The Car - 1994 Protege LX
The Story -
As "MazKid", the choice of car must be a Mazda, I wouldn't want anything else. After driving my, eh, my dad's 1988 323 SE - a brilliant car, but very little power and an automatic, for nearly 2 years, it was time for change.
I made 4 picks for a "new" Mazda for myself, in order of want:
- MX-3 GS
- MX-6 LS
- Protege LX
- 929 S
I had trouble finding any of the above in fair condition for a fair price. I looked for a few months in the classifieds, AutoTrader, and E-bay. I did find a MX-3 GS, $1800. I called the place and was told that it was a 5 speed with 38,000 miles. I went to go see it and it was beat up, an auto, a smoker's car, and 137,000 miles. No way.
On Oct. 16, I found a '94 Protege LX 5 speed on AutoTrader, listed at $3990. Expensive, so I just kept looking. Then I went on E-bay, and low and behold the same '94 LX was listed, at a Honda dealership about 20 miles away. Then I saw that there was no reserve, and the current bid was about $1,000. That was a Saturday, and on Sunday I went there with my brother to check it out. Not bad, a few imperfections, missing radio, crappy rear tires, and the power lock relay didn't work, which probably led to the missing radio. 132,000 miles. They painted $2995 on the windshield. That night I bid on the car, and won the auction for $1,136. My dad doubted the car because I hadn't driven it or heard it running. I was becoming desperate for a car, so I was willing to take the risk, even though I was laid off on that Saturday. On Monday, I get home from school and my boss calls to tell me he needs me to go in for work. I told him that I just bought a new car and have to pick it up tonight, so he just said to come in afterwards if I can. When my dad got home, him, my mom, and I went to go buy the Protege. My dad asked if we could test drive the car, and we did. sounded pretty good aside from exhaust leaks, horrible tire noise, and some brake noise. Bought it anyway, it was a good deal. They said that the radio was stolen off the lot, and took $100 off of the final price. After all of the BS costs I paid $1,252 for 1 Protege LX that needed some work.
I'd like to mention at that time I hadn't driven a stick on the road more than half a mile at slow speeds. It was also raining. I peeled out almost at every light, though I was enjoying my new car so I didn't care. Luckily(rather unluckily) the clutch was the original and was so weak that it could slip in 4th and 5th if I floored it, and that made takeoffs smoother. On the way home, err, to work, on the highway the thing had very loud tire noise, vibrations that made the car unstable, and the check engine light came on. I made it to work at 8:30pm, no one thought I'd show so I had nothing to do. I lightly cleaned the Protege even though the Honda dealer did. I also found a 3rd gen Protege driver's floor mat which I used in my Protege because the mats were missing.
I drove the car to school the next day, and it hesitated really bad 3 times on the way. That night my dad and I took the car to the shop to further inspect it and fix what we could. We ballanced the tires, and the back ones needed several oz each, that was the vibration. The exhaust was new, but the gaskets were all broken. The O2 sensor had been left disconnected, that caused the check engine light and the hesitation.
Not to make this a huge essay I'll try to sum it up. $800+ worth of OEM Mazda parts, 35 or so hours of labor(that would be the total if the car went through the shop, in reality it was probably 15hrs), $76 for 2 tires then $100 for Miata 16" wheels and $332.50 for 4 Toyo Proxes FZ4s, and probably $100 worth of parts from junkyards. I basically have a very good condition Protege for $2,500 or so. Not bad, and still under the $3,000 initial purchase I was willing to pay. And as it turns out the Protege was the best choice for practicality and availibility of parts.
Modifications -
First off, I'd like to mention that I(and my dad) try to keep my/our cars as factory Mazda as possible. We do use parts from other Mazdas but we really don't go aftermarket unless we have to. This makes our Mazdas very reliable and enjoyable. I know people give thier opinions of what I should do to my car, but reading "Dude you should lower that thing" multiple times won't change the fact that I will not lower my car. I read everyone's opinions, what they have done to thier Protege, and everything else, and if I see something that is feasible and efficiant for me to do I'll plan on doing it. I have no need what soever to mod my car for someone else's happiness or approval. I don't care what people think of my car, that is why it's mine and unique to me. That makes it more of an object of pride for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
2001 16" Miata wheels w/Toyo Proxes FZ4 205/45
929S Radio w/custom installed graphic equalizer
MX-3 steering wheel center
MX-3 rear center console with lid
MX-3 leather shift boot
Xenon headlight bulbs
Some other stuff - removed wheel well trim, painted(black) wiper arms, polished headlight plastic, "squared key"('92, only found on MX-3 and 929) grill emblem.
Future mods -
OEM Mazda short throw shifter(very soon, my dad is going to do it for me, and I have a nice RX-7 shift knob for it)
RX-7 VAF(my dad has an extra for his RX-7, but I doubt he will let me use it)
Fog Light grill(currently not available from Dave)
GT-X front bumper(prolly not any time soon)
About Me -
I'm a currently laid off(as of late November) Mazda/Subaru new-car prep at Lou Fusz Mazda/Subaru. I've had the job since March '04, and I was waiting to get it. My dad is a 22+ year Mazda Master Tech at Fusz, and my brother was a new car prep at the dealership for a year and a half several years back.
