Owner Review: Even if it has more shortcomings, it is always my dream car - My Proton Satria Neo 1.6 CamPro

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Basic information

Proton Satria Neo 1.6 CamPro

Reasons why I bought this car

strong>After a 8-month ownership of an 2018 Iriz 1.6 CVT, I found the CVT to be dreadful (Not only it's boring, it jerks in stop-and-go traffics). So I visited a workshop and asked whether it's possible to convert it to a manual. It's possible but finding a donor who wants to go from manual to auto is like one in a million chance. 
Here's the fun part, the mechanic took me along on a test drive in a fully rebuilt and modified Satria Neo CPS before delivering it to a customer. I once was one of those that believe what people say on the internet that Proton cars are terrible. That car opened my eyes, it had what I had always been looking for: the man & machine connection, the feedback, the rawness of power, the handling that sucked the car towards the ground and the sense of speed (to my untrained eyes back then). 
I was like a car enthusiast that had lost vision, I used to like cars a lot but adulthood and responsibilities made me forget what I really enjoyed. That car gave me an urge of need of a manual car, I felt like it was finally time to start a project car and dive deep into the car culture.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: RM 30,000

• Models that I have considered include: Proton Putra，Proton Satria GTi

Reasons why I chose this car

The cars listed above have always been the eye-catching target for car thefts, but that didn't immediately change my decision. I wanted a beginner car that's friendly to those starting out, while having a flexible selection of modifications. 
Satria Neo happened to be the newer car with superb chassis and handling, while also being a good enough platform for modifications. It is possible to swap to Mitsubishi engines and gearboxes without modifying the mounting points. That reason alone gives it endless possibilities for me to pursue something greater should I need them.

User experience

• I have already done 10,000 km.

I bought it from a private owner, it looked to be in terrible condition but I intended to fully restore it so I can learn something. But, I kinda regretted, it was far more broken than visually inspect-able, inside out. I can't remember which parts are replaced, but I can certainly list out the things that AREN'T replaced. 
This car seemed cursed to me, it spent more time at workshops than with me in the first year of ownership, hence the low mileage I've done. And for many times it comes back from multiple different workshops, another thing breaks (due to either terrible workmanships or natural causes/wear & tear). Well, what to expect when it has zero service record and was poorly taken care of. 
But once it gets on the roads, particularly the mountain roads, it's not as weak as I'd interpreted. My car was specifically built for the Touge and hopefully closing in to being trackday ready. It has simple mods done to the CamPro engine and MIVEC CK gearbox swap, but what actually gives it the bragging rights are the coilovers and tyres.

Pros&Cons

Pros

• Affordable interval services

• Really gives driving satisfaction

• Superb handling

• Locally available spare parts

Cons

• Things keep falling apart! (Just a personal experience)
• NVH requires a certain level of tolerance
• Compartments are barely usable
• Headroom is narrow
• High rpm for highway cruising (Due to gearbox swap)
• Drive-by-wire and rev hang spoil a bit of the fun

Ratings

• Total Score: 4

• Performance: 3

• Quality & Features: 2

• Space: 2

• Ride Comfort: 3

• Fuel Economy: 3

• Price & Cost: 3

Summary

There were some friends asking me whether they should go for their dream car (Satria Neo) or a good car. My answer has always been, if it's your dream car, you'll eventually accept its flaws, but make sure to get one with a good service record and decent condition. It would surprise you if I say Satria Neo has never been a dream car of mine, and that remains true to this day. This car like a stepping stone for me to learn and to gain access (some people like me always mistaken that car guys must have cool cars but in fact everyone can have fun together) to this wonderful car community. I could've gone for a classic JDM, but I realized the fact that if I were to own a one, I probably don't deserve one. Given that I was pretty new to car stuffs, the responsibility to take care of a great heritage was too much to bear, which was why I started with a Satria Neo. It's not a fast car, it's not a dream car, but it keeps me sane, I enjoy driving it and I'm proud of it. 

Interesting events that happened to my car

My car has a high compression setup and recently one of my vacuum hoses have a leak and one leg of my radiator fan melted due to the heat from the header. I'm thinking to replace all the worn parts and do something on heat management to make everything last longer but COVID, please stop messing with my life. I'll try to emphasize on cooling this year instead of performance upgrade. You can also see my Instagram story highlights on how my car progressed from a junk to...an acceptable car. 

• Instagram: mengsenglim

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