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Mazda Protegé

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Comments

  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Anybody know approximate Pro production per year? TIA

    Oh, and I'm confused about some of the comments re Olympics. How can you have USA vs Canada in the Olympics? Isn't Canada the 51st state of the US? ;-)
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I'm liking the way this is going: Jokes, Jokes and more Jokes!

    Paul: As the O/D light blinks? This is not the time for those comnments :)

    Dale: As the PRO turns on an on-ramp marked 20mph at 35mph.

    ZoomZoom79: Gotta love those "FUnKY" Neons! I would prefer the Matrix over the Corolla, even though you won't catch me in a Toyota any time soon (unless I can find a 93 Celica in May).

    Gandalf17: The US did put on a great show, no question about it. I like this part: "China obviously didn't have enough drugs and masking agents for all of their athletes..."

    TEE HEE :)
    Dinu
  • zoomzoom79zoomzoom79 Member Posts: 272
    52nd state after Puerto Rico's mooching behinds. No offense intended to anyone who may be of Puerto Rican descent.

    In 2001 Mazda sold 60,000 Pro's if I am not mistaken. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am though :)
  • zoomzoom79zoomzoom79 Member Posts: 272
    but I wouldn't buy either. Why would I when the 1993 Civic is the best car ever made? :) Who needs an S-Class when you can have 125HP and 35MPG with reliability that would make the MayTag man jealous?
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    ZOOMx279: That "make sure that if you have a problem with it they give you a flat screen TV for free with a lifetime supply of DVD's and popcorn" was good!

    Now this comment "How can you have USA vs Canada in the Olympics? Isn't Canada the 51st state of the US?" wasn't good, but since it's all about jokes today, it's all good.

    Gandalf17: to the rescue :)

    Ah, I gotta leave for work soon. if I have a little time I'll check with you all later on, otherwise tomorow.

    Dinu
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    you did actually mean "FUnKY Neon's", right? Cause I swear most people who have owned one would have said it slightly different. Or at the least, spelled it differently. :) LMAO

    Yah, yah, yah, USA....USA....USA....hey, we won the war of 1812. If it wasn't for the fact that Canadians are so unquestioningly nice and gave you all of the occupied land back, all of you would be HOSERS now, eh!!!! :)
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    I suppose it doesn't really matter because obviously we have enough money to pull your talent south of the border and win the stanley cup. Aren't you a bit ashamed that we hold the Stanley Cup?
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Watch my spelling. You **KNOW** what I mean
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Perhaps a little envious, but only cause I live in Toronto and we haven't won a Stanley Cup in a while thanks to a previous owner like Chicago's Bill Wirtz.

    However, I can only be proud when the NHL still consists of roughly 53% Canadian players. Most of which are captains on each team. Since you Yanks :) have watered down the NHL league to 30 teams and only 5 of them are Canadian, the odds of a Canadian team holding the cup aren't as likely. This is much the same as the math used when a total population of 27 million Canadian's (not including polar bears and beavers) manages to win 17 medals, whilst a total USA population of over 250 million (not including firearms) manages to only win 34.....

    Oh yah, and our beer is better. Really, does anything much else matter, eh??? :)
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Personally no. The NHL is one thing and the Olympics are another. We were talking about the Olympics, Canada -vs- US as a country, and hockey. To me it doesn't matter, although I can only imagine what would happen if the Leafs won it all, especially considering how downtown was on Sunday nite after the game.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Okay, i gotta go. Thanks for the fun everyone. Here is an Canadian/ Toronto Maple Leafs joke for you....

    > > >CANADIAN TEMPERATURE CONVERSION CHART

    > > >

    > > >> >70 above

    > > >> >Texans turn on the heat and unpack the thermal underwear.

    > > >> >People in Canada go swimming in the Lakes.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >60 above

    > > >> >North Carolinians try to turn on the heat.

    > > >> >People in Canada plant gardens.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >50 above

    > > >> >Californians shiver uncontrollably.

    > > >> >People in Canada sunbathe.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >40 above

    > > >> >Italian & English cars won't start. (Either do Fords.)

