bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
Now I realize my MX is a work in progress right now, but I thought That I would creat my own worklog on the car as it is still fresh in my mind.
I bought her on November 10, 2006 in Milton Ontario by a private seller. According to the Used Vehicle Information Package, I am owner #7...yikes!
The car came with a valid e-test, but I would have to get a safety done. The following is a list and prices of all parts and services performed by my mechanic...
1 Caliper $200.73
1 Set of Front Brake Pads $68.72
1 Set of Rear Pads $59.82
1 C.V. Boot $27.32
1 Fuel Tank $223.68
1 Brake Cable $48.22
Miscellaneous Hose and Clamps $20.00
Brake Fluid $5.00
6 1/2 Hous Labour $390.00
I spent more on the safety and repairs than I did on the car, but I really wanted this car.
Fast Forward to January 19, 2006, the car wouldn't start. It was really cold out. I was thinking the battery gave up the ghost as it was about 4 years old so I bought a Motomaster Eliminator from, you guessed it, Canadian Tire, for $67.31 including taxes. I hate taxes!! Anyway that didn't do the trick so back to the mechanic I go. I am not very swift with the technical stuff that comes with maintaining a car, but try to pay attention and I have been searching this site. Turns out I needed New spark Plugs ($30.60) and an oil and filter change...duh, I work for Fram, jeepers!
Now, last week, the car wouldn't start again and back to my mechanic as I was going to guess alternator from what I was searching thru, plus my instinct was starting to tell me that too! I was wrong. A wire from the starter was corroded, so it was replaced and whammo, I am off and running again.
I also was getting concerned about my idle issues. There was a lot of posts in here about that problem, but being as I am not that confident in playing under the hood, not to mention, I don't know what a lot of things are called, I thought I would take it to the Mazda Dealer and get a diagnostic done on it, and save myself the hassle of doing something stupid that may cost me more in the long run. But then again, how am I going to learn anything?? So, the codes were pulled and came up code 8 and code 10. Now if I can recall, what the guy at Mazda said, something like that was strange as no engine light was on, so he was thinking, Coolent. I read somewhere that PatDiesel suggested looking at that for an idle issue in another thread. I think I am going to pay attention to what he posts a little more!!
The rad was low on coolent and the rad cap was junk. At one point, the car had run really hot and the seal was burnt up and very brittle. The idle screw was adjusted so far that one more rotation it could have come off. So that was readjusted, coolent was added and a new rad cap replaced and $86.60 later I am off to the races again, Yahoo!!! What a difference. My idle is steady around 1000 rpms, before it fluctuated super crazy, cold, warmed up, in neutral and in gear. I couldn't win, and it sure was hard to figure out how to drive stick as a newb in that department as well, but I have it down now. I just need to try out hills to test my confidence.
Well with all of that now recorded in my worklog, I can focus on future works in progress. I will have to get the gears fixed as they are pretty chewed from my inexperience, learning to drive the car. It's not super bad, but I feel it in 2nd gear for sure. I am not asking how to do that, I will search for that in the future when I am ready to perhaps tackle that project or chicken out and call my mechanic again.
The front driver's side fender is dinged up and the hood doesn't appear straight or in line with the body lines of the car. The rear passenger side has some rust issues. A friend of mine does bodywork and paint and is willing to show me the ropes in that department so when that job is being done, I wil make sure I get pix of me prepping and painting the car.
Anyway, this has been fun, I love the MX-3. It's been a long, long time since I have had this kind of fun driving a car. I would also like to thank everyone on this site for their contributions to help educate dummies like me, the ropes of owning and maintaining a MX-3. A contribution to
MX-3.com is definately coming from me in a short while. Thanks everyone, I will be back with updates, hopefully not the repair stuff but the paint and sound system aspect of it.
Here is a picture of the MX in the previous owners' driveway.
I bought her on November 10, 2006 in Milton Ontario by a private seller. According to the Used Vehicle Information Package, I am owner #7...yikes!
