Thorough Review of JBR and Their Parts

[jbmazda6]

I decided to do a review of Jamie, his company, and his parts because I feel that it is necessary after everything he’s done for me and because of how great his company is. This review is meant to be unbiased. If there are any questions about anything I’ve said or just JBR in general just post below and I’ll reply with an answer that should meet or exceed your expectations. Thank you again Jamie for sponsoring me and I look forward to our future endeavors.

Justin


Jbmazda6 and JBR’s Relationship:

The first time I heard of jamesbaroneracing.com was after purchasing my speed6 back in mid-2011. His short shift plate was something I wanted from the get go. After reading reviews and finding more out about JBR I knew I wanted to do business with him. I was a broke kid going into college with a car payment, though, so money was tight and I was in a small ricer phase. A dual port BPV was one of my first mods. With JBR on my radar I moved on with life.

A month or two after purchasing the speed6 I got to meet the man himself, James Barone (a.k.a. Sweet Baby James… I mean Jamie). It was at an engine/turbo swap in the STL area. Jamie showed up in his speed3 with the wrinkle coated wheels that everyone went nuts over. I introduced myself and we had a couple quick chats and I learned a little about JBR and soon realized that Jamie was dedicated to pleasing his customers and only putting out great products. I was even more sure that I would be buying a JBR part as soon as I could after that meeting.

Jump to 2012 and my first JBR mod came in the mail, shifter bushings. Even though I bought them used off someone I knew that JBR was top notch in terms of quality after inspecting and installing them. The fit was perfect and the instructions matched in terms of quality. A little while later in the year I acquired a JBR short shift plate off the for sale section here. It was an un-adjustable first edition that a guy threw in with the coilovers I bought off him. Again the quality, fitment, and instructions were all top notch with this product. Initial impressions of JBR are now fantastic in all aspects.

Now it’s January 2013 and the speed6 is being an epic douche. My clutch line got a massive bubble in it and needed to be replaced.. the day before I was supposed to go back to college after winter break. Fuckmeright.jpeg. So I have the car sitting at the dealer because I didn’t know what was wrong initially and wanted it to be there in case there were more problems as I still had a warranty on the engine. The clutch line gets replaced and I have my parents bring it back to their house for it to just sit until I get back. This is when not being able to have the car for a few months turns into a good thing. Jamie sends me a message saying that if I wanted to I could give my car to him while I’m at school and it’s just sitting in my parents driveway so he can test fit some parts and take some measurements and in return I would have a JBR sponsorship. This was a win-win for both parties so why would I say no? Especially because it’s JBR, the first Mazdaspeed aftermarket parts company to give me a hard on.

While Jamie had the car he did more than just take measurements, test fit, and install parts of his on the car (listed below with reviews). He did a full look over of the car and recommended replacing the front endlinks and clutch master cylinder. I’m sure there are also a few things that he just fixed without even mentioning as well. For him to take the time to do those things when it wasn’t even his car and he wasn’t even getting paid to do so is just a top notch quality for a human being. After I got the car back I acquired hpfp internals, front endlinks, and the master cylinder. He helped find a weekend during the summer to come back to JBR HQ and help with those installs even though he is incredibly busy with so many other things, just Jamie being a stand-up guy yet again. That is the story of JBR and I up to this point without going into too much detail. I hope that our relationship continues to grow as well as JBR in general. Speaking of JBR growing, congrats again on the new HQ! I can’t wait to see it sometime soon.

TL;DR Met Jamie, liked his parts, has an amazing company.


Review of Jamie*:

As I have mentioned a few times in this post already, Jamie is a great guy. From responding to emails to having a conversation on the phone it is always enjoyable and I feel well informed afterwards. He’s not going to bullshit you or sell, let alone release, a part that is not safe, well made, and thoroughly tested. Jamie’s an all around great guy with a passion for making great parts.


Review of JBR*:

Some people may think JBR is mainly just Jamie creating, testing, and selling these parts but I know for a fact that there is so much more to JBR. I won’t go into detail but the other people, such as Jamie’s wife, have contributed to the success and expansion of JBR. They are both reasons that I personally love JBR and will stand by their products.
Another reason to love JBR is that his parts come with installation instructions that are quite detailed and include pictures that actually help you figure out what to do! JBR also has a great lifetime warranty.

*For examples of why I think JBR and Jamie are great just read through the previous section “Jbmazda6 and JBR’s Relationship”.


