So, having had my 2 for a few months, I thought I would get a few bolt-ons to make this fun car funner. I've never done anything car-related except swap wheels, which I learned at the track as a kid; my dad had a friend who raced a Tercel (it wasn't fast, but he had fun). With that, and the internet as inspiration, there's no end to the trouble I can get into save a budget that's restricted by being boring and sensible.
Previously: I had installed a stubby antenna from Hong Kong that's embarrassingly made from fake carbon fibre and silk screened with "Mazdaspeed", and hooked up the vaguely-unsettlingly named Himbox bluetooth audio device to the 12V/aux-in. I still get radio and now Siri sometimes listens to me.
This week I installed the DDM Works shift bushings. No real problems, though I'm not sure I appreciate what the big deal is that reviews of it (and similar products for other cars from DDM and others) glow about. I can tell there's a difference, but it's pretty hard to quantify what's different. I was expecting sexual arousal and did not find it. I will temper my expectations accordingly for future modifications.
Today I installed their rear sway bar. Had I known there was going to be drilling involved, I would have ordered the shorter CorkSport version that uses the holes in the rear torsion beam that are already big enough for the bolts. I imagined that a cheap $10 HSS 1/2" bit would be enough to get through the project and then be delegated to building balsa wood jungle gyms once I have kids. Mistake. Also had to buy my first can of WD40 and two large wrenches when the drill's keyless chuck decided to lock open in the middle of my bit dulling/work hardening the beam. The instructions say I need to torque it to 65 lb-ft, but I can't get it much past 50 in the cramped space under the car and little ratchet I'm using to hold the bolt. Seems pretty solid, and I'll check them in a week. First dash around the neighbourhood feels good.
While I was under the car I checked out the exhaust the nuts/bolts holding the muffler to the mid pipe are very rusty. Putting a fancy exhaust on down the road is going to be an exciting and probably disgusting learning adventure.
While putting my tools away, I found a bag of gloves that would have been handy. At least I had already found my university chem lab goggles for proper and timelessly-stylish eye protection.
Previously: I had installed a stubby antenna from Hong Kong that's embarrassingly made from fake carbon fibre and silk screened with "Mazdaspeed", and hooked up the vaguely-unsettlingly named Himbox bluetooth audio device to the 12V/aux-in. I still get radio and now Siri sometimes listens to me.
This week I installed the DDM Works shift bushings. No real problems, though I'm not sure I appreciate what the big deal is that reviews of it (and similar products for other cars from DDM and others) glow about. I can tell there's a difference, but it's pretty hard to quantify what's different. I was expecting sexual arousal and did not find it. I will temper my expectations accordingly for future modifications.
Today I installed their rear sway bar. Had I known there was going to be drilling involved, I would have ordered the shorter CorkSport version that uses the holes in the rear torsion beam that are already big enough for the bolts. I imagined that a cheap $10 HSS 1/2" bit would be enough to get through the project and then be delegated to building balsa wood jungle gyms once I have kids. Mistake. Also had to buy my first can of WD40 and two large wrenches when the drill's keyless chuck decided to lock open in the middle of my bit dulling/work hardening the beam. The instructions say I need to torque it to 65 lb-ft, but I can't get it much past 50 in the cramped space under the car and little ratchet I'm using to hold the bolt. Seems pretty solid, and I'll check them in a week. First dash around the neighbourhood feels good.
While I was under the car I checked out the exhaust the nuts/bolts holding the muffler to the mid pipe are very rusty. Putting a fancy exhaust on down the road is going to be an exciting and probably disgusting learning adventure.
While putting my tools away, I found a bag of gloves that would have been handy. At least I had already found my university chem lab goggles for proper and timelessly-stylish eye protection.
