What have you done to your MSP today?

[hornsfan10609]

I had one break on me. There's a good 1/4" sticking out of the head, but I have left it that way for a month or so. It happened while the car was sitting one night. I backed the car out of the drive way and I saw something, so I got out to see what it was.. It was 1/2 the stud and nut. Popped the hood and sure enough.

Pretty much the same story here, I pulled the heatshield and there were two nuts and a snapped off piece of stud just sitting in there. ARP says it's because of the heat from the turbo but everyone I tell says the same thing "I've never seen ARP hardware break". Neither did I until it did.

 

[mgerst1]

Looked at trading it in. I cannot afford to keep fixing it. I have poured over 1200 in the past month alone just trying to keep it running. The past three weeks have brough out three new problems. I have been through two starters in the past year, countless rotor replacements, a ruptured hydaulic line that left me stranded on the road, new brake pads within a year, and now a check engine light for a bad air intake manifold valve that will keep me from passing emissions. I have 117,000 on the original engine, original turbo, original transmission, original lsd. I am wondering if I am playing against the clock and am almost out of time. What else could go wrong with this many miles?

I wish I could sell it but I dont have the time and I need another car as soon as I get rid of this one. My wife and I are living apart during the week until our house is finished in the county we are moving to and I have no other way to get to work. So, unless you are looking for a project car for $3500 and live in maryland and can buy on a weekend I have to trade it in.

 

[sbs123ish]

I just got a mazdaspeed protege where do you hook up those guages??

 

[hornsfan10609]

Looked at trading it in. I cannot afford to keep fixing it. I have poured over 1200 in the past month alone just trying to keep it running. The past three weeks have brough out three new problems. I have been through two starters in the past year, countless rotor replacements, a ruptured hydaulic line that left me stranded on the road, new brake pads within a year, and now a check engine light for a bad air intake manifold valve that will keep me from passing emissions. I have 117,000 on the original engine, original turbo, original transmission, original lsd. I am wondering if I am playing against the clock and am almost out of time. What else could go wrong with this many miles?















I wish I could sell it but I dont have the time and I need another car as soon as I get rid of this one. My wife and I are living apart during the week until our house is finished in the county we are moving to and I have no other way to get to work. So, unless you are looking for a project car for $3500 and live in maryland and can buy on a weekend I have to trade it in.

You are selling it over a VICS/VTCS solenoid and a brake job? Really? I wouldn't call those problems

 

[mgerst1]

its not just that its knowing what is in the future as far as repairs go. I know the turbo will not last forever, I know the struts and shocks will need to be replaced, I know the head gasket will have to be replaced, the transmission is strong but for how long? I have 117,000 miles on alot of stock parts. I just started a new job and cant have a car that may break down (already did last week) because my wife is not living here yet and wont be for three more months. We bought a house and I wont be able to afford big ticket repairs as they come up.

I know these cars are finicky, I have had mine for six years and I still love it. It is just I am in a different stage in my life and dont have the time or money needed to properly care for a car like this anymore. forgot to mention I was laid off in march and am getting my first paycheck since then this week so the repairs killed our savings.

 

[323]

What mgerst is trying to say is, he has an MSP for sale, gently used, minor issues, don't have time to take care of his baby anymore because of a new house and job. 4000k obo

Seriously though. Should be a good project car for someone. At least be isn't parting it out

 

[mgerst1]

What mgerst is trying to say is, he has an MSP for sale, gently used, minor issues, don't have time to take care of his baby anymore because of a new house and job. 4000k obo

Seriously though. Should be a good project car for someone. At least be isn't parting it out

Exactly. But time is running out as I have to keep driving back and forth 100 miles every weekend

 

[323]

I had to drive the MSP 70 miles a day on my commute for a few months. Said nope, had to buy a daily lol. Before that I did the 100 miles a weekend for 2.5 years so I feel ur pain.

 

[Gabi]

The msp is my DD. So far so good. I'm at 179000 miles, stock tranny. I do have an mfactory lsd pending install and are running a steedspeed exhaust manifold. 3" turbo back is next along with a newer GT28R, megasquirt and suspensin work pending. I also have a spare engine I'm planning to forge. Hoping to get another 100,000 miles out of it. I'm in love with the msp ;-)

 

[Preferio]

I retired the MSP as a daily almost 2 years ago now. I've finally gotten all the issues taken care of and I completely trust it to take a few hundred miles away, albeit without A/C. One of my radiator fans has stopped working, so I need to get another ordered, but other than that, it's doing well now. Oh, it also needs new tires. Badly.

