I'm here by Vocus's recommendation. I have a 2000 pro ES, with several mods. This week my TenzoR rims, Viper alarm, and FS-ZE engine are going in the car. Also, I live in the DC area. So, hello everyone.
Wassup fellow pro-owners! My name is Mike and I am new to the group. I live in the DC Area and heard there were some "locals" that meet in the area. Interested in more info if somoeone out there has it!
I just found out about this group through one of my friends (Jeremy T). My brother Mike and I decided to join. We are both using the user ID "Seminoleman92". Im looking forward to meeting all of you either thru this page or in person.
Well a little about myself. I'm 24yrs old. A UPS delivery driver. I live in Northern VA (Alexandria)I have a 2000 ES. Some of the mods are as follows. J-spec FS-ZE swap, J-spec Sport 20 sideskirts, fenders, headlights, sidemarker lights, front bumper, grill, J-spec badges, Sport 20 strut tower bar, Thermal cat-back exhaust (custom), B+G springs, Racing Hart C5's 17in, Tint, Aluminum dash kit, MOMO shifter and boot, HKS intake, and I think thats it.:)
Look what I started now, a group of riced Proteges. Cool! Pleasure to have you all join and look forward to having you all to the MAPP II on October 6. Ask EETerp for copies of the emails, he got them. Just do NOT share any of the info here about it.
Where did you guys have the your engine swaps done? Does it look factory? Wanna trade engines?
Todd 2001 Protege ES 2.0L 5sp, Sunlight Silver Mods (if you can call them that) so far:
Charcoal 35% Llumar tint on all windows (except windsheild of course) PIAA Super duper white headlights PIAA Super white front turn signals "ES 2.0L" badge removal
Don't believe him. He drives a CIVIC! LOL! Just Kiddin. Jeremy D probably has the sweetest Protege around and he's only making it sweeter with new mods. Mike and Jeremy D are good sources of info on moddin your pro. welcome guys.
I'm having my swap done at the same place Jeremy D had his done, Import Performance Tuning Woodbridge, VA (703) 497-1327. The engine does "look" stock; it uses the same block as my 1.8L . However the intake manifold is/looks different. I'll trade you my old 1.8L for your 2.0
What are you going to do with your 1.8? The block is the same but the displacement is different so are the bores larger on the 2.0L or are there different rods or is it a different crank or is it a combination of the three? Also, how can you run the same ECU with the FS-ZE engine? You'd think that you would at the very least need to reprogram the 1.8L ECU. Why can't you get a J-spec ECU?
I'm selling (or trying to sell) my 1.8L. The displacement is 2.0L in the fs-ze because the stroke is longer. So, pistons and cams are different. The stock ECU on Jeremy D's pro runs his FS-ZE just fine. Corksport is making a piggy back ECU which will fine tune the stock computer to operate the FS-ZE. You can use the ECU from the sport 20 but you will then need to get the FS-ZE wiring harness from Mazdamotorsports, which is $500+.
I took off my whole pinstripe and a rather large dealer sticker without making a mess. I pulled the stuff off, then rubbed on Goo Gone right where the sticky stuff was. Came right off. Right after that, I washed the car and it was fine.
Why did you take off the ES 2.0 stickers Todd? I think they look rather neat. They kinda complement the silver "Protege" stickers I put on the ends of the back doors above the moldings.
I took the stickers off because I didn't like them. I had a "5.0" mustang and I took the "5.0" badges off of that thing too. For the Protege, I picked at them with my fingernail and then just peeled them off. Piece of cake. The "5.0" badges were a different story. If I could, I'd take the "Mazda" and "Protege" badges off the trunk and the Mazda symbol off the grill but there are holes in the sheetmetal underneath the rear badges and the grill would look funny. I think the car would look MUCH better with just a plain black grill.
Got 1200 miles on my silver protege5. Loving every minute of it. Go out of my way to drive more. Smiling all the while. Excellent ergonomics, drive feel, and response. And the looks are way cool, as my students might say. A college prof. here who loves to zoom.
I've always wanted a Protege because I've liked their combination of performance, reliability, and room (compared to other vehicles in its class), and I had to go get one when Mazda came out with the 0% financing with 6 mos deferred payment. Just yesterday, I took delivery of a 2001 Millenium Red Mica Protege ES, 5 spd, Premium package. I love it love it love it, and I've only driven about 60 miles on it so far! I've heard good things about it's reliability and hope to get the type of bulletproof durability I got from my now defunct 93 Mx6. I still have that car if anyone is interested Nice to read about all fellow Protege owners...
I'm jealous of you having two proteges. I wish I had bought the Protege in April and the Protege45 now. We bought a Nissan Sentra SE 5 spd back in April. It's a nice car with the durable SR20DE engine in it. But it escapes me why Nissan still uses the beam axle in the rear. Didn't Chrysler use the beam axle in all their K cars and beyond until all the cab forward cars came out? Like the Altima, they should have used indpendent rear on the new Sentra.
