My First Mods- need help

[jononumber5]

Hey, Im new to mazda's and the forum. I just got an MP5 and love it. But it's kinda slow stock. I have no desire to run 12s right now but I wanna add maybe 30-50 Hp for now and take it from there. Basically I just want some advice on good stuff to start out. I saw these 17inch momos w tires at my local shop for 800$ which was a steal, im gonna get those for sure. Other than that I was thinking a CAI, some headers, a catback, and possibly a lighter flywheel and maybe a chip. Im on a budget so basically the cheaper the better. So just looking for ideas on brands, stuff to watch out for etc, good advice in general. Thanks

 

[Boston5761]

Hey, Im new to mazda's and the forum. I just got an MP5 and love it. But it's kinda slow stock. I have no desire to run 12s right now but I wanna add maybe 30-50 Hp for now and take it from there. Basically I just want some advice on good stuff to start out. I saw these 17inch momos w tires at my local shop for 800$ which was a steal, im gonna get those for sure. Other than that I was thinking a CAI, some headers, a catback, and possibly a lighter flywheel and maybe a chip. Im on a budget so basically the cheaper the better. So just looking for ideas on brands, stuff to watch out for etc, good advice in general. Thanks

well.....30-50 crank hp will be costly if you go the N/A route, cai, header, lwf are a good start but theres no "chip" for the protege5 unless you want a piggy-back. Go FI and be done with it and i guarantee you will be mucho happier!

by the way WELCOME aboard..

 

[RaiderMS3]

Welcome! Here is info I try to pass onto all the newbies who join up.

Right after I got my P5, I got the intake. You can get a short ram intake (SRI), which is what I have. Others have cold air intakes (CAI) They are about the same on ebay, but you may also opt for name brand. I have the ebay...

The next thing I did was get rid of those god forsaken Dunflop piece of s*** stock tires. I hydroplaned within the first week or so I owned the P5. I ended up with the Yokohama AVS ES 100's. 205-50-16's on the stock rims. After 23000 miles, they were through, so I got aftermarket wheels, and Kumho Ecsta 711 205-40-17s. There are a bazillion threads about tires. These I highly recommend for rainy climates. (Bottom line, get out of the stock tires before you have a problem!)

I just got (after 2.5 years of owning my car) a Racing Beat exhaust. I got an insanely good deal on it. It is on the higher end of the pricing range, but you can score one used at a good rate if you are on the forum within the .245 seconds someone posts it for sale used. They run in the high $400 range new. There is a Mazda Sport (Mazdaspeed) exhaust which is also popular, but people have complained of droning, or an annoying sound at freeway speeds. The Racing Beat does not do that. But there are a bazillion threads about the exhaust subject too, look them up.

Then there is the tinting of windows, a stereo, springs/shocks/body kit, carbon fiber everything, etc you will see around here for sale.

Short shifter is next on my list. Kartboy makes a great one, I have seen it in person. The shifter bushings are a must. Get them no matter what. Huge difference in shifting!

I found by moving to synthetic engine and transmission fluids, I get better mileage, and it shifts smoother too. So easy to do, it is worth it.

One more thing you should consider when you mod is a header. OBX and Ractive are the most common. I just installed the Ractive, and love the HP gains. Be sure to look up the Spark Plug non-fouler trick for the 2nd o2 sensor. It prevents the CEL from coming on.

Well, good luck, and check out the for sale section, and work with the Authorized Venders and sellers! Oh, search for threads about a question you might have. Most likely, it has been covered.

 

[RicesP5]

RaiderMP5 im still amazed about that..

other then what they have said good luck and welcome to the boards .. p5 will still be slowish wiht all that stuff done. hell last week i got smoked by a minivan.. all joking aside get some suspension and it will make driving much more funner

 

[RaiderMS3]

hell last week i got smoked by a minivan..

dodge caravan full of kids totasted me like I was standing still a few months ago. A green one. Newer, with dents, and a friggin soccer ball decal on the window.

 

[Boston5761]

(hah)

 

[aMaff]

well.....30-50 crank hp will be costly if you go the N/A route, cai, header, lwf are a good start but theres no "chip" for the protege5 unless you want a piggy-back. Go FI and be done with it and i guarantee you will be mucho happier!

by the way WELCOME aboard..

lol, I end up saying this in every other "new P5, what should I do" thread...

