RJayX-8

Has anyone made any purchases for a company called DNA Motoring, an 8 came into the mazda shop the other day and it had a few mods springs, and some outher suspension parts from them, and i looked them up and called and they have a alot of good quality parts for a amazingly low price and even have a ebay store. did more asking around and a friend of mine has a homeboy that has an audi and he gets his parts from there. i'm thinking bout getting a few things and see how they work out i mean for the prices they list on their web site and on ebay cant really knock it.

Bleazi

haha, nah i didnt see you, I usually stop by there though to see if anyones hanging out. I'm always out and about in Bel Air every night so idk, I think i know you're friend with the red mazda 3 we exchanged fist pumps at the intersection before mazda heritage haha.

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

Any of the Bel air owners wanna make a mini meet up sometime soon?

Grog

iTrader: (5)

I'm definitely up for it. My biggest problem is my tight schedule. I'm pretty much busy every day until 7:30 PM. I'm off school and off work on Sundays, though.

Also, does anyone in the Bel Air area know of a reputable place to have my clutch worked on? I may need to replace it, but first I'd like to try adjusting it. A friend of mine got his work done at a place called United Auto Center, but if anyone knows of a better place then please let me know.

04MT_JAC

oh really i have two friends with red speed3s so who knows which one it was

Bleazi

I'd be down, my car needs an extreme bath though. **** the winter!

Salamanth

Believe it or not, Heritage Mazda. Talk to Rotr8, he can guide you to the people to ask for. Heath is a good guy, definitely. Some of them, though, you definitely don't want

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

^^^ yup. Heath pretty much has either fixed or installed just about every mechanical piece on my car, he's the only one that works on my car up there and he's awesome. The service managers even let the car sit if he calls out sick or something.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Hey, are you the same guy I met up at Harford Mall last month, with the yellow 8? If so, thanks again for the dash pic you sent me! I'm still buying all the parts I need for the dash upgrade. I was also thinking of doing gauges in the ashtray area, but I've never done an install like that before.

Anyone in the Baltimore area willing to help out with a doube-din radio install and maybe a gauge install as well? I've had the radio out before, so that shouldn't be a problem, but when it comes to the wiring, I'm a little hesitant.

I just priced the install at Audio Connection in Towson, and they want about $650 for everything! I told them I could do all the prep work first to save some money, but they won't "allow" me to bring it in like that. Screw that! If anyone around here has some experience installing these things and can help out, please PLEASE let me know!

By the way Greg, I'd be down for a meet in Bel Air if something comes together.

Grog

iTrader: (5)

Heritage Mazda in Bel Air? That's where I got my 8 from!

I never would have guessed to get a new clutch installed there. Would this Heath person have any problem installing a clutch that isn't OEM? I'm going with either an Exedy stage 1 or stage 2 (Can't decide whether or not the stage 2 is even worth it...)

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

Heath can install anything. Its just a matter if your willing to pay the typical shop hourly rate($90), pulling a tranny is alotta work, I would suggest that you get several things done at one time to try and cut on labor. Will probably cost you a whole day's labor being in the shop.
Personally IMHO unless you need a new one you dont need an aftermarket clutch.
I went six years and several track events without needing a new one, about 86K miles. I thought it would have been neat to install a nicer one on my new engine(yes the clutch outlasted the engine) so I went with an ACT ceramic six puck sprung stg III and that was a hella-mistake. That thing lasted about 5K and from I later found out on a street DD thats alot. I now have an Exedy stgII and its very drivable and very comfortable DD a car that has almost twice the power yours does.

Grog

iTrader: (5)

Well I'm willing to pay inbetween $500-600 for an install and I'd be putting out another 300 or so for the clutch kit. Heritage Mazda is only a couple of minutes away from me so I'll try to drive down there some time during this week to talk to Heath.

and maybe I'm misunderstanding the way clutches work. The main reason I am considering going for a stage 2 clutch is because I was under the impression that a stage 2 can handle more abuse than a stage 1, but then again the Exedy stage 1 says its a "heavy duty" clutch so I dunno. I kind of drive like an ******* so I want to make sure I'm getting a clutch that can at least handle some abuse

RJayX-8

I installed a double din n my 8, make sure u get the install kit from corksmotor sport. Removing the radio is nothing its wiring up the a/c controls and digital display that is the challenge and fitting the model in the dash wit the head unit.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, that's the part that I'm most unsure about. I'd rather have someone guiding me through it than going at it by myself the first time I do something like this. I just can't see paying $650 in labor alone. I also got a quote from Best Buy, just for the hell of it. They quoted about $250, but said there could be more charges depending on how much "extra" work there is. And by that, they mean there WILL be extra charges since this install is a little more involved than a standard radio install.

