Help from someone who KNOWS the MSP well

[11Past9]

I love how these cars look, I hear they handle amazingly well and are a blast to drive even if they are slow as (insert 4 letter word here) however I do have some concerns...

Engine:

I've basically been told they are a regular protege motor with a turbo kit from the factory and no real re-enforcement. That they are very weak and if youre not careful it can go real bad, real fast and real expensively... True? What measures can be taken to KEEP THIS FROM BEING THE CASE? How much hard driving can they take?

Transmission:

I hear they like to fail, grind and all that happy (insert another 4 letter word here)...

Any solutions? Can they be driven hard without having to cringe everytime in fear you screwed something up? I don't mean abuse but like your sexy girlfriend... shes hot, delicate but can still take a **** (nana)

Suspension components:

I've heard they are finicky, bushings, arms, bla bla bla can't hold up to a ton of hard turns and what not...

Can someone help me out? I'd like one of these cars but dont have the wallet for big oopsies due to poorly built cars.

 

[thaikim]

Do you plan to stay stock in which case i wish you luck in staying so... Or do you plan on modding in which case I also wish you much luck... Haha either way, let's just say the car is a bit temperamental...

You compared her to a sexy girlfriend but like in real life if you hear from enough people that you might be getting in over your head, "that chick is crazy" then you might wanna re-think your level of commitment before you settle down

Best of luck whichever path you choose

 

[11Past9]

Do you plan to stay stock in which case i wish you luck in staying so... Or do you plan on modding in which case I also wish you much luck... Haha either way, let's just say the car is a bit temperamental...

You compared her to a sexy girlfriend but like in real life if you hear from enough people that you might be getting in over your head, "that chick is crazy" then you might wanna re-think your level of commitment before you settle down

Best of luck whichever path you choose

If it has its quirks thats fine as long as they aren't more than it's worth in terms of usability/fun to cost ratio.

I want to know that any time I want to drive it, I'm not going to have to be listening to bulls*** noises and crap praying it's not gonna die or choke out on me or empty my bank account.

 

[SleepyMSP]

Engine: as long as you get supporting mods (IC, Exhaust, maybe a unichip) your fine on that point and can go up to around 9-10 psi (I stay at 9 just in case)

Trany: the weak point here is the LSD, to many track launches and it will go (there have been stories of them breaking under normal conditions but there is always some wear in the history). The solution here will be to weld the diff casing for reinforcement. Also for the gears maintain your tranny fluid and your fine I recommend red line or the like (I use penzoil synchromesh because it operates better in the cold then red line). beyond that the tranny will hold upto 275 HP without much fuss

Suspension: Your only real problem here are the sway bar bushings (get the clunk fix bracket from evolv or axrracing.com) and the end links (side effect of the bushings). once you fix these you're golden

end result is, the car can be problematic if it is not maintained in a basic way but if you take care of her she'll take care of you.

 

[Spiced MSP]

the MSP is a great and fun car to drive as long as you don't beat the hell out of it. It is a great handling car and that is what it was meant for. This car will shine on some curves and will impress you when it comes to Autocross.

As far as the engine goes: the rods are thin compared to forged replacements. You are right about things going bad and getting expensive very quickly. Do not get boost happy with these cars. Some will say not to go over 10 psi on stock internals. Some will say not to even touch the boost without EMS first. Every car is a different beast and with it being 2010 now, there is no telling how the previous owner treated the car. Bottom line for the engine: leave the boost alone until you tune for it. Or just rebuild with forged internals to begin with. Tuning should be the first thing if you are still using the stock ECU. You will see why when you try going into boost in the mid to upper RPM range. This will take care of that: http://www.protegegarage.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_165&products_id=866 IIRC, there has been an issue with the oil system on our cars especially during turns under load. But, I don't think that will be an issue until you start increasing the boost and it also depends on how you drive the car.

As for the transmission, the gearset is ok until you start to get near the 300hp mark, then you will start grenading gears unless you go with a PAR gearset. Usually 3rd or 5th gear is what goes out, and you can get the GTX 3rd and 5th gears from here: http://www.protegegarage.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_402&products_id=1051 Now for the most important part, the LSD in these cars are known to crap out over a period of time after some spirited driving, launches, ricer burnouts, or just turning a corner or making a U-turn. There is no telling when it will go out. Just to be on the safe side, I would check to see if the LSD in that car is already welded, if not, get it welded or just buy a welded replacement from the website above.( or get a Mfactory lsd). You will know when it goes out if you try to drive and the car does not move in any gear. A lot of people automatically think it's the clutch when 9 times out of 10, it is the case that snapped.

