TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

I'd Just like to keep a record of what modifications have been done to my vehicle... That way people can see what I have done and comment on my ride, as well as get ideas to do for their vehicles (if not help me out as well). Anyway, here it goes. I'll try to explain each modification that I do to help you out and understand what I have done.


Here is my ride as it currently sits with modifications...





[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/F6D2990B00124F57AAA4FDC1998B2BC4.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Here is the current setup of my ride divided into sections...

Audio Modifications
[ul][*] 6 Disc CD Changer (Additional)[/ul]

Engine / Exhaust Modifications
[ul][*] Injen SES Exhaust[*] Injen v6 CAI w/ Hydroshield[*] K&N Performance Gold Oil Filter[*] Kartboy Hangers (w/ Atomic Fireball Candy! [sm=icon_flaming.gif])[*] Fumoto Valve ( F107N model)[*] NRG Carbon Fiber Hood Dampers

[/ul]

Exterior Modifications
[ul][*] Clear Chrome Euro Tail Lights[*] Clear Side Markers[*] Custom 1/4" Mesh Grille (Removed)[*] Debadged "V6" and "Mazda6" emblems[*] G2 Red Painted Brake Calipers[*] I-Series Stubby Antenna[*] Mr. Grille Sport Billet[*] Removed Door Guards[*] Sharkfin Antenna (body color)[*] 35% Window Tint (excluding front WS)
[/ul]

Interior Modifications
[ul][*] Lotek 3-Slotted GaugePod (black)[*] Tinted 7 Color Air/Fuel Gauge[*] Tinted 7 Color Oil Pressure Gauge[*] Tinted 7 Color Oil Temp Gauge[*] Tinted 7 Color Volt Gauge
[/ul]

Lighting Modifications
[ul][*] Brake Light Modification (5 Lights)[*] Euro Designz Red LED Lighting (two sets)[*] Five Red Pilot PL-SW12R Switches
[/ul]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Here is a picture of my NRG Carbon Fiber Hood damper... I say this was a good investment for the mere fact that i can lift the hood up and not have to prop it up with that stock rod that would scratch the hole area in the engine compartment. Not only does this add style, but it is much easier to keep the hood up too with less effort! [sm=smiley20.gif]

The install time i was looking at was about 15 minutes... That included taking off the original hood stick and then removing lower bolts on upper hood to make place for the damper. Very quick install, I just made sure everything was perfect. I even painted the bronze colored bolts to my car color paint just so they wouldn't stand out as much!


[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/07366E86640449E2B887212447FD6C14.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

The Brake Light Modification was fairly easy, hardest part was feeding the wire around my trunk from the outer lights and make it look nice! Install took about 20 minutes to make everything perfect. I zip-tied everything as well as used electrical tape to hold wires together for a clean install. There are plenty of writeups of how to do this mod on the internet. It's very easy, you just patch into the back left light... if you look at the back of the housing, you will notice there is a slot that isn't filled at all by wiring. So i just simply used a 14 gauge wire, and then put it into the inner two lights to make them all light up at the same time. Very easy, nothing to it really! ;)

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/7A4AFC447F80427DA94E79A5A9C34EAF.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

and onto the Mr. Grille Sport Billet. This wasn't the easiest to slap onto my car. I made this a big adventure because you have to bolt it up to your stock mesh grille. First of all, the bolts/screws that came with the kit were ridiculously short so i had to go into my garage and find some screws long enough to pop out the back of the mesh grille from the aftermarket piece. That wasn't a bad problem. I then had to make sure everything was lined up before i bolted, can't have a bad looking car.... ya know? I used zip-ties to hold the center piece on as that was all you could really do to hold it on. For the side areas where foglights would be, I cut out huge holes in the centers to allow for air flow to my CAI as well as to get a wind flow to the engine bay to keep my ride cool. The approximate time this took was about 1.5 hours to get this perfect! I think this was worth the time and effort, and it won't bend up like my damn mesh i had before with high winds! [:'(]

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/FB408994571B4C3184829273C219D453.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/B799B4DACD65431EAF08972F8010FB6F.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

I'm currently waiting on the incoming exhaust and exhaust hangers... time goes by so slow when you want something soo bad! Guess i'll be working on my interior lighting along with custom box for my rocker switches in the mean time. Lemme know what yinz all think so far...

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Wow your car rocks. You've done alot to it. If you ever want me to photoshop a mod on it I can give it a go too.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Love the mods wish I had are car with so much aviliable for it.

Very nice I always enjoying checking what you have done to your car so far man keep it up.!

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

I copyrighted the "progress page" thing, you own me 6 trillion dollars, no really thanx for showing me up with all your cool mods i cant afford:(

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Thanks for the compliment! I'll definitely let you know if I need a photoshopped picture. Right now I am working on the nitty-gritty things that you mostly won't see. But if you want to give it a shot, I would like to tint my windows! ;) I don't want to go really dark... maybe 35%.

