# The "you need a Miata" thread



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

I just spent an hour going through the "you need an E30" thread (which is awesome by the way) and decided we need to have one for the other TCL darling, the Miata.

Will you play along?

I'll start...


















































(all photos above found in various threads and internet searches)


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## 20vTa4 (Jun 21, 2001)

I'll add mine...........


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## Jeff Ray (May 23, 2011)




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## Gbeav (Jun 12, 2010)

I like the Miata. I don't care how gay it makes you look.

okay fine, I'd never own one.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

DAMN, this one is nice:


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)




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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)




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## JettMKII (Aug 4, 2010)

Ahh don't do this to me, I've been looking at these for a few weeks now and really want one. 











... I'll take one in Montego blue...


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Miata by Phil Walter, on Flickr


Miata race by lclutchl, on Flickr


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## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

I've got a 2011 Sport 5MT w/ Conv pack black/ black on hold right now... I cannot make up my mind if I actually want one. I do, but I am trying to talk myself out of it.


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## Short Bus (Oct 9, 2009)

Jeff Ray said:


>


I should hate this, but I don't, and I don't know why.


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## mk2gtd (Sep 17, 2007)

:heart: this thread.=


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## 1Point8TDan (Sep 4, 2003)

You guys know these aren't sports car, right? (joke from another thread)


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I have Miatas! And I abuse them all










SCCA Solo National Championships last week









Our ying-yang twins, white '90 and green '93


















Full tonneau cover on my '99



























Need more garage space for all the toys


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Moar!


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

Whoreing:


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## Chris Stack (May 27, 2008)

I don't....


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## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)




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## Dave Zero (Apr 10, 2009)

I have a Miata. So for me this is more of a "you need these parts" thread. :laugh:


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## Zdriver (May 17, 2006)

Damn, I needed one before you started this :banghead:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


>


ahh, nice. That's my friend's old Miata, didn't expect to see it here. Here's a bit of its progression...



slight raise...



and then raised up more with some proper tires



because of this



Here's the NA he used to have:



a couple shots of my Miata...stock except for my wheels and tires for autocross. I don't have any pics of it with the R lip yet...





one from the last autocross I went to



Spec Miata I saw at Lime Rock Park. Check out the intake cooling.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Zdriver said:


> Damn, I needed one before you started this :banghead:


x2, seriously. I need a damn cash injection, NOW!

Edit: Some fastback goodness:


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## warrenW (Jan 22, 2008)

does anybody have links to build threads on some of these?


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> ahh, nice. That's my friend's old Miata, didn't expect to see it here. Here's a bit of its progression...


I saw it on Craigslist a while back. For the price he was asking it seemed like a steal to me. Did he get rid of it? 


Also how'd you get on Laguna Seca to take pics? I thought they only allowed the public on during Trackdays.


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## MLogan (Dec 12, 2003)

Claff said:


> I have Miatas! And I abuse them all
> 
> SCCA Solo National Championships last week


Alan, you going to get rid of your STS license plate or what? Great seeing you guys again last week, I am sure we will meet again.

Mike #45 STS CRX


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## KoolLaid (Feb 17, 2011)

Chris Stack said:


> I don't....


came here to post this, but you beat me to it :laugh:


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## RacerrRex (Nov 21, 2008)

My threads never get any replies 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4934407-Post-some-good-Miatas-pliss


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Red Mazda Miata mx5 by Mickael Favre, on Flickr


Red Mazda Miata mx5 by Mickael Favre, on Flickr


Red Mazda Miata mx5 by Mickael Favre, on Flickr


Dulles Loading Dock Miata Photoshoot 2 by addlightness, on Flickr


Dulles Loading Dock Miata Photoshoot 1 by addlightness, on Flickr


Miata by Phil Walter, on Flickr


Summit Point MARRS: Mazda Miata 18 ITA by Subaruman555, on Flickr


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

A Car with Character // Chean's Mexican Miata by ColdTrackDays.com, on Flickr


Aaron's '91 Turbo Miata by Mr. iNfEk, on Flickr


DSC_6461 ©2011-kabelphoto by kabelphoto, on Flickr


Card1-DSC_0535-20110527_451ed by Ricardipus, on Flickr


Runoffs09 0102 by jbspec7, on Flickr


HPR Apr09 047 by jbspec7, on Flickr


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## SLC YA (Mar 15, 2000)

Here's my two!


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

SLC YA said:


> Here's my two!


I LOVE that Merlot color on those 95 M editions...so gorgeous!


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

you guys probably do this a lot with your miatas....




and heres family guy's take on the miata:


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## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)

We all need to buy Miatas so these folks can't buy them anymore:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

MLogan said:


> Alan, you going to get rid of your STS license plate or what? Great seeing you guys again last week, I am sure we will meet again.
> 
> Mike #45 STS CRX


Can't get rid of our plate, we're close enough to the back of the pack that it's still a real possibility that we'll be DFL next time we run.

The plate in question:


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## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

one crappy pic of mine. mild STS prep at this point, plan to do more work over the winter and go hard next season. evolution school this saturday, i hope the weather holds out!

if you've never had the pleasure of driving one, try to get some seat time. such an awesome and rewarding car to drive.


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## Big_Bird (Feb 22, 2010)

This thread has the makings of greatness.


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## gas meet foot (Aug 26, 2002)

Big_Bird said:


> This thread has the makings of greatness.


...or sadness for those of us that are between Miatas at the moment.


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

One day I'll build an NC racecar...I really like that car.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Miata by Austin '81, on Flickr


Lambo Miata by 89AKurt, on Flickr


Miata in the rain by grahamwetzler, on Flickr











MX5 Turbo lightpainted rear end by PGDesigns.co.uk, on Flickr


White Miata at Kiss Kiss '09 by ZacCarter, on Flickr


Miata built for speed by Kazbad, on Flickr


Zack's Miata by mnugent, on Flickr


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I saw it on Craigslist a while back. For the price he was asking it seemed like a steal to me. Did he get rid of it?


Yeah, he got rid of it. For a lot lower than the CL price too. It was something ridiculous. Modded NB's are a dead market...it was really hard for him to get rid of it. For just a little bit more cash you can pick up an S2000, E36 M3, or just something way faster and nicer than a '99 Miata.



mellbergVWfan said:


> Also how'd you get on Laguna Seca to take pics? I thought they only allowed the public on during Trackdays.


I was actually at work; I work for Simraceway and we laser scanned Laguna Seca. They let us take our own cars onto the track to carry our equipment; usually we have rental cars since we travel, but Laguna Seca is so close that we just drove there. And I couldn't pass up the chance to get some super exclusive shots. Too bad I was working and really pressed for time, I could've gotten some amazing shots while the sun was setting!

and to keep the thread going, here are some more.

Momo Start seat. My interior is exactly like this except I have a Mod 78 wheel.





The ugly Rotas that came on the car. I actually like the RB's (I used to own real Panasports), but I am NOT a fan of the polished lip and "hyper black" spokes....



Not my photos:


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## crannky (Jun 24, 2006)

MrMook said:


> Snip bull****:


:heart:


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## wonderboy! (Jul 13, 2006)

deff has me craving picking one of these up next month !


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## six_banger (Jul 3, 2011)

i dont like miatas opcorn:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

crannky said:


> :heart:


Did you not see that this picture was posted so people could buy Miatas to SAVE them from turning into that monstrosity? That thing is a giant POS :thumbdown:


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## 1.8Tbug (Jun 17, 2008)

dont mean to threadjack

1990 miata for sale pm if interested 

and yes i know this isnt the classifieds but its worth a shot


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

i've whored my car enough...but here's pictures of mine in various stages of ownership. the car has been recently returned to stock form and is awaiting sale , but it's for the best


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)




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## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

Not my pictures.


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## AlexsVR6 (Jul 24, 2007)

crannky said:


> :heart:


x2


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## dumkopf (Aug 23, 2005)

Ugh. Some of these pics are hit and miss. I mean, painted steel wheels, 20s, really? :thumbdown: :what:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

dumkopf said:


> Ugh. Some of these pics are hit and miss. I mean, painted steel wheels, 20s, really? :thumbdown: :what:


Not how most of the people posting those and the others nutswinging them have _*big surprise*_ VW's. :facepalm:

This is a proper Miata, you dolts:


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

Do the NACA ducts I always see on the headlight covers do anything? Are they for cooling, or do the owners re-route the intake to take in air from the duct? I assume you'd lose that headlight though.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

dumkopf said:


> painted steel wheels


The only set of painted steelies in this thread are the green ones on that slammed canibeat(youoff) car. The white ones on the other cars are SuperRAP wheels, vintage rally stuff from Japan, forged magnesium. Those cars both appear to be actual JDM Eunos Roadsters.



hushypushy said:


> Momo Start seat. My interior is exactly like this except I have a Mod 78 wheel.


Momo are *dicks* for discontinuing the bottom-mount version of this seat. It was essentially the ideal Miata seat. Bolt straight to OEM sliders, low seating position, fit reasonably average sized guys, and it was dirt cheap. They still make the Start, but it's now sidemount-only, which makes it more difficult to mount. Dicks.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

freedomweasel said:


> Do the NACA ducts I always see on the headlight covers do anything? Are they for cooling, or do the owners re-route the intake to take in air from the duct? I assume you'd lose that headlight though.


The airbox is right behind the driver's side headlight; the stock air intake already takes air from this part of the engine bay. The normal air path is through the fenderwell. It's documented that you get cooler air driving with headlights up in an NA, though.

You don't lose the headlight. It just replaces the cover. The headlight is not that deep.


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

AKADriver said:


> The airbox is right behind the driver's side headlight; the stock air intake already takes air from this part of the engine bay. The normal air path is through the fenderwell. It's documented that you get cooler air driving with headlights up in an NA, though.
> 
> You don't lose the headlight. It just replaces the cover. The headlight is not that deep.


I'll have to look again, I thought the intake piping left the airbox, went toward the rear of the car a little bit, and into the fender. Does the duct just cool the area/piping resulting in lower intake temps, or does it actually result in cooler air going into the intake itself?

NACA ducts just look sweet, so I'm curious about it's effectiveness/use. I assume it's worth about 1HP either way though.

edit: Found a website that seems to belong to the owner of that car, he has some aftermarket intake stuff under the hood that answers my question.


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## Bognostraclum (Jun 16, 2010)

Renesis powered


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

freedomweasel said:


> I'll have to look again, I thought the intake piping left the airbox, went toward the rear of the car a little bit, and into the fender. Does the duct just cool the area/piping resulting in lower intake temps, or does it actually result in cooler air going into the intake itself?


The OEM NA snorkel does go behind the fender a little. I assume you'd more likely use this with a cone filter and sheetmetal heat shield.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

AKADriver said:


> The OEM NA snorkel does go behind the fender a little. I assume you'd more likely use this with a cone filter and sheetmetal heat shield.


My guess too. 

I have a craptastic cone filter conversion kit that came with my car when I bought it. I left it on because it cancels out some sort of resonance that causes a nasty drone at some engine speeds. I think the replacement axle-back is to blame for that.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

AKADriver said:


> Momo are *dicks* for discontinuing the bottom-mount version of this seat. It was essentially the ideal Miata seat. Bolt straight to OEM sliders, low seating position, fit reasonably average sized guys, and it was dirt cheap. They still make the Start, but it's now sidemount-only, which makes it more difficult to mount. Dicks.


Man, I couldn't agree more. I searched around and when I found this old Start, I just had to jump on it. I love the seating position...on my 120mile round trip commute, it does start to grate a bit though, but then again the OEM seats would leave me way more uncomfortable.

My only tiny gripe about the Start is that it's meant for regular sized people. I'm 6'1", 135lbs, 30" waist and I slide around in the seat a bit. Still, it has infinitely more support than the stock flatties. I used to have the Recaro SPG and it fit like a glove, but it's a (pricey) pain in the ass to get aftermarket sliders for a Miata. I'm pretty sure my Momo Start--which came with OEM rails attached--cost me about as much as it would have been to get the sliders for my SPG.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

What do the Spec Miata guys generally use for seats?


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

PassSedanGLX said:


> What do the Spec Miata guys generally use for seats?


I think they mostly use the kirkley seats, or similar designs.


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## Johnny Carcinogen (May 21, 2002)




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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

Johnny Carcinogen said:


> *massive tires and dual exit exhaust*


V8 swap?


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

freedomweasel said:


> I think they mostly use the kirkley seats, or similar designs.


Yep, and they bash the floorpan, cut out the welded-in factory seat mounts, and do other stuff I'd never do in a street/dual-purpose car to mount them. They also don't need to worry about clearing the interior panels.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

*FV-QR*

What's better than one Miata? Two Miatas!


Semi-daily driver










My long-term track toy project. Nissan SR20 Autech engine, 6spd - 200HP NA










Current status: waiting for the money bush to grow again


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

AKADriver said:


> Yep, and they bash the floorpan, cut out the welded-in factory seat mounts, and do other stuff I'd never do in a street/dual-purpose car to mount them. They also don't need to worry about clearing the interior panels.


So the Start is still a good fit, you just need custom rails?


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Not how most of the people posting those and the others nutswinging them have _*big surprise*_ VW's. :facepalm:
> 
> This is a proper Miata, you dolts:



i'd agree, sans the stripe. i die a little inside everytime i see a miata with stripes or teeth. :facepalm:


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

PassSedanGLX said:


> So the Start is still a good fit, you just need custom rails?


Well, part of the problem is that custom rails are going to raise it higher than if it just sat flat on the factory rails like the old "Start 2003" model did.

A Kirkey Pro Street Drag seat or the similar Ultrasheild model can be bolted through the base to the factory rails and should fit if you get a 16" or smaller model. The Ultrashield "Spec Miata" seat doesn't fit with an interior.


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

It seems like the options consist of removing foam, or getting serious race seats. There don't seem to be many solutions that give you a bucket seat that's usable on the street, and a lower seating position. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough.


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## PeanutGallery (Nov 19, 2007)

my old one - 2000 NB, evolution orange LS:


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

AKADriver said:


> Well, part of the problem is that custom rails are going to raise it higher than if it just sat flat on the factory rails like the old "Start 2003" model did.
> 
> A Kirkey Pro Street Drag seat or the similar Ultrasheild model can be bolted through the base to the factory rails and should fit if you get a 16" or smaller model. The Ultrashield "Spec Miata" seat doesn't fit with an interior.


Excellent. :thumbup:

If you hadn't noticed, a seat and harnesses are on the short list. :thumbup:


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## muffintop (Oct 15, 2009)

Picked up a 1994 with 55k miles on a few months ago. She's a head turner. :thumbup:


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Johnny Carcinogen said:


>


my lord, that's a lot of tire. :thumbup::thumbup:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

I just bought a 92 today...so excited...pictures to come later!

But for now...moar!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Pennywise said:


> i'd agree, sans the stripe. i die a little inside everytime i see a miata with stripes or teeth. :facepalm:


I usually agree with you, and I generally agree about striped Miatas, but this is Sharka. You do not insult sharka.

http://www.revlimiter.net/


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## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

Ask and ye shall receive. Here is my '02 SE.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

^^^
Can I call dibs if you ever want to sell?


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Schwing!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I just bought a 92 today...so excited...pictures to come later!
> 
> But for now...moar!


Jealous. Post pics, NAO!


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## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

PassSedanGLX said:


> Excellent. :thumbup:
> 
> If you hadn't noticed, a seat and harnesses are on the short list. :thumbup:


ditto. probably just going to bolt mine to the floor, need to pass the broomstick rule with my future rollbar.


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## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

mellbergVWfan said:


> ^^^
> Can I call dibs if you ever want to sell?


only if you can beat your competitors


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Nothing people haven't seen before, my '94 R


















Everything you need, nothin' ya don't


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I still want to stab you because of what price you got that magnificent thing at.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

initiation said:


>


Now this is something you don't see every day. Very nice. The standard Miata tan is baby puke but this is gorgeous :beer:


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

Numbersix said:


> Nothing people haven't seen before, my '94 R


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

okay, who else thinks Numbersix needs to get some new wheels? 

opcorn:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Got 'em, dude


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## anarchyx34 (Apr 27, 2001)

*FV-QR*

Some random pics of mine:


































Kinda want some new wheels. Something gold and meshy.


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## 16volt (Oct 26, 2000)

Diamond Dave said:


> What's better than one Miata? Two Miatas!
> 
> 
> My long-term track toy project. Nissan SR20 Autech engine, 6spd - 200HP NA
> ...


Fixed it for you.


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## JettMKII (Aug 4, 2010)




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## Neo (Sep 26, 2001)

Found this little bugger for sale in Germany while I was browsing for cars.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

PassSedanGLX said:


> Excellent. :thumbup:
> 
> If you hadn't noticed, a seat and harnesses are on the short list. :thumbup:


On mine too...

Check out the track forum on miata.net, there's a seat fitment thread that's stickied:
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=368990


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## golftdibrad (Mar 6, 2004)

Just sold my black 94. Had mp64 sc, megasquirt, groundcontrols with koni's, plus tons more. fun car. 

Market for ANY modded car is dead right now. 


























































sold it to buy something a bit cooler....with another freaking vw motor (Porsche 914 engine...)


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

>


I think you're a little tall for that HD Ace bar.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I still want to stab you because of what price you got that magnificent thing at.


Is there a thread I'm missing?

But yeah, gorgeous car...


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

anarchyx34 said:


> Some random pics of mine:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is NIIIICE. What wheels do you have on now?


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

hushypushy said:


> Now this is something you don't see every day. Very nice. The standard Miata tan is baby puke but this is gorgeous :beer:


Agreed. That is a great looking interior and a great looking car overall. Makes me want an NB now to make it look exactly like yours


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## golftdibrad (Mar 6, 2004)

AKADriver said:


> I think you're a little tall for that HD Ace bar.


I think i was a little tall for the car, lol


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

anarchyx34 said:


> Kinda want some new wheels. Something gold and meshy.


First of all, love how that car looks...and I can only imagine how much fun it is. Nice work on the turbo setup. Remind me what management you are running--MSnS?

Secondly...if you find your dream wheels, I'd be more than happy to take your current wheels off your hands.

We're having a 'heat wave' (well, for this summer at least--a full week in the mid-high 80's) and hence I'm commuting in the Miata all week. Indeed, it can be more fun to drive a slow car fast (or spiritedly) in conditions where you can't drive a fast car anywhere near it's full potential. 

I had an open offramp this AM so I went after it, hitting the apex nicely, rev matching my downshifts on the way to the stoplight. Guy in a modded WRX with SCCA stickers on it pulls alongside and gives me the :thumbup:. Fun way to start the work day.


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

AKADriver said:


> I think you're a little tall for that HD Ace bar.


Is that bar narrower than most? I think my Bossfrog is wider across the car.


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## Art Vandelay (Dec 20, 2005)

This thread makes me sad that I have to sell mine.

I'll own another one some day.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Art Vandelay said:


> This thread makes me sad that I have to sell mine.
> 
> I'll own another one some day.


Sorry to hear that! You can always get another


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## anarchyx34 (Apr 27, 2001)

Numbersix said:


> First of all, love how that car looks...and I can only imagine how much fun it is. Nice work on the turbo setup. Remind me what management you are running--MSnS?
> 
> Secondly...if you find your dream wheels, I'd be more than happy to take your current wheels off your hands.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the compliments, and yeah it is pretty fun.  I'm running a DIYautotune's PNP kit that has been upgraded to MSII-E. As far as the wheels? They're 15" OZ Superleggeras that I scored for $50. Some chick that I used to work with bought a civic that had the wheels on it. She managed to ruin the tires (the car had a bad alignment) and since she couldn't afford new tires she just put some steelies that her brother had laying around. 6 months go by and I came across the wheels in the tool shed and realized that they would work perfectly on my Miata. They were still pretty much brand new! I called her and asked how much she wanted for them and she said "Oh just give me $50 next time you see me." SCORE!!!!

I want some BBS RS's or RS knockoffs. Maybe some Panasports or some old school JDM wheels. Something that will still look good at 15" because I don't want to run anything bigger. I like a little meat on my tires. It's low on my list of priorities right now though.


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## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)




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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Art Vandelay said:


> This thread makes me sad that I have to sell mine.
> 
> I'll own another one some day.


Damn, that makes me sad too, but mostly because I can't afford to buy it.


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## Art Vandelay (Dec 20, 2005)

PassSedanGLX said:


> Damn, that makes me sad too, but mostly because I can't afford to buy it.


Midwest pricing. It would probably be a $25 Miata in California.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

freedomweasel said:


> It seems like the options consist of removing foam, or getting serious race seats. There don't seem to be many solutions that give you a bucket seat that's usable on the street, and a lower seating position. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough.


A) Not looking hard enough
B) Budget needs increase


Lotus Elise (Probax) seats meet your criterion, but they're upwards of $900/pair. Comfortable, drops seating position by almost 2", full head protection, racetrack ready.

Pic courtesy of RevLimiter:


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

Diamond Dave said:


> A) Not looking hard enough
> B) Budget needs increase
> 
> 
> Lotus Elise (Probax) seats meet your criterion, but they're upwards of $900/pair. Comfortable, drops seating position by almost 2", full head protection, racetrack ready.


I've heard of those but honestly haven't looked too hard. I've been eyeing the Sparco Sprints as they seem to be fairly drop-in, and lower the seat just a bit as well.

I guess I meant that most of the options I've seen look like they require some fabrication work for custom brackets and I'm fairly useless with that. I wouldn't even know where to start.

I need/want something that I can order with the brackets and bolt them in with little trouble. Not afraid to spend money on good seats, but I don't want to be grinding and cutting to bolt something straight on the floor or have to make some custom job in my living room.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

freedomweasel said:


> I've been eyeing the Sparco Sprints as they seem to be fairly drop-in, and lower the seat just a bit as well.


They won't, if you use the bolt-in hardware.



> I need/want something that I can order with the brackets and bolt them in with little trouble.


It just doesn't exist.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

I wish I knew someone with an Elise so I could try one of the seats. I suppose I could just go over to Park Place.

There was one on CL a few months back, but it was sold by the time I called. :banghead:


----------



## Short Bus (Oct 9, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> racetrack ready.


No belt pass-through for a proper harness.


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

AKADriver said:


> They won't, if you use the bolt-in hardware.
> 
> 
> 
> It just doesn't exist.


I thought that between brackets from Goodwin and Sparco they worked, but perhaps it was an older version. Oh well. 
I'm gonna just start with foam removal to drop my head a few inches and see if anything fun pops up in classified ads.

Need more pics!


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Short Bus said:


> No belt pass-through for a proper harness.


Perhaps I should have pointed out that the picture above is the best reference for the height difference. It is possible to use Sector 111 cutouts for the harness pass-through or you could buy an Exige seat or Tillet seat.

Modify Elise seats










Buy Exige seats









Buy Tillet seats


----------



## Short Bus (Oct 9, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> Perhaps I should have pointed out that the picture above is the best reference for the height difference. It is possible to use Sector 111 cutouts for the harness pass-through or you could buy an Exige seat or Tillet seat.


Fair enough. But when I read the term "race track ready" in regards to seats, in addition to being set at the proper height (when convertibles are involved), I also think "it needs to work with a five point harness." If it doesn't, then in my mind, it's not race track ready. But that's just me.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Short Bus said:


> Fair enough. But when I read the term "race track ready" in regards to seats, in addition to being set at the proper height (when convertibles are involved), I also think "it needs to work with a five point harness." If it doesn't, then in my mind, it's not race track ready. But that's just me.


Regarding 4-bolt harnesses on Miata's, where would be the proper mounting area? Because I know they say to not mount the harness below your shoulder or you will cause compression.


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Regarding 4-bolt harnesses on Miata's, where would be the proper mounting area? Because I know they say to not mount the harness below your shoulder or you will cause compression.


Harness bar on your rollbar, or Bossfrog claims you can wrap the harness directly on a specific spot on their rollbar and it's at the correct angle with no need for an additional bar.


----------



## Short Bus (Oct 9, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Regarding 4-bolt harnesses on Miata's, where would be the proper mounting area? Because I know they say to not mount the harness below your shoulder or you will cause compression.


I'm sure you can get harness bars that'll work, but I don't think I'd use a harness unless I had a sufficiently sturdy (FIA approved) aftermarket seat with a roll bar. Most roll bars include a place to connect your harnesses properly to avoid compression issues.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Just remembered about this cool mini-top option I'd seen in phryxis's Nisei Showoff thread. 

http://www.formoverfunctionz.com/welcome.html




























































http://revlimiter.net/blog/2011/06/miata-bikini-top/


And another random NC on RPF1's


----------



## JettMKII (Aug 4, 2010)

Gotta keep this thread going.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

A few more because I'm procrastinating:



















I believe this is a TCL Member's car... Troze something if I'm not mistaken?


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

Miatas attract a number of types of enthusiasts, I think that's pretty cool. :thumbup: Definitely makes these threads a little more interesting at least.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

This is an amazing looking car:



















(taken from http://www.clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=10082&page=14)


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




----------



## Ark6 (Dec 14, 2007)

Almost bought a Marnier blue Miata, but I really couldn't stand the cracked dash, and I seriously considered a NB/MS NB but the price was way too close to the S2000. 

Also I came across a 06 NC for $8999 at a dealer, but I balked at it because it had high mileage, and it only had a 5 speed (i.e. it was a base model). Maybe I should have gotten that...


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Short Bus said:


> No belt pass-through for a proper harness.


They also have next to no bolstering.

Sure, the Exige seats are low, but if you want to be supported, look elsewhere IMO...


----------



## crannky (Jun 24, 2006)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Did you not see that this picture was posted so people could buy Miatas to SAVE them from turning into that monstrosity? That thing is a giant POS :thumbdown:


Just because it has a hardtop doesn't mean it's a piece of ****!


----------



## Ark6 (Dec 14, 2007)

hushypushy said:


> They also have next to no bolstering.
> 
> Sure, the Exige seats are low, but if you want to be supported, look elsewhere IMO...


buttonwillow?


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Ark6 said:


> buttonwillow?


Laguna Seca I'm pretty sure. Facing Andretti hairpin.


----------



## JettMKII (Aug 4, 2010)

A few from clubroadster.net to keep the thread going.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

MOAR!


White Miata by chrisisageek, on Flickr


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

crannky said:


> Just because it has a hardtop doesn't mean it's a piece of ****!


Uh sorry, it's a piece of **** because of the hideously stretched wheels and absolutely moronic suspension setup.


----------



## 50fridge (Jan 31, 2011)

I really like this thread. These Miata's are really nice. They look like fun cars to drive.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Laguna Seca I'm pretty sure. Facing Andretti hairpin.


Yup, facing the hairpin from the parking lot over by Turn 4.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Anyone know what wheels these are?


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

*OZ Ruote*


----------



## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)

hushypushy said:


> *OZ Ruote*


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

It's a shame they're so rare. It's quite a good looking wheel, especially on a Miata.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

I'm not sure if you can see it, but I see some big differences between these wheels 



They have similar spoke designs, yes, but that's about it. Those look like two different types of wheel, which usually gives it a different name. I can't find much about these OZ Starlights, other than they all have that dish and lower offset.

