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Showcase cover image for DrFeelGoods 2004 Mazda 6 Wagon - "Mozz-D"

General Information

Name
- Mozz-D
Year
- 2004
Make
- Mazda
Model
- 6 wagon
Color
- Performance White - A2N
Packages
- security and luxury
History
- Purchased July 2013 with 126,000 mi.for half of low blue book.
2004 Mazda 6s wagon with sport 5-speed automatic

Upgrades:
Racing Beat front springs - 70020
King Lowering rear springs - KMRL-27
Mazdaspeed front sway bar (27.5 mm)
Steeda rear sway bar (22.5 mm)
Steeda front upper strut bar (1-piece) - 555-5720
Megan Racing front lower chassis brace - SB-HBM6
Speedline rear floor chassis bar - M0099-02GG
Mazda RX8 18" wheels
Mazdaspeed 6 front (320mm) and rear (314mm) brakes slotted by Power Stop
Power Stop Z23 Brake Pads
StopTech stainless steel brake lines
Mazdaspeed 6 heated/folding side view mirrors
Mazda front air dam - 0000-86-H01
Mazda sport front grill - GM9A-50-710A-UK
Mazda lower fog lights - 0000-8Z-H01A
Mazda rear spoiler - GM9E-51-960B-UK
Mazda rear splash guards - 0000-88-H02
Mazda side window visors (JDM) - G21B-V4-530
Mazda clear rear tail lights - 0000-8Z-H02A (wagon)
Mazda sport exhaust tips - 0000-8R-H02
Compass auto dimming mirror with Homelink - 0000-8C-H07
Mazda rear bumper step plate - 0000-8T-H01
Mazda cargo tray - 0000-8B-H06
Mazda cargo net - 0000-8K-H02
Mazda carpet floor mats - 0000-8B-H04-A3
Mazda Integrated Fog Lamp Conversion to LED DRL (Switched, Protogé 5)
Window Tint (20% Rear side and tail, 30% Front side)
Full Interior LED lighting Conversion
Shark-fin Antennae Conversion (color matched)
Dual nitrogen hood dampers
Engine Compartment LED Work-light
Over-head Ambient Lighting (Audi A6)


Check Out My Profile for More Useful Links and Information

Modifications

Drivetrain
- 3.0L DOHC MZI 24-valve V6 engine
Sport AT 5-speed automatic transmission
Interior
- Beige Perforated Leather
Exterior
- Mazda: air dam, sport grill, side window visor, rear spoiler, rear splash guards, sport exhaust tip, and rear bumper step protector
Audio
- OEM 7-speaker with spare tire sub-woofer
Lighting
- Morimoto Mini H1 8.0 Bi-xenon 5000K
- Morimoto Mini 7.0 LED fog 5000K
Exhaust
- OEM
Suspension
- Lowered 20mm
- Racing Beat front springs (+20% rate) - 70020
- King Lowering rear springs (+30% rate) - KMRL-27
- Mazdaspeed front sway bar (27.5 mm)
- Steeda front strut bar (1-piece) - 555-5720
- Steeda rear sway bar (22.5 mm) - 555-1058
- Megan Racing front lower chassis brace - SB-HBM6
- Speedline rear floor chassis bar - M0099-02GG
Wheel and Tire
- Mazda RX8 18"
- Micheline Pilot Sport All Season 4 - 225/45ZR18

Gallery

Comments

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Hi Dr Feelgood, I love your 6 wagon. I also bought Rx8 rims. Could you tell me what paint you used for those rims?
Greets Ruben
Thanks for the kind words.
The wheels are painted with Duplicolor Wheel Paint in the color graphite. It is sprayed over Duplicolor wheel primer in grey and covered with Duplicolor wheel clear to produce a satin sheen. Not quite gloss although it is a gloss paint.
I did have to roll the front part of the rear wheel wells a tiny bit to avoid contact when weighted and cornering.
Send a pic when done.
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
I suppose this makes as good a place as any to add bits about my build progress over the years.

Purchased in 2013 we added a 2004 Mazda 6 s wagon to our fleet of cars (2002 Honda Accord MTX and 1994 Corolla wagon MTX). The vehicle was purchased for a very low price but needed some significant exhaust work with no fewer than eight codes (that were unknown at the time due to a disabled check engine light)


238205

238206

238207


Disabled MIL (check engine light)
238208
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
First order of business was to correct the P0421 and P0431 codes.



Noticing the upper right corner (behind the alternator) has some exhaust scorching on the head (which was heard as a leak when cold) I decided to look closer.



Yes, that is a broken stud and it is below the manifold mating surface...in an aluminum head...ugh.

Let The Drilling Begin.

20hrs of blind drilling later (could not see the point to drill and the stud break was at an angle so the bit kept wandering towards the aluminum)
Drill for 1-2 seconds, take a picture, see what was removed and adjust, drill, picture, check, repeat 168 times (how many pics were takes)



Victory!!



