Now I really want to remove the side trim...

[sw0rdfish]

I was thinking about this yesterday, and I think I\'m going to do it.... paint the callipers!!

check out these picks from M3F.com

http://mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5395

What do you guys think? Bluntman, and chance you can repeat how you removed the door sills?? I can\'t find it, and I really want to try.

[Xenon]

Painting the calipers is cool.... But I am a bit biased... I like red brakes better.

[miggiddy]

That does look pretty good....hmmmm....I wonder what a black sedan would look like.

With my luck I\'d bump the door myself getting outta the car in my own drive way, right where that trim would have been. haha

[bluntman]

Originally posted by sw0rdfish


I was thinking about this yesterday, and I think I\'m going to do it.... paint the callipers!!

check out these picks from M3F.com

http://mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5395

What do you guys think? Bluntman, and chance you can repeat how you removed the door sills?? I can\'t find it, and I really want to try.

I honestly think that this is the nicest mod that I\'ve done. Just let me get this straight, you want to remove the \"molding\" that runs along the middle of the doors right? Because when you say \"sills\" I think the extensions running along the bottom of the car between the wheels (that\'s not attached to the doors). Those I didn\'t and won\'t remove at all.

However, if it\'s the molding...
I used some fishing line to seperate the molding from the body. As soon as a couple of inches of the molding was freed I slowly and carefully started yanking on the molding. The molding is made of very flexible polyurethane so there\'s very little chance of breaking it, if you do want to put it back on at a later date. Continue this procedure on the other three. You can remove the adhesive residue with your fingernail, if not use a little bit of Goo Off on a paper towel or terry cloth.

Personally, I don\'t like the look of painted stock calipers. I think it cheapens the car, but that\'s just me. It\'s all or nothing, I\'d prefer a set of Brembo, Wilwood or Baer calipers up front along with preferrably slotted rotors all around!

[Xenon]

I like the side molding... I think it\'s good... and practical... isn\'t that supposed to stop doors from banging into your car too?

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Xenon


I like the side molding... I think it\'s good... and practical... isn\'t that supposed to stop doors from banging into your car too?

It is, had they put it in the right position. If you look down the side of the door (from the rear end looking forward) you\'ll see that the molding isn\'t at the widest part of the car, but rather below it. The first thing that gets hit by another person\'s door is the widest point of the car. Mazda isn\'t the only one who does this, almost all of the manufacturers are guilty of this, form before function.

[Xenon]

Hmmm... guess it\'s purely cosmetic then... I still think it look good with it... the car IMHO looks too plain without it.

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Xenon


Hmmm... guess it\'s purely cosmetic then... I still think it look good with it... the car IMHO looks too plain without it.

Not plain...sleeper. :zzz

[Xenon]

lol... alright... sleeper it is. I really like that part of the car. It ads \"muscle\" so when I get mine, I\'m going to leave it there.

[miggiddy]

I could swear that with my brother\'s Camry next to mine it would have bumped perfectly and protect the door as it should. I didn\'t notice or look for the peek of our the doors. I\"ll have to double check now.

[sw0rdfish]

Originally posted by miggiddy


I could swear that with my brother\'s Camry next to mine it would have bumped perfectly and protect the door as it should. I didn\'t notice or look for the peek of our the doors. I\"ll have to double check now.

I\'m with bluntman... they don\'t seem to do too much... How bout some pics Bluntman... lets see the beast.

I\'m gonna think about taking them off this weekend.

[Xenon]

Good luck sword. Let me know how it turned out! take some pics!

[bluntman]

Originally posted by sw0rdfish



Originally posted by miggiddy


I could swear that with my brother\'s Camry next to mine it would have bumped perfectly and protect the door as it should. I didn\'t notice or look for the peek of our the doors. I\"ll have to double check now.

I\'m with bluntman... they don\'t seem to do too much... How bout some pics Bluntman... lets see the beast.

I\'m gonna think about taking them off this weekend.

Patience my friend...unfortunately it\'s going to rain this weekend. :(

[Xenon]

lol.... rain sucks... although I don\'t mind driving in it... sometimes its fun

[Nex]

The car without the side mouldings look clean. Very nice subtle additino
However, the painted blue calipers I\'m not feelin. I would have gone with black or just silver paint for the calipers IMO.
Just FYI, for people who go to the track, try to stay away from caliper paint. They tend to flake off piece by piece due to the extreme heat generated at a track. Also, the paint may act as a thermal barrier or insulator preventing proper cooling of the calipers. Just an aside. ;)

[Xenon]

There is special pain that you can get for calipers. They are forumlated to resist crackage due to heat.

[Nex]

Originally posted by Xenon


There is special pain that you can get for calipers. They are forumlated to resist crackage due to heat.

Yeah, there is. Foliatec, and G2 come to mind. Some may resist cracking, but for the track people, they tend to hold more heat.

[NASTY]

i took off the side mouldings, actually only off one side as of now
im still takin votes as to what side people like better...so far the side without is winning

[Xenon]

I think the side looks too plain if you take off the side molding.

[wtom]

I\'d leave that trim on if it will touch my parents\' Accord when in the garage and a door opens into the Mazda 3. My current car, when I open the door, it hits my parents\' Accord trim perfectly. I\'d rather have a dented trim than a dented door panel.

Calipers... I won\'t be racing or going to the track ever so I\'m thinking if I grab the blue Sport GT I\'ll be painting the calipers gold... was driving beside a blue sport today while going to work and noticed how easily the stock coloured (gray/silver?) calipers were visible ... it\'ll be so sweet after being painted! :)

[DUBS2X10]

Originally posted by bluntman



Originally posted by Xenon


Hmmm... guess it\'s purely cosmetic then... I still think it look good with it... the car IMHO looks too plain without it.

Not plain...sleeper. :zzz







m3 a sleeper lmfao... funny i love my me but they are not race cars...lol

[wtom]

Originally posted by DUBS2X10

m3 a sleeper lmfao... funny i love my me but they are not race cars...lol

Heya DUBS2X10, we had a really nicely lowered, side body trim removed, and aftermarket rims/rubber on a 3 sedan at our 3rd meet. Still no idea who that guy was but it looked good, not rice.

[Big__M]

the car has to be lowered IMO. The trim breaks up the door panels and shortens the car a bit. When u take the trim off before you lower the car, I think the car looks even taller.

Mike.