n00b With Questions, Wants Expert Answers

[TakoshiZoomZoom]

Hey guys! I'm new to the board and will soon be new to a Mazda Protege!

Were in the process of finding one, and I can't wait. My mom had one rented to her from the Jeep repair shop (She was rear-ended), and I got the chance to drive it. It's a 2003 Protege, Auto, White on Tan. Here's some Q's!

-What's the diffrence between a 2001 Protege and a 2001 MP3?

-What the best turbo kits out there for the Protege?

-What kind should I shoot for (it's going to be my first owned car)?

-Can I buy the MazdaSpeed Bodykit or one thats as nice quality/looks wise?

I'm pretty sure it's going to be manual (I learned on a Miata ), but I'm having a hard time filtering offers. What should I look for besides low-milage, paint and all that, I mean Protege specific.

 

[NRRfrogmanP5]

protege to mp3 = fancy wing...limited production and 10 more hp

best turbo kit = your own opinion alot of people talk about the new mamotorsports thumper kit

if ur getttin a protege try for es or mp3 if u can find one...i like my 5 personally

the ms body kit really is only a wing and wind splitter for the 03....03.5 has the wing and front lip with no fogs...but if u get a 01 es u would need to get a new bumper to have the same fogs or lip if u want it

hope that helps

 

[TakoshiZoomZoom]

Dude, that helps a lot. Thanks. I'm sittin' reading my Road & Track review of the MSP, heh The rental was an LX, how much should I expect for the EX?

 

[NRRfrogmanP5]

i wouldnt say much more...the only real diff from the lx - es i think are maybe stock rims....fogs...and a nicer dash i think...maybe 1-2k if that

 

[NRRfrogmanP5]

kbb.com says the lx should run about 8500 and hte ex should be about 9300...also the lx for 2001 has 2 diff engines 1.6 and 2.0....id stick withe the 2.0 if u can

 

[TakoshiZoomZoom]

Sweet. I also meant like the full car price Sorry.

 

[NRRfrogmanP5]

yeah i gave ya the full price about a post up 8500 = lx.....9300=es...dependin on milage...those prices were for a car with about 53k on them

 

[TakoshiZoomZoom]

Thanks for all the help man! I'm adding you to my buddy list

 

[NRRfrogmanP5]

w00t im always here to talk or help when i can

 

[Prodigy]

Hey guys! I'm new to the board and will soon be new to a Mazda Protege!

Were in the process of finding one, and I can't wait. My mom had one rented to her from the Jeep repair shop (She was rear-ended), and I got the chance to drive it. It's a 2003 Protege, Auto, White on Tan. Here's some Q's!

-What's the diffrence between a 2001 Protege and a 2001 MP3?

-What the best turbo kits out there for the Protege?

-What kind should I shoot for (it's going to be my first owned car)?

-Can I buy the MazdaSpeed Bodykit or one thats as nice quality/looks wise?

I'm pretty sure it's going to be manual (I learned on a Miata ), but I'm having a hard time filtering offers. What should I look for besides low-milage, paint and all that, I mean Protege specific.

-2001 is a base brand model, the mp3 is a limited production car(1500) with a new intake, exhaust, stereo, SUSPENSION, body-kit, advanced timing on the ECU, and so on..
-turbos... be prepared to break stuff - there HiBoost, MAM, mazdaspeed.. and a couple others

-2001-2002 Mazda Protege ES

- yes, but you'll need a reinforcement bar (re-bar) for the front to put on the protege5/mp3/mazdaspeed front end, then you can put on the lip.


Welcome to the forums. I have a 2002 sedan and I just turned 16, so I'm guessing that we're in the same area. (cool)

Don't forget to use the 'search' tab to find info.

 

[roni]

Welcome to the forums!

Yeah, make sure you get the 2.0L motor, especially if you want to turbo it. If you are looking at the 2001 model year, the MP3s are nice, they come with a lot more options and look a whole lot prettier stock. They are a pretty rare find, but in my opinion are really worth it.

The MP3 offering more than just the wing and 10 additional horsepower (from advanced timing, intake and exhaust), they have far better suspension setup.


They also have the stock kenwood mp3 head unit, very nicely accented interior. Also, the wheels are quite nice, even though they are heavy.


Here's a good article that mentions the handling capabilities of the MP3 (as of 2002):
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=221&page_number=1&preview
Here, check this out for specs:
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4189&highlight=mp3+article
and there's this link too:
http://old.soliton.net/protege/

 

[roni]

There's usually at least a couple Proteges on sale on this forum, here's a good one (already nicely modified):
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83342

Scott has to sell his because he bought an Evo.

 

[Matthew]

dont get an automatic transmission you will destroy it with a turbo.

 

[TakoshiZoomZoom]

Thanks guys! I can't stop salvating over the 2003.5 MazdaSpeed Protege, it's so beautiful. I can't decide which kit is nicer, the MSP or the MP3's. Oh god, I want this car...Oh well, better go take the rental for another drive. Living near rally-like roads rocks.

