Looking for help with a possible purchase

[mazdarichie]

Not sure what forum to put this in. I am looking into getting this Mazdaspeed Protg. It is rough. Guy says it runs great. But this under the hood pic says otherwise. It's missing a bunch of stuff. I would like to find the original parts and put it back to stock. From what I can see it is missing:
Mazdaspeed engine cover
Air box
1 radiator bracket
Heat shield over the manifold
By pass valve and the hoses for it
The line right next to the bypass valve
piping from the intercooler to the turbo
Does anybody see anything else missing or possible help with finding the missing parts? Thanks,
Richard

 

[ap123]

looks really bad, i've seen cleaner engine bays at junk yards.
He's obviously BSing you if he says it runs great. I wouldn't truest anything he has to say.

Apart from being so filthily other things that make me concern. The positive power cable has a fuse on it, also an added wire. suggest the electrical system has been messed with, most likely by some one thats not very experienced.

By the intake manifold there is some odd looking can thing, no idea what it is, never seen anything like that before.

Seams like the car has been sitting for a long time, theres probably something really wrong this car. It seams like its been neglected

Coolant over flow tank? I see the hose but the tank isnt in view.

For the parts most should be easy to find in the for sale section.
the air box, and intercooler pipe might be hard to find though.

 

[mazdarichie]

What's the value on something like this? It's got 123,000 on it.

 

[ap123]

if you dont see the car run, i would consider it as a "parts" car wouldn't pay a penny over $1500. That assuming the rest of the shell is spotless.

 

[hornsfan10609]

I agree $1500 is probably what it is worth. Cleaned up and in good running condition I would ask $4500-5. You can buy the radiator brackets at crossover auto and some other vendors as well. Several places make replacement hot pipes (turbo to intercooler) and you can get a replacement cold pipe as well. For the air box a regular protege air box is the same or you can install a filter on the end of the MAF or get an aftermarket intake. The taped off nipple on the stock intake is for the pcv vent line but there is a filter in place of that which may throw a P0171 code in case you go crazy trying to track down a vacuum leak like I did, otherwise the filter will work fine. The fuse on the battery is stock it is for the factory Kenwood amp wiring, the other wire on the positive terminal is aftermarket though. It looks like the battery needs a tie-down.
I want to know what that silver thing is on the left of the motor by the intake manifold under the strut brace? It looks like a solenoid for nitrous on the fuel rail.

 

[mazdarichie]

I just can't believe how bad it looks under the hood! Mine is bone stock and has everything where it is supposed to be. This thing is a mess! I saw the breather for the PCV vent. I was wondering what that "can" was which looks like it's up on the fuel rail. The guy who has it does not seem to know much about the car. Had a hard time understanding him on the phone. Hispanic man with a heavy accent. Does not help I don't speak Spanish. From what I got from him he got it from somebody for his son who did not want it. Really seemed to know nothing about the car. Wants $4000 for it or best offer. I think that is crazy! He has had it for sale a while now. After seeing under the hood I know why. It needs a smog check. Being in California you have to have all the equipment. The car would fail on visual inspection alone. Needs a lot of dollars thrown at it just to make it smog legal. I always wanted the yellow Protg. I have the blue one now. But I'm thinking this car may be good for parts only.
http://images.craigslist.org/00n0n_ekBiCmDbqGK_600x450.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/00A0A_hcEK7k9gGd8_600x450.jpg
I have 2 exterior pictures of it too. Looks like it has a good dent on the left rear quarter too. It just sucks. The car is 2 hours away. I just don't want to have to drive all that way just to see if I am even wanting to make a offer if it's just junk. But that is really my only option.

 

[hornsfan10609]

It can be fixed up it is far from beyond repair.