MP3 for sale...

[MP3Performance]

^500USD...a fair amount more in CAD due to shipping and whatnot...but still a valid point

I forgot you are in Canadia (crazy). You also have a good point, I have a cousin in Calgary and he says shipping stuff from the US is a nightmare.

If your problem is the rear clunk, get the evolv kit (if thats how you spell it). I had the clunk when I bought the car, then tried some energy suspension bushings. Those lasted about 2 years, but the clunck returned. I got the evolv kit a couple months ago, and I must say it has resolved that issue. Also, I think he ships from Canada so shipping should be easier.(dance)

 

[GIJana]

Yeah I think he is shipping from Canada.
Even if I managed to get a set of bushings to last 2 years I'd be happy. I'm in my third year of university now, and will have graduated by then so I'll be able to spend a little more money on the car to more permanently fix the problem.
Thanks.

 

[CulRidr]

evolv ships the "AXR clunk fix" from Winnipeg so no shipping problems there, and for ~200$, it's totally worth the investment...
As for shipping to Canada, it's a real pain in the butt if you don't live near the US border like me, or if the shipper isn't willing to ship via USPS...

 

[GIJana]

i know someone who lives in the states that i can ship to anyway so it's not a big deal.

 

[CulRidr]

you still have to clear customs, and you don't always get lucky and pay nothing...for me I have to pay for 2hours of gas, going over the bridge twice to Ogdensburg, the 5USD holding fee at the UPS store, and then maybe I get dinged at the border. So that's 25CAD (not much different then US dollars today considering our dollar is virtually at parity, minus stupid paypal fees) + tax...still not bad compared to what shipping directly to Canada usually costs if you use UPS or FedEx though (gtfo)

 

[Newf]

if you are going to do this, you need to seriously consider the suspension issues.

There are multiple noises.

Front and rear bushings will make a squishy noises when cold and driving over bumps. Sounds like you ran over a coke can. There is no fix for this, sometimes lube can help but it will come back.

Struts can, and might squeak like a bad bed when in really cold and dry weather. This is rare though.

Rear bushings will clunk, you would NEED to get the proper fix for this. Do not screw around with bad bushings, trust me it's a pita.

There was an issue with the strut mounts on ALL protege's. But it gets confused with the sounds the mp3's make. It might very well be needing replacement, but I'm thinking what you are hearing is NOT the mounts.

I've owned the MP3 from 2001 to 2003, then I bought the MSP which I traded last summer. I had both for some time. THe MSP is the better car for more reasons then just a turbo. You have to drive one to feel it. The MP3 however does have the euro spec steering column, and it's crazy sharp handling. The MSP feels looser in this respect but it's marginal.

On Paper there is no contest between a MP3/ES. BUT, with an ES, you don't have any of the suspension issues, and it can look just like an mp3 if you put the money into it. It won't handle like the mp3, but hey...you get a sunroof too.

How were the seats? look at the Vinly, see if it's cracked. Look at the steering wheel see if it's cracking/peeling. The stock shifter was also bad for this but that is obviously gone. Grab the back bumer, get the car bouncing...not easy as the suspension is crazy stiff, but listen to the struts for any squeaks....make sure the car is off of course.

 

[MP3Performance]

On Paper there is no contest between a MP3/ES. BUT, with an ES, you don't have any of the suspension issues, and it can look just like an mp3 if you put the money into it. It won't handle like the mp3, but hey...you get a sunroof too.

If you want to put money into a body conversion, you might as well get the MP3 and convert the suspension back to ES stock setup. I dont see why you would do that, but it kinda makes sense if you think about it (ugh).

Seriously though, if you want to get rid of the squeaks get the AXR brackets replace the englinks (with stock ones since they dont rattle like the AWR ones) and possibly use some lube on the suspension parts. Some people (including me) get a rattling sound coming from the rear speakers, you might want to insulate it from the bottom to stop it from rattling.

Or you can forget about all the sounds and just turn up the nice stereo system (guitar).

 

[GIJana]

I don't really care if it makes noise when it's cold out etc. just as long as it's not going to cause mechanical problems etc.

I've already made the decision to buy the AWR fix setup thing if I do end up buying the MP3.

Oh and the ES doesn't have a sunroof cus it's the Canadian version... so I think there are a few things it doesn't have compared to the American one.

The seats are in good condition, as is the rest of the interior and the steering wheel.

 

[Newf]

Canadian ES's do indeed have sunroof's. The first protege I test drove back in 2001 was an ES loaded with sunroof, then I test drove a p5, then I bought the MP3 before I even seen it.

There is something cool about having a car so rare. only 250 2001 MP3's made it to Canada....minus however many ended up totaled of course.

 

[CulRidr]

Canadian ES's do indeed have sunroof's. The first protege I test drove back in 2001 was an ES loaded with sunroof, then I test drove a p5, then I bought the MP3 before I even seen it.

There is something cool about having a car so rare. only 250 2001 MP3's made it to Canada....minus however many ended up totaled of course.

Not all cars came with it automatically; the ES just had the option of getting the sunroof...hell the LX had that option. When americans say ES, for us Canadians that usually equates to an ES-GT which did come with the sunroof standard. As for the P5, it was also an option, not a standard feature.

 

[GIJana]

fukc guys i really can't decide... I called the guys selling the ES and it still has the drivetrain (or is it powertrain? i don't know the difference) warranty on it up to 100 000 km on it (the car has 78 right now) or Nov 08.

