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Over the next few months you’ll see some exterior and interior lighting upgrades with some of our projects, including the Supra, E46 M3 and of course this Mazda MPV, all of which we ordered from Sparkplugs.com.
Sparkplugs.com doesn’t just sell sparkplugs at the best prices, they also carry K&N filters, a variety of DIY mechanic’s supplies like lit glasses and heavy duty gloves, and they even just recently took on Race Ramps (more on that in the future).
Sparkplugs.com also sells a lot of exterior and interior lighting for most makes. It carries the Halo Automotive lighting brand from Japan, which offers a plethora of replacement HID and LED bulbs. Another brand they sell, Perde, offers high quality headlight replacement bulbs.
#1: REPLACE THE TIRES
All aspects of the car’s performance end with the tires. You can have all the power in the world, the best suspension, and the biggest brakes. If the tires aren’t up to par, the performance will not be there. Having a good set of tires is probably the single most important upgrade on a car, and for our MPV we chose Michelin Pilot 3 All Seasons.
The third iteration of the Michelin Pilot 3 A/S (all-season) is Michelin’s ultra high-performance member of the Pilot tire family. It was developed for the drivers of high-end sports cars, sporty coupes, and sedans looking for the total, year-round performance.
The tires feature Michelin’s Helio compound with its Extreme Silica technology to increase traction at low temps, and on wet roads. Its asymmetric pattern was inspired by the Michelin Pilot Super Sport and, while you see a 4-rib design here, the larger widths can feature up to a 6-rib design. These patterns are made to compliment the width, featuring more rubber with higher rigidity on the outboard shoulder to provide more lateral grip, rivaling some summer tires in the dry.
With such wide grooves, this tire has also reportedly been proven to be one of the best in its category when it comes to hydroplaning resistance.
By itself, a 225/55-17 Michelin Pilot AS3 weighs in at 25.5-lb.
#2: GET A NICE SET OF WHEELS
New wheels can greatly enhance the appearance of any car, let alone an older one. However, if you find a nice set that weigh less than the set you are replacing, the reduced, rolling and unsprung weight will also improve handling, braking and acceleration.
The Koesi K4R wheel is stylish and ridiculously light, making it one of the best bang-for-your-buck wheels out there. We got ours through Modified by KC.
