Welcome to the family, make sure to post some pics soon
If you wanted a reliable DD, the MSP should do the trick, but you may encounter some common issues along the way. First and foremost, the stock LSD is notorious for blowing up so take it easy off the line. Don't expect to be able to dump the clutch and roast the tires all the way through 1st more than a couple times, cuz that differential WILL break. With that said, if (or when) it does break replace it with a new OEM welded LSD (welds are just for added strength, nothing like welding the spider gears on many RWD applications) or a forged MFactory helical LSD and you won't have any more problems with it.
2nd thing to look out for is overboosting and oil loss. The stock FS-DE is weak, many have blown them up even at stock boost (which is supposed to be 6-7 psi) but then others have gotten away with running 12-15 psi for years without any issues. Weak rods and poor oil delivery are the main culprits of engine failure (result in hole in the block or spun bearings) so keep a close eye on that oil dipstick. A boost gauge would also be a wise investment just to make sure you don't overboost due to a failed WGA, which is also pretty common after some time.
3rd is going to be the EGR. Since you don't live in the north this may not become an issue, but if you start experiencing an erratic idle and stumbling then the first thing to check should be the EGR. They are notorious for getting gunked up and seizing, so they get left open and cause a huge vacuum leak at idle. There's a how-to for cleaning them on the forum but they're only $30 or so new so I would just replace it if it becomes an issue.
Other than that it's just your standard maintenance and such. The stock LSD, rods, and lubrication system are the weakest points of the car so try not to launch too hard, don't crank up the boost and make sure it doesn't go up due to faulty parts, and check your oil at every fillup. With those in mind, you should have a nice DD that should last you a while.
Oh and one last thing. You may become very familiar with "the clunk" and "the turkey" real soon. The clunk is a clunking/squeaking that comes from the rear swaybar bushings and the turkey is a gobble sound that comes from the stock BPV. The clunk can be fixed by relocating the bushing mounting points and upgrading to greasable bushings using a "clunk-fix kit" (there's a
group buy going on right now in the marketplace) and the turkey can be killed by upgrading to hardpipes and running a
dual BPV/BOV setup or just simply venting the BOV (the latter requires you relocate the MAF from the intake to the coldpipe after the BOV).
Anyway, that about covers the main points of the history of the MSP. If the mod bug does bite you, which it probably will based on your previous cars, check this thread for ideas.
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...mods-for-a-daily-driven-MSP-quot-Guide-Thread
This car was made for handling and won't ever be a drag monster so keep that in mind. The greatest mods are those that make the already ridiculous handing even better. I would suggest engine mount inserts, urethane exhaust hangers, and shifter bushings to start out with.. it's a great place to start and it will just make everything feel so much better through every shift.
Enjoy.
