[DEFUNCT] The College-Budget P5

New Noise, New Damage, New Parts Soon

Sheesh, this car sure is falling apart on me, isn't it?

I heard a new, much more accented squeak from the front passenger-side strut(?). If I press down on the quarter panels of the car as if inspecting the dampers and springs, I hear some strange noise at the end of the rebound. No clue what this is...going to have to take some videos to better illustrate the concern.

This ignition switch is really going south on me. Today, after the car just started (after the ignition switch gave me hell), I heard a fairly violent "ca-chunk"or something from the engine bay. Could've been the engine leaping within the bounds of the motor mounts.

Even worse, today I clipped the very edge of a curb and rashed one of my wheels! That took a small chunk out of the tire's protective sidewall too, but damnnnnn my poor wheel...



This is one of those filler-primer jobs. Until then I'll need to keep that area clean.

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Well, on the brighter side of things...

I did a large favor for one of my friends, and I was repaid nicely in turn. This was a godsend for my next shipment of parts.

From Rockauto, I'm about to order the following:


I threw in the PCV valve because I might as well replace that while I swap in the valve cover I just painted. The grommet's because I accidentally painted over the one that was on the junkyard VC, lol.

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I still can't believe just how much is on my plate regarding this car. So far, I got:

• Dying 3rd gear/synchro
• Various mysterious clunking noises up front (potential front-end refresh?)
• Broken EVAP System (mostly charcoal canister)
• Ignition Switch
• Weakening clutch cylinders
• Bad CV Axles
• Busted rear subframe weld nuts

And of course, the fact that I'm about to spend upwards of a thousand dollars on this is always on my mind. By now, I've dumped in more than I bought the car for, and never would've thought I'd get this far (or this broken!)

Realistically speaking, this car, much like many other builds or whatever, has been a losing investment. We've all been there...some people purpose that no one should ever dump more into a car than what you paid. That's kind of an impersonal and perhaps ignorant view, wouldn't you say? I think that since I'm in this deep, it's more mine than it will ever be anyone else's. I can't just sell it or trade it off now; it's practically my sidekick. From here on out, I think I'll have to be much more committed to, and serious about, keeping my car well-maintained and functioning.

That being said, I think I need to come to terms with how much money I've spent (and will spend) on it, but also be thankful for how my situation has allowed me to do so thus far.

I cannot wait to get through this slump!

Oh, I forgot to mention, I also saw this while browsing Rockauto:



Not bad. I believe it was 34 bucks or so, under Interior and Gauge Panel.

Riot_Polizei said:

Sheesh, this car sure is falling apart on me, isn't it?

I heard a new, much more accented squeak from the front passenger-side strut(?). If I press down on the quarter panels of the car as if inspecting the dampers and springs, I hear some strange noise at the end of the rebound. No clue what this is...going to have to take some videos to better illustrate the concern.

This ignition switch is really going south on me. Today, after the car just started (after the ignition switch gave me hell), I heard a fairly violent "ca-chunk"or something from the engine bay. Could've been the engine leaping within the bounds of the motor mounts.

Even worse, today I clipped the very edge of a curb and rashed one of my wheels! That took a small chunk out of the tire's protective sidewall too, but damnnnnn my poor wheel...

This is one of those filler-primer jobs. Until then I'll need to keep that area clean.

---

Well, on the brighter side of things...

I did a large favor for one of my friends, and I was repaid nicely in turn. This was a godsend for my next shipment of parts.

From Rockauto, I'm about to order the following:

Exedy Clutch MC	$10.89
Platinum Driveline Clutch SC	$23.79
Beck/Arnley Ignition Switch	$31.79
Mahle Valve Cover Gasket + Grommets/Seals	$10.93
Beck/Arnley PCV Valve Grommet	$1.76
FRAM PCV Valve	$2.23
Subtotal	$81.39

I threw in the PCV valve because I might as well replace that while I swap in the valve cover I just painted. The grommet's because I accidentally painted over the one that was on the junkyard VC, lol.

