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Mazda Protegé

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Comments

  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I try :D

    Dale: LoL, but I think you've scared everybody away...you'd think it was time to go home or something...
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    having 2 Proteges for 1 person seems kinda weird, I think I'll keep looking for a 240SX :D
  • curt3curt3 Member Posts: 101
    Down in south Alabama our fellow Southeners like to do things to the extreme. It is not uncommon to see yards with a dozen VW Beetles rotting in the yard or one fellow, for example, has just about every variation of the Corvair that you can imagine. So, Big H, a pair of Proteges would not be a bad thing.

    Now the 240 SX is a beautiful car, especially classy since it was discontinued. It just doesn't seem right to let them rot in the front yard, however. Protegefan, thanks for the sales pitch on the Protege. I hope that it will sell itself on its own merits but I am realistic in knowing that 62,000 miles is a hard sell for a
    2000 model.
  • fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    That was discovered by drivers in flash floods. In one instance, a Beetle driver came to a low area where the road crossed a flooded creek. He kept on going and his Beetle floated. Keeping the engine running the exhaust pushed his car across. Following drivers in American cars thought the water was low and followed him in, only to find water up to their door handles. LOL!

    The original Beetles' weather stripping around the doors made the car water-tight. They were also tightly built with thicker steel sheet metal and there were no holes in the steel platform for water to get in. The shifter cables and wiring passed through a welded steel tube that was the car's backbone.

    Here's another bit of trivia, the engine was reliable enough to be used as a powerplant in light aircraft (in Europe) without having two spark plugs in each cylinder, as required in American light aircraft engines. The reason for two plugs per cylinder is safety, if one electrical wiring system fails the pilot has the second one. Which brings up another interesting point -- with both plugs firing an light aircraft engine has more power. When running on one plug per cylinder it seems to cut power by 50%. So why don't car manufacturers use the two plug system instead of turbos?

    fowler3
  • alternatoralternator Member Posts: 629
    in its own strange way is the prototype VW "1 liter will take you 100 kilometers" car featured in detail here:


    http://www.autointell.com/european_companies/volkswagen/vw_marke/volkswagen-1-liter/volkswagen-1-literauto-02.htm


    How many of you remember the immediate postWW2 Messerschmidt three-wheel car (?) with tandem seating and motorcycle engine. I drove one in LA about 1955 and it was scary!

  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Some cars did use the 2 plug system. Ford used it on their 2.3L engine for a while. It didn't give you 50% more power though.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    It's to get a more even combustion front in the combustion chamber, since it's pretty flattened.

    Two plugs may get more complete combustion, but I doubt it would be a 100% improvement today. Perhaps when engines used to be really inefficient and exhausted about as much gas as they combusted. But there might be some.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    The best of luck to your wife and yourself. Hopefully her transplant will "take" soon and she can get off the steroids.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Curt,

    Good luck with your decision.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I think sometimes we all forget how challenging it can be to "read" somebody's intentions or personality through their postings on a message board. Certainly there have been many times that my friendly jabs at Paul (vocus) and his responses -- while WE have been friends for two years and know we're joking with each other -- have been taken by others as rude and cruel-natured. Sometimes things are not meant the way they are taken here, and what one member regards as humorous ribbing may be regarded by the recipient, whose sense of humor is not the same, as a hostile attack.

    I think everyone here, for the most part and 99 percent of the time, has the best intentions. But it's our different senses of humor and our different personalities -- the very thing that makes this topic interesting -- that cause us to have misunderstandings every now and then. I'm guilty of it, I know -- and I apologize now for my insensitivities in the past and the ones I have yet to commit. I know I will; it's my personality. (If you REALLY want to get a sense of my personality, you'll have to come over to the Yahoo group!!!)

    Anyway, enough of Psychology 101 from your resident non-psychology major. Everybody have a good day.

    Group hug time, Dale.

