I may have bought another car....

Kinja'd!!! "gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
11/25/2014 at 22:47 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!6 Kinja'd!!! 14

I need to stop having three cars, it happens too often....

Basically, my friend is moving to Italy in a month, the insurance ran out on his car, and he asked if I wanted it for very cheap. So naturally, I said yes, of course I have room for yet another car.

It's a 2002 Mazda Protege5, with 214k kms on it, standard, and I paid $500 for it.

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Mostly because the rear arches, one of the rockers, and the hatch are rusting. They've been horribly bondo'd or something, and the Protege5 badge doesn't even sit flat on the body.....also it could use tires, and some not cheap aftermarket rimzz that used to be chrome probably but are now just brake dust-eaten terribleness. Why did I buy a rusty Mazda with ugly wheels? It's standard, has a super clean interior, and here's the list of work done, with receipts, in the last 30k kms:

-Front shocks/springs/spring seats and bearings

-Rear shocks/springs/spring seats and bearings

-Front sway bar end links

-Rear sway bar end links

-Timing belt/tensioner

-Thermostat

-Water pump

-At least two of the wheel bearings...looking for records of the other two

-All four corners got rotors and pads

-Rear calipers

You get the idea....it's been well maintained, except for the rust situation. So this is the new winter beater, well, or I'll get impatient, and put the plates on the E21 anyways and sell this for more than $500.

Kinja'd!!!

Oh and it got scraped by a Jeeps bumper, so duct tape is stopping the bumpier cover from flapping in the wind.

I've had too many cars for a 20 year old


DISCUSSION (14)


Kinja'd!!! Thunderface > gmctavish needs more space
11/25/2014 at 22:48

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good buy


Kinja'd!!! dogisbadob > gmctavish needs more space
11/25/2014 at 22:52

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I've always liked the P5 for some reason.

Ford was really good about wagons at the time, perhaps the last major automaker to offer a reasonably full wagon lineup in the US. P5, 6, V40, V70, Focus, Taurus, X-Type, hell yeah!


Kinja'd!!! gmctavish needs more space > dogisbadob
11/25/2014 at 22:57

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I like how it looks more than basically any of it's competing Japanese hatches/wagons.

Yeah that's true, I can't think of anyone else that had that much going on. And all of those could be manual except for the Taurus!


Kinja'd!!! dogisbadob > gmctavish needs more space
11/25/2014 at 22:58

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The V40 couldn't be manual in the US :(

Still good, though.


Kinja'd!!! Gated Manual > gmctavish needs more space
11/25/2014 at 23:00

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Congrats. I used to own the exact same one. 2002 with the 5 spd. manual. Handled great. But yea it does rust around the rocker panels and the P5 badge.


Kinja'd!!! gmctavish needs more space > Gated Manual
11/25/2014 at 23:04

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Oh cool! Yeah I've only driven it today so far, but it feels really tight and corners awesome. It also has a strut bar, dunno how much of a difference it's making though


Kinja'd!!! gmctavish needs more space > dogisbadob
11/25/2014 at 23:05

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Damn :( Yeah still a good track record


Kinja'd!!! HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > dogisbadob
11/25/2014 at 23:11

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but the V50 can

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Kinja'd!!! WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > gmctavish needs more space
11/25/2014 at 23:29

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My uncle has the same car in sedan form. It's got a stick as well, and also has the same rust issue.


Kinja'd!!! Sith Lord Sexy Pants > gmctavish needs more space
11/25/2014 at 23:39

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Careful. Don't get too attached. I purchased my 2002 P5 six years ago with the intent of using it as a commuter for a couple of years while saving up for something nicer. Now I can't convince myself part with it. Damn thing is crazy fun to drive.

Couple of things to watch out for: Original motor mounts seem to tear easily. And the HVAC fan control is glitchy on the 2002 (swap it for an '03).


Kinja'd!!! Wacko > gmctavish needs more space
11/26/2014 at 00:15

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does the rear wiper still work?

I had a 2003 from 2003 to 2010. They had a hard to find tire size, and I think they came pre-rusted.

The rust on yours doesn't seem too bad for a 2002.


Kinja'd!!! Have car, will drive (now has a motorcycle too) > gmctavish needs more space
11/26/2014 at 00:44

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I need to stop having three cars, it happens too often....

I agree, four or five would be much better ;)


Kinja'd!!! dogisbadob > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
11/26/2014 at 15:33

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Yeah the V50 is nice, but I still like the V40 better.


Kinja'd!!! gmctavish needs more space > Wacko
11/26/2014 at 20:46

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It does! It doesn't seeem too bad.....but those are pretty bad iPhone 4 pictures