I just finished adding some piano black glossy sticker behind the steering wheel buttons. Fitment is crap but I like the look (makes the wheel feel less dated imo) so I'm going to do it again, hopefully better this time.

You can also see the same sticker on the center console over the silver parts which were horribly worn (wip) as well as the suede steering wheel cover and the shift **** from a ford sportKA.

I'm also toying with the idea of replacing the shift boot with a 3D printed shiftgate and putting an aluminium ring around the mazda emblem om the steering wheel.

 

Piano black ashtray cover

 

The suede on the wheel looks good. I need to do mine as the leather is falling apart

 

It feels very nice as well. I got it from seller LQTENLEO on aliexpress. It took me about an hour to stitch it but it was well worth the effort.

I had the matte inserts behind the buttons as well as new buttons (the old oned were worn out) and I wanted piano black so I got a used steering wheel off ebay. The leather on that one was pretty good but I still like the suede better.

 

I think I'm going to paint the interior trim black and get the suede wheel cover from East Detailing with the red stripe and stitching, then do a matching black suede shift boot with red stitching and finally match it up to the Mazdaspeed black leather shift **** with red stitching. Do you think that would be too little red stitching as the rest of the interior doesn't have it? I've also seen red stitched suede armrest covers.

Did you add double sticky tape to the inside of the suede to hole it on better? I'm afraid it might move around and bunch up.

 

Just remember to clean it often with a special cleaner, or it will absorb the grease and sweat on your hands in short order. They look and feel terrible after that. I have seen neglected suede/Alcantara on Camaro 1LE models, which comes with suede/Alcantara steering wheel, shifter, and seats. Very nasty if not regularly maintained. Sonax makes a good cleaner for suede/Alcantara.

Also, yes, some people will call you posers, but wearing driving gloves also help with prolonging the life of the suede/Alcantara.

 

Yes. The old leather was quite beat up so I wasn't too hesitant to do that. I even added some contact adhesive on the edges so that I have no edges peeling out.

 

I've had success restoring that rubberized plastic finish as found on the ashtray cover in a BMW using Plastidip (one of the few applications of an otherwise abused product that doesn't look like garbage IMO). Remove the cover (like you do). Peel off the original coating completely (anything left behind will be excruciatingly obvious and horrible looking). Then get a black spray can, mask off whatever doesn't want to be rubberized and black, and go to town. Easy peasy. In the BMW, it was a close enough match to the factory shade of black that I couldn't see any difference and just went with it. I'm a perfectionist, and it wasn't an expensive part, so if it was anything other than a perfect match, I would have just swapped it out. I'm fairly certain it's the same deal here.

 

My passenger airbag cover is covered with plastidip. It is a bit glossier than the rest of the dash and the color is a bit warmer. See picture above.

The ashtray was quite beat up, and when I tried to remove the glue you can see on the first picture, I damaged the "leather" texture. The part wasn't expensive but I wanted to see how close I could get to the radio's piano black. After a week of trial, error and elbow grease I can say it's pretty close.

 

3D printed rotary key (needs some polish)

 

So is this just a door opener key?

I would think all RX-8's require an ignition chip to start the car along with a cut key. I mean, my current Mazda3 is from the same time period as an RX-8 and it needs a programmed ignition key to crank the car.

Or you would have to attach the ignition chip either somewhere else on the key ring or in the centre of that rotor (not sure if it will fit). That means taking the original key apart.

 

The transponder chip is small. You can get them cheap on ebay and have them prohrammed by your local keysmith (there's a thread somewhere that says how to do that yourself if you have two original keys)

I planned to put it on the top rotor recess but it's too far from the receiver so I'll print another copy with the key on the side rotor recess. (I dremeled it out now just for testing)

 

Couldn't you use a programmable keyfob and use the key as normal?



I'd love a spirit r red key instead of the generic blade key.
Rotor key looks the part though!

 

You still need that transponder chip for the immobiliser. The switchblade has both the remote control board and the transponder key AFAIK.

 

That makes sense and yes, FORScan has the capability to program an extra key with the Extended license provided if you still have your original key. I wish I had checked that before asking a locksmith to make a duplicate key for my Mazda3. Oh well.

Add the key fob posted below and yeah, you can retain most of the original functionalities.

The key fob only locks and unlocks the doors, along with opening the trunk and sounding the alarm. It doesn't tell your car to start the engine.

On my old Honda Accord, if you don't have the right ignition chip in your key, a green key indicator will light up in the gauge. It will still crank, but the fuel system relies on the ignition chip in your key giving it the go so your car won't "catch" and actually start. I haven't tried it with Mazda's to see exactly what happens, but you basically can't start the car without that programmed ignition chip.

My Mazda3 has the key and fob separate, while I think RX-8 without the Smart Entry has the switchblade and Smart Entry cars have the card key.

 

On the 8 the key/car symbol flashes rapidly and the car does not crank at all without the transponder. However after starting you can take the transponder away and the car still runs.

 

But I do remember my Series 2 w/Smart Entry flashing the security light ocasionally at me if the car is running but cannot detect an ignition chip. The car will keep running, but it is just a bit of an annoyance.

I dunno if cars w/o Smart Entry do the same thing.