The Cure for Projectitis

[PDenbigh]

Yes! 2.3 Turbo's are the bestest!

[white_2kgt]

a very good choice indeed.

tip: don't f'ing touch the thing. not a damn thing... maybe wheels and tires, but don't start adding power and crap... it'll suddenly turn in to a shitpile project just like the rest of em.

tip #2: get a cheap project car... you'll miss wrenching and having something to throw bits of money at. if you're like me, they're very little bits over a long period of time so it doesn't affect the wallet too much.

BINGO, this is my plan with the 02 Mustang and the 99, the 02 will be TIP 1, and the 99 will be Tip 2 (well, not really cheap...). Although I just put caster/camber plates and coil overs on the 02 last night :roll:

[Beej]

ditto on my STi. its nice not having to do shit except change fluids and tires. otherwise, that bitch is stock and still pretty fast. i did put that blingin' CF lip i bought from BJ several months back. i have been contemplating a turbo back exhaust though because the sound of that boxer engine is amazing. i'm just afraid of that slippery slope

Uh, ditto on everything Maeng said. I'm getting rid of all projects, and might do little stuff to the Scooby. Basic, tried-and-true stuff like turboback/tune are hard to look away from.

And Maeng, I'm buying another goddamned CF lip one of these days.

:thumbup: Rex. Fucking e30's.

[CaptainHenreh]

Awesome car Rex!!

Although, I heard a story about this um, kid, who took one from a roll in an autotragic IS300 the other night with a couple of passengers in the car. I couldn't tell you who that was, I just happened to witness it...

It's quite possible. The throttle is limited in gears one and two, so if it was from a "slow roll" I can definitely see this happening. But an MS3 would flashburn your ass on an interstate.

Funny this, see I, erm, heard of this, uh, guy who rolled a 5 speed modded IS300 from a roll in an MS3.

Rolled him hard from 40-80. About, uh, 40 minutes ago.

Also, I want a CF Lip. I think that this car could really look good with one.

[WRXtranceformed]

He must have been a n00btastic driver! Auto > manual for teh noobz

[CaptainHenreh]

He must have been a n00btastic driver! Auto > manual for teh noobz

:-p

I dunno, we danced for about a half mile before traffic got clear enough to "go" from a roll.

Had a good time though.

[CaptainHenreh]

2 Years and 20,000 miles, so far the "cure" has proved effective. I *did* get a cheap project motorbike, and between that and my amateur gunsmithing I haven't had the slightest urge to do anything to the Speed3 but change the fluids and rotate the tires.

It is "fast enough" although it'd be no effort to make faster, and except for an absurdly loud clunk in my suspension at slow speeds (which Mazda claims is an ABS self check) it's been totally care-free.

I'll need new tires within 10 or so thousand miles, but in all honestly this is probably the best way anybody could spend 23 grand.

[HAULN-SS]

jeebus. you just reminded me why i sold the legacy with 50k miles on it, and i've put another 42 on the malibu. Go drive your car some more.

[WRXtranceformed]

My car does the same clunk, with the same claim from Acura. Usually right after I start it, or switch it from reverse to drive.

[Jewels]

jeebus. you just reminded me why i sold the legacy with 50k miles on it, and i've put another 42 on the malibu. Go drive your car some more.

He drives it every day. Its just, he has a 5 mile commute. You don't really rack up miles when you are only putting 50 miles a week on it. Also, we take my car a good bit. My car is 4 years old and has 85k on it.

[CaptainHenreh]

Yeah. When you don't have to drive from Bumfuck, West Virginia you don't rack up many miles on your car.

Alot of people complain about the torque steer on this car, but I just don't see it as a big problem. If you're not talking on your cell phone, drinking a Big Gulp, and playing with your dick at the same time, you've probably got a good grip on the wheel. Driving the MS3 just requires a firm hand. (Kind of like driving RJ's mom. Hey-o!)

The traction control/boost limiter in 1&2 doesn't really bother me either. There's a silly amount of torque in this car, and in anything less than ideal conditions, WOT in first or second is going to result in wheelspin. Hell, when it's cold, my TC light comes on even at half throttle. I continue to be a little annoyed at the way they capped the power on the beast, (by closing the throttle plate as the RPM's rise in the upper RPM band) but in all honesty I'd probably do it this way also.

I'm really happy about the color. The Cosmic Blue (kind of a darker metallic birds' egg blue) is attractive and definitely unique. I get lots of compliments on how good looking it is, when really the Mazdaspeed additions don't set the car apart from the more mundane 3's on the road. The 18" wheels probably do the most of that, but honestly I don't mind. Driving around a little Q-Ship has serious advantages up here.

I did get backed into (On Christmas Eve!), had a fist-sized dent put in just underneath the rear glass. My insurance 'gave me the benefit of the doubt' and let me get it repaired under my uninsured motorist coverage.

The only Mod I've done is a Jeff-Special Sirius install. He replaced my ashtray with a black panel and put the interface on top of that. It looks really nice, A+ Jeff. People (Kaan) encourage me on a regular basis to just go ahead and hand Cobb Tuning my visa to see what 300whp feels like, but I'm just not ready to put my balls in the lion's mouth. It would be just my luck that on day 2 some weird machining tolerance would result in my crankshaft taking the afternoon off. It still feels shiney and new whenever I get in it, so when the warranty is up and she's all paid for, then it's 300hp or bust.

Finally, my favorite part about the car:

Hatchback. Wagon. Grannysled. I don't care what you call it, having 5 doors is awesome. I love it. I can carry stuff, or people, or both. No worries about pushing my seat up so someone can blow out their knees getting in the back seat. No more falling over trying to reach something I threw in the back. Plenty of room in the hatch for a little toolbox, an ammo box, and anything else I feel like throwing in there. It's beautiful. Also, a little primer:

Sexy as hell:



Ugly as fuck:

[ScottyB]

except for an absurdly loud clunk in my suspension at slow speeds (which Mazda claims is an ABS self check)

count me in on that noise too. happens every morning, about 30 feet from when i start moving out of my spot.

[HAULN-SS]

MS3 = MS6 in cost? I think i read you paid 24k for this car, and I feel like thats waht they had an MS6 listed at back when I was looking

[CaptainHenreh]

MS3 = MS6 in cost? I think i read you paid 24k for this car, and I feel like thats waht they had an MS6 listed at back when I was looking

23k literally out the door. Taxes tags etc. Yes, at one point you could get an '06 MS6 for cheaper than a '07 MS3...

[Goodspeed]

Member "lytoy" (Justin Hensley) dyno'd his MS3 at the car show last weekend and it put something stupid down, like the flywheel ratings but at the wheels IIRC. I believe he had just an intake, but still...damn impressive.

[lyltoy]

Rex, I would agree with 100% of what you said, I love this car and have no issues with it. I have only had mine a year with less than 10,000 miles and it makes me smile from ear to ear every day i drive it.

with just a short ram, my car put down 264whp and 294 ft/lbs

Justin

[Ken]

^yeah that was definitely impressive.
I'm just waiting for the summer to be able to afford a tune, hopefully should see about 225ish whp and 250ish wtq