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Mazda Protegé

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  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Ok...that's odd. Alberta plates have a white background and red lettering. There is a picture of an Alberta Wildrose on it too that is red.

    BC plates have white backgrounds and blue lettering. Front plates are mandatory in BC.

    In Alberta, plates are not required for the front of the car. Do you recall seeing front plates?

    I'm trying to think of any Province that has black lettering and the only one that I can think of is the NWT and/or Yukon.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Is the lettering dark blue? It was kinda bright yesterday, so it could have been dark blue and I couldn't tell the difference. Also, the car did not have a front plate. It turned, and I looked back in the mirror to see if it was a "restyled" 2001 or not, so I saw the front end.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    It's a blue kinda like the MP3 and WRX are. Also, license plates here are not City specific...they are just province specific. So if you saw a plate that said "Calgary" on it, could have been on the license plate holder.

    At any rate, it's cool that you saw a car all the way from my City! :D
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Actually, I think it was Alberta, not Calgary. I saw it in passing, so sorry for the confusion. :)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    No problem...btw, I have to correct myself a bit. While there is blue on the Alberta plates, the letters/numbers themselves are in a bright red colour.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    whenever you might be reading again? I feel bad for ya, but driving 30 took you right past my old college, St. Vincent in Latrobe.

    Hope your trip is going well........
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Chikoo wants you to check this out: http://www.wingswest.com/product_images/558/wallpaper.jpg.

    Besides being too large, as most of you know, we prefer you to use the img src tags only for pictures which you own.

    Thanks!

    Pat
    Sedans Host
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    How do they do the clear turn signal lenses on the 2001-2002 Protege Sedan, as in the picture Chikoo posted via pat_HOST?

    Also, I am almost convinced that I should try out the Kumho ECSTA Supra 712 tires on my 2001 ES. The one thing that still concerns me is the Kumho is only an H rated tire, whereas the stock Dunlops are V rated. Now, I never plan to go over 130mph (or 100mph for that matter), but isn't the speed rating also an indication of how well a tire corners? I would appreciate your opinions.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I've heard of people removing the lens housing, putting it into an oven for like 10 mins (at something like 125 F) and then popping the orange reflector out.

    DO AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

    Some people have done it ok, while others have screwed up royally.
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    made a few more sound clips of the exhaust in real driving situations. All the sounds are recorded from inside the cabin.

    here's a clip of starting the engine:

    http://myprotegegarage.homestead.com/files/Recording1.wav

    here's a clip of normal takeoff from a stop light, note the 'drone' toward the end of the recording:

    http://myprotegegarage.homestead.com/files/Recording3.wav

    and lastly, a launch from stop light, pedal to the metal!

    http://myprotegegarage.homestead.com/files/Recording4.wav
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    I'm disappointed to hear that MazdaSpeed parts will only get a warranty if on MazdaSpeed cars. Why, then, would I have the dealer install any MS parts on my Pro ES? Further, if the prices of the parts aren't competitive (as one might expect since they are from a dealer, and it is typical for any dealer bought parts to be significantly more expensive than true aftermarket), then where is the incentive to buy MS parts for my non MS Pro, as opposed to some of the excellent Mazda tuners already out there - who, by the way, have been tuning for years.

    Anybody see the handling comparo Road and Track did a few months ago titled "Great Grip!." They included the MP3 along with cars like the Ferrari 360 Modena, Lotus Elise, Vette Z06, BMW M3 Coupe. In it, Bryan Herta, a pro driver (drives one of the factory Panoz LMPs) rated subjectively the handling of the MP3 above that of the BMW M3. High praise given the fact that it cost less than half as much! He complained about a lack of power holding the car back from better track times, though (as did others in the article). No surprise there. You can search the RandT site for the title to read more.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    I would have appreciated if you could have left that wallpaper there for JUST this one day only.

    So that all the readers could have gotten to see the cooooool car in full flow with other messages.


    But again, I appreciate the rules of Townhall.


