integra guy needs mp3 information!

[tarmac and beer]

hi all, new to the mazda world. i have a integra type r that i've done hpde track events the last 3 years. i love the car, but it's had 2 expensive and mysterious failures on track this year. i've decided it's probably time to split up my car duties: one for daily driving and one for the track. i think having a type R strictly for daily driving isn't worthwhile due to theft and i can sell it for a few bucks (very low depreciation).

i think the mp3 is a worthy street car replacement. i haven't driven one yet, but i expect i'll enjoy the handling and miss the type R power

i have some basic questions before i start looking for one; i tried searching but the results weren't satisfactory. so, riddle me this.......

- does the mp3 come with moonroof? what percentage did not? i prefer one without.
- what is theft like with the mp3? it's a constant fear with the R
- what is the oem wheel size on the mp3? offset? lug type/pattern?
- is there a common part failure or particular maintance on the mp3? maybe just change the oil often and it runs forever?
- for those who have driven in snow with REAL snow tires, how does the mp3 perform?
- what was the mp3 msrp when new?

thanks for the help!

[tarmac and beer]

more questions!

- length/mileage of original warranty?
- does the mp3 have an open differential or a limited slip?

[akProtege5]

umm well the theft is lower than the type R. man your giving up a classic for a mp3?? well some people like the mp5 instead of the mp3.

[2k2silvermp5]

umm well the theft is lower than the type R. man your giving up a classic for a mp3?? well some people like the mp5 instead of the mp3.Read the whole post carefully he wants to keep the R ANd get a MP3.

No the MP3 does not have an LSD but a LSD form a mazdaspeed will go right in and can be ordered from the mazda dealer directly.

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

hi all, new to the mazda world. i have a integra type r that i've done hpde track events the last 3 years. i love the car, but it's had 2 expensive and mysterious failures on track this year. i've decided it's probably time to split up my car duties: one for daily driving and one for the track. i think having a type R strictly for daily driving isn't worthwhile due to theft and i can sell it for a few bucks (very low depreciation).

i think the mp3 is a worthy street car replacement. i haven't driven one yet, but i expect i'll enjoy the handling and miss the type R power

i have some basic questions before i start looking for one; i tried searching but the results weren't satisfactory. so, riddle me this.......

- does the mp3 come with moonroof? what percentage did not? i prefer one without.
- what is theft like with the mp3? it's a constant fear with the R
- what is the oem wheel size on the mp3? offset? lug type/pattern?
- is there a common part failure or particular maintance on the mp3? maybe just change the oil often and it runs forever?
- for those who have driven in snow with REAL snow tires, how does the mp3 perform?
- what was the mp3 msrp when new?

thanks for the help!
-no, mp3's were not available with sunroof, theres probably a couple of dealer installed ones floating around though.
-well as far as insurance ratings the theft rate on a type-r is a 25 and the mp3 is a 15.
-the tranny's are weak
-i live in the south, but i've had it on ice on street tires and it handled fine (as much as to be expected from it).
-i believe the mp3 was about $18,995-$19,995 msrp

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

more questions!

- length/mileage of original warranty?
- does the mp3 have an open differential or a limited slip?
-3 years/50,000 miles
-open diff

[RyanJayG]

- does the mp3 come with moonroof? what percentage did not? i prefer one without. NONE

- what is theft like with the mp3? it's a constant fear with the R I've never heard of a single car theft, but plenty of break ins


- what is the oem wheel size on the mp3? offset? lug type/pattern? 17" +55 offset, 5 x 114.7mm, 205x45x17


- is there a common part failure or particular maintance on the mp3? maybe just change the oil often and it runs forever? there are a few TSB's, no MAJOR issues... nothing a different tranny fluid wont change


- for those who have driven in snow with REAL snow tires, how does the mp3 perform? not me :D


- what was the mp3 msrp when new? I wanna say it was like $18,500 or so MSRP when I bought mine.. I still have the window tag, but I'm too lazy to find it.

[RyanJayG]

- length/mileage of original warranty? I believe its 50,000 3 year


- does the mp3 have an open differential or a limited slip? open, but as stated its only like $600 to the MSP lsd, but at current power levels its almost a waste of time, unless you drive in the rain/snow a LOT

[tarmac and beer]

Read the whole post carefully he wants to keep the R ANd get a MP3.


he was actually correct, i would sell the type R so could have a daily driver (mp3 or protege5) and a track car (miata, honda crx or civic hatch, subaru impreza L with WRX motor :) , etc)

i'm attracted to the protege's for their handling which supposedly approaches the type R, reliability, looks, and low price. i do realize i'll give up 50hp, but i can then afford a dedicated track car and not have to worry about theft for either car!

