Has anyone self-installed anything yet?
 

Just wondering if anyone has installed anything on their own yet. I remember people buying stuff from Trussville and I'd like to know how easy/difficult it was to install. I'm wondering if I should buy the MP3 player from Trussville or have the dealer install that for me. I'm not sure about the shock sensors and if that has anything to do with installation.

I also know a lot of you bought the side strakes and the rotary accents...where they hard to install?

There's another thread about someone installing the MP3 player. And someone installed some front tweeters as well.

Check the "Audio" section.

Re: Has anyone self-installed anything yet?
 

so far I've done fender strakes, clear side indicators, door sills, mp3 player and night lights.

I don't suggest you have the dealer do the mp3. Its easy enough that you can do it yourself but it is involved enough that they are going to charge you a killing

Re: Re: Has anyone self-installed anything yet?
 

pmacwill, can i ask where you got those clear corners and how much?

Re: Re: Has anyone self-installed anything yet?
 

where did u get ur clear corners?

i went ahead and called Trussville - I'm ordering just the MP3 module without the Trim Panel. I got it for $261 total, $252 for the module and $9 for shipping. It's a $17 savings not ordering that trim panel. God knows how much labor would have been, but I guess I'll pay myself and buy the rotary accents!

Re: Has anyone self-installed anything yet?
 

I met Elliotshev at the San Diego RX-8 rally yesterday; he put the strakes on his Velocity Red GT. You gotta take the fender vents off which was kind of a pain, but overall the process was not too hard.

Rotary emblem wheel center caps?
 

To anyone who has installed the rotary emblem wheel center caps --
do they just snap on over the existing wheel center caps? Or is there a more involved procedure for installing them? Thanks in advance for any info.

Just did the Exhaust Finishers today. It's an easy one-man job. Took me about 2 1/2 hours, but I was being extra careful. Mazda's instructions are very good. Just keep track of where each of the fasteners came from. The only tools you need are:

You can do the job with or without ramps. Ramps would make working under the car easier but working inside the trunk more difficult.

Dave

wow...i had no idea you had to remove the entire bumper to put those Exhaust Finshers on...i just figured they snapped in to place or bolted on from the outside...it seems most of the parts you have to remove something to add something, ie. clear corner lights, fender strakes, center caps...

does anyone know the ease of installing the rotary accents? how do those stay one?

You don't remove the entire bumper, just the bumper cover. It looks like it might be possible to do the installation with just the removal of the muffler. I'm not sure if that would be any easier.

Dave

Sorry - I have not had time to do my FAQ on installing the exhaust finishers (soon?) ---

You do NOT have to take the rear panel/skin off !!!

Takes about 15-20 minutes per side to put them on.

The lower corner plastic surround comes off quite easy by a few push-pins, then it slides out.

This is the piece you are removing --

Then position the shield, drill the hole, intall the shield, and put the corner piece back on.

I'd like to see a picture how they look from the back if that's possible.

Thanks.

Exhuast Finishers
 

Mazdatrix
Can you describe how many push pins there are per side, how you got at them to lossen them and if the unit fitted tightly when re-installed? Thanks very much.

Regards,

boowana

I asked trussville today about the "Alarm Shock Sensor Upgrade" and they said Mazda would be shipping them in Sept. Has anyone been able to get one yet?

FAQ / "How-To" : Installation of exhaust finishers

http://www.mazdatrix.com/faqrx8/exhfinish.htm

thank you so much!!!!!

and why in the world is this not the way mazda suggests doing it?

could this way potentially damage the paint?

Revenue enhancement? If it looks difficult, more people will opt for dealer installation.

Mazdatrix:

Thanks for the instructions. It really simplifies the whole installation.

I would also like to thank XK4 who sent me detailed pictures of his installation using the guide that came with the finishers. He hit it right on the head. The instructions almost scared me into having a dealer do it but it is a breeze. Thanks again.:D

Got the RX-8 Scuff Plates installed. Looks nice. :D

Has anybody successfully followed Mazdatrix "shortcut". I have tried but can't get all of the tabs to release :( After an hour of wrangling and losing most of the skin on my right thumb I gave up. Most of the tabs are a snap but for some reason I just can't get the ones on the interior side to release.

Guess I will have to forget the short cut and follow the long instructions :mad:

Still wondering where you got those clear side markers from, those would be seriously cool.

you can get them from Jt-Imports or search for other vendors around here...


i've successfully installed the MP3 player i got from Trussville...you will definitely need a 10mm socket with an extension...the bolt is really far in, but all you need to do is break it loose and you can then turn it by hand...the entire process took me about 45 minutes following instructions found in the Audio forum under MP3 installation...

i am looking for a good price on rotary accents and fender strakes...please let me know if you have a good vendor...i have a wing coming in Monday and installation on Tuesday...hpefully i can post up pics of my done up RX8 by then!