The Protege rides much smoother than the Sentra on a daily basis- it'll be interesting to see which one I'll prefer on the twisty roads. The Protege is going to make a great replacement for the MX6- They both have 2.0L DOHC engines, but the Protege engine has an interesting spark plug system- do you know what it involves? Have you made any changes to your car's audio system? I'm thinking of changing the speakers first.
Any 2002 ES owners? How much did you pay? I was at a dealership today, and was told I could get a 2001 with 0.0% for a couple hundred over invoice, or a 2002 with 1.9% and they would "work with me" on the price. Assuming I could get the same price for the car, I'd prefer a 2002 because I would probably make up the interest difference in resale value (probably sell the car in 3-4 years).
So, how close to invoice have you gotten on a 2002 ES with premium package? Hopefully I'll be getting a new Pro one way or another within a week!
What are the most important factors in your car-buying decisions? The Chicago Tribune is looking for a ranking of concerns such as safety, price, monthly payment, styling, quality, etc.
Please send your response to jfallon@edmunds.com, or post in Talk to the Press.
Well I thought that I'd come in here and introduce myself since I've been posting for a while now. I see a bit of support from Western Canada in here that is a good thing. I hail (unfortunately) from the Gap. For those of you who don't know that lies right between Manitoba and Alberta, I think they call it Saskatchewan...
Just got a new P5, silver, sunroof, air, 5-speed, about 2 months ago. Lovin the car and everything it has to offer. Got it tinted up at the dealer and looking forward to adding some mods in the near future. Just put a drop in K&N filter in, can't wait till a new air-induction comes out for this car. Can't say enough about the car. It will get a real test this winter in all the snow in da Great White North eh....
I drove thru it ONCE on my way to Flin-Flon, Manitoba. That is a drive I never want to duplicate again in my life. The road was neverending...so flat and straight. Would have been really fun in an exotic sports car....You could have gone top speed in some parts because the road was so straight and flat!!
Welcome, eh? I grew up in Sask., P.A. to be exact. Then went to U of S, Saskatoon. I've eaten saskatoonberry pie! Go Roughriders! - ok maybe next year. I've now emigrated to Toronto.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy your Pro5 because my ES is a blast to drive.
Just another one leaving the province... Well I did that for a while and then somehow ended back here??? Still trying to figure that one out.
I lived in Calgary for a while and Medicine Hat. Everyone there is from sask... None of the people there were actually born in Calgary. This seems to be the trend...
I just bought a 2002 Protege DX. I wasn't planning to buy a new car, but it seemed to be the best option at the time. I'm paying 270/mo for 5yrs which seems kinda high to me, but I love my little car! I got it with an option package that includes a CD player. I'm kinda starting to have a little buyer's remorse, but that goes away every time I look at my pretty lil Pro. Zoom Zoom!
I hope you chose the 5 spd, cause all pros now have the 2.0L engine right? I hope you enjoy your new car. Buyers remorse is common, and I'm actually having quite a bit of that with our now 6 month old Sentra SE (our Pro ES is only a month old), and I want to get a Subaru WRX...
Congrats on the new car! How much did you pay in total? I have a 1999 Protege LX and I'm paying $292/month for 5 yrs with $2K down. I think you got a good deal.
Yeah I got a 5spd, I can't stand automatics. It's kind of a pain in Los Angeles traffic, but everyone tells me I'll get used to it. And yeah, all the new pros come with 2.0L engine. I put $2K down as well and I'll be paying 275/mo for 5 yrs.
It feels like aLot because I'm also going to have to pay for school in the fall and I'm fully supporting myself, but I Needed a car. I got into the Mazda's New Buyer Program for 5.9% and, since I'm only 20, I wasn't able to get into any other car. I wasn't even able to get financing for used cars (2-3 yrs old.)
I'm glad some of you say it sounds like a good deal. I was worried that I was going to be taken advantage of because I'm a young female--fresh meat to the dealers. But I did my homework, so when they tried selling me after-market "deals" I knew what to do. They were trying extend the loan period and up the interest rate to 6.7% by selling me an extended warranty, but I stuck to the standard 3yr/50K Mazda warranty. Hopefully that's all I'll need...
You shouldn't need any extended warranty. Like I was saying- I went ahead and found a sweet Silver Subaru WRX 5 spd wagon, and now I'm a proud owner of that as well as my fiance's red Pro ES 5 spd. 275/mo sounds fine, but if you had bought your car a little earlier or even a 01 LX, you might have been able to get 0%. I'm paying 333/mo w/ 1500 down at 0% for our Pro ES with premium package.
