I'm looking at a used 05 Brilliant Black Grand Touring 6MT and the original owner installed the Mazdaspeed rear bumper instead of the stock one after a minor rear bumper bender. He said he didn't want to wait for the stock one to get painted and so he stuck the MS one on at the dealer.

The rest of this car is completely stock with no additional side or front aero parts or spoiler.

After much looking, I found a pic on this site that the owner had installed the MS rear without any side kits and uploaded it. I think his car is a work in progress though.

Am I the ownly one who think it looks ridiculous? The MS rear alone doesn't match anything else on the car and is completely unbalanced hanging lower than the sides with the gray lip matching nothing else.

I was looking at a few options:

1) Take off MS and have stock rear bumper put on.
2) Leave MS and add MS sides.
3) Leave MS and add appearance pkg. sides.
4) Leave MS and add appearance pkg. side and front.
5) Leave it alone.

Will mixing MS rear and appearance sides look dumb too? Haven't seen any pics of that.

Thanks for any opinions or suggestions!

 

gotta add a front too... so i say #4. i've seen it done, front air damn, side aero flares, and ms rear. it was on a gray, dont remember though, cuz i saw it in person. wasnt a pic online. looks better than just ms rear though.

 

Just add the rest of the MS kit.

 

Hey I"m the guy who has that set up, whats up Ngo. I,m also fom Rowlanc heights, I see from time to time. Yea, I have the MS rear I had painted all titanium, no grey lip along with the air dam and aero flares with 18" black volks and MS shocks and springs. The areo flares do match the MS rear!! I say #4 or go with MS side skirts up to you. I dont like the stock rear. Looks unfinshed

 

yo, dude. yea met you once on the streets.

CarAndDriver, search sheba's posts, there are some pics.

 

Exactly.
Looks strange the way it is now.

 

Thanks for the replies so far. I'd look for the MS kit but I don't think the front end is for me.

Good to know the side aero flares do look and fit with the MS rear though. I'm thinking thats the way to go. Also thinking of having the gray lip of the MS rear painted.

 

I found the pics where an owner did option 4, adding the appearance package, front and side. https://www.rx8club.com/west-rx-8-forum-34/finally-pictures-91934/

Thanks for the pointers.

 

yea that's sheba's ride.

 

i say complete the kit!!

 

One option would be to put on the MS sides and add the front air dam. Then you would have the consistency all the way around. I personally am not too keen on the MS front end....

 

I'm not too keen on the MS front end either.

 

I say option 1, so you and I can trade rear bumpers + I'll give you cash. My rear bumper has the rotary emblem and the rear apperance package. With the rest of the cash you can get yourself the side and front apperance package and yes I have a BB rx8

 

hey caranddriver glad you like it. The aero flares do go with the MS rear and as you see I also paited the grey part and made it all one color. If you do that to the black one That will be the ****! Then I believe you and I would be the only ones with that set up! Yea Ngo, like you said. Thats Sheba's ride!!

 

Did you paint it yourself? Or did you have a shop do it? How much was it btw?

Thanks!

 

I had the shop who installed it paint it. As you know, you or they will have to cut a certain amount of the black plastic bumper inorder to install it. I had it shipped to the auto body from mazda and thats when I made the decision to paint it. Since I didn't do the skirts or the nose,it made no sence on having the back grey.

 

Totally agree about the grey lip. It would stick out on a lighter cars especially if there were no other matching parts.

 

are you set on what your going to do? plus are you going to add a spolier?

 

I think I will add the side aero flares and keep the MS rear. I might add the front air dam.

I probably won't add a wing, but a trunk lip spoiler might be sharp.

 

That will Look cool! You have to post pic when you have it. Plus, I believe you will be the only guy with that set up!Thats the way to go!!!

 

Are side aero flares hard to install? I didn't find a lot of threads on them. I am trying to drill as little as possible and I think one drill hole is required in inner wheelwell or rear tires.

 

Just get the rest of the mazdaspeed stuff and be done with it. You cant beat it.

 

Is this MS rear bumper all one peice? If so its a replica.

-hS

 

hey im wondering if you were located in nor cal? cause i saw a black 8 at menlo mazda doing some service work with only the rear mazdaspeed lip while i was having an oil change.

 

Well I am purchasing the side aero flares instead of the MS skirts, still have the authentic MS rear. I may keep it after seeing what the side aero flares look like stuck on with some temporary tape. If I do keep it, I will have the whole MS rear repainted brilliant black.