Messy Mazda build

This is my first post, although I have lurked for a few days now and I must say this looks like a great welcoming community.

First things first: I'm normally a VW guy, and I have modded a honda before but this is my first mazda. I recently purchased a red P5 with 250,000km in fairly decent shape and I have roughly 500$ bi-weekly to throw at it. Got it for 400$ and it needed a battery, passenger side upper strut mount, EGR valve (or one / both coil packs), ebrake adjustment, passenger side fog light bulb, and a little TLC. So after a little research I decided it was worth fixing.
Suprisingly for a canadian car the underneath is solid, the only rust I can find is surface rust around the badge and the inside of the door / hood. The shifter knob is carbon and the lights appear to be aftermarket, and it has some aluminum rims.




I'm embarrased to show these pictures without it being clean but you get the point. It's a little rough around the edges as were all my projects when I started them (yes) but less than a thousand dollars later I have a P5 ready for modding.

I'm debating on waiting till spring to paint it, but it hurts me to see it the way it sits everyday.

So here is where you guys come in, some of you experienced Mazda hobbiests: Where should I start? Dive into suspensions and performance or should I pretty it up first? If so what color(s). I'd kind of like to buy some blacked out tails and headlights, shave the emblems, but a polished turd is still a turd. I want to do things the right way with roughly 1,000$ per month set aside for this car to keep the mods rolling.

Welcome to the forums!

Definitely paint it if that's an option, and do it first. Save the body.

Suspension is where you'll want to start, as handling is where these cars shine. Feel free to slap an exhaust and intake on for fun, but the only way you're going to get any straight-line power out of the car is by turboing it. Fortunately, this isn't too difficult as the Mazdaspeed Protege has essentially the same engine with a turbo slapped on and many components can be sourced from that car. There's plenty of information if you look around.

Other common small mods include, plastidipping/painting the rear valence black, fog light mod, footwell lighting, replacing the wimpy stock horn, door molding removal, mazda6 rear wiper swap, among other things.

Hrm yeah I was thinking about painting it too, but sadly I wont have enough money this upcomming pay, but most likely by the middle or end of january I will, so thats good.

Any suggestions on colors? I kind of want something that isnt too played out for a P5.. maybe a bright neon color with lots of clear, or a flat color like army tank green with a flat black hood but I have a hard time invisioning what it would look like. Oh well I have time to think about it and do some small mods in the mean time. The interrior looks like new with a black / carbon theme so a good sound system and LEDs would spice it up. Also I have read how-tos on most of what you have listed already, I have invested quite a few hours reading threads before registering and I have decided to do most of it, I just haven't decided where to start haha. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have it cleaned up with pictures of my progress.

become the spicy p5

Spicy Orange... I like it. At first I wanted a color to make heads turn but I guess its better to blend in sometimes, I don't want to be the only lime green P5 speeding around (the cops out here are terrible).

Good news: I found a retired bodyman to cut out and replace all rust + paint it for free. But I have to buy the paint and find him a heated garage / location to spray in.

In the meantime.... I was trying to remove my rear passenger side strut to throw on the new upper mount and I managed to break off my tool-bit inside my link arm because it was seized, so I guess I have to cut it off and buy a new one. Also i'm going to need a coil compressor to put the strut back in but I have a friend who said he will take it to work with him and compress it for me.

I wish it didn't get dark so early at this time of year, I go to work before the sun rises and I get off as its setting. Makes it hard for me to work on my poor P5.