[tarmac and beer]

17" +55 offset, 5 x 114.7mm, 205x45x17

cool, thanks. what is the width of the oem wheels?

what is the widest 17" wheel that can be comfortably put on the mp3 without the tire rubbing?

[RyanJayG]

MP3 handling is actually BETTER than a stock type R... believe it or not

[RyanJayG]

7" width, 7.5 max comfortably

[jflo]

gotta watch out for that clunk ;)

[tarmac and beer]

- 0-60 time of a stock mp3?
- 1320' time?
- comparing the mp3 for the protege5, i see they are the same weight, but the mp3 has an extra 10hp/7ft*lbs, and has more aggressive suspension, right?

[tarmac and beer]

MP3 handling is actually BETTER than a stock type R... believe it or not

i know the mazdaspeed has better handling stats, i'll believe the mp3 is better once i drive it ;)

[jflo]

i know the mazdaspeed has better handling stats, i'll believe the mp3 is better once i drive it ;)
the suspensions are identical. the only thing different really is camber/toe alignment specs

[tarmac and beer]

the suspensions are identical. the only thing different really is camber/toe alignment specs

same dampers/damping rates, spring rates, and bushings?!

any word from mazda why the mp3 was missing in 02?

[uclap5]

mp3 also has the eurospec steering rack with a tighter ratio.

the mp3 was the attempt at a limited production mazdaspeed vehicle, but they felt the car did not have enough done to it to be considered a "mazdaspeed" so hence they just labeled it the mp3, and later would come out with the true mazdaspeed edition.

[ELEmental59437]

The MP3 was a one year low number production car.. A "special edition" if you will.... the MSP had more produced and had LSD, different rims, turbo, different interior trim, and a different kenwood system, along with a few other things. They stopped making it too, and are making the miata and RX-8 in regular and mazdaspeed form, along with other models in the future.

[akProtege5]

[QUOTE=2k2silvermp5]Read the whole post carefully he wants to keep the R ANd get a MP3.
QUOTE]
umm ok?? i was right. (evil) (evil) it all good.

by the way what have you done with your type R?.

[Aaron23]

i read somewhere that the Mp3 and Msp don't have indentical steering. Anyone know about this?

[MP3skaterNC]

nah, we have the euro spec rack where as the mazdaspeed doesn't.

[Aaron23]

so is one better than the other?

[tarmac and beer]

nah, we have the euro spec rack where as the mazdaspeed doesn't.

what's the difference? less turns lock to lock?

[tarmac and beer]

by the way what have you done with your type R?.

the R had a rollbar, bucket, harness, race tires, swaybar, header....just little stuff. it's stock now as preparation to possibly sell it.

stock 0-60 and quarter times anyone?

[MP3skaterNC]

7 seconds or so to 60 :( and mid 16's for the 1/4

Its not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it makes a fun autocross car when stock.

[RyanJayG]

yeah, my best quarter *slightly modded* (intake and exhaust) was a 16.1

[MP3skaterNC]

yeah same here, 16.1 w/ intake and exhaust.

[tarmac and beer]

7 seconds or so to 60 :( and mid 16's for the 1/4


wow, so is the gearing completely different than the p5? the p5 0-60 is very close to 9 seconds. the mp3 is the same weight and just a little more torque; if 7 seconds is accurate, than the mp3 is over a second quicker?!

a mid-16 quarter isn't bad. the stock type R can supposedly do it in high-14s, but i've never drag raced it.

[RyanJayG]

well, its all driver.... mag's driver's who drive the car for a day, vs. people who have owned the car for years, and really know it.


also different conditions
also, that 7 sec, he doesn't me 7.000 sec... more like in the 7's

[MP3skaterNC]

the mp3 isn't the same weight as the p5 either, its a good 70-100 lbs less iirc. The p5 has extra steel and glass in the back.