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I still can't believe just how much is on my plate regarding this car. So far, I got:

• Dying 3rd gear/synchro
• Various mysterious clunking noises up front (potential front-end refresh?)
• Broken EVAP System (mostly charcoal canister)
• Ignition Switch
• Weakening clutch cylinders
• Bad CV Axles
• Busted rear subframe weld nuts

And of course, the fact that I'm about to spend upwards of a thousand dollars on this is always on my mind. By now, I've dumped in more than I bought the car for, and never would've thought I'd get this far (or this broken!)

Realistically speaking, this car, much like many other builds or whatever, has been a losing investment. We've all been there...some people purpose that no one should ever dump more into a car than what you paid. That's kind of an impersonal and perhaps ignorant view, wouldn't you say? I think that since I'm in this deep, it's more mine than it will ever be anyone else's. I can't just sell it or trade it off now; it's practically my sidekick. From here on out, I think I'll have to be much more committed to, and serious about, keeping my car well-maintained and functioning.

That being said, I think I need to come to terms with how much money I've spent (and will spend) on it, but also be thankful for how my situation has allowed me to do so thus far.

I cannot wait to get through this slump!

Click to expand...

LMAO!!! Spoken like a "TRUE" car guy!!! Do it until...you can't. Then walk away.

Well, here's hoping there's some car left to work on!

Today, my car was really having a hard time starting, and again was turning slowly. It eventually got so slow and useless that I had to roll start. If the new starter goes out, I'm going to eat my underwear out of rage lol!

Well, time to check the battery...and maybe some other electrical components...

Man you're having a bad run lately, hopefully it's something simple and nothing major

Hopefully it's just a battery, mine would hold a charge but wouldn't give enough juice to crank. It would run the car though, I couldn't figure it out so I got a new battery now it starts right up

I'm thinking maybe bad grounds or B+ wires.

Maybe take them apart and clean them.

Maybe add a second ground wire from the battery negative right to the starter motor casing.

Check your voltage at the battery terminals while the engine is cranking then check the voltage again at the starter moter while cranking.

s***, whatever electrical problem I'm having went far south today!

It was still cranking somewhat slowly, but I could start it fine. I managed to drive it to a welding shop to get a quote and inspection for replacing my rear subframe weldnuts. Since then, the cranking got slower and slower until I finally got stranded at a food joint. In the rain, too!

I eventually had to push the thing backwards, crank the wheel all the way, and initiate a very close-quarters roll start. That sucked.

Worst part, after all that cranking, I caught a whiff of an electrical burning scent, and my ignition switch/key switch assembly was quite hot. Hot enough to heat up the plastic cowling around it.

Now look fellas, there is way too much on my plate now. 1000+ dollars worth of transmission/clutch repairs and upgrades are in front of me, my evap system is broken, I have weldnuts missing here and there, it won't reliably start anymore, and now I probably have an electrical problem.

I think for real, I'm approaching being done with this car. I'm at the point where I'm really starting to regret upgrading this thing so much, and I'm not sure if the money I could have in savings now hurts more than the "told you sos" I'll be getting.

Well, if any of you are in the state of Colorado, I'll keep my ears open if you want my P5.

babyluv1 said:

LMAO!!! Spoken like a "TRUE" car guy!!! Do it until...you can't. Then walk away.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's time to just walk away.
Cut your losses and be done with it.

I'm gonna drive my car into the ground but it isn't costing me much to do it.

How common are stock P5s in your area?

Maybe you could pick up another one on the cheap, swap the goodies over and sell the current one?

Bit of a stretch financially, I know, but you'll get to keep all the hard work and the platform that's a bit different for autocross

pcb said:

Maybe it's time to just walk away.
Cut your losses and be done with it.

I'm gonna drive my car into the ground but it isn't costing me much to do it.

Click to expand...

Indeed. It's the "cutting losses" part that's making me kick myself for lol. That's...lots of money I dumped into the thing. Well, money comes and goes, so the least I can do is focus on the future.

LankyKiwi said:

How common are stock P5s in your area?

Maybe you could pick up another one on the cheap, swap the goodies over and sell the current one?

