So Oppo, What Next?

"mazdaspeed2" (mazdaspeed03)
04/03/2014 at 10:50 • Filed to: mods

As some of you may know, I recently bought a 2014 Mazda 2. There was no chance of me keeping it stock, and I put a stiffening bar on the rear torsion beam before the engine was completely broken in. It drastically reduced the body roll and understeer which it desperately needed. After doing this, and seeing the effect, I have officially been bitten by the mod bug. The question is, what do I do next? Unfortunately money is a concern (stupid education), so performance per dollar is important.

Eventually, I would like to do a couple appearance things (Rally lights on all the things!), but for now it will be all performance. Fortunately, there are a lot of relatively cheap mods, but they do all add up, so I have to do one at a time. The car also is a daily driver, but comfort isn't really that important to me. So Oppo, what would you do next?

DISCUSSION (67)

Tom McParland > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 10:52

Wheels and tires...maybe a set of 17"s with some super sticky rubber, then use your stock set up for winter.

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Tom McParland
04/03/2014 at 10:55

What he said.

mazdaspeed2 > Tom McParland
04/03/2014 at 10:55

I was planning on doing 16"s with better rubber, but it will probably be around $1k which I probably won't be able to do until next year. I was thinking about throwing some cheap summer tires on the steelies for the summer though.

Takuro Spirit > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 10:58

Miata uses the same bolt pattern and close enough offset, I bet you can find a set of 16"s cheap.

Tom McParland > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 10:58

Yeah wheels/tires can be pricey to do it right.

philipilihp > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 10:59

Box fenders! Box fenders! And then the 17s with sticky rubber. But box fenders!!! i think the goal should more or less be the Mazda version of this

Kinja'd!!!

or this

Kinja'd!!!

Sn210 > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 10:59

I've got an amp and sub I'll sell you at the Oppo rate!

mazdaspeed2 > Takuro Spirit
04/03/2014 at 11:00

Oh that is true, I didn't even think of that.

mazdaspeed2 > Tom McParland
04/03/2014 at 11:01

Exactly, I am on a budget, but I definitely will not be taking short cuts. I want everything done right.

mazdaspeed2 > philipilihp
04/03/2014 at 11:02

I am very much listening. I definitely wouldn't be able to do it for a while, but I would love that.

Takuro Spirit > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:02

I've been planning my Mazda2 build for when I someday buy a Mazda2. ;)

mazdaspeed2 > Sn210
04/03/2014 at 11:04

Haha, I appreciate it but I put decent speakers in and that is good enough for me.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:05

Stick with 15"s Wider selection of tires that will fit correctly, lighter/cheaper wheels = win, win.

mazdaspeed2 > Takuro Spirit
04/03/2014 at 11:05

That is what I spent the 3-4 months leading up to buying the car doing, haha. I put the Corksport rear bar on first, which is an absolute must. It feels like a different car, but what do you have in mind for your build?

mazdaspeed2 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
04/03/2014 at 11:07

I was thinking about that, but I think 16s would be a good compromise to reduce the sidewall height without driving the costs up too much.

RotaryLover > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:07

Change the transmission fluid to full synthetic. Then add a CAI. I'd suggest lightweight rims if you live in a place with a few to none potholes.

Takuro Spirit > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:07

Just a slight drop, stiffer sway/rear bar, light wheels, exhaust.

philipilihp > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:08

The Turbo 5 look should be decently doable, I think! Maybe the Metro is a bit much, but Group B all the things!

mazdaspeed2 > RotaryLover
04/03/2014 at 11:09

I would like to do lightweight rims, but potholes are abundant here in New England. Sorry for being a noob, but what is the advantage to synthetic transmission fluid?

jlay > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:10

Judging by your picture, you're intending to race it. Don't touch the drivetrain at all, just work on tires, suspension and safety. Google the Vorshlag Mustang for an example of a well-sorted street/track car that has a stock drivetrain. Don't forget to follow the rules for the classes you want to run.

mazdaspeed2 > Takuro Spirit
04/03/2014 at 11:10

Add intake, and front sway bar, and that is essentially my plan

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:14

Just try to find good tires in 205/40-16 or 195/40(or45)-16. Go ahead, look. I'll wait here.

now try 205/50-15 and and 195/55-15.

Yeah, thats why you should stick with 15s. With a car that light and modern tire technology 15"s are absolutely the way to go. The lower un-sprung mass and lower rotational momentum will be of far greater value than any (probably none) gains in responsiveness from the lower sidewall.

Unless apearance is of more concern than real performance, in which case, stance away! (i'm actually DOWNSIZING to 15"s for this AX season on my FieSTa because I can ditch nearly 30lbs vs the 17"s and the tires are cheaper by a wide margin.)

mazdaspeed2 > jlay
04/03/2014 at 11:14

I plan on taking it to my first autox soon, and if everything goes well, race it after I graduate school and have a bit of financial stability. I have that mustang bookmarked to check out later.

mazdaspeed2 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
04/03/2014 at 11:22

I definitely take performance over appearance, and that sounds good to me. I have little to no knowledge on tire and rim fitment (what size rims work with what size tires), so what kind of rim would I be looking for to fit the either of the 15" tire sizes?

