I really noticed the strakes on the X-men car and had no idea they were an option until looking here last night. I called Mazda today and they want $300 for them! Are there other sources for these things?

do a search on Google.

Or go to www.trussvillemazda.com

There are other dealers out there that are selling these options.

Mazdatrix is another

Thanks called Trussville Mazda and they were $195 +$7 ship. Thats a dealer - forget MSRP.

Still kinda unreal that they cost $195 though.

They're just four shaped pieces of aluminum, you'd think they'd only be about $100 tops. :confused:

Oh well, the price we pay for cool. ;)

It would be nice if we had some good machinists on this forum to make some cool stuff for us. They would make some serious $

Originally posted by Kawi
Still kinda unreal that they cost $195 though.
They're just four shaped pieces of aluminum, you'd think they'd only be about $100 tops.
Oh well, the price we pay for cool.

Then you must be really irked at $200 for two pieces of clear plastic (side markers). ;)

I still say if someone wants to lend me their strake kit for a short time I can get them put into CNC and make them for like 60 bux or so. Any takers?

Then you must be really irked at $200 for two pieces of clear plastic (side markers).

I am actually!! :p

I'd like to get the clears too, but $200?? Oof. I guess I'll wait to see if the price will come down eventually.

I think there $26 from mazja Japan for a pair ( clear side indicators). Who said $200?lol.

Okay

Installed strakes tonight - easy to do.

Gives the car that much more of an exotic look.

BTW I think the price is crazy! 4 little pieces of metal in the box with 4 screws and 8 washers. You are right that a fair price would probably be no more than $100.

Yes, but I sucked it up and bought them too. :D
I just really like the look of them on the car. And they were easy to install.

Someone mentioned that you have to remove the black "vents" to install the strakes. How do you remove them?

Just take out some of the pop clips in the wheel wells and pull the plastic covers back a little. You'll have enough clearance to reach behind the fender and pop the grills out. No sweat.

Thanks for the info.

I think the strakes really set things off. They have a different appearance from different angles. Here is my Velocity Red with Polished wheels and fender strakes. I really like it! (Naturally, it's mine :D )

Here's another view........

And finally, one more view of the whole car.

One guy at Mazdatrix says you need to remove the front tires to install the strakes while another says you don't.

Who's right?

Also, I have ordered the center wheel caps and was wondering how hard it is to remove the old and replace with the new. Do the wheels need to be removed? Maybe to pop out the old caps?

i have some fender strakes on order.....just in case it doesn't come w/ instructions, anyone out there put theirs on? and how?

This part does come with instructions and there is a fair amount of info on the subject already, give the Search button a try and see what you can dig up. In the meantime, I will let you admire my strakes, see link attached to the sig below. :D

Sorry for the bitchy response, bad day at work..... :(

ahah it wasn't a bitchy remark....but u have enough pictures of ur strakes...thnx for rubbing it in :)

So apparently the side strakes are $389 cdn, but if I order from Trussville in the US they are only $195 USD which is like $270 CDN!

I don't know if trussville will ship to canada :confused: maybe they will use regular parcel mail and put "gift" so I don't get stung with duty and taxes?

Anyone in Canada get a deal on the strakes? Apparently pembroke will sell them for $320 but after taxes that is still $100 more than the Trussville price!

What's the best price anyone has seen on strakes? I like the look, but think near $200 for 4 small pieces of aluminum is ridiculous. I've seen as low as $175, does anyone know of a better price, dealer or aftermarket?

I paided 200 from mazdatrix.com.. Its alot but what are you going to do, well you can wait

Ya know, the two silver things on each side of the car right over that scoop/intake looking thing in front of the front door..
do i just tell the dealer to add those?
are those part of a package of some sort?

the dealer can install them but you'll pay more or you can order them online and install themn yourself.

P.S. They're called strakes.

You friendly local Mazda parts dept can sell them to you. They're not hard to install yourself. Seach this forum for tips on self-install.

Ok thanks.
If I bought them from Mazda or online would they be the stock/Mazda ones?
Are they easy to install/remove?
Can I get a general price range for these Strakes?

Trussville Mazda http://www.trussvillemazda.com/partsstore/index.cfm sells them for $195

are they like the spoiler where you actually have to put holes in your car? :(

no but some assembly is required

ok, as long they don't put any kind of hole in the car I'll get them. I like the ability to take them off, and the project putting them back on.

