Yea I wonder what happened to Mazda they were zooming now they kinda build average cars for higher prices. Mazdas we're such values for what you got back in the day. Sun roof, leather.

Mazda looks ready for the capital rally race :D

Were they? GX trims didn’t get tachometers, no option for upgraded audio on mid trim (Toyota offered JBL as option on base 4Runner) …

my impression is they’ve always been like BMW - stingy with equipment but you got a nice drive

I don't think things have changed much for Mazda over the years - my Protege 5 back in the day felt nicer than a Civic but the tradeoff was a shit engine and so-so engines have always been part of the Mazda brand in exchange for nicer interiors and much better driving dynamics. The first gen Mazda 3 was the same way - nicer interior, better dynamics, terrible fuel economy (relatively).

Today, the drivetrains are outdated (6 speed autos?), the packaging is not great, the infotainment is meh but the dynamics are still great and the interiors are better than ever.

Feels like same old Mazda to me - quirky, limited R&D budget, going down their own path.

I wouldn't know about the leather seats, they weren't an option for the Speed, nor were the sunroofs (only on the regular 3's ) :p

You know, if I wasn't going camping that week I'd probably do it.

Protege drove great, Mazda 3 was more of a pig, but it was still a big upgrade from the protege, and feels pretty fast for 160hp. Had aux too!

Cat & rear muffler delete + spoon style exhaust tip for the W201 !

https://scontent.fyvr3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...ZA&oe=66BA4ECE

Monoblocks

How does that sound

how da fack did you reverse up that tiny ramp!? you're incredibly brave!

Replaced the cabin and engine air filters on the Boxster (no picture of cabin filter)
https://i.imgur.com/CqF0Upi.jpg

I washed both cars, the briefly turned white, no pictures

If you put in a fram filter we are no longer friends.

The hankooks on a Porsche was already a bridge too far….

No, it's not Fram. It's SuperTech from Walmart. :derp: (I wish, though.) :okay:

Just kidding. It's a WIX filter. But it turns out Mann+Hummel acquired them some years ago (as with Purolator, and I did not know this.) Oddly enough, Mann+Hummel and the Mann Filter part number is printed on the side of the filter, while the WIX part number is printed on the other side as an afterthought.

Knowing this, I probably won't pay the premium for Wix anymore, and just get Mann replacement pieces since it's cheaper. The cabin filter is also by Mann+Hummel. The previous air filter is also orange, and is by Hengst. I wouldn't be surprised if the air filter in your hitlerbox is also orange (probably a Fram.) :troll:

We need to set up a GoFundMe to get you eye surgery. :D

You’re my hero dukes. No porsche weenie I know would be caught dead with a non oem filter. They wouldn’t even know how to open the hood. They probably think the engine is in the front.

Don't tell anyone, but I use SuperTech synthetic oil for track days. :shhh:

You're the hero we need.

Like shit

Wouldn’t you want the cheap on for the daily, and the good oil when your beating the crap out of it? Or your super tech all the time? Thats ok with me. Lol

I use SuperTech for track days and Motul for daily. :troll:

Just kidding. :D

I use Mobil 1 or Motul, or whatever is cheap and on sale. I don’t have the guts to run SuperTech on the Boxster yet. I do know a few Porsche club track rats who use it exclusively in their cars for well over five years straight. They do used oil analysis and the results are impressive.

SuperTech synthetic is fine for track days~ I've used all manners of brand name and house brand synthetic oil on my beater Civic and M2 for track days in the past, and the engines still feel perfectly fine afterwards.

I will say though that anecdotally, Pennzoil Platinum and Ultra Platinum feel more "durable" than other brands of oil in the sense that the engine doesn't feel as coarse after a track day if it is running on PP or PUP, compared to many other brands. But of course, I am too cheap to spend $$$ to do a proper oil analysis.

I replaced it with an OE INA one, which is plastic. It'll likely fail sometime in the future, but we basically got 7 years out of the old one (started leaking last year) and we may not keep the car for another 7. INA makes the OE pumps and there have been several revisions over the years because of this problem.

Metal pumps and thermostat housings sound better in theory, but I didn't want to go with a metal pump from a third-party manufacturer. At least with the OE part, the torque specs and the tolerances will be more or less on the money.

Funny enough, I took the Sportwagen on a road trip the Rockies with the family last week. About 15 minutes outside of Kamloops, I got an EPC code on the highway. The car lost boost, so I pulled out the OBDEleven and found the code - turbo underboost. I managed to limp the car to Kamloops and had to call around a few shops to see if they could take a look. I popped open the hood once we got to our hotel and found that the boost pipe to the throttle body was half-way off the threads on the throttle body. I guess what happened was that I didn't tighten up one of the bolts on the boost pipe, which allowed the pipe to eventually come loose from the throttle body. I found a shop and they took in our car the next day and they were able to re-tighten the boost pipe. Our car did just fine for the rest of the trip.

Yep, E46 all the way. BMW problems for sure (leaking oil and degrading plastic/rubber), but everything is much more accessible for the shade tree mechanic with simple hand tools.

I mean I didn't technically do it, but I paid for it.

Stealth hitch install, now you see it.
https://scontent.fcxh3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...GQ&oe=669FC965

Now you don't.
https://scontent.fcxh3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...ng&oe=669FCA72

The installer actually wraps cars, but details and does these builds and things on the side, so the school bus was also detailed and ceramic'ed
https://scontent.fcxh3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...0w&oe=669FD8AD