For the suspension, over time you may develop "the clunk" when going over bumps or uneven pavement. It gets annoying over time and others just deal with it. There is a kit by AXR (i believe thats the name) that fixes the clunk. Also, your car may start to squeak over time, you can just lubricate the bushings or take it to a dealer and have them do under warranty.

Just some added info, if your car still has stock motor mounts, you can look into getting stronger mounts like AWR mounts..http://www.protegegarage.com/index.php?cPath=32_407 If you do get the MSP, just check to see if your mounts are ripped or starting to rip because they tend to go bad, especially the rear mount. Another thing, the exhuast manifold bolts tend to get loose and/or will actually break creating an exhaust leak. Sometimes the manifold itself will even crack. Just look out for it. Also, the wastegate actuator on the turbo tends to go bad over time. You can get an ATP replacement for around $60. One more thing to look for, if your car starts to seep oil around the valve cover, check to see if the bolts on the valve cover are tight. I know mine came loose before and so have other members. If not, you can get a valve cover gasket for around 20-30 bucks. Lastly, the vacuum lines on these cars get brittle over time due to the heat in the engine bay, when they get brittle, they will start to develop vacuum leaks. If you have the stock SMIC, check and make sure the clamps are tight to prevent them from blowing off under boost. I could go on and on with things to look for with these cars but this should cover some of the big things. I will try to find the thread that talks about common issues and TSBs for you. Good luck and if you do get the car, welcome to the Mazda family and forums...zoom zoom(hopefully no boom)


*edit: here is the thread I was talking about: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50549

 

[Ricktalife]

The best thing to do is to have a mechanic look at the car. I bought mine from an auction, and I actually was not even there. I had been talking to my dad since he goes to auctions for his job and all I could do was relay what he should be looking for as far as what is stock and what is not. The car looked nearly bone stock, but sadly the stock parts were mostly all fubar and after many rants about how I'm going to kill the previous owner, I think I almost have it all sorted out.

Now I do not intend to push you away from our beloved MSP's, but that is what you will find with a lot of factory turbo cars. So if you can get pictures to show us (when you find a candidate) and have somebody with a good knowledge of turbochargers come along, you should be in good shape. When you find a good starting ground, we can help you fix all the quirks.

 

[BOOSTR]

These cars can be hit or miss. Especially 2nd owner plus ones. I'd recommend it based on the near 80K that I have put on mine since leaving the dealer lot back in 2003. Like any other car it will be as reliable or unreliable as you make it. Mine is still fun to drive, starts every time, burns no oil, has no knocks and has almost every original part except for the upgraded ones that I put on for more enjoyment.

 

[We Are Ninja]

I haven't had any real problems. Bought it used w/ 23K miles on the clock. 57K miles later...

1.) Three of my four motor mounts gave up their respective ghosts: I replaced them with AWR mounts mounts/inserts).
2.) I got the clunk: I fixed it with the AXR (I think) clunk bracket.
3.) Wastegate actuator got stuck: Replaced it with another one...

 

[bradboyd80]

The best thing to do is to have a mechanic look at the car.

Best advice thus far.

I bought mine on impulse because I always wanted one. But within a year (most of which occured within the first couple of months) I had already had to replace ALL 4 motor mounts, midpipe (broke in between the cats), rear section exhaust (not necessarily needed, but needed something to bolt up to the new midpipe), coils, battery, alternator, timing belt, and a few others I'm forgetting. All that, and I still had a ton of issues when I traded it in. And NO, I did not abuse it....I think I got the remnants of someone elses abuse.

Definitely just get the car looked at ahead of time; not to mention take it for a spirited test drive to see what kind of condition its in.

I'm not trying to bash the MSP, as I'd love to get another one if it wasn't abused. But do your best to find out its condition before you decide to drive it home.

 

[Laser Blue]

I'm just about to roll 40k and i haven't encountered any serious problems. I'm running moderate mods (but all of the major supporting mods, intercooler, pipes, exhaust plus some other goodies), and a daily 9-10 psi. The stock is about 6 and a half and i find the extra 2 or 3 psi really wakes the car up.