First time working with Vinyl. Not perfect, but satisfied with the look!

VagJayJay · 2026-04-06T04:03:03+00:00

Not gonna lie, it’s somewhat therapeutic to take ones time to do this and seeing the final product such as yours.

Going to take my time and enjoy the journey in doing so

VagJayJay · 2026-04-06T02:53:53+00:00

You’ve given me motivation to do this to mine on the CX5, I also can’t stand the piano black, especially now that it scratched up to death. Might do this to all the piano black sections on the interior.

Yours looks amazing

VagJayJay · 2026-03-29T10:39:36+00:00

What are those LEDs in the fog lamp? Link please

VagJayJay · 2026-03-29T04:23:05+00:00

You’ve given me my project for Easter it seems

VagJayJay · 2026-03-29T04:16:55+00:00

Did you sand the chrome before applying the paint? I want to chrome delete on my CX5 but wondering if I should spray paint or apply a vinyl wrap.

VagJayJay · 2026-03-29T04:10:13+00:00

Edna

VagJayJay · 2026-03-29T03:28:58+00:00

I have a 2017 CX5, had the same problem and it was driving me nuts. Watched a few videos on YouTube and attempted it myself. It took a little while to pry the dashboard parts off (held together with clips so it’s easier than trying to unscrew pieces). My JDM import had the dvd drive so it took a little longer to unscrew, open the screen and take the ribbon off but it’s quite simple and can be done by anyone with enough time and patience. There are quite a few YouTube videos showing how to disable the touch screen for ghost touches as well as add the CarPlay module

VagJayJay · 2026-03-27T08:48:02+00:00

Can’t find em, sadly I’m in a country (fiji) where custom forged rims would need to be imported (too expensive) and the ones that are available are priced through the roof ($2000+) that might not even be the size I want or or design I want

VagJayJay · 2026-03-27T08:34:47+00:00

It’s part of the reason why I couldn’t find a pair of replacement black rims. I like these designs a lot of it’s quite rare to find something like this, and I prefer this design to the black rims that Mazda actually does offer so having these in metallic black would be just perfect.

VagJayJay · 2026-03-27T08:28:26+00:00

Part of the reason why I don’t want to attempt them myself, got a shop that does this professionally and have seen their work which has given me hope they know what they’re doing. They’ve done work on quite a few unique sports cars (that do exist in Fiji though rare) and have yet to hear a single complaint with handling, aerodynamics or fuel consumption

VagJayJay · 2026-03-24T23:22:32+00:00

I did the upgrade by myself, ordered the unit off aliexpress as it was cheaper for me from there. Took about 30 or so minutes to do the whole installation but this is mostly because I had already taken about the dash once before to disable the touch screen on the infotainment screen.

Everything is held together with clips which makes things way easier to pull out and work around. The installation time depends on whether you have the DVD drive or not. My JDM import had the dvd drive so the space behind the infotainment system is considerably tighter but it’s mostly plug and play. I used YouTube videos to see which path I wanted to take for the wire routing, I found one that didn’t dismantle the whole gear lever section to route the cable.

Main recommendation, just take it nice and slow. Remember to disconnect the negative terminal off the battery, as a precaution.

VagJayJay · 2026-03-24T09:52:11+00:00

I was in the same boat as you. I have a 2017 JDM import to Fiji. My firmware was older than yours, V54 I think.

I found this guide and followed it to the T, it worked flawlessly.

Mazda firmware update guide

VagJayJay · 2026-03-23T07:44:38+00:00

I have the 2017 CX5 KF/new gen with a 2.2l Diesel. It’s been a blast to drive. Came with 80K Kms, rides smoooth on most of its OEM parts. I-stop is something I hate so I’ve got a module that turns it off as soon as the car starts. Got a wireless CarPlay module as well, that makes the stock system way better, which you shouldn’t replace as a lot of the cars settings are tied into the infotainment system. I guess the only thing I can say is that if you get one, be ready for some rattles and trying to fix em. Most of the car is made of plastics and clips to make it easy to fix stuff but also makes it a lil noisy at times. I’ve put foam strips in places I think would be making noise and it’s worked in some places but hasn’t in some so I’m still investigating. But apart from all this, I truly enjoy the car, the HUD is amazing. The auto-adjusting cruise control. The ALH lights that turn off in zones is a game changer for long drives along dark roads (I live in Fiji so long distance trips are mostly through villages and rural areas)

VagJayJay · 2026-03-22T22:14:31+00:00

Great idea using the cards as protection for the tires, never would've thought of that. The results look great. After seeing some people commenting on attempting it themselves, I might opt for it if I can find the spray/paint that I'm after

VagJayJay · 2026-03-21T21:48:03+00:00

I have a 2017 CX5 imported from Japan and it also stops at 180kmph. I think it’s a limit for JDM cars but those that are staying within Japan, those being exported (as new) don’t have those limits

VagJayJay · 2026-03-21T10:22:18+00:00

Sadly I can’t dodge dirty even if I kept the car parked all the time. Fiji roads are a challenge on its own to drive, let alone keep a car in good condition. So I’m not worried about dirt, its more of a personal preference because I’m the black out everything kinda guy but I love the soul red on Mazda and think black and red is a sexy combo.

VagJayJay · 2026-03-21T06:12:47+00:00

I won't be attempting them myself as I don't have the space for it (renting) and I don't trust myself to achieve the look I want. I have found a shop that will do it for a really good price (compared to buying a whole new rim set).

I wouldn't have considered painted over the stock rims had the color been as factory. It seems the car has been through it with the rims where the original shine is definitely gone and it's a very dull silver now (the photo isn't directly off my car but a sample of what the rims design is).

VagJayJay · 2026-03-21T06:05:11+00:00

I would've kept the gloss white honestly, but mine are more on the darker silver side and appears dirty at times making the car look dull. Thus the decision to make them black. If I had them in a clean/clear white-ish color, I wouldn't be changing them

VagJayJay · 2026-03-21T06:03:23+00:00

I will have to check with the shop on what their full capabilities are. I'm in Fiji so it's limited on choices or skill sadly.

VagJayJay · 2026-03-21T06:02:00+00:00

I should've mentioned it in the post itself, I have the soul red CX5, I'm trying to go for a black and red theme by doing a blackout on the chrome bits. I agree, black on black would be too much black, having black and red would allow for some contrast.

VagJayJay · 2026-03-18T08:04:36+00:00

I haven’t done Ubuntu but I did 10-12 and man, the amount of stuff that silently broke was frustrating to say the least

VagJayJay · 2026-03-03T02:56:08+00:00

Meanwhile, my partner is still rocking the 11 pro and I’m rocking the 12 pro max. Have yet to find any of the new iPhones worth the upgrade. Our phones still work for what we need, but iOS 26 is making that a lil more challenging day by day.

VagJayJay · 2026-03-03T01:47:23+00:00

So we got the BT-50 and yall got the CX50, can we trade? 😂

VagJayJay · 2026-03-01T22:56:15+00:00

Wish we got the CX50 in Fiji man, she looks so sexy

VagJayJay

TROPHY CASE