Bit of a stretch financially, I know, but you'll get to keep all the hard work and the platform that's a bit different for autocross

Click to expand...

Unfortunately for me, I live in a region where the Subaru Impreza Outback/Legacy Outback were the prime choices, and the P5 seemed like a poor deal in comparison. I don't see it that way, but there's lots of camping, offroading, and mountain pass-climbing to be had, and people only think in terms of AWD vs 2WD :^)

I don't want to sound vain saying this, but I possibly own the cleanest Protege5 in the area. The other ones for sale are either 190,000 miles and above or rusted to pieces, or broken like mine. Frankly, I think it's my best bet to turn to a car I won't need to monitor like a science project.

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What does this mean for the future?

Well, I don't want to not modify whatever car I get next, but I sure as hell won't race it. I've learned my lesson, and even the quickest and shortest runs on a track can greatly impact your car. I think I'll just tinker with the suspension and leave it at that; fooling around with engine bolt-ons just opened a can of worms for me.

I think maybe a few years down the line, when I'm much more financially stable and am able to fool around with cars without starving myself, maybe I'll try to find another protege to mess with.

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Currently, the P5 enthusiast I mentioned some posts back has some interest in my P5, and given how he KL-swapped his old P5, I know he'll do this one justice. He told me that if he gets one of his others car sold, he'll take a look at what I got.

Only thing is, I need to think of a good price for this thing.

Do you think I could get away with selling this thing for as much as I bought it for? Sure, it's not in stellar shape anymore, but it's got a plethora of mods on it now. Hell, those wheels and (now balding) tires are worth at least 500-700 bucks. Thankfully, I also kept a lot of old OEM stuff, like the stock airbox assembly and foglights, exhaust manifold, replacement fuel sending unit + sock, bushings, etc.

Jeez, so much to do. Gotta find another car, gotta find a buyer...

The Search

Well guys, I'm really not sure what to post in my build thread anymore. By the nature of me looking for a new car, I'm done modifying the P5. If I can sell it without dumping even more money into fixing it, which is a possibility presented since I have a fellow enthusiast looking at it, I definitely will. Pretty much, the only posts I'll be making here will regard my sale process, and perhaps some musings on some results I've come up with.

So, what kind of car am I looking for? Well, I thought about it, and I generalized some criteria:

• Manual Transmission is a must
• Low(er) miles, no fix-me-ups
• Cheap parts/available parts
• Decent aftermarket support
• Sporty feel, or at least has the potential to become sporty
• I must be able to fit my upright bass in it :^)

Whatever I get, I must reiterate: I'm not going to race it. I'm done racing until I can afford to dumpster cars lmao.

Kinda bummed that the above described what my Protege5 once was, but honestly I think I'd rather go with something more reliable, and just different. Gotta shake things up a bit.

The "lower miles" criterion is going to be a little tougher to achieve. I got my P5 at 119k miles, which is fairly low for a car that old.

Man what gets me most is that now that I'm looking for something that won't quit out on me easily, all these really rad cars began to show up for sale!!

There's at least 5 Mazdaspeed6 postings, A 48k mile RX-8 for 5 grand, a sweet Foxbody, and even some MR2s...argh man, where were all these offerings 3 years ago?? Lol, well, time to practice some self-control and not even look at them. Gotta get something simple.

I always liked the older MR2's I never drove one so can't comment on that, but they look cool haha. I've driven my coworkers bone stock madza3 (no turbo) and I gotta say they feel good. Nice and nimble, a not too much heavier than the p5. My butt dyno tells me my poor old wagon would be blown away by 2nd gear in a drag. There's a couple for cheap around me, plenty of aftermarket too. Have you thought about what drivetrain you want? Like an awd, fwd, rwd? Or just whatever grabs your attention? Personally I wouldn't get an rx8, I love rotaries but my buddy had one for 3 years and was really disappointed. He had a fc before and said the rx8 was so slow and heavy feeling in comparison. I would say of you have the cash get an fc but if your looking for reliability maybe the mazdaspeed6 is a bit more realistic. Hey maybe an mp3 or msp might pop up for sale, at least then most of your knowledge will transfer over. Good luck man, sad to see your yellow p5 go[emoji22]

