Hey guys, newbie here with his first post. Joined the forum since I just bought a 97 protege LX few days ago for $1200. I actually got a lil confused since the guys advertised it as the ES model but on the car, i see SE on the sides. Then when I put the VIN for a car report, it gave me the dx/lx option to choose from. I think its a LX because I cant find any info about an SE trim in this year, maybe someone can clarify that for me? About the car, It's is in pretty good shape, was rustproofed on the underbody. Both wheel arches have rust forming but its not that bad. The car itself has 122K on the original engine and transmission. Has got A/C and the usual stuff. Car drove good, new brakes and new tires. I looked up the prices of how much the car should be going for and its around the $3k ball park. Initially I thought its salvage. When I went to see the car, It was confirmed that it was in an accident but by the looks and drivability of it, you could never tell. I could def see if it was in sort of a fender bender since the front bumper cover was not sitting perfectly aligned but that was the only visible imperfection. I looked at the struts and frame and it all looked good. Well I came home and did a car report and theres no mention of any accident lol. So i dunno, maybe the guys didnt know much about it. Well I wanna start meintenance on it, doubt its got a tune up yet so wanted to know, other than the belts and sparkplugs, what else should I change on it? I did have someone look at it before purchasing it. Basically the guy does safety and he did a quick checkup of if he was actually doing a safety, what parts would not pass. He brought to my attention, the outer tie rod on passenger side, link kit set, and driver side lower ball joint. Everything else should be good. So where do you guys get your parts for cheap? This is a beater and I wont be spending anymore $$$ than its basic meintenance. Sorry for the long intro but ill post pics soon.

 

Use Your VIN number and search google on how to decode a VIN number.
Also: the ES models have the 1.8L engine, the other models have the 1.5L engine.

 

Cheap parts at RockAuto.com.

 

Thanks tanprotege. I figured out, its the 1.5 by decoding the VIN. Also Im not in the states so ordering from rockauto might not be worth it with shipping expecially.
I had the car looked at by someone who does safety and he kinda looked over the major things real quick and mentioned a few things to be replaced before I get the actual safety done.
I called around locally (Ottawa) and kinda found out ballpark prices.
1) driver side lower ball joint
2) sway bar link kit for both sides
3) outer tie rod for passenger side
The prices im getting are as follows:
1) $25
2) $40 for a set
3) $20
Now for the ball joint, the shops were askin me if I needed the control arm too, but the guy who looked over my car didnt mention it, so im assuming just the ball joint would be good? Also with labor, how long do you think all this can take?

 

97:

The parts prices seem to be fair. Rock Auto often has some parts that are less expensive and I think its worth for Canadians to look at their offers. Build your shopping cart and let them estimate the shipping. I don't know how customs works for you.

If your control arm is not severely rusted or bent by accident than it won't have to be replaced. The other ball joint should get a shot of grease even if there is no grease nipple. The grease can be injected through the rubber with a needle.
The shop should be able to replace the parts within 1.5 hour- 2 hours. You have to give them a little wiggle room for rusted nuts.

Then you have to get the front wheels aligned. Shops typically have a set rate for that. Insist that they straighten the steering wheel as well. Sloppy shops won't care unless you tell them.

It's best to get a complete estimate before handing them the key.

GLTU-tan

 

Thanks for the info tan, yea as i was calling around, some of them did mention that ill need an alignment afterwards but thats no biggie. Just wanted to confirm what they were telling me was true, and you just acknowledged that, so thanks.
After im done with this, im gonna get a tuneup but i want the mechanic to tell me what parts it is that i need. I know for sure, sparkplugs, maybe the distributor cap? maybe all the belts? Anything else I should get looked at? I noticed some oil sitting right under the valve cover and i think the gasket could also use a replacement since theyre known to go bad on these cars

 

97:
plugs, wires distributor cap and rotor should be replaced together. Drive belts for AC and power steering and the one for the alternator should be inspected and replaces if any doubt appears.
Valve cover gasket: if it bothers you and you have the money. But if you want your engine to run perfectly and you don't mind the expense have the mechanic adjust the valve lash at this time. Be warned it is labor intensive and most owners won't worry about it.

Timing belt I already covered. If you keep the car for a long time replace the waterpump as well.

The antifreeze should be checked and replaced if it appears to be old.
Oil change of course.
Replace brake fluid. Many don't do this, but I think it is important because the fluid attracts moisture.

Now you should be good to go for a good long time.