    Thanks,

    Chikoo

     http://www.wingswest.com/product_images/558/wallpaper.jpg

  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Nobody has anything to say about the conflicting dyno report from Turbo magazine?
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Sounds off to me. I saw a thread somewhere about a guy dynoing his P5...something like 102 whp.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I saw that too. Did Mazda give Turbo a "ringer"? If so, what did they do to it to net 20 whp and retain a completely stock looking and driving car?
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Which report is that?
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Read my initial post regarding this.
  • protegenicprotegenic Member Posts: 199
    Half the price? Probably more like 1/4 to a 1/3 by the time you get the options on the M3. For any BMW lurkers, I am not saying the Protege is an M3, it is just interesting that it handles comparatively well for a whole lot less.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    seem high to me too. I'm not sure what is up with that. Maybe we should all have our cars dyno'd and compare results. ;-)
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    People already have had their cars dynoed. All of the 2.0Ls are around 100 whp. I don't know why Mazda thinks nobody with a Protege is going to put their car on a dyno. I think Mazda has been busted.....AGAIN. Assuming a 15% driveline loss, Turbo's P5 is making 142 crank hp.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    How much does a dyno test cost anyway? I have always wanted to know.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    just wonder.

    Bruno
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Yes, I've seen some of the dyno results to which you refer. It does seem suspicious. I'm not ready to crucify Mazda yet - maybe Turbo mag got some numbers switched around or some other similar mistake somewhere down the line.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Yes, you can.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    >>>Half the price? Probably more like 1/4 to a 1/3 by the time you get the options on the M3. For any BMW lurkers, I am not saying the Protege is an M3, it is just interesting that it handles comparatively well for a whole lot less. <<<

    yeah but does the MP3 ride as well as the bimmer?

    Also,does the shock absorbers do the job of soaking the road bumps or not?
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Put 1800 miles on the odo since Wednesday morning. The car performed just fine, including the CD player which, as we all know, is the most important part.

    Larry: yeah, I had a feeling I was pretty close to where you lived...really sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up.

    Paul: nope, sorry...didn't make it over near Baltimore.

    Somebody is going to ask me about mileage, and I have no clue. Not the best conditions for comparison, anyway...lots of hills, OD on and off, AC running most of the time, etc.

    But definitely fun. I've never been a fan of long car trips, but this may have changed my mind :)

    --Dale
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I don't think Turbo could screw up that bad. The difference is more than can be explained by manufacturing tolerances or different dynos. 20 WHP is HUGE. If I have my car dynoed, I EXPECT to get similiar results as ALL other Protege 2.0Ls. If turbo mag gets 20 more whp than my car, I assume either: Mazda gave Turbo mag an extra powerful test car for the purpose of positive PR (which is absolute B.S.), OR my car has something wrong with it. Either way, I'm pissed.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Well, the size was a big problem -- you might be running at a high enough resolution that you didn't notice, but with 1024x768 or lower, the page was way off the screen.

    Sorry....
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    glad to hear it was smooth sailing through the whole trip!
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Which one rides better over bumps? I don't know, but it is easy to guess. Still, one I can afford and the other I can't even come close. I'd be happy to test them both, though.

    BTW (protegenic), 1/4 to 1/3 is "less than half as much." ;-)
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Innocent until proven guilty?

    Typos are made, numbers are switched accidently, people get crossed up on hp at the wheel vs hp at the crank, correction factors for altitude get messed up, etc

    I'm not exonerating Mazda, I'm just not ready to crucify them either.

    If they test it again, and the results come up about the same, then I'll join you in the lynching. ;-)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Think Mazda would try to give out false hp numbers especially in light of the fairly recent Miata screw up.

    Maybe the guy's with the dyno messed up somewhere in their testing?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Glad to see you are back and you had a safe trip.

    So did your friend share the driving with you, or did you end up driving almost the whole way like I did when my friend and I came to Chicago? :)

    I drive alot more than he does anyway, and like it alot more than my friend does. So that explains why I drove more before getting tired than he did.
  • protegenicprotegenic Member Posts: 199
    Sorry. I guess I'm too used to critizing my wife's methods of rounding to make a deal sound more favorable! I agree with you though. One I can afford and the other I can only drool in my dreams about!