Why thanks! I'll try to keep the modifications coming as well as I can! As school approaches in a few weeks, I'm going to have less time and less money as I have cut my hours back at work so that I can manage 18 credits of major classes this semester. I could be hurting after this year! [:'(]

ah damnit, there goes my money supply. Tracker, you're getting some pretty damn nice things on your car. And soon enough, I will be broke and trying to work on scrummaging up money to slap into my car. Thank god for birthday money coming up!

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

I think my next little mod is going to be taking these damn Door-Dinger Guards off. I dunno how much I am going to regret that yet, but I think it's going to make the car have a much cleaner look! :D I'll most likely remove the v6 badges on the side of my car as well. I Pointed out what I am talking about in the picture below. This is a very cheap mod... it's free if you have a little elbow grease and some goo-gone!

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/A1F2F945376E4355854F61F9E1BBC8B5.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

So I kept thinking about doing this and I finally forced myself to do the Debadging Process as well as Door Guards. I did everything except for the flying M symbols on the front and rear. The "V6" and "Mazda6" symbols are gone! Vanish! I left my vehicle sit outside in the 95 degree weather today for about an hour, then I took a thermometer and placed it on the outside of my car (whopping 107 degrees). That was perfect for using a little fishing line to start taking things off! All symbols / door guards were only held on by glue! and it easily came off because of the heat. I used a new product which you will see in the lower pictures I have taken that is amazing! highly recommended. This process, which included debadging, taking off door guards, and then using this new product as well as getting a brushless car wash only took a little over 1 hour.

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/C52A32DFAFC94A5FA28664E401C7D3C2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/52BD2B7E34EF402BAFF4A89B3BEC551A.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

It does make the car look alot cleaner. I can also do tint jobs easy. I'm not going to touch the windshield because it is more ilegal than tinting, but later if you specify I can do it.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

You might wanna try "© or ®" next time!:D

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

http://i5.tinypic.com/21njdxg.jpg that's with a 35% transparent black filter.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

wow man, that looks pretty good. if i can get a note from my eye doctor saying i'm allergic to the sun to a point, i might even go darker because it would be legal then! but wow, that makes the car look pretty nice! thanks! and i like what you added to the lower right corner of the pic!

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Hey Gray! What up? I was wondering about the K&N Performance Gold Oil Filter you got...... How much did it run you and where can i get it? I also got my 6 debadged... i hated the mazda 6 emblem in the back and now people know it's me without it :D

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

yeah it's liek a dual logo. Also sorry about the driver's side of the car, I had to use the blur tool because my comp was going screwy and everytime I kept selectine the window area I had hilghted it made it smaller so the tint was off of the window a few inches so I just blurred it, I worked the problem out by the time I got to the passenger side I just didn't feel like fixing my mistake.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Costs 15 bucks off the pracing.com website under the mazda6 section. Very good investment if you want high performance oil filtration. You can't tell the difference yourself, but you know that you feel safer with it.

87turbo, that's alright... it was pretty damn good anyway! I liked what it could look like if I were to do that to my car. So I was sitting outside of a restaurant yesterday, got lucky and sat in a booth where I could see my vehicle from the inside. I watched this group of guys (prob. mid twenties) just staring at my car and doing a walk around. Hopefully that was a good thing as they seemed to like what i've done thus far. That just about made my day since I only debadged it yesterday morning and got checked on only about 3 hours later by those guys. hah, the one guy scratched his head probably because there was no badges on it but the mazda flying M.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

it is a good looking car. The tint would really set it off.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

got my K4RT3OY Hangers in the mail today, as well as a Decal that I may stick on my toolbox. Also, I got the traditional Atomic Fireball candy that came in the package. I don't exactly know the meaning of this, but I'm hoping it is a goodluck charm! ;) Anyone know the real significance behind it or no?

And incase anyone is wondering, if you have a Mazda6 3.0L and you are investing in exhaust hangers... you absolutely need to get three 12T hangers and two 12MM hangers so the exhaust does not bang in any direction at all! That's just an absolute MUST! just fyi. had to clarify that for anyone if they see this post. sometimes you'll get three 12MM and two 12T sizes and that just doesn't properly support the system at all. Experience has its value [sm=exactly.gif]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

