Simple mods/upgrades

[cantthinkof1]

Alright, so I got a hold of a 1999 DX for cheap. The problem being, it's a pretty soulless car, it almost wants to have pep but doesn't. So I was trying to figure out if there are any upgrades or mods that help boost performance somewhat?

I'll be cleaning the MAF and EGR valve soon enough. I heard that there has been an official recall on the MAF sensor too.

"07/25/2007 Mazda Motor of
America, Inc. Manufacturer recall/service bulletin issued
Recall #SSP56 1.6 ENG. MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR"

The stock airbox seems very restrictive. Is it worth it to remove the tubing leading up to the airbox, and just putting in a K&N drop in? Or would a conical intake work better?

Exhaust, I don't want to change the noise much, but I'll be getting emissions done shortly, so afterwards I'd like the put on a nice exhaust or catback that will free up some power. I don't want the fart can noise though, or anything really deep, because a somewhat quiet car is nice. Just something nice and simple really.

I'm not trying to make my car a race car, just make it a bit more bearable to drive. Any suggestions/tips/tricks will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Smashed]

Well if it is a 1.6l. I saw on ebay a CAI made by Injen for about 160 bucks. Thats all I can think of.

[Witchdoktor]

anything less than going turbo is a waste IMO

I think the warranty on the maf was extended to 7yr/70k, no longer valid.

[kytuner]

x2 on turboing it

[cantthinkof1]

Well, if anything aside from a turbo really is a waste, then I hope I win that protegegarage raffle lol. I was just driving around, and it feels like I almost have to floor it to keep up with the speed of traffic starting from a stoplight. But I'm definitely not going to drop $3k+ for a turbo setup, I'll just keep the car as is in that case lol.

[lilchild87]

i put a sebring exhaust on it, frees up more air and the noise is really low but nice, also iridium sparkplugs and NGK wires, the car goes alot faster now.. and tomorrow i'll do custom intake..

[jster28]

i put a sebring exhaust on it, frees up more air and the noise is really low but nice, also iridium sparkplugs and NGK wires, the car goes alot faster now.. and tomorrow i'll do custom intake..


Why are you using iridium plugs, what a waste of money. They dont do anything on a stock motor. You dont not even have a turbo or a built motor.

[lilchild87]

Why are you using iridium plugs, what a waste of money. They dont do anything on a stock motor. You dont not even have a turbo or a built motor.

I been told that with NKG wires/and sparks plugs you get more response

[Mazdawarbird]

I been told that with NKG wires/and sparks plugs you get more response

All the iridium plugs really do is help improve the quality of spark and therefore, more efficient boom. Most effective under highly modified/boosted applications but on a stock motor, you just don't have to replace your plugs as often. (silly)

[jster28]

All the iridium plugs really do is help improve the quality of spark and therefore, more efficient boom. Most effective under highly modified/boosted applications but on a stock motor, you just don't have to replace your plugs as often. (silly)


you should change them about every 30k miles, cuz the car runs on the rich side. Well thats when i used to change them

[lilchild87]

Shit then but stuff can i put on the engine besides intake and exhaust to get gains??? and dont mention turbo...

[mazda protege 2]

twin turbo:P

[lilchild87]

seriously...

[red95_240sx]

Weapon-r SRI headers, exhaust TB coolant bypass blah is wat u want.

[1moreMPH]

basically.... headers, exhaust, intake, chip. that's about all you can ever hope for on an n/a car. you won't get much, and really it's not worth it... you could custom intake and exhaust for like 50 bucks though. (make an intake with a cone filter and tubing, then gut cats).

[lilchild87]

basically.... headers, exhaust, intake, chip. that's about all you can ever hope for on an n/a car. you won't get much, and really it's not worth it... you could custom intake and exhaust for like 50 bucks though. (make an intake with a cone filter and tubing, then gut cats).


i would like to buy a catback but its gonna sound loud and i don't want that.. same thing with headers, i just have a sebring muffler and it sounds really low deep.. so like i said if i put a catback is gonna be loud

btw cops here are a pain in your butt!!

[cantthinkof1]

To me, the only things I'm really looking to do to my car is mess with the intake and the exhaust. Nothing crazy, just those are always 2 areas where the car could use a little bit more. I'm really not trying to make a racecar out of a 105hp engine lol. Just trying to just make it a bit more well rounded of a car.

As with lilchild, I really don't want a deep/loud noise. Not because of the cops, just because I'm not a big fan of loud sound and no go. Its like those civics with fart cans, I don't want to look/sound like that. Just something thats a bit more bearable than the stock exhaust lol.

Modding this car isn't on the top of my list of things to do. If anything I'll end up doing a little intake modding and thats it lol.

[red95_240sx]

I agree with you. thats why ive stopped modding my engine unless i get a header, but i have stock exhaust.

[jster28]

header pretty much a waste if you dont have any headwork done. You can get a high flow cat. not much you can do, car is still gonna be a snail

[red95_240sx]

people say the header is worth it

[lilchild87]

changing a high flow cat will increase hp but will sound louder???

[jster28]

people say the header is worth it

they are cheap. frees it up some since it elimates the first cat. It was alright when i had a set on my car. Would be more worth it if there was work done to the head. pain the ass though, since i live in cali, i had to change them out everytime for emmisson testing.


changing a high flow cat will increase hp but will sound louder???

I was using a high flow cat from a honda civic, that i welded on. It doesn't make it louder, it actually gives it a nice deeper tone to the exhaust and i've ran several setup with it ranging from no muffler to n1 fireball exhaust.

[lilchild87]

i have a sebring exhaust and it already sounds low deep.. will give me any gain with the high flow catalytic?

