Racer X-8

I haven't gone to the garage to investigate - maybe my time would have been better spent ( ) but here's a thread that debated this topic.

msrecant

MEGAREDS, wonderful post. I will be doing my strakes this weekend and I found your thread. Couldn't ask for better instructions. That what I believe this forum is all about. People helping other people with their RX-8. Great job!

Chrisbert

MEGAREDS, thanx for the how-to. If I use the holes called out in the instructions, will the strakes line up with the cutouts in the template? Or, is the template correct and should be used as the true alignment guide regardless of what the instructions say about holes? Thanx again.

SCiMMiA

The mfg instructions mention loktite. I have been looking for it, but can't find the part (#403) they suggest. Does it matter, or is no one else even using the stuff?

MEGAREDS

My strakes look good and I used RX8-U-UP's directions. It is possible that I would have gotten the same results if I had used the printed instructions; I just don't know. Since my strakes lined up with the templates, seem straight and are well adhered to the car, I recommend doing it the same way, but if another way both (1) lines up the strakes with the templates; and (2) makes the contact between the strakes and the car flush, then don't worry about it.

BTW, as I said, I did not use locktite. My strakes have been sitting in the rain the last few days and the car has been through the car wash twice. No problems, other than that dumb piece of paper that shows on the right side of the car on one of the strakes. It will wear away eventually, I'm sure. I'm certain I'm the only one that will ever notice it. If the strakes ever pop off the car, I'll hunt down the locktite and reapply them. Once you've done it once, it really is simple.

SCiMMiA

Thanks, Mega. That was mega-easy. I would have been pissed if my strakes didn't fall flush with the car when I tried to stick them. WTG, man!

Racer X-8

It's spelled Loctite.

Go to their website and enter 403 where it says "Search by Product Number".

Here is a search result for it. Lots of places to buy it online.

Bon apetite!

edit: Loctite is as common to sealants and adhesives in the industrial world as Peter Pan is to peanut butter. Check your local industrial supply store too!

payam

Another thing to mention for anyone who is planning on putting the front splash guards on, make sure you do the strakes first. I got my strakes for Christmas 2 days after I installed the splash guards and what a pain it was the get my arm to the back of the vents. The splash guards have adhesive strips on them so you can't remove them.

CoastalKT

Great job - thanks very much for the time and effort you took to post this info.

showRX7driveRX8

Thank you. That is a great price. I appreciate the detailed instructions. I am going to install them myself.

fietguy

great job and effort, all your time is appreciated by all members here...

sean80

hi ...i would like to know where can i purchase this strakes...cause i live in malaysia and only way is to order it to be ship to me.....any usefull websites?


thanks a million ...
:P

MEGAREDS

As noted, my strakes came from Rosenthal Mazda in the U.S. I would think an Asian supplier would be better for you... however, Rosenthal has an area on this Board, in the "Vendors Forum." You might go there and send them a personal message... they may be able to ship the strakes to you or perhaps direct you to a better source. The strakes are extremely light and are shipped in a very small box. Another U.S. supplier that seems to come well recommended is Trussville Mazda. They also have an area in the Vendor's Forum, and they also sell strakes.

Of course, you are a long way from the U.S. The only reason I would recommend Rosenthal or Trussville is that I know they are reliable sources. If they say they can do it, I would trust them to follow through. I'm not particularly optimistic, but then again sometimes exchange rates make these things work...

Goodluck.

adrian-1

Try http://www.jt-imports.com/Mazda_RX8_JDM_Parts.htm , they are based in Japan. Purchased my clear sidemarkers from them and shipping was cheap.

voon

Nice. Hey moderators, create a "Howto/Guides" section and move this there

racerdave

That's a good idea Voon!

Moderators, you listening? There are tons of DIY's out there on different topics. It'd be good to have them in one place, broken down my category (Perf, Electronics, etc)

Gonzo

Great stuff!!!

Thanks for the write-up.

I, Claudius

Just wanted to throw my belated two cents in on Megareds' strakes installation instructions. I'm an all-thumbs kind of guy, but his instructions were so clear and well-illustrated that I blasted through my own strakes installation in under two hours (folks with fewer than ten thumbs will probably be able to do it quicker). Thanks a lot, Megareds.

A couple of additional suggestions: as another poster has mentioned, when straight, the strakes should line up with the pattern on the vents as well as the paper pattern. I had a tough time with the little plastic pop-fasteners (or whatever they're called): They came out fine, but I had trouble getting them back in, and trashed two before I figured out how they work (and boy, did I feel stupid once I did). The little center piece should be all the way forward, and then you can pinch the five-sided "fan" assembly together so it goes through the hole easily. Then you can give the screw a little 1/8 turn; it spreads the little fan thingy out behind the hole and locks it. (Sorry for the lame instructions - hope it makes sense.)

I suspect this was obvious to most of you, but I have an adversary relationship with all inanimate objects.

MadMacz

Great instructions. When I installed my strakes I followed the packaged instructions as well as could be exptected. The only issue I had was with the placement (which holes to use for the screws). I played with them a bit and found the best placement (for my taste) and noticed that the lower strake didn't line up with the template (it was a bit low). I didn't want to move the strake up, so I cut the template in two and taped it to match the new position of the lower strake. Then I used the modified template when I installed the other side.

cortc

The instructions are correct, I followed them and they lined up perfectly. I tried your suggestion and the stakes do not space correctly, if you look at the grill from the side following the instructions splits it into three equal sections and it looks balanced. When I tried the other holes that you recommend they look disproportionate. The strakes lined up perfectly and they stuck right up to the body and the foam adhesive strip grabbed the body well.

cortc

Also the template does not line up because it is wrong, in that it is not to scale. It looks like the template is a photocopy which has a slight reduction to it, so it will not line up correctly. I just ignored the template once I had the stakes installed into the holes that the instructions called for I test fit it and then adjusted them to run parallel to the ground from a distance of about 12 feet. I then marked the spot they should be at with some tape, removed then tightened the screws as per specifications rechecked everything with one more test fit. I then removed the protective tape as per the instructions and installed the vent for the final time.

One other thing make sure to put some lock-tight on the screws before tightening the stakes to make sure they do not come loose.

310Guy

Good thread but I can't deny it, I had my installed by Mazdatrix for $40; total time waiting was less than an hour. :D

MEGAREDS

I looked into Mazdatrix, but the fuel costs were prohibitive...

cgrx

:D

310Guy

Too bad. They rock!