Just bought my first car - '06 Mazda 3 Sport GT

[taz4432]

So...the title should give you a bit of an intro to my situation. I do have a '69 Chevelle Malibu that I bought with my dad but this is my first daily driver/own car.

About me: 2nd year student studying (mechanical) engineering. Part of my school's Formula SAE team. Love driving, love going fast (who doesn't?) but also enjoy staying alive and in one piece, so you won't find me doing anything (too) stupid on public roads.
I love and have always loved cars but don't have a whole lot of hands-on experience, which is what I really crave.

Also, I'm from Richmond Hill so if there are any fellow 'Richmond Hill-ians' out there let me know.

I've stalked the forums here for quite some time already and can say that you all seem like a genuinely great group of people and I can't wait to get to know you all better. I've been looking for a good month and a half to find the right car at the right price and so without further ado here's a little about the car.

'06 Mazda 3 Sport GT - 109xxxkm

-Winning Blue Mica (correct me if I'm wrong here...Mazda has way too many blues and I don't know which are from which years)
-5 Speed with aftermarket Short-throw shifter
-Custom Exhaust (a little on the noisy side for my liking)
-'Custom' air intake (K&N)
-HID Lights
-Sharkfin Antenna
-Tinted Windows
-No luxury package and unfortunately no sunroof :(

It is a 1-owner car and the previous owner was responsible for all the upgrades.

I'll be picking the car up later this week but in the meantime I was wondering if there were any little quirks I should know and was also wondering if the car has an auxillary input (and if so where is the connector located)? Also, is there a trip computer in the stereo/display or is there just the old-style one on the speedo? I forgot to look for it when I got in but it's not a make or break item anyways.

Looking forward to spending more time here!

[Cardinal Fang]

Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the boards taz. I'm your neighbour (Markham resident). Looks like the car has already been modded. Are you still looking to change it up?

[taz4432]

Thanks Cardinal (is that what you prefer to be called?)! Although the car has been modded a bit I definitely want to do a lot more to it, I just have no money to do so and probably won't for quite some time although I may be able to do the odd minor upgrade. Any low-cost/high-return upgrades that you'd suggest?

Also, a bunch of my spending money goes into my Malibu and it still needs a whole lotta work (mainly bodywork and interior stuff, mechanically it's mostly sound) so I'm always short on change.

[iconicrocket]

Congrats, enjoy your ride.

[iconicrocket]

Thanks Cardinal (is that what you prefer to be called?)! Although the car has been modded a bit I definitely want to do a lot more to it, I just have no money to do so and probably won't for quite some time although I may be able to do the odd minor upgrade. Any low-cost/high-return upgrades that you'd suggest?

Also, a bunch of my spending money goes into my Malibu and it still needs a whole lotta work (mainly bodywork and interior stuff, mechanically it's mostly sound) so I'm always short on change.

IIRC he wants to be called either Cardi, Fang, or "Your Eminence", and Deepthroat Emma at night.

[aris]

Congrates and welcome to TM3

[Cardinal Fang]

IIRC he wants to be called either Cardi, Fang, or "Your Eminence", and Deepthroat Emma at night.

*Punches iconicrocket in the nads*

Your Eminence will do just fine thankyouverymuch.

[Sergiomax11]

Congrats on the new ride man and also if you can post some pics that would be sick :p also of the mAlibu that would be sick

[cwp_sedan]

Congrats and :welcome smiley

[JSI]

Nice colour choice ;)

[taz4432]

IIRC he wants to be called either Cardi, Fang, or "Your Eminence", and Deepthroat Emma at night.

Hmm...Deepthroat Emma...that name sounds fami...err what was I saying?

And thanks, will definitely enjoy the ride!

[taz4432]

*Punches iconicrocket in the nads*

Your Eminence will do just fine thankyouverymuch.

Haha...I think I'll go with Cardi since when I hear Fang I think of my friend's dog.

[taz4432]

Nice colour choice ;)

Thanks ;) I've still gotta double check that it's WB Mica and not EB Mica. They're too similar based on pictures I can find. The ad said EB Mica but when I google image searched the colours I thought it looked a little more like WB Mica. We'll see in a couple of days I guess!

[vartdirector]

Nice! congrats on that purchase, i had my first car Mazda 3 too, and i still keep it :) cause i love it!

