1) Much of Pennsylvania is apparently nothing.
2) 24 hours of driving in one weekend is too much
3) 24 hours of driving in loud cars sucks
4) Mazda's 1.8 litre V6 is a very strange sounding beast. Me likey.
5) Said car also has one of the lightest factory flywheels i've ever felt.
6) The Escort will approach 40mpg at 75mph on the highway. NIFTY.
7) The MX3 "parts" car drives like it's brand new. Had no problems outhustling the Escort despite all it's modifications on the backroads in rural indiana. One of the stiffest factory suspensions i've driven in recent history. Capable of some SERIOUS velocity through 20mph suggested speed turns
8) The tight gearing of said MX3 gets really annoying at after a few hours on the highway. 75mph @ 4000rpms = deaf.
9) Am now contemplating just putting the 1.8 v6 out of the MX3 in the Escort and boosting the snot out of it.
10) Akron, OH, SUCKS.
11) Nothing like getting to a hotel at midnite, and then realizing that your girlfriend just locked both sets of keys in the Escort.
And finally:
12) I need a new pair of undershorts. After 24 hours in 1.8 litre naturally aspirated cars this weekend, and getting used to them (Man, that 130hp felt FAST by the end of the trip), the MX6 scared the E36 M3 out of me on the onramp to the highway this morning.
Pics to follow of the weekend.
Lesley
SuperDork
6/14/10 9:38 a.m.
I'd be interested in hearing your build updates. I'm on my second MX3, like them immensely. I'd really like to plop a KLZE mill in mine someday.
Lesley wrote:
I'd be interested in hearing your build updates. I'm on my second MX3, like them immensely. I'd really like to plop a KLZE mill in mine someday.
I'm not building the MX3, though. 
The MX3 is being cannibalized for the Escort.
But yes... after driving this one all weekend, i am now on the lookout for one. Everything just felt so.... RIGHT. It strangely reminded me more of my precious 5th gen Celicas than any other mazda i've driven.
I think i may be broadening my ST build project candidates to include an MX3 GS.
But to respond to your original comment, yep, i'll get a build thread going when i start tearing down the MX3 and get the KLZE in my hands. It'll move pretty quickly after that. I'm anticipating a weekend swap. 
I'm anticipating a weekend swap.
Anticipate away, then come back and tell us how much time it really took.
i have a dumb question for CelicaGt2: could a K8 V6 bolt into a Escort wagon?
DukeOfUndersteer wrote:
i have a dumb question for CelicaGt2: could a K8 V6 bolt into a Escort wagon?
Yep. Get a V6 MX3 parts car, grab the mounts, wiring harness, transmission, and a combination of MX3 and Kia Sephia axles and go to town. Worst part is trying to figure out a radiator that fits. Most go with Civic half-width units. 
carguy123 wrote:
I'm anticipating a weekend swap.
Anticipate away, then come back and tell us how much time it really took.
Touche.
Big plus here though... no custom work/parts required. It's like legos.
Orrrr.... if you hop onto Clubprotege, there's a 2nd gen Escort wagon with a KLDE swap 95% completed, and comes with near everything to turbo it as well.
340whp V6 Turbo Escort wagon?
He's selling for cheap, too. I bet you could walk away with it for $1000. It's in Michigan.
DAMNIT!! So far away! Ultimate wagon!!
EDIT: Found that guy's Wagon, i want it soooo bad! Its got probably 120 MORE horsepower than my 1.8T Jetta!!
Yeah, it's pretty sick. If i hadn't just bought this MX3, i would have picked it up for a Challenge car/most amazing badass DD EVER.
I probably would have intentionally dented the body some more, too. A car like that NEEDS to look disgusting.
93celicaGT2 wrote:
1) Much of Pennsylvania is apparently nothing.
"Nothing" is relative
If you are referring to the lack of development and population in some areas remember that is an attraction to some.
Personally I like the country, I like cities too but dislike suburbia.
daytonaer wrote:
93celicaGT2 wrote:
1) Much of Pennsylvania is apparently nothing.
"Nothing" is relative
If you are referring to the lack of development and population in some areas remember that is an attraction to some.
Personally I like the country, I like cities too but dislike suburbia.
Oh, i like the lack of development for sure. But it would be nice if it would be coupled with roads that didn't destroy cars, and roads that were actually marked. Even with Moparman giving me directions every 10 minutes, finding my way around was something from my most hellish nightmares.
I live out in the country here in pennsylvania, if you think this place is tough to navigate you should have tried jersey. They don't like left turns over there.
How good of a deal was this MX3 that you made a cross country trip?
Sounds like more fun than my weekend. My observation: When a friend asks you to help do a clutch job on a DeLorean, run!
Nitroracer wrote:
I live out in the country here in pennsylvania, if you think this place is tough to navigate you should have tried jersey. They don't like left turns over there.
How good of a deal was this MX3 that you made a cross country trip?
It was a good deal before the cost to go pick it up. After the gas money, hotel, and paying a towing company to break into the Escort, it merely become a price in which i don't feel ripped off, but i don't feel real excited about it, either.
But, in the end, i needed it, and it's mechanically perfect, so i can't complain. I should make a large chunk of that money back parting it out anyways. 
93celicaGT2 wrote:
1) Much of Pennsylvania is apparently nothing.
After driving most of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri many, many times over for work and leisure; I can say the same thing about these states too.
And how would you describe driving across Indiana?
pete240z wrote:
93celicaGT2 wrote:
1) Much of Pennsylvania is apparently nothing.
After driving most of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri many, many times over for work and leisure; I can say the same thing about these states too.
And how would you describe driving across Indiana?
I would probably describe it about the same way, just not as long.
mtn
SuperDork
6/15/10 3:50 p.m.
93celicaGT2 wrote:
pete240z wrote:
93celicaGT2 wrote:
1) Much of Pennsylvania is apparently nothing.
After driving most of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri many, many times over for work and leisure; I can say the same thing about these states too.
And how would you describe driving across Indiana?
I would probably describe it about the same way, just not as long.
You've clearly never done the North-South route
mtn wrote:
93celicaGT2 wrote:
pete240z wrote:
93celicaGT2 wrote:
1) Much of Pennsylvania is apparently nothing.
After driving most of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri many, many times over for work and leisure; I can say the same thing about these states too.
And how would you describe driving across Indiana?
I would probably describe it about the same way, just not as long.
You've clearly never done the North-South route
I have.... South Bend to Louisville. But the nice thing about that is that 2-3 hours within the trip, you see some civilization. I drove RT-80 from one end of Pennsylvania to the other. There was NOTHING there.
I think a big part of the problem was that i was already 6 hours deep in the trip by the time i hit RT-80, and it was dark, and i was bored and tired, since my girlfriend was sleeping at that point. Hard to entertain myself when there's nothing to be entertained with.
I have an excellent car for someone to put an engine in.
2000 ZX/SR in pristine condition. 75K miles, no rust.
