pentium006

Well guys, i got a '02 LX in february, and have finally got the sound system up to what i think is acceptable. cash is tight, but i would like to move on to the performance and engine mods. getting right to the point, what would the best way to spend less than $1K and get a more powerful, faster, better handling car???? feel free to email me.


i would love to answer any audio questions.

the other forum i frequent:

www.sounddomain.com

njaremka

with $1k, you won't get much. here is where i would start:

$225 - Eibach springs
$350 - Bosal exhaust
$200 - AEM intake

these will take you up to about $775. then for another $400, you can get the mp3 anti-sway bars to take you up to $1175. however, please note the these prices are for the parts only. if you need to have a shop install them for you, you can probably double the cost. personally, i would install them myself and the toughest would be the springs.

pentium006

yeah, i know its not much to start with, but im a student, with only a part time job (doing audio installations). i think i will be able to install it all myself, or find someone who can help me for free. do you have links to cheap places to buy this stuff? and what specifically do you think the new springs would improve. how much hp will i gain with the intake? the exhaust?

lol, i feel like back when i was on the caraudio.com forum asking what a subwoofer was.

thanks

njaremka

you should get in touch with Mitch Buckner at:

http://protege5online.com/index.html

he has or can get anything you might want for the protege.

as far as performance goes, the springs will lower the car and stiffen it up a little. both adding to the handling of the car. with the intake and exhaust, figure about 10hp gain, or enough to feel an improvement. (the response from your right foot will be increased as well as the sound of the car.) if you hang out on this forum enough, you will find out even more about what works with these cars.

pentium006

yeah, im not sure if i want to lower my suspension though..... i live in michigan and the roads are shitty. also, i have neons under the car, and the closer they are to the ground, the better chance they get fucked up. i may do it though, im more just worried about shitty roads. so, anything preformance-wise that would fit a p5 would also fit an '02 LX??? thanks for the help

njaremka

the only thing the really won't work for both the sedan and the wagon are the exhaust systems because the two are different lengths. (the pro5 is shorter than the sedan) but, you can get similar systems for both, so no big issue.

the eibachs will only lower the car about 1.5 inches. if you are really worried about height, racing beat has a set of springs available that only lower the car 3/4 inches. (barely noticable) and then, there are the ground control coil-overs, which allow you to adjust the height of the car to your liking. personally, i don't like this setup for the north east because i don't think the collars will last that long with all the road crap that is used to melt the snow and ice.

pentium006

what part of the setup dont you like?

njaremka

it seems to me that the threaded collars would get corroded or buggered up if you had to adjust them every spring and fall to get the ride height right. i would prefer to have something installed then forget it.

same with the mazda speed struts. i would rather have something installed that didn't need a lot of messing with because of the weather around here.

Makaveli

if I was you, I'd get some nice wheels & tires with that money.... you might have to hang on for a few more weeks and get an extra 200$ but yeah. I feel that the handling on your LX is already better then average, and seing as you got neons, you shouldn't lower it more if you got any speed bumps in your area.