fowljesse's GS/SE DE/ZE ;)

[fowljesse]

[quote="fowljesse"] They are screwed in, and can easily be removed, as I keep my cordless drill in the car. [quote]

No offense taken Wytbishop. I was actually expecting more, and harsher criticism. It looks better in person, and especially now that I cleaned up the edges alot. They were oversize, and I planed them, so they aren't so bumpy.
I've gone most of my life with a mohawk, or similar hairdon't, and head tattoos, so jeers don't hurt my feelings, and I've been impressed that no one has laughed it my car, or said anything bad However, I do live in Portland, where no one would be surprised to see a tulip, or gnat, or whatever driving down the street. I'm kind of hoping it will start conversations about fuel efficiency. Maybe I'll try to take more flattering pictures..
And, this is tame compared to the "Mad Max" kind of things I've made....

[marcdh]

I think it could look good with a bit more finesse, but it looks like you were too keen to see it on Maybe it could be molded into the mudflaps so they hold it on (elimating many screws) and you could smooth it into them for a more oem look. How about just having a clear polycarb arch insert for long drives, that attaches from inside of the arch? Could still see your rims but retain your newfound aerodynamics.

Had a go in p'shop I think the biggest issue is that the piece wants to be smoothed into the body, but obv it cant be for access reasons.

[hotsiit]

Mazda Insight ...Interesting idea, I could not do it to my MX-3, but I will be keeping an eye out for your post on doing under-body tray's / panels, that is something I always thought about.

[wytbishop]

I'm also concerned with fuel consumption, not only for myself but raising awareness of conservation in general. I live and work in a Oil Boom town and it's hard to get people to think about it. I respect your motivation. I'm giving serious consideration to converting an MX-3 to electric for the same reasons.

[fowljesse]

I moved my battery to the right rear, and put it in a $15 battery box that I screwed down. It wasn't vented, so I went to my favorite auto parts store, Home Depot, and got a brass fitting that has threads on one side, and grooves on the other, and some cheap tubing. I drilled a hole in the box just barely smaller than the fitting, so I could thread the hole, and screw it in. The vent tube goes down to the rubber bung at the bottom of the spare wheel well. I have no spare, and keep a can of "Fix-A-Flat", and a "AAA Gold Plus" membership.



When you move the battery, the NHRA requires you to put in an external Kill Switch, so I got one for $30 (Taylor), and drilled a hole for it. The width between the inner bulkhead, and the outer plastic piece was too wide, so I used a hole punch to pound out a circle, starting about 1/4 inch between indentations, and going in between them, each time around, making new dents, until the whole thing was recessed enough to put in the switch. It was still about 1mm too short, so I trimmed it off the back of the switch itself, with a pneumatic cutting wheel, using Vise-Grips to hold it.



I don't know what the battery cable costs, because it came with the car, but this project costed about $60, using a friend's tools.

[fowljesse]

I'm making a list here, of what I'm going to do, all at once, sometime around Halloween. This way, I don't lose my list.
Put in diff (probably Phantom Grip)
Put on headers, and do straight exhaust with FlowMaster, side exit.
Put in short shifter.
Put in ZE disty with 50,000v coil
Put in KL31 cams
Maybe match port IM
Make a TB thermo spacer
Put in engine torque damper
Paint the car
Put on slim visors!

When they get here, I'll put in:
Whiteline sway bar
Fiberglass hatch w/ Lexan window
Wytbishop's end links

[onlytrueromeo]

Did you order the whiteline bar from the site I linked to, from somewhere else, or from someone on here? If you could take a picture when you get it, that'd be great

[fowljesse]

I'm ordering it today from Turbowholesale.. You linked that? I don't remember.
I'll put pics in my worklog.

[projectzemx3]

Its a really nice car. the H&R does a pretty decent drop as well..

You do know that for the rear strut bar you can still leave the panels in. Just cuta small notch in them for the bar to come out of.

i did this and it looks nice coming right out of the plastic. if you cut it nice enough it almost looks stock. the rear seat hides it nice too. and maybe you should take a long hard thought before you start making your mx3 look like a cadillac by covering the rear wheels like that photoshop mock up, up there^^^

[fowljesse]

The wheelskirts are on. I started moulding in the MazdaSpeed sideskirts, and will do the bumper, and whatnot.
I'm leaving the area behind the seats completely open, with carpet covering the walls, so I can haul my bed of nails, and other important things It will look like it came that way.

[SmoothMX3]

[Daninski]

[Quote Jesse], so I can haul my bed of nails [unquote] That gives "coitus very carefulus" a whole new meaning.

[fowljesse]

Cjthor was kind to let me use his shop, and skills. We made a side exhaust system, and took out a 3 foot long resonator and it sounds awesome, but I'm more motivated to sound insulate my car! It feels alittle more torquey, too. We relocated my Magnaflow to where the Cat goes, but it hangs too low, so we're going to fix it tomorrow. I had an exhaust leak, due to the last person's welding job, so now I don't smell it anymore
With that out of the way, I put in my TWM short shifter. It's great, but they sent me 1 wrong bushing, so we reshaped it by putting it in a drill press, and using it like a lathe, and everything's great. Thanks to mooneggs for helping, also. He and I went to a swap meet where I picked up some new PIAA bulbs for $5, because one is purple, and the other is blue. They look the same on, though. I saved $75 on them. Soon I'll put in the 50,000v coil, HEI, and ZE disty, and probably custom plug wires. I cut of about 5.5 feet of wires from my NGK set, just trimming each one.

[cjthor]

Cjthor was kind to let me use his shop, and skills. We made a side exhaust system, and took out a 3 foot long resonator and it sounds awesome, but I'm more motivated to sound insulate my car! It feels alittle more torquey, too. We relocated my Magnaflow to where the Cat goes, but it hangs too low, so we're going to fix it tomorrow. I had an exhaust leak, due to the last person's welding job, so now I don't smell it anymore
.

Just call me Mr. Eyeball.

[fowljesse]

We relocated my Magnaflow to where the Cat goes, but it hangs too low, so we're going to fix it tomorrow.

Mr. Eyeball told me that it wouldn't fit, but let me find out the hard way. I should have listened.
Tonight we're putting in a Flowmaster Hushpower, and I'm stoked! I loved Flowmaster for about 20 years now, and have wanted one on this car. I'll get a sound clip when it's done.