[Bacchus]

congrats and hey i totally know the feeling , just got myself my first car ever and happens to be an 05 mazda 3 gt, love it!!

[taz4432]

Nice! congrats on that purchase, i had my first car Mazda 3 too, and i still keep it :) cause i love it!


congrats and hey i totally know the feeling , just got myself my first car ever and happens to be an 05 mazda 3 gt, love it!!


Thanks guys and congrats to both of you as well! Everytime I'm on the road now all I do is look for Mazda 3's. :P


Just a note to everyone: I'll be in Waterloo starting in January until late April (for school) so if any of you live out there or passby at all, let me know!

Also, when I bring the car home, are there any specific things I should check for under the hood.around the car, particularly wear items? The car does not come with a service history so I don't know the status of the scheduled maintenance although I'd like to hope that it was followed fairly closely given that the previous owner invested money in mods for the car.

[DualSoul]

:welcome smiley < I think I may have overused this.


Thanks guys and congrats to both of you as well! Everytime I'm on the road now all I do is look for Mazda 3's. :P

I do the same thing. Still no TM3 plates, but it's surprising the amount of Mazda 3s on the road. :(

[chinsterr]

Waterloo 4B Mech Student here . Completing my last term in Jan .... pm if you ever want to meet up for a coffee or something.

[taz4432]

Waterloo 4B Mech Student here . Completing my last term in Jan .... pm if you ever want to meet up for a coffee or something.

Awesome! Starting 2A in January and I'll have the car with me in Waterloo. We'll definitely have to get together!

[taz4432]

:welcome smiley < I think I may have overused this.



I do the same thing. Still no TM3 plates, but it's surprising the amount of Mazda 3s on the road. :(

Haha...It's kindof like an infection...but a good one :P Where can I get the TM3 plates? I've never been a fan of decals so I'd prefer to throw on the plate covers.

[Tokic_o]

2A AFM right now. too bad I won't be doing my 2B term in the winter with you and chinsterr orelse we could go for a coffee for sure.

[crystal8484]

IIRC he wants to be called either Cardi, Fang, or "Your Eminence", and Deepthroat Emma at night.

HAHaHAHhahhahHAhaHAHhHAha!!!

p.s congrats on the new car.

[taz4432]

HAHaHAHhahhahHAhaHAHhHAha!!!

p.s congrats on the new car.

Haha thanks!


2A AFM right now. too bad I won't be doing my 2B term in the winter with you and chinsterr orelse we could go for a coffee for sure.

Yah, it's too bad! Are there a lot of UW (and I guess Laurier too) students on here? I know of a great parking lot just around the corner from the school that's perfect for a little bit of winter drifting!

[Tokic_o]

uhh I know of 4. me, chinsterr, fuman, triplezoom. I'm pretty sure there are a few more lol

lol i hope its not the RIM parking lot becuase I park there every night to go study

[taz4432]

uhh I know of 4. me, chinsterr, fuman, triplezoom. I'm pretty sure there are a few more lol

lol i hope its not the RIM parking lot becuase I park there every night to go study

Haha...Are Fuman and Triplezoom on work term right now or at school?

And no, it's not any of the RIM parking lots. X Lot is decent but then you get the WATCops and although you generally won't get in trouble they'll tell you to leave or whatever. The one I'm talking about is uhh..hmm http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=university+of+waterloo,+on&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=43.205049,113.818359&ie=UTF8&hq=University+of+Waterloo&hnear=University+of+Waterloo,+Waterloo,+ON&ll=43.460022,-80.537596&spn=0,359.944425&z=15&layer=c&cbll=43.459907,-80.537502&panoid=C2AodUKfUC_8K2pidZcuHg&cbp=12,39.2,,0,0.69

It's got some stuff you can go drifting around and lots of open space too and it goes back pretty deep and then there's the laneway behind the building. I had some fun back there last winter. Had some fun in X-Lot drifting my Chevy 2500 Extended Length Panel Van...RWD ftw. :)

[tweak_s]

Congrats on the car. Not from loo' but I am from richmond hill :P

[Tokic_o]

ahha

Fuman is on school term right now. triplezoom and chinsterr are both on work term right now

[taz4432]

ahha

Fuman is on school term right now. triplezoom and chinsterr are both on work term right now

Ahh...so at least there'll be a couple of us there next term. And, did you check out the link for the spot I was talking about? Just around the corner from the school..the only thing is you can see the whole lot from the street so you may get a cop coming over to tell you off (I think most will leave you alone if it's just you and not 5 cars racing around).


