$150 to $200 to spend...

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

After Christmas i'll have about 150 to 200 to spend on my car.Im not sure what to buy since it will be my first mod.Any suggestions??

[Leppy]

manual? short throw shifter

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

Yea I have a manual.I was thinking about getting the twm but im still not sure.

[Leppy]

I love my B&M and think it's the best mod i've gotten yet... if it matters.

[traitorhound]

mazdaspeed exhaust, or ebay intake, springs?

there are lots of things in the price range

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

I love my B&M and think it's the best mod i've gotten yet... if it matters. Kool...I used to want the b&m but i've heard that its hard to remove if you needed to take it off.

[Leppy]

why would you want to.. it's because it replaces the stock plastic pivot housing with a better bronzeoil one so it's less likely to break and makes it easier to move around.

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

I thought dealerships would hassle you for having mods...you wouldnt need to remove it for warranty work?

[Leppy]

depends on the dealership... My dealership installed all my mods minus the short throw and are impressed by how the short throw improves it. they can't wait till i complete my mods and are actually gonna hook me up on a new front bumper soon.

[Pheonix]

B&M short shifter rocks, i got it for a real good price from a GB but it's worth every penny retail.
simply put, you feel the difference, but not from a power perspective

[Mr. Win]

honestly if your worried about the dealership then dont mod your car... other then that buy a B&M, Bushing and a nice knob.

[dmitrik4]

rear sway bar. either the AWR 19mm or an MSP 20mm. by far the biggest bang for your buck.

[Replica]

Eibachs are like night and day...

[jurgs01]

get your windows tinted.

[Mike R]

You can get alot, all of these are under or exactly $200:

Header
Short shifter
Springs
Sway bar
Exhaust (axleback)
Underdrive Pulley
Intake

[rustychops41]

bang for buck: bigger rear sway bar or all 4 springs, abso-tively!

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

Yea im a lil worried about my warranty right now since my parents make payments on the car and might get pissed if they found out it got voided. The only thing ive ever needed the dealer for is to get oil changes and i could maybe start doing those myself or something.

[illwill84]

Yea im a lil worried about my warranty right now since my parents make payments on the car and might get pissed if they found out it got voided. The only thing ive ever needed the dealer for is to get oil changes and i could maybe start doing those myself or something.


No offense, but aren't oil changes at the dealership un-godly expensive???

Also, a good chunk of mods can be taken off if you are going to the dealership........

An intake is a good example......not difficult to do at all.

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

I dunno if they are or not but my next oil change at the dealer is free.But yea i thats probably what im going to do is just uninstall something everytime i go to the dealer.I know in the warranty manual they say to talk to them first about aftermarket parts also so i might do that too since my dealer seemed ok with the mods.He was even telling me that if i ever needed help installing a turbo kit or anything else on my car then to give him a call.

[Pheonix]

my dealer hasn't given me problems, i only had an intake and short shifter, she actually smiled after handing me the keys.
i have an OBX header now and have my 15K tomorrow, we'll see, i thought they can only deny warrenty service not void it entirely.

[Hawkeye]

Pheonix, how do you like your OBX header? Any difference in perceivable power?

BTW, I would consider denying warranty service just about the same thing as voiding the warranty since the end result is the same thing. Just my .02

[Pheonix]

it's real nice, i have to get used to first gear, seems to have a little more pull from a stop
i haven't had any time to rev it up on the highway,
but in xmas traffic i downshifted to 2nd and got a quick chirp of the tires with no effort at all.
i'll get my chance hopefully before snowfall.

they gave me no trouble at the dealer, the service tech actually thought it looked nice, he said as long as i don't pull a cel, i'll pass the obdII test.
he also recommended the MSP axle back which if i can find a good price i'll definitely consider.

very true, i'd be pissed if they replace to change, say a broken axle, because i put an air intake on.

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

Does that header remove the first cat??

[CRZbrussian]

i say if your parents are still paying of the car, and you scared about modding it, just wait till the car is payed of or something, and slowly be saving up mony while they paying it of, so once they done you just come in and mod the crap out of it...if they let you...but that's just me


PS:: you don't change your own oil??

[Pretzellogic]

For the money, get yourself an Eibach Prokit. I would also reccomend the Katboy SS, knuckleball knob, and bushings combo.

Or take it to the dog track, win a bunch, and buy yourself a turbo kit :D

[Pheonix]

Does that header remove the first cat?? indeed it does, but who needs it anyway

i don't change my oil actually, lol, i should though, in between dealer trips

can i put the kartboy bushings on my B&M, would it make a difference?

[cable43]

My first 200 went into a
kartboy bushing & short shifter ($108 w/shipping- www.kartboy.com),
and ss brake lines($89/plus shipping- www.corksport.com). A good way to spend $197 (actually a little more for the shipping of the brake lines).

There are also a ton of free first mods, not realy performance based but still cool:

Power windows always on:
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36875&page=7&pp=15&highlight=power+window

Fog lights linked to parking lights:
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3721&page=12&pp=15

Side Markers likned to turn signals:
http://www.msprotege.com/vbb225/showthread.php?t=38010&page=1&pp=15

Auto off Headlights:
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70345

Just to name a few- there are a ton out there!

Whatever you decide.... good luck!!

