Oh yeah. I felt the same way once I finally fixed my strut that was knocking over every bump. It felt like I had a new car for a moment. I feel that way about every fix for my car. If I end up getting my rotors turned, I know I'll wanna keep my car. For maybe a week. Ha
Another P5 on a College Budget....Meet Ozzie
- Thread starter esnave09
- Start date
Well I have an update. With a lack of luck selling Ozzie, I'm starting to think about keeping him and running him until he dies. I'll keep most of my tax money in savings, and then put in the money to repair the couple of issues that I have right now (motor mounts and brake rotors). I want to say that my squeaking has gone away, but then again my music has been loud lately so I wouldn't notice unless it got a lot worse. I'll try and listen for it tonight. And my rust is only getting worse. I might just have to cut and weld in a new panel. Maybe that'll be where my tax money goes.
Another reason that I'm thinking about keeping it is for the surprising stability in the snow. We just had a blizzard and got 7 inches of snow here (with a good .25-inch of ice underneath) and I ended up delivering all day from the start of the blizzard when snow was melting on contact. I know a lot of it is the snow tires, but even with my engine hopping when the wheels spin I was still one of the fastest cars on the road that night (I did get honked at once for passing a Chevy Equinox, not sorry about it). Once I get the motor mounts fixed it'll ride a lot nicer, but I'm not sure if I want to tackle them myself with chunks of my old tires or get them done at Tires Plus.
Then again, GRADUATION GOGGLES! I sadly am struggling to decide what car to get, but the market is always changing. I did find a Speed6 that I liked until I found out that it has almost as many miles as my car. So sadly it defeats the purpose of getting a newer car, but it would be so sweet to get that car! I also found an MSP that the owner is claiming as reliable, even though he's rebuilt the tranny (7k miles ago) and engine (he got it with a bad head gasket), and he's throwing in a built engine (forged pistons), a turbo header, and oil/water pumps, as well as a pulled engine with a spun rod bearing. However, he does mention the rust that is starting to pop through. It only has 100k miles on it, so it is pretty tempting...Aside from those, it's been basically Scion tC's and Hondas (all stick shifts, of course).
Another reason that I'm thinking about keeping it is for the surprising stability in the snow. We just had a blizzard and got 7 inches of snow here (with a good .25-inch of ice underneath) and I ended up delivering all day from the start of the blizzard when snow was melting on contact. I know a lot of it is the snow tires, but even with my engine hopping when the wheels spin I was still one of the fastest cars on the road that night (I did get honked at once for passing a Chevy Equinox, not sorry about it). Once I get the motor mounts fixed it'll ride a lot nicer, but I'm not sure if I want to tackle them myself with chunks of my old tires or get them done at Tires Plus.
Then again, GRADUATION GOGGLES! I sadly am struggling to decide what car to get, but the market is always changing. I did find a Speed6 that I liked until I found out that it has almost as many miles as my car. So sadly it defeats the purpose of getting a newer car, but it would be so sweet to get that car! I also found an MSP that the owner is claiming as reliable, even though he's rebuilt the tranny (7k miles ago) and engine (he got it with a bad head gasket), and he's throwing in a built engine (forged pistons), a turbo header, and oil/water pumps, as well as a pulled engine with a spun rod bearing. However, he does mention the rust that is starting to pop through. It only has 100k miles on it, so it is pretty tempting...Aside from those, it's been basically Scion tC's and Hondas (all stick shifts, of course).
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
In all honesty, if you go to do the mounts, all but the rear are quite easy. Window weld. That's what a few folks used that I read up on. When I did the rear mount, the hardest part was taking the little bracket for the engine harness wires off. I think CS sells the front and rear mount inserts as a pack for $50?
