2012 Speed3 Build Diary (My one true wish)

[rainyrobbie]

Howdy all at mazdaspeed forums! I know there are plenty of build diaries out there, but I just wanted to put my current parts and plans for the future, so I could get some feedback and recommendations.

Well, my names Robbie and this is the build diary/check list of my 2012 black mica speed3.

Current parts:

Dog bone rear motor mount: to help with that torque steer and wheel hop. I gotta say it makes a huge difference; I barely feel any hop or torque at all now. Its also only a $100, but makes a huge difference.

Cobb Accessport and Cobb Accesstuner race: This part speaks for itself, if you plan to seriously mod your ride you need to get one (doesn't matter if its the V2 or V3 they both work well). Besides just being used to tune your car using cobbs OTS maps you can also monitor car vitals, like fuel pressure, and have custom tunes made specifically for your car.

Corksport Stage 2 SRI Intake: My first power mod beside the tune. A bit pricey, but worth it (fair price compared to what other companies charge). The package comes with a turbo inlet hose and the intake. These parts also come in a wide variety of colors. These parts really allow the car to breathe; the stock intake is very restrictive, so you get some decent gains with this intake. You also get a sweet turbo spool noise!

Flossy Shift Knob: SO this isn't really a mod per-say, but im gonna talk about it anyway darn it. I actually typed up a review on the flossy knob, but I didn't save my progress on the review and lost it all. I will give a quick review/discussion about it though. I got the flossy heavy grip rod with a custom engraving. The knob itself was very heavy compared to stock and it fells more solid when I'm going through the gears. The engraving is very high quality and beautiful, but If you get anything in the engraving, like dirt, it is very hard to get out from the tiny cuts. Overall, It gives a nice personal flare to my car's interior and it feels solid when I shift. Some critiques are that in the sun the knob gets really hot (it's black so whatcha gonna do?) and it is a bit expensive, but if you can get one on discount it is well worth it. Also it takes a few weeks to be made and for it to arrive due to them being engraved and such, but they are quick respond to an email if you have questions or concerns.

So that's all of my current mods; I tried to give them all a quick review. If anyone has any questions or comments Id love to hear them.

Future Parts (Wishes):

So for these future parts im gonna list them in order of what is next.

Fuel Pump Internals (autotech): This part is a no brainer. For anyone who may not know the fuel pump is VITAL to not having your Mazda go Zoom Zoom Boom. The stock pump cant pump enough fuel to handle increased levels of air within the engine that comes with modding. Even with just my intake I see my Fuel pressure lower then previous.

Downpipe/Test pipe: After the fuel pump the next step is a down-pipe or a test pipe for more power!!! I didn't put a full down-pipe because it seems to be a bit cheaper to buy the parts separate instead of a full one. I may do the test pipe first because Ive heard how much of pain the down-pipe is to install. When i get the money I am going to get a no cat test pipe and a catted down-pipe both from ultimate racing because they are well priced and sound so nice.

Custom Tune: So I know a custom soon may seem a bit soon for the few mods listed, but power mods arnt all I want to do. By getting the custom tune I will be able to get max performance and reliability out of my current parts on the car. Ill be satisfied the power of a custom tune while I put money into other parts of the car.

Brakes: Stock brakes and rotors are great on a stock car, but with all that extra power under the hood Im gonna need a bit more bite in my brakes. Plus, aftermarket brakes and rotors are cool looking and useful. This includes pads, rotors, calipers, brake lines, etc.

Sway Bars: My desire is to make my car well rounded, so if it stops well, goes well, it should also handle well! The sway bars will make the car handle better, decrease body roll, and hopefully make it feel more solid. Both front and back.

Coilover: These will make the car handle better and give it a nice stance. Coupled with some spacers and the car should have a very unique look.

Small stuff: front lip, axle back exhaust, inter-cooler, wheels, mid braces.

So that's the big stuff, if anyone has any ideas, comments, or just something I missed I would love feedback. If anyone happens to live in New Orleans or Baton Rouge, LA id love to meet up or go to some meets around town.