Mazda2 Thread

The car was not able to compete due to excessive wrinkliness. PM me if you like further explanation.

Hope everyone is Ok

I'm fine. The car is well built and side curtain air bags do what they are supposed to. All is well.

Sorry to hear that, but glad everyone is OK.

Time for a Fiesta ST?

Fingers crossed for me! Can't say yet!

Any reason to use super (93 octane)? The wife's smart benefits from it with better mileage. Does the 2 respond as well?

The B-spec racer I know says that it provides a very faint increase in power. I ran it every now and again to check, but any gains in mileage were within variation of daily driving. I'm pretty sure they love 87.

Thanks Mazdeuce. Sorry to hear about the end of your car. I get mine tomorrow. Sport manual in real red. Will be stock until I can afford changes.

Are there 14 inch steel wheels that can be used for snows? I live in Vermont!

Thanks.

I'd pick up a set of 15's, though 14's will fit. Pretty much all of the 4x100 miata wheels should fit.

vwcorvette wrote: Thanks Mazdeuce. Sorry to hear about the end of your car. I get mine tomorrow. Sport manual in real red. Will be stock until I can afford changes. Are there 14 inch steel wheels that can be used for snows? I live in Vermont! Thanks.

too bad you're so far away ... I've a set of 15" steelies that could be had for $25 ... but shipping to Vermont would be prohibitive

Re: wheels for show tires. fidelity101 has his two for sale in Detroit and it comes with a set of E30 14 inch bottlecaps with snow tires. You could try to buy them and ship them, but that kind of sounds insane. What it does tell you though, is that E30 bottlecaps would work well as wheels for snow tires, and there have to be some of those around somewhere.

In reply to mazdeuce:

I sold them already.

If you get E30 wheels you "need" hub centric rings, luckily I still have them...

I am in need to update my shocks/struts and springs in my 2.. My main concern is daily driving comfort and never plan to track or autoX this car.
My options so far are CorkSport adjustable shocks/struts with RacingBeat springs or the ST Speedtech Coilovers.
Reading about potential spring binding issues (pop noises) with the ST coilovers concerns me.

Another option I am considering is the Ford Racing Fiesta Handling package. Many people speculate that they are the same as the OEM Mazda2 parts. Though the B-Spec wannabe article on GRM states that this will fit and is an upgrade for the Mazda2. Has anybody had experience with this Ford Racing package on the 2?

If it were me (and it's not) I'd be trying to source the FiestaST suspension. It's really good. I wouldn't bother with the Fiesta handling package thingy, the upgrade is too small to make it worth it. You can read about some Fiesta guys who did it on the Fiesta forums.
As always, what are your plans for their car? Autocross? Just for fun?
Another option is the Bilstein kit. It was available for around $800 a couple of months ago. My B-spec friend was using the B-spec version of the kit (which has stiffer valving) on the street and back and forth several hundred miles at a time to races and really enjoyed it off the track.

Kamikaze Kows on rallykross kourse?

My main concern is ride comfort while improving the stock suspension and not spending that much. II will never autocross this car but I do drive hard on the street.

I can buy the Fiesta package for 210$ (plus shipping) and am concerned of spending 800$ for coilovers which may be overkill for my needs with the potential for noise issues. I have read that the Bilsteins can be harsh and the ST coilovers are more meant for street use.
I can get the STs for 775 shipped while the Corksport adjustable/RacingBeat springs are 670 shipped.
I would be open to the ST but am concerned about noise and comfort.

There is no best solution. You've got a pretty good understanding of what the pros and cons of everything are, you just need to jump.
What is too stiff for you? By that I mean, what have by been in where you have said that you would not daily drive it? What have you been in that feels right?

Never experienced a modified 2 except my own, though I only have a Racing Beat axle back and Yoko S.Drives/ Michelin Xice2 tires. On other cars I found Bilstein coilovers to be borderline and H&R were not acceptable. My last car was a 2007 WRX with KYB shocks/struts and Swift springs which i found to be just right.
I want to make sure the Fiesta handling Package is not just OEM Mazda2 parts and that they would provide a benefit (though minor), just to consider another option when shopping.

The Corksport/RB combo is the way I'd go. I have the RB springs on stock shocks and it's still quite mild, it feels like a sporty factory suspension. I think my ex's Fit Sport rode more harshly than my RB'd 2.

I'm planning on going with the B-Spec Bilsteins down the line but that's really just because I've decided I can live with a bit more harshness in exchange for better lap times.

I just sold mine!

mazdeuce wrote: The car was not able to compete due to excessive wrinkliness. PM me if you like further explanation.

Ya know a friend at the event posted a photo of a silver Mazda2 after an incident and I wondered in the back of my head if it was you. Hoped it wasn't.

Glad to hear you're OK

EvanB wrote: H&R springs, here is the thread: http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=50221 I believe those wheels and tires are for her LS6 Miata and she just put them on to see how they would look. That would explain the fat tires.

Exactly.

Here's some more shots:

They require a small spacer, to clear the actual strut, so here's what you'll need to run x9's on the front of a 2:

The specs were 15x9 +36 with 225/45/15s.

Rears fit perfect but need a roll in the back with 225s, fronts stick out a little from the fender. Needs a roll+small pull if you were to go lower without more than -1 of camber (I was lowered 1.5/1.3" with H&Rs and -1 in the front)

Sorry for being incredibly late to the party but I didn't want anyone getting 9s and shearing some studs. This thread was brought to my attention by a friend.

So my 2 is now gone as well. Just traded it in on a '14 Fiesta ST. The 2 was great fun but it was time to get out ahead of depreciation, I was dying for a bit more luxury and a lot more power, and the Fiesta was an insane deal and they gave me a great trade price.

In reply to poopshovel:

Man I like the look of that

I think you'll like the Fiesta ST. It really is a great car and it feels like home coming from the 2.