    > > >> >People in Canada drive with the windows down.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >32 above

    > > >> >Distilled water freezes.

    > > >> >Lake Superior's water gets thicker.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >20 above

    > > >> >Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and woolly hats.

    > > >> >People in Canada throw on a flannel shirt.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >15 above

    > > >> >Philadelphia landlords finally turn up the heat.

    > > >> >People in Canada have the last cookout before it gets cold.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >0 degrees

    > > >> >People in Miami all die...

    > > >> >Canadians lick the flagpole.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >20 below

    > > >> >Californians fly away to Mexico.

    > > >> >People in Canada get out their winter coats.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >40 below

    > > >> >Hollywood disintegrates.

    > > >> >The Girl Scouts in Canada are selling cookies door to door.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >

    > > >> >60 below

    > > >> >Polar bears begin to evacuate the Arctic.

    > > >> >Canadian Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets

    > > cold

    > > >

    > > >> >enough.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >80 below

    > > >> >Mt. St. Helens freezes.

    > > >> >People in Canada rent some videos.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >100 below

    > > >> >Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.

    > > >> >Canadians get frustrated because they can't thaw the keg.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >297 below

    > > >> >Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products.

    > > >> >Cows in Canada complain about farmers with cold hands.

    > > >> >

    > > >> >460 below

    > > >> >ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero in the Kelvin scale)

    > > >> >People in Canada start saying, "Cold 'nuff for ya?"

    > > >> >

    > > >> >500 below

    > > >> >Hell freezes over.

    > > >> >The Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup and the USA wins at Olympic Hockey vs. Canada
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    Thanks to all who has written in with their great sense of humor and made me laugh and the end of a long day at work. I know that all of this talk has been Canada vs the USA but my hat goes off to the Aussie that won the speed skating. Never stood a chance at a medal and just sat back and ended up with the gold. I can here him talking to his mates now..."I was sitting in the pub drinking my Fosters and they asked could I skate so I said yes and next thing I know I won the gold medal". Who says good things don't come to those who wait. This guy (I think his name is Steven) almost died years ago from a skating accident and get over 100 stiches and then next time breaks his neck and get the halo brace but never gave up. For those who need to see a good Canadian/US history movie rent "Canadian Bacon" with John Candy if you can find it. Classic Canadian humor!
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    get your work done and still manage to read and reply 70+ posts since this morning. I give up.
    Bruno
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Oh Crap!
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Here is a fun site sponsored by Molson's breweries, one of Canada's large breweries.

    http://www.iam.ca


    Go in and there is a game of "How far would you go for your beer" as well as some video clips of recent commercials poking fun of, well, ahem, Americans. There is also a commercial tribute to the Team Canada hockey teams. It's a fun site. Lot's of humour. Enjoy. :)

  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    You could say the same thing about Minnesota. The ending would be different though:

    > > >> >500 below

    > > >> >Hell freezes over.

    > > >> >The Vikings win the Superbowl and get a new stadium
  • narenjinarenji Member Posts: 161
    with the whole automatic transmission reliability issue. Manuals may need new clutches, but if you know how to drive a manual well, you'll probably not damage it much. Automatics wear on their own, even if you don't abuse them, and in time they will break, and they are expensive to fix. I've had friends with broken automatics, and that's why I going to buy 5 spds as much as possible, unless the car I absolutely must have doesn't come with a manual. But I'll do my part to keep up the demand for manual cars by only buying manual. Larry good luck with your wife's car-hopefully it get fixed properly. I thought the Protege's automatics were made in Japan? I know the 626's get lovely Ford made units.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    That statement is entirely true. Then again, are you sure Minnesota isn't really part of Canada anyway??? :)
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    5spd's can have problems too. Especially with bad clutch master cylinders....see old Hyundai Accent's and Elantra's. They weren't even covered in the warranty a few years back. They seem to have fixed the problems though now...and i believe the warranty now covers them.