The car came with a valid e-test, but I would have to get a safety done. The following is a list and prices of all parts and services performed by my mechanic...
1 Caliper $200.73
1 Set of Front Brake Pads $68.72
1 Set of Rear Pads $59.82
1 C.V. Boot $27.32
1 Fuel Tank $223.68
1 Brake Cable $48.22
Miscellaneous Hose and Clamps $20.00
Brake Fluid $5.00
6 1/2 Hous Labour $390.00
I spent more on the safety and repairs than I did on the car, but I really wanted this car.
Fast Forward to January 19, 2006, the car wouldn't start. It was really cold out. I was thinking the battery gave up the ghost as it was about 4 years old so I bought a Motomaster Eliminator from, you guessed it, Canadian Tire, for $67.31 including taxes. I hate taxes!! Anyway that didn't do the trick so back to the mechanic I go. I am not very swift with the technical stuff that comes with maintaining a car, but try to pay attention and I have been searching this site. Turns out I needed New spark Plugs ($30.60) and an oil and filter change...duh, I work for Fram, jeepers!
Now, last week, the car wouldn't start again and back to my mechanic as I was going to guess alternator from what I was searching thru, plus my instinct was starting to tell me that too! I was wrong. A wire from the starter was corroded, so it was replaced and whammo, I am off and running again.
I also was getting concerned about my idle issues. There was a lot of posts in here about that problem, but being as I am not that confident in playing under the hood, not to mention, I don't know what a lot of things are called, I thought I would take it to the Mazda Dealer and get a diagnostic done on it, and save myself the hassle of doing something stupid that may cost me more in the long run. But then again, how am I going to learn anything?? So, the codes were pulled and came up code 8 and code 10. Now if I can recall, what the guy at Mazda said, something like that was strange as no engine light was on, so he was thinking, Coolent. I read somewhere that PatDiesel suggested looking at that for an idle issue in another thread. I think I am going to pay attention to what he posts a little more!!
The rad was low on coolent and the rad cap was junk. At one point, the car had run really hot and the seal was burnt up and very brittle. The idle screw was adjusted so far that one more rotation it could have come off. So that was readjusted, coolent was added and a new rad cap replaced and $86.60 later I am off to the races again, Yahoo!!! What a difference. My idle is steady around 1000 rpms, before it fluctuated super crazy, cold, warmed up, in neutral and in gear. I couldn't win, and it sure was hard to figure out how to drive stick as a newb in that department as well, but I have it down now. I just need to try out hills to test my confidence.
Well with all of that now recorded in my worklog, I can focus on future works in progress. I will have to get the gears fixed as they are pretty chewed from my inexperience, learning to drive the car. It's not super bad, but I feel it in 2nd gear for sure. I am not asking how to do that, I will search for that in the future when I am ready to perhaps tackle that project or chicken out and call my mechanic again.
The front driver's side fender is dinged up and the hood doesn't appear straight or in line with the body lines of the car. The rear passenger side has some rust issues. A friend of mine does bodywork and paint and is willing to show me the ropes in that department so when that job is being done, I wil make sure I get pix of me prepping and painting the car.
Anyway, this has been fun, I love the MX-3. It's been a long, long time since I have had this kind of fun driving a car. I would also like to thank everyone on this site for their contributions to help educate dummies like me, the ropes of owning and maintaining a MX-3. A contribution to
MX-3.com is definately coming from me in a short while. Thanks everyone, I will be back with updates, hopefully not the repair stuff but the paint and sound system aspect of it.
Here is a picture of the MX in the previous owners' driveway.
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
On Monday we had some really nice weather, so I thought I would patch up some rust spots and holes in the MX-3. It didn't work out the way I had planned, so with some help from my friend who is doing the majority of the bodywork and paint on my Monte, we are going to do a quick clean up of the MX-3. Holes have been filled in, and dents have been pushed out, and i am in the midst of stripping off lambo decals that are running down each side of the car what a pita!!! Later today I will sand her down with 500 grit and mask her off. Friday we are painting. The batteries are dead in ym camera, but I will take some shots and post later...
