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glad everybody had fun at MAPP. i'd like to attend something like that too (in the calgary region...) but i have a feeling that only myself and pro fan would attend!!
'duh'
I was thinking about the FS_ZE engine swap too. Everyone thus far who has done it has a manual. I wonder if it would work with the automatic?
BTW, that code for the warranty is the same as the one that I have.
PF
(1) The last time you went to the store, did you take note of the type of car that was parked next to you? Would you remember its make, model and color if you came out and saw a scratch on your vehicle?
(2) If you did happen to remember the vehicle that had been parked next to you when you entered the store, could you prove that the person who keyed your car was (a) the driver of that vehicle, (b) the driver of the new vehicle that drove in after the original one left, or (c) a passerby? I think it would be really hard to determine who did it unless you saw him do it, which leads me to ...
(3) If you actually saw him do it, would you have a case? There would be no physical evidence, such as the paint from your vehicle on his vehicle had your car been sideswiped. It'd be his word against yours in court. Even if you got his license plate number, he could tell the judge that he was parked next to you, across from you, whatever ... but he didn't key your car. Innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. After all, you may have been so enraged that you wanted to blame it on anyone -- so you got the plate number of the guy parked next to you. With no proof, I don't see how you'd win.
(4) If you managed to find the "keyer" by driving around town all day, finding the car, and then seeing him get in it, what would you do? (a) Would you follow him home and confront him? Risky with the present state of the world. (b) Would you key his vehicle? Even riskier not knowing who he is or if he or his neighbors are watching. (c) Would you take down his license plate number and call the police? See part (3) above.
Disclaimer to the above:
I don't support vandalism as a cure for vandalism. I'm just being realistic after a few incidents (keep reading) where I was a victim.
Pete, I know you said you don't want to hear this, but it's a free country. I think keying the guy's car in retaliation was stupid. Stooping even below his mistake violated your own morals (and most of ours too) and was just plain dumb. You could've gotten into huge trouble if someone had seen you do it. I know it sucks -- my 1988 Hyundai was less than a week old when a DUMP TRUCK parked next to me and swung his door into the side of my car, leaving a HUGE dent in it. A year later, the driver of a mid-70s, tank-sized Pontiac Bonneville ran a red light and clipped the side of my rear bumper, sending me into the 270-degree spin of my life at 45 mph. He kept going and MY insurance had to pay the $2,000 repair bill. That's life, and that's why insurance is there.
SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP!!!!!!!!
Meade
Meade
You're right ... the issue here isn't vandalism ... it's carelessness AND vandalism. Carelessness on the part of Mr. DeVille, and vandalism on the part of Pete. Like my wife says, two wrongs do not make a right (but three rights make a left).
I know one thing ... I'm keeping my car out of Arlington Heights until this vandalism spree has run its course!!!
;-)
Meade
Mike
Mike
try to put a ding using the pro's door. not very succesful since it does not have a spring loaded hinge.
Also, why do you assume there's only a downside if you're actually CONVICTED of something?
And...you never know who can find out what once you post info on the internet.
BTW, sight seen this morning: two brutally slashed tires (we're talking OJ style) sitting at the curb in my commuter train parking lot. Looks like somebody got caught talking to someone else's husband at the bar.
twist (not my real name) ;-)
Seeing you standing next to their car is probably keeping them away.
I'd wait some distance away and see who comes up to the offending vehicle.
If I switch back to dino oil: I'm just not a believer in the 3k oil change...Normally I run dead dino oil to 7500miles anyway so for me its really no different other than for the next 4 changes its free.
I sell swampland in FL.
Main benefits for me are faster, smoother starts when the engine is cold, especially in the winter. I figure it's better for the engine...at least the engine SOUNDS happier.
I use either Mobil 1 or Valvoline.
As a fellow Protege owner and a frequent visitor to this board, I didn't think it would be out of the ordinary to ask for Tribute information on this board. I've found most folks here are very helpful.
And try not to be so paranoid. As I just demonstrated above, anyone with the slightest amount of talent and a little time to kill can find just about anything. I guess I'm not so paranoid because I've been a ham radio operator for 21 years. Wanna find a WHOLE LOT about me? Simple. Just go to http://www.qrz.com or any of several dozen sites like it ... hell, you can even get the info straight from the FCC's website ... and enter my call sign, K4CMD. If you saw THAT on my license plate in a parking lot (which you can), lookie what you could find out! Want my exact latitude and longitude, so you can drop an H-bomb on my house? How about a map? Or my e-mail address? Just click on "Detailed Info" on that site. I haven't been nuked, dinged or keyed ... yet!
And since you brought it up, here are a few quotes my wife and I live by ...
