What have you done to your MSP today?

It's not the cars fault. Pisses me the **** off i'm spending my money putting a blown up MSP back on the road and people are parting out and scrapping PERFECTLY ******* good MSPs.

I would take a blown up MSP or P5 ANY day over an engine thats mint but has a rotted body. I don't think its possible to find a protege5 in Ontario without at least some rust.
 
It's not the cars fault. Pisses me the **** off i'm spending my money putting a blown up MSP back on the road and people are parting out and scrapping PERFECTLY ******* good MSPs.

At some point this will start driving the prices back up for the good ones. The number of these cars is dropping quickly. I think they've reached the bottom of the depreciation curve. They'll stay here for a couple years and then the nice cars will start climbing again. Look at EG hatches. You used to be able to buy a really nice running car for $2500, now they go for crazy money. A local guy just sold a showroom condition roller for over $6k.
 
As long as the shell goes to someone who will love it, its just parts.

We are very lucky to be able to get an entire drivetrain for like $1000 lol

I'm definitely not gonna part mine. Just keep it safe til I'm ready.
 
Any exhaust for the sedan will not fit the P5 without shortening the axle back.


It's not the cars fault. Pisses me the **** off i'm spending my money putting a blown up MSP back on the road and people are parting out and scrapping PERFECTLY ******* good MSPs.

If only you saw the frame rust. A blown eninge is nothing. The fact that even a mint low mileage msp brings maybe 5k is what should really piss you off. I'm helping drive the rarity up. Probably still won't change how much money they bring in.
 
If the shell is rusted beyond repair I can deal with that. But these cars are so rare and WE are the few people crazy enough to keep putting money and effort into them, frustrates me to see a 'preventable death'. Not to mention you were one of the few who actually modded your MSP and posted on the forum.

At some point this will start driving the prices back up for the good ones. The number of these cars is dropping quickly. I think they've reached the bottom of the depreciation curve. They'll stay here for a couple years and then the nice cars will start climbing again. Look at EG hatches. You used to be able to buy a really nice running car for $2500, now they go for crazy money. A local guy just sold a showroom condition roller for over $6k.

Honestly I agree, the rust is killing off many of them now but I believe they have hit the bottom of the depreciation curve as well and eventually will gain in popularity. I still get compliments from strangers on my car all the time and I always assume people don't even know what the car is (frequently they don't).
 
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If the shell is rusted beyond repair I can deal with that. But these cars are so rare and WE are the few people crazy enough to keep putting money and effort into them, frustrates me to see a 'preventable death'. Not to mention you were one of the few who actually modded your MSP and posted on the forum.

IDK about rusted beyond repair. It's rusted beyond me wanting to repair. Looks promising though that someone with a very bad rusted chassis will pick it up and save it. I decided to part though when I realized how much more it was going to take to be competitive in autox. That amount coupled with the value made me lose my MSP bug. If it was rwd or awd it would probably be a different story but it's not.
 
Aye. The things we do for bowling trophies ;) rc is the same lol. Swapping brands often to get an edge. If I spent the.money I have in rc on the.msp, I'd be rivaling most of you for hp hah.
 
I haven't destroyed an engine in a year or so! And the car's been great other than the turbo that went, then the clutch that went.
 
Had 1991cc around today to help pull trannies from msp and p5 to swap/pull clutches. Lots accomplished but on the p5 I'm stuck on the rear motor mount bolts to the trans. Is cast aluminum so not sure why they so tight. Its pretty much the last step though. Undo mounts, drop trans.
 
^^ Hell yeah, i'm very happy with my current stance but my next $1k splurge on my MSP will probably be some BCs.

Cold, rainy weather this weekend meant no progress on MSP #1574.

Funny thing happened though, my friend and I were sitting in my car with the windows up and a guy walked up looking in the window and knocking on the roof lightly. I rolled down the window and he was a little startled, quickly explaining that he had an MSP and was looking for bondo around the door to see if it was his old car. I have seen the car he used to own around town and the girl who owned it, but it has been a few years. Said he had a built motor in it but it was otherwise stock and on 6lbs. Ended up exchanging numbers after I told him I may be selling my second MSP once it's together and running.
 
horns... how the fricken hell do you get the driver side axle into the trans? that stupid ring clip is FKING ME IN THE ASS. do you hammer the cup in with trans out of the car and manuver it in, rebuild the joint with the cup installed, or is there some magic way to hammer that fker in with trans in the car? was really having a hard time.
 
The axle is out and you are re-installing? Put a little grease or anti-seize to help it slide in, you can hit the end with a small sledge but don't go too crazy. Move the axle around as you push and make sure it's lined up properly. I usually don't have too much trouble with putting them back in, removal is a different story but you certainly don't have to disassemble the CV joint.
 
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when the trans is installed i can get the splines to line up, but keeping it there and finding a way to hammer it with enough force to compress that damn clip is driving me mad, most of the time it just bounces back out again. I think when i finally do the proper build of the car ill need a new axle or cup at minimum for that side.. just really really frustrating...

of course, its all assembled to the spindle as well, which is heavy.. and awkward.. just not a fun process so far.
 
Just like hornsfan said, lubricate the splines. Other than that, go ahead and install it into the hub (as long as you have the ball joint bolt out and the spindle free of the lower control arm) to support it on that end while you hammer it in. You can use the weight of the spindle to help force it in also. Installation isn't normally an issue, though. It's more often removal that's a pain in the ass.

Speaking of... I did the clutch yesterday. Drove it to work this morning. Can't wait for my FTC to get here so I can run above OE boost. It took me about 5-6 hours of actual work to finish the job from start to finish. Doing a transmission job in your driveway with the most basic tools, a 3/8" electric impact, a 1/2" impact, is much more time consuming than doing it in a shop. And muscles are sore that normally wouldn't be sore. I have got to get a 3/8" electric ratchet. Milwaukee M12, here I come!

Since the MSP is up and running (for how long, who knows) I'm going to now R&R the RX8 transmission. The input shaft bearing is GONE as well as 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear synchronizers. 2nd went first, and it's been a downhill slope ever since. Remember, kids, if anyone ever gives you a 5 gallon bucket of "Pennzoil 75w90 Synthetic" gear oil, suspect that it's actually something completely different... I could tell in both the cars that the transmissions felt "notchy" and the Speed started getting a hint of grinding going into 3rd... The 8 didn't exhibit any symptoms except when it got cooler temperatures and quickly went down hill from there throughout the winter. Luckily the speed didn't stay together long enough to have left that transmission fluid in there, but the 8 wasn't so lucky.

I think I'm going to try to keep the car at 20psi and keep the 440's, but if that won't cut it, I suppose I'll get 565s.
 
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