Congrats on the car. Not from loo' but I am from richmond hill :P

Awesome...lived here all my life! Whereabouts are you located or have you moved somewhere else?

[VWisTROUBLE]

Welcome and congratulations on the new (to you) 3

is the tint on this car that silver reflective stuff? if so i've seen the car driving around my neighbourhood a couple of times...:chuckle

oh and im also from richmond hill...unfortunately the 3 was not my first car
94 Jetta FTL :complain lol

[Tokic_o]

lol i live near hwy7 nd kennedy, tahts close enough to Rhill


tweak, OUT u aint from loo :P hahahah jokes

[taz4432]

Welcome and congratulations on the new (to you) 3

is the tint on this car that silver reflective stuff? if so i've seen the car driving around my neighbourhood a couple of times...:chuckle

oh and im also from richmond hill...unfortunately the 3 was not my first car
94 Jetta FTL :complain lol

Nope...that's not my car. My car's still in Scarborough until it's ready to get picked up (hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday). My car has black tints though. Whereabouts in RH are you from?

A jetta's not *sooo* bad. A car is a car, right? I'd rather have a '94 Jetta than no car :P



lol i live near hwy7 nd kennedy, tahts close enough to Rhill


tweak, OUT u aint from loo :P hahahah jokes

Yah...that's closeby. I work at Warden & 16th which is even closer to that. All of us are gonna have to have a get together.


Congrats on the new ride man and also if you can post some pics that would be sick :p also of the mAlibu that would be sick

Here are some pics. Enjoy! :)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu1.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu1.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu2.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu2.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu3.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu3.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu4.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu4.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu5.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu5.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car1.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car1.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car2.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car2.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car3.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car3.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car4.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car4.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car5.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car5.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car6.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car6.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car7.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car7.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car8.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car8.jpg)

Hopefully these thumbnails work properly.

[Thrizzl3]

congrats on the new ride:)

[taz4432]

Nope...that's not my car. My car's still in Scarborough until it's ready to get picked up (hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday). My car has black tints though. Whereabouts in RH are you from?

A jetta's not *sooo* bad. A car is a car, right? I'd rather have a '94 Jetta than no car :P




Yah...that's closeby. I work at Warden & 16th which is even closer to that. All of us are gonna have to have a get together.



Here are some pics. Enjoy! :)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu1.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu1.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu2.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu2.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu3.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu3.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu4.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu4.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Malibu5.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Malibu5.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car1.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car1.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car2.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car2.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car3.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car3.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car4.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car4.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car5.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car5.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car6.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car6.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car7.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car7.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/th_Car8.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/taz4432/Cars/?action=view&current=Car8.jpg)

Hopefully these thumbnails work properly.


Forgot to mention, click the thumbnails to enlarge (pretty obvious) and the pictures are of the car a while back. It's been cleaned and all that jazz since then. Let me know what you think (of both).

Also, the Malibu is a project car. It needs to be restored but it drives as is and is in reasonable condition. I have headers with a Flowmaster exhaust system from the headers back (cat-free of course) and dual Super 44s (it's loud but sounds AMAZING).

[shu5892001]

welcome, and congrats on the new ride!!! ... lol so many UW engineerings... lookz like i am the only one from UT engineering...

[tweak_s]

Awesome...lived here all my life! Whereabouts are you located or have you moved somewhere else?

I'm at Bayview/7 area. I'm still there, lol.



lol i live near hwy7 nd kennedy, tahts close enough to Rhill


tweak, OUT u aint from loo :P hahahah jokes


now now, no one mentioned loo :P :chuckle

[iconicrocket]

*Punches iconicrocket in the nads*

Your Eminence will do just fine thankyouverymuch.


* On the ground wrenching in pain

[taz4432]

I'm at Bayview/7 area. I'm still there, lol.





now now, no one mentioned loo :P :chuckle

Awesome...so there are quite a few of us that live rather close. I looked on the 'mini-meets' board but I didn't notice anything for us Northerners. :O

[JonsMazda]

Grats and welcome to TM3.

[tweak_s]

Awesome...so there are quite a few of us that live rather close. I looked on the 'mini-meets' board but I didn't notice anything for us Northerners. :O

yeah..we always try to do markham/RH meets and fail at it lol. We have one good turnout and well, we forget? haha, hopefully we'll revive something for this summer.