New OEM hardware and and manifold/catalysts installed.

It was beyond necessary because the old ones were pulverized.





Last thing to do was replace the spark plugs and ignition coils to make sure I don't have to do THAT job again any time soon...(More on this later)

 
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· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Next on the list was to replace the transmission fluid. I decided to drain and refill (3x) with Mobil 1 Multi Vehicle formula. The shifts between 2nd and 3rd were really quite hard (undoubtedly magnified by having 3 torn motor mounts)

With shifting dramatically improved it was time to move on to the dampers. I decided (mostly due to limited funds) to replace front and rear positions with KYB GR2 units.

Installation was pretty straight forward with the rears shocks being a bit of a puzzle challenge when removing. A little (read a lot) of patience later they slipped out without having to loosen or take anything else off and were refreshed.

Next up was the fan controller. Both of the fans were coming to a full speed roar after turning the engine off and would remain there at a deafening max speed for 1-2 min. While this may be okay for a Formula 1 paddock after a session of hot labs it was not okay for the parking stall at the grocery store. Thirty dollars later the problem was solved.
 
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· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
On the the annoying bit...the headliner. It decided to start falling in the rear and along the side but when it fell on my head it was time to do something.

So out it comes.


A trip to the local fabric store. With enough tan material to do the job and two cans of heat resistant adhesive spray . I was sporting a nice taught headliner.



Since I am here, maybe I will try and add a little ambient lighting. Using the overhead console I drilled two holes out to match the pattern of an OEM unit I stripped out of an Audi A6 earlier.




The lights operate off 12v and put out the same red color as the original Mazda light scheme.

 
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· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Continuing with correcting the unknown service history of a used car I decided to replace the remaining fluids. This meant fresh power steering and brake fluids.

Having the brakes off meant I could geek out a bit and add the first little bits of "personalization" to this machine. Being a huge fan of the Brembo Gold that was supplied with some Subaru STI vehicles I decided to try it with the Performance White color scheme of the Mazda.
238223

238224

238225
238226


Not too bad IMO.
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Well, summer is now over and it is starting to get pretty dark early up here north of the 45th parallel so I decide to upgrade the lighting a bit. After reading on the forum about changes that can be made to the OEM halogen projectors to allow them to accommodate HID with reduced glare I decide to make the switch.

My choice at the time is to go with a DDM slimline kit and 4500K bulbs running at 55w.
238227

238228

238230
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
More Codes...ARRRGG!
P0300, P0301, P0302, P0304 and the car wont drive past 40 MPH.

Well, remember how I didn't want to do the exhaust again...well...here we are again.

It turns out that all that material that dissolved from the upstream manifolds went downstream and contributed to the clogging of the downstream cats. This created excessive backpressure causing a misfire and killing the upstream cats...again.

This time I have nice new manifold studs and everything has been broken free and anti-seized so the replacement was fairly easy, just expensive.

I decide to do it all.
New manifolds, new downstream catalysts, new oxygen sensors, new plugs (damaged due to temp changes in cylinder).



Okay, NOW were are talking! The car has never felt more powerful and robust than it does right now. Hill that I was climbing in 2nd are now being climbed in 4th and No More Pinging!

Lesson learned.


Deciding to clean things up a bit more I pull the crank and cam position sensors to clean them.

238237


Now the idle is even smoother. It just keeps getting better and better. I am falling in love.
 
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· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Another Code, this time a P0455, whew, that should be an easy one. A quick search on 6club results with the advice to replace the gas cap with an OEM version. I take the advice and code cleared.

Time to move on to bigger items since it looks like this car might stick around a while.

SUSPENSION

With the front end cluncking and creaking over every bump I make the decision to replace all the control arms. Right about this time I am thanking my stars for not living in the "rust belt". Not because of the geography or even the politics but rather because I dread dealing with rusted suspension.

I use this opportunity to make a little upgrade. Racing Beat wagon specific Springs (#70020). I click the button and the order is placed.

238238


Everything Goes in and I drop it down to see my handy work...

238239


WAIT! it seems awfully low in the rear. Turns out the front lowered 20mm but the rear went down 40mm...how can that be?

Turns out that I ended up ordering a 70018 spring (sedan). When I clicked add to cart the web page defaulted to the only set that was current being offered and that was the set for the v6 sedan. The wagon springs had been discontinued and I didn't realize at the time...or later for that matter. Sigh.
Stock height was just under 27" from center to fender.


238241


A little trip over to the Ford Fusion (CD3) forum gave me the idea to add a spacer.
238242


Adding a poly spacer on the bottom and top gives me an extra 3/4" and it is almost perfect.

238240



The problem is the spring is not heavy enough to handle the extra weight on back and I am hitting bump stops regularly... wish I hadn't cut them like Racing Beat suggested.
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
I gotta figure this spring thing out. No one in the States is making a spring that increases rate without lowering excessively. What is excessive in a Mazda 6? Well, with the massive front overhang it really doesn't take much.

