03 mazdaspeed protege build

Looks good!

Thanks Tom

I need to get a project car going. I sold the 944 and have been dreaming about a locost or similar for 10 years. It might be time to finally take the plunge and build something unique. The trick is doing it on a shoe string budget.

I hear you. I've slowed down a lot while pursuing my bachelors in mechanical engineering yet working full time still. It's not easy to juggle the two plus a wedding here in a couple months. At this point I almost feel in over my head on this car. Can't sell it because no one would want it in the state it's in and not to mention wouldn't get anything for it.

thepope540 wrote: I need to get a project car going. I sold the 944 and have been dreaming about a locost or similar for 10 years. It might be time to finally take the plunge and build something unique. The trick is doing it on a shoe string budget.

Are you still doing the CAD work? I feel like the company was frozen something or other - I don't have a clue why I remember that at all.

Just keep working a bit at a time - the car doesn't look too far from done. The MSP market is fickle, there are still cars bringing close to $10k and not too far away there's an '03 with a blown turbo for $1500. I keep thinking about getting another, but it can't replace my V70 as a dad mobile and my ideal play car has half the weight, double the drive wheels, no roof, and double the power.

Good luck with the degree and wedding!

Yep, been here for almost 5 years now. It's Freezing Systems and Service Inc. Liquid nitrogen and liquid CO2 and gases of the same. Lots of engineering something to shrink and still function properly and ease of maintenance.

thepope540 wrote: Are you still doing the CAD work? I feel like the company was frozen something or other - I don't have a clue why I remember that at all. Just keep working a bit at a time - the car doesn't look too far from done. The MSP market is fickle, there are still cars bringing close to $10k and not too far away there's an '03 with a blown turbo for $1500. I keep thinking about getting another, but it can't replace my V70 as a dad mobile and my ideal play car has half the weight, double the drive wheels, no roof, and double the power. Good luck with the degree and wedding!

Well, I figured out my how to fasten the windshield complex. I'll be using these fancy rubber well nuts. I plan on using washers in combination to help prevent the window from separating from the car as well though. I plan on using the same system for the rear window as well. I've also been holding back on pictures of the 3" catless exhaust I nabbed from a friend in Ohio. Drove 3 hours 1 way to pick it up for a great price.

Cleverfrog wrote: Well I'm jumping in on a group buy for a gearbox fix solution. Nicely engineered and thoroughly tested. Requires milling and drilling and tapping. I don't plan on putting down as much hp as it's rated to but it's still nice to have that peace of mind. less flexing is always good. Probably won't go in the car until after this season though.

Can you send me details on the gear box fix? I have a 2002 Protege that was built for World Challenge. The NA Motor in it supposedly puts down ~240hp. Previous owner went through 3 transmissions and that is when I bought it. I am on the lookout for a new transmission, but I have 3 sitting in the garage that need rebuilt.

When I bought the car it also came with a bunch of extra custom suspension links, camber plates, springs, etc. Need any?

After almost a year, seemed like an eternity, she finally started again. Good idle and great sound. Reconnecting a battery the first time though tripped the alarm and freaked out a lot of components. Turned out a group of grounds wasn't bolted down. Now I've got to bolt the windshield down and the side window. Also before I can drive or put wheels on I need to tighten the suspension components and double check every nut and bolt.

first start

shoup wrote: Can you send me details on the gear box fix? I have a 2002 Protege that was built for World Challenge. The NA Motor in it supposedly puts down ~240hp. Previous owner went through 3 transmissions and that is when I bought it. I am on the lookout for a new transmission, but I have 3 sitting in the garage that need rebuilt. When I bought the car it also came with a bunch of extra custom suspension links, camber plates, springs, etc. Need any?

If you go over to mazdas247.com and search for a member named Ferdi he's the guy to talk to. He designed and machined them all.

Well, there's either a ground issue or I blew a fuse or two. I'm thinking it was too light of a fuse for the starter pull. Plus they're from ebay so that doesn't help. I don't have a multimeter at this moment to test, but I'm picking one up after work since it'd be handy to have. Got some hunting to do before I can drive it.

Pictures are our friends. The windshield bows in a bit due to the sealing material from the glass window but other than that it's exactly the way I need it. The battery is still being worked on. I ordered some 1/0 wire and 300 amp fuses for the battery set up. I forsee some test driving within a weeks time.

Did you find the electrical problems and get it running?

Dusterbd13 wrote: Did you find the electrical problems and get it running?

Ah, yes I did. My mini ANL type fuse was too light. I'm switching to full sized ANL and doing 300 amp fuses for the starter.

Well, she starts again. Cranks nice and hard with the bigger wire and fuse. My CEL light went away after messing with vacuum routing a bit. Boost gauge however isn't reading boost. I think the wiring may be mixed up or it's not grounded properly. I'll have to dig tonight after work. Painted my battery bracket and cleaned up a little. I'd like to find a heat gun and remove all the sound deadening material in the cabin to help shed weight. It looks dirty.

Woooooo! Pieced her together last night. Figured out the boost gauge and cleaned it out. THEN, I got to finally test drive her There's an idle issue I think that's a result of the thermal spacers on the throttle body. It changed the length of the throttle cable. I'll mess with the IAC tonight see if I can't get her idling right. She's a gokart again! Here's some pictures of the proof haha.

I'd like to find a heat gun and remove all the sound deadening material in the cabin to help shed weight. It looks dirty.

Sometimes freezing the sound deadening with dry ice and pounding on it a little or prying underneath works better than heat gun. It depends on the type of sound deadening though.

After driving it last night I'm not sure I want to remove the sound deadening material. Every time I drove over gravel or sand it sounding like it was turning into a DeLorean. "quote Jeremy Clarkson"

Way cool dude! I'm sure its a TON of fun!

In reply to petegans:

It is. I'm not sure what made a bigger difference. The air fuel controller or the weight shedding. It's like driving a grown-up sized gokart!

Looking damn good, hope to see plenty of video soon!

In reply to JtspellS:

As soon as it's not raining or wet.

I need to get a new boost gauge. This prosport isn't reading properly. at full boost it reads -10hg. I'd be able to feel if I had that much boost leak.

Or maybe the turbo mazda is so powerful that you can't tell?

Looking good. And I hear you on how loud a stripped interior on the street is. Had a few daily drivers like that, and NEVER AGAIN.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

Hahaha, yeah my 7psi turbo boost is too much I definitely won't daily this, but I do plan to putz around from time to time while not autoxing.

They call me crazy eyes

Idk if I sold it yet or not, but I might have a vacuum boost gauge with -20 to 20psi sitting around. Don't quote me yet though I'll have to look around.

In reply to JtspellS:

I'm having a friend check on a gauge for me. I don't think -20 is low enough for my vac. It's supposed to drop to -23. Thanks for the thought!