I've saved up a few crappy little jobs for my local grease monkey and wondered what other stuff people put off.

Mine are:

1. Getting the inside of my replacement brake rotors painted black so they don't get that ugly surface rust.

2. Having the wiper arms adjusted or replaced (I think one of them got bent) so they work more smoothly and aren't as noisy.

3. Changing out the RP in my gearbox for Redline.

Ok, the last is reasonably important if the horror stories about RP are anything to go by but they all add up to fiddly stuff that I can't be arsed doing myself.

Confession time people - what do you hand over to someone else to do and what are you sitting on that you know should be done but is in the 'later on' basket...

And yes, I'm feeling virtuous because I've booked the car in to have this stuff sorted next week ...if only I could stop kerbing my rims I'd be happy...

 

Well aren't we all too perfect for words then...

 

I have felt good about getting one of these things done lately - I had the front end resprayed (I've been wanting to do it since buying the car 2 years ago as it had a few stone chips) and following that up with a full proper detail by Final Inspection.

The only thing I am putting off right now is getting my coolant warning sensor replaced.

 

I recommend doing the oil change to Redline as my persistent gear grinding noise has disappeared.

skc

 

I had some rear quarter panel damage fixed recently and would have liked to have the front resprayed too but it was adding up to too much money in one hit.

Did you get front apron, guards and bonnet done? How much out of interest?

 

Truth be told, it was prompted by a rendevous with a pole, but rather than just getting the front corner repaired (LHS guard, light, apron/bumper) I had the beater respray the whole front end. Insurance took care of it but the work was about 4K's worth.

I was sort of forced to do it but was meaning to get it done from the day I bought the car.

 

Rotors look so much better with the rust removed and painted black.

New wiper rubbers - yes, no more scraping noise.

Still waiting on Redline gearbox oil though (hard to source atm apparently), so back to the mechanic next week when that arrives.

So easy - round the corner from my house, bus stop right outside and they even wash it without me asking. Bye bye Crookvale Mazda.

 

Redline Gearbox oil 80W140 smells like rooten egg..... apparently. My mechanics hates putting it in but I love driving with it in.

I put that in the diff. Last long time.

Gearbox - Redline Lightweight shockproof - ace!

 

MT90 went in today.

Another crappy little job was replacing the rear Whiteline endlinks with the stock units. I had the fronts done previously but on mechanic's advice got a little extra wear out of the rears. However, they started creaking badly in the past month or so and were well and truly stuffed when he took them out.

I am so disappointed with these Whiteline endlinks. Now specced for competition use only. It will be so nice to drive a car that doesn't creak over every bump. Lately even hard cornering on smooth roads has induced the same disquieting noise.

They lasted less than 20-25k kms before failing, which I think is **** for a supposedly superior product. It's put me off buying Whiteline products, that's for sure.

Which reminds me, after I finish the s/c stuff, the next job will be sourcing some MazdaSpeed sways, so I can swap out the Whiteline bars that are currently fitted. I'm interested to see what a full MS component set will do for the car's balance and composure when being driven hard.

 

Mine are being switched out next week so I will pm you when it happens.
Give them a go and see what you think.

 

Thanks Alan. Let me know when they're available and we'll work something out.

 

Finally got my act together and had the MazdaSpeed sways installed yesterday.

Wow! A noticeable difference. Car feels much better balanced and smoother progression, especially at the limit, which hopefully will inspire more confidence when tipping it into higher speed corners on the track.

I've lost the last remaining Whiteline creaks. Felt like a significant weight difference between the MS and WL rear sway bar too - I reckon it's saved me about 2-3kgs, easy. Got a shock lifting the WL bar out of the boot last night at how heavy it was.

A good example of why mixing aftermarket suspension components can be problematic. The WL bars worked well with the stock suspension but never felt that great with the MS shocks and springs.

Fully matched MS shocks, springs, sways and struts now. Shop checked them all over and said all fine. I reckon for about $1600 all up cost (from US), it's a no brainer for anyone interested in sharper handling that doesn't want to stretch to the adjustable stuff. IMHO the adjustable stuff is only worth it if your driving merits that kind of fine tuning...

 

.............or maybe if you just like fiddling and learning

Glad you like having the completed set now Dave. No doubt they all work very well together and in my view the ride isn't at all harsh. I wonder sometimes why this set up wasn't put in the car from the go by Mazda.

 

I'd suggest your driving ability and regular track days put you in a more positive category Alan. You're one of the few people I know with adjustable suspension (Andrew and Taka are others) whose use of the car merits this kind of kit. Those who stick mainly to street use and rarely stretch the car to the limit would be better off saving their money...of course this is purely from a sensible value for money perspective...I'm all for wasting money on cars for the fun of it.

The ride has improved but it's the smoother progression in lateral movement as you turn in and lean on the outside wheels that is most impressive. Definitely tuned for the car whereas the WL bars are more of a blunt instrument. They keep you flat but in a sharper, cruder fashion.

As for not speccing it from the word go, I think Mazda might have been worried about scaring off some female and non-enthusiast buyers, who were more interested in the car's looks or other features. It is firmer than some people would be prepared to live with on Aussie goat tracks and I do see plenty of that kind of owner ambling around the suburbs. However, I think Mazda realised with the introduction of the GT in the series II model that it presented a good opportunity to firm up the suspension - hence the bilsteins, etc.

And where do you stop? Arguably Mazda should have released this car with FI too in order to back up its sportscar pretensions but was no doubt worried about fuel economy and reliability issues. Good thing the aftermarket is there to put some lead in its pencil.

 

I'm going to paint my calipers soon and was wondering if anyone recommended a specific paint and/or color for a silver rx-8.

 

Make sure the paint is heat resistant and try black - a bit different from the red everyone seems to go for. It'll make your rims stand out more by reducing the prominence of the caliper which is, let's face it, an ugly looking thing.