What have you done to your 3rd Gen today?
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 837
From: Rockland, Maryville
Spam Czar!!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,315
From: Cedar Falls, Iowa
^ Definitely a true statement!! My grandpa imported his Benz when he came here from Bosnia and we have to run 91 octane in it otherwise it throws a fit. Great freakin car .. 1978 280SE with only 60K miles on it. I should take pics of it sometime.
Thread Starter
Tech/How-To/Northeast Mod
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,517
From: Rochester, New York
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 65
From: N. Georgia
Ok guys, I need help and you guys are my first line of defense. I have my Spicy Orange and the white leather on the steering wheel is getting worn (bc I bought it used anyhow). In your expert opinions, would it be more beneficial to buy an OG wheel from Mazda or get an aftermarket wheel?
Also, the center caps on the Racing Hart wheels, how difficult are they to replace (cost and availability)?
Lastly, I was told that an intake system is pretty much useless on a turbo car. Was I misinformed?
Also, the center caps on the Racing Hart wheels, how difficult are they to replace (cost and availability)?
Lastly, I was told that an intake system is pretty much useless on a turbo car. Was I misinformed?
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 65
From: N. Georgia
sorry to double post, I asked this on the "Dead 
" forum as well...
how do I make my signature picture bigger and get it past the website mods?
It's a cool pic of My car, my bro's car, and my buddy Will's car right before we raced them at the Commerce Dragstrip in Commerce, GA.
" forum as well...how do I make my signature picture bigger and get it past the website mods?
It's a cool pic of My car, my bro's car, and my buddy Will's car right before we raced them at the Commerce Dragstrip in Commerce, GA.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,332
From: Edmonton, Canada
An intake is far from useless on a turbo, in fact, the gain will be bigger on a turbo'd car than on an NA car.
That turbo is hungry for air, give it all it can get!
Oh, and your other question has been answered on the other topic
That turbo is hungry for air, give it all it can get!
Oh, and your other question has been answered on the other topic
Thread Starter
Tech/How-To/Northeast Mod
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,517
From: Rochester, New York
Ok guys, I need help and you guys are my first line of defense. I have my Spicy Orange and the white leather on the steering wheel is getting worn (bc I bought it used anyhow). In your expert opinions, would it be more beneficial to buy an OG wheel from Mazda or get an aftermarket wheel?
Also, the center caps on the Racing Hart wheels, how difficult are they to replace (cost and availability)?
Lastly, I was told that an intake system is pretty much useless on a turbo car. Was I misinformed?
Also, the center caps on the Racing Hart wheels, how difficult are they to replace (cost and availability)?
Lastly, I was told that an intake system is pretty much useless on a turbo car. Was I misinformed?
You could get a Protege5 steering wheel (drock.. might have one he isn't using?) and just have all black leather, or get one of the Miata ones, which vary from all black, to all black with really nice red stitching, to black / bright blue leather, and a few others. There's even a wood one!
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 75
From: Atlanta, GA
If you were going to buy a new wheel, I'd get the real Nardi Torino wheel (see the post above yours where drock installed one in his car) to replace the replica Mazda wheel you have. You can use your same airbag with it and everything. It has much higher quality leather, though it will lack the (I think) orange stitching on your current wheel. The silver dyed/painted/whatever leather on the MSP wheel doesn't last at all. The real nardi torino wheel came on Miatas 99ish through 2005, and also on the Protege MP3. On the MP3, it was black and silver just like on your car, but from what I've seen that silver holds up better.
You could get a Protege5 steering wheel (drock.. might have one he isn't using?) and just have all black leather, or get one of the Miata ones, which vary from all black, to all black with really nice red stitching, to black / bright blue leather, and a few others. There's even a wood one!
You could get a Protege5 steering wheel (drock.. might have one he isn't using?) and just have all black leather, or get one of the Miata ones, which vary from all black, to all black with really nice red stitching, to black / bright blue leather, and a few others. There's even a wood one!
If you are looking to replace, get a 320mm wheel, tons more fun to drive, I just bought one to put into my 7 and have driven a Miata and another MSP with one, they're a blast.
with the exception of just slapping a filter on the turbo if you have the location to do that. Some guys run just a screen over the inlet, most large HP guys dyno with the filter off. Thats the best airflow, just not safe when on teh street for most of our cars.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 86
From: Baltimore
The center console, steering rack trim, door sills and weather stripping are in already. I'm going to take all the power stuff from the P5 doors and put them in mine, but thats going to take a while. I can't put the door panels on while I still have roll-up windows. So the dash, carpet and door panels will be put in over the winter.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 86
From: Baltimore
If you were going to buy a new wheel, I'd get the real Nardi Torino wheel (see the post above yours where drock installed one in his car) to replace the replica Mazda wheel you have. You can use your same airbag with it and everything. It has much higher quality leather, though it will lack the (I think) orange stitching on your current wheel. The silver dyed/painted/whatever leather on the MSP wheel doesn't last at all. The real nardi torino wheel came on Miatas 99ish through 2005, and also on the Protege MP3. On the MP3, it was black and silver just like on your car, but from what I've seen that silver holds up better.
You could get a Protege5 steering wheel (drock.. might have one he isn't using?) and just have all black leather, or get one of the Miata ones, which vary from all black, to all black with really nice red stitching, to black / bright blue leather, and a few others. There's even a wood one!
You could get a Protege5 steering wheel (drock.. might have one he isn't using?) and just have all black leather, or get one of the Miata ones, which vary from all black, to all black with really nice red stitching, to black / bright blue leather, and a few others. There's even a wood one!
Thread Starter
Tech/How-To/Northeast Mod
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,517
From: Rochester, New York
stock radio?
Maybe it's like mine where the constant 12v power wire just.. gets no power, ever. Checked all the fuses a few times, nothin. It didn't bug me since I needed to wire my head unit directly to the battery since it draws so much power, but yeah.. if I ever wanted to put the stock radio in I'd have to re-run that wire on the harness.
I think it might be the yellow wire on the stock harness.. if you have a multimeter check and make sure there is a wire that gets power even when the car is off.
Maybe it's like mine where the constant 12v power wire just.. gets no power, ever. Checked all the fuses a few times, nothin. It didn't bug me since I needed to wire my head unit directly to the battery since it draws so much power, but yeah.. if I ever wanted to put the stock radio in I'd have to re-run that wire on the harness.
I think it might be the yellow wire on the stock harness.. if you have a multimeter check and make sure there is a wire that gets power even when the car is off.