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    One more group hug, and I am going to upchuck. I can't take it anymore!!! :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Good luck to you and your wife. With the price you have the Protege selling for on EBay, I am sure you will have no problems selling it at all. Even with the mileage, it shouldn't be a problem.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    My fifth month old daughter giggles whenever I sing the zoom-zoom jingle to her. She must be a Mazda girl. Maybe that jingle was written with babies in mind. :-)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    ... is stare into my 11-month-old son Sean's eyes and give out a throaty "ZOOMZOOM," and he lets out quite a giggle. On the infrequent days I pick him up from daycare, we have a great time. I found out last Saturday that he loves swerving from side to side as we go down our neighborhood street. Sure, the new Dunlops might wear a little faster doing that ... but what price childhood happiness, I ask?

    ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!!!

    Meade
    (BTW, now we have 20 Proteges and about 30 people coming to MAPP III! And yes, Sean will be there too!)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Quick question for you all...If you've signed a contract/offer, can you still back out of buying a car? I'm not talking the bill of sale here...just the offer...financing approved through the dealership. Thanks.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I am sure you can, as long as it's not the purchase agreement that is signed.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Since Sean and Tammy are coming to the MAPP, I think I will come too. I have been waiting to see that baby since the last MAPP, when he was too young to come along for the ride. It should be exciting. :)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    What would you consider to be the "purchase agreement?"
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    my daughter compares it to a roller coaster on our slightly hilly roads.....and screams when I take the tight turns....

    talking of tight turns, does anybody have a better idea to fix the child seat so that it does not sway when I take the tight turns?
    my '99 ES does not have the hooks on the rear panel.
    I put the child seat in the centre of the rear bench and lock it up using one seat belt.

    any better ideas?
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    any better ideas?

    Bungee cords to the assist handles?

    Slow down?

    Leave the kid @ home?

    Sorry, just one of those days where serious is not in my vocab.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    went for annual state inspection today at my Mazda dealer.

    Service tech calls up and informs me that 2/32" is required and u have 3/32 left on ur front brakes. So he recommends replacing the brake pads and avoid any more worries for the next couple of years.

    cost: $189.99
    at
    mileage: 39,500 miles
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    My 2000 has the tether anchors on the parcel shelf. They really help in that department. Offhand I can't think of another way to secure it so it'll be more stable, other than *trying* to do it on one of the sides (as opposed to the center position) so you can use the shoulder harness. But I did that when Sean was in a rear-facing seat and it didn't really help -- in fact it tended to make the seat sit at an angle toward the center of the car.

    Maybe you can get a tether retrofit kit that lets you install a tether anchor on your parcel shelf? Maybe Mazda has some magic way of doing it; maybe (and this is probably just wishful thinking) they can perform this mod of bringing your car up to current child safety requirements for free or for very little cash? I suggest calling your dealership's service manager and asking if it can be done and for how much before you start drilling holes in your parcel shelf.

    Those tether anchors are great. Now, in my wife's 2002 Protege5, she has the new "latch" system, and we were able to install a seat for Sean in her back seat without using ANY seat belts! Man, that sucker's in there like it's part of the car!

    (Of course, both of these installations will be present and available for inspection at MAPP III, if anyone's interested in seeing how a Protege accommodates the next generation of zoom-zoomers ...)

    Meade
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    DON'T LET THE DEALER INSTALL YOUR PADS!

    That's what they call "highway robbery," my friend!

    It's not hard to do yourself for about 1/4 the price ... but if you just don't want to do it, take it to Meineke if you have one around. As I said a few thousand posts back (last week, was it? ;-) ), Meineke put lifetime brakes on my truck and my wife's car a couple of years ago -- they were just as good as the factory brakes -- and the price was MUCH less than what your dealer's quoting you, and this was for ALL FOUR WHEELS. (Plus you get the lifetime replacement guarantee.)

    Shop around. Don't get that done at the dealership unless you've got money to burn!