- fowljesse
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Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
That looks really nice. Good luck on future mods, and care.
The lesson is; when you buy a car, do a full tune-up right away.
The lesson is; when you buy a car, do a full tune-up right away.
'93 GS - P&P DE w/ ZE exh. cams/ pistns, KLG4 IM, 65mm TB, MSnS, Phenos, K&N RAI, UDP, Grnd wires, rear batt, filld MM, torq strt, TWM short shftr, Exedy, Lng tube hdrs 2.5" Side exhaust, H&R sprngs, Poly bushngs, strutbars, Alum. crss mmber&tiebar, 22mm swybar, solid links, Direzzas, leather int, Alpine 9805 stereo & alrm, keyless entry, 10 Boston Accoustics spkrs, Prjectrs, Blaster2, CF hood, FG hatch, Lexan
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
Well here's what I've been up to all week...
It all started with rust and hole repairs and became much bigger...lol..what the heck, I knew a little bit about autobody preparation from My Monte rebuild so I went all out on the MX a little sooner than planned but it's all good...
Lambo decal removal....this sucks by the way!!!
Paint Trim work on both doors after removing rust
Driver's
Passenger''s
Patching Rust and EEEK Bondo!!! Quick fix til I can afford a proper weld and replace the metal, but here goes...
Roof Passenger Side
Passenger Fender (had a big rusty spot which looks like a hole forming)
Driver Fender had a big dent which I pulled out first and then smoothed out.
The Driver's Door is FUBAR, and I am looking at doing this every year unless I replace it..
Tail lights out...thanks to MX-3.com I searched how to do this...
Front Pix, one is with my daughter Dakota, and one of me....sweating my butt off today..lol
And finally taped everything off for piant tomorrow night...left driver's door in case I have to move the car still...we'll see...but anyways....here goes...
I'm a bit of a NASCAR nut...
Hope ya like and thanks for checking my MX-3 out!!! And also thanks to everyone who posts their wonderful experiences and how-to's on this forum, I would have been lost without this site to getting some of the work done, on my breaks between jobs on the car I was searching relentlessly on this board for all kinds of things relevant to this, so without all of you, this wouldn't have been possible for me. THANK-YOU!!!
It all started with rust and hole repairs and became much bigger...lol..what the heck, I knew a little bit about autobody preparation from My Monte rebuild so I went all out on the MX a little sooner than planned but it's all good...
Lambo decal removal....this sucks by the way!!!
Paint Trim work on both doors after removing rust
Driver's
Passenger''s
Patching Rust and EEEK Bondo!!! Quick fix til I can afford a proper weld and replace the metal, but here goes...
Roof Passenger Side
Passenger Fender (had a big rusty spot which looks like a hole forming)
Driver Fender had a big dent which I pulled out first and then smoothed out.
The Driver's Door is FUBAR, and I am looking at doing this every year unless I replace it..
Tail lights out...thanks to MX-3.com I searched how to do this...
Front Pix, one is with my daughter Dakota, and one of me....sweating my butt off today..lol
And finally taped everything off for piant tomorrow night...left driver's door in case I have to move the car still...we'll see...but anyways....here goes...
I'm a bit of a NASCAR nut...
Hope ya like and thanks for checking my MX-3 out!!! And also thanks to everyone who posts their wonderful experiences and how-to's on this forum, I would have been lost without this site to getting some of the work done, on my breaks between jobs on the car I was searching relentlessly on this board for all kinds of things relevant to this, so without all of you, this wouldn't have been possible for me. THANK-YOU!!!
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
I'm up a little early and before daylight and only one picture from last night turned out, but I'll get more in a few hours...