If you do look at the MS3/6, have a look at this thread: (herp derp) goes for anything with the MZR engine. I was mental about any work done when I thought I could pick one up a few months back. I love the MSP but not sure about reliability. That's your call there. Hopefully someone who has one can tell you the pros and cons about owning one. I thought about (a lot of things) trying to pick up an MSP turbo kit for my P5 but then I figured I'd save for something that's nicer. I know that on the MS3/6s that are in my local Mazda group, a few have had issues at 108k miles with what is assumed to be the oil pump. Spun bearings and what not. So if that's a common thing, keep that in mind if you go to pick one up.
If you do look at the MS3/6, have a look at this thread: (herp derp) goes for anything with the MZR engine. I was mental about any work done when I thought I could pick one up a few months back. I love the MSP but not sure about reliability. That's your call there. Hopefully someone who has one can tell you the pros and cons about owning one. I thought about (a lot of things) trying to pick up an MSP turbo kit for my P5 but then I figured I'd save for something that's nicer. I know that on the MS3/6s that are in my local Mazda group, a few have had issues at 108k miles with what is assumed to be the oil pump. Spun bearings and what not. So if that's a common thing, keep that in mind if you go to pick one up.
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Yeah I guess the window weld works, but don't you have to take off the mounts completely to get that done? I sadly don't have time to do that (I have Wednesday off, but I have a bunch of other stuff to do, and that is my first time I've had lab time available to me when I don't work in over a month). I'll definitely have Tires Plus put in the rear mount, but I'm debating whether or not to take the time to do the other ones myself or not. How long do I have to leave them drying with the window weld? I could probs find a thread, but if I have to take out the motor mount itself I don't think I'll have time. Maybe I'll actually take the time over spring break to do work on Ozzie, since it's gonna be in the 30s all week (heat wave, compared to January).
On a somewhat plus side, the MS6 sold, so I don't have to worry about all the MZR issues (even tho I didn't get to see your thread you PMed). I am looking at a G35 right now, decent miles, 6-speed stick. Not super loaded up, but it's a limo compared to these cars. I'm hesitant to be delivering with it, especially in the winter. Partially with a rear-drive and not quite having the money to get snow tires right away, partly because it's not the best on gas. And I'd be constantly flooring it to have fun. Not much else new.
On a somewhat plus side, the MS6 sold, so I don't have to worry about all the MZR issues (even tho I didn't get to see your thread you PMed). I am looking at a G35 right now, decent miles, 6-speed stick. Not super loaded up, but it's a limo compared to these cars. I'm hesitant to be delivering with it, especially in the winter. Partially with a rear-drive and not quite having the money to get snow tires right away, partly because it's not the best on gas. And I'd be constantly flooring it to have fun. Not much else new.
Well, I seem to have finalized my plans for spring break, and they seem to be that I am going home Friday to Wednesday. This will ultimately mean that I will do a lot of work on my car. All my tools will go home with me, plus I'll have my parent's tools available (if they aren't packed away yet - in the process of packing up to move). Also, with my parents moving and downsizing, I might get extra tools they don't want! My mom told me to look through some of her first husband's tools (which I have yet to do) and my dad is usually generous with me using/borrowing his tools, but hopefully they'll give me some since they're trying to get a smaller house (3 of 4 kids are in college now, and a 3600 square-foot house doesn't make sense for them).
Apparently it's gonna be in the 40s and 50s for spring break, so it'll be great weather for being outside! And it's not supposed to rain at all, so I'll probably get in a lot of work and a lot of bike rides (hopefully). My hope is to fill the motor mounts (except the rear; that will hopefully happen before break) and to fix my rust. I'm planning to try the rust removal myself, but I still have a bit of research to do. I'll probably stop into a few parts stores and get advice, and maybe my dad will help while I'm home (doubtful, but we'll see). I honestly don't know how this will go, but I'm hoping it'll at least look temporarily look better than it does now.
The motor mounts shouldn't be that bad though. I just need to lift the engine on my jack a bit (where the engine and trans meet, not the oil pan), fill all around the mount ring thingy, and let it sit for a few hours, right? Maybe it's not that simple....
Also, I might try and work on my brakes if I get time, which I should have since I'll have to let the bondo and stuff dry. And I'll redo the plastidip on my rims. In the meantime in-between time, I have some parts to order!