Now that I have expressed my opinion of JBR I’ll move onto reviewing the parts I currently have installed. These reviews may seem repetitive after reading others but I promise you that it is my own opinion and thoughts on the parts. This thread is also being made so all of JBR’s parts can be reviewed in one spot by an unbiased person. All parts reviewed are installed on a 2006 Mazdaspeed6.

I will provide links to the specific part that I have in each review as well as my thoughts on the product. Here are a few links that I thought would be necessary as well before I begin.

Main Site: James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
Instructions Page: Support : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/James...05338262883639
MSF Page: JAMES BARONE RACING - Mazdaspeed Forums


Part Reviews:

• Short Ram Intake: JBR Power Path Stage I Short Ram Intake [MS6-0607-PPI-S1] - $170.00 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  An intake is one of the first modifications people do to their cars. It was one of my first as well. I would suggest getting the Stage II which is the Intake and Turbo Inlet combined into one order (cheaper) but for the purpose of reviews I’m separating the two. This particular intake is the same size as stock at the maf (2.67”) and does not throw a cel. Stratified tuning supplies OTS (Off The Shelf) maps for JBR’s intake systems and they are fantastic. That is one of the main reasons to get JBR’s intake. After coming from a different intake on a few different OTS maps I can tell you for a fact that this one is much better. I don’t knock nearly as much and I make more power and it’s more consistent. The quality is great as well. The silicone is plenty thick and fitment is top notch as usual. Install is also a breeze and JBR supplies fantastic T-bolt clamps with this product. This intake also completely changes the sound from stock. You can finally here the turbo spool and the by-pass valve release air back into the turbo inlet. Also, I forgot to mention that the filter is great as well, and still clean and looking good after ~7000 miles and you don’t have to oil it! A must buy from the JBR line of parts.
  
  
• Turbo Inlet: DISI Turbo Inlet Pipe Black [MS6-TIP-BLK] - $165.00 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  The turbo inlet matches the intake in terms of quality and fitment. The silicone is the same thickness as the intake and also comes with T-bolt clamps. I previously had a metal inlet pipe and it was LOUD! This turbo inlet gives you a nice sound when the turbo spools up as well as when the by-pass valve dumps back into the inlet. I personally think it’s a great compromise between being able to hear the turbo and it being too loud. Just an overall great sound. The install is also easy if you’ve turned a wrench before. If you’re getting an intake you should just get the inlet while you’re at it. It’s completely worth it. It also gives the engine bay a cleaner look.
  
  
• Boost Tubes and Bypass Valve Hose: Mazdaspeed 6 (06' - 07') : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  Even though these do not give a performance upgrade they sure do clean up the engine bay. It also gives you a chance to personalize your engine bay. The silicone is also great quality on these as well.
  
  
• Transmission Motor Mount (70 duro): Transmission Side Motor Mount 70a Durometer [MS6-TMM-70] - $175.00 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  WOW! What a modification. It has been one of my favorites but also the only one that has multiple cons. Let me start with the pros. Again, quality and fitment exceeded my expectations and the mount is still in great shape after ~7000 miles. The sound is intoxicating as well by giving the car a slight whine during acceleration. This sound is quite loud when it is first installed but settles down after about 500 miles. It also firmed up the transmission, I haven’t missed a gear in a while. I decided to go with the 70 durometer as I didn’t want the car to be extremely loud or harsh vibrations wise. I believe the 70 duro is the perfect compromise of adding stiffness and keeping a daily driver tolerable to drive. Now onto the cons. This mount makes the driver’s side mirror pretty much useless at highway speeds and around 3000 rpm. It also is hard for me to get the car moving with little vibrations. This could also be due to the fact that I have an aftermarket clutch. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and experience with this mount. Others may vary so read more reviews if you’re curious! Overall I wouldn’t give this modification up. Like I said, it IS one of my favorites and I would suggest it to anyone that enjoys modding their car.
  
  
• Passenger Motor Mount (70 duro): Passenger Side Motor Mount 70a Durometer [MS6PMM70] - $175.00 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  I will start this review by saying again that fitment and quality was perfect. I decided to go with the 70 durometer here as well because of the same reason stated above, I wanted the car to still be a good dd. This part does just that and a little more. This mount decreases the amount the engine moves while seemingly DECREASING the vibes added by the transmission mount. I’m not quite sure how that even happened, I’m just glad it did! This mount paired with the transmission mount does increase engine noise quite a bit. I personally like the sound and think that it adds to the cars personality. This part is a must have if you’re thinking about buying the transmission mount for the speed6 or just need to upgrade your passenger mount.
  