[taz4432]

yeah..we always try to do markham/RH meets and fail at it lol. We have one good turnout and well, we forget? haha, hopefully we'll revive something for this summer.


Ahh...well I'll hopefully be in town next summer (unless my co-op takes me to a far-off place) so we definitely have to get some meets going down. There's some decent driving to be had out here.

[VWisTROUBLE]

lol...a jetta itself is not so bad...but mine was...there was so much rust inside the gas flap, one day i went to go open it and it fell right off lmao..plus the leaky exhaust, shitty suspension, and mountains of electrical problems...the only good thing about that car was the mini cooper rims and the fact that i didnt care what happened to it...ahhh...the memories...
at least now i've got a "real" car :)
and im located around yonge and elgin mills area...



Nope...that's not my car. My car's still in Scarborough until it's ready to get picked up (hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday). My car has black tints though. Whereabouts in RH are you from?

A jetta's not *sooo* bad. A car is a car, right? I'd rather have a '94 Jetta than no car :P

[taz4432]

lol...a jetta itself is not so bad...but mine was...there was so much rust inside the gas flap, one day i went to go open it and it fell right off lmao..plus the leaky exhaust, shitty suspension, and mountains of electrical problems...the only good thing about that car was the mini cooper rims and the fact that i didnt care what happened to it...ahhh...the memories...
at least now i've got a "real" car :)
and im located around yonge and elgin mills area...

Fair enough...but it didn't kill you and you could beat it to hell without too much reprecussion - can't say the same (about the beat to hell part, anyways :P) about your new ride.

Also...Yonge & Elgin Mills...whereabouts...did you go to RHHS?

[VWisTROUBLE]

yeah i could never beat the hell out of my 3...although the gas pedal gets it once in a while:bana
i actually went to alexander mackenzie...



Fair enough...but it didn't kill you and you could beat it to hell without too much reprecussion - can't say the same (about the beat to hell part, anyways :P) about your new ride.

Also...Yonge & Elgin Mills...whereabouts...did you go to RHHS?

[taz4432]

yeah i could never beat the hell out of my 3...although the gas pedal gets it once in a while:bana
i actually went to alexander mackenzie...

Haha...yah...my gas pedal gets it more than just 'once in a while' but I guess I'm just an overly harsh parent :P And...you went to Alex Mack? How come...I might still know you and we definitely both know a lot of the same people as I know quite a people who went to Alex Mack.

[koorick]

grats on the new ride

[VWisTROUBLE]

i live on the south west corner of yonge and elgin mill so i was in the boundary for alex mack...unfortunately lol...
yeah you may know me and we probably do know alot of the same people...
richmond hill FTW :chuckle



Haha...yah...my gas pedal gets it more than just 'once in a while' but I guess I'm just an overly harsh parent :P And...you went to Alex Mack? How come...I might still know you and we definitely both know a lot of the same people as I know quite a people who went to Alex Mack.

[taz4432]

grats on the new ride

Thanks!


i live on the south west corner of yonge and elgin mill so i was in the boundary for alex mack...unfortunately lol...
yeah you may know me and we probably do know alot of the same people...
richmond hill FTW :chuckle

Hmm...where did you got to elementary school? Inquiring minds would like to know :P

[VWisTROUBLE]

i grew up in north york and moved here in grade 8...so i went to st marys for a year...



Hmm...where did you got to elementary school? Inquiring minds would like to know :P

[taz4432]

i grew up in north york and moved here in grade 8...so i went to st marys for a year...

Ohhh...I spent/still spend a lot of time in North York (lots of family there) but I went to Crosby Heights from Gr.4-8. Where are you at now...or...working?

[taz4432]

Oh...and...picked up the car today.

Must say...it's AWESOME! But...the exhaust on it is way too loud (particularly on the highway)...does anyone know where I can get a silencer for it?

[VWisTROUBLE]

yeah me too...as of now im in the process of becoming an industrial/commercial electrician...school never really interested me but this is something i can see my self doing...its a constant learning process and i get to work with my hands, which is something i love...
plus i get to do something different every day, so im not stuck doing the same thing over and over again :blah



Ohhh...I spent/still spend a lot of time in North York (lots of family there) but I went to Crosby Heights from Gr.4-8. Where are you at now...or...working?