    Meade
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Call mazda's 800 number about the tether anchors. I think I remember something about a retrofit being free. Thanks for jogging the brain meade.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    With the new "latch" system, the baby seat does essentially become part of the car. However, I still would not recommend not using a seatbelt at all with it.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Not only do they attach really securely, but they're (supposedly) identical across all vehicles that employ them, so you can move your child restraint system from vehicle to vehicle without the nonsense of tightening belts and wedging in supports.

    BTW, my daughter's booster seat also flops over when placed in the center. I place the bottom in one of the seat "wells" on either side position and it stays snugly in place. Of course, your child seat may differ, but try it.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I never put my friend's car seats in the middle of either of my Proteges, so I don't know about that. She had her kids a year apart, so we always had 2 of them to take with us. :) I know it's really easy to put the child seat in and get it out. Her seats are older ones as well, and I don't think they have the provisions for the ISOFIX attachments. At least I never saw if they do.
  • goddigoddi Member Posts: 2
    I would like to know where I can purchase a Mazda Protege5 Service Manual and what the cost is.
    Also, I'd like to know if anyone has found mud flaps for the Protege5, and where if you did.
    Thanks... Gary
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Re: #12312...

    Couldn't have said it better myself :)

    --Dale
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    $189.99 for only the FRONT pads?!?!?! That is a rip off!!! I got mine done at Midas for $89 for the fronts. Even that is high, but your dealer must be smoking crack.

    That reminds me about the time when I was sitting in the lobby at my dealership when the service manager was explaining to this elderly lady that she needed new wipers and it would cost about $40...of course she said alright. I was like...oh my God...
  • curt3curt3 Member Posts: 101
    It is hard to understand anyone's intentions and I enjoy bantering (is that the word?) with the best of them. It is quite possible that I totally misunderstood the intent of the poster who criticized my decision to both recommend a Protege and turn around and try to sell it 3 days later.

    Nonetheless, I tried to be very candid about my reason for selling the car when I referred to my wife's health--maybe I should have saved this information for Dear Abby instead of Edmund's.

    I do appreciate the best wishes for my better half--she has been quite a trooper in life and amazingly, she continues to work full time. She asked me way back in 1999 to buy the automatic Protege but I was too proud to give up the last bastion of masculinity (the shifter). Marriage is funny, we guys give up the remote control within a few weeks and exchange it for a vacuum cleaner handle.

    Anyway, thanks for the input on the advertisement, Vocus. I got a pretty good offer for the car here in my home town so I chose to pull the car from EBAY since nobody had placed a bid yet--I did notice that it did have 150 or hits while it was out on the web. This is not bad coverage for $ 40.00. Had somebody placed a bid, I would have left it on Ebay. It was a thrill while it lasted.
  • alternatoralternator Member Posts: 629
    check out this piece of bloated puffery (along with four nice enlargeable photos):


    http://www.fasterfords.com/mazda/mazda6.htm

  • jamhjamh Member Posts: 11
    I have contacted that dealer in Charlette and he agreed to give me that deal--$100 over invoice and take the rebate off. But instead of ordering the car, he suggested to get the car for me from another dealer. The deal is really good I think. But another dealer closer to me has a red ES and he offered me a slightly better deal. The problem is that the car already has 200 miles on it. And I wasn't sure if it is a demo car or not. I am kind of afraid to get a demo car since probably 20 people already tried their best to test/ruin the car in God knows how many month when it sits on the lot. The dealer told me that the car is transferred from anothe dealer. That may explain the milage on the car a little bit. But, first of all, I don't know if that is true. Secondly, if it is true, why the person requested it to be transfer doesn't want it anymore. Anybody can comment on demo cars or New cars with 200 or more miles on it would be really helpful. Thanks.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Thanks for the link...great pics!
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    So quiet in here....it's like a Kinko's on a Thursday night... :D

    Jamh: Sorry I don't know anything about demo cars. My car had just over 4 miles on it when I got it.

    How far away was the other dealer? To get that many miles, they would have to be more than an hour away.