I can't find it (search out of wack?) but there was a thread on TCL asking what those wheels were, and no one could conclusively figure it out.

The Starlights are actually way cooler than the high offset flat spoked ones than that Miata, though...




























Okay, now I want a set of these on my Miata opcorn:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

My new Miata...92 base.


----------



## per-diems (Apr 7, 2011)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Uh sorry, it's a piece of **** because of the hideously stretched wheels and absolutely moronic suspension setup.


:laugh::laugh::laugh:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

We can't let this die yet....moar!


----------



## O_G (May 4, 2011)




----------



## JettMKII (Aug 4, 2010)

A little size comparison. The MS3 looks huge.


----------



## b1m2x3 (Mar 16, 2004)

Build thread


gonna be up for sale soon i think


----------



## crannky (Jun 24, 2006)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Uh sorry, it's a piece of **** because of the hideously stretched wheels and absolutely moronic suspension setup.














"Stretched wheels..."


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

crannky said:


> "Stretched wheels..."


Tires*.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Any more photos of this car?










I love the white with black wheels...


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

from Grattan last weekend. :thumbup:


----------



## ADeHelian (Oct 1, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Uh sorry, it's a piece of **** because of the hideously stretched wheels and absolutely moronic suspension setup.


so its not your style...what are you gonna cry about it??

ill never understand why or how people feel so strongly about a style of a car that they will get so butt hurt about it.... :facepalm:

but on topic, hopefully ill be getting a miata soon!


----------



## 8v deathsquad (Jan 8, 2005)

Claff said:


>


What's the purpose of that lexan on the trunk?


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

8v deathsquad said:


> What's the purpose of that lexan on the trunk?


Mad downforce.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

ADeHelian said:


> so its not your style...what are you gonna cry about it??
> 
> ill never understand why or how people feel so strongly about a style of a car that they will get so butt hurt about it.... :facepalm:
> 
> but on topic, hopefully ill be getting a miata soon!


Hmm, let's see, barring the fact it it looks ridiculous, it's terrible for handling, something which the Miata is, oh, I don't know, made for? :banghead:


----------



## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

I'm interested in these windshield-free Miatas. Were they rolled and revived as track-only cars without windshield frames?


----------



## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

This thread has me convinced.



I need a Miata.



Damn.
I'm going to try to buy one in January.
After I graduate in December.
So excited.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Mad downforce.


which reminds me of the Fraser/Kubo CSP Miata I see out there all the time... :thumbup:



















there's also this car, which I have never seen in person...


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

initiation said:


> I'm interested in these windshield-free Miatas. Were they rolled and revived as track-only cars without windshield frames?


The rules of D Prepared in SCCA Solo allow removing the windshield. They're dedicated autocross cars, the windshield is just excess weight.


----------



## Sammyscenepoints (Jul 28, 2008)

I want one.


----------



## andyg79 (Sep 18, 2009)

Took some pics of mine yesterday, awesome car :thumbup:


----------



## disenfranchised (Jul 13, 2009)

andyg79 said:


> Took some pics of mine yesterday, awesome car :thumbup:


Did they make a NC M-edition? Also, lower it!


----------



## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

Mine (old pictures though nothing's changed except I'm top down full time since I moved to Puerto Rico):


----------



## Minglor (Jul 26, 2004)

Looks good.
The JRSC was never enough for me. Poor little M45


----------



## andyg79 (Sep 18, 2009)

disenfranchised said:


> Did they make a NC M-edition? Also, lower it!


I don't think so. Is it the wheelcaps that made you think of this? They came with the car, previous owner put them on. I was going to replace them with the originals, but I don't know... they kind of add a splash of colour which I like. 

Lowering isn't going to happen for a long time


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's one I found on the internet:


----------



## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

andyg79 said:


> Took some pics of mine yesterday, awesome car :thumbup:


Nice car.
Wow, I hate the stock NC ride height. Here's mine, on Mazdaspeed springs/sways.


----------



## andyg79 (Sep 18, 2009)

Bibs said:


> Wow, I hate the stock NC ride height. Here's mine, on Mazdaspeed springs/sways.


That's a nice height. What's the $$$ to change over?


----------



## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

andyg79 said:


> That's a nice height. What's the $$$ to change over?


Do the shocks, too. In 2006, the aftermarket was not developed, so I kept the stock sport shocks. They sucked then, and moreso now. The lower springs make it handle better, but the shocks can't handle it. It's on my list to replace soon.

Go to Miata.net for all the options...there are many ways to go.


----------



## ADeHelian (Oct 1, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Hmm, let's see, barring the fact it it looks ridiculous, it's terrible for handling, something which the Miata is, oh, I don't know, made for? :banghead:


if done right...with the proper suspension components (not just throwing coilovers on) lowering the car can look good and still provide the amazing handling capabilities the miata is known for.

ask me how i know. I'm picking up a slammed miata, with over 2 grand into suspension components to make it ready to autoX. I drove it twice already, and being so low doesnt in anyway effect the ability to whip it around S turns at 45 mph.

your move


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

ADeHelian said:


> if done right...with the proper suspension components (not just throwing coilovers on) lowering the car can look good and still provide the amazing handling capabilities the miata is known for.
> 
> ask me how i know. I'm picking up a slammed miata, with over 2 grand into suspension components to make it ready to autoX. I drove it twice already, and being so low doesnt in anyway effect the ability to whip it around S turns at 45 mph.
> 
> your move


I don't care what people do their car, but a couple of things.

First, "2 grand" into suspension could mean any number of things. You can buy coilovers that are 2 grand a corner. The two grand could have been spent on all sorts of little bits that didn't really do anything.

Second, driving a car around an S turn at 45 doesn't mean it's better than it was before, or better than it could be with that $2k spent somewhere else.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

ADeHelian said:


> if done right...with the proper suspension components (not just throwing coilovers on) lowering the car can look good and still provide the amazing handling capabilities the miata is known for.
> 
> ask me how i know. I'm picking up a slammed miata, with over 2 grand into suspension components to make it ready to autoX. I drove it twice already, and being so low doesnt in anyway effect the ability to whip it around S turns at 45 mph.
> 
> your move


I was never against lowering the car. I think lowering a car slightly can make it look and handle better if done right. I was talking about the white Miata with the beige steelies that is slammed to the ground on extremely stretched tires and idiotic negative camber. You want to tell me that this handles well?



















No. This is ridiculous. Many cars look better lowered, but this is just stupid.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

QWKDTSN said:


> Mine (old pictures though nothing's changed except I'm top down full time since I moved to Puerto Rico):


I :heart: this so much :thumbup:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

andyg79 said:


> Took some pics of mine yesterday, awesome car :thumbup:


What interior do you have? The "standard" tan? ic:



DubNMiatafan said:


> I was never against lowering the car. I think lowering a car slightly can make it look and handle better if done right. I was talking about the white Miata with the beige steelies that is slammed to the ground on extremely stretched tires and idiotic negative camber. You want to tell me that this handles well?


Just because the Miata is one of the best handling cars ever doesn't mean that it isn't a good idea to make it handle like **** just because!!

Personally, I would *NEVER EVER* stretch my tires or lower my car past the point of performance. However, I also recognize that a lot of people are just not into the performance aspect; for whatever reason it doesn't interest them. That's fine.

Again, I would _never_ slam a Miata, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the examples in this thread 

If you don't like it---that's fine! But don't use the argument "no performance = no likey"---those people aren't going for performance at all. Their argument might be that a Spec Miata has too much wheel gap  If you don't like the way it looks, you don't like the way it looks---period. But this forum is filled with way too much stretch-hate. Quit bitching about the things you don't like, focus on the things that excite you :thumbup: If that means posting more pics of Miatas with meaty tires...everyone wins!

:beer:


----------



## ADeHelian (Oct 1, 2009)

freedomweasel said:


> I don't care what people do their car, but a couple of things.
> 
> First, "2 grand" into suspension could mean any number of things. You can buy coilovers that are 2 grand a corner. The two grand could have been spent on all sorts of little bits that didn't really do anything.
> 
> Second, driving a car around an S turn at 45 doesn't mean it's better than it was before, or better than it could be with that $2k spent somewhere else.


But i did say 2 grand to be ready to autoX. (it was done right) And I was just using the S turn scenario as an example of how the car still handles exceptionally well.



DubNMiatafan said:


> I was never against lowering the car. I think lowering a car slightly can make it look and handle better if done right. I was talking about the white Miata with the beige steelies that is slammed to the ground on extremely stretched tires and idiotic negative camber. You want to tell me that this handles well?


no, but like i said before, I never understood people getting so angered over what other people do... I was merely pointing out how frustrated you were about that white miata.


----------



## ADeHelian (Oct 1, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> If you don't like it---that's fine! But don't use the argument "no performance = no likey"---those people aren't going for performance at all. Their argument might be that a Spec Miata has too much wheel gap  If you don't like the way it looks, you don't like the way it looks---period. But this forum is filled with way too much stretch-hate. Quit bitching about the things you don't like, focus on the things that excite you :thumbup: If that means posting more pics of Miatas with meaty tires...everyone wins!
> 
> :beer:


thats exactally what I was trying to say! why worry about the stuff you cant change. Its like all the hate on rusty slammington...pointless..


----------



## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Co-workers NC.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Love that yellow. Speedhunters did a great review of a 2010 GT:

http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/12/01/driving-impressions-gt-gt-the-2010-mazda-mx-5.aspx


----------



## Trifecta (Apr 4, 2001)




----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

^ man I love the Pro Rally's. I used to have a set of them on my EF. I have Panasports on my Miata, but different ones...the more I see these sexy banana spokes, the more I want them again...


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I remember posting that on the first page but I'll give you a pass because it's awesome. :laugh:










(right click and view, this picture is huge!)


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I remember posting that on the first page but I'll give you a pass because it's awesome. :laugh:


yikes! That's why I almost exclusively post my own pics, guaranteed to not be a repost


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> yikes! That's why I almost exclusively post my own pics, guaranteed to not be a repost


 No worries :beer:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Damn it, this is my favorite thread, I'm not letting this die.

















































































































































Forgive any reposts :thumbup:


----------



## flat6guy (Jul 5, 2011)

By any chance, has anyone here ever seen a miata with shaved blinkers? I can't seem to find any..


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

i love this thread, but have nothing to contribute except cell phone pics of mine.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Pf3il said:


> i love this thread, but have nothing to contribute except cell phone pics of mine.


 Do it!


----------



## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

By all means.

The miata thread needed more men requesting cell phone photos from other men.

:heart:


----------



## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

I'd dig a miata a lot more if they came with 50-100 more HP/TQ stock.. A hardtop vert with prem package is ~$30.. for that kind of $$$ you better give me over 250hp.

Oh and forget the piss poor 28 mpgs hwy coming from a 167hp 2.0 engine..... very comparable to my g37 which has 1200lbs more curb weight and 2x more horsepower/displacement.

They need to make more special edition miatas.. give them some individuality.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

06jettaSEL said:


> I'd dig a miata a lot more if they came with 50-100 more HP/TQ stock.. A hardtop vert with prem package is ~$30.. for that kind of $$$ you better give me over 250hp.
> 
> Oh and forget the piss poor 28 mpgs hwy coming from a 167hp 2.0 engine..... very comparable to my g37 which has 1200lbs more curb weight and 2x more horsepower/displacement.


Congratulations, you have an opinion. Now post some hot Miatas or GTFO.


----------



## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Congratulations, you have an opinion. Now post some hot Miatas or GTFO.












happy?


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

06jettaSEL said:


> happy?


Seeing as how I posted pictures from that article and the article itself at the TOP OF THE PAGE, not quite. Post more! :laugh:


----------



## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Seeing as how I posted pictures from that article and the article itself at the TOP OF THE PAGE, not quite. Post more! :laugh:


ok ok, hopefully nobody posted this one yet


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Just yesterday when I saw a white Miata in traffic I told myself that white was one of my least favorite colors on them. You have proved me wrong :thumbup:

Edit: Oh my god that white NA on the white RPF1's holy hell


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> MOAR!


Hey, that's my car! Expensive day for me there, by the end of the day it was very apparent that one of my rear shocks was blown. Instead of replacing that one shock I decided to toss the existing spring/shock combo and get a set of coilovers.



Smigelski said:


> Here's one I found on the internet:


That used to belong to my buddy Nick (he's on this forum somewhere). It's sold and now he has a very sharp, clean, original-looking red '90.



8v deathsquad said:


> What's the purpose of that lexan on the trunk?


SCCA Street Prepared autocross rules don't allow wings, but they do allow spoilers. If you're going to rock a big spoiler on the street, you might as well make it out of something you can see through.


----------



## SimonSays (Apr 8, 2007)




----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


>


YESSSSSS :thumbup::thumbup:

Any more pics of that?


----------



## JDMX-5 (Jun 22, 2011)

Me last weekend.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I remember posting that on the first page but I'll give you a pass because it's awesome. :laugh:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


what # is your 10th? mine was 4325. :thumbup:

also, i've never seen where to buy a coupe (mugen style) hardtop for the miata...?


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

compy222 said:


> what # is your 10th? mine was 4325. :thumbup:
> 
> also, i've never seen where to buy a coupe (mugen style) hardtop for the miata...?


I wish I had one. That's just a picture I found on the web


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

flat6guy said:


> By any chance, has anyone here ever seen a miata with shaved blinkers? I can't seem to find any..


Shaved = removing them. All US Miatas are "shaved"
Frenched = recessing the blinker. Never seen this.


----------



## O_G (May 4, 2011)




----------



## FiveAinOne (Oct 5, 2000)

Might as well throw mine in here


----------



## DasHammer (Jul 21, 2011)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Congratulations, you have an opinion. Now post some hot Miatas or GTFO.


Okay, here is a Miata that I bet is rather warm.










And just because


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Did some work to mine today! Cleaned the crap out of the interior, washed the car, installed a new air filter (old one was diiiirty), and installed a new head unit (which required taking out the center console). Pretty happy!










Damn NA console surround is too small for a single DIN...so I had to leave the head unit border off for now...



























(excuse the slightly blurry photos)


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

FiveAinOne said:


> Might as well throw mine in here


Gorgeous photos AND car!


----------



## DIAF (Sep 17, 2005)

I spent the day autocrossing an NC on Ohlins with intake/header/exhaust and 275 A6's. 

I need a Miata.


----------



## BTM (Feb 20, 2007)

andyg79 said:


> Took some pics of mine yesterday, awesome car :thumbup:


Are those standard center caps? Never seen that before...


----------



## JettMKII (Aug 4, 2010)

We need moar!


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

When I get one, I've decided I'm putting either Kosei K1's or Enkei RPF1's on it. Preferably in white.


----------



## Short Bus (Oct 9, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Love that yellow. Speedhunters did a great review of a 2010 GT:
> 
> http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/12/01/driving-impressions-gt-gt-the-2010-mazda-mx-5.aspx
> 
> ...


I usually don't like yellow, but I love that color on that car.

I need to stop looking at this thread. I really like the NC Miata.... enough to do something dumb.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> When I get one, I've decided I'm putting either Kosei K1's or Enkei RPF1's on it. Preferably in white.


Good call. I've got three sets of K1s and one RPF1. Also have a set of Kosei K1TS which are also nice, kinda splitting the difference weight-wise and cost-wise of the RPF1. Not a fan of non-silver wheels, though.

Anyway, more pics



















The fleet back in July 09, last time I lined all four up for a group photo









The black ones haven't changed much since, but the far white one got stripes not too long after this photo was taken. The near white one is now green with white stripes.









Even my dad has one. His is a one-owner box-stock 70,000-mile '92 Sunburst


----------



## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

FiveAinOne said:


>


Hope you don’t mind that it’s now my desktop wallpaper  :beer:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

An NB done up with the Italia body:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

saturday at the NNJR event.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Just a random one I took yesterday.



Just put her up for sale...I will return to a Miata soon but for now I'll be back in an EF


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)




----------



## b1m2x3 (Mar 16, 2004)

b1m2x3 said:


> Build thread
> 
> 
> gonna be up for sale soon i think


aaaand it's up for sale now... $4,200


----------



## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

b1m2x3 said:


> aaaand it's up for sale now... $4,200


That makes me want to shed a tear, man. I just read through your build thread and you put a lot of work into that car. It's beautiful, fully realized, and seriously tastefully done. I wish I had that kind of money. I'd come find you and buy it, shake your hand for all your work done and be so very, very grateful every time I drove it.


----------



## JDMX-5 (Jun 22, 2011)

Got new wheels :laugh:


----------



## b1m2x3 (Mar 16, 2004)

Fisherson said:


> That makes me want to shed a tear, man. I just read through your build thread and you put a lot of work into that car. It's beautiful, fully realized, and seriously tastefully done. I wish I had that kind of money. I'd come find you and buy it, shake your hand for all your work done and be so very, very grateful every time I drove it.


Thanks for the kind words! :thumbup: I'm just glad I got to save the little mia from a junkyard death.

My dad actually bought it from me when I moved to Canada - he's decided to sell a lot of his belongings and assets lately, so the miata must go. I won't be home to see it off.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Just drove this today. God what a rorty little car. The 6th one I've driven.










Love that the NB feels like an NA with more power :thumbup:

And the steering on these is wonderful. I don't think i realized it on the others that I drove as much as I did this one. So, so responsive.


----------



## FiveAinOne (Oct 5, 2000)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Gorgeous photos AND car!


Thanks! It was a happy accident I caught some fog that evening. 




2.0_Mazda said:


> Hope you don’t mind that it’s now my desktop wallpaper  :beer:


Haha that's awesome! :beer::beer:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Miata for sale...$1900 (stock)


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> Miata for sale...$1900 (stock)


God I wish you were in Illinois. I would have an extremely hard time stopping myself from buying that.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

hushypushy said:


> Miata for sale...$1900 (stock)


Seat included?


----------



## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> Miata for sale...$1900 (stock)



What kind of seat is your driver's seat?


----------



## crannky (Jun 24, 2006)

DubNMiatafan said:


> When I get one, I've decided I'm putting either Kosei K1's or Enkei RPF1's on it. Preferably in white.


Wow. I'm shocked. Really. I'd never have guessed. You? Koseis? Enkeis?:wave:


----------



## nthomas33 (Jun 13, 2009)

My god. I seriously wish I had the spare cash for a Miata project. I am in love 


Nick


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

crannky said:


> Wow. I'm shocked. Really. I'd never have guessed. You? Koseis? Enkeis?:wave:


Yes?


----------



## Jeff Ray (May 23, 2011)

Its a Momo Start seat. They're great because the can mounted in modified stock sliders.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)




----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

PassSedanGLX said:


> Seat included?


Stock means stock! What kind of Miata came stock with a Momo Start?  :laugh:

I have the stock daisies, stock steering wheel, stock seats...I think the price is pretty reasonable for what you get.

and because I hate posting here without a pic, here is one for the thread


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I wish USDM NA Miatas got this sweet AU Nardi wheel:


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

ok...
from NJMP this past Monday:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

and the polar opposite of my Miata up there...










Any unique styled Miatas out there? In other words not track-prepped or stanced...


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

hushypushy said:


> Stock means stock! What kind of Miata came stock with a Momo Start?  :laugh:


I was hoping you were being generous. :laugh:

That said, if you don't already have a buyer lined up for the seat, you know where to find me.


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I wish USDM NA Miatas got this sweet AU Nardi wheel:


Pretty easy swap as long as you don't mind losing the airbag. Canada got a much better looking wheel too.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

hushypushy said:


> Any unique styled Miatas out there? In other words not track-prepped or stanced...


Roadster Coupe Trial Version









































Roadster Coupe TS Concept

































































NR-A Roadster Coupe

























RS Coupe









Lightning Yellow Roadster Coupe









































Classic Red Roadster Coupe

















Sunlight Silver Metallic Roadster Coupe

















Nopro Roadster Coupe









Barchetta Aston-Martin look Roadster Coupe

































Garage Vary Roadster Coupe

























MPS Concept

























































NR-A









































Party Race

















Brilliant Black

































Pure White

















































































































Classic Red

















Midnight Blue Mica









TD-1001R

































































































-------


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Nopro Roadster

























































Garage Vary

































































S2 Racing

















Barchetta Aston-Martin look Roadster

















Viper

















RX-8 lights

















PitClew









Chargespeed









Mazdaspeed

























5555555

















Super RAP

















Schmidt Modern Line









Black Wats

















16" Panasports









15" Panasports

































Black Racing

























Watanabes & Orange Hard Top

























Vented bonnet









Vash

















Insomniac

















Caleb (frosty115)

















































Superboosted









Roadster Drift

























Tiojuan


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

More uniquely styled Miatas


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

M2-1006 replica bodywork (sadly, no V6 engine)


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Infamous Pitcrew


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

RS Active Davy Crockett kit


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

More Pitcrew


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

One of my personal favorites. Between D-Technique and Garage Hundred One you can build your own faithful replica of this most iconic Roadster, the M2-1001.


















D-Technique Titanium exhaust










AutoExe K&N cowl intake


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

PassSedanGLX said:


> I was hoping you were being generous. :laugh:
> 
> That said, if you don't already have a buyer lined up for the seat, you know where to find me.


heh, even if I get rid of the Miata, that seat is going to sit in hibernation in my garage...until my next Miata


----------



## 50fridge (Jan 31, 2011)




----------



## ADeHelian (Oct 1, 2009)

I came this close **holds up index finger and thumb an inch apart** to trading my golf for a miata. 
The trade was supposed to go down tomorrow. Well the dude calls me this afternoon and tells me someone side swiped him. He thinks the insurance company will total it  no miata for me


----------



## MAGICGTI (Jul 3, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


>


I came. :heart:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)




----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


> ]


ah, the miata 1g. so awesome.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm not letting this damn thread die.


----------



## Art Vandelay (Dec 20, 2005)

Just sold my '96 M-Edition a few hours ago. Booooooooo. :thumbdown:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I'm not letting this damn thread die.


It ain't dying dammit. Not everyone has the time or ability to post new miata pics or stuff everyday though. It won't ever die, probably. Like the E30 thread. 


Anyone know what body kit this is? I like it, it's more aggressive than stock but still fairly clean and OEM looking.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I think this pic deserves it own post.


----------



## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

Do want a 1g.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

A bit of everything in this short 3 miata post:

Stock:









Wild:









Track Ready


----------



## warrenW (Jan 22, 2008)

i really want one of these :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## woodrowstar (Jun 17, 2005)

Sorry no pics, but is the "light" real?


----------



## Elbows (Feb 27, 2001)

I just brought my father's car back from a paint shop my buddy opened a while back. He has a Miata, and had two others in the shop - one was a nice caged supercharged one. Now I know where to go if I get one. Pretty good lookin' cars.


----------



## per-diems (Apr 7, 2011)

:thumbup:


----------



## pretzelogic (Nov 14, 2009)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

woodrowstar said:


> Sorry no pics, but is the "light" real?


I'm confused. What do you mean by this?


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

woodrowstar said:


> Sorry no pics, but is the "light" real?


This?









It was a concept. If not that, I have no idea what you're talking about.:wave:


----------



## TimesNewRoman (Oct 13, 2007)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Anyone know what body kit this is? I like it, it's more aggressive than stock but still fairly clean and OEM looking.


Looks like the Racing Beat kit to me.

Sidenote: I'll throw some pics of my Miata up early next week - my 15X9s are in the mail as I type this. :laugh:


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

TimesNewRoman said:


> Looks like the Racing Beat kit to me.
> 
> Sidenote: I'll throw some pics of my Miata up early next week - my 15X9s are in the mail as I type this. :laugh:


its the racing beat kit. and i approve of your wheel choice. :thumbup:


----------



## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

Some NC love...




























And mine, in perdestrian trim:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Someone added some of my photos to their Flickr galleries, which led me to discover these... :thumbup:


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

what's the story about the caged green NC a few posts up?


----------



## woodrowstar (Jun 17, 2005)

freedomweasel said:


> It was a concept. If not that, I have no idea what you're talking about.:wave:


yes, that. I was wondering whether or not it was a limited production model, as I've seen none.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

woodrowstar said:


> yes, that. I was wondering whether or not it was a limited production model, as I've seen none.


Specially made for British endurance racing. 275 hp and 1900lbs. 

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/23/ultra-lightweight-mazda-mx-5-gt-unveiled-for-british-enduro-raci/


----------



## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

unless you guys want to see pics of my stock 94 m edition ill wait to post pics when my coilovers and rs's go on hopefully next week


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

woodrowstar said:


> Sorry no pics, but is the "light" real?


i'm not sure if the concept is what you're talking about, but here's Good-Win Racing's NC Light;





































more info here - http://www.good-win-racing.com/mazda/miata/about.html :thumbup:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

God those ITB's are wonderful. And that interior!


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> God those ITB's are wonderful. And that interior!


I thought they were ITB's at first too. But now that I took a second look i realize they are Carburetors. Made by Sudco. 

Found this cool Miata-specific Japanese shop through that Speedhunters Feature.


http://www.carmakecorns.com/


These pics are of cars that are for sale. 































































































This one is a bit more wild. Obvious Aston Martin style front bumper but i think it works well on the NB. And with those ITB's I bet it screams. 











































And here's a gallery if you want to see more of their customers cars.

http://www.carmakecorns.com/src/search/gallery/gallery.php?shop=1468


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

My faces upon seeing those cars


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I thought they were ITB's at first too. But now that I took a second look i realize they are Carburetors. Made by Sudco.


Actually, they're Keihin FCR flat slide carburetors. They were popular on factory superbikes in the 1980s and 1990s. Before FI they were the ultimate in fuel delivery for race motorcycles with inline 4-cylinder motors. Sudco is just a US distributor of Keihin, Mikuni, etc.

In Japan, Mikuni and Weber and OER sidedrafts are popular on Roadsters as well as these Keihin FCR. The Keihin cost the most and are harder to come by on the 2nd hand market as they're highly desired by motorcycle racers.


----------



## TimesNewRoman (Oct 13, 2007)

compy222 said:


> its the racing beat kit. and i approve of your wheel choice. :thumbup:


Thank you, sir! Here's a teaser: 










Just waiting on tires. :banghead:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

949 wheels are everywhere now. Last week I saw a red MB Mazdaspeed and a regular BRG NB both with the bronze 949 UL's.


----------



## TimesNewRoman (Oct 13, 2007)

mellbergVWfan said:


> 949 wheels are everywhere now. Last week I saw a red MB Mazdaspeed and a regular BRG NB both with the bronze 949 UL's.


Yeah, I agree. However, the fact that they're made specifically for the Miata, they come in awesome sizes, they're light, reasonably priced (IMO) etc etc etc. I just couldn't hold out any longer for something else to come out.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

TimesNewRoman said:


> Yeah, I agree. However, the fact that they're made specifically for the Miata, they come in awesome sizes, they're light, reasonably priced (IMO) etc etc etc. I just couldn't hold out any longer for something else to come out.



