Car and Personal info

[Gen1GT]

I realized that I don't know much about my NA brethrens. So tell me a bit about yourselves and your car. Here's my deal.

I'm Josh Cosford, and I'm 29 year old car wash technician from Hamilton Ontario(30 minutes from Toronto), and I'm into house music, basketball and racing(drag and autox).

My car is a 1993 Protege GT, of which only 500 were made and only in Canada, as the 25th anniversary of Mazda in Canada. There were 1500 GTs made in 90 and 91 too though, with none made in 92 or 94. It's pretty much an American LX, but with the J-spec GTX interior. The only option was AC(which mine doesn't have luckily). There's also a red striping around the moulding that runs around the car. Kind cheesy, but I keep it because it's a GT trait.

I'm going the 'all go, no show' way. The sleeper look. It's been lowered 1" by Eibach Pro-Kit, and I have front and rear strut bars. There is no interior aft of the B-Pillars, and I'll be 5% tints on the rear windows to prevent people from seeing the bare interior.

Right now, it's the quickest all-motor Protege in North America, at 15.7, it's really kinda sad. As you all know, the last thing anyone does is make an all-motor Protege. It's still fun to suprise other cars, since no-one thinks my little plain black car is going to be quick, especially if people know that most Proteges in Canada are SOHC. My ultimate goal is 13s, and one day it will be a dedicated race car. It weighs 2350lbs right now, but I'm going to get it down to 2200 for racing. And oh ya, his name is Steve. Here's my CarDomain page:

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/604304

Now your turns.

 

[Gen1GT]

Ok, just so it's clear, I wasn't just posting info on my car for funsies, I want to hear about you guys and your cars....

 

[kcbhiw]

What the heck, I'll go first . I'm Kevin (24) and I'm an alcoholic. Wait, arg..wrong forum. J/K of course.



I started out with a '96 Ford Escort LX that dropped a valve seat at 72k miles therefore trashing the engine. I decided to replace it with the Protege5. I had recently started autocrossing and wanted a capable car that looked nice. The Protege answered the quandary. After purchasing the P5, I couldn't bring myself to racing it (she's to pretty and I didn't want to brake a new car). I still had the 'scort after the purchase of the P5, and needed a racer. I'd been pondering several cars to use an auto-x racer. I heard from many folks to go RWD and I decided to go the Miata route (you can't race an automatic 88HP Escort). So I therefore purchased essentially a junkyard engine and installed it into the Escort. Once she was running again, I sold it and bought the Miata. I've since fallen in love with the car and dumped tons of money into it to become more competitive. FWIW, since I liked this Miata so much, I came across an excellent deal on, yet, another Miata. So last winter, I purchased my second Miata for $750 and have been trying to determine what should be done with it (one normally doesn't find a Miata for that price). I have since decided that, when funds allow, it will be build into a Spec Miata racer. I must say, the speed bug has certainly bitten me. Unfortunately, I'm gaining the insatiable urge to modify the P5 and race it as well, heh.

So there's my quick summary of my Mazda collection, hehe. There's a lot more detail involved, but I'd assume it'd just dilute the story.

I also enjoy building and driving other race cars. I have two SCCA ITS Oldsmobile race cars under my belt (one of which is in my sig). I enjoy building engines, developing suspension setups and any custom 'rig' that will get the job done. I hope to regularly particpate in SCCA club racing and eventually SCCA Pro racing events within the next few years.

I too am into the go more than the show, but a racer has to at least look decent in my opinion (no body kits, no light up junk, no blingin' wheels, etc......remember, the 10 yard rule applies to racers, hehe)

 

[flat_black]

Well, then... I'm Eddie Howe, a 21 year old (22 shortly) living in New Hampshire. I work for Harvard Medical as a UNIX Systems Administrator for the last three years, and was a Systems Operator for Great Works Internet three years before that. My hobbies include programming, art of various forms, engineering, car work and racing of various forms.