Newsboy > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:24

Tires, tires, tires. Car and Driver looked at tires, roll bars, and a tuning chip back in '07, and the tires were the biggest performance gain, by a huge margin.

Kinja'd!!!

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2006-…

mazdaspeed2 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
04/03/2014 at 11:25

Or, what are you using on your FieSTa? I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure our cars are pretty similar regarding wheels.

RotaryLover > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:26

Flawless shifting at all temperature. I would not suggest lightweight rims...they tend to break or bend on bad roads.

mazdaspeed2 > Newsboy
04/03/2014 at 11:28

That is what I always thought, and the OEM tires are poor at best. Only problem is do I get new tires and put them on the stock steelies, or do I save up my laundry quarters and get a decent set of rims to put them on?

Decay buys too many beaters > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:28

If cost is a concern, weight reduction. Removing the spare tire toolkit an other unnecessary garbage (rear seats in my case) made a noticeable improvement to every aspect of performance in my FR-S.

mazdaspeed2 > RotaryLover
04/03/2014 at 11:29

Shifting has been solid so far, but yeah the roads here are pretty awful, especially after the winter we had.

mazdaspeed2 > Decay buys too many beaters
04/03/2014 at 11:31

I daily drive it, and with my luck I will get a flat if I take out the spare. Down the road I would love to take out the garbage you did though, especially those rear seats.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:34

Tirerack.com is a great resource, and so is this link but the 2 uses the fairly common 4x100 bolt pattern, )I think the offset is 40mm, but I may be wrong, don't quote me on that...), but if you have those numbers in hand you can shop wheels without the handy-dandy-fittment tool on TireRack. Most 15" alloy wheels will either be 15x7 or 15x6, both of which will be berfectly happy with either a 195 or a 205 width tire on them. If you plan on running 205s (not sure about inside fender clearance and strut clearance on the 2, you'll have to ask around about that...) then 15x7s will be a little nicer fit and avoid side-wall bulge. Buy the lightest wheels you can afford from a brand name that sounds like something you've heard of before (as opposed to WingFlyerChina-Gun Wheel Factory!) You should be abale to find something in the 15lb range easily (MSW makes a few..), if you can stretch the budget a little Motegi has a couple reasonably-priced wheels in the 12lb range that even look pretty good! and if you have money to burn, very light 15" wheels can come in under 10lbs (Enki, Koesi, OZ)!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:35

1 - change screen name to mazdaspeed2

2 - reduce unsprung weight - lighter wheels/tires (what do the stock wheels weigh, and what loss can be had per corner? I had an '05 3s hatch, and got some Miata 10-spokes for it - instant, noticeable difference.)

3 - better brake pads

4 - cold air intake (perhaps - for better sound, if nothing else)

5 - springs?

6 - straight pipes!

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:36

tires first will be an immediate improvement, if you're sticking with 15" wheels (which I recomend) you can move the tires later if you get wheels.

Nonster > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
04/03/2014 at 11:40

This i what i did for my AW11 MR2, I got a set of 15" enkei RPF1 and put on 205/50R15 dunlop star-spec summer tires. Those wheels weigh just under 10lbs without the tire.

The difference it makes is staggering. the stock wheels were 14" with some all-seasons, the new wheels and tires improved grip of course, but the big difference was responsiveness and much easier to control at the limit.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:44

The bolt pattern is the same, but the FieSTa has different offset... I'm running MSW Type 23s in 15x6.5 -don't recall the offset off the top of my head- they are a fairly strong wheel (as already proven by my tire-slaying, wheel-un-harming encounter with a pothole) that comes in just over 14lbs (The 17" OEM FieSTa wheel weighs 22.3lbs!). I beleive I'll be putting Dunlop Direzza ZIIs in 205/50-15 on them, though I might give the Toyo Proxes R1R a try...

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:48

Throw some nice light 15" wheels with sticky tire (949 Racing 6UL wheels look great on 2's). Then some KW V1 coilovers. A friend of mine put V1's on his Mazda3 hatch and it is insane how good they are.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
04/03/2014 at 11:50

Seconded on all of the above. Especially #2 and #3.

48 Spoons > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 11:58

FYI, if you plan on being competitive in SCCA auto-x check out which class you want to go in so 1 minor mod now doesn't bite you in the ass.

mazdaspeed2 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
04/03/2014 at 11:59

Awesome thanks! I live in the land of many potholes, so I think a slightly heavier rim would probably do better with that. I really appreciate the help, I will keep Oppo updated with what I do to the car.

mazdaspeed2 > Nonster
04/03/2014 at 12:00

I will check those out, thanks.

mazdaspeed2 > 48 Spoons
04/03/2014 at 12:01

I will just do it for fun at first, but I didn't think of that, thanks.

mazdaspeed2 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
04/03/2014 at 12:04

That is true, I will probably do that and try to get wheels next year. I would have to swap winter tires on around october, but that is probably the way to go for now.