  
• Solid Shifter Bushings: Solid Shifter Bushings 06'-07' [MS6SSB] - $25.00 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  Ahhhh memories, my first JBR modification. There’s not much to be said about these other than they do stiffen up the plastic shift cage from the stock rubber configuration. The fitment and quality is also great with these.
  
  
• Adjustable Short Shifter: Stage 1: Black Adjustable Short Shift Plate Kit [MS6SSP-BLK-S1] - $80.00 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  This is a modification that every person has noticed when they sit in the driver’s seat. Not one person has disliked the shorter throw and that includes me. I currently have it set to reduce throw the least amount possible because I like a bit of a longer throw but the shortest setting works just as well and it is very easy to change. This part is also one of the easiest to install as well. The only problem I’ve had while having this part on my car is the shifter cable popping off the metal ball head attached to the short shifter. I think that it’s mainly a problem with my stock shifter cable and shifting too hard into second (popped off both times shifting hard into second). Other than that this part has been fantastic and I recommend it to anyone that wants to give a positive change to the car. This part combined with the solid shifter bushings and a JBR knob is definitely a combo that should never be overlooked and should be at the top of every person’s mod list on this site.
  
  
• Knob: Spherical Series™ : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  I currently have the spherical heavy shift knob from JBR. There is also a cylindrical heavy shift knob available. I encountered this knob after having a lightweight shift knob for a few months. The difference was drastic and I much preferred the heavy weight knob with a light shift weight. Rowing through the gears is smooth and precise and doesn’t take much effort at all. I like the spherical series so I can palm the top when I’m just cruising around town and it is also comfortable holding it from the side as well with the Kritz O-rings installed. One of my complaints with this knob was that it was harsh on my hand when I was being aggressive through the gears but the Kritz O-rings completely deleted that problem. Both knobs have a great metal feel with the signature JBR wrinkle powder coat as well. Built to last! Like I mentioned above, this is a great modification to add on to the short shifter or just to have with the stock setup.
  
  
• Accessport Mount: COBB AccessPort Mount MS6 [COBBMNT] - $50.00 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  Quality! This is a great upgrade from my plastic windshield mount and really cleans up the interior look of the car. Not much else to say about it other than it’s definitely worth purchasing.
  
  
• Wheel Spacers: Mazdaspeed 6 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  I installed these on the car because I didn’t like how tucked my stock wheels looked after lowering the car. They put the wheels right where I wanted them and gave the car a bit better look overall. Make sure to check and recheck the lug nuts on these a few times right after you install them and every couple of days just to be safe. I personally did not have any problems with the lug nuts coming undone at all.
  
  
• License Plate Frames: Get Mounted! License Plate Frame [GM-PLATE-FRAME] - $4.85 : James Barone Racing, Custom Fabrication
  
  These are just awesome, period. <3

For reference here is a list of the other parts I have installed:
-AWR Rear Motor Mount (Switching to JBR asap)
-Test Pipe
-HPFP Internals
-Turbosmart BPV
-H&R Coilovers
-Accessport
-ACT Clutch and Flywheel

Current picture of the engine bay with all the JBR goodness attached.



Thank you for reading through this and post up if you have any questions or comments. I will update this whenever I get the chance to.

Justin

[jm211]

I do really want to jump on those side mounts but my wife drives the car too and doesnt like the rmm to begin with, or the exhaust, or the forge v1, or the intake/tip. LOL.

Eh, ill order anyways....

[Raider]

Originally Posted by jm211 I do really want to jump on those side mounts but my wife drives the car too and doesnt like the rmm to begin with, or the exhaust, or the forge v1, or the intake/tip. LOL. Eh, ill order anyways....

Sounds like me wife, except when I went from JBR RMM and TRZ Trans mount to JBR TMM/PM/RMM highest duro for all, she liked it a lot better. Vibes were reduced a LOT. Then when I got springs installed, rode softer overall, it's not a constant bitchfest about my car when we take it out.

[Raymond]

Great review man.

Even though I only have his intake+TIP I still absolutely love it. I also agree on the sound part, it's just perfect for sleeper style. Silent when cruising or accelarating slowly, and nice and sexy when WOT. Not too loud, just perfect. Fitment, material and manufacturing, it's all top notch. Then adding the Stratified OTS maps with the intake and you have a super combo. It's just win+win+win+win IMO.

And yeah, even though I've never met him personally, I know enough to say the man behind the products is just as great.

[Gametime421]

the first thing I bought for mine was the JBR stage 2 power path short ram.....I love it....great quality ,,easy install, big change. I couldn't believe I waited so long to do it....