Are you just doing pads? Hawk Performance Ceramic seem to be the best all round option. Handles mild autox/track duties, hold up better than OEM for daily driver duties, and manage to not shed nearly the amount of dust on your wheels that other Hawk (or OEM) pads drop. And the dust it does leave wipes off very easily.

 

Billy Joe Bob Franky Steve asked the same question of me yesterday actually. The only thing I would add to what Ryan said is that the Ceramic pads when applied lightly don't grab as hard as OEM. As someone that rides their brakes a little more than most I really like this as the OEM pads required some gentle massaging. The Ceramic pads however will grab very well when you apply them...and even better when you mash on them.

 

btw Ryan...thanks again for the short shifter. It is amazing how short the shift is for how little the gear shift dropped. Going to take some time to get used to finding third though at speed. I really see myself missing it.

 

I didn't sell it to you. I just leased it from you for a couple years and finally gave it back.

BTW I did grease it up last weekend because it was sticking a bit so you should be good for a year or so. If you start noticing it getting a little more 'clunky' you'll probably have to undue it and grease it up again.

Glad my swag isn't going to waste.

PS. Don't forget my trader score!!!!

 

Ryan- you still working on the car this weekend?
I might be able to swing by Saturday night.

 

Ryan, I'll be at that place around 6, I'll even help for the couple hours before I have to be at work if you want.

Also, has anyone else dealt with Park Mazda? I had a terrible experience with them lately. I can't say I would recommend them for anything.

 

Yeah Jon. I'm planning on being there around 4. Hopefully before that but I'm working right now and don't know exactly when I'm done. I'm going to text Brian, you, Ben, and Danc (or maybe just PM since i don't think I have his number) when I get there.

When I'm done w/work I have to swing by Montrose Mazda to pick up my rad hose, home to get my socket set, and then on to Fairlawn.

 

danc, both my room mates just bought 2010 mazda 3s from park and had a good experience.
Also, streetsrx8 traded his 8 in for a 3 and did pretty good with his trade.

I'm curious to hear the full story of your poor experience.

 

Park in akron has been good to me. Bought my wifes 6, and like vyn said I traded my 8 in there for a 3 and got a pretty sweet deal.

I have heard tons of horror stores about park in wooster, though

 

It was actually with their service department. I took my car in for the lack of power recall at 8:30 am on Wednesday. Come 4 pm I still haven't heard anything from them. So I of course call to ask wtf is going on. Some Lady responds and says to me, I'll have the guy who is working with you call back. At 5:45 pm I FINALLY get a call back from their service department with them telling me their voiding my warranty, not covering the recall and have a whole host of problems that need to be fixed. They also say they aren't touching it until they hear from Mazda. So I tell them I'm picking my car up since I need to, you know, drive to work on occasion, and they tell me they close in 15 minutes.

So after getting the guy to leave my key on the back tire, I go and pick the car up. I then don't hear anything for 3 days. Then I finally get a call back 15 minutes before closing yesterday. At this point I just want to know what the hell was actually done to my car and to never deal with these idiots again. Of course when I ask what was done, the only thing this guy will tell me is, I'm not really sure and, I'll have to ask my tech when he gets in on Monday.

Interestingly, whatever they actually did do to my car (which I assume was the recall) has put my car back in spec for it's vacuum readings. Of course, I have no way of knowing what was done, and since I wash my hands of them, I doubt I will find out.

 

Interestingly enough when I had my 8 in there (park akron) for an oil change, they tried to do the lack of power recall and their device couldn't communicate with my car. I never ended up taking it back in before i traded it.

I guess I have only dealt with their service twice, once for an oil change and the other for a replacement keyfob for my wifes new 6. I havent had any major complaints

 

So Bryan, you ever get the new exhaust on?

 

Yep, got the exhaust on. That one bolt went back in without a problem, snugged it down and no exhaust leak. I was VERY shocked to say the least, especially after all the trouble we had getting it out. Thanks for your help again with that.

That being said, the Borla with the AP DA pipe doesn't sound that bad at all. It has a somewhat muted tone to it, almost kinda like an AP catback but you need to pop your ears. Jon and I were both standing around thinking the same thing. Surprisingly it doesn't have that bad of a drone at cruising speeds (70-75mph) I was quite shocked about that.