Apparently it's gonna be in the 40s and 50s for spring break, so it'll be great weather for being outside! And it's not supposed to rain at all, so I'll probably get in a lot of work and a lot of bike rides (hopefully). My hope is to fill the motor mounts (except the rear; that will hopefully happen before break) and to fix my rust. I'm planning to try the rust removal myself, but I still have a bit of research to do. I'll probably stop into a few parts stores and get advice, and maybe my dad will help while I'm home (doubtful, but we'll see). I honestly don't know how this will go, but I'm hoping it'll at least look temporarily look better than it does now.
The motor mounts shouldn't be that bad though. I just need to lift the engine on my jack a bit (where the engine and trans meet, not the oil pan), fill all around the mount ring thingy, and let it sit for a few hours, right? Maybe it's not that simple....
Also, I might try and work on my brakes if I get time, which I should have since I'll have to let the bondo and stuff dry. And I'll redo the plastidip on my rims. In the meantime in-between time, I have some parts to order!
Yesterday marks one year of me having Ozzie, as well as what I'm calling his 12th birthday! He spent the whole day at Tires Plus getting the rear motor mount replaced, and now the exhaust is sounding a lot better. However, they messed up my steering more and now my steering wheel once again is turned quite a bit to the right when I'm going straight. This was particularly annoying, because I discovered it when I got on the highway to drive 2.5 hours home in high crosswinds that had made the roads slick in many spots. I found myself all over the road even worse than I was with my coworker's Elantra when I was delivering last night.
Anyways, I had plans to fix my rust while I was home, and those have been derailed. I looked at the rust and on my driver's side quarter panel it has separated a portion of the panel. It looks really bad, and you can see my finger through the hole in there.
Also, the drive home tore off a huge portion of paint on the passenger side, so it looks terrible right now.
So I will probably have to take Ozzie into a body shop or to a welder of some sort. I honestly don't think that this will be something that I can handle myself, and I don't want to start it and find out that I can't finish it.
So unless someone can talk me into fixing the rust, nothing is going to get done while I'm home. I am in the middle of a battle as to whether or not I want to keep or sell Ozzie, simply because of the amount of work still to be done. It's going to be either I fix the rust and keep my car, or I sell it as-is at a huge loss and hope that my next car needs ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Well, except some mods to make it mine.
I've learned my lesson and am going to get whatever car it is inspected BEFORE I buy it, unlike with this car.
Anyways, I had plans to fix my rust while I was home, and those have been derailed. I looked at the rust and on my driver's side quarter panel it has separated a portion of the panel. It looks really bad, and you can see my finger through the hole in there.
Also, the drive home tore off a huge portion of paint on the passenger side, so it looks terrible right now.
So I will probably have to take Ozzie into a body shop or to a welder of some sort. I honestly don't think that this will be something that I can handle myself, and I don't want to start it and find out that I can't finish it.
So unless someone can talk me into fixing the rust, nothing is going to get done while I'm home. I am in the middle of a battle as to whether or not I want to keep or sell Ozzie, simply because of the amount of work still to be done. It's going to be either I fix the rust and keep my car, or I sell it as-is at a huge loss and hope that my next car needs ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Well, except some mods to make it mine.
I've learned my lesson and am going to get whatever car it is inspected BEFORE I buy it, unlike with this car.
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
You know how much the dogleg costs... buy and remove your panel, then take to body shop to install new one. rustproof all the old stuff so it won't come back! I'm going to keep mine until it dies as I know that I won't get near what I want for it. Rust on mine isn't as bad as yours, but mine's been written off so resale if someone looks will be near the low end of the spectrum.
That would be awesome if we could do that! I was gonna start calling around to shops to see who would do that. I have zero experience doing bodywork, so I'll take any help I can get.