[jster28]

i have a sebring exhaust and it already sounds low deep.. will give me any gain with the high flow catalytic?


some gain, probably like a few hp like 1 or 3 hp. Not really noticable. the only reason i got a high flo for the car was because i had my car drop like 3 to 4 inches on coilover and damaged my stock cat. I had a sebring exhaust before; a universal one, it was ok, didnt like it so i hacked it off and welded on a stock wrx exhaust, stock looking with high exhaust flow

[red95_240sx]

there not so cheap for the 1.6L...

[jster28]

there not so cheap for the 1.6L...

Whats not so cheap? header or high flo cat?

[red95_240sx]

header

[jster28]

not that expensive like 180 shipped for the OBX on and i dont recall what the price for the thunder headers, but somewhere around 200-250. IMO i was a waste when i bought them. That money can have be spent elsewhere. That's why save ur money and go turbo, 1.6L loves turbo :), well that is you have a manual tranny.

[red95_240sx]

ugh, where is it 180 shipped?

[lilchild87]

hey jster28 any low noise cat-back on a good price for the 1.6 99' ?? btw besides exhaust,intake.. what else can you put on the 1.6 for more hp.. w/o mentioning the turbo

[NCZ13]

hey jster28 any low noise cat-back on a good price for the 1.6 99' ?? btw besides exhaust,intake.. what else can you put on the 1.6 for more hp.. w/o mentioning the turbo

dude. why are you so obsessed over having alow noise car....

this has been explained to you dozens of times.

[jster28]

ugh, where is it 180 shipped?

Lowest price i found was 197 shipped on Ebay for the 1.6l OBX . But when, i bought my obx, i got it for 180 shipped from ebay, but since seller was 30mins away, i got it for 145 with pickup.



hey jster28 any low noise cat-back on a good price for the 1.6 99' ?? btw besides exhaust,intake.. what else can you put on the 1.6 for more hp.. w/o mentioning the turbo

If you want a cat-back, just take it to a muffler shop, a small local place, not midas or places like midas. and have them custom bend you a cat-back with 2.25 piping with what ever exhaust tip you want and high flo. That the cheapest. Shouldn't be more then 150, if you already have the tip and cat.

for more hp, not much in terms of bolt ons. Is your car auto or manual? If you have a manual, you could upgrade to a light weight flywheel from a 1.6L miata. It is lighter than the stock unit to provide quicker acceleration and engine revs for better engine response. I did this and it was awesome. other then that not much. There is always N2O.

[jster28]

dude. why are you so obsessed over having alow noise car....

this has been explained to you dozens of times.

his is tripping about cops, and getting a noise pollution ticket.

lilchild87
The legal limit in cali is 95db. Most cop don't even care in cali, as long as your not acting stop like rev you motor. I've ran a straight pipe on my protege and passed tons of cop, and never been pulled over for my exhaust. Not even on my motorcycle with no muffler, pretty much open headers.

if you really want a nice free flowing exhaust that is not much louder then stock and with a stock look. get custom piping from a exhaust shop with a stock muffler from a car that has more power (ie, wrx, Rsx type s, etc). like i said before i had the stock wrx muffler with custom piping, was not loud and free flowing. I felt no difference between my fireball exhaust and the wrx muffler, except noise.

Or get a axle back from a mazda speed protege.

[AzteCypher]

Pulleys, intake, exhaust, you want low db get a racing beat exhaust from the Mazdaspeed. Improve suspension by using the racing beat setup from the Mazdaspeed as well and the car will be a bit more enjoyable to drive. Keep up with the maintenance, ie. oil, spark, etc and maybe get a voltage system and that'll pep up your ride a bit.

[red95_240sx]

try a MSP catback for gains and low tone.

[lilchild87]

his is tripping about cops, and getting a noise pollution ticket.

lilchild87
The legal limit in cali is 95db. Most cop don't even care in cali, as long as your not acting stop like rev you motor. I've ran a straight pipe on my protege and passed tons of cop, and never been pulled over for my exhaust. Not even on my motorcycle with no muffler, pretty much open headers.

if you really want a nice free flowing exhaust that is not much louder then stock and with a stock look. get custom piping from a exhaust shop with a stock muffler from a car that has more power (ie, wrx, Rsx type s, etc). like i said before i had the stock wrx muffler with custom piping, was not loud and free flowing. I felt no difference between my fireball exhaust and the wrx muffler, except noise.

Or get a axle back from a mazda speed protege.

Yeah thats why i been wondering to sell the protege and get a faster car.. or better engine, and about the muffler shop the guy told me that he could put me a smaller resonator for better flowing and change my cat for a high flow cat.

Thx for the help!

[lilchild87]

btw if we talk about aftermarket cat-back and not custom.. most of them don't fit on the 1.6.. just a few :(

I really like this one down here but hell wont fit on the 1.6 cuz of the bolt on thing for the header.. this one here is like a triangle.. the stock one has only two bolts

[jster28]

btw if we talk about aftermarket cat-back and not custom.. most of them don't fit on the 1.6.. just a few :(

I really like this one down here but hell wont fit on the 1.6 cuz of the bolt on thing for the header.. this one here is like a triangle.. the stock one has only two bolts

Its triangular cuz it supposed to bolt to the back of the cat that has a three bolt flange. Hence the name cat back. the only one i know were it bolt straight on to the header is the corksport exhaust system, that elimates the cat. On the 1.6 the stock cat is welded on the midpipe. just get a high flo cat off ebay and have the muffler guy install it with the exhuast. Those guys can make anything fit.

[NCZ13]

his is tripping about cops, and getting a noise pollution ticket.

lilchild87
The legal limit in cali is 95db. Most cop don't even care in cali, as long as your not acting stop like rev you motor. I've ran a straight pipe on my protege and passed tons of cop, and never been pulled over for my exhaust. Not even on my motorcycle with no muffler, pretty much open headers.

if you really want a nice free flowing exhaust that is not much louder then stock and with a stock look. get custom piping from a exhaust shop with a stock muffler from a car that has more power (ie, wrx, Rsx type s, etc). like i said before i had the stock wrx muffler with custom piping, was not loud and free flowing. I felt no difference between my fireball exhaust and the wrx muffler, except noise.

