Props to Ken and Protege Garage!

[PHRiSCo]

I was a long time customer of MAM and in their prime I had no problems with Beau or MAM or the service. We treated each other with respect and he was always good to me. I never bitched or complained like most of the people on here because I believe Beau is a decent guy and shit happened. I lost alot of money in the end through MAM with my last order, (AEM EMS, 3" Downpipe, 60mm TB), but shit happens and as a customer it is extremley frustrating. I personally believe Beau honestly tried to get his shit together but the problems stacked and the business folded, it happens unfortunatley.

Anyway I said the above to set up new kudos to Ken & Protege Garage and the hard work he's done to become an awesome member of this community and a fantastic vendor. I've only done one order through him so far, (DaveB Rings, Intake Manifold, Transmission Package), and absoulutley had no issues whatsoever. I'm in Vancouver, Canada so I usually get stuff shipped from the states to Point Roberts, WA then go across the border to pick stuff up. Everything I ordered came very quickly and it became incredibly convienent since less than a week after I received the revised LSD my stock one blew. My MSP was the first one released in the world and it's been double+ the horsepower for 3+ years so it was a long time coming.

I'm also wrote this in response to the guy who says he had been ripped off, I just don't believe him. It's gotta be pretty tough to develop for such a small market in the Protege so let's not let one guy ruin it all.

Ken thanks very much for establishing yourself here and I look forward to dealing and purchasing more from you in the future!

[Captain KRM P5]

I was a long time customer of MAM and in their prime I had no problems with Beau or MAM or the service. We treated each other with respect and he was always good to me. I never bitched or complained like most of the people on here because I believe Beau is a decent guy and shit happened. I lost alot of money in the end through MAM with my last order, (AEM EMS, 3" Downpipe, 60mm TB), but shit happens and as a customer it is extremley frustrating. I personally believe Beau honestly tried to get his shit together but the problems stacked and the business folded, it happens unfortunatley.

Anyway I said the above to set up new kudos to Ken & Protege Garage and the hard work he's done to become an awesome member of this community and a fantastic vendor. I've only done one order through him so far, (DaveB Rings, Intake Manifold, Transmission Package), and absoulutley had no issues whatsoever. I'm in Vancouver, Canada so I usually get stuff shipped from the states to Point Roberts, WA then go across the border to pick stuff up. Everything I ordered came very quickly and it became incredibly convienent since less than a week after I received the revised LSD my stock one blew. My MSP was the first one released in the world and it's been double+ the horsepower for 3+ years so it was a long time coming.

I'm also wrote this in response to the guy who says he had been ripped off, I just don't believe him. It's gotta be pretty tough to develop for such a small market in the Protege so let's not let one guy ruin it all.

Ken thanks very much for establishing yourself here and I look forward to dealing and purchasing more from you in the future!

i had no idea yours was the FIRST msp man, very cool. thanks for the write up.

as for the other thread, that customer and i have spoken and we are in the process of reaching a mutual resolution. there are quite a few things he omitted, forgot or simply did not post which make things much more clear and honest for both sides (see final reply).

for all's reference; i have made myself available many mays on this forum in the past five years - email, cell phone, home phone, shop phone, PM, AIM. everyone here needs to know i will continue to do so. my contact information is posted, cut and dry no BS, on my webpage and in my signature. if you cannot reach me one way, there are about five other ways to do so. i am always doing everything i can for the members of this community, but i am one person. i do have in-house employees who are doing everything they can to learn and assist me, but its going to take time to teach them what i have spent five years working to build.

[PHRiSCo]

It's not #1 by VIN, I haven't found what my production number is, but the first one released to the public. I took it over from digi168 on these boards 3-4 months after he received it back in late '02.

edit: He received his in late '02 and i got it from him in early '03.

[tekkie]

It's not #1 by VIN, I haven't found what my production number is, but the first one released to the public. I took it over from digi168 on these boards 3-4 months after he received it back in early '03.

thats another old school story, I remember all of this :)

[GBean]

I must add to this a little story about Ken and his great business ethic.

I was eying the big brake kit, and thought I wanted it, then he did a big sale, I got it for ch33p! I ordered the slotted ebc rotor package, and he even painted the new calipers the color I wanted for FREE! I was a little disappointed when I got hte kit and the rotors were not the EBC's but the OEM 626 ones. I shot him a pm, and he sent me the correct pair in LESS THAN A WEEK to CA. He even let me keep the oem rotors as spares!
I could never have been happier with a vendor anywhere. The brakes have been great, and man I can stop quick.

Not the place for it, but Ken I have a question for you...
Are the EBC slotted rotors supposed to be installed with the slots facing the forward rotating direction or facing the reverse direction? IE should the top of the slot at the top of the rotor points forward or backward? I am wondering as I have seen others installed the other way, I have them pointing backward. I ask this because after a year on the car, I still have a loud swishing noise coming off the rotors even when not touching the brakes. I wonder if the direction of the slots will affect the noise, or if my calipers are set wrong and the pads are dragging on the rotors too much? Thanks man. (PM sent just to make sure you get to read this....)

[StealthWyvern]

Not the place for it, but Ken I have a question for you...
Are the EBC slotted rotors supposed to be installed with the slots facing the forward rotating direction or facing the reverse direction? IE should the top of the slot at the top of the rotor points forward or backward? I am wondering as I have seen others installed the other way, I have them pointing backward. I ask this because after a year on the car, I still have a loud swishing noise coming off the rotors even when not touching the brakes. I wonder if the direction of the slots will affect the noise, or if my calipers are set wrong and the pads are dragging on the rotors too much? Thanks man. (PM sent just to make sure you get to read this....)


From my understanding forward is the corret way to have them facing.

[GBean]

Thanks good to hear, I will have to swap them tomorrow

[jeg0024]

It's not #1 by VIN, I haven't found what my production number is, but the first one released to the public. I took it over from digi168 on these boards 3-4 months after he received it back in late '02.

edit: He received his in late '02 and i got it from him in early '03.

They sold '02 MSP's tho didn't they? Is yours the first '03 MSP?

[Liquid_Ag]

03 and 03.5 are the only years for msp

[PHRiSCo]

They sold '02 MSP's tho didn't they? Is yours the first '03 MSP?

I think Car manufactuers usually release cars the year before the actual model year. The '08 Mazdas should start to be released before 2008 is actually here.

So in late 2002 the '03 MSPs etc were starting to be released. Again mine isn't first by VIN but it was the first one released to the public. digi168 from these boards, picked it up in Oct-Nov 2002 I believe.