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Hey SW. My first project.
When I got this car I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do. The factory color was called Spicy Orange, and stock rice was abundant.
It started growing on me when I realized how enjoyable it was to drive. These Mazdaspeed versions are full of goodies, proper sway bars, lsd, beefy axels, and a lil baby Garrett turbo. The interior got Sparco pedals and shift knob, a top mounted amp and sub in the trunk, and some mad comfy seats. Which even have orange stitching.
Even though this thing’s FWD it’s a proper fun driver’s car. I’ve driven plenty of real cars, and still there is just something about how this car feels. There’s this attractive rawness to how it feels and sounds, maybe not what everyone wants from their Econobox, but I quite like it. I could write a page about the handling, all the driver controls feel top notch, especially the steering.
Started out like any daily 3.5 years ago. I probably would have proceeded to rice it out right away if I didn't learn how rare they were in this color. Only 600 hundred in the US, and assuming they made 1000 of them, just 400 here in Canada. It was clean, low kms, and mostly stock, still on factory tires 7 years later. Interior was near mint and the paint was all original, aside from a rear-ended bumper.
I tried to keep it stock. That lasted a few months. I did the usual trial and error of different springs, spacers and stupid mad jdm mods for a season before cleaning myself up and going with BC BR extremes, which are awesome for this platform.
According to the original owner the car had only been driven through one salty winter, but the fender cancer was starting to spread.
I needed it to be clean, I like doing all my own work and would rather not take it to a shop for anything I can potentially do. After much deliberation I decided to take on the chore myself.
So spring of 2013 I spent two months doing research then trial and error to learn some semi questionable body and paint work. When I wasn’t at work I was under the car, grinded down all the rust I could find, most of which was fortunately just on the surface, and sealed/repainted the subframes, ¾ of the underbody, and some spots in the engine bay.
Blending the fender arch repair was definitely the most intimidating part of the plan. I wanted to blend in the smallest area possible, but at that point I had never blended anything, or even painted more than a lip. It’s difficult being a perfectionist and a beginner.
Not really great work, but I had to start somewhere. Blending was fkn intense, so much trial and error. I almost lost my mind out there lol. But in the end I managed to keep the color fade close enough to the arch line that it tricks the eye.
I was quite proud of myself at the time. Felt so good to finally wash, clay, and detail the paint.
I don't really have any good in-progress shots of the fender work but here's a before/after
The winter before the restoration was spend collecting parts so while I had the car up I started installing things.. Harder springs, Ksport rear camber plates with custom spring perches, and Megan Racing lower lateral links for more adjustability. Among a bunch of little upgrades and deletes; Split Second air/fuel controller, a custom air box and a HKS filter, air ram, bronze oil shifter bushings, Nyloil Shift-tranny brace bushings, and one step colder NGK plugs. StopTech slotted rotors and Hawk HPS pads. The SMIC was upgraded, and later I added a modified aluminum intake and hot pipe, with 1” bypass tubes and the Boost Sciences RDV to kill compression surge.
The interior got some attention too; pos Grip Royal on an NRG adaptor with self fabricated steering wheel spacer, and turn signal “engage-r.” Covering that is a custom bezel which contains the homemade horn connector, and is wrapped to match the wiper arm delete. Behind all that is a rare dual gauge surround holding a boost gauge and AEM wideband. All the removable window control, lock bezels, shifter/cup holder area etc were wrapped in Avery gunmetal vinyl. The dash center piece got the same treatment but with the outer strips as "brushed metal" vinyl covered in custom printed tint. The handbrake handle was adapted for a leather “wrap” and I had perforated leather shift boot made with orange stitching to (sorta) match the seats.
2013 was spent being relatively functional, looking sunk and somewhat oem+, still on the fence about doing my own thing. But last summer I moved on, retrofitted and refinished headlights. The BC coilovers now contain 152 mm Swift Springs rated at 11 / 13 kg/mm. Lathe turned fog deletes that induct air to the air box. Custom side sills and rear spats. More paint work, rear bumper, front pass fender, badge deletes, and a shaved hood.
The CR kai's are 17x9 et17 accompanied by 215/35 Fk452’s. The wheels actually came straight from japan to me, and took their sweet fkn time, but I ended up getting a nice deal because they weren't the color I ordered. I don’t really dislike the bronze but I’ll probably get them powder coated in the spring.
Thanks to my father for having sweet tools, and letting me use them, I have lathe turned aluminum rear spring perches, and pillow ball washers. Fly slotted front and rear camber plates for more angle. And a bunch of little stuff like the interior bezels or clear poly dust covers for the camber plates.
And this is how she sits as of now.
Funny how when things start to come together it never seems to be enough. I developed the ‘never satisfied’ disease this past summer. Even though I’m quite fond of the car it’s hard not to knit pick pretty much everything. So to keep myself from being too particular and critical of the Protege I picked up another project. I've only had the new project for a month and they’re both in storage but it’s working quite well so far lol. I've got plenty of plans for the car next spring and the next couple years, most of which I cannot disclose at this time, it all just depends how long I can hold off going all out on it. Half of me still wants to keep it closer to factory and the other half wants to start cutting things. Considering custom all metal wide body, raised motor, or going air. I like being static but it’s not even near low enough and I still feel I like the car too much to scrape 60% of the time. Either way; big things to come, thanks for reading and I am stoked for next season!