 

[Antoine]

Just had to chime in and say...Awesome thread! I wish I saw more of these...keep up the good vibes everyone

Welcome and enjoy!

 

[01bluemp3]

Yes, deff get one with the 2.0 motor. I have a blue mp3 and cant say enough goodthings about it. Only thing is i want a turbo for it. IF you are wanting to have a turbo car i would get a MSP from the start. Yes, you can make a mp3 turbo, but its not just as easy as slappin a turbo under the hood.

Just somthin to think about when looking at the 2.

Good luck in your search.

Frank

PS here a pic of mine so you can get an idea of how sexy a blue one is

 

[TakoshiZoomZoom]

Yes, deff get one with the 2.0 motor. I have a blue mp3 and cant say enough goodthings about it. Only thing is i want a turbo for it. IF you are wanting to have a turbo car i would get a MSP from the start. Yes, you can make a mp3 turbo, but its not just as easy as slappin a turbo under the hood.

Just somthin to think about when looking at the 2.

Good luck in your search.

Frank

PS here a pic of mine so you can get an idea of how sexy a blue one is

Nice Car 01bluemp3. I think the MP3 has the most beautiful blue paint I've seen on a car in a LONG time. Thank you guys for the support . Were going to see some relatives in LA, and were going to car shop a little down there. I told my dad to look for a 2002-2003 ES 2.0L 5 Speed MT Black/Black. Hopefully something pops-up!

 

[1sty]

The MP3 does not come with a different intake then any other 2001 Protege, just a slight difference in the intake amnifold so don't expect to see a CIA under the hood. Also the only exhuast difference is a damn muffler that adds basicly .5 whp but it does sound nice.

Something to be very aware of is that most people that bought a turbo kit for there protege no longer have that protege, me included. It can be done succesfully but its not a simple process nor a short one. Because of this you want to be very realistic of your goals and of your skills to obtain them. Your not going to get this car to keep up with and EVo without a ton of money dumped into it. You can make it respectable and break 15 second 1/4 mile times, but don't expect much lower then that.

I loved my MP3 and looking back wished I could have accepted the car for what it was. A turbo helped it out but it was alot of headaches as I was new to it and it never met my expectations. FOr about $5K worth of parts the MP3 can run neck and neck with some nice cars but not the best of them. With that much invested, 350Z's, SRT/4's, EVO's, STi's, and modded WRX's will still be faster but you should be able to shoot down some RSX, any Focus, and Nissan Spec V. With $10K you can start playing with the big dogs but the transmission becomes a big "?" at that point.

Its a great car, but buy it for what it is, not for what it could be.

 

[Heathen23]

The MP3 does not come with a different intake then any other 2001 Protege, just a slight difference in the intake amnifold so don't expect to see a CIA under the hood. Also the only exhuast difference is a damn muffler that adds basicly .5 whp but it does sound nice.

Something to be very aware of is that most people that bought a turbo kit for there protege no longer have that protege, me included. It can be done succesfully but its not a simple process nor a short one. Because of this you want to be very realistic of your goals and of your skills to obtain them. Your not going to get this car to keep up with and EVo without a ton of money dumped into it. You can make it respectable and break 15 second 1/4 mile times, but don't expect much lower then that.

I loved my MP3 and looking back wished I could have accepted the car for what it was. A turbo helped it out but it was alot of headaches as I was new to it and it never met my expectations. FOr about $5K worth of parts the MP3 can run neck and neck with some nice cars but not the best of them. With that much invested, 350Z's, SRT/4's, EVO's, STi's, and modded WRX's will still be faster but you should be able to shoot down some RSX, any Focus, and Nissan Spec V. With $10K you can start playing with the big dogs but the transmission becomes a big "?" at that point.

Its a great car, but buy it for what it is, not for what it could be.

This is an excellent piece of advice. If you buy a car and are buying it to mod it be prepared for a ton of work and some headaches. It's one thing to buy a car and enjoy some simple bolt-ons but to go bigger means bigger pains in the butt. There is alot to be appreciated in a car that has been greatly modded like a mp3 with FI but keep in mind the amount of money and time it takes to maintain and be happy with it.

Good luck with whatever you choose and definitely take advantage of this forum to help you make a good decision on any protege.

 

[TakoshiZoomZoom]

In Burbank...

Hey guys! I still can't get over how sweet the MazdaSpeed and MP3 looks. You guys are some lucky bastards (glare). It has to be one of the nicest looking sedans out there. While I'm here in Burbank, today actually, were gonna pass by some dealerships and private owners while were out Christmas shoppin' (gotta love them sales!). I think the rental back home will be gone when I get back, which I'm not happy about, cuz this means going back to driving my Mom's 1996 Grand Cherokee (pissed). Are MSP and MP3 kits hard to come by? I saw some sweet wheels that I think would look great on Protege. Peep it my peeps.