My wife and I loved the Protege5 so much, we drove over 250 miles one way just to buy one. If that wasn't shocking enough to me, she said she wanted me to do some mods to get more power out of it. I know a turbo, supercharger, or cat back is the best, but that is too much. I wanted to know what people have done for under $100 to get more power. What is the best low price performance item? Are there any ideas that can get me better economy(or not drop any) and get me better HP?
Cheap engine upgrades
- Thread starter mitaccio
- Start date
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- 02 1500 4x4, mp3
sri or cai from ebay for like $60. maybe less
you can swap out your stock air filter for a higher flowing one. That is like $40 or less. Plug wires are like $50-$75, dont think it will give you horsepower but should help on throttle response. You could probably get away wwith 1-2 stages hotter spark plugs since your not boosted, those are like $10-$20. Thats all I can think of for under a hundred bucks
I just ordered a Ractive SRI from KYMP5 online store $55 shipped to NY
99-02 Mazda Protege
SuperFlow Air Intake (chrome finish)
Check them out here . . . http://www.carxpressions.com/
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99-02 Mazda Protege
SuperFlow Air Intake (chrome finish)
- [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The SuperFlow Air Intake System comes complete with quality aluminum pipe, filter, hoses, stainless steel clamps and bracket.[/font]
Check them out here . . . http://www.carxpressions.com/
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rednecks_r_us
Member
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- 2003 Laser Blue Protege5
Ebay intake will be $100 or less. Another option is a ground wire kit. They are now selling those on ebay as well for under $100.
I got some extra horses by swaping out my ECU with one from a MP3 that went turbo. That was a freebee. Find somebody that has a MP3 that wants to go turbo and then swap ECU's The MP3 is rated at 140 HP and the Protege5 is rated at 130 HP. There are other factors involved to make that 10 HP difference but you can feel the difference. And for me it was FREE.
I got some extra horses by swaping out my ECU with one from a MP3 that went turbo. That was a freebee. Find somebody that has a MP3 that wants to go turbo and then swap ECU's The MP3 is rated at 140 HP and the Protege5 is rated at 130 HP. There are other factors involved to make that 10 HP difference but you can feel the difference. And for me it was FREE.
usually u just trade your ecu for the mp3 ecu. Especially if they want to be boosted since retarded timing on the p5 ecu is better with a turbo. Another option would be to have a catback made but keep the stock muffler. That and an SRI or drop in could net u some more power and definately more throttle response, total it would be in the $100-$150 range.
WRCprotege
Member
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- 03 Protege5 91 miata
ground wire kit, go to local hard wear store and buy heavy gauge wire and some good connectors, i did it for under $20 and i still have alot left..k&n filter, plugs.. all syn oil on the car- mobil 1 5w-30, works great.. redline mt-90 for the tranny..mabey find a used axle back MSP muffler, low nosie and more hp...heat wrap headers, stock or not!!! makes a big differance in the temp under the hood, the car will see cooler intake temps and it wont retard the time as much because its not as hot ,more power is the idea, it seemed to help on my car, runs more like it dos when its cool, snappy
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- ‘19 CX-5 GTR Tu
Uh..if you really want peformance..Get a SRI/CAI they should give you some throttle response. $100 don't really get much power. But if you invest into Intake/Exhuast/header there is defintely some gains to be had.
Don't bother with spark plug wires..they do not enhance performance at all! But do invest into some Bosch Plat 4 plugs. When i was n/a they gave some very noticeable throttle response!
Chas
Don't bother with spark plug wires..they do not enhance performance at all! But do invest into some Bosch Plat 4 plugs. When i was n/a they gave some very noticeable throttle response!
Chas
I installed a CAI and I have noticed significantly more power. Exhaust is next...
Is that backed up by any evidence, or just your butt dyno that's possibly skewed by expectation bias....
Nouse4aname
Member
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- 2003 Mazda Protege5/2007 Legacy GT Spec B
Maybe if you were replacing a filter that was completely clogged. 
katapaltes
'03 P5, '17 Miata, stock AF
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- Dallas, TX
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- 2003 Protege5
Electric supercharger should be under $100 bucks - maybe even twin electric superchargers as shown here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbGWgvJN1_8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbGWgvJN1_8
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ZealoustheEnder
Contributor
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- 2003 MSP
My 3 best upgrades to my 2001 protege as well as my sister's P5 were ZMax additive k&n air fillter and the tornado.
I documented fuel savings and hp with each upgrade.
I documented fuel savings and hp with each upgrade.
My 3 best upgrades to my 2001 protege as well as my sister's P5 were ZMax additive k&n air fillter and the tornado.
I documented fuel savings and hp with each upgrade.
Links or photos of said documents?
I can't tell if half of these comments are trolling...
In any case, I will be serious.
I got a CAI for free, so no bias of spending money there.
Noticeable benefits: nice growl during acceleration. Anything else is just a placebo, or some minute that you cannot feel it.
In any case, I will be serious.
I got a CAI for free, so no bias of spending money there.
Noticeable benefits: nice growl during acceleration. Anything else is just a placebo, or some minute that you cannot feel it.