i have been told that by adjusting the timing belt i can gain quicker pick up , that true? and are there any small things i can do to gain horsepower or faster acceleration wihtout doin a swap or switchin to standard, (yea i have auto shut up!)

 

you could get a torque converter... protransmissions makes one for the 3rd gens, don't know about the 1st gens but I'm sure SOMEONE has to make one!
and unless some threads have been killed, just search for "torque converter" and there's lotsa info bout it... gl dude!

 

Retarding the cam will make better high-rpm HP, at the expense of torque in the low and mid-range. Advancing the cam will have the opposite effect. But there's probably a small range (say +/- 2-3 degrees) where this would be useful. The Protege engine is pretty well matched, timing-wise, so there is little to be gained (unlike the ZETEC Foci, which are often WAY out of spec).

With an auto, you definitely don't want to retard the cam, since torque converters tend to suck torque anyway.