only done some of the mods i would like to get done eventually but she's a beauty so far 🙈 only had this car for less than a year and im really enjoying it so far

https://www.instagram.com/p/DeexC1lm9hX/?srtk=dWo1ZTdxNGI0Yndy

Copied from the Mazda3 forum, as some of you aren't active on that website, and I wanted to increase visibility since some of yall were asking for it on my last post. Format will be weird, as I took my post on the Mazda3Revolution forum and pasted into Reddit, which doesn't allow inline photos.

Original post with replies: https://www.mazda3revolution.com/threads/19-26-knightsports-wing-review-caution-on-purchasing.260608/

---

Wanted to give a longer reference point for this wing, as discussions online are fairly lacking.

Originally, I chose this wing as it's the closest I could find to the Mazda Spirit Racing Mazda3 wing / some of the racing wings applied by Mazda to their own highly modified 3's. I really liked that wing, but couldn't find any other besides the knightsports wing.

(Photo #1)

(Photo #2)

Originally, when I received the wing, I installed it with a bit of difficulty. It doesn't come with any instructions (purchased from MikStore) so you have to do some carful measuring. I laid down some painters tape to mark on the original panel where I wanted to drill holes, which is a similar install to the OEM wing outside of the measuring.

It also did not come with any adhesive, or any replacements for the yellow clips that inevitably break when removing the black trunk exterior section that all wings mount to. You will need to order some or pick them up from a local mazda dealer for pennies on the dollar. You should grab 4 of them just in case something is funky during install, part number is KB8A-51-SJ3.

The wing itself isn't bad, it's not a perfect wing by any means however. Orange peel here and there, small dimples, meh paint overall. If I was going for a show car or was particular about detailing my car, I might sand down the whole thing, use some body filler, resand, and repaint the entire thing to be honest.

The real problem came in during the first time I closed the trunk.

(Photo #3)

If you notice, on the wing the original supports are VERY close together, and it functionally acts as a pair of "wings" when you close the trunk. Think of a bird, the inner supports are the chest and everything to the outside of the supports are the wings, and because of this they "flap". Everytime I closed the trunk, the furthest edge of the wing would gain momentum and slam into the upper portion of the rear panel, which was not a good experience since that is hard on the fiberglass wing and on the paint.

I had to make my own supports instead out of some 0.5" ABS. I couldn't cut plastic at the time, so I ordered 4 pieces of my CAD model from Send Cut Send for $30. If you cannot make these supports yourself, or do not want to pay a bodyshop to do it, I would not advise purchasing this wing. The initial wing is not structurally sound enough to handle it's own weight without these supports.

If I had to redo this over again, which I will at some point, I would have instead ordered a single sheet of 1.0" and trial and errored with a bandsaw until I got the curvature of the piece correct.​

I started by gluing my pieces together with some epoxy.

(Photo #4)

Once I had the general shape down, I proceeded to sand each side until I could attain the needed curvature for matching the internal supports shape. I had a belt sander I used for this. Once I had the general shape, I moved onto moving up in the grits until I felt comfortable priming them with some primer/filler, and then finally some black gloss.

(Photo #5)

Overall they came out okay, I don't have a perfect paint match on the gloss of the wing and have some orange peel here and there, but since this is primarily a structural piece that will be hidden by the wing itself, I am content.

I added some double sided adhesive to each side and prepped the wing surface with some rubbing alcohol to ensure the best bond possible.

(Photo #6)

(Photo #7)

(Photo #8)

(Photo #9)

(Photo #10)

What I would do / will do when I redo these supports in the future:

I would likely use the same abs supports, albeit slightly smaller, and commit to using a fiberglass and resin combo to permanently attach the supports to the wing. A couple of years later and the curvature of the original supports isn't perfect, putting a little stress on the overall wing and adhesive in particular which is starting to come up.

Instead, I would use fiberglass, resin, and filler to adhere the supports to a sanded portion of the wing, and then use some threaded inserts preinstalled on the bottom of the ABS supports to screw the wing into the upper portion of the hatchback, with some adhesive tape inbetween for cushioning and further waterproofing. This manner of fabrication would turn the wing into a single solid piece with 4 supports, instead of a single two support wing with additional supports on the side. I plan to eventually paint or vinyl wrap the car, so having a single unit is much preferred.

(Photo #11)

Overall aesthetic is one I really like. It's not as angular as the mazda spirit racing wing, which I think fits with the curvature of this gen of the 3 the best.

Love the new look and we no longer have to hold down to remote start the car, thank you!

