Greetings~~!

[geist]

Hey there,

Just recently joined the forums because my female picked up a Mazda 3 Hatch!

It's a red '05 Hatch (pics to come)

So far we are very happy with it, and, being one who loves modding and wrenching on cars (I personally have a '05 Subaru STi.) we have some plans for it.

She's not worried about racing, she just likes looking good, so for the most part it's going to end up being aesthetic modifications... gonna start with the tint, paint the stockers black (we bought it used obviously, so the wheels are a little beat up.) Paint the emblems black..

Down the road, some rims, maybe retrofit HIDs (don't know how easy that is with the 3's headlights) and some light suspension work.

This community looks pretty solid, so hopefully I'll be on here as frequently as possible to keep up to date. I haven't had much a chance to browse around, but it seems that many of you have taste very similar to the subaru community, so I have a feeling I'll fit right in! (cheers)

I fully intend to do some searching around and catch up on reading, especially as I'm sure the topics have been touched, but, as the new guy, some of the questions I have are as follows:

- Known problems, and things to keep an eye out for mechanically with the 3?
- Decent "bang for your buck" upgrades!
- Tasteful mods I may not think of not being well versed with mazdas
- etc, etc!

Thanks for reading! Pics to come soon!
~Geist

 

[tschatzinger]

Stubby, black out reflector kit, shave side moldings, new horn (the mazda stock one is weak sauce!), replace interior lights with LEDs, paint engine covers, eyelids...those are some pretty cheap yet tasteful mods that I can think of off the top of my head right now.

 

[MZ3SPORTRUE]

Stubby, black out reflector kit, shave side moldings, new horn (the mazda stock one is weak sauce!), replace interior lights with LEDs, paint engine covers, eyelids...those are some pretty cheap yet tasteful mods that I can think of off the top of my head right now.

stubby for sure, i would say dont do black reflectors just because EVERYONE does black refelctors, be a rebel like me and get crystal! hehe! i personally like the side moldings but its personal preference, alot of good ideas right there! i would also do the throttle body ground and coolant bypass, great mods for like under $20 (for both) not really looks tho lol! welcome to the forums!!! see ya around soon!

oh and you can never go wrong with window tint! they also make some real nice grills for the 3! (flash)

 

[JBR]

Welcome!!

 

[Nathan@LEA]

Welcome Geist!
I would definitely recommend replacing the interior lights with LED bulbs (or SMD bulbs, much brighter and longer lasting). If you're in need of any, send me a PM or an e-mail (sales@lightningeagle.com) and I can work out a price for a fellow Mz3 owner!


Nathan
Lightning Eagle
www.LightningEagle.com

 

[HondaEat-R]

Pictures of your girlfriend.....

 

[Maz94Protege]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[SuperProtege5]

As for problems mechanically, just watch out for the side motor mount completely destroying itself on you, unless it already had to the previous owner. If you are able to, take it in to the dealer to see if the updated mount has been installed. If not, see if you can get it done before disaster strikes. FYI, it was a known issue by Mazda, so you might be able to get the work done on the cheap if the car doesn't have a warranty.