What have you done to your P5 today?

[aMaff]

is there a significant difference handling wise?

The protege's a very stiff chassis. I doubt you'd notice much more than the typical placebo effect unless you were doing some serious road racing... but even then I doubt you'd see the lateral loading to give you the chassis flex to actually see a difference with this.

But then again if you were doing that, you'd have a cage that braced the rear strut towers against the rest of the chassis... so again, not really useful.

 

[magnumP5]

I know I have seen some where the plastic trim was just notched out!

I'll bet it's loud back there...even louder than my exhaust cutout!

If it were just the rear strut tower bar then yeah, cutouts would work just fine but with the connecting bars I don't see any way of just "notching" out some plastic. I imagine you'd end up removing most of the plastic! FWIW, I still have the plastic trim that is just above the rear bumper cover and carpet installed. The carpet isn't perfect so I'm debating getting some MDF and carpeting material and making a new one.

As for sound, I really haven't noticed too much of a difference. Maybe some more road noise but I didn't really notice an increase in exhaust noise.

 

[NCZ13]

The protege's a very stiff chassis. I doubt you'd notice much more than the typical placebo effect unless you were doing some serious road racing... but even then I doubt you'd see the lateral loading to give you the chassis flex to actually see a difference with this.

But then again if you were doing that, you'd have a cage that braced the rear strut towers against the rest of the chassis... so again, not really useful.

Thanks. Ill be getting a hookup on the GTspec rear strut bar, so thats going on regardless.
Im also gonna get the progress RSB and i think be done suspension wise.

 

[mx-p5]

Drove around after work taking pics in some new spots.

Check the "Post best pic of your Mazda" thread

Enjoy it to all those up north in the snow. lol

 

[Breeegz]

local wholesale place is still 2.11 for REGULAR (sad face)

2.59 for unleaded here, where do you get regular gas these days?

 

[aMaff]

I saw regular for 1.65 on the way home today (hitit)

 

[Breeegz]

I thought we only had a 14.2 gal tank? lol

I've hit 15.5gal... once...

never again will I pass a gas station in central Texas.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

I've seen it as low as 1.29 & 1.35 for 87 so 93 couldna been more than 1.55 or 1.60...............

 

[SuperProtege5]

what's the deal with a gas station in central texas?

 

[mazdaspeed777]

Officially got rid of the P5. Tiss a sad day. But hopefully moving on to bigger and better things one being most importantly owning a car without car payments!

 

[Breeegz]

what's the deal with a gas station in central texas?

One day in 2005, between Abilene to Austin I had a little over a quarter of a tank left and I meant to stop at a gas station, but missed my turn into it... I was pressed for time so I thought to myself (and discussed with my codriver), we'll just hit the next one, after all I have a quarter tank left. We passed through 6 little towns none of which had a gas station still in business, the gas light came on and we went 66.6 miles before we were able to gas up. That time I put in 15.5 gallons in my P5, probably one of the scariest drives I've done. We both had cell phones, no service, and we were the only car on that highway for MILES.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

... owning a car without car payments!

Ahh, yes. Been enjoying that feeling for 25 yrs with the krazy ass Toyota truck that I'll never part with willingly. Even better when it's a reliable fun vehicle you can totally maintain with actual working AC. Enjoy it....still sad for your loss tho.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

One day in 2005, between Abilene to Austin I had a little over a quarter of a tank left and I meant to stop at a gas station, but missed my turn into it... I was pressed for time so I thought to myself (and discussed with my codriver), we'll just hit the next one, after all I have a quarter tank left. We passed through 6 little towns none of which had a gas station still in business, the gas light came on and we went 66.6 miles before we were able to gas up. That time I put in 15.5 gallons in my P5, probably one of the scariest drives I've done. We both had cell phones, no service, and we were the only car on that highway for MILES.

ooo I've done that too moving a buddy to San Diego somewhere out in the Junction to El Paso area. Almost ran out. Didn't pass up a station from there on when anywhere much less than half a tank.

 

[chaztor]

http://big ass bracing pic.jpg

wow, you should change your handle to ScratchNSTIFF. Nice

 

[mx-p5]

lol.

I drove mine again to work. Nothing exciting. Stuck in traffic the whole way as i am everyday

 

[chaztor]

2.59 for unleaded here, where do you get regular gas these days?

regular = unleaded I know its a stretch

 

[chaztor]

lol.

I drove mine again to work. Nothing exciting. Stuck in traffic the whole way as i am everyday

what is this "traffic" thing you speak of?

*guy from suburbs working at rural based company*

 

[magnumP5]

Drove it to work. Another slight hiccup while sitting at a stoplight but still no CEL (is has happened at least once just about everytime I've driven it lately). I guess the new setup just doesn't like cold weather. It always happens when the car is about 3/4 warmed up (oil temps around 160 deg F).

 

[mx-p5]

what is this "traffic" thing you speak of?

*guy from suburbs working at rural based company*

Stupid snow birds come down here and clog up my roads!

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Bonus is you don't get any rock chips. Downside is you wanna kill & mame for an hr or 2 after you get where you're trying to go. Just drive at 4:45 & have a nice zen session quiet time yoga nap forum posting thing before everyone else crawls in all pissed off from traffic.