I have no issues with people using the same wheels on one specific type of car. Individuality is overrated. And like you said 949 designed the wheels specifically for the Miata. (Though they work on other cars)


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

Two or three Miatas and one Honda in the local club run the 949s.

I'll be getting some bronze 949s next year hopefully. I was going to try and find something else, but all the other options were either more expensive, heavier, less desirable size, or some combination of the three. 
I realized I was going out of my way to have a wheel that was less popular, and forgot the 949s were popular for a reason. :laugh:
Just have to decide between 7" and 8".


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

freedomweasel said:


> Just have to decide between 7" and 8".


7.5" :laugh:


http://949racing.com/15x7.5-6ul-silver.aspx


$149 per wheel is a screaming deal for a 15x7.5 that weighs 11 pounds.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)




----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

NACA Duct, G-string soft top, 14" RPF1's, White tire lettering, FMIC.

That car is doing it so right. :thumbup:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> NACA Duct, G-string soft top, 14" RPF1's, White tire lettering, FMIC.
> 
> That car is doing it so right. :thumbup:


That is Sharka:










http://www.revlimiter.net/

He has an awesome, awesome Miata. And it helps that he lives in a place with great scenery and can take photos too :laugh:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

That is quite an awesome car. I love the retro mods he's done.

And that interior is so cool.


----------



## Schumo (May 30, 2010)

I need a Miata too. Hope to find a cheap NB over winter, if not, maybe a NA or start saving for a Skyline. 

Something different.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Sharka just got side stripes. Vintage Mazda font too! :heart:


----------



## DIAF (Sep 17, 2005)

You need a Miata because models love them. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_gs2xf-_0g&feature=youtube_gdata_player


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

DIAF said:


> You need a Miata because models love them.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_gs2xf-_0g&feature=youtube_gdata_player


 I fully approve of this video.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I'm falling more in love with Miata's and have been frantically searching for decent NA.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I'm falling more in love with Miata's and have been frantically searching for decent NA.


 This thread is making me forego food purchases in the interest of saving money quicker for a Miata. And I don't care at all.


----------



## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

You know, I have been looking at a few different cars for a daily driver that gets better MPG than my truck. Every time I come to this thread a NA Miata hops up a few spots :thumbup:


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Here's a fun project from former SCC'er, the man that ruined the SR20 swap import prices, and the man that made Flat black the new black, Dave Coleman. 

Miata + Hayabusa engine = 12,000 RPM Miata. 

MiataBusa


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

I love this thread. While my car is pretty plain compared to most of the others posted, here is a picture of my Miata packed up to autocross tomorrow. I strap down 3 of the wheels in the trunk and put the 4th in the passenger seat next to me. Who needs a separate trailer.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Nice! Just went and watched my first auto-x today and the miatas (6 of them, all kinds) were tearing it up.sure looked like fun!


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

More pics of your tie down locations? Do you just go to the trunk hinges?


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

freedomweasel said:


> More pics of your tie down locations? Do you just go to the trunk hinges?


 I have used both trunk hinges before and put the strap over the top of the tires, but the last few times I've used the trunk hinge on the drivers side and then there's a great place to hook into right where the rear shock mounts in on the floor of the passenger side. I put the ratcheting part on that side so that it doesn't interfere with the wheels. With the strap going through the center of the wheels it's very sturdy and doesn't budge at all at highway speeds. The screwed up aerodynamics make it tough to drive like this if you have the soft top up on the car. I've never tried it with the top down but i figure you'd get blasted with wind from behind.


----------



## WeeTallDidTiming (Jul 22, 2011)

not sure if this was posted or not. 
i love these vintage look kits.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Maybe a repost but god damn this looks good


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

^ 

Agreed. A bit different than your typical Miata, but I love it.


----------



## TimesNewRoman (Oct 13, 2007)

Hit up Malibu Canyon and Mullholland this weekend with some friends; 3 Miatas an S2K and an E30. 

Putting my new wheels and tires through their paces.


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

Yavuz said:


> I have used both trunk hinges before and put the strap over the top of the tires, but the last few times I've used the trunk hinge on the drivers side and then there's a great place to hook into right where the rear shock mounts in on the floor of the passenger side. I put the ratcheting part on that side so that it doesn't interfere with the wheels. With the strap going through the center of the wheels it's very sturdy and doesn't budge at all at highway speeds. The screwed up aerodynamics make it tough to drive like this if you have the soft top up on the car. I've never tried it with the top down but i figure you'd get blasted with wind from behind.


I'll dig around back there and take a look. I assume the spare has to come out? Not much of a problem when you're dragging four around I guess.:laugh:


----------



## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)

WeeTallDidTiming said:


> not sure if this was posted or not.
> i love these vintage look kits.


I'm conditioned to hate it, on the grounds that it's a transformative body kit....but I love it.


----------



## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

TimesNewRoman said:


> Hit up Malibu Canyon and Mullholland this weekend with some friends; 3 Miatas an S2K and an E30.
> 
> Putting my new wheels and tires through their paces.


You look like me in mine. Head 3 inches over the windshield


----------



## Rabbitoid (Feb 18, 2009)

You need a Miata? It's the car that keeps on giving. I just found a dollar in change under the seat. Had it since August.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/cto/2644165940.html

$1500 with a hardtop, and only 130k. 

SOMEONE BUY THIS!

I would if I could justify the purchase now, but I just can't at this time


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Someone give me a reason not to buy this one.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/2636920096.html


I'd really like an M-edition but they seem to go for $1000 more than normal ones in similar condition. 


http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2603519026.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/2604130678.html


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

The 95M is the best M IMO...that gorgeous Merlot color....mmmmm.....


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> The 95M is the best M IMO...that gorgeous Merlot color....mmmmm.....


I spotted one exactly like that on my morning commute today. I'm gonna stop by tomorrow and leave a note.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Dyno at 27.5 psi












Videos on this page.

http://www.globalnetspace.com/miata


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Taken from here: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=5416282&postcount=3683


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Taken from here: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=5416282&postcount=3683



I've decided I'm getting vintage style side stripes on the rockers when I get one. Makes it look so good.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

For anybody who (like me) may be interested in supercharging a NC Miata, take note that Flyin' Miata's (previously Cosworth-branded) supercharger system is going up in price starting in January.


----------



## GahannaKid (May 24, 2004)

This is as good a place as any to rant. I was recently informed that a 1990 Miata was going up for sale. 170k miles, hard top, 5-speed, short crank needed fixing as well as some rust issues and a decent paint job. Mechanic was going to fix it up and sale it - looking to get $2,500 - 3,000 out of it. Some guy came in and plopped 4 stacks down, job not done yet, for the car. I don't know about you guys but I don't need a Miata that bad and if that's any indication of where the prices are headed then F-that.

tl:dr - I thought these things were supposed to be cheap :banghead:


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

$4K for a '90 Miata?

NO THANKS. He's from the "More money than brains club"


----------



## OMGK20 (Mar 8, 2005)

what are the going prices on Miata's? My buddy is selling a 90? Miata with a hardtop, roll bar and 180K for $4,000 seems kinda pricey but boy do I want it


----------



## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

OMGK20 said:


> what are the going prices on Miata's? My buddy is selling a 90? Miata with a hardtop, roll bar and 180K for $4,000 seems kinda pricey but boy do I want it


Very pricey. My brother MAGICGTI just bought an 02 LS with 80k and a hardtop for $5k, body is 6/10, mechanical 9/10. It would retail for about $6k easy. 

Roll bar's are cheap, hard tops are not, so that would be where most of the cost comes in.


----------



## muffintop (Oct 15, 2009)

PassSedanGLX said:


> For anybody who (like me) may be interested in supercharging a NC Miata, take note that Flyin' Miata's (previously Cosworth-branded) supercharger system is going up in price starting in January.


I thought for a second you were talking about NA, I got butterflies until I read it again closer.


----------



## Minglor (Jul 26, 2004)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF_-c7xR22Q

Dyno pull.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Minglor said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF_-c7xR22Q
> 
> Dyno pull.


Nice. Did you build it yourself or buy it swapped?


----------



## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Here's my 94 m edition basicly stock but when I sell my Gti its getting a begi turbo kit.

Just got the coils on so everyone can hate on my ride height. Ill put more pics up when I put my rs's on.

Just washed 









Got a ticket for my headlights yesterday 









Low?


----------



## Minglor (Jul 26, 2004)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Nice. Did you build it yourself or buy it swapped?


All me.
Started off with a M45 JRSC that wasn't near enough.
Took about 14 months, Worked on it maybe one weekend a month and then for about 2 weeks straight when it got close. Overall went together easy.


----------



## alfafan (Nov 24, 2000)

Finally decided to sell mine after 5 years of ownership. The 500 is so much fun to drive, albeit in a much different way, that the Miata becomes redundant and I want something else.


http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2663436149.html


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

^^^Wish you were a bit closer. 



Stole these pics from SpecialFX's tread.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I love this one. Even if it's a little bit towards the stance trend.



















































Not sure how I feel about this one. 


























How it looked before.


----------



## cody227 (Sep 10, 2011)

This needs to be changed to the "you need a **** thread" :thumbup:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

cody227 said:


> This needs to be changed to the "you need a **** thread" :thumbup:


Right because beige 8v Jetta's are so manly.


----------



## cody227 (Sep 10, 2011)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Right because beige 8v Jetta's are so manly.


Why would I want a manly car?
I have nothing against Miatas, but they should be left for hot females.


----------



## Ark6 (Dec 14, 2007)

cody227 said:


> Why would I want a manly car?
> I have nothing against Miatas, but they should be left for hot females.


lol. 
So I take you think all roadsters are girl cars? :screwy:


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

cody227 said:


> Why would I want a manly car?
> I have nothing against Miatas, but they should be left for hot females.


Then don't post in this thread. :beer:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

cody227 said:


> Why would I want a manly car?
> I have nothing against Miatas, but they should be left for hot females.


I have no problem with hot females driving these cars 

However, thinking they should ONLY be driven by hot females is ignorance :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I have no problem with hot females driving these cars
> 
> However, thinking they should ONLY be driven by hot females is ignorance :thumbup:


Especially considering the Miata is the most raced car in the country.


----------



## OMGK20 (Mar 8, 2005)

cody227 said:


> Why would I want a manly car?
> I have nothing against Miatas, but they should be left for hot females.


drive a Miata and report back


back on topic, this is pure sex:


----------



## cody227 (Sep 10, 2011)

I have huge respect for miatas. They are really cool little cars, but I dont think people need them. I like some roadsters not all but enough. But if it were up to me to have a Mazda I would have some sort of Rx7 and buy the lady a Miata. Miatas have tons of character that most cars dont. They're one of the most characteristic cars I know of. I wouldnt mind owning one but idk...Corky Ramono or however you spell it kinda put me off on buying one.


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## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

cody227 said:


> I have huge respect for miatas. They are really cool little cars, but I dont think people need them. I like some roadsters not all but enough. But if it were up to me to have a Mazda I would have some sort of Rx7 and buy the lady a Miata. Miatas have tons of character that most cars dont. They're one of the most characteristic cars I know of. I wouldnt mind owning one but idk...Corky Ramono or however you spell it kinda put me off on buying one.


csb


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I've decided I'm getting vintage style side stripes on the rockers when I get one. Makes it look so good.


That black one is gorgeous. I really like the dual exhaust too. It looks great.


----------



## 91gti20v (Jul 18, 2001)

cody227 said:


> I have huge respect for miatas. *They are really cool little cars, but I dont think people need them.* I like some roadsters not all but enough. But if it were up to me to have a Mazda I would have some sort of Rx7 and buy the lady a Miata. Miatas have tons of character that most cars dont. They're one of the most characteristic cars I know of. I wouldnt mind owning one but idk...Corky Ramono or however you spell it kinda put me off on buying one.



I don't need my musclecar. I don't need a station wagon when I am a single male... Wants and needs are two completely different things. Making a statement as above in bold is quite ignorant, pardon my french. Everyone has different tastes and opinions Cody.


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## G60 CAB (Oct 26, 2003)

Not a complete Miata but I'm sure some of you would appreciate this. Building my second track Miata (wrecked my first one) and have TRM wheels for any potential street driving. Color is 1970's Porsche Slate Gray. Don't mind the horrible camber/toe, this is the first roll on the suspension while it's being moved to the front garage.


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## cody227 (Sep 10, 2011)

91gti20v said:


> I don't need my musclecar. I don't need a station wagon when I am a single male... Wants and needs are two completely different things. Making a statement as above in bold is quite ignorant, pardon my french. Everyone has different tastes and opinions Cody.


I was refering to the title of the thread, the "you *need* a miata thread".


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

cody227 said:


> I was refering to the title of the thread, the "you *need* a miata thread".


You're missing the point or being too literal. It's more fun than calling it "post cool pictures of miatas" and after looking at 10 pages of nice examples a lot of people start wanting one.


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## cody227 (Sep 10, 2011)

freedomweasel said:


> You're missing the point or being too literal. It's more fun than calling it "post cool pictures of miatas" and after looking at 10 pages of nice examples a lot of people start wanting one.


I think your taking my original post to literal, along with everyone else who replies. Arguing isnt what this threads about. You Miata people are so defensive.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I wanted a Miata so bad in '99....then I came "out"...my family should've know then...:laugh:


----------



## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

cody227 said:


> I think your taking my original post to literal, along with everyone else who replies. Arguing isnt what this threads about. You Miata people are so defensive.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

G60 CAB said:


> Not a complete Miata but I'm sure some of you would appreciate this. Building my second track Miata (wrecked my first one) and have TRM wheels for any potential street driving. Color is 1970's Porsche Slate Gray. Don't mind the horrible camber/toe, this is the first roll on the suspension while it's being moved to the front garage.


That is just beautiful. That color is really nice. But I would be so afraid to take such pristine paint onto the track :laugh:


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

I want to paint my miata that pale gray audi uses but im not sure of what its called


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## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

NjDriver said:


> I want to paint my miata that pale gray audi uses but im not sure of what its called


If it's the super pale gray from the TT-RS, that's called Suzuka Grey.
Otherwise it might be Meteor or Monsoon Gray.


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## 91gti20v (Jul 18, 2001)

Fisherson said:


> If it's the super pale gray from the TT-RS, that's called Suzuka Grey.
> Otherwise it might be Meteor or Monsoon Gray.


Could be Nimbus too...


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## G60 CAB (Oct 26, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


> That is just beautiful. That color is really nice. But I would be so afraid to take such pristine paint onto the track :laugh:


I have a gallon of this color left and access to two Miatas for body parts, so I am not afraid of the random paint swapping or scrappage from time to time.  Let's just hope I don't drive this one into a wall at 80 mph like I did the last one. I can't get over how well the color turned out, so let's hope it stays that way for a while. :laugh:


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## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

91gti20v said:


> Could be Nimbus too...


Oooh. Got me there. I forgot about that one.


----------



## alfafan (Nov 24, 2000)

mellbergVWfan said:


> ^^^Wish you were a bit closer.


Me too. Guy texted me on Sunday and offered me $1500. I said no. I have searched Ebay and other ads for 5 years and haven't come across one as old as mine in the US. 


Some people just want to flip cars and that don't sit right with me. They have to want the car and appreciate it. I have purposely left it unmolested because of how early it came out of production.

I forgot to change the ad. It should say that the registration is good until next year and that I have a new Kenwood Cd player with new speakers in it.

Does anyone know if the classified ads on the Vortex produce results?


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

I think they are pretty good but try the regional forums first


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)




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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

alfafan said:


> Me too. Guy texted me on Sunday and offered me $1500. I said no. I have searched Ebay and other ads for 5 years and haven't come across one as old as mine in the US.
> 
> 
> Some people just want to flip cars and that don't sit right with me. They have to want the car and appreciate it.


I'll give you $1500 and I promise not to flip it.


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## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

I do need a miata


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## OMGK20 (Mar 8, 2005)

I also need a Miata


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## VierSpeed (Apr 12, 2008)

... I need to stop clicking on this thread.


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

VierSpeed said:


> ... I need to stop clicking on this thread.


Ditto. Heading off to CL now


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## secretaznman (Aug 28, 2002)

Need met. I have been needing one for the past 5 years or so and finally found one in February.


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## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

Very very nice one. I like :thumbup:

Planning on adding a rollbar?


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## secretaznman (Aug 28, 2002)

Thanks.

Even before I bought the car, I always said, If I ever get a miata, I would definitely put a roll bar in it. For some reason, now that I have the car, I am debating whether or not I really want to get one. The chassis stiffening and added safety are a plus, but I like the visibility without one and am not sure if I want to start hacking away at my interior. A hardtop is my biggest priority right now.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Depending on your planned usage, consider that you're a lot more likely to be rear ended by some idiot than to actually roll the car on the street. So if you put that roll bar in, get some good padding for your head.


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

^^^
Also, make sure "good" padding is actually good, and not just something that feels soft and squishy. If it feels soft and squishy now, it'll be pretty darn squishy when your head impacts it and squishes right through to the steel bar.

Most manufacturers that sell the SFI rated stuff sell a non-certified version for less. By most accounts it's exactly the same sans the SFI logo. It may not be allowed at some HPDEs but it'll work just fine everywhere else.

Personally, I don't think the visibility is much of an issue. It would be better without a bar, but it hasn't been a problem for me. The soft top is much worse for blind spots and blocking sight lines.


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## OMGK20 (Mar 8, 2005)

fun little Miata video I found on Vimeo http://vimeo.com/24759813


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## HalvieCuw (Mar 20, 2003)

OMGK20 said:


> fun little Miata video I found on Vimeo http://vimeo.com/24759813


the **** is that guy scrubbing his car with? A broom? Paint must look great lol


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## OMGK20 (Mar 8, 2005)

that was actually my thought, for some reason going from wheels to paint made me cringe


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## jcochran37 (Feb 28, 2003)

This thread crushed my (admittedly pathetic) resolve to hold out for a ND Miata.

Please allow me to welcome my new (used) NB - LS, 6-speed, 47K miles!










I go to pick her up this weekend from Denver. WOOT!


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

jcochran37 said:


> This thread crushed my (admittedly pathetic) resolve to hold out for a ND Miata.
> 
> Please allow me to welcome my new (used) NB - LS, 6-speed, 47K miles!
> 
> ...


:thumbup: Congrats!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## seanGTI01 (Oct 28, 2011)

every miata i see looks the exact same, they lower them to the point where you cnt really drive the car, throw on a front lip so they can plow the asphalt, get the same looking rims as the last guy, stance it the **** out, and throw on a blast pipe so its nice and loud..and slow.


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## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

secretaznman said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Even before I bought the car, I always said, If I ever get a miata, I would definitely put a roll bar in it. For some reason, now that I have the car, I am debating whether or not I really want to get one. The chassis stiffening and added safety are a plus, but I like the visibility without one and am not sure if I want to start hacking away at my interior. A hardtop is my biggest priority right now.


PO installed my car's roll bar (Hard Dog Extreme) and there are zero issues with visibility. He did a great job trimming the interior to fit it too. :thumbup: Just food for thought.


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

seanGTI01 said:


> every miata i see looks the exact same, they lower them to the point where you cnt really drive the car, throw on a front lip so they can plow the asphalt, get the same looking rims as the last guy, stance it the **** out, and throw on a blast pipe so its nice and loud..and slow.



You know how I know this is a troll account?


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## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Here's mine:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

lawdogg said:


> here's mine:


moremoremoremoremoremoremore


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## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Don't have too much, it's still in the ugly stage, needs more low and a front lip. Good inspiration in this thread.

But here's a cameo behind the allroad, and no the Miata couldn't move an inch in the snow unless I barely touched the gas haha


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## seanGTI01 (Oct 28, 2011)

id really like to know how


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## Viss1 (Dec 1, 2003)

New suspension, lips, and spoiler since last pics.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

That looks sweet Viss. R-package goodies make a miata look so much better. And for some reason, i don't particularly like those wheels on the stock NB's they come on, but damn do they look good on an NA.


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## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

seanGTI01 said:


> every miata i see looks the exact same, they lower them to the point where you cnt really drive the car, throw on a front lip so they can plow the asphalt, get the same looking rims as the last guy, stance it the **** out, and throw on a blast pipe so its nice and loud..and slow.





seanGTI01 said:


> id really like to know how


How what?


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Viss1 said:


> New suspension, lips, and spoiler since last pics.


Nice! Is that on OEM front lip or an aftermarket one? May I ask where you got it...looking for one myself :thumbup:


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## LindsayLowhan (May 29, 2010)

Miatas suck. There I said it. :heart:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Nice! Is that on OEM front lip or an aftermarket one? May I ask where you got it...looking for one myself :thumbup:


Looks like it's the standard "R-Package" lip that they put on 94-97 R-Package Miatas. I don't know how rare they are but I've seen a good number of miatas with them.


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## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Nice! Is that on OEM front lip or an aftermarket one? May I ask where you got it...looking for one myself :thumbup:


Looks like an OEM R package lip, or one styled to look like one at least. 

http://www.rspeed.net/RSpeed_R_Package_Front_Lip_Spoiler_Miata_MX5_90_97_p/na00790974.htm
This one isn't a "real" R-Package lip, but it looks the same. They're out there in carbon, plastic, etc.


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## Viss1 (Dec 1, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


> That looks sweet Viss. R-package goodies make a miata look so much better. And for some reason, i don't particularly like those wheels on the stock NB's they come on, but damn do they look good on an NA.


Thanks. They are a good "OEM plus" solution especially considering the weight/cost. Mine are pretty much bare aluminum at this point thanks to copious amounts of etching cleaner to remove oxidation. 



freedomweasel said:


> Looks like an OEM R package lip, or one styled to look like one at least.
> 
> http://www.rspeed.net/RSpeed_R_Packa...na00790974.htm


Yep, both lips are RSpeed repros. Identical to OEM, right down to lining up with the factory mounting holes. The spoiler is a Moss repro.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I love the subtle retro styling cues on this one. 













































Owners Specs said:


> - 2001 Hard S package
> - 120,xxx KM
> - 6 speed
> - Factory sport brakes
> ...































http://yuta-akaishi.blogspot.com/2011/10/philstars-miata-for-sale.html


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)




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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

We had a local meet in nj. Ill try and link the album from miata net but here's a few I took. 

I have the yellow headlights and nas


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Here's another of mine


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## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

I suppose i'll add my old miata on here too


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Sexy


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I may have posted this a while back. I don't remember. Seen on my campus, confirmed to be driven by a female. :laugh:


----------



## uberR32 (May 4, 2004)

corrado-correr said:


>


are we selling bumper stickers already?


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

uberR32 said:


> are we selling bumper stickers already?


http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product2.aspx?number=586148048


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Another reason you need a Miata...they make great off-roaders.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)




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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

heh, how did I know I'd see those Speedhunters pics here.

Love that NC, but I hate how the car is designed to take 17's and 18's. Someone needs to radius the fenders smaller on one of those so that 15's and 16's fit correctly


----------



## ilikelow (Nov 1, 2011)

this thread has convinced me to go out and actually purchase a miata.

one of my favs:


----------



## clutch_dust (Apr 24, 2007)

Whoring:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I love RPF1's in the 14x7 fitment. The flat face gives it a much different look.


----------



## JDMX-5 (Jun 22, 2011)




----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I love RPF1's in the 14x7 fitment. The flat face gives it a much different look.


I've always wanted a set of those. Tire selection in 14" sucks though


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I love Mariner Blue.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)




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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

stumbled on these while looking at my own Flickr stats...this dude has a ton of Miata pics but here are some cool ones:

from mild...


10-10-10 carwash by yakidkay, on Flickr

to meaty...


Circuit Club / ANZAC Day by yakidkay, on Flickr

to wild...


Circuit Club @ EC by yakidkay, on Flickr


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

>



Delicious. Looks like R888's on maybe 16x8 6UL's.


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## Cr4shT3st (Jan 23, 2009)

how is this hood not blinding??


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## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

winter mode!


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## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

Detachable ricer wing! :laugh:


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

um.. do i need a miata?


----------



## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

thygreyt said:


> um.. do i need a miata?


If you want to be a boss


----------



## MAGICGTI (Jul 3, 2003)

My Miata sits dead in the garage, cranks but no start. Not sure why but betting it's a CPS. :banghead:


----------



## valfaw (Sep 15, 2006)

NjDriver said:


> If you want to be a boss


which one










is "the boss"????


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

thygreyt said:


> um.. do i need a miata?



i just sold mine


----------



## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

Always liked the NC with the Mazdaspeed body kit


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## the tech 71 (Dec 20, 2005)

yes i absolutely do need a miata!

my current background:


----------



## roflingsam (Apr 12, 2008)

alfafan said:


> Me too. Guy texted me on Sunday and offered me $1500. I said no. I have searched Ebay and other ads for 5 years and haven't come across one as old as mine in the US.
> 
> 
> Some people just want to flip cars and that don't sit right with me. They have to want the car and appreciate it. I have purposely left it unmolested because of how early it came out of production.
> ...


what did you have for sale and how much??

i sold my good condition m package 97 with 140k for around 3500 couple years ago. : (


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## b1m2x3 (Mar 16, 2004)

b1m2x3 said:


> Build thread
> 
> 
> gonna be up for sale soon i think


for sale here, if anybody is interested:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5500183-1990-blue-turbo-miata-for-sale-central-nj-4k


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

a bunch more pics are available over at stickydiljoe :thumbup:


----------



## the tech 71 (Dec 20, 2005)

this thread is quite comical worth a browse/read if you have a few minutes

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=52379


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

*FV-QR*

So I've been DD'ing the Miata for the past few weeks in light of my Aero lunching the trans. I have to say that if the gearbox on the Miata were any better, it would be terrible. It works so well. Just amazingly brilliant, simple, fun cars.


----------



## capn (Feb 19, 2004)

Just picked it up this weekend. 1992, 1.6L long-nose with 150K mi.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

capn said:


> Just picked it up this weekend. 1992, 1.6L long-nose with 150K mi.


Mind telling us how much you paid? I've been trying to keep track of values since I'm in the market. Nice example btw :thumbup:


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## capn (Feb 19, 2004)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Mind telling us how much you paid? I've been trying to keep track of values since I'm in the market. Nice example btw :thumbup:


Picked it up for $3200. I feel that is just right for the car I would classify as a 9/10 example.



150K mi
new water pump
new timing belt
factory hardtop
aftermarket wheels
70% Falken Ziex tires
sony head unit
clean carfax
original engine
no body or frame damage
NO RUST!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Not bad, it looks mint from the pics. Good luck to you with it!


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## Viss1 (Dec 1, 2003)

Nice, I'd say you actually paid a few hundred under market considering the hardtop.


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## Bias_Ply (Feb 6, 2010)

Nice! looks really great and it does sound like you paid a fair price. :thumbup:

I have been fighting the silly idea to find a beater/rusty Miata so I can have a winter Miata. :what:


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## Ionz13 (Sep 28, 2005)

why does it have a tow hook on the hood?


