08-01-2009, 10:17 PM | #1 |
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My Mazda3 hatch
So far I've installed yellow high beam bulbs, chrome dipped front turn signal bulbs, rallyarmor urethane mud flaps, JDM window visors, eyelids, yellow lamin-x fog light covers, a full LED conversion for the interior, LED turn signal bulbs in the rear (fronts will be done soon), LED license plate lights and reverse lights, and charcoal lamin-x film on the rear reflectors and third brake light. Still to come: Installation of my TRZ Dogbone rear motor mount- I really need to get this done. I've had it sitting around since Feb. 35 percent tint all around OEM Mazda front lip kit- http://www.mazdaparts.org/mazda-3-5-...ont-air-d.html Speedline 3 piece front splitter painted satin black (installed under the OEM lip)- http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/M22-0...#ht_4147wt_820 Mazdaspeed style side skirt add-ons painted satin black- http://www.nextmod.com/index.php?tar...oduct_id=29825 Rx8 wheels or 18" Drag dr-19's in Gold- http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...7.5&vid=015310 Lowering springs and new struts (Eibach or Mazdaspeed Accessory parts) I won't be doing much to this car performance wise because if I wanted to drive fast I would have bought a mazdaspeed3. I will probably end up getting an intake and possibly an exhaust if it doesn't make it too loud.
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08-02-2009, 03:50 PM | #3 |
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I'll try to get some pictures when it gets dark. They look much better than the stock halogen lights.
Installation was a breeze as far as the interior lights. I ordered the complete interior kit from http://www.dabears2k.com/index.php?cPath=39 and they were drop in bulbs (map lights, dome light, glove box light, rear hatch light, and license plate bulbs). The hardest part of the whole interior was swinging the glove box down. I was stupid and pulled my whole dome light out of the headliner and it was a bitch to get back in because the bracket is only glued to the back side of the headliner and I couldn't clip the light housing back into the bracket without some ingenuity and my brother's helping hands. This could have been easily avoided by just taking the lens off instead of pulling the whole dome light out. Live and learn. The tail light LED's were the more difficult part but I would only rate them at a 3 out of 10 difficulty wise. If you convert the tail turn signals to LED you need to buy some load resistors and install them onto the factory harness (they clip onto the existing positive and negative wires and fool the car into thinking there is a bulb in there) to avoid the super fast blink rate that mazda uses to tell you that a bulb is out. If you are just doing the rear turn signals 6ohm resistors are fine (one for each bulb) but if you want to do the front turn signals too you need to buy 3ohm ones (one for each side of the car). The other option is to install a 6ohm on each light but there's limited space in the engine bay so it's easier just to install them behind the tails and kill two birds with one stone. I bought 6ohm ones because I didn't know I could just use 2x 3ohm load resistors for the entire car. I hope that makes some sort of sense.
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08-02-2009, 06:22 PM | #5 |
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For the turn signal kit I just bought 7440 LED's (15 LED bulbs) from http://www.superbrightleds.com/tail-brake-turn.html. I also bought the 6ohm resistors from them. If you want 3ohm ones you can get them here (They call them load equalizers). http://www.autolumination.com/ Their prices aren't as good as superbrightleds but they have a LOT more selection.
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08-02-2009, 07:06 PM | #7 |
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Yes, there is no longer any amber reflection in the rear turn signals. They light up a nice bright LED amber color now. They also look better when they are blinking because LED's turn on and off instantly and halogen bulbs kind of fade on and off. LED's make for a very crisp turn signal.
The chrome dipped bulbs (I actually bought them from the autolumination website I linked in my last post) in the front light up amber as marker lights and as turn signals. They just cut out the amber reflection when you look into the chrome housing when the bulb is off. I actually removed them yesterday and re-installed amber bulbs because one of my chrome ones burnt out. I'll get some LED's in there in a while. I had chrome dipped bulbs on all 4 corners but they are noticeably less bright than traditional bulbs because they have the chrome coating on them to make them reflective. I decided to convert to LED when I got tired of having dim turn signals. I'd rather not be hit by someone who doesn't see me signaling.
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08-02-2009, 07:20 PM | #9 | |
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Quote:
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08-02-2009, 07:25 PM | #10 |
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Lol this is a popular thread for you. I'm glad someone likes it and I am glad I can help a fellow 3 owner.
I've worked with Lamin-x on a number of occasions and this time I just bought a sheet and cut it myself. The rear reflectors were done while they were still on the car. They are not perfect but you'd have to be inches away to notice. To cover the third brake light I removed the spoiler and took the light assembly out to cover it. It was a pretty easy job and it came out great. The only thing I don't like is that Mazda had writing on the reflectors and third brake light and now there are little bumped up parts in my lamin-x. You'd also have to be very close to see them but I like to get things as near to perfect as I can. There is a guy on mazda3forums.com who sells overlays for the reflectors so you don't have to cut them. He doesn't do third brake light overlays for the hatch though. Here's his thread. http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=120585.0
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08-02-2009, 07:42 PM | #12 |
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I am glad I can help man. I also highly recommend the rallyarmor mud flaps. The sides of my car used to be filthy (I live near some dirt roads) all the time and now a wash lasts much longer. I really like my JDM rain guards too. They actually sit almost flush with the side of the car. Not like other ones that stick out the sides. They're a Mazda Japan OEM product so the installation was easy and perfect. I guess neither one of those mods is a low budget mod though.
I am uploading some short videos of the turn signals and brake light in action now.
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08-02-2009, 08:05 PM | #13 |
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Some pictures I took with some nice beaded rain on the car and some videos of the turn signals and brake lights in action.
This kind of gives you an idea of what the LED's in the interior look like. They're very blue-white and they look sick at night. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtCr1S5Pyv0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K5Dy2tnlPc
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08-03-2009, 09:06 PM | #15 |
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Lol. What's up Darnell? How's the front lip holding up on the mx6?
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08-04-2009, 04:09 AM | #16 |
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Haha my lip... oh man. I re-paint the damn thing like every week! Im a little lower than last time you saw it. Brought it down a little more in the rear.
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08-04-2009, 12:12 PM | #17 | |
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Looking good!!! I love the yellow fogs.. they look really good with the color of you car!
I wish I had gotten a white hatch... but I still LOVE my sedan
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08-04-2009, 08:32 PM | #19 |
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I will be getting 18 inch enkei ev5's (not to be confused with evo5's) in bronze whenever I decide it is time to get wheels. I think they'll look sexy as hell on the copper red car.
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