I own three cars currently; A 1988 Mazda RX7 TurboII, which is currently having a new motor dropped into it, a 2004 WRX, and my daily driver, kinda, the 2002 Protege5... This was before the mid-cycle refresh, so I have no sub, no tweeters. The car came with ABS, Sunroof, and is, of course, a 5MT. Currently, I have an N/A downpipe with high flow second cat, Travellers shorty headers, 22inch primaries at 1 3/8" each, a custom resonator section and the Mazdaspeed (Mazda Sport) exhaust. I have an Injen CAI, Magnecor wires, NGK Iridium plugs, front and rear softer AWR motor mounts, a Kartboy SS, Kartboy shifter bushings, Corksport Bronzoil shifter linkage bushings, GReddy counterweight shift knob, and a custom made shift boot. The tires have been replaced with Yokohama AVS ES100's in 205/50R16's on the stock rims. I've regrounded the electronics (An ongoing project, and have the lights, alternator, and battery regrounded. My front pads are now Axxis ceramics, and the rears are new OE pads. Front discs have been replaced with brembos, four wheel braided steel brake lines, and my clutch is now a Clutchmasters stage one clutch with a braided steel clutch line. =)

 

[SpicyMchaggis]

Riceymchaggis, (kyle) 20 years old.

This is my 2nd mazda, first one well victim to spray OD. It was a 93 626 that is currently being prepped for a V6 swap. Cars prior were a build up '78 t/a with tons of work..a project '91 syclone then my first actual driving and functional car, a '92 pontiac sunbird..complete beater that i just abused when bored..Now I have the '02 DX which I also just popped that motor in and its being torn apart as we speak to find out exactly whats wrong. From there, stronger internals will be put in place and more work from there..N/A or boost..who knows..at this point it just needs to get back on the road. Mods on that are OBX 4-1 header w/ 2.33" system, Injen CAI, honed 56MM throttle body, SR adj. cams (uninstalled), sparkco wires, ngk plugs, MP3-spec timing via reflash, kartboy SS and bushings, the MSP gauge conversion..more stuff..etc etc etc..the kyle needs money foundation needs your support..

 

[twilightprotege]

Andrew Bode (26yo) - i live in sunny Brisbane, Australia. I work for the 5th largest financial company in Australia (Suncorp) as a systems officer. Basically I look after the databases that look after how the financial advisers of Suncorp get paid etc...long story, but that's the general gist of it.

i've owned 3 cars to date. 1st car was a holden ute (you call them pickups - holden is owned by GM). that was a 321ci V8 which was a lotta fun. 2nd was a honda civic. now the sp20/protege5. i bought the sp20 in may 2001 - was the first black one in brisbane.

i'm a sleeper kinda guy too. no stickers on the car, very clean lines etc. as you all know 175whp is the aim, but will i get there? only time (and money) will tell.....

 

[Projectp5NA]

(headbang) Ryan VanGorder 22years lowly retail sales manager=Broke (hesitating to join the phx PD here) I used to be into v8 camaros and mustangs,but i realized they are not practical for me and looked around to buy an import.I allmost went with a specv sentra,but after watching the nissan boards I found that the qr25de is a ticking time bomb,so I went across the street to mazda and drove the p5 and they could not tear me out of it to do the paperwork lol.
currently stock( lack of funds for now ) I love to race when I can and take it to firebird raceway and race on their road course when I mod the car.I've been watching these boards for a year now and finally decided to start posting,since you guys are all pretty cool.NA will be formidable soon hehe

 

[p5sundevil]

Alex Perrone, 22(23 in a month) assistant professional at a golf club here in redmond, where I only recently moved to, leaving a 18yr stint in AZ and finding out about MAM only days after moving away =)

First car was an 85 jaguar xj6 vdp which I got for 2500 and proceeded to rebuild the engine from bottom to top with my dad, one of the biggest learning experiences I have ever had. Got into cars because of my dad who has worked on them since age 13 and now works for jaguars hot weather test facility in western AZ.

Lept that for 3 yrs and then wanted something a little sportier so got 2nd gen eclipse GS, basic NA bolt on mods and never went further cause I always wanted the 4g63T.

traded in the eclipse for the pro5 almost a yr ago, an 03.5 midnight blue p5 with 10 miles on it loaded except for the moonroof. I liked the 03.5's better cause of no step guard in the back, and no racks on the top, only filler strips. and the stock "sub"

NA lookin good although a possible rx8 or evo8 upgrade may call me in a yr or so if the planned raises and bonus' come through as they should...which means no.

Right now Im working on getting a website up for the washington mazda people and get us organized up here into more of a club and maybe get some club sponsors and stuff.

 

[95ProLeila]

Hi, I'm Jamie (18 next month), Gen1GT pointed me over here from club protege, where I've been for a few months. I'm on my second car, first protege. First car was a 1995 Ford Escort wagon, just did the stereo in that, which was totalled. Now I have a 1995 Protege ES 5 speed (BP motor), her name is Leila. Mods are in my sig, and I'm hoping to get some valve work done in the near future (3 angle). Hmm. . . that's about all I can think of.

