2003 Mazda Protege

[Majyk]

I thought I should start a thread for my 03 Mazda Protege ES. I've had the car for about 2 and a half years and have done a few things to it but it's stayed really mild while I worked on other projects.

This is how it looked when I picked it up.







Here is how it looks now.









Mods as of now are 17x7 +38 Mille Miglia 1000 MM-11 wheels, 205/40R17s, lowered on Tein S. Tech springs, removed the ES badges off the fenders, half ass shaved the trunk badges, painted the top cap on the grille, converted the dome light, map lights, back up lights, license plate lights, and trunk light to LEDs, DDM tuning 5000k high/low HID headlights and 5000k fog lights, drilled and slotted rotors, removed the warning labels from the visors, painted the valve cover with VHT wrinkle red, made an intake with black JDM Sport couplers and polished intake piping and the factory air box with the rest of the duct work removed, OBX header and a 4" stainless exhaust tip.

I started getting pretty bored with the car so I started picking up parts for it towards the end of last year. The plan when I bought the car, as most daily projects start, was a mild drop and some wheels...that plan is now long gone.

[Nick475]

looks good man! i like these cars a lot

[Majyk]

Thanks man.

I did some trial and error on making some parts work on the car last fall and put them away in storage after I figured out what would work.

I modified a 94 Acura Integra "Type R" front lip to fit. I tried an EK Civic and an Accord lip that didn't work so well before I found the Integra lip to be pretty close.









I wanted to have a rear window visor but didn't want to pay the price for one made for a Protege. I had one that I got from a friend for an EG Civic coupe that fit descent but not exactly what I wanted. I ended up buying one for an Accord that didn't work then found one for an 01-05 Civic coupe that fit pretty well. I lost the pics of the test fit of it when I changed phones

These are the wheels I picked up. 16x8 +25 Enkei Crosslace. You may know them as the wheels that come on 90s Pontiac Grand Prix and Bonneville's.





I cleaned them up a little and had a buddy polish the lips for me.





Ziggy approves.



I got some Enkei stickers for the center caps and put the lug nuts down in the wheels.



At the tire shop. 195/45R16 Accelera PHI.



As soon as I got them home I put my fancy valve stem caps on.





And the beginning of the process. I worked out a deal with my buddy that I bought him his white wall for his fatty setup on his Ruckus and got him some clear corners for his Foxbody and bought all the supplies and he is going to shave my trunk badges, shave my spoiler, fix the little bit of damage on my rear bumper from being rear-ended a while back and paint the bumper, trunk, front lip and M3 spoiler.

[rice4life]

I can dig it, those enkei's are going to be awesome.

Is he going to weld the holes shut or bondo them over?

[Majyk]

They will be welded shut then any needed body work will be smoothed with Evercoat Rage Gold.

[Majyk]

I got these fancy things a while back for it.





I got them put on and the only problem is the front isn't low enough. This is how the the rear sits and it's still sitting on the tire. I didn't grab a pic of the front but it was barely tucking the tread on the tire with 2 of the 3 locking collars removed.



I ordered some 150mm 8k BC springs to replace the 200mm current front springs.

[FunfGang]

Ohhhh can't wait to see full pics with the coils on!

[gianni_blanco]

y you tease!!!

[fuhfuh.Focus]

Ohhhh snap! Another Protege. Looking good dude, really like those wheels.

[Majyk]

Thanks guys. No progress on mine. Still waiting on springs. We did get the fenders rolled on my buddy's 2nd gen Protege tho.

[Majyk]

Got bored while waiting on springs to come in so decided I would install some of the stuff I already had.

Double din, painted the center of the dash trim piece black, bubble shifter, and the shift boot my mom helped me make.



Honda Passport headrest that I vinyl dyed black. I had to take the post to my bench grinder to make them fit right.



Broadway mirror.



Window visors.



01-05 Civic coupe rear window visor.



Mirror visors.



I promise the next update will be pics of the car on the ground.

[Majyk]

Still missing body panels but here she is...





With my buddy Anthony's Integra.



At the car wash waiting on a friend before the local Sonic Cruise Night.

[Majyk]

Got ahead of myself and didn't learn anything from my buddy doing the same thing with his Forester. Drove it and didn't move the harness further up into the fender.



Pulled it all apart and only had 2 broken wires and a couple more missing some coating.



Got everything fixed and wrapped the harness back up. Now I just have to pull it up into the fender and it's good to go.

[fuhfuh.Focus]

Yeah I need to do that on mine too.

[Majyk]

Ya I made it like a mile out of town and it killed the car. It blew the "engine" fuse and rubbed thru some ground wires and the horn and drivers blinker power. I ended up raising the car 10mm because the front wheel tubs were grabbing the tops of the tires in corners on the highway trying to straighten the wheels out. It may just be because I don't have any sway bars anymore. I turned it up and now my dampers are at 22 in front and 18 in the rear instead of the recommended settings of 12 and 8 where I started.

Here are some cell phone pics from after work the other day.









We spent some time on my buddy's second gen Protege again.