I'm the ultimate Mazda enthusiast. I'm 18, and I know more about the company and the cars than anyone I've seen. My room is literally full of Mazda memorabilia - nearly 100 pages of Mazda print ads, 7 2'X3' showroom posters, tons of emblems, a B-series truck grill, a 3rd gen Protege grill(the mounts are broken, sorry), 2 13B rotor housings and 1 rotor, a collection of brochures and other media, the list goes on and on. I also have the largest collection of Mazda TV commercials, nearly 2 CDs full.
It's all about the drive for me. I'm happiest on the road behind the wheel working through the gears and carving around corners, even on the way to school. I regularly go flat out to the redline, shift as fast as I can, and corner at the tire's limits. I also speed all the time. I can't help it, and I did it in the 323 too. I've had my Protege up to about 105 just doing a 5th gear pull on my way to the ACT test. I drive agressively defensive. I try to make my driving as perfect as possible, avioding unnecessary lane changes and dangerous manuvers. I'd also like to point out that I've never in my driving life been pulled over, while friends are ticketed constently. Maybe it's my appearence - a mint looking Protege and my glasses.
Did I mention my family has 8(yes that is eight) Mazdas? Just for fun:
1986 RX-7(dad's)
1987 626(brother's, to be sold soon)
1988 323(dad's/mine kinda)
1988 MX-6 GT(my brother's, 220 WHP, 255 ft lbs, 13.76@105mph)
1992 MPV V6(mom's)
1993 Probe GT(dad's)
1994 Protege LX(mine)
1995 Millenia L(brother's)
All bought used, cheap, and several not running. We fix and keep them as mint as we can. Our basement is full of parts, mainly my brother's collection of 626/MX-6/Probe parts. It's actually interesting, when we get a new car we immediately begin a "restoration" process to return the car to as close to showroom new as possible within reason. Having 8 cars, 7 of which driven often, there's constently something to be fixed on a car or several cars.
Becides Mazda, I'm heavily into Gran Turismo. I'm also into computers, and stuff like that. Currently I'm waiting to get my job back, and if I don't I'll go to another Mazda dealership. I feel that I have a future with Mazda, though I'm undecided what. Maybe designing or engineering.
The Story -
As "MazKid", the choice of car must be a Mazda, I wouldn't want anything else. After driving my, eh, my dad's 1988 323 SE - a brilliant car, but very little power and an automatic, for nearly 2 years, it was time for change.
I made 4 picks for a "new" Mazda for myself, in order of want:
- MX-3 GS
- MX-6 LS
- Protege LX
- 929 S
I had trouble finding any of the above in fair condition for a fair price. I looked for a few months in the classifieds, AutoTrader, and E-bay. I did find a MX-3 GS, $1800. I called the place and was told that it was a 5 speed with 38,000 miles. I went to go see it and it was beat up, an auto, a smoker's car, and 137,000 miles. No way.
On Oct. 16, I found a '94 Protege LX 5 speed on AutoTrader, listed at $3990. Expensive, so I just kept looking. Then I went on E-bay, and low and behold the same '94 LX was listed, at a Honda dealership about 20 miles away. Then I saw that there was no reserve, and the current bid was about $1,000. That was a Saturday, and on Sunday I went there with my brother to check it out. Not bad, a few imperfections, missing radio, crappy rear tires, and the power lock relay didn't work, which probably led to the missing radio. 132,000 miles. They painted $2995 on the windshield. That night I bid on the car, and won the auction for $1,136. My dad doubted the car because I hadn't driven it or heard it running. I was becoming desperate for a car, so I was willing to take the risk, even though I was laid off on that Saturday. On Monday, I get home from school and my boss calls to tell me he needs me to go in for work. I told him that I just bought a new car and have to pick it up tonight, so he just said to come in afterwards if I can. When my dad got home, him, my mom, and I went to go buy the Protege. My dad asked if we could test drive the car, and we did. sounded pretty good aside from exhaust leaks, horrible tire noise, and some brake noise. Bought it anyway, it was a good deal. They said that the radio was stolen off the lot, and took $100 off of the final price. After all of the BS costs I paid $1,252 for 1 Protege LX that needed some work.
I'd like to mention at that time I hadn't driven a stick on the road more than half a mile at slow speeds. It was also raining. I peeled out almost at every light, though I was enjoying my new car so I didn't care. Luckily(rather unluckily) the clutch was the original and was so weak that it could slip in 4th and 5th if I floored it, and that made takeoffs smoother. On the way home, err, to work, on the highway the thing had very loud tire noise, vibrations that made the car unstable, and the check engine light came on. I made it to work at 8:30pm, no one thought I'd show so I had nothing to do. I lightly cleaned the Protege even though the Honda dealer did. I also found a 3rd gen Protege driver's floor mat which I used in my Protege because the mats were missing.