[luckezero]

Also, the MP3 came from the factory with much stickier and a little wider Dunlop tires. I'm sure the increased traction has something to do with it, along with the free-er revving nature of the engine w/ its less restrictive intake and exhaust as well as the retuned ECU. Of course, with some lighter weight 15's or 16's and some racing slicks, I bet the MP3 could be in the mid-to-upper 6's to 60. I almost bought an original Championship White ITR. Very good looking back then, and was indeed a great handling car. To me tho, the MP3 is a better overall car. While not as powerful, it does have better handling (IMO) and is much more functional with its extra doors and big trunk. Also, the MP3 comes with an EXCELLENT sound system... I love having a CD-MP3 player!

T&B, when you're ready to buy a MP3, please consider mine. It is probably the cheapest Mazda Certified MP3 out there, completely stock, in terrific condition, and has fairly low mileage compared to the majority of the ones I've seen for sale. (see the MP3 marketplace for more info and pictures). I also have some awesome Goodyear Eagle F1 tires on it with only ~3k miles and they really stick to the road. I've loved owning the MP3, but I'm ready to move up to something with RWD and a V6... probably a certified pre-owned G35 or CLK320.

Best wishes to you... I hope you have fun with whatever car you end up with. Good luck selling your ITR... I'm sure you'll sell it quickly.

[tarmac and beer]

Of course, with some lighter weight 15's or 16's and some racing slicks, I bet the MP3 could be in the mid-to-upper 6's to 60.

T&B, when you're ready to buy a MP3, please consider mine. It is probably the cheapest Mazda Certified MP3 out there, completely stock, in terrific condition, and has fairly low mileage compared to the majority of the ones I've seen for sale.

i did some hunting in car&driver and road&track and they both got 8.3-8.4 second 0-60 times. i can see a nice intake/cat/exhaust edging the mp3 over the 8 second mark, but certainly not into the 6's :) that would be faster than the type R with the mad vtak skillz ;)

edmunds.com lists the mp3's weight as 2725lbs and the p5 as 2716 - lighter! i'm sure the mp3 extra weight comes in the form of a stiffer body and nice stereo.

luckezero, i'd be interested in seeing your car, but i'm in nj and aren't you in texas?

[SpicyMchaggis]

A kid in my town got his laser blue MP3 stolen. He got it back after a year. Weak spots. Tranny. Definetly. Also, if you want to track the car. Invest in a nice oil pan. You WILL need it. More and more mazdas are bending valves and tearing up rod bearings.

[MP3skaterNC]

how the hell is the protege5 lighter, last time my car got weighed with a half tank of gas it was 2680lbs.

[uclap5]

i did some hunting in car&driver and road&track and they both got 8.3-8.4 second 0-60 times. i can see a nice intake/cat/exhaust edging the mp3 over the 8 second mark, but certainly not into the 6's :) that would be faster than the type R with the mad vtak skillz ;)

edmunds.com lists the mp3's weight as 2725lbs and the p5 as 2716 - lighter! i'm sure the mp3 extra weight comes in the form of a stiffer body and nice stereo.

luckezero, i'd be interested in seeing your car, but i'm in nj and aren't you in texas?

stereo + rims= heavier, if i had to take a guess at why. swaybars and struts might add a slight ammount as well.

[roni]

My mp3 handles well on snow tires.

Damn, my mp3 always handles well.

[luckezero]

luckezero, i'd be interested in seeing your car, but i'm in nj and aren't you in texas?

yeah, at least for now. I might end up in NJ after the first of the year tho!! If you're interested in the car, I can assure you that it is in fantastic condition and can have a local Mazda dealership verify everything for you. I also have a $99 credit on Southwest airlines you can use, if you want to fly down and see it and drive it back. Or I can drive it up. Or we can make arrangements (maybe split) shipping costs. It would cost ~$500 to ship from Shreveport to NJ with an open container and $900 for a closed container.

There are lots of options. I can nearly guarantee tho that you'll get a better deal from me than any dealership. Again, best wishes with whatever you decide. The MP3 is a great car and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a clean, well-cared-for one. Oh, and I'm confident that the MP3 is in the 7's stock 0-60. Suprisingly, it feels very comparable to my 1998 Honda Prelude VTEC up until about 60-70mph. Maybe 6s are a little too optimistic tho :)

[SilentSno]

Even if you aren't looking to get major HP out of the MP3, just intake, header combo will make the MP3 come alive. Est 150 hp - 160 at the flywheel after that. Throttle picks up soo well with it, makes it fun to drive all the time. Its impossible for me to drive slow in town to try to get better gas mileage and i still get about 25 mpg in town, with all the flooring it i do.

