konradk

Ok, so being the cheap bastard that i am, I got together the OEM Aero kit (Air dam, side flares, rear flares) from a couple friendly 8Club members. Sadly, as with all 2nd hand aero kits, i am missing 99% of the hardware.

I've searched around the forum, and the Google-nets, and all i could come up with was that everyone else has the same problem: 75% of the necessary hardware is not available at the Mazda parts counter. And the few bits that ARE, go for $90, and must be ordered.

Has anyone managed to self-install the aero kit without the necessary hardware???

I am in need of parts or HDM ("Home Depot Manufacture" ) alternatives for the following:

FRONT AIR DAM:
6 flange nuts
1 clip nut

im prepared to drag the entire dam to home depot and just test fit some nuts (hehe), but if anyone has the threadsize, beer's on me!

REAR AERO FLARES:
2 Crocodile Clips
2 Clip nuts
2 Bolts

SIDE AERO FLARES (this one's teh b1tch)

i am missing EVERYTHING except the white clips:

2 Nuts
2 Screws
4 black clips (which MAY be the clips in the stoneguard, please advise!)
2 Rivets
4 "Protectors" (little rubber washer things?)
2 hole covers (again, stoneguard clips to the rescue?)

I'm not gonna bother with the drilling, as i have no templates, but if anyone has those, ill take em, too!


These PDF Files are my ref for the missing pieces. Any advice, help, spare parts, or personal testimonials of successful self-installs are appreciated!

Side Flare
Rear Flare
Air Dam

lesper4

iTrader: (3)

when i installed my front air damn i had to butcher the black plastic piece that came off to stretch between the undertry and the lip, there is a special lip when you get that part from the dealer that was missing.

lesper4

iTrader: (3)

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-exterior-appearance-body-kits-27/help-front-apperance-lip-89221/
in other words you can install the front air damn as long as you keep all the parts you take off. see my link.

konradk

sunnovabitch! Just when i thought all my problems were on the table in front of me, i get told about stuff like this! Thanks, Lesper. Much appreciated! I'm itching closer and closer to just having the dealership install the package, but its really something i wanna do myself.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

Rosenthal Mazda has most of the instructions posted on their website in PDF format, it usually lists those part numbers, you can then order them from any Mazda parts source

konradk

Thanks! I ended up contacting Rosenthal yesterday to find these parts. My local dealership listed the majority of these parts as discontinued, but Rosenthal had everything save for a screw and a protector (guess you dont really need a protector if you're not getting a screw, right? )


So for anyone else going through these issues, with similarly useless local parts shops, Rosenthal is your man!

WreakLoosE

sorry to rain on your party.. buuuut your gonna have to drill the holes and and the proper hardware for that part. I have tried to just use the double sided tape, the bottom clips, and end screw. DONT WORK after a few washes and a hot day or two the tape will start to pill.. The side aero flares tend to pull downward from the bottom clips and this will pull the tape off.. I just had to buckle down and drill the holes... I did have the template but you can do the same thing with some paper markers and sissors.. Its not too hard to mark off the drill holes..

konradk

suX0rz i've read about a few ppl rolling for close to a year with no drilling. thanks for the warning! at least i'll approach the sideflares with that as a necessity now. we'll try to make custom templates then. if not, this part'll be saved for a qualified body shop.

Has anyone had the dealership install the Appearance Package after the point of sale? In Roseville they wanted a cool $600 for the whole thing + Rotary accents. I dont see how thats possible. There's not that much work to it. At least not for a pro shop.

konradk

It.. is DONE!









After a few precious hours of work, my 2nd hand Aero Package is fully installed. The front and rear bumpers took maybe 45 minutes each. Not a lot of work AT ALL. The pre-marked drill holes were a cinch, removing and replacing the bumpers was no problem at all.

The side flares were a different issue. we marked off the drill holes as best as we could, but there was clearly a misjudgement on my part when fitting the driver side flare. the passenger side came out near flawless tho.



I was afraid that Rosenthall didnt have all the necessary hardware, but in fact, the parts the WERE missing were either easily purchased (a metric bolt, rubber protectors), or already on the car (the black rivet, ALL of the hole plugs/black clips). I didnt need any kind of splash guard for under the front air dam, as posted above. The stock underbody fastened to it perfectly. No gaps or anything.

We were thinking of redoing the sideflares, but i may end up taking those to a body shop. Just to get it done right.

In case this isnt readily fixable, does anyone know if the mazdaspeed side skirts use the side areoflare holes? I dont see why they would, but i have no idea how those mount. Rosenthall had the pdf on the Mazdaspeed parts, but it appears they have been taken down along with all the other instructions

BluMonstrRX8

I miss the way my car used to look like....THIS!!!!

Looks good