Congrats if you read all that lol
When I got this car I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do. The factory color was called Spicy Orange, and stock rice was abundant.
It started growing on me when I realized how enjoyable it was to drive. These Mazdaspeed versions are full of goodies, proper sway bars, lsd, beefy axels, and a lil baby Garrett turbo. The interior got Sparco pedals and shift knob, a top mounted amp and sub in the trunk, and some mad comfy seats. Which even have orange stitching.
Even though this thing’s FWD it’s a proper fun driver’s car. I’ve driven plenty of real cars, and still there is just something about how this car feels. There’s this attractive rawness to how it feels and sounds, maybe not what everyone wants from their Econobox, but I quite like it. I could write a page about the handling, all the driver controls feel top notch, especially the steering.
Started out like any daily 3.5 years ago. I probably would have proceeded to rice it out right away if I didn't learn how rare they were in this color. Only 600 hundred in the US, and assuming they made 1000 of them, just 400 here in Canada. It was clean, low kms, and mostly stock, still on factory tires 7 years later. Interior was near mint and the paint was all original, aside from a rear-ended bumper.
I tried to keep it stock. That lasted a few months. I did the usual trial and error of different springs, spacers and stupid mad jdm mods for a season before cleaning myself up and going with BC BR extremes, which are awesome for this platform.
According to the original owner the car had only been driven through one salty winter, but the fender cancer was starting to spread.
I needed it to be clean, I like doing all my own work and would rather not take it to a shop for anything I can potentially do. After much deliberation I decided to take on the chore myself.
So spring of 2013 I spent two months doing research then trial and error to learn some semi questionable body and paint work. When I wasn’t at work I was under the car, grinded down all the rust I could find, most of which was fortunately just on the surface, and sealed/repainted the subframes, ¾ of the underbody, and some spots in the engine bay.
Blending the fender arch repair was definitely the most intimidating part of the plan. I wanted to blend in the smallest area possible, but at that point I had never blended anything, or even painted more than a lip. It’s difficult being a perfectionist and a beginner.
Not really great work, but I had to start somewhere. Blending was fkn intense, so much trial and error. I almost lost my mind out there lol. But in the end I managed to keep the color fade close enough to the arch line that it tricks the eye.
I was quite proud of myself at the time. Felt so good to finally wash, clay, and detail the paint.
I don't really have any good in-progress shots of the fender work but here's a before/after
The winter before the restoration was spend collecting parts so while I had the car up I started installing things.. Harder springs, Ksport rear camber plates with custom spring perches, and Megan Racing lower lateral links for more adjustability. Among a bunch of little upgrades and deletes; Split Second air/fuel controller, a custom air box and a HKS filter, air ram, bronze oil shifter bushings, Nyloil Shift-tranny brace bushings, and one step colder NGK plugs. StopTech slotted rotors and Hawk HPS pads. The SMIC was upgraded, and later I added a modified aluminum intake and hot pipe, with 1” bypass tubes and the Boost Sciences RDV to kill compression surge.
The interior got some attention too; pos Grip Royal on an NRG adaptor with self fabricated steering wheel spacer, and turn signal “engage-r.” Covering that is a custom bezel which contains the homemade horn connector, and is wrapped to match the wiper arm delete. Behind all that is a rare dual gauge surround holding a boost gauge and AEM wideband. All the removable window control, lock bezels, shifter/cup holder area etc were wrapped in Avery gunmetal vinyl. The dash center piece got the same treatment but with the outer strips as "brushed metal" vinyl covered in custom printed tint. The handbrake handle was adapted for a leather “wrap” and I had perforated leather shift boot made with orange stitching to (sorta) match the seats.
2013 was spent being relatively functional, looking sunk and somewhat oem+, still on the fence about doing my own thing. But last summer I moved on, retrofitted and refinished headlights. The BC coilovers now contain 152 mm Swift Springs rated at 11 / 13 kg/mm. Lathe turned fog deletes that induct air to the air box. Custom side sills and rear spats. More paint work, rear bumper, front pass fender, badge deletes, and a shaved hood.
The CR kai's are 17x9 et17 accompanied by 215/35 Fk452’s. The wheels actually came straight from japan to me, and took their sweet fkn time, but I ended up getting a nice deal because they weren't the color I ordered. I don’t really dislike the bronze but I’ll probably get them powder coated in the spring.
Thanks to my father for having sweet tools, and letting me use them, I have lathe turned aluminum rear spring perches, and pillow ball washers. Fly slotted front and rear camber plates for more angle. And a bunch of little stuff like the interior bezels or clear poly dust covers for the camber plates.
And this is how she sits as of now.
Funny how when things start to come together it never seems to be enough. I developed the ‘never satisfied’ disease this past summer. Even though I’m quite fond of the car it’s hard not to knit pick pretty much everything. So to keep myself from being too particular and critical of the Protege I picked up another project. I've only had the new project for a month and they’re both in storage but it’s working quite well so far lol. I've got plenty of plans for the car next spring and the next couple years, most of which I cannot disclose at this time, it all just depends how long I can hold off going all out on it. Half of me still wants to keep it closer to factory and the other half wants to start cutting things. Considering custom all metal wide body, raised motor, or going air. I like being static but it’s not even near low enough and I still feel I like the car too much to scrape 60% of the time. Either way; big things to come, thanks for reading and I am stoked for next season!
Congrats if you read all that lol
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