RJay: I know of Corksport, but I'm not familiar with Corksmotor Sport. I looked it up but couldn't find anything as far as an online store. What's the difference with their kit from all the other vendors?

wankelbolt

iTrader: (21)

Frankly I wouldn't let any of those monkeys touch my car unless I knew them personally. Butt connectors, lots of black tape, not their car, minimum wage, and they are going to hide the wiring so they don't care how crappy a job they do.

Don't get the Corksport kit, IMHO. Overpriced (way) and fitment is not great. The Metra kit is a much better piece and takes care of the AC and digital display. Costs under $200 and available in gloss black or textured finish like the dash. There's a whole thread on the Metra.

wankelbolt

iTrader: (21)

Why are you abusing your clutch? You can drive very aggressively ("like an *******") and not abuse your clutch. I track the snot out of mine and drive way too fast way too often, full-throttle red line twice a day, every day, and I expect my clutch to last beyond 100,000 miles. Abuse your tires, abuse your brakes, waste gas, but there is no reason to abuse the clutch if you know how to drive a stick.

Unless you are pushing serious HP from boost, or drag racing every weekend, you don't need anything more than the stock clutch. It should last the life of the car.

Tires, on the other hand, don't last me 10,000 miles.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

No, I wasn't going to let Best Buy install it. I was just curious how much they'd charge compared to Audio Connection. At least with AC, you'll get a quality job.

I'm definitely going for the Metra kit over the Corksport. I thought RJay was referencing another vendor besides Corksport though. The only thing that kit has going for it over the Metra is the paint job. Seems like it matches the stock dash a little better.

Emzloh

All december RoFo on Belair RD in Belair had $5 any car wash, which saves you $0.20 off every gallon of gas. Car was doesn't do an amazing job, but now that it's $12 for one i still buy them when I get gas. I can't stand the car being groty.

Also, I am often in the belair area. I would love to meet up with anyone. I drive a silver 2004 and my girlfriend drives a blue 2008 R32 with a black hood(so freak her out and wave like mad at her if you see her) . My car is pretty much stock everything, but I want to start doing some stuff in the spring/summer.

Speaking of aftermarket upgrades, when I bought the car, it came with a K&N intake. Not sure if I should install it because I hear a lot of intakes don't net you anything other than some added noise.

Oh and if you guys are looking for a reputable installer, check out No Limit. They started as a rim company but have highly skilled techs. I am not sure about their pricing, but they were the only ones who were not only willing to install a remote starter on my girlfriend's R32, but did a very good job. Plus they do all of the blinging of the Baltimore Ravens' vehichles, ran into Ray Rice last time I was in there.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Thanks! I forgot about No Limit up in Fallston. I'll give them a call and see what they say!

Still trying to find an RX-8 owner that could help me out with this though...

Emzloh

I didn't know they were in falston. The one I am referring to is on Belair Rd in Rosedale (baltimore city).

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

I may have been thinking of another place in Harford County. Now that I think about it, I've passed that place in Rosedale that you're talking about. Do they do electronic work too?

Grog

iTrader: (5)

I went and talked to the "boss" of the service branch over at Heritage Mazda. I told him my issue and how I only wanted this "Heath" person to work on my car, and he said "Oh... Greg must have told you about us", hahaha.

Anyway I'm most likely going to have Heath do the work on my clutch. I am confused as to why it is more expensive to have an OEM clutch replaced than it is for me to just go out and buy an Exedy Stage 1. The boss guy also said that aftermarket clutches are iffy and that I shouldn't be cheap about it (I told him the Exedy Stage 1 was only $300)

Is there anyone that would advice against me going with the Exedy stage 1? It seems like a good clutch and lots of people have it

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

The Exedy stage 1 is an extremely popular clutch around here, and it's the one I was going to go with if I upgraded. If you buy yours from Ray at BHR, he will include a heavy-duty release bearing which is MUCH better than the Koyo bearing that Exedy includes in their kit. He'll also include the pilot seal, which for some reason Exedy does not include. Last time I checked, his price was $386.25.

Bleazi

Hey man i was looking around for you on here, yeah thats me! Have you tried Absolute Audio on Bel air Pike? I just had them fix a wiring problem with my headunit and put in about 8 speakers. They'll give u a good deal and a lot of nice people up there.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

I have not called them, but I will now, thanks! What kind of problem did you have with your headunit? Any other issues with your dash controls with that kit?