help modding protege es

M

manifestoid

Member
hey guys, i own a 2001 protege es automatic and i currently have AEM Intake and obx headers. I need help on what to do next. I want more power but i'm kind of on a budget, being a college student. I was thinking an exhaust system, magnaflow or something, but i need suggestions on what kind of exhaust i should get, or just what i should get next...any help would be great, thanks!
 
with an automatic transmission, you're not going to get much more power. where the protege REALLY shines is with suspension upgrades. get some springs, struts, and a rear sway bar, and enjoy!
 
I have an automatic protege DX 1.6l

Sometimes i dont even know if i should mod it :/ but yeh you should get a full catback
 
Megan has a catback on their site for around $350, but if i remember it said the tip was like 4 inches and that seems big as hell, but it would probably sound alright if you have the header as well
 
Personally I wouldn't even waste the money on buying a exhaust....make one yourself and save yourself the load of money they cost. I have a Ebay header )same specs as a OBX and I spent a 1/4 of the price on it and it's been great for me for 4years. I have a 2.5in header back exhaust (bunch of pieces welded together that the previous owner had done) and a Ebay muffler...I personally don't mind the sound, mine sounds great. It does the same job a name brand exhaust system does just for a small fraction of the cost...so compare maybe $100 to $350 at least...and I wouldn't waste your time with the MSP exhaust that everyone wants...IMO its not worth the money when you can buy/make one yourself for considerably less.

Just my $.02
 
Lol, well thanks! The only difference is I've got wheels and I'm lowered...and I'm sure your transmission works right lol. Hopefully before the weekend is over mine will be back out on the road again.
 
Me?
I would suggest:
1. Underdive pulley
2. Remove the VTCS and port/polish IM
3. Get 15" wheels/low profile tires (to improve your final drive ratio ;) ).
4. Consider A 35 SHOT NO2 system... Read forum posts first and understand the
impacts.
5. Reduce any excess weight. If the a/c quit working and you don't plan to fix it - remove the system...

But really, just save money for maintenance and then for the next car.
 
I dunno if I would go with 15's unless you really are tryin to sit on the ground with your car. I could see 16's maybe, but I think 215/45/17's are about as close to stock as you can get at least according to my math skills (which aren't the greatest, but I used a calculator, lol)
 
Car came with 15" or 16". 17" wheels would only make perf worse (heavier and worse final drive ratio for launches).

Yep - trade for some 15" steelies and try to get the lowest profile tires (used) you can live with.
 
P-Funk! said:
Car came with 15" or 16". 17" wheels would only make perf worse (heavier and worse final drive ratio for launches).

Yep - trade for some 15" steelies and try to get the lowest profile tires (used) you can live with.
Click to expand...

Uhm....17'' wheels with a low profile tire is the same overall diameter as a 15/16'' with a thicker sidewall tire...put them both side by side and see for yourself.

As for 15'' steelies...? You don't think that steel wheels will be heavy? My wheels are approximately 22lbs with no tire on it...I'm not sure what steel wheels weigh but I'm sure it is not any lighter than some 17's as for final drive ratio...? The guy was wanting to have some small mods on his car to make it a little peppier, not building a insane alcohol burning drag car, lol. I'm sure it won't make much of a difference, I got better times with my 17's than I did on stock wheels, but that's probably because its a better tire compound as well. I also get better gripping performance on the 17's because they are considerably wider than the stock wheels. It really boils down to personal preference. I built my car more aimed at AutoX than to go fast in a straight line or highway racing. You can get suggestions on what to do to your car all day long, but it ends up boiling down to what your personal preference is. Build your car to however best suites you and your needs/wants.
 
"Increasing the size of the wheel by as little as 1 inch when switching from steel to aluminum will often be enough to negate the weight savings."

This is also one person's opinion, but either way you may still save some. If you really even care about saving a couple pounds, go on a diet if you are that worried about it. We drive Mazda Protege's they aren't insane Track Queens unless you are on a WRC team or something.

Just my $.02
 
I have a set of oem mp3 racing beat springs for sale... let me know if you're interested.
 
manifestoid said:
I need help on what to do next. I want more power but i'm kind of on a budget, being a college student
Click to expand...

Auxiliary transmission cooler. You can get one for less than $75 and it will protect you from having to spend $1000's on a new transmission.

After that, I'd do suspension/brakes/tires. The automatic Slotege is always going to be slow with boltons.
 
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