----------



## Bias_Ply (Feb 6, 2010)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Another reason you need a Miata...they make great off-roaders.


isnt that technically an off-roadster?


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

ionz13 said:


> why does it have a tow hook on the hood?


*Because Race Car*

(that's supposed to be in all caps but the forum keeps changing it back)


----------



## Ionz13 (Sep 28, 2005)

Claff said:


> *Because Race Car*
> 
> (that's supposed to be in all caps but the forum keeps changing it back)


I mean as in opposed to a typical location on the front bumper or something. It seems to be a strange placement for a tow spot (at least to me).


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Ionz13 said:


> I mean as in opposed to a typical location on the front bumper or something. It seems to be a strange placement for a tow spot (at least to me).


It's only strange to you because you are unfamiliar. It is a relatively common tow hook location on time attack cars that have had their front bumpers and/or radiator supports removed or heavily altered to allow for very large heat exchangers. Also, aftermarket bodywork often interferes with toe hooks in stock Miata tie down location. You don't want the tow strap to rip your front bumper off. Also, the shock tower location makes it much easier for the driver to see it, which makes judging the amount of slack easier, which makes towing easier. And because race car. :laugh:


----------



## memo! (Mar 27, 2011)

Ugh. My grandma has a blue Miata that she has owned since new (1991?). She has almost stop driving it these past ten years. Last time I turned it on, it had about ~ 25,000 miles. It's an auto though.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Just how I likes 'em.


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## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

I just ordered one!









Once I get it Hard Dog full roll ball with diagonals and perry, flyin' miata stage II suspension, Enkei rpf1's on Hankook V12 Evo 111's probably 235's, full race fluids, SS brake lines, Hawk pads, single sport exhaust, etc.

I can't wait.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Aonarch said:


> I just ordered one!


That is great looking. I need to drive an NC. I've driven 4 NA's and 2 NB's. (one was a Mazdaspeed). I really want to see how the NC is compared to the 1st 2.


----------



## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

DubNMiatafan said:


> That is great looking. I need to drive an NC. I've driven 4 NA's and 2 NB's. (one was a Mazdaspeed). I really want to see how the NC is compared to the 1st 2.


My brother should chime in he has had all of them.


----------



## samsquanch.. (May 13, 2010)

Ionz13 said:


> I mean as in opposed to a typical location on the front bumper or something. It seems to be a strange placement for a tow spot (at least to me).


found my self asking the same question in the mk2 stanced-out, dope, ill.. etc. thread.










makes sense, I'm always sweating running over the tow strap when I'm pulling my vws, which happens all to much I will admit. (towing, not running over straps)*

all in all, I like the "because race car" answer best.. just fits


----------



## Ionz13 (Sep 28, 2005)

freedomgli said:


> It's only strange to you because you are unfamiliar. It is a relatively common tow hook location on time attack cars that have had their front bumpers and/or radiator supports removed or heavily altered to allow for very large heat exchangers. Also, aftermarket bodywork often interferes with toe hooks in stock Miata tie down location. You don't want the tow strap to rip your front bumper off. Also, the shock tower location makes it much easier for the driver to see it, which makes judging the amount of slack easier, which makes towing easier. And because race car. :laugh:



Thanks for clearing that up for me!


----------



## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

My commute increased from 6 miles to 70 roundtrip, I've always wanted a Miata to track/autocross/commute, now I just need the tools to choose the right one. 

Are they're any miata buyers guides or tips you can give me? Like which model/edition to look for, desirable years/combinations or issues to look for upon inspection? 

Budget is 3.5k max, hopefully a hardtop included. 
It would be nice to get one off a forum member or enthusiast....someone thats already added suspension/wheels/roll bar but not necessary. 

I live in norcal, are there any forums I should check for the classifieds in this area besides CL? 

Found this one at a small local dealer, havent seen in person, it has slight body damage on front and rear bumpers. I love that blue and it has the hardtop. They want 3875 but its been for sale for 2 months, would it be a "deal" at 3000? 

1993 Miles: 151435

































new CL listing
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/2741965360.html

or this one, coilovers 86k miles :thumbup: seller asking 2500
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/2743412448.html


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

I'd say it's a freakin' steal at 3,000. But it's a lot easier to find rust free cars in your area than mine. That does appear to be an uber-base model for what it's worth. Steel wheels, manual windows, plastic steering wheel. Then again, oem alloy wheels & steering wheels are dirt cheap and the crank windows are no big deal.

Miata.net has a very, very precise over-the-top nitpicky guide to buying one.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Aonarch said:


> I just ordered one!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Congrats. 

DubNMiataFan: The NC drives like a lighter, more tossable RX-8... because that's what it is. 

I still want a supercharged NC in the worst way, I just can't afford it. Also, I may be warming up to the GT-86/FR-S/BRZ a little bit too much...


----------



## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

thank you.. I've been poking through the miata.net forums, lotsa good info! anyone wanna hook up some cliffnotes on which are the best examples to look for? problem areas? how do you tell if equipped with the sports package? LSD? The blue one has A/C, is that blue desirable?


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

lynx8489 said:


> thank you.. I've been poking through the miata.net forums, lotsa good info! anyone wanna hook up some cliffnotes on which are the best examples to look for? problem areas? how do you tell if equipped with the sports package? LSD? The blue one has A/C, is that blue desirable?


It's only desirable if you like it. But yeah Mariner blue is pretty high on Miata color lists. Probably second to only Sunburst Yellow. Or maybe Merlot Mica. 

Here's some links to info about different years/models. 

http://www.miata.net/faq/miatachanges.html

http://www.miata.net/faq/mfield.html


And a Guide on Diffs

http://www.miata.net/garage/diffguide/index.html


Really the only way to guarantee your car has an LSD is to get an M-edition.


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

... or an R package.


----------



## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Id check out clubroadster.net for the classifieds. Everyone is west coast(except me it feels like) and pretty much everyone has a kidded car


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Pf3il said:


> ... or an R package.


Yeah but those are nearly impossible to find. And they always ask way to much when they go on sale.


----------



## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

NA buyers guide
http://www.modified.com/features/0603_sccp_mazda_miada_buyers_guide/viewall.html


----------



## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

First hill climb with the new motor and 220whp




.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Found this. Did a quick google search but didn't come up with much info. Anyone know more about these Mazdaspeed ITB kits? 

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pts/2742127305.html


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## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

Youll be lucky to make 130whp. IRTBs on their own do **** all on Miata motors.


----------



## bootymac (Apr 19, 2005)

nismor32 said:


> First hill climb with the new motor and 220whp
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

bootymac said:


>


Are you the boodymac from dubberz?

Here's another one. Bible Creek Hill Climb in August. This is with 297whp. Worse vid quality though... it was a point and shoot. 400ft drop offs about 10 feet past the right side of the road...


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Yeah but those are nearly impossible to find. And they always ask way to much when they go on sale.


i know of one for sale for a very reasonable price. 

this happened saturday after thanksgiving. luckily it wasn't totaled by my insurance, just waiting for the check to begin repairs.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

lynx8489 said:


> I live in norcal, are there any forums I should check for the classifieds in this area besides CL?


Try NorCalRoadsters.com, a very friendly local community.


----------



## Dave Zero (Apr 10, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> Try NorCalRoadsters.com, a very friendly local community.


Crazy Red in Sacramento is the best IMO Miata-only shop in Norcal. He is located in Sacramento and regularly has 10-15 awesome Miatas parked outside the shop. 

Extremely knowledgable.

916-456-2277
www.crazyred.com
[email protected]

8161-B Belvedere Ave.
Sacramento CA 95826

I will be going there when I get my timing belt. I bought a rad and floormats from the guy and talked to him for awhile. Awesome, awesome guy. Two guys actually running the shop.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




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## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

hushypushy said:


> Try NorCalRoadsters.com, a very friendly local community.





Dave Zero said:


> Crazy Red in Sacramento is the best IMO Miata-only shop in Norcal. He is located in Sacramento and regularly has 10-15 awesome Miatas parked outside the shop.
> 
> Extremely knowledgable.
> 
> ...


:thumbup::thumbup: goin to test drive the blue one tom morn












































another question, is the 1.8 a better engine to get than the 1.6? ie 1994+


1994Number sold in U.S.: est. 21,481Price (base): $16,650Notes: Minor facelift, introduction of OBD-1 compliant 1.8L BP-ZE inline-four with 128 bhp, passenger airbag is standard, larger brake discs, front subframe brace added, rear subframe brace redesigned, cockpit brace between seatbelt towers, "flash to pass" added to headlights, gas tank enlarged, lighter wheels (10.3 lb) introduced. M-Edition in Montego Blue Mica with polished M-Edition wheels (lightest factory wheel), R-Edition available with stiffer springs, Bilstein shocks, aero trim with rear spoiler, and Torsen LSD as standard.


----------



## bootymac (Apr 19, 2005)

nismor32 said:


> Are you the boodymac from dubberz?


Yep. Do you have any engine bay shots? Love your car :thumbup:


----------



## yurikaze (Jul 7, 2006)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Really the only way to guarantee your car has an LSD is to get an M-edition.


An easier way to check is this:
If it has power mirrors and a manual transmission, it has an LSD. Torsen if 1.8, viscous if 1.6.


----------



## Darkness (Oct 1, 2003)

How do i tell if my NB came with a limited slip diff?

http://www.miata.net/faq/99central.html#U


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

I'm seriously having such a hard time finding a clean NA for less than $4k. I did however find one that didn't have rocker rust...yet it was black (not really crazy about it and it's growing on me) and it has a truck rack so I would have to get a new one (although I would keep it around for fun). Guy told me he would take $3900 for it come spring but I think I could buy it from him for around $3500 now before he runs it through the shop at his dealer. Nothing seems wrong with it. Worth buying?


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

nismor32 said:


>


Do want, only on a 2.0.


----------



## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

bootymac said:


> Yep. Do you have any engine bay shots? Love your car :thumbup:


A few.


----------



## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

PassSedanGLX said:


> Do want, only on a 2.0.


If you build a 2.0L similar to how I did my 1.6L with all the head work, cams, intake manifold and custom header and strapped the same Rotrex on, I would estimate you would be in the 380-400whp mark.


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

yurikaze said:


> An easier way to check is this:
> If it has power mirrors and a manual transmission, it has an LSD. Torsen if 1.8, viscous if 1.6.


false.

here is the options matrix in PDF form. you'll see that the LSD was a standalone option in some years.

you can call Mazda HQ and they can look up the VIN for you. a quick search on miata.net will find you the number. i called on a few cars when i was hunting for mine. :thumbup:


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

nismor32 said:


> If you build a 2.0L similar to how I did my 1.6L with all the head work, cams, intake manifold and custom header and strapped the same Rotrex on, I would estimate you would be in the 380-400whp mark.


----------



## UPs_n_DoWNz (May 27, 2008)

Yavuz said:


> I love this thread. While my car is pretty plain compared to most of the others posted, here is a picture of my Miata packed up to autocross tomorrow. I strap down 3 of the wheels in the trunk and put the 4th in the passenger seat next to me. Who needs a separate trailer.


First off your Miata is gorgeous and I'm pissed that I haven't seen it around town  

Second; where do you autox around here?


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

yurikaze said:


> An easier way to check is this:
> If it has power mirrors and a manual transmission, it has an LSD. Torsen if 1.8, viscous if 1.6.





Pf3il said:


> false.
> 
> here is the options matrix in PDF form. you'll see that the LSD was a standalone option in some years.
> 
> you can call Mazda HQ and they can look up the VIN for you. a quick search on miata.net will find you the number. i called on a few cars when i was hunting for mine. :thumbup:


:thumbup: :thumbup: My '91 has manual mirrors, no A/C, no ABS, no Power Steering, a 5spd, and it has a VLSD.

Here is a good practical way to spot an LSD: http://miata.net/garage/diffguide/index.html That's how I figured mine out!


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

lynx8489 said:


> another question, is the 1.8 a better engine to get than the 1.6? ie 1994+


yes, undoubtedly. The 1.6L is just awful.


----------



## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> yes, undoubtedly. The 1.6L is just awful.


While I do agree the 1.8L is a better motor to start with, the 1.6L is in no ways "awful." A lot of front running spec miatas run 1.6L's. For the record, my awful 1.6L makes more power than about %90 of the forced induction 1.8L Miatas out there. Not just more than the supercharged 1.8's but the turbo ones too. 

Had I not walked into a deal of a lifetime on a built head with a free bottom end core, I likely would have built a 1.8L. But there's something about winding a 1.6L out to 8000RPM. The 1.8's are not nearly as rev happy as the 1.6's.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

nismor32 said:


> While I do agree the 1.8L is a better motor to start with, the 1.6L is in no ways "awful." A lot of front running spec miatas run 1.6L's. For the record, my awful 1.6L makes more power than about %90 of the forced induction 1.8L Miatas out there. Not just more than the supercharged 1.8's but the turbo ones too.
> 
> Had I not walked into a deal of a lifetime on a built head with a free bottom end core, I likely would have built a 1.8L. But there's something about winding a 1.6L out to 8000RPM. The 1.8's are not nearly as rev happy as the 1.6's.


As a platform, the 1.8 is definitely the easiest to modify due to parts availability and such, but I agree, there's nothing inherently wrong with the 1.6. Great little engine.


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

nismor32 said:


> While I do agree the 1.8L is a better motor to start with, the 1.6L is in no ways "awful." A lot of front running spec miatas run 1.6L's. For the record, my awful 1.6L makes more power than about %90 of the forced induction 1.8L Miatas out there. Not just more than the supercharged 1.8's but the turbo ones too.
> 
> Had I not walked into a deal of a lifetime on a built head with a free bottom end core, I likely would have built a 1.8L. But there's something about winding a 1.6L out to 8000RPM. The 1.8's are not nearly as rev happy as the 1.6's.


Can you tell me more about your engine setup? My 1.6 is pitiful regardless of RPM. :banghead:


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

UPs_n_DoWNz said:


> First off your Miata is gorgeous and I'm pissed that I haven't seen it around town
> 
> Second; where do you autox around here?



Thanks - I live and work in the Tatnuck area so that's where it generally is. 

I autox at Devens air force base up in Ayer... About a 40 minute drive away from Worcester. I only started this past year, but did 6 SCCA events up there. It's been a blast.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

nismor32 said:


> While I do agree the 1.8L is a better motor to start with, the 1.6L is in no ways "awful." A lot of front running spec miatas run 1.6L's. For the record, my awful 1.6L makes more power than about %90 of the forced induction 1.8L Miatas out there. Not just more than the supercharged 1.8's but the turbo ones too.
> 
> Had I not walked into a deal of a lifetime on a built head with a free bottom end core, I likely would have built a 1.8L. But there's something about winding a 1.6L out to 8000RPM. The 1.8's are not nearly as rev happy as the 1.6's.


You spent a lot of money on your 1.6, though. Probably more money, in fact, than lynx8489 (the guy who was asking) intends to spend on his entire car!

In _stock form_, compared to the 1.8L, the 1.6L sucks IMO; no power at all in the low range and relatively poor fuel economy. The 1.8 gets the same mileage and, more importantly, has a much fatter powerband. The 1.6 isn't a bad engine in the grand scheme of things (hell, it's practically bulletproof) and the 90-93 is popular in Spec Miata for more than just the 1.6, but when recommending a Miata for a newb, I will always say the 1.8. I had a 1.6 already and I'm not going to have another one unless there's a turbo strapped to it.

Out of curiosity, why did you build up a 1.6 instead of a 1.8? Just the free-revving aspect?


----------



## El Grimaco (May 14, 2003)

I never post photos so hopefully this works.

My toy, sleeping for the winter. Currently feeling sad about having 6 months of SUV in front of me.

'91 Miata, 119,000 kms, never winter driven, rarely driven in rain. Over the past few years I've added:
-Nardi shift knob and park-brake handle re-stained a custom colour
-949 Racing 15" 6UL's in classic silver with 205mm Bridgestone RE011's
-Flyin' Miata stage 2.5 suspension (firmer lower springs, 1" drop, nothing extreme, rear top hats to regain the lost travel, thicker sways, Tokico adjustable shocks)
-Hard Dog double-diagonal roll bar
-Wicked awesome $100 Sony CD player and Pioneer speakers.  At least I can hear it at highway speeds now.
-Hella E-code front headlamps
-higher capacity aluminum radiator in anticipation of adding power next spring.
-Robbins cloth top with zipperless glass window.

Next up: R-Speed front lip, clutch upgrade, forced induction.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

That is beautiful. Mariner blue is my favorite :thumbup:

Edit: Ah you have the nice Canadian wheel too. I am so jealous.


----------



## volkstyle (May 11, 2010)

freedomgli said:


>


WOW man I dont like Miatas but I would buy this in a second!!!


----------



## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

My semester is over on thursday. I'll (hopefully) have passed everything.
After that point I'll start to look for cars as much as I'm currently doing homework/spending time on The Car Lounge.

I can't freaking wait.



I can't freaking wait.


I miss having a car so much.


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## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

lawdogg said:


> Can you tell me more about your engine setup? My 1.6 is pitiful regardless of RPM. :banghead:




Lets just say it's not stock.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=419494

I did run a bone stock 1.6L with a GReddy turbo and custom manifold for the first season I raced. It made 190whp on 9PSI. Even with a 7200RPM limit it was still quite rev happy. 

My current motor has solid lifters, big cams, lightened crank, balanced bottom end, light flywheel/clutch and a **** ton of boost being forced in. It rev's like a motorcycle. Watch the second video I posted. Keep an eye out for the red light on the dash. That's 7800RPM. Feathering the throttle is really easy with the rotrex. Instant power, it feels like driving a big inline 6 cyl or something.


----------



## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> Out of curiosity, why did you build up a 1.6 instead of a 1.8? Just the free-revving aspect?


There are a few reasons. Originally I was going to build a high compression ITB N/A motor to comply with a racing class that allowed only 1.8L motors and less. Since the BP 1.8L is in fact more than 1800CC it was not an option. A friend of mine had a very nicely ported head and a free block if I bought the head from him so that's how it started. I also like doing things differently, and once I saw that no one had Rotrex supercharged a 1.6L yet I wanted to be the first, and do it well. I get made fun of sometime by other Miata guys because my Miata is a 96 that originally had a 1.8L in it. which I pulled out (along with a BEGi turbo kit and various other goodies I had and sold it all) to swap in the 1.6L. .


----------



## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> That is beautiful. Mariner blue is my favorite :thumbup:
> 
> Edit: Ah you have the nice Canadian wheel too. I am so jealous.


You want one? Pay for shipping and it's yours... but it has to wait until i get back from Germany in a few months.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Pf3il said:


> false.
> 
> here is the options matrix in PDF form. you'll see that the LSD was a standalone option in some years.


Actually, he's correct, but only for the 1.8 cars. Overwhelmingly, if a 94-79 car has that mix of options, it has the Torsen. Although, there seems to be no reliable pattern for determining which 1.6 cars came with the VLSD. The early SE cars had the highest occurrence of the VLSD (BRG, black & Tan, Sunburst, LE)

FWIW, some type of LSD has been an option on every NA/NB car.


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## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)




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## hksir (Jan 25, 2002)




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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

^ Yum yum. Those are some good looking NB's.

Good deal or bad deal guys?

http://www.mazdaguys.com/vehicledetailsvin.aspx?type=used&vin=JM1NB3536X0103745

Looks like it's got a lot of little stone chips up front (could be from extensive highway driving, which is good), but it also looks like the trunk lock is busted out.


----------



## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

My goodness. That green one on RPF1's has me drooling. Green is the perfect color for a Miata, although I do slightly prefer BRG to Emerald Mica. 

That Emerald Mica one ^^ seems to be a fair deal, although the ad and pictures can't seem to agree on what type of transmission is present. I don't trust dealerships or high mileage cars, and for a grand or two more you could get a very nice car through a private party sale. Just something to consider. 


Rule #1...


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

initiation said:


> That Emerald Mica one ^^ seems to be a fair deal, although the ad and pictures can't seem to agree on what type of transmission is present. I don't trust dealerships or high mileage cars, and for a grand or two more you could get a very nice car through a private party sale. Just something to consider.


True. I was just wondering since it seems like a really nice price for what could be just a highway driven NB. From the pics at least, it looks fairly rust-free.


----------



## mkvdevil06 (Jul 19, 2011)

These things are amazing auto-xers. They always seem to be driven by old people though


----------



## Big_Bird (Feb 22, 2010)

I hate you all for grinding in my love and want for the Miata.


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## ilikebrownies (Dec 13, 2011)

Here mine.









A bit lower in the rear now though


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

nismor32 said:


> You want one? Pay for shipping and it's yours... but it has to wait until i get back from Germany in a few months.


Do I ever! Keep it under $3k with shipping costs + car and you've got a deal! :laugh:


----------



## EzumA7 (Feb 19, 2009)

I'd like to have a miata


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

mkvdevil06 said:


> These things are amazing auto-xers. They always seem to be driven by old people though


It's funny, at my local scca events there's at least 8 ppl under 30 with 'em. Then I go to some other areas and it IS predominately older guys.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Darkness said:


> How do i tell if my NB came with a limited slip diff?
> 
> http://www.miata.net/faq/99central.html#U


the easiest test is if the car has a leather interior. usually all these cars had an LSD. there is also the 99 sport model, that had cloth, but it had the factory aero package too. :wave:


----------



## pelkie118 (Oct 19, 2011)

crappy pics, but here's mine


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## EzumA7 (Feb 19, 2009)

wheels look alittle too big for that machine. ^^


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

pelkie118 said:


> crappy pics, but here's mine


Hey, what roll bar is that? I'm within 1-2 weeks of buying an NB and would like to install a basic, yet safe roll bar. I don't really plan to do any track events with it but I still want the added protection of a 4-point bar. I was thinking of something along the lines of the Hard Dog M2 Sport:


----------



## pelkie118 (Oct 19, 2011)

AZGolf said:


> Hey, what roll bar is that? I'm within 1-2 weeks of buying an NB and would like to install a basic, yet safe roll bar. I don't really plan to do any track events with it but I still want the added protection of a 4-point bar. I was thinking of something along the lines of the *Hard Dog M2 Sport*:



That's exactly what it is. :thumbup:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

lynx8489 said:


> another question, is the 1.8 a better engine to get than the 1.6? ie 1994+


1.8 has more power, but the 1.6 is more fun because it tries harder.


----------



## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

EzumA7 said:


> wheels look alittle too big for that machine. ^^


Dropping it 1/2-1" would make them look a little better but they look fine IMO.

Evaluating the possibility of using my christmas bonus to buy a NA instead of paying off a credit card. I mean, the NA will save me money on gas every month so I could use that money for debt right :laugh:


----------



## hksir (Jan 25, 2002)




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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

mkvdevil06 said:


> These things are amazing auto-xers. They always seem to be driven by old people though


I don't think I qualify as old (my 77 year old dad has a Miata though), but I'll certainly vouch for your first point.


----------



## mkvdevil06 (Jul 19, 2011)

So maybe not all old people. Just older then the crowd Im with. They usually use miatas just for fun though and have other DDs. They def are a lot of fun but theyre too small for me to drive daily.


----------



## rsStewie (Jan 25, 2008)

I'm really looking into getting a Miata. Problem is I'm a big guy (5'10'' @ 270lb) so question is NA or NB?

Is there a noticeable difference between them?


----------



## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

rsStewie said:


> I'm really looking into getting a Miata. Problem is I'm a big guy (5'10'' @ 270lb) so question is NA or NB?
> 
> Is there a noticeable difference between them?


From my understanding the doors on the NB are significantly thicker and so you lose a bit of width inside. 

That and NBs are stiffer cars by about 15-20 percent. Can't remember precisely.

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

rsStewie said:


> I'm really looking into getting a Miata. Problem is I'm a big guy (5'10'' @ 270lb) so question is NA or NB?
> 
> Is there a noticeable difference between them?


I have both but I'm a skinny guy so I don't know if there's a big difference for big guys.

One friend of mine was a big fella (north of 250 but I don't know by how much) and he did fine in a NA. He did have to take off his winter coat before getting in the car, but that wasn't a big deal.


----------



## rsStewie (Jan 25, 2008)

Fisherson said:


> From my understanding the doors on the NB are significantly thicker and so you lose a bit of width inside.
> 
> That and NBs are stiffer cars by about 15-20 percent. Can't remember precisely.
> 
> (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)


Every bit counts haha. :beer:



Claff said:


> I have both but I'm a skinny guy so I don't know if there's a big difference for big guys.
> 
> One friend of mine was a big fella (north of 250 but I don't know by how much) and he did fine in a NA. He did have to take off his winter coat before getting in the car, but that wasn't a big deal.


So it's looking like NA.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

rsStewie said:


> I'm really looking into getting a Miata. Problem is I'm a big guy (5'10'' @ 270lb) so question is NA or NB?


Easy, go on a diet and everything will work out fine.


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I'm 6'1" and sat in an NA and NB. The NA jammed the steering wheel into my thighs. I don't think it is adjustable. It didn't seem to be adjustable in the NB either but there was plenty of room for my legs. Width seemed fine in either car. I had the same steering wheel too low problem in my old S2000 too.


----------



## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Screaming deal on a hardtop for you midwesterners!

http://appleton.craigslist.org/pts/2754041584.html


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I don't think I qualify as old (my 77 year old dad has a Miata though), but I'll certainly vouch for your first point.


My 57 year old dad has one, but that's because his under-30 year old son had two. Having predominantly older guys owning these things makes for very cheap insurance as a benefit.


----------



## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Off topic and I know its been discussed before but do you have the tutorial to photoshop an image like that?


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

NjDriver said:


> Off topic and I know its been discussed before but do you have the tutorial to photoshop an image like that?


The effect is called 'tilt-shifting.' You can google it for tutorials on how to do it in PS or similar, but here's a web site that will do it for you if you don't want to bother with it.

http://tiltshiftmaker.com/


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Interesting paint scheme


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

The perfect sunburst yellow NA


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

mellbergVWfan said:


>


Wow, what front bumper is that?


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

lawdogg said:


> Wow, what front bumper is that?


I believe that is the Racing Beat body kit.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

^ yeah Racing Beat. There's a cool wide version of it too: http://www.flyinmiata.com/news/widebody.php


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Thanks! :thumbup: Now to find one.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Anyone else love the Elan front end conversion?


----------



## pentaxshooter (Sep 3, 2009)




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## andyg79 (Sep 18, 2009)

Excited due to Christmas so I'll post some pics...

Waiting for me under the tree this year are some Eibach lowering springs, AEM cold air intake and a Porter Cable 7424 XP, with a range of pads and some Menzerna polishes! Can't wait to get it shiny!

Had to buy the stuff myself  which is no biggie but have to wait until April to have the goodies fitted (along with Eibach sway bars) since I'm not driving it in the winter 

Happy Miata Holidays TCL!


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

May have found myself a nice little NA with hardtop but I'm keeping it under wraps for now. Updates to possibly follow. 