I am so happy I bought this car. I was so close to getting the Sentra. That would have been the mistake of my life and I'm so happy I made the right chose. I'm having so much fun. The ride is smooth the sound system is hot. The only cars on the road are the Honda's and the Nissans. I so happy I went the other way. I'm not one to get what everyone else has. Everyone who seen the car loved it when I brought it home. In my area I haven't seen anyone with a Protege so far I'm the first. I chose the silver it so bright and shiny in the sunlight. I'm in love with my car. I got a wonderful deal. Moonroof, ABS brakes, Dual Airbag, CD player, & Alloy wheels are beautiful. I never considered a Mazda. I'm pleased with my purchase and if all goes well I will be getting another in the next 5-7 years.
Welcome to the club! Congrats on your purchase. I own a 2000 ES 5-speed. It's my third Protege, and we're about to buy a 2002 Protege5 for my wife. Come on over and join us on the Mazda Protege topic ... and it's nice to see you're in New Jersey. We've had two annual Mid-Atlantic Protege Picnics (MAPPs) so far, both in extreme Northern Virginia, so we hope you'll make next year's! (You just missed this year's, which was held back in early October. We had folks from as far away as Connecticut and Pittsburgh.)
I love it . I've been a GM guy my whole life...but I just got sick of all the problems....build quality, service(or the lack of it) etc. Besides, they don't build anything close to the style of the Protege5. I was impressed first off by the build quality in the interior. The exterior paint is also beautiful. I am not impressed, however, by the sound system. I just ordered some Polk audio speakers for the front and back. Hopefully, this will do the trick and I won't have to replace the radio itself. If anybody has any experience in modifying the sound system in the Pro5, I would appreciate your input.
Congrats on the new Pro5. They are very good looking, if only they could squeeze some more power into its hood. I have a 01 Pro ES, and I believe our audio systems are the same. I think the head unit is the problem. I replaced my speakers with some pioneers that I had used in my MX6 (and I know they sound good), but they were lacking in the Pro. The head unit is a panasonic unit and while it is ergonomic, it has no power. But no thanks to Mazda, that head unit is a bit larger than double din size, like 2 1/4 din or something. No audio shops or crutchfield have kits yet for the protege. The mounting depth for the radio is also very shallow, like only 6.5 in. Keep us posted re: your speakers and how they help.
I used to have a 2001 Protege ES, and I blew the head unit out once completely and had to have the whole radio replaced. I was playing the stereo about 9/10 of the way up the volume scale, because it wasn't loud enough to hear with the windows and sunroof open (in the summertime) at around 75mph. It almost blew a second time as well, so maybe the head unit does suck. I traded the car for a 2002 Jetta with Monsoon now though, so I never replaced the head unit.
Well, I washed the car this weekend, the Cd player eject button stopped working. Everytime I turn off the ignition, it does spit the CD out, and it will take it back in when I start the car again. But the eject button won't work once the CD is in the player. I've heard this CD unit is kinda flaky, but come on! It's only been a month. If it is indeed made by Panasonic, I would steer clear of their aftermarket products as well.
I currently own a '99 Protege ES. It has about 30,000 miles. I replaced the PCV valves, but still don't know what is the functionality of it or its job in keeping the engine operating at its peak performance. Any comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
is a Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It takes unburned gases from the crankcase back to the combustion chamber to be reburned. If it gets old and nasty, you might experience poor gas mileage, idling, and on some cars it can make your air filter oily.
I have to sell my 2001 Protege , as I have changed jobs, so here are the details. If anyone interested, contact me at vkapila@aol.com. I am located in SE Michigan (near Ann Arbor).
- Asking $12,900 OBO - Miles: 10,540 (almost all highway) - Bought March 2001 - Automatic, AC, Power Doors, mirrors, windows, steering, doors. Driver and Passener Airbags, CD Player, Cassette, Remote Alarm, ABS, side air bags, Pwr sliding moonroof
Bought my 01 Pro ES back on Oct 15. It's my first Mazda after years of the Big 3. It's Emerald Green Mica with a 5 speed. I put about 120 miles a day on this car and I love it. I looked at alot of other cars before deciding on the Pro (once I drove it I was hooked). The best daily driver I've ever owned and as much fun to drive as my old '72 Spitfire. I've been contemplating some performance modifications but with one in college and another getting ready to go in a couple of years, money is very tight (Yes, I'm "kinda old") However, the first thing to be changed in the next couple of weeks, is the horn. One too many close calls where they didn't hear me as they changed lanes or were backing up. Look forward to talking to everybody as time goes by. I love the wealth of information that can be passed on in these forums. Anytime you want an "old-mans" opinion, ask me.
I think you'll find that many on this board are older than the marketing target of the vehicle. The good part is that you'll find all kinds here. Just watch that Mdaffron guy, he loves to argue.
Comments
Jeremy T
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
Just messin...post often.