When I look back on all the worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened. -- Winston Churchill
There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever. -- Mahatma Gandhi
Worry never takes the sorrow out of tomorrow, it just saps today of its strength. -- Anonymous
If you're going to worry, there's no need to pray; if you're going to pray, there's no need to worry. -- Tiffany Berry
draymond ... No problem on posting the question here ... as far as I'm concerned. I was trying to steer you toward the Tribute topic because I've seen the Town Hall managers descend on off-topic posts and forward them to the appropriate topics. To answer your question, the Richmond dealer I deal with ... Whitten Brothers Mazda, which can be found at http://www.whittenbrothers.com -- is now selling all remaining 2001 models at clearance prices (whatever that means) and is selling 2002 Tributes for 5 percent over invoice -- which is the highest over-invoice price of any Mazda product they sell, probably because the Tribute is so darned popular here right now!
pete ... How far away is Chicago from Richmond? Hmmm ...
Meade
twist
If you want me to advertise for your meet, send me the details at groharlem@hotmail.com I'm sure you could get at least 10 people to go (i'm hoping) if you advertise on the protege forums.
BTW: props for what u did to that deville...that [non-permissible content removed] had it coming
Meade
Probably, like somebody already suggested, he saw Pete waiting for him, and decided to check out the Blue Light Special one more time.
Steve
Steve
Solution: Go to Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Pep Boys, Trak Auto, Advance, NAPA, hell, most anyplace that sells car accessory stuff. Then go to that part of the store that we *REAL* car buffs never visit -- that place where they have cheap stick-on mirrors, compasses that pick their own direction, magnetic key safes, aftermarket coin holders, pina colada air fresheners, etc. -- YOU KNOW the area I'm talking about.
Pick yourself up a pair of black NYLON license plate bolts and nuts. They're cheap (if you pay 2 bucks you've probably paid too much) and the bolts are maybe 3/4 of an inch long, if that. Remove your rear plate and attach these things, nuts included, to the BOTTOM two holes of your plate. Then re-attach your plate (or should I say, "Installation is the reverse of removal"). The additional length of nylon bolt that protrudes through the nut will now serve as a standoff, holding the bottom edge of your plate away from the car just enough to keep tension against the trunk lid -- but not enough tension to hurt the lid, especially since the nuts are nylon. Now your trunk won't TWAAANNNGGGG when you shut it!
You can *just* make out those nuts (for placement purposes) in this photo:
http://www.geocities.com/negatize/media/specialty/meade00_rear.jpg
By the way, I originally did this high-tech ;-) mod to keep my license plate frame from rattling. Little did I know it wasn't the plate frame that was rattling -- it was the plate against the car itself. This solved both problems!
Meade
Shiftless in Suburbia
P.S. ...and no it's not due to holeshots at every stoplight, or even every other one!
I'd take your service department to task on your complaint, if I were you. The Protege's clutch is hydraulic and is self-adjusting, so they shouldn't have to adjust anything as it wears. If it's out of whack in its travel now, it was out of whack when you bought the car and they need to adjust it.
Meade
Kind of crunched up my tailpipe this morning getting out of my very tight apt. building garage...backed into some concrete (curb?) at a not-so-slow speed.
Probably needs to be replaced.
So the question is, go to the dealer (many miles away), or the goofy body shop (3 blocks away, but not to familiar with Mazdas)?
Should I demand OEM, or is aftermarket OK? How much you think this will run me?
Thanks in advance!
P.S. to Pete:
Totally understand your frustration with the dent...yesterday, I was parked in the last legal spot from the corner on a city street. Jeep Grand Cherokee decides to pull in behind me, somehow thinking that if he got REAL close to me, that would somehow make him legal as well. Result: I tore up my bumper on his license plate holder trying to get out. [maybe I should just never drive in reverse, right? ]
We, the enlightened fellow owners of the Protege Posse, need more information. Did you damage just the end of the pipe (it's a chrome cover, not really part of the pipe), or did you do worse -- such as jam the end of the pipe into the muffler, or dent the muffler, or EVEN WORSE, push the entire exhaust system out of whack?
Meade
The outer cover part seems to be dented a little bit into the inner part, although not so much as to completely close the whole thing up...really just the shape of the opening is changed a little.
As far as jamming things into the muffler, or knocking the whole exhaust out of whack, I really don't know. It did sound a little louder to me on my way to work this morning What would I be looking for to see if this happened?
And thank you for your quick response! You must be working hard, just like me
What concerns me is the change in the sound. It indicates something has changed further up from the tailpipe (and could've created a leak in the system, which may lead to exhaust gases getting into the cabin). Minor crimping of the tailpipe shouldn't have changed the exhaust note or sound level that you'd notice it.
Okay, windows down until I get it to the dealer.
Thanks for the warning.