Also, it seems like I have more reinforcement to keep Ozzie. I'm home for a few days and I mentioned how much I have in savings from my tax return and my parents are having me (partially by choice) pay off the one private loan I have taken out for school. So that's $1150 I won't have to pay back to the bank later, but also a fair chunk of change out of my car fund. Alas, it's probably for the better, cuz I have invested so much money into this car already. The only thing that would stop me would be getting into an accident where I wasn't at fault and getting a sweet deal from insurance.
Also, I attached a "commemorative" Instagram pic from my one year of having Ozzie, showing the biggest things I've done.
Attachments
So, I have an update. Somebody texted me last night about buying Ozzie, and now I'm freaking out. I can't decide whether or not to sell. I honestly expected to be excited about getting a new car (which I am), but I didn't expect to be this torn about keeping Ozzie. As much as I like repairing/customizing my car, it would be awesome to have a fresh start in a (hopefully) more reliable car.
Also, I now have a grinding noise when I'm turning right, and sometimes a thumping when I'm turning left. I don't understand the thumping that much since I can only hear it sometimes, but I did some research and I think it might be a tire bulge developing. I'm hoping it's not this, but a couple weeks ago when I was delivering I hit a deep pothole HARD! I heard a big crash and thought I had damaged my suspension or cracked a rim. However, nothing has come from it. I can't see any bulges on the outside, but I haven't had a chance to inspect the inside of the tire.
Finally, I snapped last week and bought some stuff for my car. I got D2S projectors for cheap from Amazon, a new shift knob (brushed metal), yellow fog overlays, and a second new hatch strut. I replaced the driver side one this past summer, and now I have the passenger side one. Hopefully this process will be easier than the other one where I had to cut out the ball joint part.
So my question to you guys is this: Should I sell or not? I don't think I could sell with good conscious because of the issues, but I would really like a new car (btw, I found a black 06 MZ3 hatch-- perfect match for me!).
Also, I now have a grinding noise when I'm turning right, and sometimes a thumping when I'm turning left. I don't understand the thumping that much since I can only hear it sometimes, but I did some research and I think it might be a tire bulge developing. I'm hoping it's not this, but a couple weeks ago when I was delivering I hit a deep pothole HARD! I heard a big crash and thought I had damaged my suspension or cracked a rim. However, nothing has come from it. I can't see any bulges on the outside, but I haven't had a chance to inspect the inside of the tire.
Finally, I snapped last week and bought some stuff for my car. I got D2S projectors for cheap from Amazon, a new shift knob (brushed metal), yellow fog overlays, and a second new hatch strut. I replaced the driver side one this past summer, and now I have the passenger side one. Hopefully this process will be easier than the other one where I had to cut out the ball joint part.
So my question to you guys is this: Should I sell or not? I don't think I could sell with good conscious because of the issues, but I would really like a new car (btw, I found a black 06 MZ3 hatch-- perfect match for me!).
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
trolol good question... set a low limit on what you'd want to sell for and if buyer offers less, don't sell... if you don't feel 100% about selling, nobody's pushing you to sell. if you meet up before you have had a chance to look at the tire and replace the hatch strut, I would let buyer know of that. the parts you just bought might be returnable or you could throw up on FB to recoup some of the money you spent.
make sure that whatever you're looking at you can be sure will be there if you sell and make sure there aren't any issues as that would leave you without a car if the buyer offers what you'd like.
if Ozzie is your first car, I would expect you to be torn. I know that's why I want to keep mine even if I get a newer car this summer (or any time really). It's
make sure that whatever you're looking at you can be sure will be there if you sell and make sure there aren't any issues as that would leave you without a car if the buyer offers what you'd like.
if Ozzie is your first car, I would expect you to be torn. I know that's why I want to keep mine even if I get a newer car this summer (or any time really). It's
Well I sent him a bunch of pics yesterday, but I'm also not sure if the guy is interested. He'd be coming up from Des Moines to get it if he did, which is a good 4 hours away. Because of this I don't know if I could sell Ozzie with a clear conscious because of all the things wrong with it.
