Repost from mazda5 forum speed5 project

[AUTOBARN MAZDA]

Hello everyone, my name is Eric Vates and I am the General Manager of The Autobarn Mazda of Countryside and 024motorsports. We would like to invite you to follow along on our Speed5 Project. We are swapping a Speed3 drive train ( and then highly modifying it ) into a 2010 Mazda5 sport and then racing it The One Lap of America ( formerly the Cannonball Run ). Our 2 drivers Richard Fisher and Jason Saini ( along with some surprises ) are going to run 3700 miles between 8 different track in 8 days on the same set of tires! We are extremely excited about our latest Mazda racing endeavor. We currently race in Playboy Mx-5 Cup and have a long relationship with Team MER and Tri-point motor sports, along with having the 2 largest Mazda stores in Illinois; we are the ZoomZom Nation and love every minute of it!! Please feel free to follow along with our teardown, build, and racing of our Speed5 as we go for the win in One Lap of America!!

We currently have a group on Facebook for the Speed 5 Project or you can link through our site at www.zoomzoomnation.com or www.fbook.me/zoomzoomnation

 

[chief_wiggum]

Awesome; love following the One Lap -- good luck and keep us posted.

 

[AUTOBARN MAZDA]

Need some input on seats....

 

[chief_wiggum]

Need some input on seats....

Don't know if they're a direct swap or not, but if you can grab a set out of a wrecked Speed3, they offer good bolster and decent comfort; though, as much driving as you'll be doing, I doubt anything will be comfortable enough.

I don't remember if the conversion that Car&Driver started included a seat swap or not -- never saw any updates from them.

 

[AUTOBARN MAZDA]

Have the seats need to install race seats... Have Sparko available but need a "coffin" seat for rear ( bed that you can be strapped into ) since we have 2 drivers taking turns and driving basically non stop

 

[LovinMyMS3]

Bought my 07 from you guys. The service department damaged my car with 2 of the 3 items I had installed post sale and installed the 3rd incorrectly. Then the service manager called me a liar.

 

[harrisonchang]

Bought my 07 from you guys. The service department damaged my car with 2 of the 3 items I had installed post sale and installed the 3rd incorrectly. Then the service manager called me a liar.

whoa, how'd you fix that problem?

 

[Sport6]

Have you guys read the Car and Driver's Mazdaspeed 5 articles? They can be found on youtube as well.

One thing they couldn't overcome was the speed3 cluster, it had to be mounted in the glove box because the car wouldn't start without it and wouldn't fit in the dash.

 

[LovinMyMS3]

whoa, how'd you fix that problem?

Three dealership visits and I go somewhere else for service now.

 

[harrisonchang]

Three dealership visits and I go somewhere else for service now.

that's a nice dealership.