Or get a axle back from a mazda speed protege.

yes, ive explained to him the whats legal and whats not legal. everyone gave him his exhaust options in several other threads. people have repeatedly explain cat backs. and axle backs.

he wants hi flow... but no noise. its other one of them. or neither. you cant have serious gains, and not have the noise that comes with it. either way, the car isnt THAT loud. hell you can buy a shelby mustang, that off the lot is 10x louder.

[Mazdawarbird]

Well if you go with a higher flow fuel pump it'll help. I put on a walbro 225lph punp in mine and got a decent boost, especially up past 5k rpm

[red95_240sx]

TB coolant bypass(rockon)

[patsfan4life]

TB coolant bypass(rockon)

what does that do?

[red95_240sx]

nothing...Its a simple mod

[jster28]

what does that do?

TB coolant bypass. you bypass the coolant that runs thru the throttle body. The coolant heats up the TB. by bypassing it, the air that passes thru the TB is not as hot. cooler air equal more power. Well thats the theory behind this mod.

IMO, i did this mod when i had the car, and it didn't do jack. But every cheap to do

[lilchild87]

I didn't know that exhasut system will fill on my 1.6L.. it was around 150 on ebay. And i didn't say no noise on my car.. just not too loud to get pull over. btw jster.. how many hp can i get with that exhaust system??

[AzteCypher]

That exhaust looks like the Hayame. It's the one I put in my car. You'll be suprised what will fit on our 1.6. The pulley's from the 1.6 Miata will fit. Just saw some Willwoods on a Miata that a mechanic told me will fit. Haven't verfied that yet but I"m looking into it.

[jster28]

I didn't know that exhasut system will fill on my 1.6L.. it was around 150 on ebay. And i didn't say no noise on my car.. just not too loud to get pull over. btw jster.. how many hp can i get with that exhaust system??


may 5-10hp, but i'd think likely on the low side. The lightweight flywheel i put in my car was an AASCO aluminum one for a 1.6L miata, it was really light compared to the stock. I put more power to the ground. cost like 320, with me installing myself. Think that was the best money i sent on the car beside suspension parts. The other stuff is a waste.


That exhaust looks like the Hayame. It's the one I put in my car. You'll be suprised what will fit on our 1.6. The pulley's from the 1.6 Miata will fit. Just saw some Willwoods on a Miata that a mechanic told me will fit. Haven't verfied that yet but I"m looking into it.

The bottom end for a 1.6 miata is pretty much the same as the bottom end in the 1.6 protege. The lightweight pulley would definity give you some more power.

[lilchild87]

Got it.. pulleys and exhaust... prolly i may sell my protege

Too much money to spend still for a few horses?? (uhm)

But maybe not..idk yet

Cuz money for a turbo i'm not gonna waste.. btw i don't have it

i/e/s and pulleys and something else will cost like 1000 maybe??

1000 for 30 horses total?? kinda missed up

[camerazn]

We're forgetting porting and polishing. Kind of expensive, but it increases your volumetric efficiency. Your 1.6L motor isn't putting 1.6L of air through. A port and polish job will get you closer to that number.

Also, look into custom cam profiles. They're not ridiculously expensive, and can really improve the power of the engine.

[AzteCypher]

The thing about a 1.6 is that forced induction is the way to go. The other ideas we've been talking about only add a little bit at a time until you go turbo. Then it all really adds up. If you want just basic mods with some good returns you're better off with the 1.8 or 2.0. The one thing proteges have in common is good to handling. Great handling with the Mazdaspeed package even better if you go aftermarket with coilovers and such.

[jster28]

yup FI is the way to go on the 1.6L. It can handle up to about 30lbs of boost on stock internals.

and AzteCypher is right. The protege are not the fastest cars, but the handling is amazing, great autoX car, espeically if you upgrade. I could beat faster cars in turns, but got my ass handed to me in the straights.

This a crazy idea, but do a MSP engine swap(rofl2). I almost did this, a few years ago. I had access to a front clip of a wrecked MSP for dirt cheap. But i didnt have the time to reseach and carry out the plan, so i sold my car.

you gotta think about it this way. HP isn't cheap. HP = money. If you want cheap bolt ons, with good gains, buy yourself a Honda.

[red95_240sx]

wowwww 30poundssssssssssshhhhhhwagagagaga.

At least they can still be JDMed up. :- /

[lilchild87]

yup FI is the way to go on the 1.6L. It can handle up to about 30lbs of boost on stock internals.

and AzteCypher is right. The protege are not the fastest cars, but the handling is amazing, great autoX car, espeically if you upgrade. I could beat faster cars in turns, but got my ass handed to me in the straights.

This a crazy idea, but do a MSP engine swap(rofl2). I almost did this, a few years ago. I had access to a front clip of a wrecked MSP for dirt cheap. But i didnt have the time to reseach and carry out the plan, so i sold my car.

you gotta think about it this way. HP isn't cheap. HP = money. If you want cheap bolt ons, with good gains, buy yourself a Honda.

Everyone has a honda here.. civics, accords, bla bla bla

The only one i like is the prelude 94-97

But who knows. i maybe get another car

But first i need to sell the protege

[jster28]

yup. the manual tranny can only handle like 200hp, so that need to be upgraded. The auto tranny suck on boost weaker then the manual.


lilchild, you mean the prelude 92-96. a 97 is a start of a different generation of prelude that have the h22 motor. before that some had h22 but mostly h23 non vtec. the ludes are slow as hell, the car weight a bunch. I only like the motor. I only got my civic cuz i got a really good deal on it and its for commuting and more equipped. If i want to go fast that what the motorcycle is for.(headbang) The protege is different, i got plenty of compliment for it, even from the honda crowd.

