Total newby here.
I am looking at two different 2003 Protege 5's. One's an unmodified 5spd w/59k, leather and sunroof for $9900.
The other is this (from the listing): "$8999, 92351k, Silver, 5spd, racing profile tires w/ 17'' gun metal custom wheels, an 2003 J-spec FS-ZE (2.0L-4 cyl) w/43000 miles on it, full Magnaflow exhaust system including AEM cold air intake and OBX racing headers, TWM short shifter, ACT Street Performance Clutch Kit, MAZDASPEED Lightweight flywheel, Pioneer sound system w/Bluetooth and sat/I-pod ready an a custom interior paint job that completes a well rounded car. This car has better MPG than normal Mazda Prot g 5s (MP5) thanks to the FS-ZE engine. THIS ENGINE GETS 34/36 MPG with a whopping 175 horse power. This car was owned by a Non-smoker and is very clean."
Now, I'm not a mechanic and ease of maintenance and reliability are a big plus (ie: nearby recommended Japanese auto shop for routine work is preferable to hunting custom guys for frequent tuning).
Assuming all the mods are done right (how do I tell?) and it's in good tune at the moment, does the lower price and higher MPG make it worth it. Will getting it fixed and/or keeping it tuned be too frequent or specialized for me? What do these type of mods mean to the car's emissions controls? I mean, I like the idea of a more powerful quick car, but I have to admit, the better gas mileage is more of a draw than speed for me. And I don't want to get in over my head repair wise.
thanks
I am looking at two different 2003 Protege 5's. One's an unmodified 5spd w/59k, leather and sunroof for $9900.
The other is this (from the listing): "$8999, 92351k, Silver, 5spd, racing profile tires w/ 17'' gun metal custom wheels, an 2003 J-spec FS-ZE (2.0L-4 cyl) w/43000 miles on it, full Magnaflow exhaust system including AEM cold air intake and OBX racing headers, TWM short shifter, ACT Street Performance Clutch Kit, MAZDASPEED Lightweight flywheel, Pioneer sound system w/Bluetooth and sat/I-pod ready an a custom interior paint job that completes a well rounded car. This car has better MPG than normal Mazda Prot g 5s (MP5) thanks to the FS-ZE engine. THIS ENGINE GETS 34/36 MPG with a whopping 175 horse power. This car was owned by a Non-smoker and is very clean."
Now, I'm not a mechanic and ease of maintenance and reliability are a big plus (ie: nearby recommended Japanese auto shop for routine work is preferable to hunting custom guys for frequent tuning).
Assuming all the mods are done right (how do I tell?) and it's in good tune at the moment, does the lower price and higher MPG make it worth it. Will getting it fixed and/or keeping it tuned be too frequent or specialized for me? What do these type of mods mean to the car's emissions controls? I mean, I like the idea of a more powerful quick car, but I have to admit, the better gas mileage is more of a draw than speed for me. And I don't want to get in over my head repair wise.
thanks