- nsklzemx3
- Regular Member
- Posts: 103
- Joined: February 8th, 2008, 10:33 am
- Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
nice ride bro! good luck with your restore
'93 MX3
A work in Progress
CURENT UPGRADES: Curved Neck KLZE/Option Import Headers/2.5" Exhaust/Valeo OEM Clutch/Yonaka Motorsports Gaskets & Silicone Tubing/Option Racing CAI/MBX Probe Addiction Wires/Fidanza Flywheel
My Aloha 8.2: http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t258/1981aloha27/Aloha 8.2
Matilta 20
Cygnus 20
Code 40
A work in Progress
CURENT UPGRADES: Curved Neck KLZE/Option Import Headers/2.5" Exhaust/Valeo OEM Clutch/Yonaka Motorsports Gaskets & Silicone Tubing/Option Racing CAI/MBX Probe Addiction Wires/Fidanza Flywheel
My Aloha 8.2: http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t258/1981aloha27/Aloha 8.2
Matilta 20
Cygnus 20
Code 40
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
Don't feel bad about 7 owners, my 96 had 11, double Yikes.
2004 Subaru WRX Silver, stage 2, minty interior.
2002 Subaru WRX Blue, SOLD (best E test numbers I've ever seen)
94 MX-6. Sold
92 GS KLZE 5 Speed
96 GS 5 speed, KLZE, Sold
95 GS Minty Shape Sold
92 GS Sold
92 GS Parts Car scrapped.
Feedback viewtopic.php?f=37&t=66348" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
7477th member.
I know you believe that you understand what you think I said but I'm sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
2002 Subaru WRX Blue, SOLD (best E test numbers I've ever seen)
94 MX-6. Sold
92 GS KLZE 5 Speed
96 GS 5 speed, KLZE, Sold
95 GS Minty Shape Sold
92 GS Sold
92 GS Parts Car scrapped.
Feedback viewtopic.php?f=37&t=66348" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
7477th member.
I know you believe that you understand what you think I said but I'm sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
where can i get rain guards like those including the sunroof rain guard too?
94 mx3 rs
92 mx3 gs curved neck klze SOLD
92 mx3 gs curved neck klze SOLD
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
I bought the car with those rain guards already on it...so unsure about where to get them...funny you mention the sunroof one, it's the last part I was putting back on and I managed to snap it on the passenger side corner, so I am using loctite to get by for now, so I may be researching that one in the future...
Here's some shots before I took the taping and paper off
And here are my after shots, tape removed and everything minus my sunroof guard put back on, and I also replaced my ratty windshield wipers with some carbon fiber looking ones with a double wiper blade, up front...I'll put one on the back tomorrow...
Thanks for looking at my first attempt at completing bodywork and paint on my MX-3...with some assistance from a friend who sprayed it....I am pretty happy with it, and my MX-3 is by no means a showcar quality vehicle like some of the ones members on here have, and it wasn't really my intention to try and pass mine off as a showstopper. It was just nice to have all the panels the same shade of red, and get rid of rust and holes as best as I could... Thanks!!!
Here's some shots before I took the taping and paper off
And here are my after shots, tape removed and everything minus my sunroof guard put back on, and I also replaced my ratty windshield wipers with some carbon fiber looking ones with a double wiper blade, up front...I'll put one on the back tomorrow...
Thanks for looking at my first attempt at completing bodywork and paint on my MX-3...with some assistance from a friend who sprayed it....I am pretty happy with it, and my MX-3 is by no means a showcar quality vehicle like some of the ones members on here have, and it wasn't really my intention to try and pass mine off as a showstopper. It was just nice to have all the panels the same shade of red, and get rid of rust and holes as best as I could... Thanks!!!
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
Nice job man, I like the makeshift paint booth.....
BTW..... is that St Augustine grass i see?
BTW..... is that St Augustine grass i see?
<a href="http://www.fodey.com/generators/animate ... .asp"><img src="http://r3.fodey.com/117ef9486659942269d ... 7601.1.gif" border=0 width="404" height="110" alt="Ninja!"></a>
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
looks good man, know what you mean by having the car one color. Mine is faded a bunch of colors.
