Got a Brand New Spicy Orange MSP

Sloop

Member
Hey all,

Last night I picked up a brand new 2003 Spicy Orange MSP. Now the only problem is how the hell can I stop looking at it. Simply fantastic. Oh yeah, the car has the clunking noise and I firmly believe it is because of the cold. My Lexus IS300 does the exact same damn thing when it is cold and it makes the exact same noise. I am not at all worried. I will post pictures ASAP. I need to figure out the stereo system. It is a bit confusing. Oh yeah, Towson Dodge/Mazda in Baltimore, Maryland was fabulous. Put a deposit down on Saturday. The car was in on Thursday. They have two more coming in. Ask for Ruvin. He is fantastic. Got the car for MSRP.

Thanks
 
may I inquire as to why you got the MSP if you have an is300? and can you compare and contrast your experience of the two?

I am picking up my MSP today and my friend is picking up his 2001 is300 tomm so im curious.
 
Sloop:
Congrats, indeed! These cars ROCK!!! The Stereo? HA!...It took me a few days to get it sorted out as well, and I'm still learning about it. Awesome car - Awesome Stereo !!!

Cheers!
(drinks)
 
slug420 said:
may I inquire as to why you got the MSP if you have an is300? and can you compare and contrast your experience of the two?

I am picking up my MSP today and my friend is picking up his 2001 is300 tomm so im curious.

Perhaps so he can do a photoshoot like this one: :D

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Congrats sloop doggy dog (sorry, couldn't resist :) )!
 
Grimace said:


Perhaps so he can do a photoshoot like this one: :D

smaller1.jpg


Congrats sloop doggy dog (sorry, couldn't resist :) )!

So Grim Dude; Did you ever get the chance to see Michael Andretti win any of his (7) Toronto Grand Prix while he raced in CART? He ruled that town.

Cheers!
(drinks)
 
Actually,

IS300 - Fantastic car (2001's - You need to stay away from) Great handling, nice engine, still get looks. The Lexus service is simply the best if you don't mind spending $130 every 5,000 miles. The 2001 that I have was purchased very early and I has had some problems such as a transmission hesitation, CD changer continued to get stuck, etc. Otherwise it is a great car.

MSP - Not enough seat time but I wanted a turbocharged 5-speed car since I have owned 2 2G eclipse GS-T's. Stay away from them as they mostly have crankwalk after the warranty runs out. (It Figures) On that note our blowoff valve on the MSP's is strangely similiar to the 1st gen dsm bov's. If anyone ever thinks about geting an atmospheric venting BOV unless the ecu is reprogrammed. Bad idea unless they want the car to hesitate, stall, or run too rich.
 
Hey Sloop

Congrats, and welcome! We are worried about the clunk because the MP3's had it and it is due to bad bushings. If it is something else and it is to do with the cold then it is a very poorly spec'd setup since I did not buy a car with a pre-req of driving temperature.

Anyway, still love the car

Andrew
 
Sloop. Congratulatons on your purchase. You made a fine choice!
(thumbs)

What do you think of the rear seating space compared b/t the two cars? I honestly think that the Protege has slightly more space in the rear than the IS300. IS300 is a fine car, but it's slightly on the small side. :rolleyes:
 
The rear seating area does have more room in the MSP. I had the two cars side by side for a day and the protege looked slightly larger. I love a lot of things about the MSP compared to the IS300. Transmission, arm rest, turbo to name a few. If anyone can let me know what the proper break in period on the MSP is I would be much in debt. I have 24 miles and have not gone over 3500 rpm's so I am dying.
 
Sloop....what do you mean by arm rest? There's no arm rest in the MSP. There's no 'proper' way of breaking into your MSP. According to the manua for the first 1000km (600miles) , they just don't want you to full throttle it from a stand still or from a start, Rev/race the engine, don't full throttle the car at any speed and don't remain at a constant speed for a long period of time. Other than that, there isn't much to 'baby' about.

I set my limit to 4000rpm for the first 300KM then worked my way up to 4500rpm for the first 700km. Now, i'm finally hitting 5000rpm at just over 1000km. Just work your way in. Enjoy! :)
 
i asked my dealer about break-in and he said there isnt one. so i consulted the manual and just like you said, just dont hammer it in the first 600 miles......

I just picked mine up tonight and have already taken it to 5000 once, but it wasnt from a stand still or anythin, just kinda worked my way up to feel the turbo once in one gear. I will probably keep it at 3000 rpms as best I can for the first 600 (155 so far) and hit 4000 a few times when i wanna spool and 5000 a cple times just for kicks and not worry about it

thanks for the is300 feedback
i sent it to my friend but I think he is too obsessed with the idea of having a Lexus logo on the hood and chicks throwing themselves at the car. I considered an is300 for a brief moment for a cple days before my msp came in and although i do so adore the lexus logo, having a sunroof, and leather interior.....i saved 4 grand not to mention insurance money, and am 300% glad i stuck witht he msp. I was driving it home from the dealership tonight and just thinking "i need to let him drive this, i dont understand how he could want an is300 after feeling how much fun this car is"

of course i was just in my biased bliss of owning a new car and have never driven an is so i can really make a fair comparison :)

how much is your MSP insurance in comparison with the is300? I tihnkt he is300 books for like 28k right? so it has to be more to insure than the 20k msp no?
 
Sloop said:
Actually,

On that note our blowoff valve on the MSP's is strangely similiar to the 1st gen dsm bov's. If anyone ever thinks about geting an atmospheric venting BOV unless the ecu is reprogrammed. Bad idea unless they want the car to hesitate, stall, or run too rich.

Yep, that's right! I had return side port come off my FM BOV. While I was waiting on a replacement BOV from FM, I tried caping off the return pipe to the turbo inlet, and that's exacly what happened. Ran like s***. Our cars have a MAF sensor that meters the air going into the engine. You vent to the atmosphere, it throws everything off! The Original BOV that comes with the B.E.G.I. Turbo System is a Mitsubishi part. I upgraded to the FM Sequential BOV/Bypass Valve.
 
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