MP3 ECU! (I'm gonna do that when I start getting my car ready for STS (glare))

 

[65racecoupe]

30 to 50 hp is not going to happen NA without a bunch of money. Don't do it, unless you race in a certain class.

Get a budget turbo kit if you want to do something.

 

[phazed_mp5]

(hah) omg i can't stop laughing.. soo true... i'm probably gonna head off to the highways tonight looking for caravans or mpv's to race

dodge caravan full of kids totasted me like I was standing still a few months ago. A green one. Newer, with dents, and a friggin soccer ball decal on the window.

 

[Canecreekfreak]

Yeah, turbo is the only way to get 30-50 more HP, and that'll cost you about $4G (new). Get a short shifter (a requirement for me, since I came from a Miata- ie. shifts the length of a bic lighter), some light wheels/tires, and some suspension upgrades to make tossing it around in the corners more fun. To get the same type of car as the P5 w/more HP, you'll want to just buy a Mazdaspeed Protege. The $ you'll have to spend to get the P5 to that level isn't worth it if you're on a budget(IMO).

I got smoked by a Dodge Ram 1500 a couple months back. The V8 vs. the I4 wasn't really fair, but the guys in the Ram enjoyed it.

 

[drumsbeloud]

Get a budget turbo kit if you want to do something.

this is going to be WAY cheaper than getting that kind of hp out of NA work. spend a few grand and you won't regret it.

 

[peepsalot]

on these cars, it seems 1hp = $100 roughly.

 

[ronin12]

Welcome, look around I think the bottom line is what your willing to spend and what you want at the end. I have a '02 auto and i knew going in that it was not going to be a rocket. So far I have done an injen CAI and a Racing Beat cat-back(also stereo and wheels) there is a difference, mind you it isn't earth shattering but it does make driving the car more enjoyable. My next investment will be suspension so I can really enjoy everything it has to offer. Remember that a lot of power is good but roads have turns (thumb)

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

dodge caravan full of kids totasted me like I was standing still a few months ago. A green one. Newer, with dents, and a friggin soccer ball decal on the window.

Maybe on empty straight section but no f**king way in traffic. The reverse happens every time & I'm the one laughing!

 

[RaiderMS3]

This was in turning onto a major road, in some traffic. Within 200 feet, she passed me, and got in front. I was waiting for a BOV or something. Prolly had a Viper motor in there. Damn soccer moms

 

[SkinnyJoint]

Other than that I was thinking a CAI, some headers, a catback, and possibly a lighter flywheel and maybe a chip

ok umm im sorry but we only have one header

 

[jononumber5]

ok umm im sorry but we only have one header

My sincerest apologies. Generally they are referred to as headers. So Either I could say a header, or some header. Calling them headers instead of header makes this alot easier.

Anyways thanks for all the advice everybody. I will be draining my wallet very soon.

 

[SkinnyJoint]

i do see the problem when using that word in conversation but it alwasy pisses me off when im talking to people and they say "yea ima get some headers soon" "yea i got the xbrand headers on here" etc.

you would just simply say "yea i plan to get a header on soon" "yea i have the xbrand header on"

 

[akProtege5]

30 to 50 hp is not going to happen NA without a bunch of money. Don't do it, unless you race in a certain class.

Get a budget turbo kit if you want to do something.

I would agree with 65racecoupe

I'm not too happy with my I/H/E right now.

 

[RicesP5]

I raced a 350 chevy caprice.. old boat beat it. i was happy.. i beat a 95 civic 5spd and i was happy.. lol a pontaic sunbird beat it too..i plan on racing a impala tonite.... but the other day i was driving down the interstate rite.. this 1984 ford ecoline molester van pulled up reving, so i slammed on the gas rite and then all of a sudden this guy is pulling a wheelie past me smoking his back tires off. (boom07)

This was in turning onto a major road, in some traffic. Within 200 feet, she passed me, and got in front. I was waiting for a BOV or something. Prolly had a Viper motor in there. Damn soccer moms