Side though: Anyone have any good tips or things to look for? I've read through the miata.net guide and know a few key things like looking for the 65mph shimmy and checking for any wobble with the crankpulley.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

mellbergVWfan said:


> May have found myself a nice little NA with hardtop but I'm keeping it under wraps for now. Updates to possibly follow.
> 
> Side though: Anyone have any good tips or things to look for? I've read through the miata.net guide and know a few key things like looking for the 65mph shimmy and checking for any wobble with the crankpulley.


The crank pulley was only an issue up to 91 and lots of speculation on whether or not it really is an issue 100% of the time. GREAT bargaining tool though when negotiating with a seller 

65MPH shimmy is something that goes away with fresh tires, a proper tire balance, and a real alignment. 

My personal opinion is, if you are buying a decent Miata with less than 100K miles that was taken care of; if it runs, drives, and stops without any horrible noises, it's fine. 

If you're trying to be the next "I got my Miata for $1200" hero, nothing will be a major problem and everything will be a major problem.

Have fun with your purchase. 29* and sunny on my commute today.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Well it is a 91 and it does have less than 100,000 miles. I'm hoping the seller will be willing hold out a couple days while I make sure my money is all good.


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## Deltac (Jul 7, 2009)

I was looking for pictures of mx5's and this came up :laugh:


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Went and test drove an NA today. Not sure if I'm going to buy it but holy crap that is the most fun I've ever had driving a car. It felt so connected and planted through corners and the JR intake and exhaust gave it a nice little rumble. I was surprised at how comfortable I fit in the car. I'm above average height and although the roof and side are fairly close, the leg room felt good and my feet didn't seen to cramped even with my huge skate shoes. I definitely want one now.


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Just installed my early xmas gifts. Intakes horns and license plate bracket. Waiting on flares trunk and roll bar


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## Mike7 (Jul 9, 2009)

Better late than never...










...moi's 

(and some day a Scud next to it in the garage)


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## nickkwhitt (Apr 7, 2011)

i don't know much about miatas, but i was driving around sarasota, fl and I saw a very clean black on black one. Would love to see more pics, 99.9% sure it had a turbo build, it was late at night and sounded ****ing tits. I looked through the first 8 pages and gave up anyone know of it please post a pic!!


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

nickkwhitt said:


> i don't know much about miatas, but i was driving around sarasota, fl and I saw a very clean black on black one. Would love to see more pics, 99.9% sure it had a turbo build, it was late at night and sounded ****ing tits. I looked through the first 8 pages and gave up anyone know of it please post a pic!!


Good place to look:

http://www.miataturbo.net/


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Mike7 said:


> Better late than never...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is that a Ferrari 330 GTS in the background? More pics of that?


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## troze1200 (Oct 12, 2000)

Put the head on yesterday and installed the new FPR.
















Green Glory
























Flame away.


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## troze1200 (Oct 12, 2000)

DubNMiatafan said:


> That is just beautiful. That color is really nice. But I would be so afraid to take such pristine paint onto the track :laugh:


New paint:








Two years later (24 events)








It's sad, but what can I possibly do about it? I have a guy who will spray the bumper cheap with just a little prep-work. I tell him, "It's a track car, not a show car."


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

troze1200 said:


>


that is an awesome miata

keep'em coming


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## troze1200 (Oct 12, 2000)

2.0_Mazda said:


> that is an awesome miata
> 
> keep'em coming


I have more fun in that car than anyone. I drive it to and from the track with a tire trailer, I'm committed. In NASATX TTB my competition this year was a school of E90 M3s with tires and suspension, S197 Mustangs with tires and suspension, and wildly modded E46 M3's. I managed second so I'm pretty happy. We have a rough-n-tumble renegade Miata crew in Texas so there's about five of us among the people with "real money". It's a ton of fun to do it in a Miata. 








When I my GF finishes school I'll step up and get a real trailer and tow rig...but it probably won't be as much fun anymore.


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## Monte.Price78 (Jan 1, 2012)

Awesome sharing and nice car's photo here I really like those thank.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Well apparently the miata I checked out last week was sold and is now wrecked. I'm sad but I'm also taking it as a sign that I was right to not buy it. 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/2777517000.html


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## Jacknife (Jan 1, 2012)

Been wanting a miata for awhile now, here are some more pics to drool over....
aka "The Baby Monster"
















































They do alot of work with miata's http://slickauto.net/



1:26 at Willow Springs


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

$5 says "drifting" accident. How much did the PO want for it before it was wrecked? And damn those are some nice wheels on it.

Rule #1


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> $5 says "drifting" accident. How much did the PO want for it before it was wrecked? And damn those are some nice wheels on it.
> 
> Rule #1


Probably. They were asking $3500. Seemed solid mechanically but paint was a bit rough and he had no maintenance records. And the battery was dead the day I went to check it. And the top was apparently torn. I debated offering $3000. Would have probably bought it. 

Still was a waste of a nice car.


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

That seems like a lot to ask for the damage it has! There was one near me a few months ago that was white, had similar miles, a hard top, hard dog roll bar, suspension, wheels, exhaust etc. It only needed a clutch and they wanted $2200 IIRC.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

kenny301 said:


> That seems like a lot to ask for the damage it has! There was one near me a few months ago that was white, had similar miles, a hard top, hard dog roll bar, suspension, wheels, exhaust etc. It only needed a clutch and they wanted $2200 IIRC.


That would be the steal of a century if it was fairly clean. But yeah it's totally overpriced. I Love how they mention 'clean title' as if that really matters now.


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

If it wasn't for the holiday season I would have snapped it up! 

Clean title :banghead:


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## troze1200 (Oct 12, 2000)

kenny301 said:


> That seems like a lot to ask for the damage it has! There was one near me a few months ago that was white, had similar miles, a hard top, hard dog roll bar, suspension, wheels, exhaust etc. It only needed a clutch and they wanted $2200 IIRC.


If it were a 1.6 with an HT, that's a fair price around here. I picked up my green 1.6 for $1600 with a HT and bad soft top, my white car was "very rough" and still is, but only $1300. That $1300 1995 with the torsen has been an absolute dream. I bought it 6-years ago and I've only added fluids and a timing belt and went from 80k miles to 150k miles in that time. I drive it to Houston from Dallas 3x per month. It's getting a 2001 engine soon with MS2 and VVT control, I'm expecting 150whp and 36mpg. I also picked-up another set of ancient-designed ASTs for it but I will probably never put it on the track. The best part is that it's spraypainted rustoleum white and covered in dents and door dings. Thats the best part about that car, the interior is garbage, the paint in heinous...no one would ever steal it or think there's an awesome engine, computer, and suspension in the car since I park it outside an apartment in Houston frequently. 

It goes to show that these cars are absolutely wonderful.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

troze1200 said:


> ...36mpg...


Explain further please. Long 5th/6th gear? 36 mpg seems pretty high, though not doubting it could happen.


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## Fisherson (Dec 22, 2008)

I love this thread. It's my happy place.


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Wow that's Sexy

Here's some quick pics of my winter fitment with the new cf trunk


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## troze1200 (Oct 12, 2000)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Explain further please. Long 5th/6th gear? 36 mpg seems pretty high, though not doubting it could happen.


10:1 compression, max efficiency on intake valve timing, 15.6:1 AFR, max brake torque on the spark table, 6-speed, 3.63 rear end. I get 32-34mpg in my turbo car on low compression and static valve timing with the same ratios. It's going to take some work, but I'm confident that I can get there.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

@NJdriver: Damn your car is low. How is the ride quality? What suspension do you have?

And random car dump. First one is rozap I think but I love it so much. The retro styled cars are my favorites I think.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

The new definition for "Flyin' Miata".


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

mellbergVWfan said:


>


Love these.


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## Peloton25 (Apr 1, 2001)

Clearly I don't need a Miata.  

>8^)
ER


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Melberg I have racelands with isc top hats. They actually ride great I just wish they were stiffer. I had no problems at that ride height with the stock 185/60s on but with the 185/65 winters I just got they rub hardcore in the front. Im not even going to raise it up since im getting my autokonexion carbon fiber flares installed in the next week or so. Than come 15x9 rs's that I have sitting in my room.

I have a build thread that I update pretty much weekly on here if you want to check it out


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## clean'nblackmk4 (Nov 19, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> The new definition for "Flyin' Miata".


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Well apparently the miata I checked out last week was sold and is now wrecked. I'm sad but I'm also taking it as a sign that I was right to not buy it.
> 
> http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/2777517000.html



$2200? :facepalm:


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## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

Yeah, someone hit & run my car in a parking lot (actually, in a big field used as a parking lot, with security guards and all, down by the beach where I was attending a surf contest)

Looking for a replacement but it's kinda hard here in PR.

I spent a good while yesterday working on the car, took out the seats and vacuumed every inch of it, what a difference! I discovered the PO actually put really nice headrest speakers in the seats, I'd wondered why they were so much more powerful and clear than the doors. Thanks PO.

I also lined my dash cubby and ashtray with soft 3" wide velcro tape for cushiness, did the trunk lock mod which allows a left turn of the key to disable the interior trunk release, adjusted my heater core (always wondered why my air blew slightly warm air.. which is not cool in PR... I don't have A/C)

Ordered a new Voodoo shift knob and parking brake handle combo and a 139db air horn... Outta my way :laugh:

Shopping for different/wider wheels to fit bigger/better rubber. Would like to lower the car about 1" but can't go much more than that as roads down here suck.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Love your car qwkdtsn. Sucks about the damage . Did they get the door too or just the fender?


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Hmm I wonder where that first pic was taken.. I haven't seen a montego around here like mine by me


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## Corbic (Sep 1, 2003)

Ionz13 said:


> why does it have a tow hook on the hood?


Cuz Air-Lift?


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Well apparently the miata I checked out last week was sold and is now wrecked. I'm sad but I'm also taking it as a sign that I was right to not buy it.


nooo! You're wrong, that means you should have bought it and saved it  Looks like he "drifted" right into a curb


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## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Love your car qwkdtsn. Sucks about the damage . Did they get the door too or just the fender?


Scraped the paint, but just very lightly (will probably buff out, I haven't bothered yet). Got lucky all I need is a fender, but it's proving hard to source one here. I don't speak spanish comfortably enough to do business with a bodyshop yet and it's hard to find a wrecker that might have one, or get one delivered from the US.


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## clutch_dust (Apr 24, 2007)

Cr4shT3st said:


> how is this hood not blinding??



Unless the sun is directly in front of you at the horizon, there's no way it could affect the driver. I've never had a complaint from another driver, so I'm just assuming that it doesn't glare too much.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Still haven't found one I really like yet. Maybe I should have bought that Green one. 

Well here's a couple of transformation builds.












































http://www.build-threads.com/build-threads/teenage-dirtbag-na-mx5/



































The owner of that one ^^^ also owns this. Cost him 450 pounds.


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Flares and winter status? 

Don't worry my bbs's are in the shed











*whore pic


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## JMotion (Jan 2, 2012)

Been taking some pictures since I'm putting mine up for sale soon... gonna miss her dearly!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

JMotion said:


> Been taking some pictures since I'm putting mine up for sale soon... gonna miss her dearly!


God I wish I lived in NYC so I could buy that


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> God I wish I lived in NYC so I could buy that


x2


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## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Finally joined the club, even if I'm 20-something years late to the party. I actually enjoy it more than my '01 S2000 at legal speeds.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Yay! Hope you enjoy it. From the badge on the fender, looks like a special edition of some sort?


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## slikaznricer (Mar 27, 2008)

Im buying schmidts for my miata.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

So I'm finally going to look at another Miata this weekend but this one is a 1996 which means OBDII. From reading around on forums and stuff it seems that the OBDI cars are better but I'm not exactly sure why? Is it just because it is less complicated with less sensors and crap to deal with? 

Here's a link to the car if anyone wants to give me any other advice. 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2807081160.html


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Honestly man it shouldn't be a deal breaker its more just personal preference.


just got the wheels and flares on but my "stance" needs to be dialed in










































Preview of the custom gtx valve cover I just bought


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

It's not a deal breaker, I'm just wondering if there's anything different I should know about the later OBDII cars mostly. I'll need to figure out how much it would cost to respray the hood and trunk as well. Or maybe I'll just go scenester and do flat black. 

Your car looks way better now that you have wheels that fit the arches. Just needs centercaps.


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## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

NJDriver 

car looks great! What are the specs on the wheels/tires


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Red center caps are in the mail. 

Specs are 15x9 Bbs Rs's et 0 with 205/50 kumhos. I need a 195/50or45 asap lol


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

JMotion said:


> Been taking some pictures since I'm putting mine up for sale soon... gonna miss her dearly!


Just wondering, how much are you selling it for?


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## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

NjDriver said:


> Red center caps are in the mail.
> 
> Specs are 15x9 Bbs Rs's et 0 with 205/50 kumhos. I need a 195/50or45 asap lol


the 205's look so good though! I'd keep em and make em work.

Maybe do 205/45, that should get rid of the tallness yet still keep some width


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Id kill for a 205/40


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

205 on a 9" wheel sounds like a bad idea.


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## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Yay! Hope you enjoy it. From the badge on the fender, looks like a special edition of some sort?


Yeah it's a 2003 Special Edition. My wife and I were looking at base models at first until we realized that there was very little meaningful price difference between the base model and the SE (effectively top of the line) in terms of price and the SE's were all much better taken care of. We actually had ours shipped in from Illinois via Carmax so there's some rust, but it's nothing alarming. It's still in better shape overall than the cars we looked at locally.



mellbergVWfan said:


> It's not a deal breaker, I'm just wondering if there's anything different I should know about the later OBDII cars mostly. I'll need to figure out how much it would cost to respray the hood and trunk as well. Or maybe I'll just go scenester and do flat black.


In Arizona the big problem with OBD-II cars and tuning is that Arizona plugs all OBD-II cars in to a code scanner as part of the emissions check. OBD-I and earlier they just run it on the rollers to measure the actual performance. I don't believe you can get an OBD-II car to pass emissions with an aftermarket ECU like Flyin Miata recommends for their turbo kits.

Since you're in California there's also the issue of parts being CARB legal or not. I don't see any mention on the Flyin Miata page of their turbo kits being CARB legal. However if you're not opposed to doing a blower instead the Fast Forward Supercharger kit is CARB legal for all models up through 2005! They list the power output on their $4000 kit as 190whp and I see dyno charts for bolted on FFS kits in the 170-190whp range all over. That's a pretty huge jump over the roughly 110whp a stock '96 will make even on a _good_ day and of course it's CARB legal.


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> 205 on a 9" wheel sounds like a bad idea.


It actually was a bad idea I should have got 195's


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## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

just get an aggressive alignment to deal with rubbing. from the pics it looks like you should be able to make it work.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

AZGolf said:


> In Arizona the big problem with OBD-II cars and tuning is that Arizona plugs all OBD-II cars in to a code scanner as part of the emissions check. OBD-I and earlier they just run it on the rollers to measure the actual performance. I don't believe you can get an OBD-II car to pass emissions with an aftermarket ECU like Flyin Miata recommends for their turbo kits.


For now I'm not even really thinking of FI mods, that is good info to know. I'm more inclined to do an NA build even if it does gain very little power. But I'm not opposed to a Jackson Racing Supercharger (which I believe are also smog legal).


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Taken in BC, Canada:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> It's not a deal breaker, I'm just wondering if there's anything different I should know about the later OBDII cars mostly. I'll need to figure out how much it would cost to respray the hood and trunk as well. Or maybe I'll just go scenester and do flat black.
> 
> Your car looks way better now that you have wheels that fit the arches. Just needs centercaps.


Unless you plan to do some wild stuff with the engine (and it looks like you aren't), don't worry about OBDII. You even get 5 extra wild ponies under the hood, stock!

but PLEASE don't go with flat black panels, it makes the car look so crappy. IMO even the ugly oxidation is better than flat black.


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## JMotion (Jan 2, 2012)

2.0_Mazda said:


> Just wondering, how much are you selling it for?


6k w/ Hardtop, 5.5k w/o
you can certainly find nice Miata's for much cheaper, but this car is in terrific condition with nothing but the best in tasteful mods (Jackson Racing Supercharger, Hard Dog Rollbar, Panasport wheels).

If you have any other questions, PM me or check out my M.net post (http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=447054), I don't want to turn this into a FS thread.


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## anarchyx34 (Apr 27, 2001)

*FV-QR*

Selling mine too  









http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...ed-repainted-NYC-6500&p=75558218#post75558218


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

JMotion said:


> 6k w/ Hardtop, 5.5k w/o
> you can certainly find nice Miata's for much cheaper, but this car is in terrific condition with nothing but the best in tasteful mods (Jackson Racing Supercharger, Hard Dog Rollbar, Panasport wheels).
> 
> If you have any other questions, PM me or check out my M.net post (http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=447054), I don't want to turn this into a FS thread.


 Perfect, I'll look into it, still thinking what to do with my car 
Thanks :beer::beer: 



And since I hadn't added anything to this thread,


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Still want one very badly. Not getting one. 

This itch is gonna hurt.


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## Anon1210 (Feb 10, 2009)

Ohhh man this one is nice :thumbup:


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## JettMKII (Aug 4, 2010)

Been day dreaming about getting one of these for the past few days. Been building a parts list in my head.


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## ryank-yaris (May 21, 2010)

Here's mine, '91 5 speed with 95,000 miles.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

ok, this thread and the "you need an E30" thread were having a war in my mind and...the Miata side won out! I pulled the trigger tonight, picking her up tomorrow! 

The details:

-white 1994, 120k
-Torsen!
-Koni springs/shocks
-Hard Dog Hard Bar (I think...I love that name. Not super hot on the bar itself though)
-mud flaps!

I'll have some pics of it tomorrow! In the meantime, my previous Miata. I still have the wheels, probably going to put them for sale soon (sans tires, most likely).


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Dammit, where you'd find that white one? I've been searching Craigslist for months and still haven't found anything I really wanted to pull the trigger on. Help me find one?


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## KahviVW (Feb 26, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> I'll have some pics of it tomorrow! In the meantime, my previous Miata. I still have the wheels, probably going to put them for sale soon (sans tires, most likely


Very nice looking. What happened to it?


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Just in time for the bump! I forgot about this thread since I was so excited! Picked this one up last Thursday:











1990, 79k miles, matching HT, zero rust. I absolutely love it :heart:


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

I just got a Miata and I love this little thing, it's a lot less of a badass car than my C6 was but it's just as fun to drive in its own way


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Dammit, where you'd find that white one? I've been searching Craigslist for months and still haven't found anything I really wanted to pull the trigger on. Help me find one?


I put up an ad on NorCalRoadsters and I got lucky, I guess. One of the admins contacted me with one he bought recently that fit all my criteria. The only issue is that the plastic rear window is shot and the zipper works fine, but the fabric is ripped off right above it :banghead:

I've been looking on Craigslist, it's only very recently that I had the money, but before that I was seeing a lot of deals there. Actually, I would have bought that repainted Laguna Blue one if the one I have now didn't pop up RIGHT at the moment I was going to pull the trigger on the Laguna.

The trickiest part is finding one with LSD! That alone is a battle. I heard that 94+, power mirrors are a good indicator of LSD. My car's options are: A-Package, A/C, and sure enough, power mirrors + LSD. It also has headrest speakers. The only thing I wish it had is cruise control.

seen this one? I wonder where the oil leak is...otherwise maybe try to haggle on price though. Above $3500 the car should be pretty clean IMO. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2859002832.html

and I always see M editions--there are a lot to choose from. Those have all the goodies, of course. The main reason I didn't pick one up is the _ghastly_ tan interior, but I love everything else about them...



KahviVW said:


> Very nice looking. What happened to it?


I got temporarily bored of it and got a CRX. Then I realized that a Miata was what I really wanted...and finally the stars aligned today and I got one 





^ anyone want to buy a Miata tow thingy?


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## sforsancho (May 1, 2010)

Mine. Parting it out over spring break because it's time to move on. Next project: 302 FC RX7 










































Anyone have any bets on whether I'm going to regret selling my first car 10 years down the road?


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

sforsancho said:


> Anyone have any bets on whether I'm going to regret selling my first car 10 years down the road?


oh yeah you will. That thing is freakin CLEAN! Sell it to mellbergVWfan  

If you're parting it out though, I can already spy a couple things I'm interested in...


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

For real get us a parts list!


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Here's some more of mine


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## sforsancho (May 1, 2010)

hushypushy said:


> If you're parting it out though, I can already spy a couple things I'm interested in...


I'll keep in touch 

Car is going all stock for sale, only way I can recuperate some of my black hole costs. Ah, the joys of car enthusiasm!


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

thetopdog said:


> I just got a Miata and I love this little thing, it's a lot less of a badass car than my C6 was but it's just as fun to drive in its own way


Any pics?? Even if it's stock :beer:


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

sforsancho said:


> Anyone have any bets on whether I'm going to regret selling my first car 10 years down the road?


I bet you'll definitely regret it. If you were selling it as is what would be your asking price? Feel free to PM me.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)




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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

hushypushy said:


> The trickiest part is finding one with LSD!


I wouldn't let a $400 part hold up a purchase.


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## NjDriver (Oct 5, 2009)

Yea it takes a whole 2 hours to swap it out?


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## H. Stark (Apr 18, 2007)

Anyone want a mint one?

http://omaha.craigslist.org/cto/2865917120.html

Cliffs: 12k miles, always garaged, hardtop, price: $10,500


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## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I'm still enjoying my 2003 NB SE about 2 months into my ownership. I just had my first tank over 300 miles: 304 miles using 10.4 gallons, so about 29mpg. Fuel gauge showed just above the E line. It is kind of weird though, going from my Prius that I drove for about 10 months which would go 450-500 miles on 9.5 gallons, and that was a far larger car.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I've contacted the guy with the Black Miata that hushypushy posted above but I also saw this ad. 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/2865927765.html

Is that yellow the factory Sunburst yellow or is it a repaint?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I've contacted the guy with the Black Miata that hushypushy posted above but I also saw this ad.
> 
> http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/2865927765.html
> 
> Is that yellow the factory Sunburst yellow or is it a repaint?


A yellow 1991 Miata is a repaint. The only year NAs were yellow from the factory was 1992.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't even look at that car for that price.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> A yellow 1991 Miata is a repaint. The only year NAs were yellow from the factory was 1992.
> 
> For what it's worth, I wouldn't even look at that car for that price.


Hmmm, interesting. I'm wondering if possibly it is a 92 but he got the year wrong. But based on general Miata condition it's probably a repaint with a salvage title. I'll ask but now I'm considerably less interested, thanks for the tip. Looks like I may just be getting a Scirocco after all.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

you down for a tan interior NB? Reasonably priced. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/2867539922.html

Normally I wouldn't post CL ads in a pic thread, but I'll do anything to keep you out of a Scirocco


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> Normally I wouldn't post CL ads in a pic thread, but I'll do anything to keep you out of a Scirocco


Sell me your car. That rollbar is clearly unsafe and that hitch is unnecessary. I'll be doing you a favor.


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

89glwiththat said:


> Anyone want a mint one?
> 
> http://omaha.craigslist.org/cto/2865917120.html
> 
> Cliffs: 12k miles, always garaged, hardtop, price: $10,500


I've never understood these low mileage super pricy NAs. Do people actually buy these? I never see them get sold.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

zaYG said:


> I've never understood these low mileage super pricy NAs. Do people actually buy these? I never see them get sold.


What's to understand? It's a low mileage version of one of the most successful Roadsters in the last 20yrs and that one is in the most popular color.

They do get purchased and sometimes rather quickly. If you were on Miata.net, you'd know that.

A recent trend in the past several years is that the low mileage Red cars aren't worth as much b/c there isn't anything unique about them. But put that same mileage on a Silver Stone, Mariner Blue, or Sunburst, and the Miata nuts are rushing to the airport.

The highest price paid for an early, stock NA that I know of was ~$19K for the Sunburst test color car produced in 1991. I think it actually sold for $20K, but the owner didn't think it was right to charge the 2nd owner more than she paid for the car new.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)




----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

The red one above looks a lot like one of the ghost town attractions in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix.


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> What's to understand? It's a low mileage version of one of the most successful Roadsters in the last 20yrs and that one is in the most popular color.
> 
> They do get purchased and sometimes rather quickly. If you were on Miata.net, you'd know that.
> 
> ...


Meh. Around here I see the $7k+ low mileage cars sit for sale for months. Nobody seems to want them. However, a rustless and clean higher mileage $3-5k car is pretty much exactly what everyone wants and will sell as soon as it is put up for sale.


----------



## clean'nblackmk4 (Nov 19, 2009)

Miatas fairly good cars for DD? Any turbo miatas around here DD'ing?


----------



## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

Miatas are dead reliable and make great daily drivers. I am DDing a supercharged car on Megasquirt EMS... it's my only car.


----------



## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

I filled up my tank last Sunday. My gas gauge is at 3/4ths as of Saturday night and I've driven the car every day this week. The tank is only 10 gallons too. This is insane, this car must get 3X the city fuel mileage of my C6


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I just got about 20 MPG this tank. I have to say I was hooning pretty hard though.


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## JMotion (Jan 2, 2012)

zaYG said:


> Meh. Around here I see the $7k+ low mileage cars sit for sale for months. Nobody seems to want them. However, a rustless and clean higher mileage $3-5k car is pretty much exactly what everyone wants and will sell as soon as it is put up for sale.


I just unloaded mine (a couple pics on the previous page) a couple weeks back. Car was tastefully modded and clean, but had 95,000 miles. I thought my asking price ($6k) was perhaps a little optimistic.

Turns out I was wrong. I was hounded non-stop by people begging me to accept full payment via paypal and fly in from across the country to drive it home. I insisted on finding a relatively local buyer, and sold it for the asking price to the second person to see the car. Part of me wishes I asked for more money, but I can't complain considering I bought the car for $7300 5(!) years ago.

I miss it already, but now I can put more attention into my 4-door miata (with a few extra horses):


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Not really my style but it's certainly interesting. 



























Racecar



































It's apparently a very rare M2-1028 models, and lapped Tsukuba in ~1:03. 



wikipedia said:


> M2-1028 Street Competition Roadster (Feb-94) Limited 1/300 M2-CORP released its third Roadster in early 1994, based on the original "Jinba Ittai" concept made by Toshihiko Hirai. This was billed as a track-ready Roadster. (The US saw a cheaper version known as the R-Package.) Offered in Chaste White or Brilliant Black only, this Roadster used the new 1.8L powerplant with upgraded pistons, camshafts, and other similar goodies as the previous 1001 and 1002. This Roadster had an output of close to 150 bhp (110 kW), and included 14" Eunos Factory Rims with a unique gunmetal paint with polished lip. The only real changes were a new set of lightweight side mirrors, MOMO Steering Wheel, Centerless console, racing seats, racing tow hook, a set of lower lip spoilers (R-Package) and a newly designed "Duck-Tail" trunk lid with integrated spoiler. The M2-1028 trunk lid was made from aluminum and weighed only 7.7 lb (3.5 kg), a very light weight from the original lid of 15.5 lb (7.0 kg). It also came with a 6-point roll cage, but no soft-top, instead featuring a tarp that stretched over the cage. With optional FRP Hardtop with plexiglass rear window for more weight savings coming in at only 19 lb (8.6 kg).