I'm pretty sure I have another bad wheel bearing, but I'm not 100% sure. I want Tires Plus to check it out again, but I did find out that the thumping is only when turning left and when going straight after a left turn. However, it's usually only after I hear a pop/clunk from the front end, so I'm thinking that it's from my broken steering rack too. Tie rod ends maybe?
But the bigger issue is this: I'm pretty sure my clutch is going out. Last night I was delivering 5-5 and after the first hour or two, every time I would start on a hill, my car would shudder like crazy and the clutch got sticky (I think that's the right term), and then taking off in first got rough unless I was super gentle. Sadly there wasn't much chance for it to cool off (we were oddly busy last night), but it did get a little chance about halfway through the night and it felt a little better. So unfortunately I'm looking for a cheaper mechanic to do that, cuz I don't have the time nor experience nor tools/facilities to do it myself. I'm thinking that while I have the person doing the clutch I might have them replace the steering rack at the same time since it has to come out anyways to get to the tranny. Or is it the other way around?
I'm pretty sure I have another bad wheel bearing, but I'm not 100% sure. I want Tires Plus to check it out again, but I did find out that the thumping is only when turning left and when going straight after a left turn. However, it's usually only after I hear a pop/clunk from the front end, so I'm thinking that it's from my broken steering rack too. Tie rod ends maybe?
But the bigger issue is this: I'm pretty sure my clutch is going out. Last night I was delivering 5-5 and after the first hour or two, every time I would start on a hill, my car would shudder like crazy and the clutch got sticky (I think that's the right term), and then taking off in first got rough unless I was super gentle. Sadly there wasn't much chance for it to cool off (we were oddly busy last night), but it did get a little chance about halfway through the night and it felt a little better. So unfortunately I'm looking for a cheaper mechanic to do that, cuz I don't have the time nor experience nor tools/facilities to do it myself. I'm thinking that while I have the person doing the clutch I might have them replace the steering rack at the same time since it has to come out anyways to get to the tranny. Or is it the other way around?
Hearing nothing back since I sent those pictures, I am under the assumption that the guy is not interested in my car anymore. Assuming this, I am moving forward with projects and upgrades!
First update, I have the parts that I ordered. Shift knob is installed, but I don't have a better pic than this one.
It's like a S2000 shifter, but I think it ended up being a bit smaller. Not for sure on that. Second, I am going to be ordering a second set of headlights so I can start my projector retrofit project in my free time. Hopefully I'll have them in the next week or two so I can work on it while I'm home for Easter. I'm gonna black out the housing as well, so it'll look pretty sick when I'm done. I'll also be putting on the yellow fog overlays when I put in the new headlights, maybe this weekend if it gets warm enough. The new hatch strut will hopefully go in with my dad's help when I'm home, but my parents are getting ready to move so we'll see how that goes.
Between midterms and going through management changes, I've been getting less hours at work and somehow it's hitting my wallet pretty hard. That being said, I'm starting to dip into my tax return. I'll have to do it for some repairs that are being done, which are the following: Driver's side ball joint and passenger side wheel bearing. That is what's causing the grinding and weird thumping in my front end, and hopefully that's it. I don't think that my tires have bulges at all, which is good. Both the ball joint and bearing were done at Tires Plus, and they are covering the ball joint completely, but seeing how many miles I've put on my car we worked out that I would just pay for labor on the bearing, which I'm okay with. It's odd that the passenger side ball joint hasn't gone out yet, so I'm starting to really question the quality of parts that are being put in there. So while Ozzie is in the shop I won't be doing anything, which is okay because I'm pretty much booked solid through tomorrow afternoon and won't need a car.
Another good report, I think my clutch problem is starting to go away! I must've been really riding my clutch a lot that night and it overheated my clutch. However, I think I'm going to plan on changing it anyways, cuz I've noticed that after a long trip my clutch is way stickier, but it's a smooth sticky. If that makes sense....
I'm also gonna have to dip into my tax return money for new rims. I need summer rims and tires, and right now there isn't much on Craigslist for me. I've found a few things, including an older post for MX-5 rims, but tires are another story, cuz those get expensive.