Also, how do I know whether the ones I buy or not are stock/Mazda? Does everyone carry the same kind?

since tbey go over the air intakes they use the existing holes in them. if you get them from any reputable site(trussville, etc) you should be ok.

just dont buy them off ebay or somewhere where someone says i just made some home made strakes. lol

IIRC the strakes are installed using screws AND a very sticky double sided tape. I would think that makes them non-removable.

-Dave

so if I wanted to remove them would they leave holes in the side or anything?

also... would these look good on a stock blue RX-8 with no spoiler?

Clarification:

While it is meant to be permanent, you can remove them.. installing them does nothing permanent to the car.

It is fairly straight-forward to put on.. I wouldn't say it's super easy, but if you can follow directions, you shouldn't have any problems.

like I said, nothing is drilled, screwed directly into, or permanently glued onto your car.

the strakes are attached via a long screw that goes through a small washer, then a hole on the vent cover, back into the strake and tightened then loc-tite is applied to keep vibrations from loosening the screws. after you attach both strakes to the cover, peel off the paper cover of two small stickies on each strake and put the vent back on and press against strakes to mount to the car surface. now do the other side. you're done.

Most likely you'll never take them off anyway, but if you need, it should be just as easy...

Squidward,

Your MPG sux! I'm on my second tank and am getting 19.1 mpg. First tank was approx 15.21.

I've been using premium....

Have you noticed a difference between different octanes?

I'll pm you, since this is OT.

Can someone that has STRAKES please measure the dimensions and post them please>

Length
Width
Thickness

Thanks

From where, what corner on what angle? Geez, you would need a drawing, wouldn't you?

I could easily do that, but I don't have any strakes. If you can have a set sent to me, I'll whip up a drawing lickety split!

:) :D ;)

Just need those 3 Measurements and I can figure out the rest. Angles and other measurements I can get on my own from off the car.

Thanks

you are going to make homemade stakes arent you?

I am going to attempt making a pair of Polished Aluminum Strakes, Yes.
Have not decided if I will triple chrome plate them or leave them polished. Depends how good they turn out.

Originally posted by RX-8 2004
I am going to attempt making a pair of Polished Aluminum Strakes, Yes.
Have not decided if I will triple chrome plate them or leave them polished. Depends how good they turn out.


What are you going to make them out of and with what tools

What I am going to make them out of I have already stated ... Aluminum. How I will make them ..... I have a Bridgeport Mill / CNC Mill available to use. I will have one of the master machinist do them for me here at work after I make up my drawing with dimensions. Will use a metal polishing wheel to polish and then seal with clear alodine or copper plate and finish with three layers of chrome.

are you making a one of
or are you making a mold to sell them

i'd buy 2 pair if they looked half way decent.

Have to wait to see how they turn out first .... Right now just going to make one set. If they turn out good, I might make a few others too. But NO ONE yet has supplied the needed information.

Worst comes to worse you can goto a dealer and ask to see a set and just shove a pair of calipers in your pocket when you go..


-Chris

There's a fierce(ish) debate going on in the Europe section about whether A Titanium grey RX-8 will suit brushed or polished strakes (air outlet fins). One person who has seen the polished fins on a grey car says they look bad but another says that the brushed fins look bad.

Do any of you Titanium grey owners have strakes and if so what type and do they suit the car please?

IMO, it's a personal taste. The brush is a little more subtle as compared to the polished. I think they'll all go well with the Tit.
Personally I've pick the brush since the interior already comes with some brush accessories. So long as the finishes one pick are all the same, the car will have a more united look rather than different finshes on it, making it looks uncoordinated and messy.

Does anyone have a clear image of a Titanium car with polished strakes please? Does anyone actually OWN such a beast???

I don't think there is a striking difference between the two. In the US, we were given only one choice. Check pictures via my signature.

Originally posted by brothervoodoo
I don't think there is a striking difference between the two. In the US, we were given only one choice. Check pictures via my signature.

So yours are polished right? Looks good to me. I've just spoken to my dealer and he says that I can view a (red) car with polished strakes next to a Grey Mazda 6 on Friday. If I want to change my order to brushed strakes then no problem but he insists that polished will work better because they'll match the front and rear badges. This is so subjective and I should really just wait and see what I prefer.

I was going to mention that, the front and back emblems are also polished so the strakes should match nicely.

Yes, mine are polished but like I said, from casual observance, I don't think people will notice and or care either way.