----------



## Rolling_Rock (Mar 5, 2012)




----------



## Mintyy (Jan 3, 2011)

Anyone have more photos of this front end?


----------



## jtninja (Oct 5, 2008)

Bought this to track/daily since the W8 doesn't do well on gas....










Doing Miata's at Laguna Seca at the end of the month. 100+ Miatas around my favorite track, can't wait!


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Mintyy said:


> Anyone have more photos of this front end?


Google "Italia" and you shall find




























Pit Crew on the left, Italia on the right









What it looks like raw unfinished


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Mine: 











Mine and my buddy's (who took the pictures):


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## SebTheDJ (Feb 24, 2003)

^^^^ looks like a surprise buttsex face


----------



## G60 CAB (Oct 26, 2003)

Mine.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

^ very clean!


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

I found a white NA on CL for $1800. It looks clean in the pictures but the details are few and far between. No mileage or year listed on the ad. Only says (5spd looks and runs 100%) with a phone number and a few pictures. I may call the guy tonight. I know a Miata isn't a very practical choice for a DD but this one is cheap. No car payment+good gas mileage+fun to drive is all good.


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## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

kenny301 said:


> I found a white NA on CL for $1800. It looks clean in the pictures but the details are few and far between. No mileage or year listed on the ad. Only says (5spd looks and runs 100%) with a phone number and a few pictures. I may call the guy tonight. I know a Miata isn't a very practical choice for a DD but this one is cheap. No car payment+good gas mileage+fun to drive is all good.


Sounds promising. That's how I picked my '91 up for $450. Hope it turns out to be a good deal.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

G60 CAB said:


> Mine.
> 
> G60 CAB Miata


Actually it looks gloriously perfect. I sometimes wish I went with a low-key color for my Track Miata build. It's at the other end of the spectrum:

Current state isn't much different, sadly. I'd like it to be a runner this summer though.













kenny301 said:


> I may call the guy tonight. I know a Miata isn't a very practical choice for a DD but this one is cheap.


More to the point, a high mileage $1800 Miata isn't exactly the recipe for having a reliable car.

Besides, the 90-93 Crystal White cars generally suffer from paint cancer. It's not a question of "if" it will peel, but "when" will it peel. The primer is good, but the paint or the application process was flawed. Exposure to the sun tends to expedite the peeling process; cruel irony.

Here's my 91 Crystal White when I bought it a few years back:










Here it is at a DIY car wash on the way to the paint booth:










Hint, that's not snow on the ground and there wasn't one noticeable cancer area on the rear of the car when I started. The paint came off in sheets.

After a full color change to Mazda's Spicy Orange Mica (similar to Lanborghini's Arancio Broealis or Lotus' Chrome Orange)


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

G60 CAB said:


> Mine.


Wow



:thumbup:


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> More to the point, a high mileage $1800 Miata isn't exactly the recipe for having a reliable car.
> 
> Besides, the 90-93 Crystal White cars generally suffer from paint cancer. It's not a question of "if" it will peel, but "when" will it peel. The primer is good, but the paint or the application process was flawed. Exposure to the sun tends to expedite the peeling process; cruel irony.



Well I'm gonna call the guy in an hour or so and see what year/mileage it is. The only NA's on sale near me are all 1990's but hopefully this one isn't. I'm not worried about replacing wear items as I'd end up replacing them with better components eventually anyway. This car wouldn't be on DD duty for a month or two until I get it sorted out anyway. 

I'd rather not worry about the short nosed crank issue or doing a loctite repair off the bat.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Cell phone snap from a little drive yesterday on my birthday...:wave:


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## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

G60 CAB said:


> Mine.



That's really nice!


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

The $1800 miata was sold by the time I got ahold of the guy. However, there is a 1997 with 110k on it for sale close to me. The guy wants $3400 but it needs a new top, which he says that he can get installed for $600. I am thinking of telling him either he can knock $600 off the price or sell it to me for $2800. Does that sound fair?


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




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## taifighter (Dec 21, 2007)

Mine


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## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

So a neighbor down the street has an M-edition...I wanna say 97 (its that dark green color). He bought the car in 99 and has owned it since. Its got a few bits added (sway bars, koni shocks), but is otherwise stock and unmolested. Older guy that never beat on it, and is super OCD about maintenance. He takes care of the car better than I could ever hope to. Its got about 50K miles on it, is stored in the winter, and he still has all the original pieces he replaced. Its pristine. Original paint, original top (plastic window is still clear :what...the carpet is still spotless. Leather interior looks new. He said it still has the original wiper fluid in it from when he bought it 13 years ago because he refuses to drive it if there is a chance for rain.

I was chatting with him the other day and told him if he ever wants to get rid of it to let me know. He told me to make him an offer (he was serious) as he never drives it anymore. If I were to make an offer, whats the going rate for these things?


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## Decahedron (Mar 22, 2006)

I imagine he could list that on craigslist for 8-9k around here...i could be way off, i havent looked in a while. I dont know what a car like that would actually SELL for, but low mileage pristine ones seem to be listed around there most of the time.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

pwm said:


> I was chatting with him the other day and told him if he ever wants to get rid of it to let me know. He told me to make him an offer (he was serious) as he never drives it anymore. If I were to make an offer, whats the going rate for these things?


Where are you located? That makes a big difference.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

pwm said:


> I was chatting with him the other day and told him if he ever wants to get rid of it to let me know. He told me to make him an offer (he was serious) as he never drives it anymore. If I were to make an offer, whats the going rate for these things?


He's probably going to be one of those guys who wants $15k for their barely used Miatas. I understand the appeal of clean low mileage cars but you'd be better off finding one with 3x the miles. But if he wants in the range of $7k I'd say go for it. 

If it is a 97 M it should look like this.


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## Rattlesnake (Nov 29, 2001)

smigelski said:


> pics


mamb 2012?


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

mellbergVWfan said:


> He's probably going to be one of those guys who wants $15k for their barely used Miatas. I understand the appeal of clean low mileage cars but you'd be better off finding one with 3x the miles. But if he wants in the range of $7k I'd say go for it.
> 
> If it is a 97 M it should look like this.


i had one for some time. really liked it. a real winner autocrossing, with an intake and corksport exhaust it was great fun. direzza star specs are soooo cheap in that sizing and they are just evil. here is a photo at stock ride height (4x4 mode).


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## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> He's probably going to be one of those guys who wants $15k for their barely used Miatas. I understand the appeal of clean low mileage cars but you'd be better off finding one with 3x the miles. But if he wants in the range of $7k I'd say go for it.
> 
> If it is a 97 M it should look like this.


Nah, he's definitely not the kind of guy looking for stupid money. He gets that its a 15 year old car at this point. He just takes great care of his cars, knows I like them and appreciate well kept older ones, and isn't opposed to finally giving it up.

And yeah, its that green color, with the original chrome m-edition wheels as well.

I haven't decided if I'll actually take him up on it and make an offer. I want a fair price. I don't want to insult him by lowballing him, but I'm also not an absolute Miata freak willing to fork over above market pricing for unicorn example. I like NAs a lot, but its not as if I'm obsessed with them.

Also, since I'm not a hardcore Miata nut, I'd probably only end up keeping it a few years (unless of course I'm converted). The appealing thing about this car is that its in such good shape, if I just kept up with the regular maintenance I imagine I could sell it in a few years and not take much of a hit on depreciation.

So $7K is your range? Any others wanna chime in?


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

pwm said:


> So $7K is your range? Any others wanna chime in?


i paid 3700 for mine, but it was pretty rough when i got it...no rust though and only 72k. it was a bit ugly though. definitely had been hit lightly in the front. i pulled the seats out to clean underneath them, the car had dings/dents, a cracked windshield, and needed a new antenna (which is a b!tch to replace). i'd say total i had about 4500 into it in parts/regular maintenance. and that was for a 7ish/10 in condition when i bought it. the plugs had never been replaced, never had coolant done, etc. it needed a lot of maintenance/updating.

i think 6-7k is a very fair price for a sub-60k NA with no rust that is a less than common edition. :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Rattlesnake said:


> mamb 2012?


:thumbup: Were you there?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

pwm said:


> So $7K is your range? Any others wanna chime in?



Near Philly my Dad bought a 95 C package ( leather, but non-M) with 24k miles for around $7k. I think that would be a reasonable price for the 97M.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

kenny301 said:


> I am thinking of telling him either he can knock $600 off the price or sell it to me for $2800. Does that sound fair?


I think you're missing the point of Roadsters for sale in the Summer. Buyers don't really have haggle room. When you say what you wrote above, the guy's response will most likely be "Ok, I think I'll just wait to see what one of the other 16people that called about the car have to say."

If the car has a ratty top, that means you have about 5mos to drive the car and save up the money.


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## Bias_Ply (Feb 6, 2010)

kenny301 said:


> there is a 1997 with 110k on it for sale close to me. The guy wants $3400 but it needs a new top, which he says that he can get installed for $600. I am thinking of telling him either he can knock $600 off the price or sell it to me for $2800. Does that sound fair?


Honestly, it sounds like a $4000 car with a bad top, which would place it right around 3400. offer whatever you want but 2800 sounds unrealistic if it's clean.


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> I think you're missing the point of Roadsters for sale in the Summer. Buyers don't really have haggle room. When you say what you wrote above, the guy's response will most likely be "Ok, I think I'll just wait to see what one of the other 16people that called about the car have to say."
> 
> If the car has a ratty top, that means you have about 5mos to drive the car and save up the money.





Bias_Ply said:


> Honestly, it sounds like a $4000 car with a bad top, which would place it right around 3400. offer whatever you want but 2800 sounds unrealistic if it's clean.


Makes sense. I haven't seen the car yet outside of tiny CL pictures. I may go check it out in the next day or two :thumbup:


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## Rattlesnake (Nov 29, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> :thumbup: Were you there?


Unfortunately, no... 

I had some last minute business pop up that took me out of town for the weekend. Looks like you had a good turn out for the battleship run! :beer:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Rattlesnake said:


> Unfortunately, no...
> 
> I had some last minute business pop up that took me out of town for the weekend. Looks like you had a good turn out for the battleship run! :beer:


The whole trip was a great time! If you look closely, you'll see me on the deck of the battleship. Apparently, I didn't get the memo about the picture and was left behind.


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## MAGICGTI (Jul 3, 2003)

Bought a set of Koni Yellows for the NB today.  FM springs are next (don't care about adjustable coilovers...)

This car needs so much work it's not even funny.


----------



## G60 CAB (Oct 26, 2003)

Diamond Dave said:


> Actually it looks gloriously perfect. I sometimes wish I went with a low-key color for my Track Miata build. It's at the other end of the spectrum:
> 
> Current state isn't much different, sadly. I'd like it to be a runner this summer though.


Well.....understated is nice but it also is basically the color of the pavement so it also blends in with the pavement. :facepalm: Orange will be very nice as EVERYONE on track will see you. 

After 1.5 years (50% of that time I was overseas), my track Miata is finished and I will be doing my first lapping event this weekend at Putnam Park in Indiana...hoping to have my TT competition license by the end of the summer. 

Here are a few pics of the build starting from a bare frame. I will be adding another set of door bars, a petty bar and a better dash bar over the winter.





































And I used every trick in the book for heat management. Wrapped the headers, heat wrapped the coolant lines and airbox, heatshield over the radiator, lots of ducting for the radiator, adjusted the headlight doors to let airflow in the engine bay, and got the biggest, baddest radiator + remote thermostat.


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## yurikaze (Jul 7, 2006)

pwm said:


> Nah, he's definitely not the kind of guy looking for stupid money. He gets that its a 15 year old car at this point. He just takes great care of his cars, knows I like them and appreciate well kept older ones, and isn't opposed to finally giving it up.
> 
> And yeah, its that green color, with the original chrome m-edition wheels as well.
> 
> ...


I paid $3500 for my clean '97 M. But I also live in California. Sometimes there's a really good deal that pops up on craigslist if you can jump on it right away.


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/2931049308.html

7900, 5k, hard top. I'd have to borrow 2-3k to afford that one though


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

MAGICGTI said:


> Bought a set of Koni Yellows for the NB today.  FM springs are next (don't care about adjustable coilovers...)
> 
> This car needs so much work it's not even funny.


Can't go wrong with Koni Yellows, I love mine :thumbup:


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

I've had mine for about three years now. After doing a fair amount of autocrossing with it last year, I decided to actually prep it for E Stock. 

It now sports a racing beat cat back, koni yellows, FCM bumpstops, racing beat front swaybar, Kumho V710 R comps on the stock wheels. 

The "before" picture:










Playing around in Forza 4 to get the decals how I wanted them:










The end result:










Stock wheels painted to match:


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

oh, and the chick in the pic... owns the car, and drifts it. 

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3832503/1991-mazda-miata-mx-5


----------



## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

^^ cool, shes romanian too! finally something good comes out of our country haha


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

yurikaze said:


> I paid $3500 for my clean '97 M. But I also live in California. Sometimes there's a really good deal that pops up on craigslist if you can jump on it right away.


 I like. :thumbup:


----------



## elmer fud (Aug 5, 2003)

well I broke down and got one. pics to come, black 92 c-spec, mild autox mods, a little rust, and a sticker price of $1950. its sweet, going to toss some wheels on it and cleen er up a bit before I show you all. 

its takeing the place of the 82 rx7 in the sig.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Bumping this thread. I was cruising through the city with the top down yesterday, and I saw an empty curb! So I took a picture.


----------



## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

^^^^I dig the wheels on that.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> Bumping this thread. I was cruising through the city with the top down yesterday, and I saw an empty curb! So I took a picture.


 Looks sweet!


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

That roll bar looks so wimpy. The fender flares and Panasports give a unique look though. Too many people have mesh wheels or one of the various Rota reps. Have you found a use yet for that hitch?


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

hushypushy said:


> Bumping this thread. I was cruising through the city with the top down yesterday, and I saw an empty curb! So I took a picture.


 :thumbup:


----------



## vespoli (Jan 3, 2007)

Lots of inspiration in this thread. Now I've got the fever.  Anyone selling an NA in the WNY area?  

I've been keeping an eye on craigslist and a few other places, but nothing great has been popping up. Looking to spend not more than 5K (and that would be for a really well sorted example). Preferably closer to 4k. Is that a reasonable price range? I know spring fever is nearly upon us.


----------



## VWstung (Dec 19, 2010)

I just picked one up, 

1996 with 42,000 miles for $4,500 on the Jersey shore 
Mint condition 









Just threw some coils on it


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

kenny301 said:


> ^^^^I dig the wheels on that.


 Thanks! For those who don't know, they're the wheels from the Rod Millen Turbo Miata. I always tell people I have Panasports, and they say "oh yeah, the banana spoke ones". They remind me of VW Mk2 GTI teardrops but not many people get that reference either  



mellbergVWfan said:


> That roll bar looks so wimpy. The fender flares and Panasports give a unique look though. Too many people have mesh wheels or one of the various Rota reps. Have you found a use yet for that hitch?


 yeah, it looks wimpy but it seems pretty tough...either that or people got REALLY lucky in the photos I've seen. (if you click that link, mine is the Hardbar. That's what pretty much convinced me that a lighter, "flimsier" bar will do me just fine. Realistically this car is only for autocross and sporty road driving...no SCCA Solo action for me right now) 

It would be cool if I had a trailer or something...right now the hitch is just ballast :laugh: 




VWstung said:


> I just picked one up,
> 
> 1996 with 42,000 miles for $4,500 on the Jersey shore
> Mint condition


 Excellent pickup, welcome to the club! Montego Blue + black interior = win  :beer:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Those are some nasty looking accidents. 

I like how this one is now a Miata Speedster.


----------



## BRealistic (Dec 17, 2005)

VWstung said:


> I just picked one up,
> 
> 1996 with 42,000 miles for $4,500 on the Jersey shore
> Mint condition
> ...


 But can you get the Axe and Drakkar Noir smell out of it?


----------



## VWstung (Dec 19, 2010)

BRealistic said:


> But can you get the Axe and Drakkar Noir smell out of it?


 Ha I live here and that show is nothin like the actually shore. I got it from an out folks community and the car was garage kept. 
Bolster doesn't even have any wear yet. 

Check mate.


----------



## 22AudiQ (Sep 13, 2008)

Just picked up a '91. Does anyone run spacers with stock wheels? I have the Daisy wheels with decent tires and want to keep it really stock looking. I'm reading 25mm to push the wheels out far enough.


----------



## gfindon (Jan 25, 2004)

mellbergVWfan said:


>


 Miata. Enkei's. Direzzas. SCCA membership card. 

Finished


----------



## TurboTrucka (Nov 18, 2002)




----------



## BRealistic (Dec 17, 2005)

VWstung said:


> Ha I live here and that show is nothin like the actually shore. I got it from an out folks community and the car was garage kept.
> Bolster doesn't even have any wear yet.


 Just a silly joke... 

FWIW- I like 1st gen Miatas with the oem BBS wheels (and they are super light). 
But they are hard to find used now 



> Check mate.


 Huh?


----------



## VWstung (Dec 19, 2010)

Hmm what do they look like?


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

22AudiQ said:


> Just picked up a '91. Does anyone run spacers with stock wheels? I have the Daisy wheels with decent tires and want to keep it really stock looking. I'm reading 25mm to push the wheels out far enough.


 I had 5mm on the fronts when I bought mine...still a sunken ship though. 










25mm = 1 inch, that's a fat ass spacer. DO NOT DO THIS WITH STOCK STUDS! Please. You really need extended studs if you want to run a spacer like that. The spacer size is large, but it's okay, you just need your lug nuts to be holding enough thread when it's all said and done :thumbup:


----------



## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Those are some nasty looking accidents.
> 
> I like how this one is now a Miata Speedster.


 I should have guessed that most of those accidents appear to have happened on the street. 

I wonder how banged up the driver of this one was 




















If there was a passenger they wouldn't have made it. For those who don't know the red hydraulic cylinder is something the fire department uses to push the dash forward.


----------



## sjt1985 (Feb 17, 2010)

TurboTrucka said:


>


 Is this rantoul?


----------



## TurboTrucka (Nov 18, 2002)

Yes sir.


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Picking up my NA next weekend. Now that my parents are empty nesters my dad FINALLY bought a Boxster after years of waiting so congrats to him but it means I can finally buy his 96' Miata. He bought it new, its never seen a winter, always garaged, every service record, 54,000 miles, new top, etc.. It is also the car I learned to drive in  

Immediate plans are R-comps, Racing beat tubular front, cat-back, and off we go to play in ES.


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## muffintop (Oct 15, 2009)

Well I finally got some summer wheels and tires, still no suspension however.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

What kind of wheels are those MT? They look nice.

And also, Lol at your signature. I'm 20, but I spend most of my time on MNet because of all the silly stance kids on CR. I'd rather be among tasteful old people than young douches.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> What kind of wheels are those MT? They look nice.
> 
> And also, Lol at your signature. I'm 20, but I spend most of my time on MNet because of all the silly stance kids on CR. I'd rather be among tasteful old people than young douches.


I've quickly found that out about CR too. Searching for coilovers for example, everything is OMG DO THOSE GIVE THE LOWZ? Not much about function or anything that actually matters although I'm guilty of having stretched tires at one time or another too.


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## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Got a lip on the rat, finally.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

hmm, I never uploaded these...here are a few shots from the last autocross I went to ic:

my car next to some Euro dewds...there's Art putting on sunscreen...



















on the grid...notice my flared fenders, ugly but functional...


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I like how you scrambled your plate but left Art's. :laugh: 

Are you planning on getting wider wheels to fill those flares? What did you use to flare them out?


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I like how you scrambled your plate but left Art's. :laugh:
> 
> Are you planning on getting wider wheels to fill those flares? What did you use to flare them out?


he lives in the heart of the city, that's a different story  (also, I really like Final Fantasy 7)

the funny thing is that he has had two cars since that E30, a Mk2 GTI and now, believe it or not, a Miata again.

I am planning to get 15x8's eventually, but right now money is tight (issues at work) and I need a new top...and a waterpump...

The fenders were actually like that when I got the car, I think it may have had 15x9's on there before..?


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## VWstung (Dec 19, 2010)

almost done deleting stuff


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

^ damn, Montego Blue is great :thumbup: I see your Montego Blue, and raise you Marina Green! :beer:

Anyway, so here's a funny story...when I said Art bought a Miata a couple days ago, I didn't mean THIS Miata. He had a turbo'd caged slammed lil dorifuto thang...for not even one day  :laugh:

Wish I got a shot of the cluster. Just rolled over 78k :thumbup:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

VWstung said:


> almost done deleting stuff


You should delete that radiator before she blows on you


----------



## Juniper Monkeys (Jul 18, 2003)

As the Book of Reebus foretold, I have avenged my previous Miata, cruelly-sold, which was this one:










(...) and, in the way that trout and asstd. pleistoscene megafauna occasionally do, I have bought an inside-out version of the same car, a '93 LE, vis. this one:



















I've since taken off the front plate and replaced the MSSS with cubbies, like my old car, but boxes from Flyin' Miata and Rev9 are still likely mid-Nebraska. Proper wipers will be supplied via theft from my dad's '95 when next I visit him yonder, as this one has ugly silver nonsense from RSpeed. The rear sits a little too high, and it needs mudguards, which is a pain as the rear fenders are pulled so I'll need to find those rare shorty ones. Hmm, and a hardtop.


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Juniper Monkeys said:


>


Freakin' NICE man! The '93LE is my 2nd favorite NA, just barely (and I mean BARELY) under the '95M.


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

I am thinking of checking out a few Miata's around me this week.

There is a white 96 with steel wheels and 165k for $2900. Looks like it will need a new top in a year or two and the front fenders and bumper have some dents.

Another is a black 95 with horrible tail lights and questionable stickers on the rear bumper for $3400. 159k on the clock.

And there is this one which has some uhh, interesting issues http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/2991596486.html for $2350. 

I was hoping to have something before I have to drive to the beach in a few weeks but I don't want to rush.


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## ryank-yaris (May 21, 2010)

Installed a JRSC on mine over the weekend. The most fun you can have with your clothes on. :thumbup:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)




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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

hushypushy said:


>


That looks so good. Are those Fittipaldi wheels? I've seen a similar set on craigslist and have been tempted. I don't think it would look as good as they do on that Miata though.


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## DougLovesCars (Jul 9, 2008)

Juniper Monkeys said:


>


This is the nicest Miata I've ever seen. Wheels are perfect.


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## muffintop (Oct 15, 2009)

On a laundry run :snowcool:


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## Dan92SLC (May 27, 1999)

Borrowing my father's 2000 or 01 Miata for the weekend (silver, ltd slip diff). Picked it up @ lunchtime. Pretty much stock. So far so good.


----------



## JDMX-5 (Jun 22, 2011)

Glad to see some cultured Miatas on this page, local ones at that. Many Bay Area Miatas are owned by stupid kids who don't know what's behind the history of the car..


----------



## JDMX-5 (Jun 22, 2011)

My friend's Miata, he's owned it for over 19 years :thumbup:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Yep....it's settled.....I want one of these cars.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> That looks so good. Are those Fittipaldi wheels? I've seen a similar set on craigslist and have been tempted. I don't think it would look as good as they do on that Miata though.


yeah, they are OZ Fittipaldi's, but I'm not quite sure of the name of this particular model. When I Google for "OZ Fittipaldi", I come up with a bunch of wheels, this one included...


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

Well, both of the cars I was looking at are rusty and I missed out on a 94' with 58k original miles and a hard top for 3500 :banghead:

The above cars are GREAT! I love the interior/wheels on the red one and the wheels on the others.


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> Yep....it's settled.....I want one of these cars.


I'm definitely pulling the trigger. Within the next 12 months. Either an NA or a much newer NC.


----------



## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)




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## muffintop (Oct 15, 2009)

JDMX-5 said:


> My friend's Miata, he's owned it for over 19 years :thumbup:


 Dem seats! 

Dat wheel! 

Nice miata :thumbup:


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

>


 I love those Fittipaldi wheels. Perfect ride height too, what suspension do you have? 

Even though I probably will be too tied up in the Scirocco to buy it, let me know when you intend on selling that Miata. :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

*FV-QR*

Wow that red MX-5 is fantastic.


----------



## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I love those Fittipaldi wheels. Perfect ride height too, what suspension do you have?
> 
> Even though I probably will be too tied up in the Scirocco to buy it, let me know when you intend on selling that Miata. :thumbup: :thumbup:


 Thanks.  Suspension consists of some adjustable shocks, and some springs, and overweight feline bits  It's a bit low for the daily grind. Negotiating San Francisco's "pristine" roads is quite a hassle. 

It looks like I will to have pass her on to a new owner later this year. I will keep ya in mind :thumbup: hushypushy has dibs though :heart:


----------



## Grip Driver (Feb 16, 1999)




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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

Last two cars are absolutely top notch :thumbup:


----------



## imjamesiridebmx (Jul 24, 2005)

you're right. i DO need one of these... my problem is i can't decide which body year  


in modded form i like them all in their own way


----------



## Juniper Monkeys (Jul 18, 2003)

My dad got a Laguna Blue '95, so now when I take a day off and go visit him it's an automatic little car party. 










Like a Ainu man named Ronadliñho! 

Like a Honduran named Vanadium!


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## the tech 71 (Dec 20, 2005)

finally got one, i've wanted one for several years and finally pulled the trigger on the "right one"










so far I've replaced the top, removed the sun shade, did a foamectomy (i'm 6'1"), replaced the radiator, serp belt, coolant switch, hoping I can finally get to some tein coilovers and wheels next! so many plans so little $ but I'm ecstatic :laugh:

if anyone is on club roadster, i'm hoping you can help me out, i've tried to register 12+ times and it always denies me, i've tried emailing them with no response, maybe someone could contact a mod or something i'd appreciate it!

juniper monkeys: your black miata looks fantastic!


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## ncbrock (Sep 28, 2010)

muffintop said:


> Dem seats!
> 
> Dat wheel!
> 
> Nice miata :thumbup:


are those 944 seats?:thumbup:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

ncbrock said:


> are those 944 seats?:thumbup:


They look like regular Miata seats, just reupholstered...

One from this weekend, more to come probably.


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## ryank-yaris (May 21, 2010)




----------



## disenfranchised (Jul 13, 2009)

This has become the "I need to sell my NB and get an NA thread" :sly:

Damn y'all for being right.


----------



## GahannaKid (May 24, 2004)

ryank-yaris said:


>


Is this your car? I noticed you're in Ohio & the plates seem to match. If so that's a damn fine ride :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

My '90 just took top honors in the Survivor Class in the car show at Zoomin' the Mountains of East Tennessee. 