 

[323]

i want to dd mine again. only a few more issues!

 

[hornsfan10609]

My MSP has been DD since I bought it in July 2010 (Yikes has is been 4 years already!?!) and I would consider it reliable compared to any other decade old car I could afford at the time (even with 156k it has now). I have no desire to ever sell this car

 

[hornsfan10609]

its not just that its knowing what is in the future as far as repairs go. I know the turbo will not last forever, I know the struts and shocks will need to be replaced, I know the head gasket will have to be replaced, the transmission is strong but for how long? I have 117,000 miles on alot of stock parts. I just started a new job and cant have a car that may break down (already did last week) because my wife is not living here yet and wont be for three more months. We bought a house and I wont be able to afford big ticket repairs as they come up.

I know these cars are finicky, I have had mine for six years and I still love it. It is just I am in a different stage in my life and dont have the time or money needed to properly care for a car like this anymore. forgot to mention I was laid off in march and am getting my first paycheck since then this week so the repairs killed our savings.

Well if you have a few months to put off the brake job I will send you a solenoid to replace yours if you let me know which one you need. I vote don't sell it unless you are certain it won't go to a high school punk that will wreck it or blow it up and part it out. Hell park it in the garage and see what they go for in 5 years now that the value has bottomed out.

 

[Valk]

Heh. If I was laid off the first thing I'd buy is a buspass. Not.car repairs lol.

Maybe I've just been super lucky or I don't beat on this car like you giys do but mine has been 100% reliable and it never ever goes to a mechanic heh.
I put gas and oil in it, ungrade what needs fixing and dd 20km/yr on it.
I've owned sincr 2008, aquired with 83km and she has 137 now.

Yes she is getting a lot of money put into her now, but she went 6 years with almost no maintenance heh. Pretty good for a car people s*** on left and right.

Hopefully you can keep your msp and just work on it whenever. If not, that's too bad =[ if they only worth like $2000 or something silly, I wouldn't ever sell it. I know I could only get like $6500 cdn if I was lucky and I paid WAY MORE for it.

Guy I work with said he didn't lose money when he sold his jetta. I say he a fking liar cause he was always talking about service cost.

 

[BOOSTR]

Got the new tires mounted, balanced and an alignment.

Question, what brand part besides OEM have you guys used when replacing the t-belt, tensioner and water pump. I'm not really looking to go dealer parts except for the water pump considering how mine is still hanging in there since the 9/2 production date.

Online Mazda parts are about $350 for all parts and gaskets.

 

[hornsfan10609]

Gates sells a kit that includes everything you need including the tensioner spring, it may even have cam seals as well. The water pumps will all be basically the same, I just ordered one that had a 'high flow' description on rock auto. OMP is supposedly no longer in business...

 

[Valk]

I used beck arnley for wifes es. No problems thus far. Think the timing belt/ water pump/ valve cover gasket was $170 cdn?

 

[duffbuster243]

My Blazing Yellow MSP #249 has come out of the garage and back into daily driver status after being parked for a year. Full overhaul has been done. 4 brand new factory style motor mounts installed (Because I'm old and want a nice comfortable drive without rattling my teeth out when idling at a light). Brand new Front and Rear sway bar end links, and bushings installed. Also made my own CR3 rear sway bad brackets with some mild steel and a welder. And last but not least installed A SSafc. The car runs and drives equal if not better than it did brand new off the lot.

 

[Gabi]

My Blazing Yellow MSP #249 has come out of the garage and back into daily driver status after being parked for a year. Full overhaul has been done. 4 brand new factory style motor mounts installed (Because I'm old and want a nice comfortable drive without rattling my teeth out when idling at a light). Brand new Front and Rear sway bar end links, and bushings installed. Also made my own CR3 rear sway bad brackets with some mild steel and a welder. And last but not least installed A SSafc. The car runs and drives equal if not better than it did brand new off the lot.

nice

 

[hornsfan10609]

Head is at the machine shop getting the ARP stud removed and a valve job with new valve seals, also getting the stock Callaway manifold welded where it cracked in one spot. Can't wait to drive it again without the exhaust leak it's going to run great!