    All that said, typically, there are fewer mechanical issues with a manual because the technology, for the most part, is simpler from a mechanical engineering perspective. It is one of many good reasons for people to learn how to drive stick. That and a manual is also more fun, provides better handling and road feel, is safer and also keeps the driver far more alert. oh yah, and they're cheaper to buy and also maintain.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Minnesota might as well be Canada. It's really cold here and there are a lot of hockey freaks. You could say that it is THE hockey state. We have five division 1 college hockey teams, and until recently the U of M only took Minnesotans for their hockey team. Many kids learn to skate here very young, afterall there are over 10,000 outdoor skating rinks here every winter. Minnesota practically single handedly won the 1980 Olympics gold medal in Hockey.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    "Manual...is safer..."

    Explain, please.

    I'm not starting an argument, I'm genuinely pretty ignorant about manual.
  • narenjinarenji Member Posts: 161
    I like to control my car's actions as much as possible. The computers can control the engine, but I'll control gear, brake, gas, clutch, steering etc. I also like manual because they typically give better fuel economy, are cheaper to buy and maintain, and usually less expensive to fix, even if there's a rare clutch cylinder failure. After driving manuals on a daily basis (my fiancee drives the Protege more than me because I have a new WRX and an old MX6), whenever I get into a rental, I find my left foot wanting to press on the area where a clutch would be... I don't know if a manual is necessarily safer, it just gives you more control of the engine and the transmission and that usually translates into better control of the car. But for people who think driving is a chore or prefer automatics for whatever reason, they'd probably be a safer driver behind an automatic car.

    It is a good skill to learn, because manuals are much more common in most other parts of the world. People who drive automatics may not be able to drive manuals, but people who drive manuals can always drive an automatic if necessary. I enjoy driving and I wouldn't enjoy as much if all cars were automatics...
  • fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    You guys are killing me!! This is better than Comedy Central!!

    zoomzoom79: It's -- Daze of Our Lives -- after reading all these posts.

    grandalf17: Best beer, eh, is that Moose Spit? I've heard it's good.

    dinu01: Keep'um coming! You are doing a good job!
    And how did you learn to operate the camcoder so quickly, you said you needed it the next day? You rented the wrong camera, the JVC has digital stabalization, which doesn't work good. Should have gotten a Canon Elura with optical stabalization. ;) And Canon's have 5 parking lights on the side. Did you forget the mudflaps? They keep the lens clean.

    fowler3 ships a case of beans to Larry. The Tracker being half ragtop, he'll need something to keep warm in the winter. ;)

    Wonder what kind of speakers you put in the Tracker so you can hear TGI Friday radio commercials above the wind noise? (No pun intended.) ;)

    (For newbies, the beans joke went around today by e-mail to the Protegé Owners Club members.)

    folwer3
  • peregrine_11peregrine_11 Member Posts: 27
    Had to chime in and add my voice to the manual tranny advocates. I learned how to drive on a manual--an 88 Mazda 626 LX, actually, and fell in love with the whole idea of having that connection with the car. Plus, guys were always impressed by it. :)

    Narenji, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about with the "phantom clutch" phenomenon. On the rare occasions that I drive an automatic, I invariably reach my left foot for the clutch a few times, and, if the shifter isn't mounted on the steering column, my hand is ALWAYS resting on it.

    I can speak to what I consider an added safety measure with a manual transmission--the ability to control how fast your wheels are spinning when you're driving on snow. If I'm trying to drive up a hill from a stop, I know I can quickly shift up to a higher gear and allow the wheels to get a little traction. Granted, it's not a failsafe method, but it works a lot of the time.

    I can't imagine ever buying an automatic...I just love the manual too much.
  • zoomzoom79zoomzoom79 Member Posts: 272
    gandalf: Once again ... if we use your skewed logic then China should've won more medals than anybody considering they have a population of over 1 BILLION people.

    If hell has to freeze over for the US to win the gold over Canada then I bet 1960 was a pretty frigid year even by Canadian standards. And the US women defeated Canada in 1998. Considering that Ice Hockey isn't the biggest sport in the US and it IS the national past time in Canada I wouldn't consider the US performance too shabby. The US has been much more of a presence in baseball which is our national past time. Funny I didn't see Canada on the Gold medal list for baseball so I guess you could say that the US is always better at our own game and sometimes better at Canada's own game than they are.