What do expect you live near the LA area. If you go to www.moccforums.com (mazda owners club of california) there are bunch of protege and p5 overs in so cal, mostly 1.8L or 2.0. what are you looking to get?

[red95_240sx]

some guy with a prelude asked me to race n i had punked out :- /

[lilchild87]

yup. the manual tranny can only handle like 200hp, so that need to be upgraded. The auto tranny suck on boost weaker then the manual.


lilchild, you mean the prelude 92-96. a 97 is a start of a different generation of prelude that have the h22 motor. before that some had h22 but mostly h23 non vtec. the ludes are slow as hell, the car weight a bunch. I only like the motor. I only got my civic cuz i got a really good deal on it and its for commuting and more equipped. If i want to go fast that what the motorcycle is for.(headbang) The protege is different, i got plenty of compliment for it, even from the honda crowd.

What do expect you live near the LA area. If you go to www.moccforums.com (mazda owners club of california) there are bunch of protege and p5 overs in so cal, mostly 1.8L or 2.0. what are you looking to get?

I'm looking to get something that not all the people have.. don't get offended cuz what i said about civics tho,i really like them but the cops will tend more to stop a civic with a exhaust than a protege, you know what i mean. (rockon)

The prelude 92-96 have 3 trims/ S 2.2 with 135hp, Si 2.3 with 160hp, Vtec 2.2 190hp. The S is pretty much like my old 92 LX accord.. good take off but starts to slowing on 4th.

I want something fast.. 4 cyl w/turbo or without but high output.. also a V6, just like a 300zx, 3000GT, MX6, Probe GT, bla bla bla (blah)

Not sure which one will come up first tho.. i will see but i'll let you know when i sell my protege

[camerazn]

It can handle up to about 30lbs of boost on stock internals.
.

Crispy Christ Crackers! I wish I had gotten the 1.6. My li'l old MSP 'splodes if you go past 10.

[IukekiniProtege]

ok guys seriously, the boost levels mentioned are obtainable, but would be very unreliable. also not to mention would need an almost perfect tune and prob. have to run high octane race gas.

for mods to the 1.6L there arent many, and baiscally you can do it to enjoy the experince, the gains are minimal. For exhuast just stick with stock, ive had a custom 2.25" piping, with Ractive canister, and honestly it took away torque, and it might have gave me 1hp at most, the sound got annoying fast. I switched back to a stock exhaust, its quiet, and gives it a little more pep when driving around in town. The biggest mod you could do would be a Cold Air Intake or Short Ram Intake, the CAI will give you issues as well as most SRI, you will get mid range rpm hesitation(2500-3500) then you will get the power back, this is due to the oversized piping usually used for the intakes, find a way to make a smaller pipe for the intake thats close to stock and your golden. But besides the power gain from the intake you get an awesome sound, that will just make the car more enjoyable.

The protege's highlight is handling, just by slapping on Eibach Springs(or other performance springs) your car will look nice, and will be ALOT more fun to drive. Those people you might want to race, well challenge them to a curvey course to race, rather then straight line.

Finally, just live with the fact you have the lowest model of the protege. It was ment for everyday driving, to be comfortable, and GREAT on gas. Rather then go for all out power make the car come to your style, upgrade the stereo, dynomat the interior(better sound from the stereo, and also cancles out road noise), tint the windows, change some interior light bulbs, thrpw some wheels on the car with a nice set of tires, the list goes on, everyone on here with the 1.6L gets stuck on just going for all out power. Just make it YOUR OWN car, enjoy it and enjoy the money its saving you. And face it its not a race car, never will be(in most cases).

Ok, im done, i just finished reading this thread before this post and had to summarixze all my thoughts on it into one post.

[lilchild87]

ok guys seriously, the boost levels mentioned are obtainable, but would be very unreliable. also not to mention would need an almost perfect tune and prob. have to run high octane race gas.

for mods to the 1.6L there arent many, and baiscally you can do it to enjoy the experince, the gains are minimal. For exhuast just stick with stock, ive had a custom 2.25" piping, with Ractive canister, and honestly it took away torque, and it might have gave me 1hp at most, the sound got annoying fast. I switched back to a stock exhaust, its quiet, and gives it a little more pep when driving around in town. The biggest mod you could do would be a Cold Air Intake or Short Ram Intake, the CAI will give you issues as well as most SRI, you will get mid range rpm hesitation(2500-3500) then you will get the power back, this is due to the oversized piping usually used for the intakes, find a way to make a smaller pipe for the intake thats close to stock and your golden. But besides the power gain from the intake you get an awesome sound, that will just make the car more enjoyable.

The protege's highlight is handling, just by slapping on Eibach Springs(or other performance springs) your car will look nice, and will be ALOT more fun to drive. Those people you might want to race, well challenge them to a curvey course to race, rather then straight line.

Finally, just live with the fact you have the lowest model of the protege. It was ment for everyday driving, to be comfortable, and GREAT on gas. Rather then go for all out power make the car come to your style, upgrade the stereo, dynomat the interior(better sound from the stereo, and also cancles out road noise), tint the windows, change some interior light bulbs, thrpw some wheels on the car with a nice set of tires, the list goes on, everyone on here with the 1.6L gets stuck on just going for all out power. Just make it YOUR OWN car, enjoy it and enjoy the money its saving you. And face it its not a race car, never will be(in most cases).

Ok, im done, i just finished reading this thread before this post and had to summarixze all my thoughts on it into one post.

Well you are right but the thing is that i won't race on a curve road, i just like straight take offs.. thats way i'm gonna sell the protege, doesn't matter how much money i put on it, it will never be fast.