I must say that I am spoiling my car pretty extremely lately. I just ordered a Fumoto Valve for easy oil drainage that is less messy (oil won't splash all over the car now!!! My baby deserves nothing but the best. Also, the bolt that originally is there will be 100% removed thus not allow for the bolt to be stripped into the oil reserve! What a great invention. Flick of a handle upwards and to the right, and the oil magically drains with ease! Figured I'd do this since I have to drain my oil anyway for my gauges in a week or so. Great investment, highly recommended! But it floats around at a price of $25-30 depending on your vehicle.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Like 15 or 20 years from now someone is going to be looking at an old Mazda6 and if they ever come across yours they will be so lucky.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

im still waiting on the money you owe me, i like the way your car is comming along not ony you but everybody else here cant wait to see the end result, if you want i can take pics of other 6's that have been hooked up to give you ideas. Oh and dont forget to list the sites you baught your products from, so you can help us out.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

I'll have to scrummage up a compilation of the sites... maybe tomorrow before i head to work. I've done alot of research before I do something to my car because it's better to do it right the first time, that way you won't end up coming back and doing the damn thing over again in frustration.

Tracker, if you could take a few pictures for me... that would be awesome! I'm always looking for new ideas to see what I can do as the results can be endless in today's society!

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

no problem there is only two i can think of finding, but im taking a great risk for you, so you better be happy with that i get

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

i appreciate it! they are not friendly as they are opposing car team in your area?

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

its not that....its just....i dont have a licence anymore, so im risking getting arrested for ya, but your my bro so im gonna help you out

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

you are way too generous sir...

I just found my next modification that I'm going to do.

-----> Xtec DDE Lightning: Raptor Edition for Mazda 6

(2) large bulbs for high beams
(2) smaller bulbs for low beams
(2) DDE inverters
(1) complete wiring harness with relay
(1) packet of accessories, including wire ties, double-sided tape, and extra connectors
LIFETIME WARRANTY ON ALL PARTS!

here's a ride that has these sick headlights installed... not to mention some damn nice wheels!

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/7A5798F0E56D4935BE702A6C7359E8E1.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

those headlights look sick, and those rims are a must steal, uh buy i said buy not steal

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

haha. I love BBS style wheels but they are so pricey. And hard to clean.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Maybe this one would be okay to steal since we are tight on money? eh? :eek:[&o]

I do agree with you about the price, but the cleaning isn't so bad because it hides a good bit of brake dust compared to my wheels.


Here's a picture of the wheels that I would really like to get... 5zigens! Just like the BBS basically! This guy is from Florida and he helps me out with my car if I have a question or vice versa since we seem to be doing the same modifications to our vehicles over time.

[IMG]local://upfiles/1541/11C1FE8F9C0B4ED2BE79358BE156E191.jpg[/IMG]

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

yeah 5Zigens always has the best of any type of 5-spoke. BBS is the wire wheels of the 90s and up. Weather or not they hide much dust, cleaning them is still a hassle.
Good luck on getting what you want I'd love to ysee what you car will look like in a year, then 2 years, then three etc. You seem to love it and that is the kind of spirit that brings up car freaks together.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

is that Black Magicks car?

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

yes indeedy it is... right now we are in the process of helping me wire up my gauges and make 'em work nicely!

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

Alright, as of this morning I have entirely removed the stock exhaust and stock exhaust hangers. I then proceeded to move onto putting the Injen SES Exhaust with the Kartboy hangers and wow, sounds deep and throaty! Also, the shift lag is virtually gone now that the exhaust is there to help out! Now I'm a master when it comes to getting things done quickly, but effectively as well as proficiently... so I used a can of wd-40 on the hangers to slip off the old exhaust as well as the hangers themselves once the exhaust was dropped. When I went to put on the Kartboy hangers, i just sprayed a little more wd-40 on the new ones and they slipped right on! I played around with the positioning a good bit (10 minutes) until I deemed it was perfect. My advice is to start the install from the mufflers because if you don't, good luck trying to get the rest of the exhaust on... it's very firm! Those exhaust hangers were amazing... very stirdy, show no give (up or down). I would highly recommend this setup. A picture will follow when I get a little time this week... wish I could get an exhaust video clip but I have no device that can do that! [:@] Also, just to add... when I was taking off the stock exhaust hangers, I used a rubber mallet to bat the damn things off... one hit and it was off with that wd-40 on them!

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

the new exhaust sounds awesome...these projects are always a good time. im looking forward to the pictures...enjoi!

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

ok TGM6 i was finally able to catch the guy at his house and here is the first nice 6 around my area....dan i gotta remember to take the date and time stamp off next time

His wife drives the nice xA
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_466_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_467_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_468_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_469_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_470_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_471_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_472_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_473_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_474_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...2_475_full.jpg

Thats just one of two

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

thart guy has alot of crap in his passenger footwell, it's a pretty neat car. I see some nice things and some not so nice htings but it's deffinately an idea builder. I like the tails.

RE: TGM_6's Ride in Progress...
 

let me guess the thing you dont like is the Kicker sticker