    In terms of it being driven hard by "demo-ers" I don't think too much damage can be done in 200 miles. Check it out thoroughly for any kind of damage.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    What person in their right mind would go there on a Thursday night? Probably some internet addict.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    I heard that!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    You really should make sure you know what you're talking about before you make recommendations in a public forum about the installation of child safety seats.

    This from IHS' website:

    "The ISOFIX or LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system:

    "Effective September 1, 2002, this new standardized child safety seat system will simplify child safety seat installation and enhance child safety. This system is known as the LATCH system, an acronym for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. The LATCH system calls for vehicles to be equipped with one upper (tether) and two lower anchorage points. The upper (tether) anchorage will be a ring-like object permanently attached to the vehicle. Depending on the vehicle, the anchorage (a rigid, round rod) may be located on the shelf or back of the seat, on the floor, or on the ceiling. Child seats will attach to the vehicle seat via these anchorages instead of being held by the vehicle's seat belts."

    The ISOFIX/LATCH system is a better-working REPLACEMENT for using the seat belts to secure a child seat. You do not use it in combination with the seat belts. In fact, there was a warning notice in our child seat's manual to NOT use the belts when you're using the LATCH system -- they can interfere with each other.

    We have the LATCH seat installed in the Protege5, and a seat belt-mounted seat in my 2000 ES (which doesn't have LATCH). Both will be at MAPP III, and I'll show them to you. Even with the seat in my car snugged down with the seat belts, it still moves a little when you push on it. The LATCH-mounted seat in my wife's P5 is rock-solid and feels like part of the car.

    Here's some more info and some pics of the LATCH system:

    http://www.djgusa.com/coscocat/carseats/A01latch.html

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Sorry, but I would think using both would make for an even safer install.

    About MAPP, I don't know about coming now. My friend's 30th surprise birthday party is the same day, so I will have to maybe come then leave early. I will let you know though.
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    or is the TH not responding?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The site was down this morning or something, but it's all fixed now.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    i agree....
    but then which dealer service is not?

    Meade...u mentioned meineke..and i don't know but in my head i had meineke in the same class as jiffy lube...and i don't want anything going wrong with my brakes....happened to me once in India with my suzuki..after change of brake pads, the very next day the brakes failed right in lane merge....very scary....
    So "even if I burn my money", i would like a good job done and over the years, I have really learned to trust my dealers service(not for price...but quality of service)....

    anyway brake pads were $83 and labor $85 for the change....

    and thanks meade and maltb.....I called the 800 number and YES...they have a FREE kit which will put those ISO latches onto my car....the CR from mazda will be calling up my dealer and set up an appointment for the fitment.

    thanks again!
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    If you're not at MAPP, I will pop you in the nose when you come to Chicago.

    :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Who wet your Wheaties this morning? :) Just kidding. I am going to try to come in the morning/afternoon, then leave around 5pm or so and get to my friend's place. I mean come on now, she's turning 30. That's like a monumental thing, especially for a woman. :)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I think it's been said before, but for really minor changes, like oil and brakes, "grease monkeys" are usually sent in to do the job...not the "master" mechanics. True, the dealer should have more knowledge about your particular car, but I think brakes are brakes.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    for the same service that my dealer did they gave me a ballpark figure of $140 + tax.

    meineke...no way...
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Okay, then...glad we got that settled :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    PF: You meant to address that post to Chikoo, nost Ashu. Keep up! :) Just kidding.

    Chikoo: I had the brake pads replaced on my 1999 Protege DX at Goodyear, and never had problems at all. I put about 10K on them, before I traded the car for my 2001 ES. The tuner-up was a different story (they messed it up and made the car idle roughly), but the brakes were fine.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    are u talking to me (chikoo) or Ashu?
    I was the one talking about brakes...not ashu..

    anyway, grease monkeys or not, the fact is that it is finally checked by the QC guy and I trust him for his knowledge about Mazda cars.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    right.....but once u get a brake failure on a highway... i think u will understand what I mean...;)
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