I drove the car to school the next day, and it hesitated really bad 3 times on the way. That night my dad and I took the car to the shop to further inspect it and fix what we could. We ballanced the tires, and the back ones needed several oz each, that was the vibration. The exhaust was new, but the gaskets were all broken. The O2 sensor had been left disconnected, that caused the check engine light and the hesitation.
Not to make this a huge essay I'll try to sum it up. $800+ worth of OEM Mazda parts, 35 or so hours of labor(that would be the total if the car went through the shop, in reality it was probably 15hrs), $76 for 2 tires then $100 for Miata 16" wheels and $332.50 for 4 Toyo Proxes FZ4s, and probably $100 worth of parts from junkyards. I basically have a very good condition Protege for $2,500 or so. Not bad, and still under the $3,000 initial purchase I was willing to pay. And as it turns out the Protege was the best choice for practicality and availibility of parts.
Modifications -
First off, I'd like to mention that I(and my dad) try to keep my/our cars as factory Mazda as possible. We do use parts from other Mazdas but we really don't go aftermarket unless we have to. This makes our Mazdas very reliable and enjoyable. I know people give thier opinions of what I should do to my car, but reading "Dude you should lower that thing" multiple times won't change the fact that I will not lower my car. I read everyone's opinions, what they have done to thier Protege, and everything else, and if I see something that is feasible and efficiant for me to do I'll plan on doing it. I have no need what soever to mod my car for someone else's happiness or approval. I don't care what people think of my car, that is why it's mine and unique to me. That makes it more of an object of pride for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
2001 16" Miata wheels w/Toyo Proxes FZ4 205/45
929S Radio w/custom installed graphic equalizer
MX-3 steering wheel center
MX-3 rear center console with lid
MX-3 leather shift boot
Xenon headlight bulbs
Some other stuff - removed wheel well trim, painted(black) wiper arms, polished headlight plastic, "squared key"('92, only found on MX-3 and 929) grill emblem.
Future mods -
OEM Mazda short throw shifter(very soon, my dad is going to do it for me, and I have a nice RX-7 shift knob for it)
RX-7 VAF(my dad has an extra for his RX-7, but I doubt he will let me use it)
Fog Light grill(currently not available from Dave)
GT-X front bumper(prolly not any time soon)
About Me -
I'm a currently laid off(as of late November) Mazda/Subaru new-car prep at Lou Fusz Mazda/Subaru. I've had the job since March '04, and I was waiting to get it. My dad is a 22+ year Mazda Master Tech at Fusz, and my brother was a new car prep at the dealership for a year and a half several years back.
I'm the ultimate Mazda enthusiast. I'm 18, and I know more about the company and the cars than anyone I've seen. My room is literally full of Mazda memorabilia - nearly 100 pages of Mazda print ads, 7 2'X3' showroom posters, tons of emblems, a B-series truck grill, a 3rd gen Protege grill(the mounts are broken, sorry), 2 13B rotor housings and 1 rotor, a collection of brochures and other media, the list goes on and on. I also have the largest collection of Mazda TV commercials, nearly 2 CDs full.
It's all about the drive for me. I'm happiest on the road behind the wheel working through the gears and carving around corners, even on the way to school. I regularly go flat out to the redline, shift as fast as I can, and corner at the tire's limits. I also speed all the time. I can't help it, and I did it in the 323 too. I've had my Protege up to about 105 just doing a 5th gear pull on my way to the ACT test. I drive agressively defensive. I try to make my driving as perfect as possible, avioding unnecessary lane changes and dangerous manuvers. I'd also like to point out that I've never in my driving life been pulled over, while friends are ticketed constently. Maybe it's my appearence - a mint looking Protege and my glasses.
Did I mention my family has 8(yes that is eight) Mazdas? Just for fun:
1986 RX-7(dad's)
1987 626(brother's, to be sold soon)
1988 323(dad's/mine kinda)
1988 MX-6 GT(my brother's, 220 WHP, 255 ft lbs, 13.76@105mph)
1992 MPV V6(mom's)
1993 Probe GT(dad's)
1994 Protege LX(mine)
1995 Millenia L(brother's)
All bought used, cheap, and several not running. We fix and keep them as mint as we can. Our basement is full of parts, mainly my brother's collection of 626/MX-6/Probe parts. It's actually interesting, when we get a new car we immediately begin a "restoration" process to return the car to as close to showroom new as possible within reason. Having 8 cars, 7 of which driven often, there's constently something to be fixed on a car or several cars.
Becides Mazda, I'm heavily into Gran Turismo. I'm also into computers, and stuff like that. Currently I'm waiting to get my job back, and if I don't I'll go to another Mazda dealership. I feel that I have a future with Mazda, though I'm undecided what. Maybe designing or engineering.
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