agreed^ about the ssafc. everyone, especially all the veteran protege owners recommend the ssafc over any other piggyback. you can go the unichip route as i know there are still a couple of guys using them. only disadvantage is you either have to purchase the tuning software from unichip themselves or go to a unichip specific tuner to tune it for you for your specific mods.
many people have blown up their engines on stock tune and boost of 6-7ish psi. at least in my opinion the biggest issue is the tuning on these things. we run extremely rich and dangerously lean when switch from open to closed loop.
also always check for vac leaks. if the car isnt responding right or building boost correctly theres always a vac leak somewhere in the mix. (vacuum lines, bad plastic intercooler piping, cracked exhaust manifold, or loose manifold bolts, stock wastegate is shot.) all the most common symptoms it seems.
i believe the most power produced out of a stock block fs-de is still 505zoom. it was somewhere in the 270whp range. but again heavily modified and tuning is the key to not blowing it up. and it is still running strong last i heard.
and as mentioned above. mechanically. the rods and LSD along with 3rd and 5th gears are the weak points on the proteges. but as long as you dont beat the crap out of the car you can make it last and maintain it properly. personally im still on my original block 125k miles and original everything in my transmission. its always gonna be a love/hate thing with these cars.
