the inserts are great if you aren't planning to do much more than the intake, and don't want the added vibrations of a full mount replacement.
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Yeah, I'm not really planning on doingt many power mods. THe car is still pretty new and I don't want to get in too deep with all that warranty crap. I plan on doing some autocross though so do you think the corksports are strong enough?
IMHO yes the CS mounts would be great for that. The harder mounts I'd be more inclined to recommend for drag strips or anything where there are a lot of really hard (i.e. no-lift) shifts going on with lots of power adders.
Those are correct! Understand, these won't feel much different than stock, but that's the idea. You're giving a bit more support against torque rotating the engine so much under load and quick transitions (gear changes under boost, engine braking, etc).
Sounds good to me. I'm not looking for anything that is going to be really harsh. I just want it for peace of mind when I go to autoX or just feel like pushing the pace a little bit. At this point I can't really justify dropping $100+shipping for the StreetUnit piece. Plus I can always upgrade if more money comes my way and it is necessary. Just have to protect the car from itself I guess...it must be masochistic :shock:
I am a bit biased, but I think you mad the right choice here. And yes you can always upgrade later if your mods or tastes dictate so. Yes, our car is a cutter, stock...
Also there is lots of good feedback on the various brands of turbo inlet pipes. The benefits are not dramatic like a CAI/SRI, but the price reflects this, ~$100-160 (I know one is like $300, I'm just talking about the ones sane people would buy...). Whatever you end up with, let us know how it goes!
heh, my last car was an rsx-s with ES inserts front and rear. the vibes were so bad that i had to put some electrical tape on the hood latch to keep it from rattling. that thing was brutal, especially with the a/c on, so i wasn't in a big hurry to end up in the same place with my ms3. the inserts are perfect, no more banging the engine against the hood on shifts, and nearly stock nvh.
[quote author=Strizzo link=topic=135959.msg2934413#msg2934413 date=1234542724]
heh, my last car was an rsx-s with ES inserts front and rear. the vibes were so bad that i had to put some electrical tape on the hood latch to keep it from rattling. that thing was brutal, especially with the a/c on, so i wasn't in a big hurry to end up in the same place with my ms3. the inserts are perfect, no more banging the engine against the hood on shifts, and nearly stock nvh.
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I have sat in a friend's rsx-s with energy suspension motor mount inserts.....yes its quite brutal....my MS3 with medieval mounts is nowhere near the vibes as his...LOL
[quote author=Czar Quanovan link=topic=135959.msg2929563#msg2929563 date=1234379050]
[quote author=evo2ms3 link=topic=135959.msg2929359#msg2929359 date=1234374607]
race pipe: good bang for buck
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Trying to stay CARB legal...
[/quote]Well technically your not any more with the Cobb SRI. As far as the rear engine MM/bushings, nice mod for sure. Those were the first mods I did. If you've never done a rear engine MM you will notice a difference right away. You can do it yourself if your mechanically inclined. Pretty basic, I did the install (for both) in about an hour and a half...
Good to know...I just ordered the bushings last night. I'm probably going to order the MM inserts this weekend. Thanks for the info
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