    To keep this on topic ... how many Olympians do you think drive Proteges?
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    They all drive Civics Cindy...except the gold medalists.
  • browntrout1browntrout1 Member Posts: 72
    I'm sometimes a proud Canadian but I love it when we Canadian's stick to you winey Americans...sorry guys. I've gone to Europe and people thought I was American (you figure that saying "Eh" after each sentance would surely expose me as a Canadian). Anyways, I was treated like crap until they found out I was Canadian *lol*. Anyways, just having a little fun here. No harm intended.

    To the Hockey thing...please do remember that Canada has about the same population as California. And like people said, the funding for athletes sucks here and we pay 15% sales tax and 40% income tax. Just be happy that we invented the sport of hockey and thank us for that.

    Oh yeah, Protege's rock. I've known more than one person with Civic problems buy the way. My Cousin's 90 Civic with only 100 000 KM had the Tranny go. She also changed a drive axle (another civic weak point), fuel pump, and some other stuff. And here in Canada, they rust right out. I think someone mentioned that before. Sure the engine might last forever but it's no good to you when if falls through the engine bay and starts rolling down the highway behind you.
  • zoomzoom79zoomzoom79 Member Posts: 272
    anybody with a 100,000 mile Protege. But then again they haven't sold that many of them anyways. Civics on the other hand ... who doesn't have a Civic? And if they don't have one they want one. So you know somebody with a 90 Civic that needed a tranny replaced ... we now know somebody with a 2000 Protege that needs a new tranny. They sell over 300,000 Civics a year vs. 60,000 Proteges. If a Civic broke down for every Protege that was sold there would still be close to 300,000 Civics than ran perfectly. Don't be so biased that you can't accept that there are chinks in the Protege's "armor".

    Like I said ... one gold medal in hockey in 50 years and we'll never hear the end of it. Justifying why the Canadians lack of funding and people caused them not to win as many medals is just like saying with more money a Rio would be as good as the Protege. Excuses. Excuses. You all are starting to sound like the Russians.
  • speedyptspeedypt Member Posts: 200
    I hope you stay with the Protege. I'm on my third and the worst problem I've had with any of them was my '92 LX manual's brakes. Fixed under warranty the first try and never happened again. My first NEW car was a '91 Mercury Topaz POS!!! More problems with that one car than ALL the other cars I've owned put together. Worst was the trans on that Merc that blew the "sun gear" at 19,000 miles and lunched the entire tranny. Two weeks and 4 sheets of parts later I had a rebuilt tranny in my 19000 mile car. The only part of the tranny that wasn't replaced was the housing! That and multitudes of other problems had me trade it in for my 1st Pro, a '92 LX manual with all (6) of the options. My wife also bought a '92LX automatic Pro, put 150,000 miles on those two combined with out any major problems. My 2000 ES with the Automatic tranny is running perfectly so far (25k miles). Squeaky drivers seat, squeak in the passenger door (fixed free by dealer) and one power lock actuator in the driver's door is the only mechanical probs I've had.

    I TRULY believe that your tranny problems is a "one-off" and won't be repeated.

    We all respect your opinion. I do think you might be going a bit over the top though. C'Mon...a Tracker????? Plus...beating Meade PRETTY???? You'd need more than a strut bar! I saw his pic....

    Regards and Peace,

    Pete
  • speedyptspeedypt Member Posts: 200
    Coming together nicely over at the Protege Club (Upper Midwest Forum). 1st or 3rd weekend in May at Busse Woods. All are welcome!

    Regards,

    Pete
  • sunbyrnesunbyrne Member Posts: 210
    Wow, today was a good day here... I have to ring in with my favorite joke involving Canada:

    Q: What's a Canadian?

    A: An unarmed American with health care.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    That's enough. We all know it's what's inside that counts. And BTW, have you seen LARRY's pic?

    If only my body worked as perfectly as my Protege! (I'll be watching for snide remarks to that comment -- so don't even try. If you do, I'll respond back so abruptly that Pat will shut us down for good.)