[Azaizai]

great post Iuke, these boards tend to focus on the tuning and power areas of teh car world, but there's something to be said for cars that look nice and run efficiently. If you're concerned about money and looking to go faster, you've gotta think about different cars. But everyone's already descibed the reasons for that...

[NCZ13]

lil child im just gonna say this. you need to do ALOT of reading before you go off and get a "fast" car. reading your posts really makes me wonder how much you know, it doesnt seem like you know enough about the basics about intake and exhaust, judgine by all the posts ive read from you. you ask repeated questions to which people give you the same answers. this wont pass on boards like honda-tech. guess how many threads there are on intake and exhaust... ONE. which i think, is what each of our mazda forums need to have. a intake and exhaust sticky.

im not trying to insult you, but help you in the long run, people wont always be as nice on other boards. a really good way, rather than asking the same question over and over that is simply answered by the search button, is to just lurk on honda forums, or mitsu forums, and just read. dont ask questions. read. type in port and polish in the search and read as much as you can on it. lurking on other forums is the best way to expand automotive knowledge.

i think its stupid taht you want to sell your car just because you cant get it fast with a couple of basic bolt ons. i think its very juvenile, and in my opinion its better to start small and slow before you jump up and make an investment in something you know little about, just to get to 60mph faster. youve already said you dont have the money for a proper exhaust, so how are you going to afford another car even if you do sell the protege

[red95_240sx]

Lilchild u cud trade for a 240sx.

IukekiniProtege is right the most we can do is lower it get some rims, tint,etc.

I have to include to that that my weapon-r SRI is a very functional intake.

Like i said, our cars can still be JDMed.

[jster28]

lil child im just gonna say this. you need to do ALOT of reading before you go off and get a "fast" car. reading your posts really makes me wonder how much you know, it doesnt seem like you know enough about the basics about intake and exhaust, judgine by all the posts ive read from you. you ask repeated questions to which people give you the same answers. this wont pass on boards like honda-tech. guess how many threads there are on intake and exhaust... ONE. which i think, is what each of our mazda forums need to have. a intake and exhaust sticky.

im not trying to insult you, but help you in the long run, people wont always be as nice on other boards. a really good way, rather than asking the same question over and over that is simply answered by the search button, is to just lurk on honda forums, or mitsu forums, and just read. dont ask questions. read. type in port and polish in the search and read as much as you can on it. lurking on other forums is the best way to expand automotive knowledge.

i think its stupid taht you want to sell your car just because you cant get it fast with a couple of basic bolt ons. i think its very juvenile, and in my opinion its better to start small and slow before you jump up and make an investment in something you know little about, just to get to 60mph faster. youve already said you dont have the money for a proper exhaust, so how are you going to afford another car even if you do sell the protege

(werd)(iagree) Your not going to get much money for selling the protege. I practically gave my protege away. I parted out the car, and returned it to near stock. I was offered 2000 for trade in at a dealer. that was (ghey). I ended up selling it for 3900, privately. my car only had 96k miles in excellent cond and blue book was 5500. Sold it cheap to get rid of it quick. I would recommend keeping the protege and keep it as is, if you dont have the funds. Save up some money, until you have money for another car and then sell it.

[lilchild87]

(werd)(iagree) Your not going to get much money for selling the protege. I practically gave my protege away. I parted out the car, and returned it to near stock. I was offered 2000 for trade in at a dealer. that was (ghey). I ended up selling it for 3900, privately. my car only had 96k miles in excellent cond and blue book was 5500. Sold it cheap to get rid of it quick. I would recommend keeping the protege and keep it as is, if you dont have the funds. Save up some money, until you have money for another car and then sell it.

i will sell it around 4k or so and i have a friend that works on rebates of cars and with 4k he can get me a really good car.. from a 240sx to a 3000gt... any brands..any car

Dude he got my dad a 96' Audi S90 2.8 5 SPD IN PERFECT CONDITIONS for 2500 bucks.. the car was clean title.. 85000 original miles on it.. so think

[NCZ13]

lil child, you do realize you have alot to learn, im just telling you this because no matter what car you have, it still costs money to build it up. make sure you know what your doing before you jump in.

[lilchild87]

lil child, you do realize you have alot to learn, im just telling you this because no matter what car you have, it still costs money to build it up. make sure you know what your doing before you jump in.

Then what can you say if i get lets say a 300zx.. 200hp 200tq

How much money do i have to spend on my protege to reach that?

I want you to tell me how much money and which things to buy

Don't forget the extra handwork i'll pay to put those things in my car

Thx! (2thumbs)

[NCZ13]

Then what can you say if i get lets say a 300zx.. 200hp 200tq

How much money do i have to spend on my protege to reach that?

I want you to tell me how much money and which things to buy

Don't forget the extra handwork i'll pay to put those things in my car

Thx! (2thumbs)

...

no, you figure it out. thats the point of all this. figuring things out on your own.

im pretty sure a turboed 1.6 ltr engine can make 180 whp on low boost... with the proper tuning.

after all, 200hp on a 300zx would be at the crank. not at the wheels. subtract 25-30 hp and tahts the realistic whp

[lilchild87]

...

no, you figure it out. thats the point of all this. figuring things out on your own.

im pretty sure a turboed 1.6 ltr engine can make 180 whp on low boost... with the proper tuning.

after all, 200hp on a 300zx would be at the crank. not at the wheels. subtract 25-30 hp and tahts the realistic whp



The cheapest turbo i saw for the 1.6 cost 1700 w/o intercooler

It will be a total of 3000 w/ intercooler and tuning

So on any stock car you need to subtract 25 hp to get the real power?

[camerazn]

The cheapest turbo i saw for the 1.6 cost 1700 w/o intercooler

It will be a total of 3000 w/ intercooler and tuning

So on any stock car you need to subtract 25 hp to get the real power?

