Poll: Get a New Car or Mod Protege?

[Ice88]

So recently ive had a look at corksport and PG and it would appear that NA stuff is dieing badly atm. Alot of stuff that used to be around doesnt seem to be anymore, so it got me thinking about getting a new car at the end of the year.

I finish uni more or less at the end of the year with the only subjects left being industry placement. I should have about 7-8k saved by that stage. Sell mazda and get a new car or mod the protege are my real options.

The mazda i have is an 02 model so 8 yrs old. Im not sure what options i have for a new car, i like the look of the new corolla but the engine looks a bit iffy.

Cars im considering:
Mini Cooper
Rx8
Corolla

[chicaboo]

I'm over extreme noisy NA builds from Mazda engines. I say turbo or get a new car.

The ZRE152 Corolla = hideous. :( The ZZE123 Corolla on the other hand has plenty oomph, if you can deal with the very limited suspension adjustments...

[marcs_sp20]

You will find that once a model becomes more the 5years old, they'll stop making aftermarket parts for them, I mean look at the range of stuff you can not buy new from Autoexe for the Familia/Protege/Astina anymore, its all used or nothing now...

I'm going to be biased and say keep the Protege, although many parts are still available through yahoo japan and over the states, you can still get quality parts for it (not that you cant for the other options you have)

I see that you were looking at getting an exhaust manifold from the states, I say get it, find a CAI, and focus on suspension + rims :) (as thats what I will be doing in the coming months)

But make your decision on what you want, not us ;)

Cheers
Marc

[RustyKaos]

I vote new car as the RX8s are hot and the new mini is cool as well.

[project.r.racing]

When they were new, the ZM and FP engines had a lack of performance mods available. I am surprized they have been readily available for so long.

I reckon new car. If performance is what you want, you ain't gonna find the mods to get you there. Unless you switch to a SP20.

Mini I like. Awesome looking performance package and just as awesome to look at.
RX8 I like also. But will cost you big dollars to mod to what it is capable of.
Corolla. It's kinda like buying a newer version of the protege you already have.

[marcs_sp20]

wtf is with Candy as an option? :p

[Mad Mat]

hmmm candy hmmmmm.


na new car. as ur 1.8 there isn't very many mods avalible 4 it :(

try a sp20 :P or mps

[bourbon]

i wouldnt look past a mini bro! as long as its the Cooper S...not extremely cheap for parts though...im lookin at a undersized pulley, but if i do that i may need a new intercooler...

[Ice88]

RX8 i love cause more room, but it does use a bit of fuel as its a rotary. Mini i love cause it has good economy :)

Corolla i like cause its a brand new model. I like the SP20s just dont like how they they start falling apart at higher RPMs.

[70NYD]

few weeks ago my car started falling apart, and i get over things very quickly. luckly it turned out to be a hairline crack in the number 3 lead, which was fixed cheaply enough and with a new rotor button and cap its flying again. thru the testing of various possible things that went wrong i found my compression is still good, 175 -180 across the range so i am keeping the car for good now.
but in that week or so between the start of the problem and the point i fixed it, i looked at many different cars, all differnt ranges.
1st i looked at one of my fav cars, lotus exige, but its 2 small + very pricy and stripped out. the lotus euro s is a bit better but heavier...
2nd i looked at skylines, and only one id want to get realistically is the vspec2 GTR34, but they are way to pricey, stock or 500hp+...
3rd i lookd at 200sx cus i allways liked the shape, but the ones that were done up and had the big dollars spent were not to my taste, and the stock ones were, well stock and to do it up i might as well get a exige lol
4th i looked at rx8, but a very wise man (whom some of you know) told me that the ones that were babyed along and not flogged have a carbon build up and therefore are more prone to breaking. on the other hand the ones that are flogged wil need new apex seals soner rather than later..
5th i lookd at series 7 and 8 rx7 (mainly the bathurstR edition) whats better than a twin turbo rotary ;) but they were expensive, smallish and parts and maintenance was high..
6th i looked at 350z but 3.5L v6 with no turbo stock, plus the 2 seats where at the furtherest back i still cant even closely straightne my legs turnd me right of..
i can go on like this forever but i decided that it will be cheaper to keep my car and mod it exactly how i please, and il still be able to whoop other rice burners if i do it right + the car is already done to my taste

what im trying to say do what makes you happy man, not what anyone else thinks. noone else will drive your car, nor will they pay for parts, fuel and rego.

[NaughtyGT]

I dunno if a Mini Cooper will be bought for that cheap bourbon? A v-good one I'm talking about ;)

Just do your research Ice. There are alot of bargain performance cars to choose from @ present. ALOT! Never have I seen so many legends (not bad ones either) for sale. Just make sure you get a bargain, not a lemon. Make sure the mileage is down & they hav'nt been owned by a toss. Again, do the research. It'll pay off bro!

If you mod. Ask yourself is it really worth it. As Chickaboo is hinting too. You can't match a stock turbo dollar for dollar for performance. You know the damn thing will take it & be reliable & get you from A to B. Modding an NA can be a waste of money, unless you really love the car. Then, that's OK. But you aren't starting with something tuff below. $$$$ to spend to get it humping.

All the best for what you decide. Btw, I kinda like the SP20/25's :cool: If you decide on Turbo, make sure it was maintained & you maintain it. High performance always = extra diligence with maintenance. Stock = reliability. Performance = diligence!

