Just put the Cobalt exhaust on. It’s the first mod I’ve ever done to a car and it had me grinning from ear to ear. Seems perfectly acceptable cruising in 6th and takes on a whole new character with some more spirited driving - it really does sound spot on to my ears.
7 Likes
Drained the coolant (weird red looking stuff), replaced the thermostat, and filled with genuine Mazda coolant FL22. Haven’t started it up yet but hopefully will run at the right temperature now instead of cold.
Also fitted TM80 Magnum horns. Haven’t wired them up yet but surely will be louder than the original meep-meeps. Finding a place to fit them was tricky as the new cold air intake was in the way of the original locations so just used the mounting points for the intake. Slightly annoyed that horns didn’t come with in-line fuse required in instructions.
3 Likes
Left the NC with JB Miles for undersealing 
Made the first mod to my new 100 year anniversary car, by changing the wind deflector for a very smart clear perspex version supplied by club member @Roadie I also polished the car and applied the first coat of Turtle wax Hybrid Ceramic. Finished off with a cockpit an trim covering of Aerospace 303
4 Likes
Normally I prefer the tinted version but the clear one looks great with the red hood. Always good to hear from happy customers.
2 Likes
I would normally advise to shampoo wash after BH autofoam as it has surfactants and wetting agents in it that you dont always get off after a PW. Especially so with ceramic coated cars where you can see this on the bottom halves of the doors staying wet rather than sheeting off.
Very smart. I particularly like how the Perspex has been perfectly cut around the hinges.
3 Likes
Collected my new 2019 RF from Kilwinning in Ayrshire after a five and a half hour train journey including three changes.
I must say that the RF looked magnificent parked outside the dealers entrance. Close inspection in bright sunlight did reveal a few marks I’d missed on first inspection but with some judicious polishing and waxing it will come up a treat.
The journey home to Derbyshire was interesting.
There was about a quarter of a tank of fuel in the car (cheapest supermarket brew?) and I decided to use most of this up before refilling with Shell V Power. During the first sixty odd miles on the old fuel the car felt a bit sluggish and only reached about 33mpg. Surprising because I was taking it reasonably steadily and much of this mileage was on motorways with 50 & 60mph limits.
Brimmed it with Super V the M74 services at Biggar, zeroed the counters, set the cruise at 72mph and set off for home. The car showed low 40’s for the next hundredish miles but then steadily improved until the average reached just over 48mpg when I left the M1 at Sheffield.
Just goes to show how important decent fuel is with the Skyactive engines. Performance felt much livelier too. The car certainly enjoyed a good long run and was all the better for it.
The ride quality felt quite harsh on the drive home and when I checked the pressures they were between 2.35 and 2.5 bar (should be 2 all round). The dealer is just a general car dealer and I wonder if they deliberately overinflate the tyres because most people never check their tyres. Over the course of a year they would be somewhere near correct for a few months at least!
I’ll post some pictures when the car is clean if it ever stops raining.
9 Likes
The first prototype was made with a piece of cardboard and a Stanley knife. Luckily my talented laser cutting lady managed to convert my scribbled sketches and measurements into a perfect CAD design. All it takes then is about five grand worth of laser cutter to cleanly cut every one to the precise size and shape.
UK is my biggest market but I’ve sent them all over the world including a few in Japan. Just hoping Mazda don’t start fitting them as standard or my business plan is screwed!
9 Likes
Love the wheels, RichK, and it really looks stunning shined up👍
1 Like
Fitted dBa Track Spec pads to the Front of my NC, along with some refurb of the pistons and seals. With help from one of our boys.
Took 30mins to change.
Up next is some braided lines and brembo fluid. But I have a trackday on the 18th and don’t think I will get time before then.
Hi M,
I do not think the fuel was the reason for the increase in the MPG figures.
If you did not reset the average MPG the fuel consumption at the start would be an average from last reset. Your journey home would steadily increase this average.
There is very little if any difference in MPG on the ‘better’ fuel. (I have done brim to brim tests to validate this) The engine is designed to run on the ‘ordinary’ fuel after all.
5 Likes
Curious why you haven’t started it after a fluid change as it’s not unknown to get airlocks. I would start it and make sure it’s ok before you drive it.
1 Like
I’ve still got a gearbox oil and diff. oil change to do first, but am aware there could be air locks. Not looking forward to the recommended 3000rpm for five minutes, especially with my loud exhaust - neighbours will love that!
1 Like
Fitted a stubby aerial at long last, after 16 months of ownership! Looks sooooooooo much better. Yet to see if the DAB reception is as good as it was with the extraordinarily long flexy one.
1 Like
Put a new cr2025 battery in the key fob
1 Like
Yes, I’m sure al ot of people are waiting to hear if the Moss stubby really foes work with DAB as they claim