STudMUffin1177 said:

I always liked the older MR2's I never drove one so can't comment on that, but they look cool haha. I've driven my coworkers bone stock madza3 (no turbo) and I gotta say they feel good. Nice and nimble, a not too much heavier than the p5. My butt dyno tells me my poor old wagon would be blown away by 2nd gear in a drag. There's a couple for cheap around me, plenty of aftermarket too. Have you thought about what drivetrain you want? Like an awd, fwd, rwd? Or just whatever grabs your attention? Personally I wouldn't get an rx8, I love rotaries but my buddy had one for 3 years and was really disappointed. He had a fc before and said the rx8 was so slow and heavy feeling in comparison. I would say of you have the cash get an fc but if your looking for reliability maybe the mazdaspeed6 is a bit more realistic. Hey maybe an mp3 or msp might pop up for sale, at least then most of your knowledge will transfer over. Good luck man, sad to see your yellow p5 go[emoji22]

Click to expand...

I'm pretty good at driving in poor weather conditions, so I can make do with any drivetrain. I would often keep my old Suzuki in just 2WD mode during winter conditions, but mostly because you would lose like 90% of your power lol! But I must say, the thought of driving an MR2 in the winter scares me a little. Once you lose your rear, you pendulum almost too hard to save it! Plus, I still wouldn't get one, because it's probably one of the least reliable Toyotas ever made. It's getting to be like the FX GT hatchback, where parts are rare and expensive.

Also, I never want to own a rotary engine car, on the principle of how unreliable they are. Would be cool as a weekend car, though!

The Mazdaspeed6 is kind of like the P5, in that it ran somewhat poorly from the factory, and needed some aftermarket tuning to make it more reliable. As much as I would enjoy owning one, I would have some work cut out for me to get it to run optimally. But damn it's so tempting...AWD, twin-turbo V6, nice and roomy sedan. MPG's kinda of garbage for what it is, being a heavy FI car. Plus, the ability to blow by the cocky "subie-bros" around here would be cool, and there's nothing better than pulling on them. I have a pal with a heavily modified Evo, and whenever he wrecks Impreza bros, they always get mad and claim their car's broken lol. But, I can't be opting into such shenanigans, as I've seen what racing my car, even for a small amount of time, can do to your car.

If I am to stick with Mazda, I think my best bet is to get a stock non-speed Mazda3 like you mentioned. Forced induction tends to complicate things, so a N/A setup would be preferred. I like miatas, but don't think I'd be willing to daily it. The MX6 and MX3 are pretty cool, and the former shares the same engine as the P5, but those are really getting up there in miles and age.

Man, it's hard figuring out what I should look for. The only criteria of cars I know to avoid is euro cars, since they all have ridiculously expensive labor rates and parts.

Thanks for the well-wishing, and well, thus far, I'm at least feeling better that the car's going to a guy that's super into P5s. Doesn't make me feel as bad

Bruh pick up a good ole piece o s*** b series [emoji23] cheap as s*** n plenty of junkyard parts. They are real easy to work on, you just gotta put a bit more gas into em. Damn carbs haha, gotta say I wasn't to into it when I got it but theses early b seri3s are pretty handy. It pretty much handles like a small rwd car but you have a baby truck bed in the back.

I thought the mazdaspeed 6 was 4cyl turbo awd?

Resurrection, Pt.1

Hello again!

It's been a rough month and-a-half, and I left off with the high probability of selling the P5 and getting a new one. No matter which way I crunched numbers, I couldn't justify emptying my bank account when fixing the P5 would cost half of any good craigslist post. So, I went ahead and got it fixed.



It cost me just about 2 grand to get everything transmission-related fixed. I could've done it for way cheaper, but I figured that if I intend on keeping the car for some time longer, might as well throw in more upgrades. Just for good old time's sake.

