2003 Mazda Protege
a.k.a "Ryouta"
This is my project baby...2003 Mazda Protege LX 2.0. Bought it a little more than 2 years ago. I'm just an amature, but I'm a huge car fan, and my own small mods. More will come when more MONEY comes! By the way, I call the Protege "Ryouta", because it means "Strong/Well Built" in Japanese, which I thought very appropriate...every man needs to name his baby...
Quick 411 on Ryouta:
- AEM Short Ram Air Intake
- Magnaflow Axleback Exhaust
- 17" IKON 8GT5 5 spoke gunmetal with polished lip. Tires are 205/40R17. Front rubbers are Fuzion ZRi's, Rears are Falken Ziex (Winter Mode Tires & Rims: 15" TSW (R-System) lightweight aluminum 'racing' rims with Dunlop Signature Tires)
- Carbon Fiber style Tail lights
- 600 Watt Pioneer Subwoofer in a ported box with matching Pioneer 800 Watt Amplifier. All Stinger wires/fuses used, with 200 Watt JVC Deck (KD-LH300)
- Synthetic vinyl/leather seat covers front and rear; Black/Grey. Removed interior cloth door panel accents for cleaner look
- Mazda logos on all door sills
- Speedhut Reverse Glo Gauges
- MORE TO COME IN FUTURE :)
So far, I've done all the work myself possible (small things, but I'm learning). I'm an amature, but a huge enthusiast.
Future Mods:
- Toucan Strut Tower Bar (sanded down, painted new colour. Too lazy to go to dealership to buy new required strut brackets)
- Mazda CX-7 Stubby Anntenna
- Flip-Flop Trunk operation, powered by small hydraulic arms
- Evotion Lowering Springs (sitting in my room, will install next summer)
Wish List mods (aka don't know if I'll ever afford it but I'll try):
- Fiberglass or Carbon Fiber Evolution III style hood
- Carbon Fiber trunk
- Coilovers
- "Black Diamond" Headlights
- Aftermarket 4 to 1 Headers
...I could go on...
RECENT UPDATE: 17" IKON 8GT5 Rims + Rubber
Pretty self explanatory. Gunmetal spokes, polished lip. Picked it up from a fellow protege user a short while ago. Bought two new tires (Falkens) to throw them on before winter comes back!!! Here are pics after a wash down and on the car.
LATEST MOD: MagnaFlow Axleback Exhaust
No more dinky stock tailpipe! I finally have a nice low rumble that is not annoying or cheap-sounding. It is quiet normally and not annoying on the highway. When I want it to grumble, it really rumbles nicccceeee though!
PREVIOUS MOD:AEM Short Ram Intake
Finally got that big bulky stock intake out and put in a AEM short ram intake with matching AEM air filter. Surprisingly, I have no pictures of it yet! It's no turbo, but I feel the difference over the stock and am very happy with it anyhow! Better pick up from 1 & 2 thousdand rpm.
Page 1: Intro and Information
Page 2: Custom Interior Work
Page 3: Audio System
Page 4: Wheels & More
Page 5: Some Installation Pictures of my work
Page 6: Future Mods/Wishlist Pictures