Finally, a supplier. King spring out of Australia. It's on the other side of the planet but it should work. They are promising a rate increase of 30%.
238243


Not much taller but a bit thicker.


Here they go in and while I am there may as well add a little rear sway bar.
238244


Steeda supplied the rear 22.5mm sway bar originally intended for the Mk1 Ford Fusion FWD. Here it is with Racing Beat end links compared with the OEM 18mm bar.
I decided to add a greasable urethane bushing from Energy Suspension to make maintenance easier.
It's a perfect fit, except for....


238245


...end link spring contact.

238246


Nothing a haxsaw can't fix...for now. Should have ordered adjustable end-links.
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Time to upgrade the front sway bar.
I decide on a unit from Whiteline Racing (24mm), again out of Australia. I had great luck with this brand when upgrading the Corolla wagon so I figured I would give it a try.
Found a cheap unit on ebay and had it delivered for $75 USD.
238247


Hmmm, looks different but it is specified for this vehicle.

238248


Oh oh, CONTACT!.

Turns out it is for the JDM version that never came with a V6. Later comparisons will reveal compatibility with the 2006-2007 V6 because the exhaust runs under the cross member on those vehicles.

I opt for the Steeda bar because the online pics show it has a center bend and is a reasonable size at 26mm.

Oops again, as it turns out the bend is at a different angle than what I need. Even though it is from a V6 fusion the Ford car has the exhaust under the cross-member like the facelift" Mazda 6 (06-07)
Steeda Fusion Front Bar on 2004 Mazda 6 v6.
238249


Better, but still contacts. I'm done. Dropping the sub-frame is tiring and I am demoralized. Put the stock back in and move on to other things for now.
 
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· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
As luck would have it @Sydtron offered me a Megan H brace that he never got around to installing.






So I bolted it on and was pleasantly surprised. Immediately I noticed that backing out of my driveway and turning full lock as I dropped off the cement pad onto the gravel, no dashboard popping.
Some of the movement has returned but generally the turn-in sensitivity is improved.
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Now I am on a kick. Since that free-to-me bar was such a pleasant surprise, what else could there be. I realize a massive shortcoming with thelongtop is the lack of torsional rigisitydue to the rear gate. My corolla wagon (AE102) popped all the panel rivets from the rear as a result of suspension stiffening. Don't want that again.
After a recommendation that I also add a rear floor bar by Sure I started looking around. I was not prepared to pay what Sure was asking (miser at heart) I found a rear floor bar at thespeedline.com for a fraction of the price.

238304



Since I value the floor space in a wagon I had to make some modifications to allow the most seamless fit. All the plastic as cut out of the floor area where pictured by the red rectangle.
I have not noticed any significant loss of function or strength and the wagon retains its full utility.

238305


238306


Yah, that will do.

238307
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
One problem that I have had with this car from the beginning is lack of adequate indicating lights.
There is no way to tell I am indicating to turn if viewed from the side. From the front, there is a bright amber light, highly visible. From the rear there is a bright red bulb in the same housing with another bright red bulb. With the brakes on it is almost impossible to tell I am indicating to turn when approaching from the rear.

Gotta change that.
After looking at pics of the overseas Atenza I realize the side turn indicator is the exact same one used in the Mazda 2, 3 and 5.

Pen
238308



Tape
238309


Rotary Tool
238310



Repeater
238311
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Now for the rear lamps.
My need was projected out onto the ether and was answered by a fell 6club user @kiwiatenza

We made a swap. His JDM lamps for my USDM versions.
One of the plugs was different but we both included them and a quick re-pinning was all it took to plug and play
238312


Side by side.
238313

238314


That is much better.
238315


The good man also included his badging for fun.
I couldn't resist, and since it technically is an S model
238316
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
Right around this time my interior cloth seat was coming apart. I happened to have two wagons that showed in my local salvage so I went to take a look.

SCORE!
238317


I was also able to grab the leather door cards and center arm rest.
238318


Since the new seats had heaters (in addition to power adjust and side airbags) I decided to take the harness and switches as well.
A little work with my trusty rotary tool and they are in.
238319


The cloth seats are the most comfortable I have ever had. I really miss them.
The leather seats sit higher and generally don't fit my 6'6" frame as well, but I still have plenty of headroom in my non-moonroof car and can still drive fr hours with the added lumbar adjustment.

I also grabbed the curtain bags and sensors/computer but that will have to be added later.
238320
 

· Rally Racer
2004 Mazda 6s Wagon ATX
Joined
·
5,186 Posts
While perusing craigslist I came across a seller offering 4 RX8 wheels for $25 ea. Well...okay...I'll take them.



Let the restoration process begin.


Gee, those brakes look small. I have a plan for that too.

Here we are with a set of BFGoodrich g-force comp-2 A/S in 225/45ZR18
 

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