Pete--I feel your pain. Know how you felt and I have had bad urges to cut valve stems or punkture tires (all four) with an ice pick, many times. Of course, I would leave a note on the offenders windshild: "Calling a wrecker won't cost you as much as repairing the dent and painting my door. See ya!"
Usually, at Wal-Mart, I park way out and if another driver parks too close to my car, I move it farther out where employees park. That usually works and the excercise is good for me. Look for the most empty part of the parking lot. Wait a few minutes to see who comes in and if they park next to you. Some drivers have to have a car next to them to judge the painted lines marking the ends of the spaces. Anybody THAT DUMB is going to hit your car.
fowler3
Just to show you I'm not the only "paranoid" one on Town Hall. At least one leading citizen also thinks discretion is a virtue in here.
twist
(not paranoid, just recommending common sense, especially now that I know I can get a map to Meade's front door knowing nothing other than his Town Hall screen name)
Oh and Larry, how's the work coming on your Protege in the body shop? Have they fixed it up like it was before that stupid deer hit your car?
Meade
Can we end this now?
Pete can decide for himself what to do, as have we.
twist
http://www.krotine.com
krotine
4000km=home oil change with Mazda OEM filter and Castrol GTX
8 000 km=regular Mazda service done at dealer
12 000 km=home
16 000 km=dealer
etc...
Hope this helps.
Dinu
I do have to reiterate that I'm ashamed of what I did. I would have been better off going into the store and reporting his alarm going off or something to draw the person out, then I could have insisted he pay for the repairs. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 right?
Laurakat, twist and others...I too park so that I can't get dinged easily, and my car was almost to the far end of the lot. I was most upset because he parked next to me and NO ONE ELSE was anywhere near either of our cars. There was no flippin reason for him to park so close. It's over and done with...except for the repairs, both to my car and his. Incidentally, I called the Cadillac dealer today and asked what it would cost to repair a key scratch on my imaginary DeVille. Service manager said repairs usually run 700-1000 to prep and refinish the door. That didn't make me feel any better.
I checked out the Mazda Club as suggested, and I'll probably join them. I officially give up on the CAPP...for now. I will email all suggested parties when I'm ready to organize the First Annual CAPP in spring of 2002!!! Meade...I always knew it would be difficult to organize but what I said before stays true...the best times I've had have always been spontaneous-type events organized at the last minute, by word of mouth, with no official organizer or sponsor. I will try to break that mold however with CAPP in the spring!
Thanks for all the support and friendship from all! This is without a doubt the BEST discussion on Edmunds!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Pete
p.s. what was up with the board last night? I couldn't post anything....?
A friend (whom I convinced to buy a Pro ES a few months ago) had a bit of an incident (can't call it an accident!)
She did not notice that exitting/entering passengers had left her right rear door open, and reversed into a parking lot pillar at about 4-6 mph. The right side airbags deflated. 3 people in car, including front passenger seat - no injuries, and the door took ALL the impact (crumpled at the bottom). But the repair bill is about $3K!
I was curious if the side airblag should deflate so easily, keep in mind the low speed, in reverse, and a backwards collision only between the open door and a pillar.
Also, any frame checks/tests she should insist the bodyshop perform, or something else she should check/be wary of?
shall install it tommorow and see how it goes.
based on the positive feedback i read, i hope it outlives my car ..besides increasing the engine output by 2-3 hp and improving fuel economy.
also, waxed the car with zymol cleaner wax.
didnt notice much of a difference than the last time i waxed it with meguiars cleaner wax, except that zymol was double the price.
have to observe the "durability" though.
OK, my friend, we'll end this now. Had fun.
Jason and Wil -- I finally got around to downloading my MAPP photos. I seem to have some photos no one else has -- of the people, the shelter, the grill, etc. Let me know what e-mail to send them to so you guys can see 'em and post 'em if ya wanna.
Jason -- Great "Motel Hell" stuff. Geesh, your photo really DOES make the place look like the last unbombed building in Afghanistan!
Meade
If you go to a reputable body shop (don't take it to a dealer for body repairs!) they should perform all necessary measurements to ensure the frame is sound, and they'll correct any misalignments in the frame. Following that accident in my 1988 Hyundai I alluded to about a dozen posts back -- since my car was hit at a 90-degree angle on one corner, the frame was bent. My car spent two days "in traction" on a frame-straightening machine to bend it back within specs again. BTW, I drove that little car 115,000 miles with few major problems (and it spent its whole life delivering pizzas!), and then traded it in on my first Protege in September 1991. That Hyundai really wasn't a bad little car, considering it was built cheaply, didn't have A/C, and only cost $7,100.
Meade
Meade
jason_krotine@limbachinc.com
Are you thinking of MAPP III yet?
krotine
Meade