Oh, and I'm gonna have to get the wheel arch panels for when I repair my rust. And new brake rotors. Holy crap, I have a lot of spending to do....
First update, I have the parts that I ordered. Shift knob is installed, but I don't have a better pic than this one.
It's like a S2000 shifter, but I think it ended up being a bit smaller. Not for sure on that. Second, I am going to be ordering a second set of headlights so I can start my projector retrofit project in my free time. Hopefully I'll have them in the next week or two so I can work on it while I'm home for Easter. I'm gonna black out the housing as well, so it'll look pretty sick when I'm done. I'll also be putting on the yellow fog overlays when I put in the new headlights, maybe this weekend if it gets warm enough. The new hatch strut will hopefully go in with my dad's help when I'm home, but my parents are getting ready to move so we'll see how that goes.
Between midterms and going through management changes, I've been getting less hours at work and somehow it's hitting my wallet pretty hard. That being said, I'm starting to dip into my tax return. I'll have to do it for some repairs that are being done, which are the following: Driver's side ball joint and passenger side wheel bearing. That is what's causing the grinding and weird thumping in my front end, and hopefully that's it. I don't think that my tires have bulges at all, which is good. Both the ball joint and bearing were done at Tires Plus, and they are covering the ball joint completely, but seeing how many miles I've put on my car we worked out that I would just pay for labor on the bearing, which I'm okay with. It's odd that the passenger side ball joint hasn't gone out yet, so I'm starting to really question the quality of parts that are being put in there. So while Ozzie is in the shop I won't be doing anything, which is okay because I'm pretty much booked solid through tomorrow afternoon and won't need a car.
Another good report, I think my clutch problem is starting to go away! I must've been really riding my clutch a lot that night and it overheated my clutch. However, I think I'm going to plan on changing it anyways, cuz I've noticed that after a long trip my clutch is way stickier, but it's a smooth sticky. If that makes sense....
I'm also gonna have to dip into my tax return money for new rims. I need summer rims and tires, and right now there isn't much on Craigslist for me. I've found a few things, including an older post for MX-5 rims, but tires are another story, cuz those get expensive.
Oh, and I'm gonna have to get the wheel arch panels for when I repair my rust. And new brake rotors. Holy crap, I have a lot of spending to do....
Just got a call from Tires Plus. Apparently my wheel hub on the passenger side is bad. He said the new bearing slipped right in instead of needing to be pressed. So that's going to be another $170 out of my pocket. Because of this, they might not be able to get me my car back for work tonight, which while it's not a long shift (midnight-close, so 5 hours) it is still inconvenient.
So yeah.....that's that. I guess....so more projects are gonna have to wait.
So yeah.....that's that. I guess....so more projects are gonna have to wait.
Tires Plus has officially lost me. I get my car back after it being in the shop THREE DAYS!!! Halfway through my 8-close shift (9 hours), my brake warning light comes on and sure enough, I find out that my driver's side front brake line is leaking at the caliper and there's fluid all over the inside of my wheel. This was not an issue before I went in, and I don't see why it would be, but they must've missed a washer when putting it back together after the ball joint replacement.
So I have decided to take Ozzie to another shop that my buddy recommended, it's a local mechanic under Napa that he likes a lot. Hopefully this will turn out better than my experiences at Tires Plus, because I swear I was there more in the last 6 months for warranty repairs than new services. Pretty pathetic, and it seems like they're using low-quality parts and charging a lot of money for it.
So I have decided to take Ozzie to another shop that my buddy recommended, it's a local mechanic under Napa that he likes a lot. Hopefully this will turn out better than my experiences at Tires Plus, because I swear I was there more in the last 6 months for warranty repairs than new services. Pretty pathetic, and it seems like they're using low-quality parts and charging a lot of money for it.
I officially have a project car...my parents are going to kill me...
It feels like forever since I've updated this, and I've got a lot to report. Ish....
