Chef's 09 Mazda3 hatch

[chefsp0t]

I have the front brakes off a mazdaspeed3 in my garage. Not exactly big brakes but the calipers are a lot larger and the rotors are a little bigger too.

I had a good offer from someone who wants to buy them so I will sell if that goes through.

I have these waiting for tires anyway.

[chefsp0t]

So I re-test-fitted my new front wheels today with the BC coilos and maxed camber plates. This was all the way down with all collars intact.

I think I will have JUST enough room to stretch a 225/40/18 onto these 18x10 wheels. Hopefully that will give me the clearance I need.









Then I got bored and slammed the car. Actually it's not completely slammed. I still have all collars in front and the rear perches are in along with both collars. Could probably lay frame without them. Lol

The white dirt on the fenders is from grinding the lips off the inside of the flares for a little extra clearance. Didn't help much and I did not feel like messing around with camber so I removed the spacers. Problem solved but it looks weird with sunk-as-fuck wheels.

[M0ar.Stickers]

got a little soft spot for these 3 wagons. looks good chef. CHIVE ON!

nice to see a fellow chef on SW

[chefsp0t]

Thanks man! Always like seeing another Chef and another Chiver on the forums.

I'm hoping I can make these wheels fit how I want. It is going to be interesting for sure. Lol

[05subysti]

Nice the ame wheels look great too!

[244Brick]

I love those deep dishys

[knowledge]

man them wheels

[rsingh3g]

So how are these cars for a DD, I've looked into a few of them for the past few months and really love them.

[93foxx]

not really feeling those advans, but those flares are complete SEX

[chefsp0t]

So how are these cars for a DD, I've looked into a few of them for the past few months and really love them.

I've had it since 09 and I have honestly never had any issues with it. I change the oil myself and it has never needed any major maintenance since I bought it brand new. I love mine so much my brother bought an 08.5 model and he uses all my spare parts and knowledge on his. It gets 24-25mpg on average with a good mix of highway and stoplight driving and with me not being very nice to it. On long trips you could see into the 30s easily with cruise set. I don't have a speed3 so power is kind of an issue but I find that the lower I make the car the less I want to drive it fast anyway so it doesn't bother me. The 3 has very good handling for its size and it is very fun to drive on winding roads.

A few things I changed here and there to make maintenance easier. The 2.3 comes with a cartridge filter from mazda but you can use a spin on filter adapter plate from the 2.0 motor since they share a block anyway. The motor mounts are pretty weak and wear out relatively fast. It uses a 3 point motor mount setup instead of 4 mounts for some reason. Not having a cross member up front is nice for working under the car though so I can't complain.

Also I wasn't impressed with the headlights so I would recommend HIDs but that's personal preference. There's a good aftermarket but not as much as like an evo or honda has. I'll be upgrading the clutch and flywheel soon too. When you drive it you can tell it was meant to be a sporty family car and not a sports car.

not really feeling those advans, but those flares are complete SEX

Nice the ame wheels look great too!

I love those deep dishys

man them wheels

Thanks for the love guys! I am in the process of selling the Advans so they most likely won't be on the car. Hopefully the current interested party buys them so I am not tempted to put thinner tires on and run them. I want the lip on the AME wheels in my life!

[Bildick]

Im feeling those new rims

[rsingh3g]

Ah I see, well I think I may be purchasing a 3 then. I really love the style of them and think I can use it efficiently. I don't mind the power issue, I will be going for winding road cruises and lowness. I noticed the deal with the headlights, I was just going to have a friend of mine retrofit me some FX projectors in the OEM position

[chefsp0t]

Sounds like you would like the 3 just fine man. I am pretty sure that The Retrofit Source carries drop in upgrades but I haven't looked into it other than purchasing a set of clear lenses that I haven't installed yet.

[rsingh3g]

They do, but my friend he runs his own services for retrofitting. This is his website, he does a very good job and gives me a great deal, where all I have to do is plug it into the car its ready to go. He does all the major headache work
http://www.iconicdesignz.com/

[chefsp0t]

Yes, it decided to snow this morning. But I couldn't wait to test fit my wheels with the tires mounted on them. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fToRej14lCQ&feature=youtu.be&t=1m25s

Even drove around the block which has sharp turns and potholes and only got light rubbing.