AWD Turbo Protege Recce Rallycar

[JPmotorsports]

Got slammed with a bunch of cage work---back to the protege finally! Starting to mount the bumper---it's a nice/tight fit with the IC/piping. He went with a jspec bumper. Tomorrow front skidplate...

[MATT91GT]

that bumper looks likes its missing some from the bottom. it doesnt cover the core support. is it supposed to be like that?

[JPmotorsports]

The angle I'm shooting at probably adds to it's "shortness". It does have a bunch of holes in the bottom for some kind of lip/attachment. It would make a nice place to mount a splitter---for this application the skidplate will hopefully tuck right up to it...

[jrally]

The factory bumper was that way too. I had taken the flat piece of plastic that bolts to the underside of it off. It was all torn up and danglin when I bought the car.

-Jon R.

[tireboy]

thats some really good work ...

[JPmotorsports]

thats some really good work ...

Thanks! Got the bumper mounted up, the valance and grill/grill plates or covers and one of them has what I believe is German on it!! A jspec bumper on a mazda with an umlaut! Go figure...Starting on the skidplate mounts.

[MATT91GT]

ahh im blind. thats funny that there is german on a japanese product.

[MD323]

that bumper looks likes its missing some from the bottom. it doesnt cover the core support. is it supposed to be like that?

that is how the factory bumper is, but your probably used to seeing it with the factory lip like mine.

[JPmotorsports]

Got the skidplate cut/fitted---biggest skidplate I've done yet, had to cover the IC piping. Comes uphill from the crossmember and then turns up in front of the piping. We ended up plating in the flat/bottom portion of the core support and slightly up the face for the front mounts. We should have about 3/4" to the oilpan and exhaust and about a 1/2" to the IC piping when mounted. Should be OK for the recce car---I hope...it's only 3/16"...I can't fit it back any further because of the IC piping on the drivers side and up any higher because of the passengers side...

[pumer1904]

man something seems wrong with yor intercooler pipes hanging down way to low from the turbo to the intercooler

[1st Gen]

In my experience with BP's and their radiators, they always crack under the overflow hose. (twice for me) A trusted member said once that moving that hose prevents the dreaded crack in that plastic radiator top cap. I upgraded to a radiator with metal caps so never tried his fix.

Just food for thought.

[SgtRauksauff]

You didn't use one of your big-honkin' skidplate/brace frames, did you?

Are there plans for that, or is this just gonna be hangin' in the breeze?

I'm kind of hoping to plan to get a good solid skidplate/brace pretty soon, in time for the winter ice shenanigans. The hope is to engage in some turbofication as well. Which is why this particular post has got me grinnin' and gigglin' like a little girl.

--sarge

[JPmotorsports]

man something seems wrong with yor intercooler pipes hanging down way to low from the turbo to the intercooler

Your right---it's much lower than the escort stuff we've done---we beat the body up out of the way/clearanced the front pocket outside the framerail, and then removed the towhook---it's like an 1/8" from the body on the inside and runs maybe a 1/4" underneath...if we miter cut the piping, we could get another 1/2"...and we might.

In my experience with BP's and their radiators, they always crack under the overflow hose. (twice for me) A trusted member said once that moving that hose prevents the dreaded crack in that plastic radiator top cap. I upgraded to a radiator with metal caps so never tried his fix.

Just food for thought.

Thanks---the real challenge I think with ground clearance and the IC piping is this radiator. The neck comes out at an angle and forces the IC piping to go under it---towards the ground. As it is we've got the lower radiator hose sitting on the IC piping and runs probably 3-4" along it. I've got the piping so close to the body everywhere, I can't get a finger to slide through. I've got 3/4" more ground clearance on the drivers side---frustrating!

You didn't use one of your big-honkin' skidplate/brace frames, did you?

Are there plans for that, or is this just gonna be hangin' in the breeze?

I'm kind of hoping to plan to get a good solid skidplate/brace pretty soon, in time for the winter ice shenanigans. The hope is to engage in some turbofication as well. Which is why this particular post has got me grinnin' and gigglin' like a little girl.

--sarge

I'd planned on making something of the sort, and then after running the IC piping and the fact there's already a front tiebar/brace on them from the factory, we're going to end up bolting the back to the crossmember bolts and then in the front to fabbed mounts of the lower core support. I'll shoot when we finish----maybe I can come up with something for you yet-we'll see...

[JPmotorsports]

In that first pic above, you can see the IC pipe comes out turns and runs parallel to the ground---it probably pushs the hose up an 1/8" or more (which isn't ideal) and then maybe 1 1/2" after it passes the hose, the joint turns up 180 to the IC. If we piecut it (not enough space for even a bend) and shorten up one of the sections, we could get maybe that 1/2" I was talking about (out by the wheel/coupler, not under the radiator hose---we even flattened that tubing a bit to get more ground clearance)...I ended up going with a 3/16" plate instead of the 1/8" with a doubler in the impact zone like I normally would...

[MD323]

we "clearanced" the fender pocket a good 2 inches on the GTR build we just did but still had to lower the rad 1/2" to make it work