MonoxideChild

nice follow through and update!

the mazda6's got the option in the 06+'s. im surprised they didnt just do it across the entire build line to save costs and not have to have different versions of the same part.

obviousely there is something causing the bolt to sheer. id take a closer look at everything else that belt runs. something is causing ALOT more drag on that pulley system then stock. possibly a bad a/c compressor or something like that.

yup. im a chassis brother. same thing in a different outfit. lol and the 2.3 is indeed a 4 cyl. thats why i said in my OP that i ended up going with the inline 4. and actually mazda did make a 2.3 v6. the old millercycle supercharged v6's in the millenia's were a 2.3.

a mustang knob will not fit. a Fusion uses the Mazda based 10x1.25 thread pitch. the mustang uses a 12x1.25. any knob mad for a mazda, or even a mitsubishi will fit your fusion. and id recommend the OEM mazda6 knob. its leather, with a nice chrome trim and available in a few different colors. otherwise theres the $20 DSM leather wrapped knob that all over ebay for sale.

this is fitting for me. i originally planned on purchasing the v6 MTX version, and after driving it. and then comparing it to a 4 cyl MTX they also had on the lot. i actually chose the i4 instead. which is surprising cause im usually all about speed. (considering i own 3 turbo cars even right now). that was back in 2006, and i couldnt be happier with my decision. specially after seeing all the engine issues the v6's have. lol

yea, i wouldnt worry about it. my mufflers are pressed up against the bumper, and have been like that since they were installed back in 2007. and ive done 14 hour straight road trips, and they havent done any damage to the bumper cover or paint.

ive been seeing the SHO Taurus cop cars locally for about 2 months now. they do look really sweet. hope i never get a better look at one though. lol

when it comes to suspension, the list is endless out there for the parts made for this chassis. id say since you dont want to lower it. id take a look at upgrading the rear sway bar 1st. the front strut tower bar really doesnt do that much on these cars.

nineball really covered it. they used to be a great battery, and the only one that id run. but they got bought out, and now are made over sea's. and just dont last. the last two i bought failed, and the last one didnt even last me a full year. ive since swapped all my cars over to Kinetic batteries. take a look at those if you want something similar to a optima. but will actually last.

its totally normal. a intake on most any car alot of times will have a whistle. its nothing to worry about at all. and if you dont like it. then definitly dont buy a Steeda throttle body spacer also. cause that makes it 3 times worse.

im sure people are intrested. just dont have that kind of cash handy. that is a very nice kit though!

the stock wiring is more then capable of handling the common 35w HID kits. if your going to run the 55w kit, then it might be cheap insurance to run a relay though. even though id probably still be too lazy myself. lol

all speed6's came with factory 18's actually. the regular mazda6's came on 17's most of the time though. but even those regualr n/a 17's clear the speed6 brakes just fine.

for actual light output, you really cant compare the two. i know the silverstars i had in my 6 before i installed my HID's werent really an upgrade from the stock bulbs that were in the car when i bought it. i was actually let down after spending so much on them at the time. and then i ended up buying a set of HID for even cheaper then the Silverstars cost. lol

keep in mind a ton of braces sold for the mazda6 will fit on the fusion also. and you can really go overboard with suspension stuff. im on Ksport coil overs Racing beat rear sway bar Steeda front sway bar GTspec trailling links Streetunit trunk brace JDMgoodie front strut tower bar Racing beat front and rear end links Steeda X brace Megan H brace KMR rear 4 point chassis brace and sadly im probably forgetting stuff. lol

looks great! a big improvement over stock. id have your friend hit the little bit of chrome on the lower section. as it sticks out now with the rest all paint matched.

welcome to the forum! love to see more Locals!

looks good!

ive been running the Mazdaspeed6 fronts for a bit over a year on the stock rear's, and it didnt effect the braking balance noticeably. but am planning on upgrading to the speed rears at some point. but its not for the added braking ill get. im 100% happy where im at with just the speed fronts. but i want the larger rear speed rotor mainly just to fill my 18in wheels a bit more for a better visual impact. ive actually upgraded the brake set ups on all 3 of my cars. my 97 626 is running my OEM brakes off my mazda6 which are a 1.8 inch upgrade, then 98+ 626 rear brakes, which are 1.2 larger. then my 1992 ford probe GT turbo has Wilwood superlight 4 piston brakes on the front. but with the stock rears as there are no upgrades for those cars rears.

listing the location always helps also.

looks like a fusion on steelies.. doesnt resemble a cop car at all. specially with the tinted corners. lol

the factory harness on the fusion can handle HID's just fine. so its not really needed.

i have a stubby antenna i got off ebay. im actually on my 2nd one now. they work pretty good. reception is slightly less then it was with the full length antenna. but not enough to make me care enough to swap back to the huge stocker. lol

^ thats really common around me also. i think a specific tint shop must do it as ive seen it a few different times. cept there doing it on the outside of the window. which isnt that noticeable unless your up close. then it looks like they circled the back window in pin striping. lol