hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
Because they are f*ck ugly, is that a real question?
#1289 - A story of rebirth
- Thread starter OThree.5
- Start date
Because they are f*ck ugly, is that a real question?
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
Yes, I hate it. Sorry man I hate body kits with a passion and I think that looks horrendous. Just keep your stock lip. Main reason I hate the fact you cut it is there are only so many lips out there and they have always been a desirable part of these cars. The more that get ruined today will make it that much harder to find them in the future.
IllaNoizeTV
Member
- :
- 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege
I'm all for body kits bro! You should get it. At the end of the day, you gotta Do whatever makes you happy. Everyone has different tastes but that's the beauty in it. Find what makes your style, YOUR style.
I LIKE the B2..
I totally get it why I shouldn't have cut it though. I could have made a couple bucks on it at the least. Well s***.. not gonna bum out on it too much.. just gonna keep moving forward.
The place I ordered that bumper insert from emailed me saying that the order was declined. (not my payment)
I will go to mazda with the car and see if I can get a new one ordered there. If not, then maybe I'll just go with the 03 front end or the B2.. I've got time to think about it.. kind of spent all my extra cash for the next month.. lol
I totally get it why I shouldn't have cut it though. I could have made a couple bucks on it at the least. Well s***.. not gonna bum out on it too much.. just gonna keep moving forward.
The place I ordered that bumper insert from emailed me saying that the order was declined. (not my payment)
I will go to mazda with the car and see if I can get a new one ordered there. If not, then maybe I'll just go with the 03 front end or the B2.. I've got time to think about it.. kind of spent all my extra cash for the next month.. lol
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
B2 is so fugly man. Body kits piss me off so much, why would you want to ruin your attempt at building a nice car? You cant expect to be taken seriously, it's beyond rice
Well like I said, its gonna be a month or two before I revisit this bumper.. as far as purchasing anything, that is..
I did have an idea though.. the way I cut it, it really wouldn't be hard at all to get some panyhose stretched over it and build it back with fiberglass.. Just enough to be able to get the black insert back in there.. I have a lot of experience in the bodywork dept as of the last year or so. I suppose I could take the insert off and drive around with out it while I work on it..
Its an option. A labor intensive option, but WAY less expensive, in dollars, that is..
The rest of the car is coming together though. This week was 15 minute tweaks after every time I drive it.
The first thing that happened was the little black, plastic loom you can buy to cover hoses and stuff... that made contact with the exhaust shield just a little bit and caused a little smoke.. I changed all that out, zip tied everything back, and that is good to go
Then I noticed coolant leaking. I reused hoses and factory clamps. lol Thats what that was all about. Used some regular screw type clamps and its holding water now.
I got the boost gauge hooked up. I'm getting 20-22 vac and spikes at 9psi, settling into about 7.5psi on the boost. SO that seems pretty good. The BOV is loud as hell, I will eventually wanna recirculate with a greddy or something.
I'll be fiddling all weekend..
I did have an idea though.. the way I cut it, it really wouldn't be hard at all to get some panyhose stretched over it and build it back with fiberglass.. Just enough to be able to get the black insert back in there.. I have a lot of experience in the bodywork dept as of the last year or so. I suppose I could take the insert off and drive around with out it while I work on it..
Its an option. A labor intensive option, but WAY less expensive, in dollars, that is..
The rest of the car is coming together though. This week was 15 minute tweaks after every time I drive it.
The first thing that happened was the little black, plastic loom you can buy to cover hoses and stuff... that made contact with the exhaust shield just a little bit and caused a little smoke.. I changed all that out, zip tied everything back, and that is good to go
Then I noticed coolant leaking. I reused hoses and factory clamps. lol Thats what that was all about. Used some regular screw type clamps and its holding water now.
I got the boost gauge hooked up. I'm getting 20-22 vac and spikes at 9psi, settling into about 7.5psi on the boost. SO that seems pretty good. The BOV is loud as hell, I will eventually wanna recirculate with a greddy or something.