Rule of thumb, yes. It depends on the amount of rotating mass and the friction of all the spinny parts. That's among the reasons you don't see chromed 22" spinners on drag racers. Those wheels are a lot of rotating mass that the engine has to get up to speed, rather than putting all that power on the ground.

[NCZ13]

The cheapest turbo i saw for the 1.6 cost 1700 w/o intercooler

It will be a total of 3000 w/ intercooler and tuning

So on any stock car you need to subtract 25 hp to get the real power?

power comes at a cost. sure you can sell your car, MAYBE get 4k for it then what. your gonna try to find the cleanest lowest mileage car possible. lets say you find it. then what? theres going to be other cars faster than yours. things on the car might need to be replaced. tires brakes paint repair. timing belt water pump. you have a perfectly fine working car right now. learn from it. then move on.

[lilchild87]

Rule of thumb, yes. It depends on the amount of rotating mass and the friction of all the spinny parts. That's among the reasons you don't see chromed 22" spinners on drag racers. Those wheels are a lot of rotating mass that the engine has to get up to speed, rather than putting all that power on the ground.

The smallest your wheels are, the quicker your car speeds up on a take off

[NCZ13]

is that a question?

[lilchild87]

is that a question?

no

[camerazn]

The smallest your wheels are, the quicker your car speeds up on a take off

For two reasons. The first is the additional wheel torque you get by having smaller diameter wheels. The second is that smaller wheels are lighter leech less power than bigger, heavier ones.

It's the same reason you can get a carbon fiber drive shaft (at huge cost) for some cars. Lighter spinny bits = less mass that needs to be rotated = less energy spent spinning the heavy things = more energy to the road.

[jster28]

i will sell it around 4k or so and i have a friend that works on rebates of cars and with 4k he can get me a really good car.. from a 240sx to a 3000gt... any brands..any car

Dude he got my dad a 96' Audi S90 2.8 5 SPD IN PERFECT CONDITIONS for 2500 bucks.. the car was clean title.. 85000 original miles on it.. so think


Dude, Audi never made a s90 in 1996. The only models available for 1996 was is A4, A6, S6, and cabriolett. And its 90S not S90. The audi 90S was only made from 93-95. Know plently of Vw/audi stuff, from having owned serveral vw's.

also for a 300zx it a heavy ass car, weights like 3000+ pound. It might have 200hp, but that is at the crank not to the wheels. Its about power to weight ratio. The one with the 200hp is only the bottom end to middle end 300zx. there is a 280hp one, the 300zx twin turbo, good luck finding that for cheap. Or a mitsu 3000gt vr4 twin turbo awd. these cars might have 300hp, but weight over 3000lbs, and it takes ton of more $ to get more hp out of them. When a 2000 car with like 200hp can blow the doors off it, and they have spent less money.

You can make a turbo system for the protege for 1000, if you custom it.
buy the parts individually, not some bolt-on already made kit. You just need to know where to find the parts for good prices and know what your doing, and some fab skills.

[red95_240sx]

basily...you have a base model japanese econo car.

[Not Jo3L]

I would take a turbo 1.6 protege over any car i could get for 4,000.

And ive looked at plenty of cars. My parents only wanted to spend 5,000 on me.

looked at some wrecked cars that needed body work..tiburon, gti, integras, even a 300zx

they were all nice cars but it wasnt worth fixing them up to find more probs with them

so end of story i got my protege for 1,000 and needed to replace front struts, wires, plugs, timing belt, wheels, and removed various dents and dings.

all in all 3,000 spent on my baby

[lilchild87]

Well you guys are right on weight.. and stuff.. i just got home from the road and i made a lot of hard fast turns to test the protege and yeah it turns fast as hell!!

Specially better if you have wide and low profile tires.. sorry for making this thread so long guys :confused:

I will keep my baby.. will put a weapon R ram air with a K&N panel filter and may get a cat-back but people were complaining saying that it make you lose torque?? Not sure about that

Then either cams, or pulleys.. something with small gain

[Not Jo3L]

you should get an underdrive pulley and lightened flywheel

[jster28]

get the light weight flywheel. I was one of the very few 1.6l owners that had it. not a lot of people knew that you can use the 1.6 miata flywheel. If get it, might as well put in a new clutch, since your down in anyways.

Oh yeah, the car will handle even better if you slam the crap out of it. Maybe not like what i did, 3.5"-4"drop. Get a 2" drop, that is pretty nice handling and comfortable for daily driver. I had coilover and springs, i reccommend you stay away from coilovers (especially Skunk2 coilover) unless they are full coilovers. Springs are your best bet.

[NCZ13]

Well you guys are right on weight.. and stuff.. i just got home from the road and i made a lot of hard fast turns to test the protege and yeah it turns fast as hell!!

Specially better if you have wide and low profile tires.. sorry for making this thread so long guys :confused:

I will keep my baby.. will put a weapon R ram air with a K&N panel filter and may get a cat-back but people were complaining saying that it make you lose torque?? Not sure about that

Then either cams, or pulleys.. something with small gain


the loss of torque isnt noticeable.

is ur car manual or auto?

cams and pulleys arent just a simple bolt on thing. you gotta know what your doing. its nothing like sticking an intake on your car.

[jster28]

the loss of torque isnt noticeable.

is ur car manual or auto?

cams and pulleys arent just a simple bolt on thing. you gotta know what your doing. its nothing like sticking an intake on your car.

(mswerd)
Same goes for the flywheel if you car is a manual. But if it is an auto you can put an aftermarket torque convertor. Both need require that you need what your doing.

[camerazn]

I had coilover and springs, i reccommend you stay away from coilovers (especially Skunk2 coilover) unless they are full coilovers. Springs are your best bet.

