Hey Guys!
Well this is my first post so i better say this before someone gets a bat out and beats me senseless! I'm from Australia where it is the land of: NO PARTS. I actually have a Ford (dont shoot me) Laser '00 model which funnily enough is actually a mazda 323 '00 model with a different shell. Everything is exactly identical to the mazda 323 even the interior. The only difference is that it has a different body.
Anyway its a stock 1.6L 5sp manual. The only thing ive done to it so far is replace the stock speakers and today I bought a K&N filter for it (which surprisingly they didnt have for the ford laser but they had for hte mazda 323! hurrah! even though they're EXACTLY THE SAME!!!)
So here comes my few questions/pleas
1) dont hurt me cuz i have a ford!!! its acutally a mazda 323 protege trapped in an ford body!!!!
2) what should i do that doesnt involve me buying imported things... did i mention that there's nothing in Australia??? and mazda and ford charge horrendus amounts for any parts.. i.e. the silver dash/power mirrors finish is available in the states for around US$100-120.. in australia its about US$250-300. Its soo rediculous and what sucks even more is that in australia we're right hand drivers not left hand. so taht rules out importing anything from teh states.
I have alright metal working skills, currently im designing/constructing my own tower bars from various imports and such ive seen. im also making my own air scoop (which ill be making a post on later).
I know you're going to say "goto the mazda faq and read up" and im one step ahead of ya! Im really after general opinions of what should and should not be done.
3) Going back to the K&N filter, I installed it today and its all running sweet but what i have done is taken out the part just before the airbox so that the air can be sucked in directly from the air box (see the image below) i just want to know if this is ok and that there are no life threatening dangers with doing this for my car??
If you see at the bottom right of the image you can see the air box just south of that is the open inlet. Is this ok??
And here are some pics of my car just to show that it really is a mazda in the inside. lol..
The engine bay;
Inside my car;
The dash (i just bought the white speedo back off ebay so that'll be in there soon);
Pic of my car in the good old Aussie bush... i mean down the road.... actaully it was taken about 4 hrs inland ( i live on the coast).
Anyway tahts it from me for now... hope you dont mind me lurking around here and asking some questions... its a mazda i swear!!!! half the bloody parts in and on the car say mazda on them!
Cheers guys!
Well this is my first post so i better say this before someone gets a bat out and beats me senseless! I'm from Australia where it is the land of: NO PARTS. I actually have a Ford (dont shoot me) Laser '00 model which funnily enough is actually a mazda 323 '00 model with a different shell. Everything is exactly identical to the mazda 323 even the interior. The only difference is that it has a different body.
Anyway its a stock 1.6L 5sp manual. The only thing ive done to it so far is replace the stock speakers and today I bought a K&N filter for it (which surprisingly they didnt have for the ford laser but they had for hte mazda 323! hurrah! even though they're EXACTLY THE SAME!!!)
So here comes my few questions/pleas
1) dont hurt me cuz i have a ford!!! its acutally a mazda 323 protege trapped in an ford body!!!!
2) what should i do that doesnt involve me buying imported things... did i mention that there's nothing in Australia??? and mazda and ford charge horrendus amounts for any parts.. i.e. the silver dash/power mirrors finish is available in the states for around US$100-120.. in australia its about US$250-300. Its soo rediculous and what sucks even more is that in australia we're right hand drivers not left hand. so taht rules out importing anything from teh states.
I have alright metal working skills, currently im designing/constructing my own tower bars from various imports and such ive seen. im also making my own air scoop (which ill be making a post on later).
I know you're going to say "goto the mazda faq and read up" and im one step ahead of ya! Im really after general opinions of what should and should not be done.
3) Going back to the K&N filter, I installed it today and its all running sweet but what i have done is taken out the part just before the airbox so that the air can be sucked in directly from the air box (see the image below) i just want to know if this is ok and that there are no life threatening dangers with doing this for my car??
If you see at the bottom right of the image you can see the air box just south of that is the open inlet. Is this ok??
And here are some pics of my car just to show that it really is a mazda in the inside. lol..
The engine bay;
Inside my car;
The dash (i just bought the white speedo back off ebay so that'll be in there soon);
Pic of my car in the good old Aussie bush... i mean down the road.... actaully it was taken about 4 hrs inland ( i live on the coast).
Anyway tahts it from me for now... hope you dont mind me lurking around here and asking some questions... its a mazda i swear!!!! half the bloody parts in and on the car say mazda on them!
Cheers guys!
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