I really really like the MP3, it drives really really nicely... but I'm a student and I'm afraid that because the MP3 is older, and has more miles on it that it will cost me a lot more in maintenance over the next 2 years. (cus I'm in my third year of university and won't have much of an income)

 

[CulRidr]

See this is where you have to do more background checking. A car with less miles but that wasn't maintained as well as a car with more miles will cost you more. I bought my MP3 with over 100,000miles on it and I bet you it's cleaner and in better condition then most MP3s with half that many miles. the only problem I've had with it in the 7,000miles I've had with it is having to replace a caliper. Sure the brakes were fully changed between 60,000miles and when I owned it, and a few other regular maintenance items, but that's just normal.

If you aren't going to buy a car because you are afraid of the maintenance costs that are coming up (you would have to pay for them in the future with the other car anyway), then don't buy a car. Maintenance costs come with owning a car. If you are buying a car because you love it and know that it is in good shape, then go with what seems right.
The powertrain warranty is just for your transmission and engine usually, which would never blow anyway unless you were EXTREMELY unlucky, so don't base your purchase on that. Base it on maintenance records (if available), history of the car (and its drivers, assuming you can get that; IE: young driver VS adult/lady driven), and what a mechanic tells you.

 

[SilentSno]

Culridr, great advice.

If it makes your decision any easier, a lot people have turbo charged their proteges (including MP3s and ESs) and have never blown a tranny, except for only until high boost. Usually only clutches, which wears anyway.

The engine for the most part is solid. The FSDE has been around for quite a while is is a proven. Get a compression check on the cyclinders, it'll give you a great piece a mind.

But your best bet for which car to buy is what Culridr said, maintance records, carfaxes, and what you feel seems to be the better car.

Another thing I've always liked to do, is spray water on the car with a hose. If it bubbles up (small water beads, little smaller than a penny usually), like it should, it means the car has fairly new wax. Most people who take car of their cars, will wax it. (granted people who really know how to sell cars will wax them too!)

 

[CulRidr]

Thanks SilentSno, appreciate it

All good points Sno, but I must advise on 2 things.
1. The engine is a good reliable one, but anyone who has done enough research knows that our engines are susceptible to breaking down (if boosted) due to our cheap rods.
2. Carfaxes are a must, but really don't say much. They are really only good to know if there have been any accidents, and any major repair work to the car, otherwise maintenance records really are the way to go. In other words, they Carfax will tell you if your car has been accidented, maintenance records will tell you how the car has been maintained on a regular basis.

 

[Dermen]

Carfax doesn't always show accidents, my parents owned a mini-van that was in two accidents (one 5k in repairs, the other 3k) and neither showed up on the carfax when we went to sell it.

It's not a bad idea to have somebody take a look to see if there are any signs of a repair along with a normal inspection to make sure everything else on the car is good.

 

[MP3Performance]

fukc guys i really can't decide... I called the guys selling the ES and it still has the drivetrain (or is it powertrain? i don't know the difference) warranty on it up to 100 000 km on it (the car has 78 right now) or Nov 08.

I really really like the MP3, it drives really really nicely... but I'm a student and I'm afraid that because the MP3 is older, and has more miles on it that it will cost me a lot more in maintenance over the next 2 years. (cus I'm in my third year of university and won't have much of an income)

The cost of maintenance shouldn't really worry you too much. 95% of the parts that would need replacement are going to be the same on both cars, since they have the same brakes, engine, tranny, etc. The only maintenance I see is brakes, airfilter, oil changes, and maybe a new battery. If the shocks are in ok condition (ie not bottoming out) then you have nothing to worry about in the suspension. The only thing I can think of in the future is that you might eventualy need a timingbelt replacement, but it depends on how long you plan to keep the car.

If the car is in fair condition when you buy it and you dont plan on modding your car too much, you should have nothing to worry about with additional costs.

If you can afford it and the car checks out, go with the MP3 (alright).

Also, the warranty thing is not that much of a boost for buying the ES. If the engine and trany are fine in the MP3 when you buy it, there is no reason for it to go out after 20-30 thousand kilometers.

 

[J-protege]

Holy crap he has the same rims as me! If you're wondering, the rims that will come with the Mp3 are INVINCIBLE. I swear, some of the stuff these have survived... crazyness!

I'd go with the Mp3 myself. It's worth it to have that RacingBeat suspension setup, and the body kit could cost you quite a bit if you decided to buy it later for the ES.

Also, the standard ES in Canada (we had ES and ES-GT) does NOT come with rear disk brakes. If there is no sunroof, then you are most likely looking at the standard ES. No rear disks = fail. The drums make lots of noise, and have reduced stopping power.

How do I know? Guess who owns an ES non-GT

 

[GIJana]

Thanks a lot for the input guys. I'm going to get the MP3 looked at today by a dealer. Unless they say there's something seriously wrong then I think i'm gonna go with it.
I'll let you know the verdict after today, as I'll have made a decision by the end of it.

 

[99 Pro]

So how did everything check out with the MP3?

 

[GIJana]

Sooooooooo I ended up buying the protege.

It was a really hard decision for me... The protege was in just such a better condition than the MP3 that I went with it. The belly of the car of the MP3 was getting on the rusty side cus it had been sitting around... needed a new oil pan and something else and it was in fact the bushings that were gone in the back (as we had all guessed).

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't end up with the MP3, but as I am a still a student at university for 2 more years I thought it was probably the wiser decision.

Anywho, seeing as I'm now officially a mazda owner I will definitely be frequenting this forum fairly often .
Take care