[bourbon]

i only paid 21k for mine ;) over a year ago...but i could sell it for 25k probably still...still valued at 29k

[NaughtyGT]

i only paid 21k for mine ;) over a year ago...but i could sell it for 25k probably still...still valued at 29k

spose I shoulda asked how much his car his worth? He has 7-8k on top of what he gets for his car. That was my point. Does he have 20+k to spend?

Ice, once you settle on what you want from a car. Be it your current one or a new one. Then you can make an educated decision. If you go pouring money into any car, you have to consider the re-sale value. Someone else may have the thing you really want? Just do your homework ;)

Iv'e never made money on a car yet. Specially in these uncertain times. Just look on CS.com or EBay :rolleyes: Plenty of diehards with the goods to sell. You just gotta be wise!

WATCH OUT with Imported cars. Polished turds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There sent over here when Japs are done with them. Klms are bull****e & they aren't serviced! Right now you can by a 90's model Cosmo (most expensive Mazda EVER made to this day) for $7500. Twin turbo 13B RX7 series 8 engine, leather wrap-around bone interior. All the mods you could dream of. Reco'd rotary engine (5k just spent). > $100,000 new! Check on CS.com! Well, wouldn't touch it! Why do you think this is?

[Ice88]

Yeah, i love the mazda i do and id really like to see someone with a nicely done up 1.8. Just cause no one does it. It wouldnt take much for me to be happy mod wise (reground cams, underdrive pulley, CAI, 626 IM, Exhaust header) just figuring that perhaps a cooper S or a rx8 make more sense money wise as well as being quick :)

Guess the other thing is when ever i buy stuff for the mazda i get lectured about spending money on the car (same thing happens with comp gear) even if i really need it. Like new engine mounts where needed so i got AWRs doesnt matter that the car needed them just that i spent money on parts, they dont like performance stuff. Every time i go to a agt meet mum n dad think im off street racing or something.

Its weird cause i can spend 2.5k on 1 set of speakers and an amp and they dont bat an eyelid, infuriating tbh.

Btw i didnt get those awesome headers from the US, paypal locked down on me cause apparently my account got accessed. Which is crap cause i dont think many people would have a stronger password then myself being that its randomly generated character password.

[Orion]

Btw, I kinda like the SP20/25's :cool:

Not sure if you mean:
323 BJ SP20
3 BK 2.0L
3 BK SP23
3 BK SP25 (latest)

In any case if you like your current ride but are not happy with the performance (and know it will be a struggle to massively improve it) then hold on to it but keep the modding to a minimal - it means you save money and frustration and will be in a better position to grab something else down the road.

[NaughtyGT]

Not sure if you mean:
323 BJ SP20
3 BK 2.0L
3 BK SP23
3 BK SP25 (latest)

In any case if you like your current ride but are not happy with the performance (and know it will be a struggle to massively improve it) then hold on to it but keep the modding to a minimal - it means you save money and frustration and will be in a better position to grab something else down the road.

oops my bad, think I meant SP23, sorry :(

[Ice88]

ohh and in regards to the candy option its so i can view the results mainly :)

[Orion]

oops my bad, think I meant SP23, sorry :(

No problem. Its just they are very different and I was a little confused.

[zappy65]

SP25 FTW!!!!...They are awesome cars and very zippy...love em...

[D Valerius]

Agree, maybe a little lowerage and i dont think id have to change anything else.

[02-KQ-LASR]

i think everyone has had this problem at one time or another. the only bit of advice i can give you, is do what you want too. if you like your mazda, do it up, if you want to move on sell it.
at the end of the day, everyone can say keep it, keep it, but your the one driving it.

i have the same dillema when i was wanting a better car, but i chose to build what i could with what i had. i dont regret it. the only thing i hate is that people automatically presume its just a laser. but it all stops when they see it. it pushes me to build something unique and personal, that i cant see at any car show anywhere.
the feeling i get when i take the car out of the shed and cruise it is worth every single $, every cut, bruise, scrape and every headache. to know i built it is worth more than everything.

[rodhog]

all I can tell you is this, if you ask this question modding a car is not for you.

A person who modifys cars will modify everything. I mean the extreme end. Think TIM THE TOOL MAN.
I do it house's - boats what every I will buy I try and option it.
Nothing is totally standard.

So to me even when car blows up gets smashed I still do something.
I modded my mothers Astina further then I had done to my other cars at that time.

all the money dead money.
Same for all cars.

But if you already want to trade up to something else. Why bother modding it. You will not be happy with it.
Alot of people Mod a car because it won't do this or that. It's the wrong way to think about it. Unless your pockets are deep, your mental or have limited out look on life.

Your always going to be better off starting with a fast car or good looking car etc etc to begin with. Ontop of that you want a car you are going to be happy with to modify if you even need too. I've tweaked all my cars or even other family members cars. Even ****ty holdens but, it's a mix of what owner wants and what car needs. Cars are always in need of constant maintance. So one can combine both.

But if your thinking turbo this or that but even have doubt over your love for the car. AKA - it won't suit your future job or life - AKA buy 200SX and your planning on wife and kid ? OR KIDS or DOG.

when you see a car fully modded out or restored. take note most of them it's not daily driver even if they say it is. they don't drive to work or they don't put km's on it. 10,000km's a year is baby km's by todays standards. 20,000km's is just getting started.

but one can tell you answered your own question

you want new car, and I suggest you hold onto the protege untill your fully established after uni. You never know your new job might involve a company car etc. Then you get to keep your 8K