Hello, new to site, but not mazdas

[slayer]

Hello All, I recently just picked up a 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege. I wasnt even looking for one of these cars, but my 2002 Protege 5`s motor went, and since its a rusty pile, and needs way to much work to make a new motor worth while, i started lookng for other vehicles

this one popped up online for under $5000 so i snagged it up. NO RUST which i love, for being in Southern Ontario, alot of proteges rust right out.





for the past 5 years ive owned a 2002 Protege5, i liked the car, but honestly didnt love it the way i loved my car before that (and this new MSP)



its a dirty pic last winter when i pulled it into my work to adjust the serp belts tention

but my last car before that that i absolutly loved, my first Mazda. and didnt even know Mazda existed before i saw this car on a lot.
Sorry i lost all my more recent pics, so alls i have is day after body shop pics

 

[SlpMsp]

Looks clean congrats! Any modifications on it? and do you have plans for it

 

[slayer]

the previous owner for some reason ripped the factory grill out, and replaced it with some mesh. I will replace that, prefered with the fiberglass grill that removed the mazda logo, i think it just looks clean

second choice is a factory replacment grill, but temporarily ill just see if the grilll from my protege 5 will fit, but hte chrome emblem wont looks 100% when everythign else is satin


the previous owner also has an Injen CAI on it, I dont think anything else has been done yet,

the shifter is alot shorter than my protege 5 one, but i assume the mazdaspeed version comes with a shorter shifter anyways, the suspention seems lower, but i assume its just factory that has sagged, because the springs look really old, and the shocks make noise.

so my plans are to
upgrade the brakes all around
fix the suspention (if it needs new components ill get a new setup)
previous owner cut the exhaust tip off, so i want to correct that (does the protege5 axel back fit the sedan?)

i also want to fix the rear speakers (he ripped out the sub, amp and rear decklid speakers, so im down to a 4 speaker stereo system
I want to change all the piping from platic to hard pipes,

lots of plans, but there not really all that complicated.

 

[destineal]

Welcome to the party.

 

[Spiced MSP]

welcome, let us know how progress goes

 

[Bowman]

Welcome.. Nice ride

 

[SlpMsp]

Sounds like you will good care of it , the p5 axle back will be too short.

 

[jeremy irons]

Its probably not the shocks making noise. its probably... the swaybar bushings or the end links. typically if it's a rattle, its the end links. if its a squeak or 'clunk' its the bushings.

Ive owned two MSPs, and even though the noise is different each time, it always seems to be those things.


I find that racing beat is the cheapest place for a Canadian to order the rear bushings, which fail most frequently. don't buy those at the dealer.

 

[slayer]

yeah the car needed bushing i had to skip fixing them cause the shop got the wrong ones, and the dealer was insane pricing. willing to pay for them, but also willign to shop around lol.

also, the axel back cant be any worse than what the last guy did, he cut the tip off with a sawsall it look slike, right infront of the hanger bracket so i cant really even ad a tip without welding it on

 

[Ricktalife]

The MSP doesn't come with rear deck speakers. It just has speaker grilles because the factory amp and sub don't provide enough room for them to fit.

 

[slayer]

Hmmm Good to know. This is my first time with a MSP, and even seeing one up close, so im still finding out some of the differences.

just took her on a nice lonk 1000KM drive yesterday, and she runs even better than before, turbo seems liek its spooling alot easier now, i dont know how long this has sat on the lot, or even how the last owner drove it, but its more responsive now