Phase III - JDM Clear Corners

Now that we’re riding on some of the most kickin wheels in the universe some thing wasn’t right. The USDM RX8 comes with the ugly amber colored side markers. To stay true to our JDM passion we ordered a set of clear side markers from Mazda of Japan. These arrived sometime thereafter wrapped up in brown packing paper baring the Mazda factory sticker written in Japanese. The lights came complete with orange bulb and harness. Aside from the obvious difference in color, the JDM version has a more sculpted look and feel that is subtle enough to go unnoticed but still leave the untrained eye to say, “Something about yours is different from mine.”

The installation can be done by a drunken baboon with a philips head screwdriver. Seriously, it was that easy. First thing to do is turn the steering wheel away from the side your working on. This exposes the front of the fender well and allows easier access to the light. On the inside of the fender well where the fender and bumper panels sandwich the side marker use the screwdriver to take out the only screw holding them in place. Next with gentle but firm pressure pop the side marker out while pushing in the plastic retainer clip on the back of the light. Once it pops out, the wiring harness is exposed and you can see where the bulb fits into the light housing. Turn the bulb socket to release it and pull the socket reveling the stock clear bulb.

Now swap the clear bulb for the orange one and put the socket into the back of the JDM side marker. At this point it’s always a good idea to test the bulb to make sure it lights up before you reinstall the side marker. Once that’s done install the light front first and snap it into place. Make sure that the hole lines up for the screw on the backside and screw it in. That’s it. Total install time takes about 6 minutes a side.

At night time the bulbs have a stealth look as only half the marker lights up giving the impression of a smaller profile light. For those that want the whole side marker to illuminate, just separate the light shells and remove the plastic divider near the bulb before installation. Once done the clear corners flow more with the lines of the car and blend in to the Titanium colored fenders. And that “oh yeah” JDMness has begun. One thing we noticed while we were working in the front fenders is the unsightly gap between the fender and our 19s. Clearly our work had only started, and we began to paw over pamphlets of suspension pieces.