Tranny is weak with hp over 200, clunk issues, that i haven't had, but bushing sweak like crazy unless u grease them, people have said to get rid of the squeak with poly bushings, i've yet to try that.

Stock rims are heavy, but i like them alot.

After removing stock intake, my radiator would vibrate bad, i put in some hose where the top of the radiator mounts are and that helped alot.

Handles like its on rails... no kidding. Barely any body roll stock.

I autox and my last race only 2 cars beat me, and STI by less than 1 sec, and a SRT4, less then 1 tenth. I beat 3 5.0L stangs, 2 minis, a supercharge 96 stang, a few others i can't remember.

Note those cars are in a majorly different class than me as well.

Thats all i can think of...

[Pants McGregor]

I had a set of Dunlop Graspic's on my car last year and it handeled the snow quite well.

[scott42]

I'm outside of Philly and in NJ relatively often if you want to take a look at mine.
Everyone is pretty much right on on the descriptions/characteristics.
In the snow on good tires its pretty frikkin amazing if you ask me (then again I'm also coming from a 240sx).

[Newf]

114.7mm, 205x45x17??????


Um, isn't it 114.3 x 5.


Look at where I live, newoundland Canada. One of the highest snowfall rates on the PLANET. I drove my mp3 ( now own a MSP ) with 4 14" steelies, and 175 tires, studded. Got me everywhere. Granted, she's still a low car, so don't try deep powder, but as for slush, ice, general crappy snowy weather, I drove mine fine. I'd say no other mp3 or msp on this forums sees anything like my winters. I also live on one of the longest hills in the city, and it's steep. I get home no problem even on very icy days. Try driving with the stock tires on in the snow, just once, do it! It's fun....ok, scary as hell, and you'll never do it twice.

0-60 is 8.1-8.3. This is NO joke. That car ain't breaking past 8.0. I came from 97 prelude, and you WILL miss the power. But, handling wise, forget it. nothing else comes close....well, except the speed :) The shifter ain't no Honda either, but it ain't no american pos either.

The MP3 does have euro spec steering close ratio, the msp doesn't. It takes less turns of the wheel to turn. Advantage, the car is very direct. The slightest turn of the wheel, and you'll be in another lane. You'll also know exactly what the front wheels are doing all the time, and it's very easy to drive because of the "one with the car" feel. Disadvantage, she'll follow bumps and ruts a lot more then the speed. not as bad as some cars I've driven with large tires ( Stangs, Vette's etc ), but it is worse then the speed. And the wheel is somewhat stiffer to turn of course.

Problems? Bushings. Rear sway bar bushings, and front as well. Fronts will squeak when cold, so does rear. There are new updated bushings for both. I have had great success with the rear updated ones, near a year now ( knock on wood ). But, if your car gets the infamous "clunk", you'll know it, and hate it quickly. You'll need a new sway bar, and bushings ( part 156E) to get rid of it. Test the car you might be getting by going over a bumpy road. Make the car sway left/right. It'll sound like something loose in the trunk.

some have had shifter forks break. Honestly, if you drive like shit, expect it to happen on any car I guess. Think what you will.

I got about 450-500kms in town per tank. The car has no stock alarm unless the dealer put it in. The speed does.

any more q's?

[RyanJayG]

yes, you are right on the 114.3... but all american MP3s have alarms.....

[Newf]

Yeah, I wasn't sure about that alarm thing in the us. If security is a huge concern, I wouldn't depend on any stock alarm anyways.

Mine is great for lettings me know when a harley passes by...that's about it.

[MP3intheSTL]

yes, you are right on the 114.3... but all american MP3s have alarms.....
This is not true.
I don't have an alarm, all I have is a damn panic button.

[deepcover6]

(attn)You can buy mine....if you'd like, does have a sun roof though. See the Pissed Chipmunk (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77289) Brief descript. 'Mazda Protege MP3 'absolutely sensational, demonstrating genuine sports-car performance.' 'Sedan can Zoom through the slalom cones with and average speed of 70.2 mph, which equals that of Porsche 911 Turbo.' Is what ROAD&TRACK has said about this car in the June 2002 issue, this car was hand picked to compete with the likes of...
Ferrari 360 Modena, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Porsche 911 Trubo, Lotus Elise, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII, BMW M3 Coupe and the Porsche Boxster S.
This was in stock trim. Now it is turbocharged with a Garret T3(running 5 psi), just adds to where it lacked...0-60 1/4 mile.
In the snow...it's just like any other fwd with snow tires on.