ItsJustBrenton's Protege 5 Introduction

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2003 Mazda Protege 5
Hey 'yo,

My name (If you hadn't guessed) is Brent, and I'm a new P5 owner from Winnipeg, MB.

Although I've had some...well...interesting cars through the ages, my '03 P5 is the first car I would call "sporty". From the go-kart handling to the growl of the acceptable but not exceptional FS-DE and the yellow paint job (Which was slightly tarnished by the sudden plethora of yellow Cavaliers I've noticed since owning this car) I've fallen head over heels for her. She's also my first manual car, which is certainly a milestone in my automotive pursuits.

I've had some experience modifying cars (That is, if you call upgrading a base model Intrepid to the specs of a fully loaded ES with Flowmaster faux dual exhaust and a black spoiler modification), but I'd to take my P5 to the next level. My main goals here are to make a few friends, learn more than a few things about the internal workings of cars and buy the necessary parts and knowledge to actually add boost to my car. Ideally I'd like to obtain all the parts required to turn my engine into an FS-DET clone and go from there, whether with stock parts or aftermarket substitutes that won't lead me to a blown engine or subpar performance. A lot of guys will say that 7 lbs of boost isn't really that much, but this car is my daily driver and frankly the roads around here are s***, to say nothing of our winters.

I'm looking forward to my time and exploits on this forum. See 'ya out there,

Brenton

P.S: What kind of intro doesn't have a pic of the car in question. Here's my baby in all her glory.

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A bit more info on my P5, both good and bad. (As I'm bored and awake)

- 140,000 km
- 5 speed manual
- Stock everything
- Cracked fog light - no biggie
- Belkin FM Transmitter for the Ipod

The car was previously though some sort of catastrophe that necessitated new floorboards. The dealership also threw in new suspension, brakes, a new clutch, hatch struts and a few other pieces. This worries me (I've been through enough lemons lately to be wary of such things. A Grand Am shouldn't last you 24 hours before the water pump goes in a spectacular display of green watery death) but so far she runs just fine. I've had some mechanically inclined friends look her over, and thankfully whatever damage was done has been undone enough for her to be reliable so far. Lets hope it stays that way.

Although I have yet to suffer from the rear wheel well rust that identifies most Protege hatches I come across, the car WAS previously keyed. Having a family that specializes in auto repair makes this a non-issue, but boy was I ticked when I took delivery and saw the piecemeal job the dealer did repairing it.

I do have an amplifier and a pair of "10 Kicker subs, but I'd like to break the subs out of the box they currently inhabit and keep one in the car and one as a spare. The sound system is hardly my main concern, though I'd do awful, awful things for a direct ipod hook-up somedays.

That about sums her up at the moment. Questions?
 
The sound system is hardly my main concern, though I'd do awful, awful things for a direct ipod hook-up somedays.

Car looks nice, but if you really want a direct iPod hook up just drop $120-$180 on an aftermarket stereo head unit and you'll never look back.
 
Welcome!
And if you're interested in a double din touch screen dvd playing headunit...i have one im interested in getting rid of :)
 
A lot of guys will say that 7 lbs of boost isn't really that much

7 psi isn't that much to people that are able to boost double digits without major modding or already have a higher baseline for power. For a 130hp motor, 7 psi is enough to spin tires and is definitely an upgrade coming from a NA setup. Just like people say 250-300 hp isn't a lot. But most of those guys are from the v8 crowd or maybe an evo or sti owner. Even that much is a lot for our cars and is hella fun. I don't know how much I have powerwise, but it is definitely fun. Be careful though, once you boost it, you will always want more.
 
Welcome!
And if you're interested in a double din touch screen dvd playing headunit...i have one im interested in getting rid of :)

The area I'm in at the moment isn't kind to those who have nice things, but if that changes I may hit you up.

Swag: True enough. That is the plan, but not a priority just yet. However, since my wipers are causing static when they're on and we just got a batch of wet snow it may happen sooner than later.

Spiced: Exactly. A turbo alone should make me happy, and the limitations of the FS are well documented on here. I don't intend to runthat mucch boost, but I'm sure a day will come when that changes.
 

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