New to m247 and new to the Mazdaspeed3

[nhluhr]

Hi,

After 8 years of Subaru WRX/STI ownership, I have jumped ship for a 2008.5 Black Mica Mazdaspeed3 Grand Touring and I'm loving it so far.

I've recently found this forum as well as the other big mazda3 forum and so far I much prefer this one, mostly because of the vBulletin and also the active membership and quality of posts.

Options it came with:
GT package
Cargo Net

What I have added to the car:
Auto Dimming Mirror
Rear bumper guards
9011 highbeam bulbs
9012 foglight bulbs (along with a much-needed aiming)
Mazda3 Windshield Sun Shield
First Oil Change at exactly 3750miles with Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 and a Genuine Mazda oil filter

What I tried to add but failed:
GROM Audio IPOD adapter. Apparently it's not compatible with the new connector pinout on the back of the 08.5 head unit . Maybe The harness can be re-pinned to work?

What I plan to add:
RX8 18x8 wheels w/ 235 or 245 summer rubber and RX8 TPMS sensors
Mazdaspeed Sport Springs and Camber Links
Bridgestone LM22's on the stock wheels for winter

Things I haven't ruled out yet:
Cobb SF Intake
Cobb swaybars

Things I don't really like about the car:
-no simple intermittent wiper setting (just the rain-sensing auto mode... nice, but I would like intermittent as well)
-slightly weak A/C system... but fairly, it has been super hot lately and it is a black car... Once I get going, it seems to catch up after several minutes and keeps me cool after that
-Black gets dirty so fast!!!

My MS3 experience so far:
The first week I had the car, I took it on a road trip which started out with about 100 miles of Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, then continued into the tight mountain twisties surrounding Robbinsville, NC, including The Dragon (US129), Wayah Rd, NC28, etc. Anybody familiar with these roads knows they are some of the most demanding roads in North America and I am happy to say that aside from a slight lack in tire, the car was SUPERB, with me feeling completely comfortable keeping up with my subaru buddies in the twisties. I love this car.

Anyway, that's my intro... Thanks to the owners/operators for running a good site and thanks to the membership for putting up good content!

-nick

 

[Super Unique]

Silly observation, but you are aware there is an aux input located in the storage bin between the seats?

 

[nhluhr]

yeah i have been using the Aux input but am dissatisfied with it because it of course doesn't charge the iPod and the output is not at full line voltage so i have to crank the volume way up. Admittedly, I do like retaining full control of the iPod navigation (including ability to rate songs) with the Aux jack, but I tend to leave my 80GB iPod in the car for a long time (except now I have to bring it in every couple days to charge it).

 

[Kain]

The first week I had the car, I took it on a road trip which started out with about 100 miles of Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, then continued into the tight mountain twisties surrounding Robbinsville, NC, including The Dragon (US129), Wayah Rd, NC28, etc. Anybody familiar with these roads knows they are some of the most demanding roads in North America and I am happy to say that aside from a slight lack in tire, the car was SUPERB, with me feeling completely comfortable keeping up with my subaru buddies in the twisties. I love this car.

Where in VA are you? My favorite place to go for a drive when I need to get away from the city is Skyline Drive/211. I have fam in Knoxville, so I plan to tackle the Dragon next time I visit.

 

[nhluhr]

I am in Manassas. Skyline Drive is not really my favorite because of the speed patrols (that, and I bicycle it a lot so I spend enough time on that road as it is ) but 211 is fun, if not a bit short lived!

Heading out a bit farther west, 33 is a hoot, as is 250 (down by Staunton).

I've been going to annual (and occasional semi-annual) Dragon meets with my subaru friends for the last 7 years. This particular group is very welcoming to people with 'other' cars and we have some really great people in the group. Also, we tend to operate the meet less as a driving-the-dragon event and more of a mountain vacation that happens to involve tons of twisties on each day's excursions for rafting, touristing, hiking, etc.

Here's my MS3, about 5 days into ownership, attacking the curves on US129 (girlfriend was driving):

 

[Kain]

Yeah, I once went balls-out on Skyline and realized that going for a leisurely drive on it is better. But 211 near Luray and right off of Skyline heading east is the tits. They recently added the speed ribs on that part of 211, though, so it kinda takes the fun out of it.

There's a big meet in Great Falls Park in McLean on the 28th.

 

[nhluhr]

I would definitely attend, but on the 28th, I'm flying out to Washington for a week to climb Mount Rainier.

This is me last April on Rainier:

 

[Smokin08]

how much did the auto dimming mirror cost and how hard to install?

 

[SwampAss]

I used to love 211 until:

A: I crashed a motorcycle on it.
and
B: I crashed a motorcycle on it.



There was a C too but it was the same as A and B.


I'm in Stafford BTW

 

[nhluhr]

A: I crashed a motorcycle on it.
and
B: I crashed a motorcycle on it.
There was a C too but it was the same as A and B.

:lol:

how much did the auto dimming mirror cost and how hard to install?

Much to my chagrin, it was actually more of a PITA than I expected since there is not a preexisting wiring harness for it like on most cars where it is optional. You have to splice into a circuit down in the driver side kickpanel and then run the wire behind the trim all the way up the side and across the top to the middle but that is relatively straighforward. The annoying part is getting the plastic surrounding off the rain sensor to remove the standard mirror. I had to make a "tool" to do it and essentially broke the old plastic piece off, which was okay because the mirror install kit comes with a new piece to fit around it. After that it was just plug and play.

The kit does come with detailed directions, at least.

 

[Kain]

I had to look it up in Wikipedia, but you belong to a near-extinct species called "the outdoorsie type." Apparently your kind has developed a special prehensile thumb that allows you to manipulate objects beyond merely typing on a keyboard. Fascinating.

 

[SwampAss]

I have a prehensile thumb. It's perfectly contoured to fit my playstation controller.

 

[Kain]

I have a prehensile thumb. It's perfectly contoured to fit my playstation controller.

Take your evolutionary leap and shove it.

 

[SwampAss]

How very Cro-Magnon of you!

 

[Kain]

Jazz hands. Anything with jazz hands.

 

[SwampAss]

We could never be friends. I rock the spirit fingers. We're like the Jets and Sharks here.

You're Bernardo BTW.

 

[Kain]

au contraire, I am most definitely Tony in this regard. I think a more apropos analogy is that I'm the Sonny to your Fredo.

 

[happy and angry]

I think you guys would look better as a Bonnie and Clyde, but I'm just not sure who would wear the dress.

 

[Kain]

Depends on if I'm feeling especially sassy at that moment.

 

[clos561]

there is intermitten mode on the wipers.....