The tires are so sticky it holds on sideways:


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

So there is a 96 Montego Blue with a hardtop not far from me.

It might possibly be mine soon


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> My '90 just took top honors in the Survivor Class in the car show at Zoomin' the Mountains of East Tennessee.


What are the rules for "survivor"? 100% stock and original?

Because I'm wondering about your suspension...my stock suspension '91 was that low in the front, but a solid 2+ inches higher in the rear.


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## Aguilar (Jan 28, 2006)

Had a friend loan me a 92 Miata to drive around the mountains of Oahu for a few hours... amazing experience! 

I am convinced I need a Miata in my near future. :thumbup:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Some say that a smart thing to do with a Mazdaspeed is to ditch the 'boat anchor' 17" wheels and go with a proper set of 15s. I did that, but the weight difference was practically zero. Though the tires coming off were nearly bald and the tires going on are brand new. Regardless, car looks better and probably drives better. The wife has been saying that it needs more low and now that becomes very apparent to me, though these pics were taken after swapping wheels on and it hasn't been driven since being lowered off the jack.


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## 1966stang (Dec 28, 2011)

Sweet!...96 Montego blue....


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Claff said:


> I did that, but the weight difference was practically zero.


The '05 MSM wheels were heavier than the '04...they were 18.4lbs. 15x7 Kosei K1's should weigh 13lbs.

Losing ~24lbs unsprung weight isn't bad at all in a 2400lb car. Add lightness whenever possible! Or, you can look at it another way: now you can carry a spare tire and jack; you don't have to feel bad about stock heavy seats; or, feel free to super size next time you get fast food


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## 1966stang (Dec 28, 2011)

Claff said:


> Some say that a smart thing to do with a Mazdaspeed is to ditch the 'boat anchor' 17" wheels and go with a proper set of 15s. I did that, but the weight difference was practically zero. Though the tires coming off were nearly bald and the tires going on are brand new. Regardless, car looks better and probably drives better. The wife has been saying that it needs more low and now that becomes very apparent to me, though these pics were taken after swapping wheels on and it hasn't been driven since being lowered off the jack.


Several local guys with Mazdaspeeds run 15's...it just looks bewtter that way IMHO>


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

1966stang said:


> Sweet!...96 Montego blue....


No rust at all (rare for a NE car, especially a Vermont car!), a few small dings, interior is pretty much mint (fraying on drivers seat) and it drives like an absolute dream.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

My '00 has the combination of MSM OEM springs/shocks and 15" wheels (the same ones you have, actually - Kosei K1 15x7 ET38). About the only quirk you'll find is that the MSM's dampers were designed around controlling the heavier OEM wheels and they're a bit overdamped once you correct Mazda's bling-bling.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

AKADriver said:


> About the only quirk you'll find is that the MSM's dampers were designed around controlling the heavier OEM wheels and they're a bit overdamped once you correct Mazda's bling-bling.


That is my experience also, although I'm on MSM Bilsteins and Tein S. Tech springs. Looking forward to one day upgrading to some nicer shocks to improve the ride and handling.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> The '05 MSM wheels were heavier than the '04...they were 18.4lbs. 15x7 Kosei K1's should weigh 13lbs.
> 
> Losing ~24lbs unsprung weight isn't bad at all in a 2400lb car. Add lightness whenever possible! Or, you can look at it another way: now you can carry a spare tire and jack; you don't have to feel bad about stock heavy seats; or, feel free to super size next time you get fast food


The wheels are definitely lighter, but the total wheel/tire package wound up weighing about the same. That'll change as the Star Specs get worn down, but I was surprised that we weren't making a significant dent in unsprung weight with this combo.

It's not a big deal, this is a grand tourer rather than a cone-dodger. Its one of the wife's choices for commuting, although she left it home today so I'm going to take it out to play Real Soon Now. Gotta get started on wearing down those heavy new tires.

Thinking of lowering the car and love the adjustability of coilovers. Think there's any benefit to adding Ground Control sleeves to the existing 55,000-mile Bilsteins and going with middle of the road springs (350f/250r?) or would it be smarter to swap in new shocks (Koni sports?) with GC sleeves and non-killer springs? Third option would be to have the existing Bilsteins revalved to ride more comfortably (keeping car originality) with GC sleeves, but don't know if the wife will go for having the car out of commission while the shocks are being worked on.

PS - my first Miata was a Montego '96. It was nothing special, a high-mile base model, but what a great introduction to Miataness. It got crashed in a highway accident (I was rear-ended and pushed into a minivan) and I still miss it even though it's been replaced in kind three or four times over.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> What are the rules for "survivor"? 100% stock and original?
> 
> Because I'm wondering about your suspension...my stock suspension '91 was that low in the front, but a solid 2+ inches higher in the rear.


NA with 100k+miles on it. Not necessarily 100% stock, but basically a car that was bought and driven.

Remember that the 1990's were the lowest year of the Miata, spring wise. Mine is a bit lower due to using the lowest perch on the Koni Sports shocks I have. Also, in those pictures I have a trunk load of stuff for two people for the week, and a full tank of gas.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Claff said:


> Thinking of lowering the car and love the adjustability of coilovers. Think there's any benefit to adding Ground Control sleeves to the existing 55,000-mile Bilsteins and going with middle of the road springs (350f/250r?) or would it be smarter to swap in new shocks (Koni sports?) with GC sleeves and non-killer springs? Third option would be to have the existing Bilsteins revalved to ride more comfortably (keeping car originality) with GC sleeves, but don't know if the wife will go for having the car out of commission while the shocks are being worked on.


Without knowing how the shocks feel, it's hard for us to give any advice with just the mileage number...

I had a '91 with stock suspension, 120k. I wonder if the shocks were ever changed because the damping was very firm--I was so satisfied I never changed the suspension.

But that '97 M Edition up there that Art just bought? 77k on it and the stock shocks were BLOWN! I couldn't believe it.



Smigelski said:


> NA with 100k+miles on it. Not necessarily 100% stock, but basically a car that was bought and driven.
> 
> Remember that the 1990's were the lowest year of the Miata, spring wise. Mine is a bit lower due to using the lowest perch on the Koni Sports shocks I have. Also, in those pictures I have a trunk load of stuff for two people for the week, and a full tank of gas.


ahh yeah, the adjustable perch will do it.

That's why I'm kind of reluctant to remove my tow hook and spare tire...I don't drive the car much, and I don't want the rear to get any higher :laugh:


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## ABAcabby (Jul 28, 2003)

here's a few of my roomates..


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

inquisitive said:


>


What are the wheel/tire/suspension specs on this?

Thanks :beer:


----------



## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)

zaYG said:


> What are the wheel/tire/suspension specs on this?
> 
> Thanks :beer:


*Wheels:* über rare 15x7 et26 OZ's 
*Tires:* 205/50/15 Toyo R1R's
*Suspension (soon to be replaced):* 1st gen FM springs, FCM top hats, 36mm FCM bump stops, and KYB AGX


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## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

*in the club*

just brought this home yesterday...
99 w/ sport package


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

:thumbup:


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

inquisitive said:


> *Wheels:* über rare 15x7 et26 OZ's
> *Tires:* 205/50/15 Toyo R1R's
> *Suspension (soon to be replaced):* 1st gen FM springs, FCM top hats, 36mm FCM bump stops, and KYB AGX


Thanks man, that looks gorgeous.

I was actually considering a similar wheel/tire sizing setup and I'm glad to see it looks that good :beer:


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## Geechie_Suede (Jan 18, 2009)

This is in the owner of the local Cadillac dealership's collection (I longer work there). It's a 91 Special Edition in British Racing Green with tan interior. Sorry didn't get any interior pics.


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Oh herro


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Is that windblocker effective?


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> Is that windblocker effective?


Haven't used it without it yet, but at no point driving today did I feel uncomfortable. Once this on and off rain stops I'll hopefully get a chance to see how it works without it.


----------



## slikaznricer (Mar 27, 2008)

just picked her up a week ago. i have enjoyed all 1800 miles i drove her in the first week she was mine. 










pre wheels










RIP


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

slikaznricer said:


> just picked her up a week ago. i have enjoyed all 1800 miles i drove her in the first week she was mine.
> 
> 
> pre wheels


Damn you! I e-mailed that guy and never heard back. That is, of course, if you found it on CL. A black Miata with those same wheels was up for sale in NOVA.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

hushypushy said:


> Is that windblocker effective?


My NB came with the factory blocker, and I removed it to install my roll bar. Even the factory ones work pretty well, if that's what you want. I'm willing to take the added noise for better ventilation.


----------



## Mike0105 (Dec 31, 1999)

Not a lot of NC love in here so here's a few pics of mine. 



















Mike


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Did some PM to my '94 R this weekend: New plugs, oxygen sensor, shifter rebuild and new oil in the shifter turret, set the base idle. Runs stronger and shifts a lot better.


----------



## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

clay bar, wax, plugs, wires, moved the brake pedal for some heal/toe action


----------



## ryank-yaris (May 21, 2010)

GahannaKid said:


> Is this your car? I noticed you're in Ohio & the plates seem to match. If so that's a damn fine ride :thumbup:


The Miata is mine, yes. The R32 is my buddy's. But yes, we're in Ohio - New Phila/Dover area. And thanks bud. :thumbup:


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

I don't like cross-posting these, but you can never look at enough Miata's. 

This is the 3rd I've owned and nicest. Seems everyone who gets a Miata, eventually gets another. It isn't perfect, but it's very simple and that's often rewarding. Old men seem to covet mine, particularly old men on classic motorcycles; and kids, many who might be seeing one for the first time in their life (I'm in Alaska)


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## VWstung (Dec 19, 2010)

Mine is now for sale 
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5727799-FS-1996-Clean-Montego-Blue-in-NJ!!!


----------



## ryank-yaris (May 21, 2010)




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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Chris.K said:


> I don't like cross-posting these, but you can never look at enough Miata's.
> 
> This is the 3rd I've owned and nicest. Seems everyone who gets a Miata, eventually gets another. It isn't perfect, but it's very simple and that's often rewarding. Old men seem to covet mine, particularly old men on classic motorcycles; and kids, many who might be seeing one for the first time in their life (I'm in Alaska)


 Holy crap your car is perfect. I want to drive around Alaska's roads in it. :thumbup:


----------



## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

Alaskan roads are not noteworthy, but thank you. 

Just two more recent ones for the thread please,


----------



## muffintop (Oct 15, 2009)

^ Is the front badge just stuck on with adhesive or did you have to fill in holes? 

Another of mine, I know I need to lower it a bit.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

muffintop said:


> ^ Is the front badge just stuck on with adhesive or did you have to fill in holes?


 Are you talking about the "Mazda" letters on the driver side? Those are stickers/painted on. Can't remember which.


----------



## freedomweasel (Apr 15, 2010)

muffintop said:


> ^ Is the front badge just stuck on with adhesive or did you have to fill in holes?


 The front badge has two holes that it slots into on my '94.


----------



## DasStormTrooper (Jul 28, 2009)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Chris.K said:


> Alaskan roads are not noteworthy, but thank you.
> 
> Just two more recent ones for the thread please,


 So... perfect. And really? I always thought roads throughout Alaska would be all long and open with great mountain views.


----------



## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> So... perfect. And really? I always thought roads throughout Alaska would be all long and open with great mountain views.


 They're long for sure, but mostly straight. I guess that's a problem that most roads have though.


----------



## vespoli (Jan 3, 2007)

Chris,

What kind of lip is that? 

:beer::beer:


----------



## the tech 71 (Dec 20, 2005)

Funny to see a lot of these cars on Club Roadster too.! So I've had mine about a month and half now, and now it looks like this:


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Those LM-R reps look great! :thumbup:


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

I posted pics of mine a few pages back, but here are some better quality ones:


----------



## DzlDub (Aug 16, 2007)

Uggggg I need a Miata but live in an apartment complex, I'm afraid of vandalism. :thumbdown:


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

DzlDub said:


> Uggggg I need a Miata but live in an apartment complex, I'm afraid of vandalism. :thumbdown:


What is there to worry about over any other car?

And guys, tell me what suspension I should get.

Seriously considering the Flyin Miata spring/Illumina setup, but I can't decide.


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Depends on what you want to do with the car. 


I'm waiting on a set of Fortune Auto coils to be built and you can specify pretty much any spring rate you want.


----------



## Dustin DeSimone (Aug 7, 2010)

mine


----------



## yurikaze (Jul 7, 2006)

muffintop said:


> ^ Is the front badge just stuck on with adhesive or did you have to fill in holes?


Early NA's used the Mazda sticker on the front corner. The emblem with its required holes didn't happen until 1992 or 1993, I can't remember which.


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

zaYG said:


> What is there to worry about over any other car?
> 
> And guys, tell me what suspension I should get.
> 
> Seriously considering the Flyin Miata spring/Illumina setup, but I can't decide.



Flyin' Miata Vmaxx coilovers. Tis what I'm going with. They get outstanding reviews from just about everywhere, and they don't break the bank.


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

SourKrout said:


> Depends on what you want to do with the car.
> 
> 
> I'm waiting on a set of Fortune Auto coils to be built and you can specify pretty much any spring rate you want.


Semi performance backroads driver. I want it to look good but no stance or anything will be had.

MAYBE the occasional autocross will be done.



zeewhiz said:


> Flyin' Miata Vmaxx coilovers. Tis what I'm going with. They get outstanding reviews from just about everywhere, and they don't break the bank.


I've considered these too, but I worry about the quality. The adjustable ride height would be nice, but they are clearly a much lower quality setup than the FM spring/Tokico setup, and this only has a 2 year warranty as opposed to lifetime.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

The spring/illumina setup will be more durable, hands down. Especially since there are no threaded adjusters to seize up or anything like that. In their defense, though, the VMaxxes are somewhat rebuildable; and surprisingly for the price they're made in Holland, not China.

For maximum durability, Bilstein shocks are better than Tokico, but the NB version Bilstein HD/Sport out of the box damping is a little too soft for the FM springs.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

zeewhiz said:


> Flyin' Miata Vmaxx coilovers. Tis what I'm going with. They get outstanding reviews from just about everywhere, and they don't break the bank.





zaYG said:


> Semi performance backroads driver. I want it to look good but no stance or anything will be had.
> 
> MAYBE the occasional autocross will be done.
> 
> I've considered these too, but I worry about the quality. The adjustable ride height would be nice, but they are clearly a much lower quality setup than the FM spring/Tokico setup, and this only has a 2 year warranty as opposed to lifetime.


I've had my V-Maxx setup installed for around two or three months now and I must say I'm very impressed by them. Assembly was easy (good machining quality) and they're quite simple to adjust. The ride was a little busy until everything settled, but it's fantastic now. Rides better than my Speed3.

Keep in mind though, these will be significantly lower at their recommended ride height than the stock suspension. SIGNIFICANTLY lower. I have about 1.5" of upward adjustment left in mine and the car is just a little higher than "dumped."


----------



## ryank-yaris (May 21, 2010)

Threw mine on some new 13's over the weekend.


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

PassSedanGLX said:


> I've had my V-Maxx setup installed for around two or three months now and I must say I'm very impressed by them. Assembly was easy (good machining quality) and they're quite simple to adjust. The ride was a little busy until everything settled, but it's fantastic now. Rides better than my Speed3.
> 
> Keep in mind though, these will be significantly lower at their recommended ride height than the stock suspension. SIGNIFICANTLY lower. I have about 1.5" of upward adjustment left in mine and the car is just a little higher than "dumped."


Honestly, I just want a ride height like this that was posted above.










I hear the FM/Illumina setup rides great too, but now that I think about it, I don't really PLAN on owning the car for years and years so the 2 year warranty might be fine.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

zaYG said:


> Honestly, I just want a ride height like this that was posted above.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That car is just so perfect.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Here's my bucket before the suspension settled:










Ignore the hideous/filthy wheels. They're 15x6.5 for size reference.


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

PassSedanGLX said:


> Here's my bucket before the suspension settled:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those are the V-maxxes huh?

I think I might end up getting those. I'm actually not too worried about the warranty since I probably won't own the car for long enough to make use of the lifetime warranty 

Did you get the ones with adjustable dampening? Or with the NB top hat upgrade?


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

zaYG said:


> Those are the V-maxxes huh?
> 
> I think I might end up getting those. I'm actually not too worried about the warranty since I probably won't own the car for long enough to make use of the lifetime warranty
> 
> Did you get the ones with adjustable dampening? Or with the NB top hat upgrade?


NB top-hats, yes, but I didn't get the "race" models or whatever they're called. Height adjustment only.


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Yavuz said:


>


For an apparently serious autocrosser, those are some mighty illegal turn signals


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

PassSedanGLX said:


> NB top-hats, yes, but I didn't get the "race" models or whatever they're called. Height adjustment only.


The NB tophats really are worth the ridiculously high premium they charge I guess then. 

I didn't really plan on going with the adjustable dampening either, but if you had an argument in their favor I would have listened.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

zaYG said:


> The NB tophats really are worth the ridiculously high premium they charge I guess then.


My car has nearly 215k miles on it. I'm just trying to stay ahead of fatigue and corrosion.


----------



## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)

mellbergVWfan said:


> That car is just so perfect.


Not anymore sigh...

On the 4th of July, someone thought it would be a good idea to kick in my fender :


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> For an apparently serious autocrosser, those are some mighty illegal turn signals


Hahah good eye. I finally got around to trading the TSIs for a set of stockers. It's now fully "stock" right down to the baby teeth and giant pole antenna.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I joined the cult on Saturday...after I said I would never own one.

_I STAND CORRECTED_

I traded for a '90 in Classic Red, manual, 130K, newer top, COLD AC, stack of service records from the last several years totaling over $20K. Yes, I said over $20K. This car was ridiculously maintained by a fanatical owner. New Koni's installed a month ago. The bad: Hail damage on hood and trunk from a recent storm in our region. Bumper needs a buff, and one headlight door.

He traded it for a '99 Miata I had at my dealership.

*I paid $500.00*...and yes, I'm keeping this one!


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Before pic..


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Someone took a funky picture of our clunker at an event last weekend


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

So the FM Vmaxx coilovers won't be in stock until September...and THEN the shipment they are getting still might not be enough to cover the backorder they have. :banghead:

So, what is next? I'm thinking Megan coilovers perhaps?


----------



## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

I think there's some company that revalves bilsteins and makes em into coilovers? Might be too pricey... I dunno.

What about Fortune Auto coilovers? Might be too pricey I dunno... supposed to be hand built in the US and I've read they use Penske or Ohlins seals with Redline shock fluid and you can get them with Swift springs.


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Are you thinking of Fat Cat motorsports? 
http://www.fatcatmotorsports.com/
I have their mount/ bumpstop kit on my 90 Miata Challenge car - it's a decent kit and Shaikh really knows his stuff. The Excel spreadsheet on his site is super-useful. 

I'll be heading for Xida's next season - but I've had good success with some tips from the epic 'eBay Coilover thread' on Miata.net.
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=289656
Crazy long, but worth a read.

I ended up with a set of off the shelf NA Bilsteins with ebay sleeves, 425lb fronts and 200 rear. It's nice for a dual purpose car, but I'm finding it a little soft for a dedicated track car. When the Xidas are purchased, the ebay/bilstein combo will be put onto my street car to replace the Chinese D2 coilovers.

Track Car:


















Street car:


















The hipster-stanced 0et wheels on the LE are gone, and a set of 15x8et20 TRmotorsports from the race car are on it now.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

vespoli said:


> Chris,
> 
> What kind of lip is that?
> 
> :beer::beer:


It looks like the Miata R-Package lip, commonly called the R Lip.



zaYG said:


> What is there to worry about over any other car?


The top being slashed, for one.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

danny_16v said:


> I think there's some company that revalves bilsteins and makes em into coilovers? Might be too pricey... I dunno.


FatCat Motorsports, highly recommended. I have their coilovers (custom valved nonadjustable) in our STS autocrosser and they're fantastic. The only downside is that it takes some time to have them made and shipped. I ordered mine in September 2010 and they arrived Christmas Eve.


----------



## 3Letter (Sep 16, 2002)

This thread suckered me into buying this Tuesday. 

1995 Montego Blue Mica, PEP/Leather Package w/ hardtop. Love it!


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Megan Racing EZ streets on the way.

Need. Wheels.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

My friend did the opposite.  Bought a set of Work Equip 02's first. But he also purchased a set of Megan EZ's so hopefully that will remove all of this. :laugh:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Some Miatas from last weekend at Edmonton Indy. The NASCC Eurasia Cup was the feature race on Saturday, and easily the best race of the weekend.




































































































This one was very interesting. I spoke to the owner after the event and he told me this is Miata #8. Yes, the EIGHTH Miata to roll off the line, with a build date of mid-1989. He said that Mazda claims the car shouldn't even exist; anything below #125 were press cars, pre-production, etc. The crazy thing is that he just turbo'd it and uses it for racing! Unfortunately these pics were before I found that out, so I didn't get a chance to snap a pic of the VIN...






































Rest of the pics (non-Miata related) here, the read-only password is 'placenta'.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

I see they are using the Canadian Market hood prop. :laugh:


----------



## Rukh (Mar 25, 2003)

mellbergVWfan said:


> I see they are using the Canadian Market hood prop. :laugh:


Yeah, in Canada it's known as the EhmX-5 Roodster. :laugh:


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> My friend did the opposite. Bought a set of Work Equip 02's first. But he also purchased a set of Megan EZ's so hopefully that will remove all of this. :laugh:


Those are sexy though! Specs?

And now I'm not too concerned about the wheels, since my tail lights stopped working and no matter what I've done to fix it, I still can't figure it out :facepalm:


----------



## G60 CAB (Oct 26, 2003)




----------



## Helios89GLI (Jan 3, 2004)

Miata's are everywhere...


----------



## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

i just picked up a 99 NB last Monday. 110k miles for $4k. 










only thing i've done is put some Chikara RS5 wheels on it. 15x8 +20 with 205/50/15's










i plan on some Megan EZ coilovers and a HardDog rollbar and that's it.


----------



## Maxvla (Jun 20, 2012)

How much am I looking at for a pre face lift NC PRHT manual with lowish miles (less than 75k)?

I don't like the smiley grille of the face lift,are there any good reasons to go for a post face lift one anyway?


----------



## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

mellbergVWfan said:


> My friend did the opposite. Bought a set of Work Equip 02's first. But he also purchased a set of Megan EZ's so hopefully that will remove all of this. :laugh:


Damn you Mellberg!!! :laugh: 




zaYG said:


> Those are sexy though! Specs?


14x7 -3 offset


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

New hoops for the tub !


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Maxvla said:


> I don't like the smiley grille of the face lift,are there any good reasons to go for a post face lift one anyway?


The NC1 reportedly missed the mark and the NC2 supposedly fixed a lot of handling issues that the media complained about. But if you're going aftermarket suspension it might not matter.


----------



## Maxvla (Jun 20, 2012)

freedomgli said:


> The NC1 reportedly missed the mark and the NC2 supposedly fixed a lot of handling issues that the media complained about. But if you're going aftermarket suspension it might not matter.


Thanks!


----------



## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

just dropped the car on some Megan EZ Street coilovers.. and went for a drive on PCH


----------



## Mike0105 (Dec 31, 1999)

Maxvla said:


> I don't like the smiley grille of the face lift,are there any good reasons to go for a post face lift one anyway?


I wasn't a huge fan at first but have grown to really like the design. The revised suspension and engine changes alone are worth the small price premium. Mazda went to a forged crank and rods set up along with a higher redline with the smiley face cars
Mike


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Mike0105 said:


> I wasn't a huge fan at first but have grown to really like the design. The revised suspension and engine changes alone are worth the small price premium. Mazda went to a forged crank and rods set up along with a higher redline with the smiley face cars
> Mike


 I love them.. But they are really really cramped compared to my NA.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> I love them.. But they are really really cramped compared to my NA.



i just sold a NB on my lot.
HATED IT.
TOO SMALL!

The guy traded an NA, which I thought would be smaller....WRONG. My 6'2", 230 lb, 48" chest fits BETTER:screwy:


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

MRVW00 said:


> i just sold a NB on my lot.
> HATED IT.
> TOO SMALL!
> 
> The guy traded an NA, which I thought would be smaller....WRONG. My 6'2", 230 lb, 48" chest fits BETTER:screwy:



NA is the first gen's right? flip up headlights?

I'm a big fat guy, but still want one of these.  Been reading about the Elise seats.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Sporin said:


> NA is the first gen's right? flip up headlights?
> 
> I'm a big fat guy, but still want one of these.  Been reading about the Elise seats.


YES that's the one!

If I fit with stock seats, you'll fit with Elise seats.

The NB is smaller. I swear!


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

MRVW00 said:


> The NB is smaller. I swear!


That's strange because I actually fit better in my NB than the NA's I tried. For me the big problem was how low the steering wheel was in the NA. Even though I think the seat could go a little further back, it felt like the wheel was lower. Something; all I know is that I do fit in the NB and I just couldn't get comfortable in the NA. Same problem with the S2000, as I owned one of those for a little while. The NB has enough knee room where the others did not, at least for me.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

NB's do have a tighter interior so you're not imagining it. The door cars are larger and the dash is a big taller. The NA interior is pretty minimal comparatively. 

*NA*










*NB*


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Plus the nb arm rests are incorporated to the door panel ...nas bolt to the panel.Remove that and it gives you 2.5 more inches..ad a healthy foamectomy.. at tiny steering wheel and I am comfy at 6'5 350 .. Claybar'd today ..happy paint.


----------



## Linda449 (Aug 27, 2012)

I like the Miata. I don't care how gay it makes you look.http://www.*************/ht7.jpg


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

I love how gay it makes me look...but then again...:laugh:


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

You can convert an NB to NA style door panels, without changing to the NA style latches. 

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=48999

Basic recipe is NA upper door pads plus some sort of sheet material (ABS plastic, vinyl covered fiberboard, mad tite carbon fiber, etc).


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

AKADriver said:


> You can convert an NB to NA style door panels, without changing to the NA style latches.
> 
> http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=48999
> 
> Basic recipe is NA upper door pads plus some sort of sheet material (ABS plastic, vinyl covered fiberboard, mad tite carbon fiber, etc).


 That's cool . N/as are still better because the lights move


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Damn this thread. I've since began my search for a Miata thanks to this thread and the nagging advice of a fellow CLer who has an Ariel Atom and races Spec Miatas. If it's good enough for him, I should give it a try.

I had no idea how affordable they are.

Torsen diff.....gotta have it?


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> That's cool . N/as are still better because the lights move


AGREED.

With new pedestrian safety laws, these are obsolete


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> Torsen diff.....gotta have it?


1.6L cars ('90-'93) won't have it at all, unless it was swapped in from a 1.8L car. 

That being said, I don't miss not having one in my '90. If you were going for more power or winter driving , then I'd say, sure, get one. 


http://www.miata.net/garage/diffguide/index.html


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> Torsen diff.....gotta have it?


