My baby is home
I got my MX-3 back, by the way. I know there was a chunk of you that were eager to see how she turned out. This is totally going to be a car post, so if cars don’t do it for you, you could skip this and not be missing anything important.
So the MX-3 is going to be packaged up and stored for the winter shortly. She’ll never be driven in rain or snow again, but while the weather holds clear I may be able to sneak in a few joyrides.
In case you don’t remember it all started here.
Here is how she looks now:
I’m really happy to have it back. I love my Jeep, but I missed driving a standard. And I missed the way she sounds. Now that I’ve already done the engine swap, the headers and exhaust work, and the cold-air intake, my next projects will be the suspension and the brakes. She needs to be lowered about an inch, maybe an inch and a half. And I definitely need new rotors.
The interior needs to be finished as well. Since I’m removing the rear seat in favor of possibly a roll cage, I’ll need some extra carpeting done. I’ve got Sparco Torino seats in there now (forgot to take the plastic off for the pictures).
But these projects will wait until early next spring, when I take her out of storage. Once she’s all finished, I’ll start bringing her to car shows and MX-3 meets around New England, just for fun.
Zoom zoom.
I think I may weep openly. Definitely the best MX-3 I’ve seen.
Though my ZX2 will kick ass next summer. 
I have never really felt the urge to comment before, but I am a long time reader of CAD and this journal. I am a huge fan, and you have incredible talent. Major Props.
Now, to end the ass-kissing–sort of.
Normally, I don’t really like tuner cars. This, however, is beautiful, really a work of art.
Anyways, keep up the good work and all of that stuff.
hey, this is the first comment i’ve left on your site, although I am a long-time fan of your work, especially CAD.
That is a sick ride man, excellent job. I bet if feels great, not only to drive it but to know that you have produced something like that is definately rewarding. I can’t think of a single thing that would make it look better.
I’m planning on working on a project of my own when I get out of university (and out of debt) I plan to work on a ‘97 Integra Type-R. Should be sweet.
Looks awesome! I’ll have to inspect it in person someday when it decides to go over 20 degrees at night!
VERY nice looking.
Might I suggest not dropping it and getting a taller wheel and tyre package instead? The car looks really low now from what I can see. Another inch or so and you’ll be grinding on all sorts of things like speedbumps and kerbs. That will get really annoying, really fast, I can tell you from personal experience..
I figure another 2″ in diameter will fill those wheel wells quite nicely.
Baba
NICE Tim!!! Damn I want a nice car like that sooo bad, i just gotta hit the books to do so, I notices something with the headlights, their offset, the left is lowar then the right, may wanna check that out.
The headlights actually sit even… it’s the carbon fiber hood that’s a little bit higher on that side, making it appear that way. It sits higher on that side because of the front strut bar. It wasn’t designed to be installed over the KLZE engine, which has a taller intake manifold 
I may or may not remove the strut bar… I love how it handles with it in place.
Looking real nice Tim, definitely one of the nicest, if not the nicest MX-3 I’ve seen.
Looks much, much better than before.
I’d be playing with that as much as I play WoW (maybe not), lol.
Niiiiiiiiiice. That is one sweet ride. I know people who would kill for a car like that.
dude…Im not even into cars and the moment i saw this i was like “ZOMG! H4X!” That MX-3 just looks…well…sexy is the best term for it. Now im a guber when it comes to cars, but that car just reached out when i first laid eyes on it and said unto me “Thous shalt not diss me or thou shalt get smacked like a biznitch!”
O.O yeah wow! car=teh awesomeness. +5 in coolness.
why own a great car like that and put it in storage? cars are meant to be driven, it seems like such a waste to stick it in a garage for 6 months. that’s too bad.
Nice job I always did like MX-3s. We need some more interior info though. What speakers do you have? Do you plan to put a PC in there? Also i agree with you wanting it lowered but i’d have to lower it at least 2 inches cause i’m crazy like that but i guess you can have your speedbump survivor.
i’m with DancingAlien6902 on tuner cars usually though too many people rice it up with every sticker they can find and you begin to wonder what color the paint is under the decals, 15 bumper stickers & 27 honda logos. Any time i see a car like that with no branding i must stare.