 

Anyone ever figure out how to submit a feedback score for a thread NOT in the Buy/Sell/Trade forum? I know John asked the question in another part of the forum but he never got a response....

 

How did the install go this weekend?
Ryan, is your car looking more stock now? Friends of mine saw a green/bluish RX8 around the airport on friday after dropping me off. Thought it could maybe be you, or Tom. Said it had upgraded brakes.... which, I assume meant either slotted rotors or painted calipers.


Anyway, Danc, it sounds like your dealership experience is like mine was at Wooster. You'll pay for the diagnostics, and someone maybe did something to your car, but you don't know what.

Sucks about the warranty though, like you go in for service and they're like "we don't know what is wrong, but we know you and your mods caused it"

 

Steve: All in all the install/teardown went well. Except for a few minor things which is almost expected. Coils are swapped, exhaust is swapped, rear bar is swapped, springs and dampers are off waiting to go on your car wednesday. The Steve Tool™ was used a few times too!

And I doubt it was Ryan by the airport, kinda hard to drive a car without a suspension on it. :P

 

True... i didn't know exactly when it all was going down. How do you like everything so far? Sways + exhaust mostly...

Ryan: You better bring your "Steve Tool" as I don't have one.

TJ: get your midpipe on yet? School starts soon. . .

 

Yup...was Tom...caught up to him as he went to Great Nothing. :P Your friends should have seen me as well as I blew by.

 

Grey just doesn't stand out I guess... maybe you should polish your exhaust tips...again.

 

I have a Steve Tool™ that I can bring.

As far as the parts on my car, the only thing I have on as of right now is the strut tower brace and the Borla. I really like the way the Borla made the car sound I am hopefully going to get around to putting the coils on sometime this week if I can squeek some time in between my engine build and your's/Ryan's car on Wednesday. If not, they go on this weekend.

The front sway is still on Ryan's car, we had a little issue trying to wiggle it out, so we are just going to re-attack it with a fresh start on Wednesday after we do your car. I have the rear bar, but I didn't want to put it on without the front (can you say a LOT more oversteer )

 

Glad the infamous Borla drone didn't rear its head. And it was always a quieter exhaust than the AP from inside the car so I'm not too surprise that it mutes some of the sounds you had been hearing.

Here's the DIY instructions for removing the front sway. I don't believe you have to take off any braces. Just the plastic undertray and the 'lower radiator brackets' although I have no idea what those are (post 30):

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ght=front+sway

Since there's people saying it took them 10+ hours to get it off throught the maze I vote we take my undertray/brackets off.

 

Yep, she sounds sooooo good right now. I am very happy with the exhaust.


I remember reading that a week or two ago, hoping for a slightly better writeup. Either way, I'm definately in agreeance with you. I'd rather spend 30 extra minutes taking parts off then multiple hours trying to wiggle the bar out and the new one in.

It should only take up about 30 minutes to button up the suspension so we'll have plenty of time.

 

Sounds like the basic steps that Jon went through when putting on the radiator screen for my car. I don't know what pulling the lower radiator bolts is going to do for you though as it really doesn't move with those bolts off.

 

I normally don't post anything, let alone a "I saw you", but given the subtle humor of the situation....

Akron - Your VR at the intersection with my VR, at the intersection of Sand Run and Sand Run. I believe we were at the nexus of the universe. Who ever it was, I live 1 mi from there and hit up both Swenson's frequently. Let me know if you want to meet up.

Shinka Rex: Were you able to use the ODBII scanner to find the error codes? I guess it poured pretty good in Hudson after I dropped it off outside your place, so if it got waterlogged dont worry about it. I'm the idiot that shoulda put it on your back porch. I'm still able to help you out with the brakes or your new toys. Just let me know.

Had to renew my plates today, splurged and went vanity "RX N8"

 

That would be me!
I was at the pet store on 18 purchasing a feeder rat.
The storm knocked out the lights on Smith Rd and there was an accident at Smith & Ghent.
Tried to cut across Sand Run Parkway to reach North Portage Path, but that part of Sand Run was blocked off.
So I had to turn towards 18.
Our group is always meeting for dinner or installations, so feel free to come along anytime.