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
04/03/2014 at 12:06

I like everything except the straight pipe, I am probably just going to do an axleback for a better note.

mazdaspeed2 > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
04/03/2014 at 12:07

I will check them out, thanks!

briannutter1 > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 12:10

Kinja'd!!!

Did you look into the Bspec suspension package yet? It would be fully developed and price is good. I welded plate on my rear torsion beam and boxed my front control arms as well....very cheap to do with big dividends. I'd also not go any bigger on the wheels than what fits your brakes. 15x7 wheels and huge assortment of tires available. Can you get the brakes off a bigger Mazda product?

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
04/03/2014 at 12:10

Someone has mazdaspeed2 already, and they have been inactive for almost 2 years...

mazdaspeed2 > briannutter1
04/03/2014 at 12:13

I have looked into it, but that is stuff way down the road for me.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 12:21

Lame. But I see that you still managed to change it...

BJ > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 12:24

Strip it. Get rid of everything you don't use, like back seats, door panels, sound insulation, headliner, etc etc etc. Keep the passenger seat for dates, 'cause you're going to impress the ladies with this!

In all seriousness, lots of good suggestions here already. To go with your better tires, get better brakes and stainless steel brake lines, and then a good front splitter and/or aero and/or underbody kit. If nobody currently makes what you need for your car, maybe you can offer yours as a template in exchange for a production version of the part?

This looks the part, but I don't know if it actually performs:

Kinja'd!!!

http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda/Mazda2-P…

briannutter1 > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 12:25

Good deal then, you'll have fun for a long time with a good car to start with. A painting that's never finished.

sony1492 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
04/03/2014 at 12:29

buy an air filter,steelies,and recaro seats.

If you dont care for comfort take out he sound deadening,best part its free.

BJ > BJ
04/03/2014 at 12:49

Oh, one more idea: poly suspension bushings and stiffer motor/tranny mounts.

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
04/03/2014 at 12:52

Yeah, it let me change my display name or whatever, but not my blog url.

mazdaspeed2 > BJ
04/03/2014 at 12:55

Haha, I would love to completely strip it, but yeah I will definitely upgrade the rotors, pads, and lines. I will have to look into aero parts, and see what people have had success with. Great suggestions, thanks.

mazdaspeed2 > briannutter1
04/03/2014 at 12:57

That is a great way to describe it, haha. I really would love to keep this thing as long as I can, and once it is no longer a DD, that is when the real fun begins!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 12:57

Small victories.

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
04/03/2014 at 12:59

Once my build is more complete I wanted to put a mazdaspeed badge next to the 2, haha. I can't believe I didn't think of changing my name on here.

Newsboy > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 13:43

Stock steelies. Two reasons:

1) They're surprisingly light. The steel wheels on my Fiat 500 are lighter than any 15" alloy wheel available on Tire Rack. I would guess the same applies to the 2.
2) You'll have to spring for new TMPS sensors, and a programmer, if you want to have a second set of wheels. That will add another $250 or so to your bill.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 13:48

Low budget coilover alternative: nice shocks with H&R springs. A different friend of mine put those on his Mazda2, along with a solid motor mount, and it made all the difference in the world.

Newsboy > Newsboy
04/03/2014 at 14:10

Also, look for closeouts on Tire Rack. I once had a very mediocre Dodge Intrepid that was completely transformed with the addition of some Firestone Firehawk Z-rated summer only tires.

I bought them because they were the cheapest tires I could find, $49 a piece on clearance at Tire Rack.

theuserformerlyknownasaluminumfoil > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 14:23

16s would be good with a nice sidewall. 17's would look too big on this car.

mazdaspeed2 > Newsboy
04/03/2014 at 15:03

I don't have TMPS, but I will definitely look into their weight.

mazdaspeed2 > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
04/03/2014 at 15:04

I was thinking about doing that too. I would like it to be adjustable so I could play around with it, but they might not be in my budget.

Newsboy > mazdaspeed2
04/03/2014 at 15:29

Unless your TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) sensors have been removed from the wheels, I guarantee you have TPMS installed on your car. It's been required by law since 2007.

A sensor in each wheel measures the tire pressure and illuminates an idiot light on the dashboard when they're low, or in fancier cars, tells you the PSI.

The sensor is strapped the wheel and can't be easily removed when swapping wheel sets. When buying new wheels and tires, you'll need a new sensor for each wheel, and a programmer to reset the system, otherwise you'll be driving around with a flat tire warning light all the time.

mazdaspeed2 > Newsboy
04/03/2014 at 17:10

Oh, I could have sworn I read it was only in the higher spec model, but I guess that was wrong. From what I just looked up a programmer is not needed for the 2, it just went through a special procedure to relearn the sensors.

mazdaspeed2 > Newsboy
04/03/2014 at 17:21

I probably would just tape over the light, and swap the oem tires on for inspections if necessary.