My advice is that you go for the Ground Control coil sleeves + some Eibach springs. They kick ass - let you adjust your ride height. If you can custom order the springs, I would go with 8" (maybe 10"?) springs, 250#in in the front and around 150#in in the rear. I'm running 375#in springs in my MSP. The ride is really harsh, but it handles like stink. The reasons I'm thinking you should go for a lower spring rate are: the stock shock absorbers probably can't handle much higher, and your car is lighter.

Then get you some grippy low-profile tires and drive your car like the go-kart it is.

EDIT: Oh yeah. Stay away from Teins. They use funky sized springs. Eibach are standard, so if you decide to change spring rate, you can get different springs more easily.

[lilchild87]

I'm gonna drop it from 1'' to 1.5'', sell my rims and get a 15'' ones

Price on light weight flywheel and pulleys?

[NCZ13]

I'm gonna drop it from 1'' to 1.5'', sell my rims and get a 15'' ones

Price on light weight flywheel and pulleys?

search duuuuude search

they arent cheap. much more or just as expensive as the catback exhaust you couldnt afford.

is ur car manual or auto?

[lilchild87]

search duuuuude search

they arent cheap. much more or just as expensive as the catback exhaust you couldnt afford.

is ur car manual or auto?

dude you need to clam down

it's manual.. i'm not gonna put money on a cheap as auto tranny

[jster28]

I'm gonna drop it from 1'' to 1.5'', sell my rims and get a 15'' ones

Price on light weight flywheel and pulleys?

AASCO flywheel is 325 at heeltoeauto.com, that is where i got mine back in the day when there weren't many available. You can get a fidanza one off ebay for 200. But they range from 200-400, depending on brand, but they should all weight about 8-9lbs. Pulley are like 60 and up. But usually you pay for is what you get.

You, just gotta shop around and research before you buy. The is ebay, corksport, protege garage, and a few others dont remember the names right now.

1-1.5" drop is nothing, every spring on the market lowers the car at 1.5" and lower, unless you get stock msp or mp3 springs. 1.5 -2 inches.

[jster28]

My advice is that you go for the Ground Control coil sleeves + some Eibach springs. They kick ass - let you adjust your ride height. If you can custom order the springs, I would go with 8" (maybe 10"?) springs, 250#in in the front and around 150#in in the rear. I'm running 375#in springs in my MSP. The ride is really harsh, but it handles like stink. The reasons I'm thinking you should go for a lower spring rate are: the stock shock absorbers probably can't handle much higher, and your car is lighter.

Then get you some grippy low-profile tires and drive your car like the go-kart it is.

EDIT: Oh yeah. Stay away from Teins. They use funky sized springs. Eibach are standard, so if you decide to change spring rate, you can get different springs more easily.

But the msp and mp3 had beefier shocks then regualr proteges. The msp had tokico blues with racing beat springs.

I put my skunk2 coilover on at 60k with a full 4" drop with stock shocks, rode that for 20ki and then when to drop zone springs (2") and the the stocks finally crapped out at 95ki.

[NCZ13]

if you work hard, and learn

and eventually go turbo this is what itll be like

the torque is AMAZING
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/8c37b246-2820-4389-8b80-c19ca06af01e.htm

[camerazn]

But the msp and mp3 had beefier shocks then regualr proteges. The msp had tokico blues with racing beat springs.


That's why I figure he shouldn't go over 250#in. The beefy tokico blues can handle up to around 400. It's just a guess; someone more intimate with the 1.6l Protege knows better.

Lilchild, you should look at this thread:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58798&highlight=spring+rates

Don't buy springs based on how much they drop the car unless you want a car with soggy handling that can't navigate the common speedbump. Go for springs based on stiffness, and whatever drop you get is just a bonus. But beware! Too stiff means the fly hunnies won't like riding with you! Choose wisely!

[jster28]

if you work hard, and learn

and eventually go turbo this is what itll be like

the torque is AMAZING
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/8c37b246-2820-4389-8b80-c19ca06af01e.htm

That is car belongs to GOLDPRO, he used to own it, but he sold it. There is another 1.6l from back a few years ago on protegeclub, he put a custom supercharger, fully build the car inside and out. I try to find some pics of it.


But beware! Too stiff means the fly hunnies won't like riding with you! Choose wisely!
(werd)(lol) to shift, make the ride very harsh. the skunk2 i had were like 300#in coils. with a full drop my internal organs hurt on bumps, but the car handle like it was on rails. "Too stiff means the fly hunnies won't like riding with you!", such a true statement, from my personal experience. My girlfriend hated riding in my car and aways complain about the ride, so i ended changing to new dropzone springs that i got for like 40 brand new shipped, what a deal. Ok considing i only paid 40.


Edit:
here are the pics of the custom superchared 1.6 zm-de. awesome

[AzteCypher]

That's why I figure he shouldn't go over 250#in. The beefy tokico blues can handle up to around 400. It's just a guess; someone more intimate with the 1.6l Protege knows better.

Lilchild, you should look at this thread:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58798&highlight=spring+rates

Don't buy springs based on how much they drop the car unless you want a car with soggy handling that can't navigate the common speedbump. Go for springs based on stiffness, and whatever drop you get is just a bonus. But beware! Too stiff means the fly hunnies won't like riding with you! Choose wisely!

I've got Ksports on mine and they're really good. I must say they are bit stiff even on softest damper setting. But it's all worthwhile on the twistys. I'm still riding on stock wheels with a bit better tires and even then the handling is great. Can't wait to get some 17's and low pros. Look around and you'll find some good springs at a decent price. Progressive spring rates offer a better ride but linear spring rates give you better handling. If you're just planning on "enjoying" your car then a progressive spring rate is probably better. If you plan on tracking it every now then a linear spring rate will work better for you.

