New Owner (Thursday)

[Ceej]

I everyone! Well thanks to a great guy named Mike who I "met" at Club3G.com I started looking at the Mazda Protege5 Wagon.

I looked for weeks and found a used 2003 model with only 8k miles on it. The previous owner had to move back to Japan for family reasons.

Anyway I paid 13,400 for it with a trade of my PT Cruiser that I bought a year ago I feel I got a good deal.

Over the past three years I have owned a 2002 Eclipse a PT Cruiser and now the Mazda, yea I change cars like some people change their jeans. I AM planning on keeping the Mazda for at least 3 years (that is the plan anyway).

Newbie question: I have never owned a car with the auto/spotronic shifter like this Mazda, can I put a shift knob made for a standard tranny on this car? I looked at the factory shift knob real fast when I drove the car and I do not like it, how does it come off?

By the way, I am a NEWBIE to these forums but not to car forums in general.

I look forward to meeting new people and making new friends.

Thanks for answering my stupid NEWBIE question. Talk to you soon (I hope).

By the way, I DID do a search on knobs but only found people posting pics of standard knobs or pics of knobs not installed in their cars (from web sites).

 

[AndrewF150]

Ok, as the newest member of the forum, and mazda owner....you get the traditional.....

BASTARD (nuts)

So, welcome to the forums!!! There are a few basic rules, the most important..is there are no stupid questions! All questions are good, and when you ask, there is a 99% chance you will get a right, true, and really good answer from one of the members of this family of Mazda, and wanna-be Mazda owners alike!!

WELCOME TO THE FORUMS ENJOY!!

 

[Ceej]

Ok, as the newest member of the forum, and mazda owner....you get the traditional.....

BASTARD (nuts)

So, welcome to the forums!!! There are a few basic rules, the most important..is there are no stupid questions! All questions are good, and when you ask, there is a 99% chance you will get a right, true, and really good answer from one of the members of this family of Mazda, and wanna-be Mazda owners alike!!

WELCOME TO THE FORUMS ENJOY!!

Well thank you sir, any answer to my question?

 

[Jeph]

LOL I bet that really didn't help with your question did it? hehe. BUt about that sporttronic shifter. I think someone on here actually modified it and put a boot and knob over his, it looked just like a standard transmission. i can't remember if there is a button on the handle that needs to be relocated on the original stock knob, but if there isn't one, I don't see any reason it shouldn't work.

 

[Ceej]

i can't remember if there is a button on the handle that needs to be relocated on the original stock knob, but if there isn't one, I don't see any reason it shouldn't work.

Yea, I can't either, there is no button to worry about at all. It looks like it will be very easy, I do not want to add a boot to make it look like a manual tranny, that is not the point. I was thinking about a ball type of shifter so that is does not appear so darn high!

Why does Mazda put such a long shaft on their shifters? In all cars but the RX models the shifters are just huge!

I like the looks of a short stubby shifter.

 

[snowman4us]

dont listen to zooooooom he has no clue what he is talking about .
j/k

 

[Ceej]

Hey while I am asking NEWBIE questions, do any of you race SCCA? What class is the stock Protege5 in?

 

[Natey]

Welcome to the club!

I think there's a couple of after market knobs for an auto.

The knob for a standard tranny will not fit. Sorry. Have you looked at Momo?

Sorry, I don't know the specs of an Auto shifter, but here's a start...


link

Good luck!
(headbang)

 

[Natey]

http://protege5.com/vbb225/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22424

 

[Ceej]

The knob for a standard tranny will not fit. Sorry. Have you looked at Momo?

Thanks for the answer, why won't it fit? The diameter of the shaft or ...............?

Do you know this first hand or are you just assuming it will not fit because you can buy shift knobs for auto and manual?

Thanks again.

 

[Ceej]

He posts then disappears?

 

[Natey]

(hi)
1. Don't be a dick.

2. I found some info that might be helpful to you.
HERE'S THE LINK

-Nate

 

[Ceej]

eggynatey, hey there you are! How was I being a dick?

Anyway, thank you for that link........the thing I can't figure out is this; I did not see an overdrive button on the shifter......that is strange! Does Over Drive come on some models and not on others?

Very odd, and thanks for the info again dude.

 

[Natey]

Sorry. Maybe I was being the dick. My undies got all wadded up.

Sorry I can't help you out a little more. I'm pretty clueless about the auto shifter, too. I was just repeating what I'd been told.
You have a Sport-tronic? Hmmm. I'll bet if you P.M. TheMan at Protegeclub or Tom@kartboy on this forum, One of those guys'll be able to clear this up for you.

Good luck!

 

[Ceej]

Thanks bud!

 

[Ceej]

Can anyone else answer my questions?

Anyone?

 

[spazspike]

This form of transmission does not have the overdrive on/off button that most vehicles have. There is no mention of it in the manual, and we all know that's a pretty good source of answers.

I believe the reason for the (lack thereof) O/D button is because you have the ability to control the gear you're in. Hell you could cruise at 65mph in 3rd gear all day long if you wanted to!

 

[Ceej]

This form of transmission does not have the overdrive on/off button that most vehicles have. There is no mention of it in the manual, and we all know that's a pretty good source of answers.

I believe the reason for the (lack thereof) O/D button is because you have the ability to control the gear you're in. Hell you could cruise at 65mph in 3rd gear all day long if you wanted to!

Yea, I would have sworn on a stack of bibles that I did not see an OD switch, but then I read the thread about the guy changeing his shift knob on his auto and he talked about a switch and wires so I got confused. Maybe he did not have a Protege 5 or it is a dif. model?

Either way I ordered a nice bruched aluminum SPARCO shift knob (manual style) and if it does not work then I will just send it back.

I am surprised that none of you auto/spotronic Protege5 owners have not changed your shifter, the factory one is so funny looking (IMO).

 

[spazspike]

Mine's pretty nice, two-tone black/sand material that resembles leather. Perhaps you could add an OD switch however it would require additional wiring, etc. Standard, there is no OD switch with the sportmatic shifter.

Also keep in mind that only the 2003 Protege ES and '03 P5 come with the option of sportmatic, all the others have come with the traditional automatic. (pretty sure on this)

 

[Sir Nuke]

hello CeeJ and Welcome to our happy little corner of the net, and to our Club. There are TWO BIG fridge'S in the corner with anything you can think of in them...help yourself...of course only take what you can LEGALLY have. (stash)

make yourself at home on one of the big fluffy couches, kick your shoes off, put your feet up on one of the tables, yes we are allowed to do that, mom don't care....and take it easy.

oh...btw....every once in a while a food fight breaks out...so you may not want to wear nice clothes here.

Welcome!! (stash)