To get a Mazda Mp3 2001 - Need some guidance please

[dakovgroup]

I was looking to get a Mazda 2001 Mp3 yellow one from a Friends/friend with about 82,000 miles on it.

They are asking about $5300. I was wondering about a few things
1) is it worth it for that price since he is firm
2) ** Main thing is there anything to look out about the car that maybe to spot a lemon on one of these, or something else maybe im missing or check over?

Im mostly concerned about buying something thats not reliable cause reliability is key for me. It looks slick but i dont want headaches and I think the deal sounds like a nice deal.

They mentioned it got new timing belt, rotars and calipers, door has a few scrapes and rims arent chipped or anything but are starting to kind of flake on all 4 a bit...

Any advice, thoughts, price points and is it worth it ?

Thanks.

 

[stdntDrvr]

the cars are pretty reliable...the fs engine has been used in a TON of cars for quite some time...drive it...make sure the tranny shifts ok...they have weak shift forks and synchros...if you hear a squeak or clunk out of the rear-end...it's just the sway bar bushings (poor design)...that can be permanently repaired for $200...and you'll get a better handling car as well. just do everything you would normally do on a used car...check the carfax, check the oil...make sure it's been changed and doesn't look horrible. you can repaint the wheels.

i sold my yellow mp3 for 5500...and i was firm...it had about the same mileage...but i had some toys on it. it's a good price as long as the car is in good condition. drive it and see if you like it...you won't be 'fast,' but the handling in the mp3's is freaking crazy. my old mp3 will out corner my msp any day of the week.

this is my old mp3...i get sick whenever i see it (at least once a week)...a guy at work bought it...we have an agreement that when he decides to get rid of it, i'm going to buy it back. i LOVE that car...more than my MSP.
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123653527

YOU SHOULD RUN PREMIUM IN THE MP3...so if you can't afford the gas, don't buy it...others may disagree because the ecu will default to a standard protege setting once a knock is detected, but people pay good money for mp3 ecu's for a reason...it makes the car 'peppy.'

 

[dakovgroup]

Thanks

Thanks Topher, i appreciate your advice. I wonder if anyone else has anything else to key in on.... or any other points they want to mention or their past purchase price. It would be helpful.

 

[dakovgroup]

Hey are these transmission problems im hearing as bad as they sound? Or the gear thingie? Are a lot of people experiencing it...How much is it to replace the transmission on the Mp3 and once its done and fixed is it solved or will it probably come back in like 30,000 miles... ?

Cause with a 75k mile car im wondering how good of shape that transmission is.... it might be to crap if its as bad as what im reading on some of these forums.

Please tell me !

 

[stdntDrvr]

the problem comes from people slamming it into gear...the shift forks and synchros can be replaced...the newer 3rd gen protege's had stronger forks/synchros. ken from protegegarage can give you a price on parts (make a post in the protegegarage section)...not quite sure about labor. if it's not an issue when you drive the car, it won't be a problem at all. i had a synchro going out in my mp3...all i had to do was slow down my shifting from 2nd to 3rd...if i shifted too quickly, it would grind a little...i wasn't 'worried' about it, because i knew how to take care of it...if you don't notice any problems when you drive it, you'll be fine...just don't slam the thing into gear...that's where the problem comes from...and it's not just the mp3, it's all early 3rd gen protege's...i saw a guy bend his shift fork at the track one night...all because he was too rough on the tranny. you don't have to 'baby' it, but don't go crazy slamming it into gear...you can shift quickly and smoothly and not have a problem.

 

[Matt22]

they are great cars. depending where you live get a header. I put one on my MP3 and it helped things out alot. I fixed my rear clunk, and found some MSP rims for it as well. They are great cars with lots of potential you wont be dissapointed. AND FYI the yellow isnt as bad a you think, i like mine, just dont expect to not get noticed everybody will know where you were last night in a bright yellow car.

 

[lanceam24]

i bought a yellow one bout a month ago. of course you will have some people that say "a yellow car? how gay" think of a yellow mp3 as "sporty" yellow lol. its not like a yellow cavalier

 

[Matt22]

or a yellow Neon/Lancer

 

[stdntDrvr]

the yellow was a b**** to keep clean, imo.

 

[avarela86]

I would give ANYTHING to have a yellow MP3 instead of the blue. The yellow attracts SO much more attention. I'm a fan, plus the rarity factor. Can you say 1/500 in the US?

 

[323]

okay avarela, lets trade my car for your car

 

[lanceam24]

some idiot asked me the other day "u got a lancer?" i jus shook my head

 

[avarela86]

okay avarela, lets trade my car for your car

No problem, just help me pull everything in the engine bay. You can keep the rest....well I want my sub and headunit.

 

[323]

lol word. one day haha

 

[jmac2215]

if you hear a squeak or clunk out of the rear-end...it's just the sway bar bushings (poor design)...that can be permanently repaired for $200

Apparently nobody ever told the guy who had the car before me that you can fix the problem for 200 bucks... but i definitally need to because otherwise it's pretty much only good for having me and 1 other person in the car... so what is it that needs to be fixed for the $200.. aka i want to know what to tell the guy at the shop

 

[avarela86]

Just replace the bushing in the rear if bad and grease them well. Check the endlinks and replace if needed and thats about it.

 

[CulRidr]

Apparently nobody ever told the guy who had the car before me that you can fix the problem for 200 bucks... but i definitally need to because otherwise it's pretty much only good for having me and 1 other person in the car... so what is it that needs to be fixed for the $200.. aka i want to know what to tell the guy at the shop

The fix is an aftermarket one (and a damn good one at that), which is why he didn't know about it

 

[rahne]

i'm interested in finding out the permanent repair also. anyone know about a squeaking sound from the front of the car? i thought it was my stock shocks, i had 109K on the original ones, but when i replaced the shocks w/a set of tokico illumina shocks, that sound didn't go away. i have ground control coil overs w/about 60k on them... any ideas?

 

[CulRidr]

the fix is the "clunk fix" made by evolv. Go check the suspension section of the AVV/AMM section at the top of the main page and you will find it.

As for your squeak, I'm 99% sure it is because you need to grease up the bottom of the bump stops (mine did the same thing when I had those sleeves).

P.S.: something tells me you have jpsec intake/exhaust camshafts (as per your signature), not manifolds, unless you really did fork out the obscene amount of money for those manifolds which barely give you any gains.

 

[rahne]

thanks cul. i just found the AXR clunk fix before i saw your reply. is there a difference between the AXR and evolv, is one better than the other? and you are absolutely right about the camshafts - i probably should have double checked my signature before i saved it... that's what i get for doing this while i'm supposed to be working!