 

[iluvmacs]

Duane Twining, 21yo (July BD)

I just graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Nuclear Engineering. I then got married to my girlfriend of 5 years. Honeymoon in Jamaica for a week. We both have jobs starting between July and August in Pittsburgh, PA. I'm going to design nuclear reactor cores for Westinghouse Electric, Leslie (wife) is going to work as a staff chemist (BS in chemistry from Purdue) at PITT. We both grew up in Cleveland, OH.

I have driven my parents' ford exploder (high school beater), 93 celica GT (dad's), right hand drive subaru legacy (mom's), etc. My first car was a 5 door honda civic wagon (90), which I just replaced with a 03 protege ES. I also have ann 85 pontiac fiero which I've been slowly building since I graduated high school in 2000.

I love touring car racing (speedTC, japanTCC, europeTCC), CART, and F1, as well as rally racing.

If my POS website is running (only when the computer is on till I move to PA) I have a website with pictures of my cars. http://24.131.113.117/duanehome.html

 

[shinzen]

Eric Meyers, 28 years old

I own my own business feeding wildland firefighters and making box lunches in Ft. Collins, Colorado- Moved back here about a year ago from Colorado Springs.
Cars, god where do I start? 1971 Toyota corona was the first, with an 81 corolla engine in it, then a beater plymouth volare and my toyota landcruiser project that never got finished. From there a 1993 Pontiac Sunbird, stereo only for mods, 1989 Chevy blazer, then Chevy luv(big POS, but cheap until it blew up), then my motorcycle for about 1.5 years(cold as hell in the winter) and then to my integra, which was about the fastest first gen N/A integra in colorado. On to the CRX, which I didnt have for long enough to mess with when I bought my protege.
Got into the SCCA, and been researching my mods pretty carefully, my integra showed me some of the potential of N/A and I want to go way further with the pro....

 

[sidpro5]

Seth Harrison, 31, Ft. Washington, PA. Wife of 3.5 years, 16 month old son. Second Shift Shipping Coordinator at a corrugated box plant in Montgomeryville, PA. Also have worked for Acme Markets for 14.5 years in many positions ranging from management to produce (currently). I hate it, but it funds my mods! lol No college, but did three years in vo-tech for carpentry.
Have played bass for about 15 years, guitar for about two. Do some home recording of original material. Will listen to anything, as long as it's got a groove to it. Prefer the heavier stuff, though.
Also into mountain biking and hockey (roller or ice).
Too many past vehicles to list here, so I'll give some of the better ones:
70.5 RS/SS Camaro w/ RHS 350 (bored .030), hot cam (forget the specs! lol), Holley 650 CFM DP, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, headers, 2.5" Flowmaster full dual ex. w/ crossover, TCI Turbo 400, fiberglass L-88 hood w/ 3" cowl.......(minivan head-on)
63 Nova, purchased from a guy who was building it as a 1/4 miler......398 WHP 350, 12 bolt rear w/ 4:56's, Powerglide (ugh!), subframe connectors, full, ORIGINAL interior.....
87 Trans Am GTA, 305 H.O., stage 2 chip, "modified" cat, T-tops.....(telephone pole head-on)........
78 Cherokee, 360, Quadra-trac (full-time 4WD), torquey like a mofo. BAD on gas. Just BAD.
87 4-Runner, 31" General Mudders, Rancho shocks, Jardine cat-back, high flow cat, CompCam.........

 

[FunkyBuddha]

Glen (24) Working at a helpdesk here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Been doing it for 3 years now. Into mountain biking, all sorts of music except country and opera, all sorts of movies, cars and whatever catches my eyes. Part of the Calgary Protege Club.
Used to be on protegeclub as 91dx when I used to have my 91dx auto. Handed it down to my sister now. Then moved here from there. Been here ever since Feb, 2003.

Car is a 2003 protege5. AEM intake, Ractive header, Mazda sport exhaust. Lowered w/ H&R springs, 5zigen rims and yoko tires. Carbon hood and dgm autoexe replica grill. Trying to scrape up funds for the tokico illumina struts. Just going for a balance in looks and performance.