Fuck logos. In fact, I had all of the emblems on the car shaved.
So now all those honda/acura ricers wont even know what just blew past them 
I hate rice. I prefer to show that you can be into import tuning without being into rice.
I noticed your lack of logos but anyone of my caliber can spot an MX-3 based purely on seeing the rear window, fortunately ricers don’t study cars like I do and will be nothing but in awe.
Please continue to remind ricers that they suck
And fortunate thing too, recognizing that rear window. When Absath blows past you, thats all you’ll ever get to see. And maybe a cocky grin in the rear view.
dude thats a sick ride.. i’m jealous, my friend bro has a pretty sick rx-7 but damn man! wish i had the money to get a beast like that
I personally think it looks fantastic. You were able to capture a very Japanese feel without making it look like a ricer. The one beef I have is the rear bumper. I think that it sticks out a mite too much, kind of changing the feel of the car from a side or rear view. The MX-3 was meant to be a small car, and in a picture where it’s kind of difficult to judge scale, it almost looks like a typical sedan. Asides from that, though, I think that it looks WONDERFUL!
what do you mean its difficult to judge scale? Look at the fence, the tires & the garage and you’ve got a pretty good estimate.
That ride is sweet by my standreds visually, but that;s not really all there is to it though, could you tell us what’s runnin under the hood?
P.S. Fort Minor-The best
Anyone else reading this, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda made Fort Minor
He has said in the past and one time on this list that he has a KLZE engine that he thinks is giving him between 215-230hp but has yet to dyno
not a huge fan of the tuner culture and actually LOATHE alot of thing about it
and i dont really like the way the car looks…to showy for me
BUT! to see where it has come from to where it is now, i have to say good job
it takes alot of work to take a basketcase to somethign that looks like a regular car, wish i was in your area to look at it closer maybe give u a run in my typhoon
you get +10 cool points if you know what that is
I’m not a huge fan of tuners (I think the fast and the furious movies killed it for me). For the most part it’s classic cars with more low-end torque than is really necessary… but I have to say, that is a SWEET car!
Cars without decals and actual thought and style given to the entire thing… no bolt-on spoiler, biohazard vinyl, neon ground-effects on a car with more rust than paint… it reminds me why I love cars in the first place!
Great Job Tim, the car turned out great!
I would say only drop her about an inch. Any further and I think you’ll lose a lot of
driveability on the car, and it’ll be a hard ride. I dropped my previous car an inch and a half.
It was so low, that the ride was almost unbearable on city streets.
Your MX-3 is already low enough where you’re going to get a good ride. The inch lower
will just get rid of that ugly wheel gap!
Looks sweet though, I’m officially jealous, MX-3’s are my soft spot 
Im not much of a Mazda guy or into body kits and such, but I can admit when I see one I like. Looks Very nice, and fun to drive. Have you heard of CarDomain.com ? if not you should check it out and post pics of your car, just a place to kinda show off your car and stuff.
my name on that site is mattss70
Nice, but it still needs something…..hmm…
or you could just save up and buy a Bugatti Veyron.
http://money.howstuffworks.com/bugatti.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/thisweek/
You HAVE to see one of these things go, its spectacular, and stupidly fast.
Looks amazing man. It is definately the best looking MX-3 I have ever seen. We have a few here on campus with body kits that are just hanging off of them. Good choice on the color. I am working on a 1992 Acura Integra. I’ve been doing all of the engine work(Radiator, timing belt, intake) lately and keeping it away from shops. I hope to paint it Mustang Mineral Grey once I get a few dents and scratched out of it. The engine is in good condition, only needs a good cleaning. Best of luck on keeping your car safe.
looks very cool.
ps, i was wondering what your convention schedule was like for next year.
argo. (mtc)
Excellent work Tim. Ive been along for the whole ride, waiting for these pictures. Amazing bodywork.