    Dale, I took that same stretch of Hwy 30 a couple of years ago in my Protege and it is a lot of fun. Probably even more so in a stick. Never spent as much time in 3rd gear over that long a stretch of road in my life, but boy was it fun!
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    The jury is still out on the Mazdaspeed warranty. Wait until they have it all put together before too many assumptions have been made.

    BTW, in general, more engineering goes into a Mazdaspeed part than the typical aftermarket item. Also, the Mazdaspeed group has access to all the original engineering data.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Glad to hear the jury is still out on that one.

    I realize Mazda has access to more data on the car, and that Mazda will spend good time engineering their upgrades, but companies like Corksport aren't exactly new to the game of tuning Proteges. Which one I'd choose, in lieu of my Mazda warranty, would depend upon how closely they're priced. We shall see. I'll give Mazda a fair shot for my business, I promise.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Corksport sells a ton of Mazdaspeed...
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    In the performance part business, if the hook is that you can install it on your car without voiding the factory warranty, that to me is big. If it's that the engineering is demonstrably better than the competition (better performance, better reliability, etc.), that to me is big. If a manufacturer is willing to truly stand behind their product when it does not work properly, that to me is big. I will personally determine how much extra I'm willing to pay for such things and go from there.

    After that, the parts can have blue ovals on them for all I care. I'm interested in reliable performance, not cool stickers for my car. But hey, that's just me. ;-)
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    The warranty clause is right in the mazdaspeed franchise agreement that we signed this week.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Call it CYA for things to come. There is still question as to whether certain parts will or won't affect factory warranty.

    Things like putting a turbo on a car without a beefed up clutch, etc...
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Hank: Thanks for the welcome back. Yeah, everything went just fine. Many, many bugs gave their lives so that my car could go those 1800 miles. :)

    Marty: I'm sure that stretch of 30 would be very different with a stick. Still pretty cool with the AT, however.

    Paul: Well, my friend and I shared most of the driving. She let me do the first four hours yesterday morning, since it was raining and we were on the PA Turnpike, and she's especially scared of that for some reason. In deference to her scarediness and the weather, I tried to keep my speed down to about 70 or so.

    Definitely not rush-hour-in-Chicago driving.

    :)

    --Dale
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    Here's a one minute long sound clip of my engine w/ the Injen CAI installed. In real life it doesn't sound as raspy but you get the idea:


    http://www.knology.net/~negatize/images/injen.wav

  • tomcivilettitomciviletti Member Posts: 207
    I don't think the speed rating is significant unless you do much driving on the autobahn or Montana interstates.

    But I do think you will find weak points in the kumhos vs dunlop5000s [based on tirerack.com data:

    Kumhos will be noisier and have less starting traction, longer braking distances, and less cornering grip on dry and wet surfaces. They will also wear faster unless you are a very hard driver.
  • tomcivilettitomciviletti Member Posts: 207
    Where did you mike?
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    Where did I put the mike?

    Close to the battery terminal underneath the hood. I used an extension to have enough wire to run into the cabin.
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    so you wired a mike into the engine bay and just drove around? NICE!!!!
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    Basically...yep!
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Thanks for the opinion on the speed rating.

    Where are these supposed weak points you speak of documented? According to the TireRack.com survey data, the Kumhos rank higher in most categories. The Kumhos have the edge in Hydro Resistance, Cornering Stability, Noise Comfort, Treadwear, and the all-important Would Buy Again? category. The Dunlops beat out the Kumhos in Wet Traction and Steering response, both by 1/10 of a point. They tied in Dry Traction and Ride Comfort. Most importantly, the Kumhos are $29 less per tire in my size.

    The Dunlops haven't exactly worn well as far as I am concerned. At 15,000 miles, I have 3/32" of tread depth left. I am going to rotate them in August when I change the oil, and then I will probably get replacements the end of September before I take a long trip. I may drive a little hard, but not so hard that the tires should wear like that. The wear is even, so it does not appear to be a symptom of any other problems.

    References:
    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=ECSTA+Supra+712#Survey

    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=SP+Sport+5000+M#Survey
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