# @threepiece.us on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DdJXMfJG8PQ
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70274808-threepieceus-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/680baefa14.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-11T12:01:08.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** threepieceus (@threepiece.us) — https://gondola.cc/threepiece.us

## Caption

Nobody screenshots a Mazdaspeed3 listing. That's the entire reason it's still the cheapest path to 400whp with a warranty-era interior and four doors of grocery space. While the Evo/STI crowd argues over which tax bracket their badge belongs in, MS3 guys are quietly running 11s on a hatch they paid Civic money for.

Here's the order to do it in, because doing it out of order is how you end up with a $6k paperweight:

1. Rear motor mount. Before power, before wheels, before anything. The factory mount is a liquid-filled apology and it's why your car headbutts you in second gear. A solid or poly RMM transforms the chassis more than 40whp will.

2. HPFP cam lobe inspection. Gen1 cars especially — pull the valve cover and look at the fuel pump lobe before you touch a tune. Ten minutes now or a full top-end teardown later. Your call.

3. Turboback and a real tune. 3" downpipe, catback, AccessPort. That's most of the low-hanging power on the stock K04, and on E85 the stock turbo makes numbers that embarrass people who spent triple.

4. Cooling. The top-mount intercooler heat soaks in traffic and your logs will lie to you about it. FMIC or a serious TMIC upgrade before you chase timing.

5. Clutch and axles. 280whp will eat the stock disc, and the passenger axle is the one that goes. Buy the spare now — the "I'll do it next weekend" install is how you spend a Saturday discovering your press won't fit in your garage, followed by two trips to the parts store and one very expensive phone call to a shop.

The torque steer isn't a flaw to engineer out. It's the car telling you it's making power. Fix the mounts, keep the attitude.

Save this — future you at the parts counter will thank you.

#ThreePieceUS #Mazdaspeed3 #MS3 #MZRDISI #SleeperBuild #HotHatch #WheelFitment #Stance #JDM #CarBuyingGuide #UsedCarFinds

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 767
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 16

## Tags

sleeperbuild, carbuyingguide, stance, mzrdisi, usedcarfinds, threepieceus, mazdaspeed3, ms3, wheelfitment, jdm, hothatch

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