    Meade

    (One attempt at saving face: I've been on a low-carb diet since January 5 and have trimmed off 16 of those pounds you saw in my pic.)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I don't have web access at home, and I couldn't believe I had to wade through FORTY-EIGHT posts this morning (7 a.m.) just to catch up from where I left off yesterday at 3:30 p.m., LOL!!!


    I just replaced the 195/55/15 tires on my 2000 ES with 205/50/15 Dunlop SP Sport A2s from TireRack (www.tirerack.com) about three weeks ago. Excellent tires. They're H-rated -- but actually rate better (much better) than the stock Bridgestones in traction, both wet and dry; snow handling; hydroplaning resistance; treadwear ... well, just about everything. Plus they cost less ... $87 apiece. I completely love these tires! Go to tirerack.com and check them out -- be sure to read the 70-some-odd reviews by people who have purchased them. (I'm one of 'em.) Then read TireRack's test of the tire and check out the specs ... I think you'll be impressed. After telling a guy with a Nissan 200SX on another topic about them, he's about to buy a set too. These things actually rate better than the Michelin Pilots that cost about $35 more each.


    Oh -- and if you're worried about a different tire size, don't -- this is called "plus zero sizing" where nothing really changes all that much. You can check it yourself using this calculator:


    http://www.paspeedo.com/calculator.htm


    Good luck with whatever you decide!


    Meade

  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Woo-hoo!!!

    (And Pat was so scared the Yahoo! group would somehow affect our love for talking about our cars here!!! -- Sorry Pat. Have a sense of humor!)

    Meade
  • pjd58pjd58 Member Posts: 366
    I've owned two Pros 91DX 5 speed 105,000 miles and 96DX 5 speed 101,000 miles, both flawless.

    After 25 years of driving a stick, I never owned a slush box, I gave in getting an automatic in my 01 LX 2.0. My left knee is starting to get arthritis, and I'm only 43. My 10 year old son will be driving in 5 years and will learn to drive on my 6 year old auto Pro. I miss driving a 5 speed.

    Currently, only 20 percent of drivers know how to drive a standard transmission, very sad. Many, many years ago everyone drove a standard tranny. Drivers seemed to be better and paid more attention to the road, less distractions..no cell phones, fast food etc. It's harder to put on your makeup or shave in the car, while your driving a stick.

    Pjd58
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Some news of a possible Mazda top-level replacement this morning ...


    http://www.auto.com/industry/iwird27_20020227.htm


    Meade

  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I'll be 37 Friday (no hints here!) and my 2000 Protege ES, like the 1992 LX that preceded it, is a 5-speed. I was determined I'd make the change to an automatic with this car, but after driving the automatic ES I had to try the 5-speed to be fair. NO COMPARISON. The automatic accelerates like a Corolla by comparison. (No offense, my fellow Protege automatic owners. But if you haven't driven the stick, you're really missing some fun.) I thought I'd be tired of the stick by now -- but I really enjoy it. And I work downtown!

    Meade
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I'll never have an automatic in a 4cyl. car. You just loose too much with it. If I had a big V6 or especially any V8, then I wouldn't mind one.
  • rbrooks3rbrooks3 Member Posts: 174
    The other day I asked for info on front speaker installation. You wrote back in message #8454 that "Msg 263 in Accessories and Modifications" would have info. I checked 263 but it was about buying an overstock ES. Am I loking this up wrong? I could not find a way to search for your past posts on Edmunds either.

    The Astolfo site has great pictures but I wanted to read your text description of just how to get the door skin off. Astolfo's site does not address this. It goes from unscrewing supports to just having the door skin off. There must be either push in or lock down clips on the back of the door skin and these are what I really wanted to avoid damaging.

    How can I locate your old post?

    Ron B.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    I think you ended up in the wrong forum. You need to go to:

    Town Hall: Owners Clubs: Mazda Owners Clubs: Mazda Protege Owners: Accessories & Modifications

    Post #263 in that forum is relevant.
  • rbrooks3rbrooks3 Member Posts: 174
    Thank you.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    The Major Babe in the next office over has a '95 LX with 109,000 miles. With the original automatic, yet.
  • fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    what does the inside of your cars look like? How much wear? Most cars I see with that much mileage look pretty crappy inside, although, I have seen crappy looking cars with half that mileage.

