jawn
2002 Mazda Protege5 5MT
- :
- Annapolis, MD
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
Figured I’d start a build thread on my 02 protege5, that i am in the process of ruining. most of the low protégés out there are either bagged or on coilovers and not actually that low to the ground, i’m attempting to be among the lowest on this chassis.
Bought this car from the second owner. incredibly well kept car, still have the window sticker from new. decently optioned, finished in Midnight Blue Mica with the gray cloth interior. has a sunroof, no abs or traction control, manual transmission and factory chrome wheels.
In the past i had 4 different volvos, the last of which i got into an accident which put me in a rough financial decision. needed a cheap reliable car and this was my solution.
Pic from the day i bought it:
The only modification it had when i bought it was a racing beat axle back, done by the original owner (an older woman surprisingly) because she wanted to hear it better to know when to shift.
Started off with maintenance. all motor mounts, changed every fluid, drive belts, control arms, tie rods, godspeed sway bar end links, and much more.
First “mod” was sn95 mustang cobra wheels. they didn’t fit great (offset was a little too aggressive) so this wasn’t too long lived.
Next up was actually lowering the car. i’m a high school student and money was still tight so i bought rev9s, and actually like them a lot. we’ll see about longevity but they’re good for now. ran mismatch because of clearance issues with the wheels.
Continued with maintenance and saved for wheels and tires, and swapped back to stocks for a cleaner look and more low in the front.
In order to solve rubbing in the rear, rolled the fenders and hammered out the wheel well because these cars have very shallow wheel wells. that seems to be the biggest problem with getting these things low.
Finally got my dream wheels, AVS Model T5s!
I finally have the car 100% mechanically sound and fender to lip fitment in the rear. next up will be swift springs so i can drop it another inch and a half, spacers up front, and more camber up front as well. i’ll keep this thread updated, have tons of plans for this thing, both suspension and other things such as intake, headers, and other things to squeeze a little more power out of this little fs-de. excited to see what comes for this car in the future!!
Bought this car from the second owner. incredibly well kept car, still have the window sticker from new. decently optioned, finished in Midnight Blue Mica with the gray cloth interior. has a sunroof, no abs or traction control, manual transmission and factory chrome wheels.
In the past i had 4 different volvos, the last of which i got into an accident which put me in a rough financial decision. needed a cheap reliable car and this was my solution.
Pic from the day i bought it:
The only modification it had when i bought it was a racing beat axle back, done by the original owner (an older woman surprisingly) because she wanted to hear it better to know when to shift.
Started off with maintenance. all motor mounts, changed every fluid, drive belts, control arms, tie rods, godspeed sway bar end links, and much more.
First “mod” was sn95 mustang cobra wheels. they didn’t fit great (offset was a little too aggressive) so this wasn’t too long lived.
Next up was actually lowering the car. i’m a high school student and money was still tight so i bought rev9s, and actually like them a lot. we’ll see about longevity but they’re good for now. ran mismatch because of clearance issues with the wheels.
Continued with maintenance and saved for wheels and tires, and swapped back to stocks for a cleaner look and more low in the front.
In order to solve rubbing in the rear, rolled the fenders and hammered out the wheel well because these cars have very shallow wheel wells. that seems to be the biggest problem with getting these things low.
Finally got my dream wheels, AVS Model T5s!
I finally have the car 100% mechanically sound and fender to lip fitment in the rear. next up will be swift springs so i can drop it another inch and a half, spacers up front, and more camber up front as well. i’ll keep this thread updated, have tons of plans for this thing, both suspension and other things such as intake, headers, and other things to squeeze a little more power out of this little fs-de. excited to see what comes for this car in the future!!
