3rd Gen Protege/MazdaSpeed/P5/MP3 General/Maintenance Discussion for 1999-2003.5 Models Only (BJ Chassis)

What have you done to your 3rd Gen today?

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Old Oct 16, 2007 | 04:49 PM
  #1966  
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Oh yeah, and as for drivers there are also a bunch of maroons in my area. Today I was on a two lane road at a light, big concrete truck turns in front of me. No prob, he's going slow and I get to a passing zone with clear road ahead so I punch it (in the Speed so it went). As I passed him he blew his air horns at me. WTF? I can only suppose it was because he kept wandering around in the lane (over the line) and he was upset because I made him pay attention.
Old Oct 16, 2007 | 05:05 PM
  #1967  
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Originally Posted by _Kansei_
the spinners are gross but the car/paint is in EXCELLENT condition .. I mean look, it even has curb feelers!
the feelers only work when he parks close enough to the curb to use them, sure he put some cash into those stupid spinners but if he knows how to park shouldnt need to worry about grinding them.
Old Oct 16, 2007 | 06:37 PM
  #1968  
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Originally Posted by chiefmg
I see yet another storage shed in the backyard in the future...
You're allowed to? I know in CT, here, and where my parents have a summer house on the lake in NH you're only allowed one auxiliary building on your property (unless it is agricultural zoning)
Old Oct 16, 2007 | 06:39 PM
  #1969  
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Originally Posted by Hyperion
the feelers only work when he parks close enough to the curb to use them, sure he put some cash into those stupid spinners but if he knows how to park shouldnt need to worry about grinding them.
My road is pretty narrow (parking on one side of the street (alternating daily)) and you have to pull over to let people by.. so the feelers are good.

I want feelers, but of course power retractable ones (dunno if such a thing exists, but it would be easy to make). I can judge flying around cones pretty well (i.e. driving over the edge of the cone with my back wheel) but even after tilting the mirror down to street park I can only get within 10 inches at best.. usually I'm like 14" and I have to try again. Somehow I can judge parking spaces amazingly well though.. I think it's because I don't have to fear the rim grinding curb hell.
Old Oct 16, 2007 | 06:47 PM
  #1970  
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Originally Posted by _Kansei_
You're allowed to? I know in CT, here, and where my parents have a summer house on the lake in NH you're only allowed one auxiliary building on your property (unless it is agricultural zoning)
I would plead ignorance. I don't think things are quite so buttoned-down here in the heartland as in the northeast. We don't have many of the southern afflictions such as yard cars, but you do see some crap floating around. Basically right now I have one small shed under my deck (pre-existing) used for storing pool junk, and an 8X8 metal shed at the back side of my garage used for bikes/mower etc. I have right around a half-acre lot so plenty of room for another shed (probably at the back corner of my fence). In a perfect world I would be able to afford to add another garage bay, with a nice pit where I could work on things (in lieu of a lift). Doubt that will happen so I have to have some other place to put things.

In case no one has ever considered this, those pre-fab metal buildings have at least one thing in their favor. Easy to pick up and move when you need access for your ladder to paint the eaves!
Old Oct 16, 2007 | 09:06 PM
  #1971  
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I have a 2 car garage that I can fit zero cars into because of all the junk... that's changing real soon, haha!

Crazy story there Kansei, I wonder why he was pissed at you though, everything that happened was his own fault.
If he was in such a hurry, why did he have time to search all over for you
Old Oct 16, 2007 | 11:23 PM
  #1972  
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I went hiking last weekend. On the way,

1) motorcycle vs car head-on collision on VA211 near Skyline occurred probably 15 seconds before I got there. Rider was laid out on the ground but moving; driver had both hands in the air loudly muttering some religious nonsense.

2) on the gravel road to the trailhead a fast approaching F150 started fishtailing. The shitscared teenage driver sawed at the wheel as he narrowly missed my P5.

The wife and I were a bit shaken but continued on the hike. There sure are some kooks out there.
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 07:56 AM
  #1973  
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we are going camping on skyline in 2 weeks if you want to go
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 09:04 AM
  #1974  
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Originally Posted by _Kansei_
You raise the car, put the jack stands on the sides, then lower it down.. at that point, it sits evenly.
but after youre done and you want to take it off the jackstands, when you lower it back on the ground, you are putting the passenger side down first and then the driver side touches down. it looked like the passenger tire sat on the ground a little different than the driver side. but i guess all is good.
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 11:02 AM
  #1975  
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Originally Posted by meGrimlock
but after youre done and you want to take it off the jackstands, when you lower it back on the ground, you are putting the passenger side down first and then the driver side touches down. it looked like the passenger tire sat on the ground a little different than the driver side. but i guess all is good.
It's fine. The suspension will settle after you drive it for like 3 seconds
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 03:05 PM
  #1976  
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yeah just roll the car a little after you drop it down and all is well. That's why you aren't supposed to measure ride height change after installing new springs until you drive the car.

Plus I just checked today and the passenger side wheel touches the ground when there's only a couple millimeters to go on the drivers side.
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 03:47 PM
  #1977  
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Originally Posted by _Kansei_
That Caddy is honestly the nicest thing they ever park in front of my house.. the other cars being a 'twin cam' Saturn with 0 muffler and a 2002-ish galant that has just two hubcaps (which don't match) and every single panel is dented or smashed. It's also been missing a taillight for upwards of 6 months, how they haven't been pulled over I have no clue.



the spinners are gross but the car/paint is in EXCELLENT condition .. I mean look, it even has curb feelers!
Was it you or your roommate that saw the feelers and said "WTF are those?" I can understand feelers on an suv, but on a car they look pretty silly.

Thats funny that they've been driving around missing a taillight for 6 months with no problems, but I get pulled over for 1 of 2 of my taglight bulbs being burnt out.
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 04:57 PM
  #1978  
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I mounted my spare tire today --so much better than my Potenza RE750s (looks, ride quality, grip)
also washed the car.. it hadn't been washes since I took the set of pics that my past two sig pics were from (September 29th!!)

and I took a bunch of pics so that hopefully I can finally explain to everyone why I hate my little rubber band Potenzas so much.

first, two shots taken from similar angles (mirrored of course) showing the difference between the two front wheels/tires

first is the Potenza-clad wheel:


then the Ecsta MX goodness:


a shot showing how nicely a 215/40-17 on a 17x7 fills the wheel wells:


then a side shot showing both in the same pic.. this is pretty useless in this size, so click link below for 1600x1200 versions:


finally a shot showing the stretched-look rear tire vs the sorta meaty looking front


And here's a link to my flickr photostream where you can view much larger versions of all of these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clauretano/

I'm definitely going with a wider and taller tire for next spring --these wheels/tires will be coming off the car in a few weeks, then I'll get all 5 tires unmounted and really clean up the wheels nice.. get the little bend in the one wheel fixed, fix the scrape on one spoke on the spare wheel, etc.

Still undecided between 215/40-17 and 215/45-17 --they're both taller than the stock tire size, 215/40-17 is very close to stock size though. I think 215/45 might just not look right, as it never really does when I see it on stock MSPs. Being lowered will either make that look better or worse, not sure.

Ideally I'd like to run some 225s up front but I gotta be able to rotate my tires :P
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 05:57 PM
  #1979  
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kumhos are ftw. i likes the 215/45 on mine
Old Oct 17, 2007 | 06:34 PM
  #1980  
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those wheels are sexy, i have kumhos cant tell you all the numbers but their ok i guess I dont remember what the ride was like when i had the stock ones on there lol



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