I'll be fiddling all weekend..
Last edited:
thepope540
Member
- :
- 2003.5 Yellow Speed - Sold, Spicy - Sold, #639 Black Mica
I usually stay away from commenting on what others do to their cars, but I will chime in and say don't do a kit bumper. It significantly lowers the value of the car. I have bought and sold something like 40 cars over the past 15 years and have never touched one with a kit, and never will. It makes the potential buyer wonder what other questionable decisions have been made in the name of "improving" the car.
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
Exactly as I said before, you can't put a body kit on your car and expect to be taken seriously.
I guess everyone missed that part. lol
After thinking about it a few days, I am leaning towards fixing it.. I recognize it will lower the value (putting on an aftermarket bumper).. hence this idea to fix it.
I needed the actual bumper part too though (before any cutting was done) so I do need that.
Can I use any MP3/MP5 bumper? The insert just bolts to it, right?
Man you guys are being kinda hard on this dude back off a little bit and let him do what he wants and learn along the way just as all of us have done. 03.5 if you want to rock the bumper then go ahead don't worry about all the purists as someone else here said everyone has their own tastes and that's the beauty of our hobby/obsession. Good job with all you have done so far your persistence is admirable keep it up!!
IllaNoizeTV
Member
- :
- 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege
[emoji106]
Today I went down to the Mazda dealership..shook some hands.. made some friends.I was talking to a salesman when this dude comes walking from all the way around the other side of the floor.. This other salesman has a black MS6 and a stanced NA white Miata... he's like "Is that a MSP?!?"
lol.. I'm like yeah.. and we talked Mazda for a while. I told him I was up there looking for parts, and even though the parts counter was closed on Saturday, I explained that my work schedule makes it hard to get up there. They had me make a list of all the part I wanted to check on. I put the 03.5 lip, steering wheel, center caps.. and I need the water bypass elbow thing so I have him checking that too. I mentioned how I had heard some people have had trouble ordering parts without the actual car with a bonafide MSP vin, so he has that to go off as well now. As I was leaving I told him (about the bumper insert) that if he can get like 10 of them.. we'd be in business. lol. I can dream. I'm crossing my fingers
lol.. I'm like yeah.. and we talked Mazda for a while. I told him I was up there looking for parts, and even though the parts counter was closed on Saturday, I explained that my work schedule makes it hard to get up there. They had me make a list of all the part I wanted to check on. I put the 03.5 lip, steering wheel, center caps.. and I need the water bypass elbow thing so I have him checking that too. I mentioned how I had heard some people have had trouble ordering parts without the actual car with a bonafide MSP vin, so he has that to go off as well now. As I was leaving I told him (about the bumper insert) that if he can get like 10 of them.. we'd be in business. lol. I can dream. I'm crossing my fingers
No! Heeelllll No! Lol jk. Do what you want.
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
The 03.5 Front lip has not been available from Mazda for a couple years now, I doubt you can get many parts anymore. The water elbow they probably have but specific parts like floormats, steering wheels, center caps, shift knobs, etc were most likely all sold years ago.
I will find out when I call them back and he isn't busy. But just to clarify, UNDER this insert.. what bumper is it? Is it the same as the MP3?
Is it this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311368252251
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
That's a Protege5 front bumper. The MP3 and MSP bumper does not have the holes in the sides for the marker lights, the lights are inside the headlight instead. When I worked at Mazda back in 2012 I had the parts manager (3rd largest Mazda dealer in the country, mind you) look up parts for my MSP, wheel center caps, steering wheel, floormats, shift knob and seat covers were specifically what I looked for and at the time the only thing available was a set of front seat covers and I believe there were 1-2 front lips. Everything else was already obsolete, 3 years later and with all the new models Mazda has introduced since then, I guarantee they are clearing their stock of protege parts.