2 Thumbs up, 10 outta 10, A+
is it wrong to say that car is orgasmic
gosh, i was another car, i would be very attracted
…oh wow. Just… Wow. It looks amazing. That car is serious humping material.
hey good work with the car and people’s comments ; ) . that much horse in that small a car is sure to beat most people you come across. just one small thing, i’m just really not digging the rims. they look good but on a car like that i mean thats like getting a $2 microsoft 2 button mouse to go with a loaded computer
Damn, nice car there Tim. I’ve been readen your journal for a while and reading CAD even longer, great work. Love the car, though I have to say im still parcial to my ‘79 Lincoln Continental, and I really dont agree with your car needing to be lowered. I’ve never understood why people like their cars to be lowerd, i think it looks horrible when they are and they’re more likely to bottom out that way. Anyway, love the car, love the work.
Very stunning man, you should roll up to vericon in that and let us take pics with it. You thinking about taking it to any shows?
This is the first time I’ve posted here, but I’ve seen it all. I was just waiting for something insanely neat to comment on first.
And here it is. It’s amazing. I truly love it. Once it’s lowered it’ll look amazing.
Can’t wait to see pictures.
I’m more into the good ol’ classic American cars meself,but dammit that’s one helluva ride.silver with black,good choice.
Hey Tim! Schweeet ride! I was wondering if you coudl tell me where I could pick up a copy of eve. I’d really like to play it. The site has a download but apartenly I need a CD key. Take care man.
Have you still got your parts car/parts car’s headlights?
I went and smashed mine…. (oops)
go the mazda’s. thats how a mazda should look. i’ve been wasted at the lights by rx-7’s and mx-5’s (and of course mx-3’s) in my very boring 1.5 litre familia, but as long as its a mazda haha.
Overall a pretty nice looking ride, except that hood being black doesn’t look good with the rest of the car.
I prefer cars with one solid color.
nice car, i remember when u first put pics up of it, and then the updated ones, its nice you redid the whole thing. more than i am going to do ot my cavalier Z24..i’m thinking of throwing a bodykit on it and fixing the engine, leaving the stock wheels and such, it’s not going to be my main car forever heh. i like your jeep too, so thats where all those CAD funds are going to.
Holllllly crap she’s gorgeous! If I saw that driving by I’d probably chase after it
well that didnt work, i made a gif for you tim
watch it evolve
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b327/trynoganog/timscar.gif
truthfully i’m not a fan of it. The car is too small for all the vents (z3 and MR2) to be on the car. The craftmanship does look very nice though. you can’t really tell in the pics but i don’t see any orangepeel or rough spots in the paint. what suspension do you plan on going with? Coilover or springs?
Hi Tim. I have been reading CAD for a very long time and have never commented.
I have watched you do the MX-3 project in progression as well.
I would just like to say that you have one awsome car there.
Did you get the curved neck, or straight neck KL-ZE?
PS, Im part of MX6.com and 626.net, and a team Eunos member.
dont lower ur car any more than 1.5″ trust me :p
Love ur work.
Paul
Beatiful, I have to say. Even if it is an import , looks excellent, DON’T MESS IT UP. (Although I’m betting my Z-28 could take it.)
What, if any kind of racing are you looking at doing? It’s FWD, so it stunts autox, but it can be done, and still be fun. What motor did you swap into it? Given that it’s light, and a Mazda, a nice 13b rotary. ….I ramble…Great looking car, though.
Damn man. She came out nice. I’m personally not a big tuner fan (Muscle all the way!) But even I love the way it looks. And thank you, I can’t say this enough, THANK YOU for not putting the giant coffee can on it. Enjoy it when you take her out and congrats.
I hate you. Everything you do create a is a piece of art (though you didn’t create this, I’m sure you designed it)
I’m so jealous :p
It’s sweet, and nice to hear that you’ve not only done the body and have also done the engine. I hate it when people only do the exteriour >=|
hella s33t ride. just dont do anything stupid like crash it you need to put a different spoiler on it to make it look better. but considering tthe back window goes all the way down to the freakin bumper owell it looks ok i guess. but i got to go with snake on this one muscle all the way baby i got a 67 and 70 mustang comin my way along wit a 75 super glide harley davidson alright gigdy gigdy gigdy go!
Ahhh now it all makes sense. I’ve been reading MX3 this, MX3 that and going ‘huh?’. We never got mx3’s dealer delivered in Australia, by the time they reached our shores they were called a Eunos 30X, but I couldn’t see it well enough in the last photos to tell it was the same thing!
