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Inodoro Pereyra wrote:Mitmaks: that's what I always thought, but I've known of a couple of people doing that and getting the ECU fried anyways, so I rather play it safe...

93sohc: I have a can of brake cleaner. will try it tomorrow.

Pretty sure it would be isolated if you pull out fuses, but its your car.

Ok, little update: finally, I got most of the window tint off. The brake cleaner worked like a charm (thanks 93SOHC) but after a while, not even that was fast enough, so I switched to acetone. I wrecked my hands, but most of the glue is gone.
Also, I cleaned the door sills with some sandpaper.

Now, I'm still waiting for USPS to deliver the stupid manual...

glad to help!

Little update:

I'm almost done with the roof. Pics probably tomorrow, when I finish.
Meanwhile, ever since I installed the ECU back in the car, I'm not having the CEL anymore, and the idle seems to have improved. Maybe a bad connection?

And I'm opening the headlights to do some painting inside. Here's a little tip: I did a search on how to open the headlights, and came up with a method putting them in the oven. I was definitely not comfortable putting plastic in the oven, so instead I put them in a bog crockpot full of water, on the stove. It worked like a charm!
Not only the clear plastic separated very easily, but the glue didn't run off, and it was very easy to clean up from the groove in the unit, just using a screwdriver.

Will post pics asap.

When you disconnect the ECU it clears the codes. Not sure how or why... but they'll soon come back if it's really an issue.

Inodoro Pereyra wrote:EDIT: Hey Nightshade...Happy birthday!
Are you old enough to drive yet?

Hahah oh man I should have checked back sooner, totally missed that comment! Sorry for the late response and Thanks!
And YES I went and did my full G test (highest level here) and passed on my BDay so that was nice w00t!

Congratulations then...!

G test? never heard of it...
I've heard of a "G spot"... Are they related?

Umcamara: yeah, I was aware of that. But if there was a malfunction, it would've shown up at the second consecutive cycle after I reinstalled it. I started up the car more than half a dozen times, and no CEL. So right now I have more than 200 reasons to celebrate...

Haha here in Ontario we have graduated licensing. You start off with G1, then G2, and then full G.

I didn't know that.
I guess it beats having the streets full of idiots, like here in Miami...

You could always put a Hello Kitty Emblem over the rust... LOL... Hahahahaha!

tripleMX-3chicMS wrote:You could always put a Hello Kitty Emblem over the rust... LOL... Hahahahaha!

No, believe me: I couldn't.
I couldn't get near the car if I did something like that.

Ok, roof canker is gone, and all the paint is polished. Will post pics, maybe tomorrow.
Found a few not so nice surprises with the paint. Not all of it is original, and the idiot that did the paint job couldn't have done a worse job. This car is definitely in for some new paint in the future.

But today I'm pissed off for a different reason: a few days ago, I found out the car was leaking coolant badly. Today, after a quick inspection, I confirmed my worst fear: the leak was coming from the thermostat area. So I started disassembling, thinking I was gonna have to take the intake manifold out, and then, when I took out the air filter box, I saw that the a-holes that engineered the engine put a PLASTIC QUICK CONNECT between the thermostat housing and the heater hose!!!
Didn't any of those geniuses realized that a plastic quick connect that carries hot coolant, and is in a part of the engine that receives no airflow, IS BOUND TO CRACK?
But more important: WHY THE F*CK DO YOU NEED A QUICK CONNECT ON A HEATER HOSE???
Do you need to disconnect the heater hose so often, in a street engine, as to justify the use of a damn quick connect?

God knows I love Mazdas, and especially my car, but things like that make me want to light it on fire...

Ok...pics.

Here's 2 different angles of the car, after being sanded down with 1000 grit, polished, and waxed with Meguiar's "Mirror Glaze" #7 and #26.
Now I'm working on the headlights and foglights.




And here's a view of the "former" canker.




Now it's starting to look like something...

good job, looking better everyday.

Happy BDay man! You're almost my dad's age

Sorry I couldn't resist hahah