 

[stdntDrvr]

Chris Storey, 25...Columbus, GA. i've been selling cars for a year and a half...i hate it, but it's a job. married with a 14 month-old son.

my car is a laser blue 2003 protege5...my wife drives a 2001 MP3 #1476.
i've had my car a little over a year now...and it's coming along nicely. my current mods are:
Injen Polished Cold Air Intake
mp3 intake mani
Racing Mazda 4-2-1 Header (no cats)
OBX Cat-Back
Kartboy Exhaust Hangers
TWM 2nd Gen Short-Throw
TWM Shift Knob
Kartboy Shift Bushings
Tokico HP Struts
Eibach Pro-Kit Springs
racing beat front/rear sways
Unorthodox Racing Flywheel
ACT Street Performance Clutch
1.8L Updated Coils
Denso Iridium Plugs
Pivot Racing Grounding Kit
AWR Motor Mounts
AutoExe Replica Grill
JDM Tails
Dave B Brushed Gauge Rings
Justin B Shorty Antenna
MSP Headlights

i'm starting to save for a stand-alone...after that, pistons, rods, new cams...etc. my goal is to have at least 200hp at the crank...she's headed to the dyno next month to see what i'm putting out now...and in 2 weeks she's going to the track. don't know what to expect out of it...don't really care...i just wanna see what it'll do. and this is the first car i've ever modded...damn, this s*** is addictive.

my wife's mp3 is pretty much stock. she has an eBay SRI (which sucks), forza/obx 4-1 header and her 2nd cat has been cut-out. we'll start working on hers once mine is finished (if that ever happens)

i had planned on going f/i until i figured out all of the $$ i have invested in it right now...it'd cost about the same to finish out my motor as it would to go f/i...so i thought what the hell? i may do the f/i route on her mp3.

 

[Gen1GT]

Well, that makes about 5 or 6 of us serious NA guys now....

 

[Kain]

I don't have a Protege anymore, but my Spec V is and will remain N/A, so...

My name is Tony, but I've gone by "Kain" for the last decade or so. I turn 27 in August, and I currently live in Alexandria, VA. I've moved around more than some army brats, living in several countries and all across the U.S. I'm into typical "guy things", like cars, sports and women, all with varying degrees of success. I'm also into anime, and I run one of the largest anime sites on the Internet.

I have a BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University. I've worked in the financial sector for 4 years, but with my tech background, I've gotten better offers to work with computers/websites.

I currently drive an '04 Spec V, but I've also had a '98 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX (AWD and turbo) and an '00 Toyota Celica GT-S (sadly, it was automatic).

 

[scorch70]

Hi N/A guys, Im David, 33 years old. My P5 is the first car I have ever really made changes to. Ive owned a Mazda B2000 (WEAK 80 hp), Honda Civic, 76 VW Scirroco, Yamaha Radian 600 motorcycle (rotting in my garage right now), Ford Ranger PU (my other daily driver), and the 2003.5 P5 of course.

I have a business degree, but work in the IT field. Love my job - paid very well to surf, what more could you ask for?

Not much else to tell, I lift weights when Im not watching movies from Netflix. Really glad I found this web site, I have learned a ton, but really want to take a night class or something to learn how to build my own engines. Its too damn expensive to keep paying other people to do this work for me.


scorch70

 

[FC3s Boy]

i'm chris and i am 28 years old, I have been rolling in a mazda rx7 since 1991, my cars right now are a 1986 rx7 n/a it puts out around 170whp and i also have my 2002 protege5 with some mods. My cars i have owned
1967 GMC 3/4 ton
1972 Chevy 3/4 ton
1979 rx7
1980 rx7
1986 rx7
1987 rx7
1988 rx7 turboII
1991 mx6
2002 protege5

 

[torque222]

i'm john, 32 years old, about to get married in november, my daily driver is a modded 2003.5 msp (yellow). my past list of rides include, chevy extreme w/ small block 350, 1966 vette (sold) and a 2002 tahoe, this is the first car i've modded (with help) and it's comming along great. i've put in 2 years at l.s.u. (haven't finished) and i live in new orleans. (blah)

 

[SOLO Proto]

hey gang
Im Shawn M., 28 live in St.louis
currently have an 03 Pro lx with mods
have had in the past:
VR6 Jetta (200 whp)
86 GTi Rally car
99 Subaru 2.5RS
88 E30 M3 w/ euro spec 2.5 motor
96 Jetta GLS
92 GTi
88 Grand Am

if you cant tell Im an autocrosser
I also, rally cross, track day and love to back road....