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I purchased the last(!!) Mazdaspeed OEM Chromoly flywheel (Pt# FS9P-11-500) in any Mazda warehouse in the US through Mazda Motorsports for $254.61 (shipping brought it up to 300 bucks or so). In this big clutch/flywheel megathread over on the Mazdaspeed Protege subforum, everyone raved about the excellence of the 7.5lb Fidanza flywheel, except for one guy who had a MP3 Protege. The N/A guy, with much lower power, said that it ruined his car's drivability, and no one followed up with him. So, I took that as a warning sign, since I don't intend on going F/I. That's what made me choose the Chromoly flywheel.







Oh, and to clear up any confusion, my flywheel weighed in at 16.4 LB, rounded down to 16 LB. That's enough weight to shave off, and I'll elaborate on drivability later.

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On that same megathread, and a couple other threads, I learned to stay away from Spec. Seems like they had quality control issues. I scratched that off of my budget, and instead went with Exedy, since they're unilaterally praised. I bought mine off of Amazon for about 320 bucks, which was the cheapest price I could find out of all reliable sites.

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And...for good measure, thought I'd throw in a braided steel clutch line to top it all off. It's super nice! Granted, I'm not sure if the clutch-bleeding, transmission fluid-swapping, clutch/flywheel installing, or clutch line-swapping did the trick, but any sort of "crunchiness" is gone.

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I also replaced the clutch slave cylinder and CV axles. On the way is a used evap canister from JP Parts Int'l. I'm also on the look out for a welder, as one of my old coworkers offered to teach me how to weld if I got one. What that means is I could repair my rear subframe weldnuts myself! If I don't get a good deal on one though, I may still go through with the fab shop I checked out.

I can't remember if I mentioned it, but the reason why my car started dying and not starting again was because I bought a garbage starter from Autozone >_>

I returned that garbage, took my stupid store credit, and got another one from O'Reilly that's doing just fine now.

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As of about 60 miles ago, I got to begin my flywheel/clutch break in period.

But a word of warning, fellas...you know how my car's build and repair progress has been. Nothing ever just works as it should. There's always some extra layer of complication, or something else breaks or wears out. Well, as I'm breaking in this new clutch and flywheel that's attached to my new-used 90k mile transmission, 5th gear and Reverse are giving me very intermittent grinding problems. Sometimes, I'll push in the clutch at a stand-still, shift into 5th, and get either a clunk or a grind. Same with reverse. But, again...sometimes. When I first start the car, the grinds don't happen, at least not loudly. When it starts to warm up, 5th gear will like to grind a little bit. When it's fully warm...well, it only sometimes grinds. I tried messing with how I shifted it into 5th, and I think If I really get close to third gear, I get no problems, but I just don't know. I called my mechanic about it, and he told me that intermittent grinding, and less-frequent grinding as I drive around, is common. Is it? After all, I did drop in a completely new transmission, clutch, and flywheel. This guy's been really good to me, but man this car gave me trust issues lol. I guess I'll figure things out in another 44X miles, which is how much longer I'll be driving it nice and easy to let everything adjust and break in. Fingers crossed I'm not grinding the whole time.

Really, all I have left to do is replace my evap canister, and the car's back to normal. I got to grease those bushings in the meantime, too.

I've recently been blessed with a software engineering internship, so if any other repairs come up, I'll actually be able to have more money to throw around. For the meantime, any other mods are out of my mind; I just need this thing to take me to my new job reliably. Next week, school starts again, so I'm about to perform the greatest time and energy balancing act between school and work!

I may post more updates here and there, but I'm heavily inundated with my new schedule now. I'll be lurking and interacting with everyone once again! :^)

Woohoo it lives!

You'd be glad to get all the clutch stuff out of the way, good score with the mazdaspeed flywheel!

Balancing study and work is 'fun' say goodbye to long sleep ins lol, but the extra cash won't hurt!

Hell ya some progress! I'm glad your keeping it for a bit longer, my buddy's ranger has gone through 3 alternators from autozone in the past 8 months. He just keeps replacing them under the warranty, we've gotten real fast at changing it on the side of the road haha

nice i briefly looked for that flywheel while collecting parts for my build. didn't find it and just reused a stock flywheel.