MP3 for sale...

[SilentSno]

Congrads and good luck. Its disappointing you didn't get the MP3, but hey you gotta pick the best car for you.

The ES is still a great car, and be sure to hit up the other forums for questions, tips, mods, etc.. This is a wonderful resource that you'll grow to love even more and more!

 

[99 Pro]

Pics?

 

[GIJana]

I'll post some shortly... It's nothing special though just a standard 2003 Protege ES the same colour blue as the MP3.

I started thinking about some of the mods I could do to it... and then just figured meh what's the point... I can get rid of the car in 1 1/2 years and trade it in for something cool then. (probably a subaru hehe) Although I have to say I really like mazdas (I've always wanted one after I saw the Zoom Zoom commercials as a kid hehe)

 

[edub]

Im actually looking at this EXACT mp3.
It looks good in the pics but im a little weary about what you mentioned

The owner bought it at a dealer auction and the price is down to 8995 CAD right now.

He said he recently had the sway bar bushings replaced and he will have a look at the oil pan.

Do you really need to run supreme gas in these? i do a fair bit of driving.
Also i was looking for some first hand experiance on how you liked driving it and how it felt, and what the dealer you took it to said exactly.

Also i know everyone here is a little biased toward their car BUT. If you were in my position, what other cars would you consider in your hunt around this price range. i LOVE the look of the car and cant wait to get out to have a closer look and take it for a spin.
cheers.

 

[CulRidr]

You don't NEED supreme, you'll just get slightly better mileage out of it, and a small amount of power (I've never driven hard enough with 87 to feel the difference since I use it as my "winter gas").
Most people here will tell you that if you want a car that goes fast in a straight line, get something else, but if you want a car that's actually fun to drive and will handle like a car costing 5 times as much, buy the MP3.

You should probably PM GIJana as he may not be subscribed to this thread anymore

 

[edub]

Thanks for the heads up, i Pm'd him first thing but no reply anyway ill hope for the reply before i see the car.
Ive had cars that were fast in a straight line and in the corners before and i want something thats fun to toss around btu still a good daily driver and this looks like it fits the bill, although 160-180hp would be best 140 isnt too shabby.

Is it a usable powerband? not like a torque-less honda motor? just looking for some first hand driving impressions really.

Im getting the car essentially for 9000$ CAD taxes in.
now was 121,000 kms on it, looks to be in great shape, and he replaced the sway bar bushings a nd said he'll look at the oil pan, but im not worried about the cost of an oil pan i do all my work myself.

Any other issues people experianced with these cars? common problems that come up?

 

[MP3Performance]

The powerband is pretty good in my opinion, and much better than VTAK (even though I do love engines that rev to 8500). You can thank the MP3 ECU, since it has a better overall tune then regular Proteges or the MSP. Though at around 6000rpm it starts to die off. If you get an after market header, that will fix the top end power. Even stock it has a good amount of torque for passing and such.

 

[edub]

Ok this is the kind of info im looking for

I've owned a couple hondas and a few vw's both with boost and both without. I've come to the conclusion that useful total powerband and a well balanced suspension is more impressive then a vtec kick or short amount of boost(=turbo lag).
I owned a VW corrado G60 supercharged which was amazing (god BLESS superchargers) torque everywhere but it was as reliable as a ford on crack. Any of the hondas i owned were torqueless pigs, pulled like a bastard but screamed like a scared cat.
I want something that is a good balance, im pretty excited to have a look at this MP3!

Whats the scoop on N/A engine mods to squeeze a little more power out of the megar 2.0l mazda. obviously I/H/E but any other tips and tricks? commonly replaced parts.

Whats the one mod on your MP3 that you couldnt live without?

 

[MP3Performance]

Whats the scoop on N/A engine mods to squeeze a little more power out of the megar 2.0l mazda. obviously I/H/E but any other tips and tricks? commonly replaced parts.

Whats the one mod on your MP3 that you couldnt live without?

I would have to say that I love both my intake and header. The CAI is such a easy and cheap mod, its almost a must. But there are some who will say that a intake does nothing withouth a tune, but I am sure it helps out (throttle response, top end, and probably overall). If nothing else, it makes and awesome sound when you blip the throttle and when you turn off the engine (kind of a woooshing sound). The header is also a must if you want decent power, but it depends if you are able to and willing to get rid of the first cat. I used to have a catless midpipe, but eventually went back to stock. I defiantly felt a difference when I took it off, since it helped with quicker revs and top. But also hated the smell of exhaust fumes, especially in the summer traffic with the windows open.

Most people do Intake, header, midpipe or full exhaust (but the racingbeat is such a great sounding exhaust stock), lightened underdrive pully. If you want to make impressive power and spend $$$$$$$$ you will need , custom cams, camgears, port and polish head, high compression pistons, and engine manigment. But the easiest and cheapest way to make good numbers is to go turbo.

 

[edub]

from my experiance turbo and cheap NEVER belong in the same sentence EVER.
i appriciate your input, and i think ill stick to buying the car, paying it off and putting an intake, short shifter and a good set of rubber on it and enjoy it at track days

 

[KaiserDragon]

PM'd you edub