[lilchild87]

That is car belongs to GOLDPRO, he used to own it, but he sold it. There is another 1.6l from back a few years ago on protegeclub, he put a custom supercharger, fully build the car inside and out. I try to find some pics of it.


(werd)(lol) to shift, make the ride very harsh. the skunk2 i had were like 300#in coils. with a full drop my internal organs hurt on bumps, but the car handle like it was on rails. "Too stiff means the fly hunnies won't like riding with you!", such a true statement, from my personal experience. My girlfriend hated riding in my car and aways complain about the ride, so i ended changing to new dropzone springs that i got for like 40 brand new shipped, what a deal. Ok considing i only paid 40.


Edit:
here are the pics of the custom superchared 1.6 zm-de. awesome

Supercharged?? where? that looks like custome pipes for air flowing with a metal airbox

[camerazn]

Supercharged?? where? that looks like custome pipes for air flowing with a metal airbox

Serpentine drive belt is over there on the left side of the picture. The supercharger gets its power from that. Air gets forced from left to right along that blue pipe in the front, into that metal box (intercooler maybe?), and then into the intake.

It seems like that would be dumb custom piping if there was no supercharger. If that car was NA, air would be traveling from a filter in a crowded location, 1.5 times the width of the car, and through what is probably a really noisy, bad sounding airbox.

Also, if you look in the second picture, you can see the blue pipe connecting to a metal device on the serpentine belt. Is it the AC compressor? Probably not.

[red95_240sx]

(uhm)Yeah thats custom alright

[lilchild87]

Serpentine drive belt is over there on the left side of the picture. The supercharger gets its power from that. Air gets forced from left to right along that blue pipe in the front, into that metal box (intercooler maybe?), and then into the intake.

It seems like that would be dumb custom piping if there was no supercharger. If that car was NA, air would be traveling from a filter in a crowded location, 1.5 times the width of the car, and through what is probably a really noisy, bad sounding airbox.

Also, if you look in the second picture, you can see the blue pipe connecting to a metal device on the serpentine belt. Is it the AC compressor? Probably not.

I always though that the supercharger was that big block with a weird square shape.. but this car doesn't have that.. just a belt and a custom pipe

[mazpro]

the supercharger is run by the belts and you can see it on the second picture. that box you see to the right is a water-to-air intercooler. and the piping is really good actually, it goes from the supercharger to the water/air intercooler and to the TB, no crazy bends or a lot of pipes going to the front of the car. throttle response must be insanely fast with that setup.

[lilchild87]

the supercharger is run by the belts and you can see it on the second picture. that box you see to the right is a water-to-air intercooler. and the piping is really good actually, it goes from the supercharger to the water/air intercooler and to the TB, no crazy bends or a lot of pipes going to the front of the car. throttle response must be insanely fast with that setup.

Never seen one like that before. How much can that be?

I been looking to find that on websites but i couldn't find it

[jster28]

Never seen one like that before. How much can that be?

I been looking to find that on websites but i couldn't find it

The guy sent about 3000. He got the different parts from the Uk. This is no supercharger kit for the 1.6 protege.

Well this is a custom thing. But they guy was using a rotex unit. He is also running two more injectors before the TB, to keep it rich and nice and cool, a signal conditioner (to bleed away boost from map sensor) and fuel management system. Got rid of power steering pump and put an electric one.


You have to source your own parts, do some fabrication and so forth..

[lilchild87]

The guy sent about 3000. He got the different parts from the Uk. This is no supercharger kit for the 1.6 protege.

Well this is a custom thing. But they guy was using a rotex unit. He is also running two more injectors before the TB, to keep it rich and nice and cool, a signal conditioner (to bleed away boost from map sensor) and fuel management system. Got rid of power steering pump and put an electric one.


You have to source your own parts, do some fabrication and so forth..

thats a lot of money for me but looks pretty good, the guy on the muffler shop told me that for 70 bucks i'll get

bigger pipes, smaller or none resonator and weld everything up

But i told him to put me a smaller resonator cuz may be too loud and i'll get no back pressure

[jster28]

thats a lot of money for me but looks pretty good, the guy on the muffler shop told me that for 70 bucks i'll get

bigger pipes, smaller or none resonator and weld everything up

But i told him to put me a smaller resonator cuz may be too loud and i'll get no back pressure

not bad price. no resonator will make your exhaust sound a little raspy.

[lilchild87]

not bad price. no resonator will make your exhaust sound a little raspy.

Yea i mean instead of getting a catback for more than 300 i ll just pay 70.. raspy like what?? my old miata had no resonator and the sound was too loud and had no back pressure ( that was my mistake ) on the take off was slow cuz of that

[jster28]

Yea i mean instead of getting a catback for more than 300 i ll just pay 70.. raspy like what?? my old miata had no resonator and the sound was too loud and had no back pressure ( that was my mistake ) on the take off was slow cuz of that

I dont know how the protege would should with out a resonator, i always had one of somekind on the car. Except when it was straight piped, kinda too loud for my taste, so weld back a resonator back on. I have my own welder, so experimenting with different exhausts was no big deal.

But from two other cars i had, where i didn't have a resonator. the car sounded like a lawnmover or fartcan. One was a honda hatch and the other car was a vw jetta. But tip/muffler had a lot to do with the sound as well.

[lilchild87]

I dont know how the protege would should with out a resonator, i always had one of somekind on the car. Except when it was straight piped, kinda too loud for my taste, so weld back a resonator back on. I have my own welder, so experimenting with different exhausts was no big deal.

But from two other cars i had, where i didn't have a resonator. the car sounded like a lawnmover or fartcan. One was a honda hatch and the other car was a vw jetta. But tip/muffler had a lot to do with the sound as well.

Yea i'm just gonna get a smaller resonator.. some more air flow but not loud

Btw if i take it off will have no back pressure