Exhaust finsihers get black?
 

With the talk of the tailpipe getting black- I wondered if the finishers were prone to the same thing? Though it looks great maybe leaving it black will be less maintenace??

I'd love to know...

I too tried to follow the mazdatrix method to do the exhast finishers, but cound not get all the tabs undone. I also did not want to remove as much of the car as the directions show. So I deviated from both methods. I installed them while everything was still on the car. The only tough thing is getting a drill bit long enough and sharp enough to drill the hole without slipping. I marked the hole just as the directions call out, then used a 10 inch 1/4 in drill bit (mine was a wood bit, because it had the sharper tip to hold its position), I put a tap or scribe hole in the middle of my mark, then drilled it with the drill at about a 45 fegree angle from the mark out the front. Start it slow, until it grips, it is very soft and easy to drill through the plastic. Then you put a boxed end wrench on the outside, and get a small ratchet wrench on the inside. Its a blind ratchet position, but plenty of room for your arm up in there. Took me an hour for the first one, 15 minutes for the second one. With practice which I won't have anymore of, I could do the set in 30 minutes. Its non obtrusive, and looks great, and they are tight. There are a number of other ways to drill or cut the hole with the exhaust pipe there, a new safety razor blade is what I used to clean the hole and expand it after drilling, but it would have also been sharp enough and small enough to cut out the complete hole, the plastic is not that thick. Next project, spare tire kit.

I ordered the Alarm Shock Sensor Upgrade, as well as the Moonroof Wind Deflector and the Rear Door Trim Protectors, from Trussville Mazda yesterday, and I received all items via UPS today. It took about an hour to install all 3 accessories.

I just put the cargo net in the trunk. There's another thread somewhere where they say you have to drill to enlarge the holes in your trunk to mount the anchors (tho the instructions do not call for drilling.) I got by with no drilling. Place the anchors (a two-piece assembly which includes tubular mounts to go in the mounting holes plus the plastic anchor.) Keep them as one assembly the way they come in the package. Start them in the trunk mounting holes then tap gently with a hammer until they fully nest in the mounting hole. You'll know when; when they go in, they go all the way all at once. I used a wood block over the plastic anchor to hammer so I wasn't hammering directly on the plastic anchor.

Once they're set in the mounting holes, just twist/screw in by hand until they're firm. The top ones are completely rigid when in place; the bottom ones aren't quite as solid but they're in to stay. Whole thing takes about 5 minutes, not counting looking for a hammer.

i just installed the exhaust finishers and the strakes. pretty easy stuff to do...the instructions that came with the finishers almost got me discouraged. but thanks to Mazdatrix's instructions, i saved some installation costs by the dealer. what was Mazda thinking when it printed those instructions? removing the entire bumper?

in the end, the car looks even more finished now--pun intended--with the strakes and the finishers on. all that is left is the Euro spoiler and the aluminum fuel lid.

thanks again to mazdatrix.


santino

nice! post some pics when you get the chance...do you plan on doing the spoiler yourself?

so far all i've done are the clear corners and the MP3 player...i'm waiting for my Xenon bulbs to arrive and I'll be doing the parking lights, corner lights, and fog lights all in one...

BRx8

if and when the Euro spoiler becomes available, i will probably do it myself. it should come painted, so all i need to do is mount it. same with the fuel lid. i have done most of the work on my 97 miata (roll bar install was the only thing that i did not do--welding!) so putting on accessories on the 8 is not too hard. it just takes a little patience because it is so new and i don't want to make a mistake (ie: the many times i looked at how straight the strakes were before peeling back the adhesive tape).

i am planning on getting the MP3 player as well. did you order it from trussville? the install seems easy enough. how are the controls on it?


take care

santino

santino,

the MP3 player was a sinch to install...i didi get it from Trussville, only a few days after i ordered it! as long as you follow Superfan's pictures you won't have any problems...the only problem i came across was unbolting the unit from under the steering column as i did not have an extender for my socket wrench...

the controls are the same as the stock stereo...i wish i could change folders through the steering wheel but you can't...to change folders, you need to press the disc up or disc down...other than that it works flawlessly...i recommend the MP3 player above the 6-disc as you can fit more MP3's on 1 CD as you can in 6 discs...

that was my thinking as well. thanks for answering my questions, as i was curious to how i would rifle through the folders on an MP3 disk. well, i am sold on the player then.

take care

santino