Brand Newbee needs some help...

[stuck]

Hey all,
Just wanted to introduce myself. I have recently purchased an '03 5 and I'm pretty pumped. After alot of research, internet surfing and soul searching, I decided to go with the P5. Below is a list of "things to accomplish in the next few weeks" Any help would be great. I'd really appreciate the feedback, especially from you seasoned veterans. I just recently got back in the game after retiring from the "gearhead" world and it looks like I have some catch-up to do! (braindead
1. Front lip - I heard DG motorsports is the place to get it. It this correct?
2. The drop - what is the end all, absolute best set-up when lowering the P5 in terms of springs and shocks? This is going to be a daily driver and I want something to last and not ruin my suspension
3. Eyelids - where in the world can I find eyelids for the P5 (not carbon fiber)? These weren't even a thought several years back, so please answer this. Are they vinyl stickers or molded plastic/fiberglass?

I'd really appreciate it if you all could give me some replies.
Until then, happy motoring

 

[mountjonas]

1 & 3) call up dg motorsports. they make fiberglass eyelids in addition to their cf ones.
2) i run the eibach prokit/tokico hp combo and i love it. my car is a daily driver so i didn't want the harshness of a full coilover setup (not to mention the cost).

welcome!

 

[sidpro5]

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Granted, there are other choices as far as springs, but I'm quite happy with my Pro-Kits (though I'm still on the stock struts).
www.DGMotorsports.com should have what you're looking for in either CF or FG, so hit 'em up. And while you're at it, get me one of those lips, too. I'm to cheap (read: broke) to get my own. Thanks.

 

[jbswads]

pics?

 

[Pretzellogic]

Welcome. (hi)

Dg motorsports sells quality stuff. Your other option is a mazdaspeed lip, like I the one I have.

Eibach or Tein will be your best bets for drops that you can live with. Both are about an inch and a half. The Tein is a little softer, but sacrifices a bit of handling as a result.

Eyelids: do a search of the forim. At one time there were vinyl ones made by Blue Batmobile.

 

[RaiderMS3]

What these guys said is the way to go. Welcome to the Boards!

Here is my newbie advice I have been giving all the newbies.

Right after I got my P5, I got the intake. You have the short ram intake (SRI), which is what I have. Others have cold air intakes (CAI) They are about the same on ebay, but you may also opt for name brand. I have the ebay...

The next thing I did was get rid of those god forsaken Dunflop piece of s*** stock tires. I hydroplaned within the first week or so I owned the P5. I ended up with the Yokohama AVS ES 100's. 205-50-16's on the stock rims. There are a bazillion threads about tires. These I highly recommend for rainy climates. (Bottom line, get out of the stock tires before you have a problem!)

I just got (after 2.5 years of owning my car) a Racing Beat exhaust. I got an insanely good deal on it. It is on the higher end of the pricing range, but you can score one used at a good rate if you are on the forum within the .245 seconds someone posts it for sale used. They run in the high $400 range new. There is a Mazda Sport (Mazdaspeed) exhaust which is also popular, but people have complained of droning, or an annoying sound at freeway speeds. The Racing Beat does not do that. But there are a bazillion threads about the exhaust subject too, look them up.

Then there is the tinting of windows, a stereo, springs/shocks/body kit, carbon fiber everything, etc you will see around here for sale.

Short shifter is next on my list. Kartboy makes a great one, I have seen it in person. The shifter bushings are a must. Get them no matter what. www.protegegarage.com has a B&M for only $79 and shipping right now! TWM also has a short shifter with a discount code here:http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1639737#post1639737

One more thing you should consider when you mod is a header. OBX and Ractive are the most common. I just installed the ractive, and love the HP gains.

Well, good luck, and check out the for sale section, and work with the Authorized Venders and sellers! Oh, search for threads about a question you might have. Most likely, it has been covered.