Curious, because I need to do mine. How much did it cost to paint the car? materials and everything included?
Curious, because I need to do mine. How much did it cost to paint the car? materials and everything included?
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
hey man thats a hell of a job considering you did it outta your garage!!
wetsand and buff and i bet youd have a mean shine happening
wetsand and buff and i bet youd have a mean shine happening
- Savin
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Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
Many props on the car AND the Dale Earnhardt banner/flag thingy in the garage.
'95 MX-3 RS - Project "Déjà Vu" Destined for the scrapyard.
'93 MX-3 GS - SOLD!
'93 MX-3 GS SE - Parts car!
'94 MX-3 GS - Scrapped
'94 MX-3 RS - Scrapped
'96 Sunfire SE - Scrapped
'03 Sunfire SE - Deathtrap
'95 Cavalier Base - Scrapped
'94 Thunderbird LX - Collects dust
'89 Mustang GT - SOLD!
'93 MX-3 GS - SOLD!
'93 MX-3 GS SE - Parts car!
'94 MX-3 GS - Scrapped
'94 MX-3 RS - Scrapped
'96 Sunfire SE - Scrapped
'03 Sunfire SE - Deathtrap
'95 Cavalier Base - Scrapped
'94 Thunderbird LX - Collects dust
'89 Mustang GT - SOLD!
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
St. Augustine grass??? you mean our lawn?? Not sure what you mean, but ir it's our lawn..I have no idea....I don't have a green thumb...Stablo87 wrote:Nice job man, I like the makeshift paint booth.....
BTW..... is that St Augustine grass i see?
The makeshift booth was a necesssity, my house is fairly new and I didn't want to have red overspray all over the place..will be doing something to the garage floor, maybe tile it or paint it so it's not so slippery down the road, but it worked out pretty good. It sucked trying to keep that plastic up with the wind if I opened the side door as well as the garage door...took me over an hour just to put it up and have it stay up....bought 3 bags of plastic rolls (250 sq ft per roll) and they were about $6 a bag...
On to
Well, here goes..by memorynpspears wrote:looks good man, know what you mean by having the car one color. Mine is faded a bunch of colors.
Curious, because I need to do mine. How much did it cost to paint the car? materials and everything included?
Plastic wheel (that I used with a power drill to remove decals on both sides) $15.00
Bondo $15.00
Paint Reducer $12
2 Cans of Red Canadian Tire cheap paint $25 a can
Grease and wax Remover $10
I already had a crap load of masking tape for painting, and sand paper and masking paper was donated by my friend who sprayed the car as was his time to spray it...he's doing my 84 Monte Carlo and it's a more intense complete rebuild that is taking him quite a bit of time to complete as he's doing it on the side in his own garage and I was over helping him with it doing the nose and back bumper area as I can't really screw them up...lol
That's all I can think of for that..
Well thankyou very much...I am pretty proud of this job and the 14 hour days I've put in for close to 6 days to start and complete this deal...and if you like my Earnhardt flag....check this out...Savin wrote:Many props on the car AND the Dale Earnhardt banner/flag thingy in the garage.
That's my Monte Carlo before it went to be restored...I even have the 3 tattooed on my left ankle and the coolest thing is I gave birth to my daughter on the 3rd and she weighed 8lbs 8 oz...and when I had my car accident it was on February 18...1996, so there's some kind of cosmic Earnhardt connection with me and I am going with it...
Thanks for everyone's interest and I hope that answers the questions...
Cheers!
Re: bubsy83 - 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS
awesome work, it makes me wish that my house get's finished, so i can get a garage ...
K8 :: 136.8 bhp---160 nm---108.0 whp---118lbs/torque
ET: 15.567 @ 136 kmh (84 mph)
"Racing a Honda is like being in the special Olympics, you may win, but in the end your still retarded."
ET: 15.567 @ 136 kmh (84 mph)
"Racing a Honda is like being in the special Olympics, you may win, but in the end your still retarded."