The 2016 Miata is Finally Here!
There is no official word on the engine, weight, or other specs yet, so we will just leave these photos here.
Dear Car Guy – Don’t be a Jerk, Let’s get to Work
Dear Car Guy,
Hoping this finds you well and enjoying the late night rides with your “baby”, feeling the power beneath you and in your hands as you find your favorite spot to drive. Nothing like a late night summer drive to clear the mind and invoke positive vibes.
I’ve been well and learning more and more about how to connect with those same positive vibes while working. As you may know, I work in the customer service department. It’s like choosing to work in the missing baggage claim area, or being the person who empties porta-potties, you’re bound to catch some crap and unhappiness each day.
What’s nice about my job is I am the decision maker; there is no “manager” above me. Anyone who has a warranty claim or complaint knows they’re dealing directly with the person who will be making the decisions and coming to a mutually reasonable resolution. It’s more often than not that we do come to a mutually beneficial resolution, because I’ve been given permission to take care of our customers.
Now, in dealing with car companies, I know there are a lot of Car Guy’s that have horrific experiences, where a company has zero desire to take care of them or work through issues, so when they come to me with guns blazing and fists raised, I realize this is just from their past experiences.
I just wanted to take the time to tell you, that we’re a reasonable company and we know we’re not perfect, BUT we’re always willing to help. We’re always willing to work towards a solution, and we’re always going to get back to you.
So when you call, Car Guy, know that if I don’t pick up, you’ll hear from me that day. When you email, know that you’ll get a reply within that same day. When I say I’ll call you back, you will be receiving a call back. When you ask a question, we are always willing to find the answer.
I hope you can understand our side of things a little better now, but just a heads up: As a standard, our company values its employees, and realizes that mental health and emotional well-being are more important than making a few bucks.
For whatever reason, I have experienced some people that just want to spread hate, and ill will. A burned out LED bulb is not worth being yelled at, cursed at, or being a personal punching bag for an angry Car Guy. This would make sense if we were a company that didn’t at least attempt and DESIRE to solve the problems as quickly as possible. We will always try out hardest to take care of those people, because we understand that sometimes it’s just a bad day, or you’ve been put through the ringer by other companies before, but if necessary, I have been giving permission to “fire you”.
What does it mean to be fired as a customer?
Ex: Angry Car Guy calls us and decides to yell, curse and/or throw a tantrum while I am trying to help. I reserve the right to hang up on you and 86 you as a customer. When you threaten us with personal insults and call us amazingly unoriginal names, and I am on the verge of tears, it just isn’t worth it anymore to try and be polite back. We will end the call, and move on with our days. We are here to help, not be the scape goats for your bad day.
Put your fists away, put the guns down, and come at me with a positive mindset, knowing that I’m going to do anything and everything I can to get you taken care of. I’ll be in contact with you consistently to let you know what we need, and what we’re doing. If at any point you have questions, call me up and I’ll let you know what I’m working on.
I am a customer service specialist. Yes, by nature this job isn’t going to be the most amazing all the time. Sometimes we have fallen short as a company and it’s my part to fix it and make your experience a more pleasant one. I am just hoping that, after reading this, you will know that we are here to help, and that we know that we’re not perfect. Give a chance to make it a better experience, refrain from yelling (because honestly it makes me cry sometimes), and know that we’re doing everything we can to get you taken care of as soon as possible.
Until next time, stay fast, stay safe, and stay happy!
– Kim@CorkSport
Dear Car Guy – Tell Me What You Want
Dear Car Guy,
It’s been a while my friend. I hope this finds you well and enjoying the midsummer heat, hot nights, car shows, and scantily clad women that July and August tends to provide.
Over on our end of things, it’s been hot and busy! Keeping up with your requests has kept a smile on my face though. From a simple request for a drawing on the box, to the silly requests like sending livestock, “surprise me”, or simply “make me smile when I open this up”, it’s been a lot of fun and a good break to my day.
It got me thinking though, some of you get surprised without a request, others of you send them in as notes on your order, and still yet others will shoot a quick email saying you’d love to see what we at CorkSport can come up with.
So here I am, writing to you, sharing a few of my past favorite requests:
Though we can’t honor all requests, we certainly try our best! Whether you want us to build you a sling shot, a lizard drawing on your box, or simply request us to send you the strangest thing we can find in our desk… we love the personal aspect that we get to attach to your orders!
Often our best requests come from the comment field in order notes. Feel free to list notes, jokes, or requests in this box here:
So remember to feel free to request some drawings, or silly things, it breaks up the monotony and gives you (and us) a smile! Hope all stays well Car Guy! Until next time, stay fast, stay safe, and stay happy!
-K
Product Release – Camshafts for DISI MZR Motor –
Mazdaspeed Camshafts for DISI MZR Motor
After two years of testing, design and research, CorkSport is proud to announce the release of our Mazdaspeed Camshafts for the 2007 – 2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and the 2006 – 2007 Mazdaspeed 6. Specifically designed around the MZR DISI engine platform, this camshaft set is engineered to reliably provide an increase of power and torque without sacrificing lower rpm power and torque.
Dyno Test of CorkSport Cams -vs- OEM Cams
The cams have been thoroughly tested on our in-house Dyno Dynamics Dynamometer. Controlling test conditions to rule out power differences from tune, gas, temperatures, and other factors our camshaft set produces dyno proven power gains of up to 26 horsepower on a OEM motor! We accomplished our goal; a large band of power increase, limited lower rpm power loss, and a smooth idle.
We regularly beta test our products with customers. These cams have already been daily driven and track proven by multiple cars.
Camshaft! What the heck is that? We break it down for you in our whitepaper and give you the gory details about our development process.
Order your CorkSport Camshaft Kit today – Click Here
The perfect upgrade for every 2007 – 2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and 2007 – 2009 Mazdaspeed 6 owners that wants to fine tune their motor to perfection.
Customer Collaboration – Adjustable Short Shifter & Shifter Bushings
If I were to make a list of OEM parts that I dislike, in the number one spot would be the shifter. I hate feeling like I am stirring a large pot of soup when I am putting my car into gear. Any auto enthusiast wants a solid shift when they are driving.
When I was given the opportunity to test out the Corksport short throw shifter, I was so excited. Not only was I testing for a high quality company, but I was finally able to get rid of the sloppiness from my OEM shifter. The install went smooth, it was the first time I have installed a short shifter on my own, but it was a piece of cake with the step by step instructions that came with it.
Once it was installed my car felt so much different. The shift felt smoother, and much more solid than the stock shifter my car had in it. Not only am I able to adjust the length of the throw but I can adjust the height, which comes in handy since every driver is different and will have a different on throw and height.
With the short throw shifter alone it took 85-90% of the slip from my shifter, but there was still that slight movement when I pushed the shifter into gear, especially when shifting aggressively. Being as picky as I am it did frustrate me – so when Rich contacted me to see if I wanted to test out some shifter bushings my eyes lit up like the fourth of July. Of course I said yes, and the install took all of 15 minutes. The bushings took the remaining movement out of the shifter and I am SO happy with the quality of the parts that Corksport sent me.
I am honestly happy that I received the short shifter prior to receiving the shifter bushings instead of installing them together. Now I know what part changes what movement in the shifter. I can definitely say that pairing these two products together in your car is in your best interest and that each part does have a dramatic change. These products are well worth their money and I would recommend them to any car fiend that is looking for a more responsive and solid feeling shift.
Kaylee
Don’t have an adjustable shifter yet? Check them out: Mazdaspeed or Skyactive.