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- Mazda P5
Need to wash it more after driving on the salted roads. It's the price you pay for living in snowy areas. I have 0 rust because I live in a non snowy place.
I used to own a cool P5...
- Thread starter pcb
- Start date
Your car actually looks quite good! I would not hesitate to put rear bearings on it.
I've put a lot more money into my car than rear bearings, and it is considerably worse. I have rust starting at the front wheel wells and going all along the rockers and to the quarter panel. There are gaping holes through the lower fenders next to the front doors. There are holes near the trunk area (under the jack), the rear pass side floor board is rotted out and hanging, and the strut mounts under the hood are rotting out. Of course, there is rust EVERYWHERE, but these are the highlights.
The only way to have prevented this kind of rust on this car would have been to completely disassemble it and repaint/undercoat the entire chassis/underbody and the backside of every panel. Like Mazda should have done from the factory.
I've owned a variety of cars in my lifetime of living in the salt belt. NONE of them have rusted like this, and NO OTHER car on the road compares to this one. When it was only 8 years old it was apparent that the rust was terminal or that I would have to do a complete disassembly & restoration with quality paints/undercoats that Mazda refused to use. 8 years?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!!?
That's the point guys, all cars rust because of salt, but this one rusts wwwaaaaaayyyyy faster. You compare older cars than the P5 that have more miles and have spent more time in the rust belt, and the P5's have far, far, far, far more rust. Saying "it's just the salt" is not at all accurate. While no manufacturer does enough to combat salt, everyone except Mazda does something. At least something.
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mtnbiker26
Bike Geek
I bought mine new in 2003 and it's been a great vehicle for me. It's fun to drive and the hatchback (with a Thule roof rack) form factor has worked well for transporting bikes, sea kayaks, lumber, ladders, tools, furniture, dogs etc at least once a week. I always did the maintenance myself on time and I had very few repair issues. The leaky fuel pump housing, rotted gas tank and broken motor mounts were stupid and annoying repairs but they were fairly inexpensive to repair myself so I can't complain. Other issues like two seized calipers, two failed wheel speed sensors, ignition coils, cracked air intake hose, sticky EGR valve, swaybar endlinks are wear items so I don't count those as failures on Mazda's part. Not counting tires, brakes, batteries, struts, timing belt
The rust around the rear suspension has gotten pretty bad, though. I know it's a unibody but there are frame-like rails that run lengthwise next to the rear struts and there's nothing left to them. I keep waiting for the rear control arms or the cross brace to tear off while I'm driving. I'm also concerned about getting rear-ended hard because the body would probably just fold in that area. She's like an aging pet at this point. Taking it day by day until the time comes.
I've been considering the Honda Fit but I'm holding off as long as possible to see if they can get the Hecho in Mexico problems straightened out. The re-designed 2017 Subaru Impreza also looks pretty good but I'm leery of buying a first year model and it's a whole new global platform.
The rust around the rear suspension has gotten pretty bad, though. I know it's a unibody but there are frame-like rails that run lengthwise next to the rear struts and there's nothing left to them. I keep waiting for the rear control arms or the cross brace to tear off while I'm driving. I'm also concerned about getting rear-ended hard because the body would probably just fold in that area. She's like an aging pet at this point. Taking it day by day until the time comes.
I've been considering the Honda Fit but I'm holding off as long as possible to see if they can get the Hecho in Mexico problems straightened out. The re-designed 2017 Subaru Impreza also looks pretty good but I'm leery of buying a first year model and it's a whole new global platform.
bcarpenter905
Member
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- 2001 mazda protege ES 2.0
Yeah mines a 2001, made the decision last summer. You could literally stick your finger thru the fender they were that shot. So i coughed up the $900ish and did it. I dont regret it, i couldnt stand looking at it, it was very depressing. I ice fish alot, so when winter hits the subs come out, snows on, and the car gets just as much use as it does in the winter. I usually just pressure wash the car ever few days in the winter just to wash the salt off.
Here's a link to my rustproofing thread from a few years ago...
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...I-Bought-A-Gallon-Of-Rust-Proofing&highlight=
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...I-Bought-A-Gallon-Of-Rust-Proofing&highlight=
5% Nickle mixed in with the recycled molten metal would make metal that won't corrode nearly as fast.
It almost turns it into stainless steel, but it's expensive, ...
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- -- 03 P5 / 23 CX-5 --
i have a P5. i have a toyota tacoma. i have no salted roads. they live in a garage. thankfully and fortunately i am not participant in these sad scary situations. 
katapaltes
'03 P5, '17 Miata, stock AF
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- Dallas, TX
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- 2003 Protege5
I have three "kids" and all three are black. One is an indoor-outdoor cat named Margaret while the two Mazdas are strictly indoor pets. I won't even bring home table salt in them. These pics scare the bejeezus out of me.i have a P5. i have a toyota tacoma. i have no salted roads. they live in a garage. thankfully and fortunately i am not participant in these sad scary situations.
I have two kids one is black and white while the other is red. One is an indoor-outdoor cat named Lucky.
She is a happy and healthy 5 year old with lots of life left in her.
The red cat is an outdoor cat and is over 18 years old now (she was born September 2001). She is slowly dying of cancer.
She was a lot of fun in her Heyday but I may have to take her out behind the barn and put her down soon. LOL
She is a happy and healthy 5 year old with lots of life left in her.
The red cat is an outdoor cat and is over 18 years old now (she was born September 2001). She is slowly dying of cancer.
She was a lot of fun in her Heyday but I may have to take her out behind the barn and put her down soon. LOL
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I laugh at what you consider rust!! Ive got a hole in the engine bay under the passenger motor mount which can maybe fit a tennis ball through. Passenger fender is completely detached at the bottom with only side skirt holding it on from, somewhere. Rear quarters have rusted through and bumper is held to them via zipties. No pinch weld to speak of so I do not know how Ill jack the car up if I am to get a flat tire. 252k miles. Keep it going.
katapaltes
'03 P5, '17 Miata, stock AF
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- Dallas, TX
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- 2003 Protege5
This will work...
But if the tire is flat you probably won't be able to fit the jack in there.
So, then this...
The problem with either way is that you're pushing on the trailing link or lateral link bushings but they should be sturdy enough to support the weight.
Another problem is that you are kind of under the car to Jack it up so it could land on you if it falls and you have to lay down on the ground to place it.
On the front, you can lift on the control arm.
But if the tire is flat you probably won't be able to fit the jack in there.
So, then this...
The problem with either way is that you're pushing on the trailing link or lateral link bushings but they should be sturdy enough to support the weight.
Another problem is that you are kind of under the car to Jack it up so it could land on you if it falls and you have to lay down on the ground to place it.
On the front, you can lift on the control arm.
More than likely I am going to keep my spare aluminum floor jack in the car from here on out. I've thought of giving up on this car so many times for years now, but it just wants to keep driving so I will let it decide on it's own when the time has come.
That being said I will be buying another vehicle this spring/summer to keep as its back up. Hopefully a small pickup.