Hey!

New to the forum. I just brought home my 2003 MP5 this weekend. I've always loved the look of the MP5's. So I decided to go ahead and get one as an extra car to build up as a hobby. So with all knowledge in here I thought I'd get some opinions.

I would like to start slowly and get the small stuff out of the way before tackling the larger more complex stuff. A friend suggested I start with the air intake system 1st. What do you all think? The car is all stock btw.

Thanks hope to chat with you all frequently.

Steve

 

well if i had some extra cash, i'd do a full exhaust sytem, from the headers all the way down to the tail pipe.

what size engines do those cars come in though? i'm not too familiar with the p5 engine size but i know what car you're talkin about

 

Welcome to the forum.
My suggestion, set a goal, or think about what you want the end product to be, then work your way toward that. It's always good to have a plan. And base it on what you can realistically afford over time.
If you're going to stay N/A, then by all means start with the basic bolt-ons.
Turbo? Forget about a header.
Auto-cross plans? Start working on the suspension.

Anyway, you get the idea.

 

Well Kargo I do have a plan to put the major work like a turbo or exhaust later in the year. But for now Im looking for minor upgrades any thing to give me a little more HP and maybe some eyecandy inside and out. Intake is fairly cheap Im thinking i may start there. Im just tryin to get a feel from you vetran MP5 owners on what you all consider good 1st steps.

 

Gary, (kargoboy) is absolutely right. There is a right way to mod and a wrong way. You're wanting to do the wrong way.

Here's a little background info. If you plan on adding a turbo later you need to save up and first buy a forged shortblock. Our stock blocks are NOT boost friendly. They break very easily. Boost only shortens their life. If you can't afford a forged block then you don't need to worry about FI. Don't do it backwards.

Secondly, NA modding makes almost no power without sinking a ton of money into the car. It's generally accepted that NA modding is not worth the investment unless you'll be happy with 120whp when you're finished.

I've got about $7K in mods to my P5. If I could do it all over again I'd buy parts in a LOT diferent order.

0. AWR front and rear motor mounts
1. AWR baffled oil pan (if you plan to run corners)
2. single runner intake manifold (to prevent VICS failure)
3. MSP front brake upgrade
4. Haltech E6X / MegaSquirt2
5. forged shortblock
6. lightweight flywheel and SPEC stage 2 clutch
7. THEN add the supercharger.

I pretty much did it backwards and paid dearly for it.

A smart person isn't the one who never makes a mistake. The smart person is the one who learns from the mistakes he makes.... Be the smart person.

 

Here's my plan:
Intake and exhaust (done)
Short throw shifter
baffled oil pan
motor mounts
springs and struts
intake cam
wheels and tires
header

In that order. But that's all I plan on doing. If you're going to do something big, by all means, get some inexpensive and fun mods now to keep it interesting while you save up for the big stuff.

 

My 120whp gets me no love from da ladeez....

 

same here.

 

Hey, welcome to the forum! Everything good has pretty much already been noted. Make a plan with what you want do. And yeah, make sure you prioritize your stuff....Dont go slapping a turbo or SC on there and cranking up the boost without the necessary things to support it becasue thats when things go wrong!

Again, welcome to the forum.
Scott D.

 

I would seriously take the advice above from Roddimus

The Protege is a fun sporty feeling car stock, and are fun to drive. I personally think the P5 is a little *** heavy- however still a ton of fun. Not fast and not the greatest handling ever, but still fun. Save your money and mod wisely, if you jump steps, youll end up spending more money than is needed. Made the mistake with thr Protege and the Integra- that is why I have done the suspension twice on both cars. If there is a moral to this- MOD WISELY, and take your time.

 

shoot me a copy of your list and let me set you up on a package deal of parts to get you started. be sure to visit my site as well.