Respectfully,
Larry
I just found out about this group through one of my friends (Jeremy T). My brother Mike and I decided to join. We are both using the user ID "Seminoleman92". Im looking forward to meeting all of you either thru this page or in person.
Well a little about myself. I'm 24yrs old. A UPS delivery driver. I live in Northern VA (Alexandria)I have a 2000 ES. Some of the mods are as follows. J-spec FS-ZE swap, J-spec Sport 20 sideskirts, fenders, headlights, sidemarker lights, front bumper, grill, J-spec badges, Sport 20 strut tower bar, Thermal cat-back exhaust (custom), B+G springs, Racing Hart C5's 17in, Tint, Aluminum dash kit, MOMO shifter and boot, HKS intake, and I think thats it.:)
Jeremy D not T
Todd
2001 Protege ES 2.0L 5sp, Sunlight Silver
Mods (if you can call them that) so far:
Charcoal 35% Llumar tint on all windows (except windsheild of course)
PIAA Super duper white headlights
PIAA Super white front turn signals
"ES 2.0L" badge removal
Why did you take off the ES 2.0 stickers Todd? I think they look rather neat. They kinda complement the silver "Protege" stickers I put on the ends of the back doors above the moldings.
I already posted a few posts under "probro" and "firstgenprotege" but oh well.
I own a 1993 White LX 5spd, with a bunch of pointless mods, and a few performance mods.
My site is http://groharlem.tripod.com if your interested
I have a modification guide site that isn't near completion at: http://www.geocities.com/protegemods that is for all generations of the protege
And if you wanna chat on AIM my screen name is: "GroHarlem6"
-Larry
The Protege rides much smoother than the Sentra on a daily basis- it'll be interesting to see which one I'll prefer on the twisty roads. The Protege is going to make a great replacement for the MX6- They both have 2.0L DOHC engines, but the Protege engine has an interesting spark plug system- do you know what it involves? Have you made any changes to your car's audio system? I'm thinking of changing the speakers first.
So, how close to invoice have you gotten on a 2002 ES with premium package? Hopefully I'll be getting a new Pro one way or another within a week!
Please send your response to jfallon@edmunds.com, or post in Talk to the Press.
Thanks!
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
Just got a new P5, silver, sunroof, air, 5-speed, about 2 months ago. Lovin the car and everything it has to offer. Got it tinted up at the dealer and looking forward to adding some mods in the near future. Just put a drop in K&N filter in, can't wait till a new air-induction comes out for this car. Can't say enough about the car. It will get a real test this winter in all the snow in da Great White North eh....
Ryan
anyways, welcome!!
'duh'
Welcome to the forum Doc!
Our roads are terrible, almost need a kidney belt on some streches. (I'm talking about in the city too). haha
Insurance is way cheap here... I'm almost glad I don't live somewhere else, never be able to afford a new car....
Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy your Pro5 because my ES is a blast to drive.
I lived in Calgary for a while and Medicine Hat. Everyone there is from sask... None of the people there were actually born in Calgary. This seems to be the trend...
It feels like aLot because I'm also going to have to pay for school in the fall and I'm fully supporting myself, but I Needed a car. I got into the Mazda's New Buyer Program for 5.9% and, since I'm only 20, I wasn't able to get into any other car. I wasn't even able to get financing for used cars (2-3 yrs old.)
I'm glad some of you say it sounds like a good deal. I was worried that I was going to be taken advantage of because I'm a young female--fresh meat to the dealers. But I did my homework, so when they tried selling me after-market "deals" I knew what to do. They were trying extend the loan period and up the interest rate to 6.7% by selling me an extended warranty, but I stuck to the standard 3yr/50K Mazda warranty. Hopefully that's all I'll need...
Meade
Richmond, Virginia
I was impressed first off by the build quality in the interior. The exterior paint is also beautiful.
I am not impressed, however, by the sound system. I just ordered some Polk audio speakers for the front and back. Hopefully, this will do the trick and I won't have to replace the radio itself. If anybody has any experience in modifying the sound system in the Pro5, I would appreciate your input.
Thanks,
I should installing them next week sometime.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
- Asking $12,900 OBO
- Miles: 10,540 (almost all highway)
- Bought March 2001
- Automatic, AC, Power Doors, mirrors, windows, steering, doors. Driver and Passener Airbags, CD Player, Cassette, Remote Alarm, ABS, side air bags, Pwr sliding moonroof
I've been contemplating some performance modifications but with one in college and another getting ready to go in a couple of years, money is very tight (Yes, I'm "kinda old") However, the first thing to be changed in the next couple of weeks, is the horn. One too many close calls where they didn't hear me as they changed lanes or were backing up.
Look forward to talking to everybody as time goes by. I love the wealth of information that can be passed on in these forums.
Anytime you want an "old-mans" opinion, ask me.