Go team, that’s hot.
One hella-tight Mazda, man. I’m planning on a new car soon, and its a toss up between a CRX Del Sol, and an Mx3. Nothin but East. Anyway, was it easy to find parts, or is that why you needed to get a whole new mx3?
And we’ll need a specs list when you get down to the dyno.
nice car bro, i don’t think it needs to be lowered anymore, but you should consider changing the rear lights (http://www.atuningc.com/imgs/BasseGoulaine04/P1050023.JPG) and adding a tribal graphic on one of the car’s sides
Not too in-your-face, still quite pretty( I liked the original body colour though, but that’s just me), A small spoiler, nothing terribly flashy. What looks to be a Carbon-fiber bonnet/hood, I approve. an awesome little car all in all, by the look of it. If you don’t mind my asking, what engine have you swapped in?
Oh, forgot to add:
I saw some comments pertaining to lowering the car. I don’t think that’s required here, it’s not looking like an off-roader, it’s normal, which is good. Remeber kiddies, ground clearance is your friend!
It’s very nice, the only thing that i didn’t like is the back kit, it doesn’t seem to fit well with the car, also, the rims/tires, can be a bit larger, just to add that racer look to it, but overall NICE.
just want you to know tim, if it weren’t illegal and you weren’t such a great artist, i would kill you and steal your car
nothing personal
Very Nice….. I’m jealous… beats the hell out of my car… I want it… and I’m a nissan guy… it becoming that damn Mazda commercial….
*stares in awe*
Oh it’s nice and shiny! =P
I like.
I’m not a car person, but that’s only because most cars don’t actually look anything like this, but are ugly pieces of junk (in my opinion) >__>
That is the most beautiful thing in the world! PLEASE keep us up to date on your additions/work to it!
I just wish my 89 supra looked anywhere near that nice. I feel like I will be working on it forever before I can really drive it. Sweet ride.
Oh damn. That’s one of the best looking, cleanest MX-3s I’ve seen in a while. When the weather’s nice again, I’d like to know how fast you can push that baby.
very nice. i also like your choise of not going with any graffics. i think you should consider a little bit more tint and possibly a slightly bigger wing.
Also, I would appreciate it if you put posted some pics of the interior
Beautiful car. You’ve done an excellent job with it. The only thing I would suggest is to fill in the wheel wells a little more. Too much open space there, it hurts the image of the car. Depending on what size rim you are already using, you might go up another inch. Another solution is to install drop springs if you are not already using them. I suggest Eibachs in that case. Whatever you do, I think you will agree it looks even better once you’ve filled in the gaps there.
I’m a tuner fan but hate all the rice fan boys that’re out there. If we could get some interior
shots when it comes out of storage that’d be great
I want! Hey, look, 100 comments…
Seriously, if that car “happens” to go missing, you know who took it. Drool…
Hey,
That is pretty cool.. my boyfriend has a MX-3, and wants to do tons of stuff to it like you have done. I actually think you have talked to him on the mx3 forums.. reprobation?
eh oh well…
Steph
wow man, that MX-3 came out great. i too own an MX-3, but saddly it’s not a V6 or standard. to be honest, i think the MX-3 was
sorely under apreciated in general. it’s nearly impossible to find an MX-3 in the south end of the US. as a fellow driver of the MX-3, i
dought that you need lower it. it’s pretty damn low to begin with. i’d like to know where you found the upgrades for the car and how
much did it cost you to all that work? anyways, kick ass job on the car.
Sweet car man. You’ve given me some ideas to what I’m gonna work towards with my next car.
Very nice car. Just wondering if you could tell me where you got your kit from?
mazdaspeed front clip.. but what about the sideskirts and rear bumper?
also where you got the side scoops by the rear tires and your Z3 fenders?
Thanks again..
really nice ride
95 mx-3 gsv6
WHoa, finally got it back then…looks suh-weet!
Now, just dont go driving at the same time as any psychotic women who dont have their driver’s licenses…
I love it. I dont get to see to many fellow Mazda owners who put the time and effort into their car.
Hi,
We would like to feature your car on our new website.
http://www.uk-mx3.com
Its under construction and is due to be up and running by spring next year.
If you are interested please get in touch.