[protege02]

get a mazdaspeed axelback for 150 at mazdastuff.com, a k and n typhoon intake for 219 at vividracing.com, a short throw shifter for like 150 the most, or racingbeat springs from racingbeat.com or racingextreme.com(racingextreme is cheaper by like $15). they are all good mods, i say the typhoon because you wont have problems installing it and it converts to shortram or cold air and the mazdaspeed axelback because it sounds really nice and its worth 150.

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

Thanks...I was leaning more towards getting a kartyboy ss or the mazda speed axleback.

CRZbrussian: No I dont change my own oil but i should probably start doing that. I hate when the dealership changes it.They always leave a bunch of greasy shit on my knob so its all slippery.

[anarchistchiken]

My recomendation would definatly be a Kartboy shifter and bushings, or any other shifter you want, but definatly the Kartboy bushings, or the MazdaSpeed axle back. My exhaust is my second favorite mod right after my short shifter just because it sounds so great.

Definatly do your own oil change. If the dealership has already done the first one for you, it shouldn't be a problem. The filter's a little hard to get at, but I found out you can just unbolt the little cross brace thing under the engine (might be just a p5 thing) and get to it more easily, or you can get it from the top if you dont have cruise control. It's a lot more satisfying to do it yourself than to have those jerks do it too.

[Glowmunkey]

Dealer won't give you shit about a short shifter, they probably won't even notice. Anything after the cat and ahead of the throttle body should be fine. Your average dealer understands the very limited risk of swapping out intakes and exhaust. Don't be scared, stand up for yourself - remember, they want to keep you around, just to sell you more cars.

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

I hope they dont give me trouble about a short shifter because thats probably what im getting.Maybe I should still talk to them about it just incase.

[anarchistchiken]

The dealer can't void your warranty unless they can prove the problem you're claiming was caused by an aftermarket part. They gotta prove it. This is covored in the "warranty" sticky in the P5 forum. It might be in the others too, but I'm too lazy to look right now.

[Dreeza]

you can buy my B&G springs :D


as to warranty...im basically in the same situation you are...my parents are paying for the car...my dealership knows about my mods...and they dont care...as people said...the only way they can void your warranty is if your mod has caused the problem...

[jurgs01]

That is very true, but it doesn't mean anything. The dealership will void your warrantee because they know it would be too much of a pain for you to fight it. It would be good to have a copy of the law that says that (I think it's different for every state, but not sure) when you go in for warrantee work.

[jurgs01]

you can buy my B&G springs :D


as to warranty...im basically in the same situation you are...my parents are paying for the car...my dealership knows about my mods...and they dont care...as people said...the only way they can void your warranty is if your mod has caused the problem...
Your parents pay for your car? Boy, times have changed in the little time since I went to high school. I remember working all summer long 60 hours a week and half-time going to high school to pay for my Toyota and insurance. I guess that's the way it is now. So much for teaching your kids responsibility.

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

Yea I even offered to pay for it since I had a job when i first got it! They didnt really want me to help them out with anything and were even wanting me to quit my job because of football season and not having enough time with homework. So now im lookin for a job since football season just ended :(

[jurgs01]

Yea, I didn't work during football season either (except during two-a-days in the summer). It sucked to work during two-a-days (death week), but I like having a nice truck:)

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

Yea it does suck! I remember doing it one year and I hated it.I barely ever got any sleep on weekends and after games.

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

We had 2 a days during the summer and when school started too!

[Dreeza]

Your parents pay for your car? Boy, times have changed in the little time since I went to high school. I remember working all summer long 60 hours a week and half-time going to high school to pay for my Toyota and insurance. I guess that's the way it is now. So much for teaching your kids responsibility.


lol, if you knew my parents you would KNOW they teach me responsibilty. My grandma had given my sister her 1990 protege on her 16th bday, and on my 16th bday, i inherited it (and my grandma gave my sister her civic) My parents werent exactly thrilled, but yeah...then the car started having some issues...more than my parents wanted to pay for and decided they may as well get a new or used car. I LOVED the old protege...i was like begging them NOT to sell it...but it was their decision since they were the ones paying for the repairs and what not...and they needed me as a driver. So i got the new car not so much cuz they felt like getting me a car, but because my little brother has lots of things he needed to be driven to and i am the only one who can do so...

anyways, that was kinda long, but i just dont like when people assume i am one of those kids who get things handed over to them...we have no cleaning ladies, so i am the one who cleans (or did when i lived in the house...im in college now) and never got payed for making my bed like some people i know...and other crap like that...i had to earn my rights to use it...

im done now, lol

[kickniteasy]

Your parents pay for your car? Boy, times have changed in the little time since I went to high school. I remember working all summer long 60 hours a week and half-time going to high school to pay for my Toyota and insurance. I guess that's the way it is now. So much for teaching your kids responsibility.


My parents are paying for mine b/c I got an academic full ride to FSU and a bunch of other scholarships that end up covering most of my apartment. They figure if I could buckle down to get the grades i needed to obtain and keep the scholarships I'm good enough in the responsibility department. If you're in Florida go buy a lotto ticket, hooray for Bright Futures! But back on topic, I'd get a SS if I were you, seems like you'd notice the biggest difference in terms of making the car more fun to drive. Oh, and I'd ask your dealer before doing anything, a 5 minute phone call to save yourself headaches later seems like a good plan.