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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Mazdaspeed protege vs srt4

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Oct. 28, 2010 9:58 a.m. SVTF Reader

mattmacklind wrote:

I love the Focus SVT. Easy to find in better shape is true but around here (KC, MO) hard to find at all. I see maybe one or two a year, usually at dealers after a trade in with a ridiculous mark up.

SRT-4's are more common, and in my opinion an equally cool car. I wish Dodge would have continued to develop it instead of producing the Caliber, which is of course disgusting.

All that having been said, the best time to buy an SRT-4 was probably a few years ago. So many have been butchered, or at least have the "black hood " treatment. Its the new Camaro, the fastest car in the trailer park, although it is legitimately fast.

I almost bought one from a Dodge dealership in 2005. I was sitting in the car and got a call for a family emergency and had to leave immediately. Never went back to the dealership, didn't "need" a car. Car had $14,995 on the winshield. Should have gone back. Then again, things happen for a reason.

Ever look at the Saabaru?

If you want an SRT-4, here's the one to buy:

http://sccaforums.com/forums/thread/432101.aspx
Oct. 28, 2010 11:39 a.m. mattmacklind SuperDork

Yikes. Didn't know there was an ACR SRT-4. Shows what I know.
Oct. 28, 2010 1:12 p.m. Rustspecs13 New Reader

smog7 wrote: </cite

good points, thinking about sticking with my red headed whore.

what else do you drive besides your 240?

Trust me, just keep it. I keep going back to 240's. I have 2 right now. A rust free one thats going to be caged/swapped/badass, and my rusty POS i daily. Yet I could drive it to california at any point. I love the layout, great mix of modern looks, and simple durability.

I also have a 95 maxima that i'm putting a new engine in.

And other then that I've had 4 other (various years) maximas, and 5 other 240sx's, and a s10, mazda Mx3, share a '83 944 with my dad, um what else, i think thats it.

I'll get a rotary next, but that's what happens when you work at a rotary/RWD specialst shop :D

But the celica is a rare beast. Id stick with it, Its a cool car and sounds like you just need a second beater/project.

~Alex
Oct. 28, 2010 1:34 p.m. neckromacr Reader

smog7 wrote:

Rustspecs13 wrote:

2k in repairs is nothing over 2-3-4-5 years.

You think newer cars are better? They get the bonus of more expensive, more technologically advanced stuff to break! You'll spend more when it breaks.

Especially turbo cars. They love cooking things to death.

Id stick to your alltrack, or get something Japanese from 95-99. They start getting more complicated 99 and up. But in the middle of that range Ive found a sweet spot of cheap, yet not too old, and not too complicated.

Then again, for 2K I could fix every thing on my 240sx I wanted to. New steering rack, a few bushings and stuff, and the normal water pump, timing chain tensioner, the hud for once, the tie rods, etc etc. I love pre-OBD cars, sooo simple. I'd even drive it straight to california as is, and I just hit a wall at columbus motor speed way with it!

~Alex

good points, thinking about sticking with my red headed whore.

what else do you drive besides your 240?

I'll second that vote for cars in that "Golden Age" that seems to hover around the lat 80's to late 90's. The Goldie Locks zone of DIYers

I've dailyed at '88 Scirocco that accumulated 110 miles a day, I bitch about it, but if I wasn't trying to run it on Dime Store fixes and been proactive about repairs I don't thinnk it would have given me few issues.

So much so that when it was totaled at the beginning of the month I bought an '87 to replace her fallen sister.
Oct. 28, 2010 1:55 p.m. smog7 Dork

thanks for the tips guys. I decided that for the time being, I am going to keep my all trac. I cannot afford two cars at the moment, so I am going to do my best to maintain the celica.

*just noticed that due to a broken abs sensor I flat spotted a tire.. should I be worried?
May 8, 2011 2:27 p.m. Bench Racer (BowtieBandit) Reader

Having held onto my first car for seven years now, I can attest that I am very glad it never went anywhere. Not only for the attachment value, but it has made a great backup car when the DD is out of comission, or for weekend burnouts or what.

Now as to the three pocket rockets mentioned:

The MS Protege is a little more rare, so some parts may be difficult to find (you're already familiar with this)

I've only ever seen one SRT4 around here that wasn't a steaming pile of crap. Broken motor mounts, busted clutch forks, and constant little things like hoses and such. Most of those probably came from the stupid trailer park drivers previously mentioned, doing clutch drops and other things. But, its still a neon, and I don't care to the looks, or the sound.

I like the SVT focus. I've always liked Focii anyway. The hatchback will be more convenient for hauling bigger stuff, and they handle pretty wicked too. I wish it would come back, or atleast the Focus RS.

I'm also in with the late ninties japan vote. Basic needs civic, altima, corolla. Something simple and bland to get you around, and enjoy the alltrac on the weekends. Thats what I did with my camaro.
May 8, 2011 2:49 p.m. Grizz New Reader

I vote SRT4......

engine swap into a 1st gen ACR.
May 8, 2011 3:42 p.m. FlightService HalfDork

For 6 grand I can think of a plethora of nice sporting vehicles to buy. But given what you have, what you are looking at, and your current situation. Fix what you have and don't look back.

2 grand in 3 years.

$2000/36months = $56 per month.

I think you should be able to budget that and it's much less than a car payment.
May 9, 2011 5:09 p.m. KATYB Reader

ya 2k in 4 or 5 years is cheap.... add up all the broken sway bar endlinks i go through and i probably get close to that. nevermind the 2 throttle bodies in past year. shocks.... 500 a set... every 20k(ya im obsessive) and tires... oh lord. oilchange 50 each time. i wish i only spent 2k every 4 or 5 years. heck id take 2k everyyear.
May 9, 2011 5:30 p.m. paul Reader

Considering the insurance for a SRT4, your repair cost was nothing...

Consider 04-05 civic si, just as quick as the MS protege (if the si has the optional handling pack), very low maintenance, very cheap insurance...
May 9, 2011 6:03 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

you can also pick up some nice korean tin from the 2000+ that will basically need nothing. The Tiburon is a sexy looking car
May 9, 2011 6:37 p.m. corytate Reader

I'd recommend the neon based on the experiences of two friends, one with an 05 srt4, one with an 03.5 msp.
as said above, the motor in the msp is really basically a turd, the suspension setup and factory short shifter is phenomenal, the gearbox is a turd.
try to take the msp even a bit beyond stock and it'll be breaking parts left and right. I'd love to see someone put in the time and money to do a disi swap into one of these things, or to locate the awd trans from japan (jdm was awd turbo, didnt make it over here sadly) and put that in there and make it work. THEN the msp might be worth what people are charging for it. But you can buy a supra for 3k nowadays, a really good 3rd gen for under 6k. The msp will run you about 6k to 8k, and the srt4 will run you into the 10k range.
May 9, 2011 6:40 p.m. KATYB Reader

buy the 6k msp and throw some decent rods and bearings in it. get a good turbo twin scroll stolen off a 2.0t gencoupe would work nicely. piggyback it and have fun.
May 9, 2011 8:51 p.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

.....

Guys he made his decision back in... october?

I do know that if he gets rid of that AllTrac i'll kick him in the nuts personally. None of the cars mentioned make financial sense over the car he already has.

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