First, the bad news. My clutch is giving up on me, so I dropped Ozzie off today at AAMCO Transmissions. It was a last minute decision, but I don't want my clutch to completely fail when I'm delivering, and I'm sick of it being super sticky after getting off the highway. So I decided to dig into my savings a bit and bite the bullet before I go home this weekend. Also, I'm having them put in the tranny mount insert I got from 00bluees (got them last week, thanks dude! Liked the cereal box, btw). Hopefully I can get the passenger mount insert in this weekend when I'm home.
On top of that (not nearly as severe) one of my ballasts for my HIDs went bad a couple weeks ago. One night it started keeping the driver's light on and then it shut off after a few minutes. Eventually it got to the point of only keeping the light on for a few seconds before it would fade and shut off. I think it might be related to my corroded/melted headlight harness, so I plan on replacing that soon. In the mean time, I have a new ballast on the way from DDM (again, thank God for warranties) and hopefully it'll get here before Thursday before I head home.
Now some good news. I picked up some yellow fog overlay film, but I need to redo it at some point.
Also, I have a color-matched rattle can so I can touchup my front bumper as well as repaint my wing (really faded and scratched up). Hopefully it'll make Ozzie look a lot better. Also, I need to remember to take the duct tape off the bottom of my car, cuz it's bugging me and I only think about it when I'm walking away on a delivery. I also picked these up:
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS/Ralliart rims. Probably gonna get Kuhmo Ecsta tires for it, since they're cheap and not that bad. Everything else I'm finding is well over $100 apiece, and these are $79 each at Discount Tire ($415 installed). The guy who sold the rims to me had painted them flat black (not dipped) so I dipped them black and painted over them gold and really liked it against my black car.
So I'm planning on having them powdercoated or professionally painted soon in this color.
However, I need to find Mazda center caps that fit. The Mitsu caps are a little bigger than the stock P5 caps, so that's not an option. Gotta do some research on what fits (translation: post a new thread).
I've been putting together a plan for things to come. Hopefully by the end of the summer I will have a bada$$ P5. So like the title says, Ozzie has become my project car (according to my roommate). This is my updated list of hopeful mods, in no particular order:
-Headlight retrofit
-Lowering springs (not sure what brand)
-Exhaust (like JDM_Pro5's setup)
-Repair door (hit and run victim) and maybe front bumper
-JDM tails/Familia badging?
-Mazdaspeed seats
-Window tint
-Sub/audio upgrade
-New aftermarket intake? (if so, then Weapon-R Dragon)
Sidenote: I found out a while ago that the Kickers I got for Christmas suck. I honestly think the stockers sound better. Does the 6-speaker system have an upgrade of some sort? When I turn it to the rear speakers only I hear a lot more bass than the fronts.
Anyways, this is some more bad news that is slightly off topic. I have to go into the doctor this weekend cuz I might need surgery. This could lead to less work being done both financially and physically. This could also limit how many hours I get at work, and I'm not sure when I would want to have the surgery. I turn 21 in June, so I want to have the surgery either ASAP so I am recovered by then, or mid-July so I'm recovered by the time classes start again and I can enjoy summer. Thoughts? Not that this needs to go off topic....
It feels like forever since I've updated this, and I've got a lot to report. Ish....
First, the bad news. My clutch is giving up on me, so I dropped Ozzie off today at AAMCO Transmissions. It was a last minute decision, but I don't want my clutch to completely fail when I'm delivering, and I'm sick of it being super sticky after getting off the highway. So I decided to dig into my savings a bit and bite the bullet before I go home this weekend. Also, I'm having them put in the tranny mount insert I got from 00bluees (got them last week, thanks dude! Liked the cereal box, btw). Hopefully I can get the passenger mount insert in this weekend when I'm home.
On top of that (not nearly as severe) one of my ballasts for my HIDs went bad a couple weeks ago. One night it started keeping the driver's light on and then it shut off after a few minutes. Eventually it got to the point of only keeping the light on for a few seconds before it would fade and shut off. I think it might be related to my corroded/melted headlight harness, so I plan on replacing that soon. In the mean time, I have a new ballast on the way from DDM (again, thank God for warranties) and hopefully it'll get here before Thursday before I head home.