    I learned to drive in a 1937 Chevy in a cow pasture - stick shift. With all that space to roam around I found roads to be confining. LOL

    I didn't buy an AT car until 1954 and again in 1957, then went back to manual trannys with VW Beetles '60, '68; Audis '73, '76, '77; BMW '75; GLC '81; Accord '86; Civic '94. The rest have been AT cars and none driven more than 50K miles.

    fowler3
  • pjd58pjd58 Member Posts: 366
    My 91 5 speed was a quick car, even faster than my 96 Pro and alot more fun to drive. The first generation Proteges seemed alot faster than the second. I still see alot of first generation Proteges around my neck of the woods(Ohio), they have seemed to hold up very well. My 01 LX 2.0 auto, although not good on low end torque, handles far superior than my 2 prevous Proteges. IMO, the 3rd generation Protege is alot better looking than the 1st and 2nd. Always thought the 1st generation was a little too boxy, some people thought it looked like a MB 190. The 2nd generation was nice, but looked like every other Japanese econobox in the mid 90's.

    Thanks for the info on Mazda's shake-up. Mazda seems to be changing their image....to a younger driving audience.
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    1.) Thank you, for your kind post.

    2.) If my 2000 PRO-ES's are trouble free over the next 8 months or so. I will hold on to them. Why? Because, I always have and always will; love those cars. The most fun cars, I have ever owned.

    3.) The Chevy Tracker deal was a "just kidding" over at the Wahoo club. My salesman was not Dirk Digler, either!

    -Larry
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Well, only at 24k on my Pro, but at 100k on my 323, the vinyl on the driver's seat had a little tear near the shoulder, the rubber covers on the pedals were kind of glossy, and little bubbles appeared under the dashboard skin. The cloth looks a little dingier but still OK.

    Oh yeah, the headliner was a bit worn from my hair rubbing against it (sunroof just takes away too much room). :)
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    What's the reliability history of the turbo engine they're talking about bringing in on the MPS Pro and P5? Sounds like a sweet engine, but I'm always wary about wear and maintenance on turbo engines.

    I'd almost prefer the naturally aspirated new I4 engine that's going in the 6. I'd heard another rumor the 2.3L version would be an option on the P5 this summer.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    The third-generation is much better looking than the first two, and, if I may be so bold, I really like the 1999-2000 front ends better than the 2001 and 2002s. The newer front end looks too boxy to me (below the bumper) and I don't care for the ridge running up the center of the hood. I like the smooth curve in the middle of my hood. Oh well, personal tastes.

    My 1992 LX had those cool taillights that wrapped over the license plate lights. I really liked those. I also liked the covered storage compartment with the spring-loaded door.

    We have a 1990 Protege down the street from us that still looks pretty good. It's an LX with the first-gen kinda flat-looking alloy wheels. It's slate blue. We have a lot of first-gens running around Richmond too. Not bad for a 10-year-old car!

    By the way, the condition of a car as it ages has everything to do with the way the driver takes care of it. If the car has been handed down to a teenager, you can bet it looks like hell at 100,000 miles. My '92 Protege at 83,000 miles looked almost brand new inside when I traded it, just like the interior of my 2000 ES with 33,000 miles looks like the day I bought it.

    Another BTW -- it hit 70 here yesterday and I went home and washed my Protege! Now -- would you believe it -- it's 42 outside and will be hitting the upper teens tonight.

    Welcome to Richmond -- pneumonia capital of the South.

    Meade
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    You're definitely right when you say that who drives the car has a lot to do with the condition it's in. My friend will have the interior of his car looking like new for years and years. Others have papers, food wrappers, and all kinds of stuff all over the car.
    Weather will definitely get ya. Harmony was 62 on Monday, today we have snow and a high of 24.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I drove home yesterday (near Washington, DC metro area) with my sunroof and windows open, enjoying a new CD. Came out this morning, and had to put the heat and seat heaters on high to keep warm. Crazy weather!
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