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Most Mazda racers enter Miatas or RX-7s, but you're actually better off- statistically speaking- with a Protege, 323, or other Mazda. 626s haven't done so well, but otherwise Mazdas have done great. More »
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While on the junkyard expedition that netted photos of a Black Gold 280ZX and the Groovalicious Purple Princess Of Peace Taurus, I ran across a couple of young dudes who were researching potential LeMons ideas.
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Right about now, it would be easy to make some jokes about moving your sourmash still from one pine forest to another... but there's no need. Simply looking at those Georgia pines, with this fine custom motor vehicle in the foreground... well, these photos tell a long story. We're not dealing with a Protege that's had the trunk converted to a pickup bed here- it's an actual truck bed welded to the ass end of the Mazda, and "ITS ON THERE GOOD!" It's not street legal in Georgia (apparently other states will accept it, though they aren't mentioned by name), but it is "INSANELY RELIABLE." Thanks to Beater Review for the tip! [Craigslist Atlanta; go here if ad disappears] More »
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After winning the 24 Hours of LeMons race at Thunderhill last month, a member of Team Red Meat and Poontang decided to celebrate in true hoon fashion: by getting the Protege up on two wheels in a parking lot! But is it really hoonage if the car has a cage? Thanks to Belvedere Adrian for the video! More »
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The last time we felt the flames of Project Car Hell licking at our flesh, the 2002 Maserati Coupe was beating the 1985 Ferrari Mondial by about a 60/40 margin in the polls. What lessons may be learned from this remain uncertain, but what is certain is that I've got 24 Hours of LeMons fever and I've got it bad; I'm scouring Craigslist day after day, looking for the right car to run in the Altamont race in May (even worse, sellers know I'm looking). That can mean only one thing: a Choose Your Eternity poll covering the cars driven by the top two teams at the Thunderhill LeMons race! More »
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If you've got an '02 Mazda Protege, is it enough to add turbocharging and nitrous? No? How about a lurid green-and-orange paint job? Sorry, but you need to have a truck bed on your turbocharged, nitrous-enhanced Protege before you've earned any bragging rights. Fortunately, such a vehicle is available right now on eBay Motors, with a Buy It Now price just under 20 grand. We figure this truckcar should be called a Protegechero rather than a Protegamino due to Mazda's long relationship with Ford, but we're willing to listen to arguments from the pro-Protegamino faction. Let's hope LeMons-winning Team Red Meat and Poontang takes the hint and adds a truck bed to their race car ASAP! [eBay Motors] More »
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Yep. A 1.6-liter bone stock 1999 Mazda Protege just won the Thunderhill running of the 24 Hours of LeMons. This friends, was an exciting race. With about 70 yards to go the #08 MR2 wound up on it's roof! We were hanging with the SE-R guys, helping them cheer on their driver as he made a desperate push to leap from 6th place to 5th. He must have come through the main straight at about 130 mph. Just cooking it. Beautiful racing all around, but the mega props go to Red Meat and Poontang, who told us the morning of that if they finish, they'll be on the podium. Good show guys, very good show. More »
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Hell to the yeah. Sure, the 1999 Mazda Protege is no longer being called "Super Jonny," but the #67 car's real name is even better. And it's running hard, finishing 99 laps in the first 2 hours. 3 laps behind in second place is that Nissan SE-R. We're not shocked. From there on down it's a jumbled mess of beater metal. However, the new results are getting posted in 8 minutes. So, we've got to go. See you soon. More »
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