Flav's Mazda Protege5

[Flav]

looks like they did a pretty good job fixing the rust. car looks great as always. btw what's the offset of your wheels?

Thanks Brian!

Here are my specs:

Suspension: KYB Struts, Tein-S Lowering Springs
Rims: Core Racing "Obsidian" 17inch 38 offset
Wheels: Falken ZIEX ZE912 205/45/17

 

[JDM_Pro5]

I'm liking the blue marker lights!

 

[sleepwalker]

+1

I wish I could have them. First couple days I had my car I *did* have blue marker lights, courtesy of the previous owner (and the dealer that didn't replace them). Also got pulled over twice and told they have to be amber.

I love Missouri sometimes. (whistle)

 

[bikingpro5]

I'm liking the blue marker lights!

those look like super whites to me, any forwards facing blue or red is stupid illegal in Ontario

 

[JDM_Pro5]

^ gotcha.

 

[Flav]

Yeah, technically they are "super white" defiantly look blue though. They are switch backs, so when I throw my turn signal on they do flash amber. Been running these for quite a while now, cops havent said anyhing about them yet. Knock on wood

 

[Flav]

Here is my over due updates:

First thing I did was cleaned up and painted my valve cover flat black. I decided to that while I was cleaning up a header I bought off a member from a local forum for dirt cheap. I've also slowly...very slowly.. started to clean up the engine bay overall (I don't have a updated picture, pictures attached are a little out dated)
I also put in some motor mount inserts in the front mount, took a bit of time.. and it also took out one of my AC lines in the process -.- but it was a great little upgrade considering how cheap these inserts can be bought for. (However..with the cost of getting a new line from the wreckers and having my AC vaccumed and filled...it was my most expensive mod this year -.- )

Took the hatch off the car this week and got rid of all the rust that was slowly starting around the problem areas (license plate/emblems) Also removed the badges and made myself a custom Evil M logo while I was at it. Took me a solid 4 days to complete, well worth it though. Sorry no finished product pictures yet..

Anyways, pictures are worth a thousand words.



Before:

Valve cover painted:

Valve cover installed: (I did end up painting the bolts..

Old exhaust manifold out, dat gap:

Here's what the Ractive header looked like after I pulled it off the other guys car (he used his protege as a rally car...no joke):

And here's what a whole lot of grinding/sanding/painting does:

All put back into the engine bay (again, all bolts were painted after this picture):

Motor mount inserts installed..finally..

Bitches love my whip:

Decided to go back to the stock tinted tail lights:

Beginning of the hatch overhaul:

Grinned/Sanded:

Bondo:

Primed:

Painted:

Evil M:

Here's a emblem I found at CSCS that I'm in love with:

If anyone wants to make me one like that

Anyways, that's all the pictures I have for now. I'll get a more updated picture of the hatch actually on the car with the M.
It's a shame I didn't take some detailed pictures of the rust on the hatch to show how well the hatch turned out from what it used to be...

 

[Bastian]

it's amazing how just painting your valve cover and header really cleans up the engine bay, looks sweet.

 

[Flav]

it's amazing how just painting your valve cover and header really cleans up the engine bay, looks sweet.

Yeah, also actually cleaning all the junk off of the wire's and misc. parts helps a lot too.
(nota)protip: use tire shine to make your wires and anything plastic shine like new

 

[JDM_Pro5]

Can't wait to see the hatch finished. Mine is being shaved as well. As soon as I get the paint in, I'm welding the emblem holes closed and filling the key lock

 

[Flav]

Can't wait to see the hatch finished. Mine is being shaved as well. As soon as I get the paint in, I'm welding the emblem holes closed and filling the key lock

Yeah...im kinda wishing I filled in the keyhole lol.. might still do it, well see

 

[bikingpro5]

our cars look better with everything shaved (IMO)

 

[Flav]

our cars look better with everything shaved (IMO)

You make my tractor sexy.

I may have to revisit the keyhole this weekend..

 

[Brian_K]

your car is looking good! i'm glad you went back to the stock tail lights lol. and nice find on the header, i havent seen one of those since i sold mine

 

[Flav]

your car is looking good! i'm glad you went back to the stock tail lights lol. and nice find on the header, i havent seen one of those since i sold mine

Thank you, thank you.

Yeah the header was a steal.. $20! I just had to drive 40 minutes for it and take it off the car myself. Worth it!

 

[Flav]

Alright, here's my awful picture of the hatch actually on the car with the Evil M (Instagram pic, sorry lol)

So, yep.. I'll be filling in that key hole for sure...
Probably get around to that when I decide to redo the hood (lots of bad stone chips on it..)

Also, if you ARE on Instagram, feel free to search me up "fps_flav"

 

[JDM_Pro5]

^ looks awesome. You can take that little piece off with the key hole, fill it, and paint it separately

 

[Flav]

^ looks awesome. You can take that little piece off with the key hole, fill it, and paint it separately

Yep, I'll hopefully start that piece within the next week or so when I muster up the courage to start the hood. (lotta stone chips)

 

[JDM_Pro5]

Gotcha...eventually going to track down another cf hood?

 

[Flav]

Gotcha...eventually going to track down another cf hood?

If i go the plastidip route (sorry bikingpro) then I'll most likely grab a hood if I can locate one. However, I have recently decided to go back to school.. So I'm not sure how I'll be able to afford mods for the car let alone gas -.-