There are people who frown upon buying a car that’s already been built by someone else, but they’re missing the point. By taking on such a project, they’re giving the car a continued life—a process that still requires the challenge of making it their own. A perfect example is Yongjie Tan’s widebody 2018 Mazda 3 hatchback from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yongjie inherited his friend’s already-built widebody MZ3, embracing the opportunity to continue the car’s journey and transform it into something uniquely his.
We got to talk to Yongjie briefly about his widebody MZ3.
Yongjie, what led you to own the MZ3? Is this your first car? Did you have something different before?
“This Mazda 3 was sold to me by a friend of mine. I bought it over because he had already built a widebody for it and found it nicely built; thus, I bought it over. Previously, I was driving a Honda City.”
So what inspired your modifications and styling?
“Through the internet, such as Instagram, MazdaFitment TikTok, and Facebook, I was given the idea to build it slowly the way I wanted.”
The widebody looks great on the car. How was the custom widebody made?
“It was done by my friend at his shop. Puzzle Bodykit.”
What would you say was the biggest challenge in modifying the Mazda 3?
“To get the proper fitment when installing air suspension.”
We are curious about the car scene in Malaysia. Are people into stance and low style?
“In Malaysia, the majority of car enthusiasts go for performance modifications instead. But there are several people playing air sus too. Like the car team I’m in, SFS garage, which also stands for Stance Fitment Style.”
Lastly, is anyone you want to thank or shout out to for help with the car?
“I’d like to shout out to my friend who built this car previously and sold it to me. And, of course, thank you to everyone in SFS Garage for guiding me through this journey.”
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