Now some good news. I picked up some yellow fog overlay film, but I need to redo it at some point.
Also, I have a color-matched rattle can so I can touchup my front bumper as well as repaint my wing (really faded and scratched up). Hopefully it'll make Ozzie look a lot better. Also, I need to remember to take the duct tape off the bottom of my car, cuz it's bugging me and I only think about it when I'm walking away on a delivery. I also picked these up:
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS/Ralliart rims. Probably gonna get Kuhmo Ecsta tires for it, since they're cheap and not that bad. Everything else I'm finding is well over $100 apiece, and these are $79 each at Discount Tire ($415 installed). The guy who sold the rims to me had painted them flat black (not dipped) so I dipped them black and painted over them gold and really liked it against my black car.
So I'm planning on having them powdercoated or professionally painted soon in this color.
However, I need to find Mazda center caps that fit. The Mitsu caps are a little bigger than the stock P5 caps, so that's not an option. Gotta do some research on what fits (translation: post a new thread).
I've been putting together a plan for things to come. Hopefully by the end of the summer I will have a bada$$ P5. So like the title says, Ozzie has become my project car (according to my roommate). This is my updated list of hopeful mods, in no particular order:
-Headlight retrofit
-Lowering springs (not sure what brand)
-Exhaust (like JDM_Pro5's setup)
-Repair door (hit and run victim) and maybe front bumper
-JDM tails/Familia badging?
-Mazdaspeed seats
-Window tint
-Sub/audio upgrade
-New aftermarket intake? (if so, then Weapon-R Dragon)
Sidenote: I found out a while ago that the Kickers I got for Christmas suck. I honestly think the stockers sound better. Does the 6-speaker system have an upgrade of some sort? When I turn it to the rear speakers only I hear a lot more bass than the fronts.
Anyways, this is some more bad news that is slightly off topic. I have to go into the doctor this weekend cuz I might need surgery. This could lead to less work being done both financially and physically. This could also limit how many hours I get at work, and I'm not sure when I would want to have the surgery. I turn 21 in June, so I want to have the surgery either ASAP so I am recovered by then, or mid-July so I'm recovered by the time classes start again and I can enjoy summer. Thoughts? Not that this needs to go off topic....
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Pimpecoven
Member
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
I like your ideas for the future! I just put an eibach pro kit, and i absolutely love it. it gives me a great drop, but i don't rub, and its totally practical for daily driving! Also i'd recommend either getting some performance struts, or stock replacements when you go to install your lowering springs... I wish I would have because almost all of my struts are completely shot... so now I have to re-install my springs essentially when I get the money for struts! Love the car though, keep it up!
Thanks! I was pretty set on those but then I found a set of Tien S.techs that were super cheap (and as far as I can tell legit) on fb, so I might get those instead if I can get the money together soon. I did just replace my struts in September with KYBs, but I've also driven some 10k miles since then. Do you think I'll need replacements? If so I think I'll go with Staggs or Tockicos (spelling?!) if I can find some. That will probably be next after I get my new rims installed.
Well, some semi good news. The shop I took my car to couldn't get my clutch to act up, so they brought it to me and i drove it with the mechanic and couldn't get it to act up either. Getting out and looking under the hood, the mechanic looked at my motor mounts and saw that the passenger side mount is shot. Completely. on top of that, they didn't think the AWR inserts were meant to repair the mounts, so I just decided to wait until I can find time to get in the lab or something and put the inserts in. It's not that the shop wouldn't, but I'd rather try and do it myself. So right now o think I'm going to try and do the inserts myself and see if that will solve my problem before I replace a clutch that may not need to be replaced. So yeah. That's that.
Pimpecoven
Member
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
oh no you'll be fine! 10k is practically brand new!
I'm saving up for tokico blue's atm not sure if i want to just save a little more and get coils though... stoked to see it lowered, when do you think you'll put them in?