Mazda USA how’s your day been so far? I know you are creepin 👀

Exterior is finally done!

Got into a small fender bender and was wondering if this is normal or actually something that needs fixing

this baby needs some love and i will love her forever. i cannot find this paint code. helpppp. she’s got rust around the wheel wells & just some chips everywhere

I woke up to a nice surprise today. Mazda Canada shared my photo on their page.

I recently burned a disc and went to hear it in my car. The disc went in and can be ejected, but the option for CD is greyed out and stays that way, even if I put a different factory pressed CD in.

Any tips on what this could be and how to fix it?

I got my late model 2022 3 Sport GT Turbo back in July and I love it. It's an absolute blast to drive and I still occasionally get surprised with how quick it is. The interior is fantastic , and extremely comfortable. I also love the garnet red leather seats they contrast well with the black interior and the machine grey metallic paint. The way the paint colour seems to change in different lighting is just beautiful.

Just picked up a mint 2020 Mazda 3 100 year anniversary edition with the Skyactiv-X (186 HP) variant. Looking into the realm of ECU tune ups, only a Stage 1 at this point mainly to eliminate the throttle delay and bump up the engines warm idle to 800 RPM and get rid of the flat spots.

The only highly reputable place I’ve found in the UK that explicitly says they can work on the Skyactiv-X is Avon in Bristol.

Has anybody tried it or have any experience with it?

https://www.avontuning.co.uk/tuning/mazda/mazda-3-2019/20-eskyactiv-x-186hp

I’m negotiating for a 2026 Mazda 3 Premium Hatch and trying to get 5% off MSRP with special financing(~$31.5k USD @ 2.9%)

The dealer won’t budge past 3.2% off (offer stands at $32.2k USD @ 2.9%) and I’m about to walk away from this offer. Are they giving me a good deal? They’re telling me how their margins don’t allow it etc., but this model will probably be outdated in a few months and I know the manufacturer gives them additional discounts to offset their costs anyway.

Please tell me if I’m missing something. Hoping to join the club :)

Thanks!

I’ve got my eye on the 2026 Mazda 3, however I noticed people are saying there’s issues with the CCV - apparently the fail safe thermostat gets stuck? I did see there’s been a software update last winter, curious to know does anyone own a 3 with this engine and did the update fix it?

I have a 2015 Mazda 3 Sedan and recently upgraded to slightly larger rims. Since then, whenever the car is carrying more weight and I go over a speed hump or hit a pothole at a higher speed, the rear left wheel arch rubs against the tyre.

Thinking the issue might be caused by a worn shock absorber, I had the rear shock absorbers replaced. However, the problem still persists, as the tyre continues to rub against the wheel arch on the rear left side. The rear right side is not experiencing the same issue.

What could be causing this problem? Could it be related to the suspension, springs, or anything else?

This is driving me mad.

Just got an oil change. Full synthetic 0/20. But that oil spot was there when I got the car under the cap.

I’m in my 30s but I’ve owned quite a few cars over my lifetime. I only had recently found out about my Hyundai being unreliable by the rep who spoke to me when I came in for an update. He checked the car over and said “it looks good now but I would sell when you get the chance” and he was just being honest because it was already at 125k miles. Because I had a GDI Theta engine that had various known defects.

It hadn’t dawned on me that my gas mileage was sitting at 16-19mpg which made no sense despite having a perfect engine inspection by Hyundai. I figured it was the car showing its age and a sign I need to move on.

I would’ve kept the car for long, but being someone who travels between states and often lives in their car due to homelessness there was one issue… I didn’t trust it anymore.

I spent weeks researching a replacement and I was going to go for a Honda or Toyota. But the more I looked the more issues I found. Hondas turbo 1.5l engines had head gasket failures, Toyota had transmission back orders, Subaru had CVT longevity issues, the list goes on.

But Mazda? Nothing. All I found was “my Mazda went to 500k miles without a problem” everywhere I looked. So I got the grand touring mazda3. All I can say is wow!

The engine and the transmission, it feels how a car should. It’s simple yet so advanced at the same time. Everything about it feels like an upgrade. It ran better despite having more mileage(185k). It started easier. It is simply how a car should behave. Corners? I barely feel them. It is zippy, it’s fun to drive, it’s smooth.

I feel like I get it now, you get a Mazda because it’s simple, it’s a proven automotive design. They don’t load it with new crap that hasn’t been tested. They give you their S tier components that have been continuously improved each year.

I can trust this car to last me. Thank you for keeping it simple Mazda.