IMO, a LSD does add greatly to the fun. People will swear by the Torsen but earlier cars with the viscous diff are perfectly acceptable. I've owned a '90 and '91 with viscous, doesn't feel much different from the Torsens I have driven, on the street and in autocross.

But good lord, autocrossing one with NO lsd at all, :banghead:


----------



## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

Dieselstation, I took this picture within a few hundred feet of your first couple photos. However, I must say that your pictures turned out much better.











I miss the $#!* out of this car


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

So, I stumbled across this little gem....what do you think??? 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/3235966460.html

















besides need a detail BADLY seems like a pretty nice car.


----------



## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

initiation said:


> Dieselstation, I took this picture within a few hundred feet of your first couple photos. However, I must say that your pictures turned out much better.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


oh man i love the color of yours. and your seats too!!


----------



## dubb_head (Feb 15, 2003)

Been driving a 91 Miata so I could park my TDI and get some work done on it

After I bought it and cleaned it up:

Would like to do suspension and wheels....but we will see how the funds are....


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Damn you Canadians and your awesome factory steering wheels.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

I am seriously considering picking up a used Miata this winter. Are there any model years that I should avoid?

To continue thread: BRG Miata w/ Minilites-alikes. Simple yet delicious.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I joined the Miata.net and Clubroadster forums. TONS of great info, great place to read and learn details.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Sporin said:


> I joined the Miata.net and Clubroadster forums. TONS of great info, great place to read and learn details.


It gets pretty thick in there sometimes :laugh:


----------



## SargeinAZ (Nov 24, 2005)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Figure I should post up the picture of mine after I spent 7 hours washing and detailing its tired faded paint. Have never detailed before, all done by hand... my right arm killed afterwards.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Figure I should post up the picture of mine after I spent 7 hours washing and detailing its tired faded paint. Have never detailed before, all done by hand... my right arm killed afterwards.


 That looks great! My '90:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Looking super clean Smig! I really need a set of NB sport 5-spokes and some suspension.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Sporin said:


> I joined the Miata.net and Clubroadster forums. TONS of great info, great place to read and learn details.


I shall do so. Thank you :thumbup:


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Claff said:


> FatCat Motorsports, highly recommended. I have their coilovers (custom valved nonadjustable) in our STS autocrosser and they're fantastic. The only downside is that it takes some time to have them made and shipped. I ordered mine in September 2010 and they arrived Christmas Eve.


What ride height do you run? I ask because I built myself a bilstein-based coilover too but used HD shocks which aren't able to function below a certain ride height.

(Don't mind the position of the springs / OE bases / etc, which I relocated before install...


----------



## R32kid (Dec 22, 2004)

Google SNC miata... so look for 92+ cars, and you will have less problems (in general)


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I joined the Miata.net and Clubroadster forums. TONS of great info, great place to read and learn details.


Which do you like better?



DubNMiatafan said:


> Figure I should post up the picture of mine after I spent 7 hours washing and detailing its tired faded paint. Have never detailed before, all done by hand... my right arm killed afterwards.


Nice car!

I have a red '90 also....:laugh:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

lawdogg said:


> What ride height do you run? I ask because I built myself a bilstein-based coilover too but used HD shocks which aren't able to function below a certain ride height.


Geez I just measured ride height the other day and I'm spacing. Probably somewhere around 13 1/2 all around. I had the thing way lower this summer but on its daily driver wheel/tire combo it rubbed a lot (RPF1/195 R1R) and scraped some on the highway so I hiked it back up.

We're off to the SCCA Solo Nationals and I'm fiddling with stuff. We run 650 lb front springs but I want to experiment with going stiffer, so I borrowed a couple NASCAR-style spring rubbbers and put those in. If they work OK on the practice course we'll run them in the actual competition and shop for 700 lb springs for next year; if they turn out to not help they can be taken out in a matter of minutes.


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

VTECeateR said:


> So, I stumbled across this little gem....what do you think???
> 
> http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/3235966460.html
> 
> ...


Anyone? I really have my heart set on a 1999-04 but the local market is pretty dry in the $4k market.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> Anyone? I really have my heart set on a 1999-04 but the local market is pretty dry in the $4k market.


Well it's a Manual with a Hardtop in a great color. And '92 so not much can go wrong. Looks to be a base model though, aka No LSD or other stuff. Which can be good depending on what you want. Price seems about $500 high or so. 

I forget all the key things to look for when buying an NA. Just check for the usual stuff, oil leaks, strange noises. There's also the 65mph shimmy. Usually fixed by proper alignment and balancing. 

http://www.miata.net/faq/usedmx5.html


----------



## R32kid (Dec 22, 2004)

That blue one looks good, not too excessive mileage and seems clean inside. I would say negotiate with him, offer something above 3k and get honed in.

Most people enjoy the rev-able nature of the 1.6 NA, and thats a Long Nose Crank so it *shouldn't* have horrible crank wobble, plus they are a little lighter than the bigger engine Miatas 

Timing Belt/WP/LOF and you're loving life.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> Anyone? I really have my heart set on a 1999-04 but the local market is pretty dry in the $4k market.


Just make sure you can deal with the color.. The car obviously not enthusiast owned which could be bad and good . I looked high and low for my perfect miata and ended up with my 93 ht red power windows / diff car for 4 .


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Thanks for all the info. I don't even know what my 'ideal' miata is right now. My guess is a 99-00 with leather (since I KNOW it'd have the Torsen, and leather )


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Do it. Do it now. I sometimes sit in my Classic Red and kick myself mentally for not waiting for a Mariner Blue to show up... but then I drop the hammer and forget all that :laugh:

But seriously. For let's say $3500 you get a decent looking (from the ad) Miata with a hardtop. And goddamn Mariner Blue.

MARINER BLUE DAMMIT

Edit: Just looked at the ad again and the hardtop has defrost, so it probably has headliner too. That + Mariner blue makes the hardtop alone worth $1k+. So you can probably get a pretty good shape MARINER BLUE (seriously, I can't emphasize this enough, it is a VERY desired color) for $2500 basically (if you don't count the HT).


DO IT RIGHT NOW. SERIOUSLY. RIGHT NOW.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Do it. Do it now. I sometimes sit in my Classic Red and kick myself mentally for not waiting for a Mariner Blue to show up... but then I drop the hammer and forget all that :laugh:
> 
> But seriously. For let's say $3500 you get a decent looking (from the ad) Miata with a hardtop. And goddamn Mariner Blue.
> 
> ...


 Its a rare color.. but i wouldn't say it is as desirable as you play it up to be. I passed up on 3 of them. It looks like a one day paint color to me.


----------



## Grip Driver (Feb 16, 1999)

put new wheels on it, crappy pic though


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Do it. Do it now. I sometimes sit in my Classic Red and kick myself mentally for not waiting for a Mariner Blue to show up... but then I drop the hammer and forget all that :laugh:
> 
> But seriously. For let's say $3500 you get a decent looking (from the ad) Miata with a hardtop. And goddamn Mariner Blue.
> 
> ...


So should I do it???


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Just did a drive-by on a local one for sale, 94, 5 spd, white, and clean as a whistle with nice aftermarket wheels and $3695 on the sign. No idea on mileage.

Just got to drop 100 lbs.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So here's another Fat Guy In A Miata question.... the handbrake, anyone make a kit to move that to the other side?


----------



## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

I know the NA has more room than an NB, but I've also heard people claim the NA has more interior space than an NC. I would disagree as i feel like the NC has the most usable space and is certainly the most adjustable. The 94M I drove before buying my NC felt way more cramped, the sun visor was in my line of sight, and the steering wheel didn't tilt. I've heard leather takes up some room, but the lack of tilt steering was a deal beaker. I couldn't press the clutch without bending my foot sideways. I can work it just fine in an NC.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Sporin said:


> So here's another Fat Guy In A Miata question.... the handbrake, anyone make a kit to move that to the other side?


 No. Even the RHD cars have there handbrake there. 



pwm said:


> The 94M I drove before buying my NC felt way more cramped, the sun visor was in my line of sight, and the steering wheel didn't tilt.
> 
> I couldn't press the clutch without bending my foot sideways.


 I hate the sun visors in my NA. :banghead: I'm also 6'2" 

What size shoe do you wear? I'm a 13 and no problem


----------



## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

6'1 and size 13 here. I'm all torso though, so besides the steering wheel being too low, my head hits the roof when the top is up. The NC is the only one with enough headroom


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Claff said:


> Geez I just measured ride height the other day and I'm spacing. Probably somewhere around 13 1/2 all around. I had the thing way lower this summer but on its daily driver wheel/tire combo it rubbed a lot (RPF1/195 R1R) and scraped some on the highway so I hiked it back up.
> 
> We're off to the SCCA Solo Nationals and I'm fiddling with stuff. We run 650 lb front springs but I want to experiment with going stiffer, so I borrowed a couple NASCAR-style spring rubbbers and put those in. If they work OK on the practice course we'll run them in the actual competition and shop for 700 lb springs for next year; if they turn out to not help they can be taken out in a matter of minutes.


 Fair enough, good luck!


----------



## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

SargeinAZ said:


>


 
Are those 13 inch Panasports, can you provide the offset and tire size too? Looks like 175/60 



Pineapplegti ! said:


> Its a rare color.. but i wouldn't say it is as desirable as you play it up to be. I passed up on 3 of them. It looks like a one day paint color to me.


 What is a one day paint color?


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

pwm said:


> I know the NA has more room than an NB, but I've also heard people claim the NA has more interior space than an NC. I would disagree as i feel like the NC has the most usable space and is certainly the most adjustable. The 94M I drove before buying my NC felt way more cramped, the sun visor was in my line of sight, and the steering wheel didn't tilt. I've heard leather takes up some room, but the lack of tilt steering was a deal beaker. I couldn't press the clutch without bending my foot sideways. I can work it just fine in an NC.


 NA totally has more interior space than a NC. That being said the NC is a much more expensive car and I would have a hard time removing/ cutting the stuff I have done to fit comfortably into a NA. I cannot drive a NC with the top up.. but I can in an NA.


----------



## omllenado (Jul 14, 2002)

VTECeateR said:


> Anyone? I really have my heart set on a 1999-04 but the local market is pretty dry in the $4k market.


 
I was going to look at that car but I test drove a 94, no power steering and the color that I want. There's a red one with low miles in westborough base model


----------



## omllenado (Jul 14, 2002)

Grip Driver said:


> put new wheels on it, crappy pic though


 
What size wheel & tires?.


----------



## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> NA totally has more interior space than a NC. That being said the NC is a much more expensive car and I would have a hard time removing/ cutting the stuff I have done to fit comfortably into a NA. I cannot drive a NC with the top up.. but I can in an NA.


 See, I keep hearing that, but like I said it in no way jives with my personal experience. Maybe the NA technically has bigger dimensions, but it isn't as usable in stock form IMO. The simple fact the steering wheel is adjustable in the NC makes a world of difference. No foamectomy or visor removal necessary for my 6'1 220lb all torso frame. I daily mine with the top up in the morning may days and headroom is t an issue.

I guess once you hit 6 feet with these cars it's really all a crap shoot, and the best model for you is dependent on preferred seating position, inseam vs torso, and black magic.


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Someone coming to look at this today. Hopefully he buys it, but I will miss it a bit.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Why are you selling?


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

A couple from yesterday


----------



## CTCORRADOKID (Sep 24, 2003)




----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

For all those on the edge of hopping on the bandwagen; I have a cheap beater Miata FS for $1200 in NJ: 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...a-NA-with-Torsen-in-NJ-1200-Hardtop-available


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Is the Mazda MX-5 Any Good? - Chris Harris On Cars


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

Sledge said:


> Is the Mazda MX-5 Any Good? - Chris Harris On Cars


 So the gist seems to be that he considers it a passable car, maybe even good among cheap roadsters, but that the newest ones really can't compete in value for money if the idea is simply to have a sports (sporty?) car. I can identify with that. When my wife and I wanted to get a fun car, we specifically wanted a convertible. That ruled out all kinds of fun cars and narrowed it only to convertibles. We considered a number of them and I even test drove an inexpensive Z3 Roadster 3.0, but for the same money, our choice was either a totally beat Z3 that needed a lot of work or a pristine NB Miata Special Edition. While the Miata will never have the raw speed of the Z3 3.0 nor it's cool 6-cylinder engine sound, it's been a fine car for us. Sincerely passable even in stock form and ultimately that was what has made it fun for us - we could actually afford both the car and the maintenance with no trouble.


----------



## omllenado (Jul 14, 2002)

Got her home today. Was parked in a garage for a few years.


----------



## Dekz (Jul 21, 2004)

My friend Ryan's Miata: 

















Yes, that's a 13B


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Dekz said:


> Yes, that's a 13B


 Finally, infamous TCL poster admiral laserbeam is proven correct.

"Rotary engines suck. Don't get the Miata."


----------



## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

So does anyone have any first hand experience with various sway bars for the NC? I'm thinking I might get a set as the car already came with the Mazdaspeed exhaust and CAI. I was going to start by swapping the exhaust as the drone really bothered me, but I'm starting to get used to it and its only annoying when the top is up. Depending on where you look, each brand is labelled the best choice. I've also noticed a swap to RX-8 sways is pretty common on the NC.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)




----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Going to look at a '94 M-Edition this weekend


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

zaYG said:


> Someone coming to look at this today. Hopefully he buys it, but I will miss it a bit.


 I see it's still for sale. Looked into it a little. I can get a flight from Baltimore to your area for $100 with a layover in Philly. But if I try to find a direct flight from Philly it's $200 direct or $150 via detroit. DETROIT! WTF! 

I don't usually like red cars, but my current Miata sure is pretty when it's shiny. And now you see why, although your car is my favorite Miata trim, I can't justify the time/effort/money to change right now.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Art picked up another Miata...I'll post his pics because he doesn't visit TCL much  

Knowing him, if you want a swapped Miata, now would be a great time to talk to him because you never know how fast he'll be getting rid of it :laugh: 

The OZ's are already for sale though...I think somebody was asking about them when they were on his Marina Green M?


----------



## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

My Miata has been parked for a couple of months since I bought a Jeep as a daily beater (and I was deployed to Alaska for 5 weeks), yesterday I took it out and did some tuning to the Megasquirt. Boy I remember how much fun these cars are now. I have an OBX LSD sitting here that I already upgraded with better spring washers and hardware but have been procrastinating on putting in, maybe I'll get around to that soon


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> Art picked up another Miata...I'll post his pics because he doesn't visit TCL much
> 
> Knowing him, if you want a swapped Miata, now would be a great time to talk to him because you never know how fast he'll be getting rid of it :laugh:
> 
> The OZ's are already for sale though...I think somebody was asking about them when they were on his Marina Green M?


 He sure does buy a lot of cars. Wasn't he selling the Green Miata for an E30 or E36 M3? 

I might still be interested in the OZ's but it'd be without the tires. He PM'ed me already actually.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

So now I am the owner of a 14100 mile 1994 Miata M-Edition. Sort of  I didn't bring my checkbook to the dealer so I just gave them a deposit to hold the car. I'll Fedex them the check early this week. 

Already I have a list of things that needs to be done. The sealed beam headlights will be replaced by Cibie reflector/H4 bulb drop in replacements. The all season tires will be replaced with Dunlop Direzzas of OEM size (teeny tiny 14 inch wheels! My Prius has bigger wheels ). The fabric top with the plastic rear window will be replaced with a new top with a glass rear window. 

I don't think I'm going to bother with bigger wheels. Could use a small drop though. I'll think about suspension mods some other time though. Pics will come later


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

man, the "Ignore User" feature foiled again by a quote... 

Do yourself a favor, don't quote these morons, just put them on your ignore list. He just wants attention, plain and simple. Probably has some sort of mental illness, or at least a social disorder, that makes him want to put down other people on the internet (in extremely uncreative ways) in order to boost his shrunken ego. Sad, I know. We have to deal with them all the time on this forum. 

Anyway, back on topic. 

 

Wish I had a larger version of this one.


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

jesus, art goes through cars like its nobody's business


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Dekz said:


> Yes, that's a 13B


 How is it? While slowly developing a list of potential engine swaps for my own, I wonder about the pros and cons of a 13B as compared to either a turbo 4, twin turbo 6, or N/A V8. I'd love a brief reflection on the 13B's highlights.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Miatas in Boone (NC) 3. On US 421: The Snake.


----------



## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

And to actually add to this thread...I ordered a Voodoo shift knob for my NC as it looks like the previous owner wore a lot of stupid rings and scratched the leather up. It gets here Friday. Apparently it's countersunk so it shortens the throws a bit. Anyone have one and want to share their opinions on it?


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

haha, the thread is stuck at 27 pages but there are only 26 pages of content. Must be a bunch of deleted troll poop in here  

EDIT: woohoo, this post bumped the thread onto page 27. Smooth. 



pwm said:


> And to actually add to this thread...I ordered a Voodoo shift knob for my NC as it looks like the previous owner wore a lot of stupid rings and scratched the leather up. It gets here Friday. Apparently it's countersunk so it shortens the throws a bit. Anyone have one and want to share their opinions on it?


 I have a Voodoo knob....I'm actually about to get rid of it for the OEM NA knob. 

It's heavy, it's quite large, and it's indeed countersunk. However, how sunk it is compared to the OEM knob, I don't really know. 

I'm getting rid of it because it's a little too fat for me; I don't have small hands by any means, but I have to use my whole fist to grab it. It's so low that I find myself grabbing the top of it like a computer mouse...I guess I prefer to shift with the "handshake" sideways grip. Plus, on hot days, it gets kind of hard to grab with my sweaty mitts because it's so slippery...I guess if I wore gloves during spirited driving the problem would be alleviated though.


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

This is the first thread that has made me use the ignore feature. What a bunch of bigoted losers we have in here.

I cannot wait until I can afford a second car....I am looking at these every day on CL.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Just got off the phone with the dealer. Mine arrives tomorrow!


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)




----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Sledge said:


> Just got off the phone with the dealer. Mine arrives tomorrow!


 CONGRATS! 

What are you getting?


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

freedomgli said:


>


 I hope he has another set of tires because those aren't doing **** on a track.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

MRVW00 said:


> CONGRATS!
> 
> What are you getting?


 He's in Illinois so probably meth. 


:laugh:


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

or herpes


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

MRVW00 said:


> CONGRATS!
> 
> What are you getting?


 1994 M Edition 





mellbergVWfan said:


> He's in Illinois so probably meth.
> 
> 
> :laugh:


 
:sly: 




MRVW00 said:


> or herpes


 :sly::sly: 

EDIT: That smiley isn't angry enough. Here.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Sledge said:


> 1994 M Edition


 Good choice. I like 95 a little more because of that purpley red color.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Good choice. I like 95 a little more because of that purpley red color.


 In muted light it looks blue. In strong sunlight it looks like a dark green (not quite BRG). When I first read the description, I'd thought I'd hate the color but it's rather nice actually. I decided to take it because the car is in very good condition (much much better than your typical 18 year old machine) and has not been beaten on at all. Another reason is because every other Miata I found within decent driving range was gray or silver. I'm sick of gray or silver cars. 

Just put insurance on it a few minutes ago. $63 per six months when paired with my Prius and I have the same low deductibles ($100 comp/$500 coll).


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I LOL'd at the "frown" pic. 

Where's the pics! 

you know we're pic whores here!!!


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

C4 A6 said:


> I hope he has another set of tires because those aren't doing **** on a track.


 :laugh:


----------



## Marc55Mo (Sep 27, 2012)

I hope the weather holds out!


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

MRVW00 said:


> I LOL'd at the "frown" pic.
> 
> Where's the pics!
> 
> you know we're pic whores here!!!


 The car is being delivered today but there's no time for pics as I'm preparing for vacation tomorrow. Pics next week.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

You're a c0ck tease. :laugh:


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

I can't believe I missed this thread as I want on so bad. This is my friend's Miata running a T3/T4 Hybrid setup. Hopefully a proper shoot soon and not just in the parking lot of our apartment complex :laugh:


IMG_3103 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr


IMG_3121 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr


IMG_3102 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr

-Steve


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Corvette wheels belong on a Corvette....:banghead:


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

MRVW00 said:


> Corvette wheels belong on a Corvette....:banghead:


The cancer has spread beyond Mk3 Golfs...:sly:


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

MRVW00 said:


> Corvette wheels belong on a Corvette....:banghead:





AKADriver said:


> The cancer has spread beyond Mk3 Golfs...:sly:


Maybe I'm biased because he's my friend and neighbor so I see the car everyday but I think they look better on his Miata than even on a Corvette. Besides, Volkswagen enthusiasts and other enthusiasts use plenty of other companies' wheels that don't necessarily "belong."


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

MRVW00 said:


> You're a c0ck tease. :laugh:


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

MRVW00 said:


> Corvette wheels belong on a Corvette....:banghead:


or in the garbage


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

I dunno, I kinda like the Vette wheels. They are so wrong it's right. Not like I would do it, but someone had to do it.

On another note, here's some mad M Edition Merlot offsetz:


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Sledge said:


>


Not even a topless pic or a wheel...

Your worse of a tease than the dudes on Grindr...:laugh::laugh::laugh:


----------



## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)




----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

inquisitive said:


> http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/8037779974_cfc4a720af_c.jpg


Fresh and clean!


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Miata in SF?

DIR


----------



## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

inquisitive, what are your wheel and tire specs?


----------



## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Fresh and clean!


Thanks!




> Miata in SF?
> 
> DIR


lol. 



QWKDTSN said:


> inquisitive, what are your wheel and tire specs?



Wheels are 15x7 +33mm 5Zigen FN01R-C's. Tires are 205/50/15 Toyo R1R's. 

Here's a blown out iPhone snap showing the wheels a bit better:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Black one with Corvette wheels: Stupid, stupid, stupid. I can never understand why people will ruin the best aspect of a Miata, handling.

Inquisitive: I love your car! Looks awesome, the wheel/tire setup looks great.


----------



## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Black one with Corvette wheels: Stupid, stupid, stupid. I can never understand why people will ruin the best aspect of a Miata, handling.
> 
> Inquisitive: I love your car! Looks awesome, the wheel/tire setup looks great.


Thank you sir. Been contemplating a bunch of additional mods, so she'll keep getting sexier. 

Ironically, I was thinking of slapping on some ZR1 wheels


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

New street wheels are on and definitely need to replace the overly stretched tires the previous owner put on.


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Black one with Corvette wheels: Stupid, stupid, stupid. I can never understand why people will ruin the best aspect of a Miata, handling.
> 
> Inquisitive: I love your car! Looks awesome, the wheel/tire setup looks great.


Good thing he works for a team that only races Miatas then


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I'm looking for the lightest, most "classic" wheels for my Miata.

Not a boat anchor from a Corvette.

These cars HATE heavy wheels


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

MRVW00 said:


> I'm looking for the lightest, most "classic" wheels for my Miata.
> 
> Not a boat anchor from a Corvette.
> 
> These cars HATE heavy wheels


Well if you want really light, 14x7 RPF1's are less than 9 pounds each. And 949 Racing 6UL's are about 11-14 pounds for their 15" wheels. (Width range from 7-10") Neither has terribly classic looks though. 


















You could also try to find the 14"/15" OEM BBS's. Those were around 10-12 pounds each. 










Or look for some Panasport/Watanabe reps. (Or the real things) I believe these ones are Konig Rewinds.


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

inquisitive said:


> Tires are 205/50/15 Toyo R1R's.


DIW. the 195 is the fast tire.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Well if you want really light, 14x7 RPF1's are less than 9 pounds each. And 949 Racing 6UL's are about 11-14 pounds for their 15" wheels. (Width range from 7-10") Neither has terribly classic looks though.
> 
> You could also try to find the 14"/15" OEM BBS's. Those were around 10-12 pounds each.
> 
> Or look for some Panasport/Watanabe reps. (Or the real things) I believe these ones are Konig Rewinds.


Who makes the RPF1's? Enkei?

The "problem" I have with the 949 Racing wheels is they look too much like my Audi's wheels.

I'd like some 15" BBS's since they're timeless.

The Rewinds look like an EMPI 8 spoke


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Well if you want really light, 14x7 RPF1's are less than 9 pounds each. And 949 Racing 6UL's are about 11-14 pounds for their 15" wheels. (Width range from 7-10") Neither has terribly classic looks though.


I've been eyeing the 6UL's in 15x7 for my '03 SE with the factory 16x6.5's. "The Internet" says the '03 SE wheels weigh 16.2 pounds, which is pretty light for a 16 inch alloy built to OEM specs. However I had to order 2 new tires, as one of my tires got a puncture near the sidewall. So same scale: tire alone, 19.5 pounds, tire mounted on wheel, 39.0 pounds. That implies the wheel weight is actually more like 19.5 pounds too. That's more like what you expect a heavy, strong OE wheel to weigh in at.

If the listed weights for the 6UL are accurate and listed weights for 15" tires are pretty accurate then such a combo should come in around 32 pounds, or 7 pounds per corner of savings. Also the car rides a little harshly on the 205/45-16s and I'm expecting it would improve ride quality a little bit by going to 205/50s or something with a taller sidewall. I like the look of the SE wheels though, so I'm conflicted on if I even want to do lightweight wheels once I do manage to wear out my current tires.


----------



## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

^If you like the SE wheels... hey. Keep liking them. 

But let me tell you.

15's are _the_ size for Miatas.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

If you look at the pic on 949's site, they show pics of the bare wheel being weighed.


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

buy a miata, win at autocross.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

double WIN


----------



## BRealistic (Dec 17, 2005)

dubina4steve said:


> I can't believe I missed this thread as I want on so bad. This is my friend's Miata running a T3/T4 Hybrid setup. Hopefully a proper shoot soon and not just in the parking lot of our apartment complex :laugh:
> 
> 
> IMG_3103 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr
> ...



A 92 Brilliant Black edition with the tan leather and nardi wood shift knob and parking brake handle?
Those came with super light BBS wheels. :banghead:


----------



## gsprobe (Jan 29, 2006)

Has anyone here purchased a new 2013? I think I might early next year. I love the "club" trim level for aprox $25,000, I also want to get one before they cram a turbo in it.

( I like them low maintenance )


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

OK so here's one crappy pic to make MRVW00 happy. I call this photo "The Odd Couple".


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

WOW.

That cars gorgeous...nice Miata too...:laugh:

Seriously though, I'm jealous. I love that color and interior.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Black one with Corvette wheels: Stupid, stupid, stupid. I can never understand why people will ruin the best aspect of a Miata, handling.


It's Ok to own a car and concentrate on purely aesthetic features.
Not everyone cares about the same things.





mellbergVWfan said:


> Or look for some Panasport/Watanabe reps. (Or the real things) I believe these ones are Konig Rewinds.


Those are classicly styled, not necessarily light weight.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> It's Ok to own a car and concentrate on purely aesthetic features.
> Not everyone cares about the same things.


Except it looks terrible.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Top down in October...in Seattle. Who woulda thunk?


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Numbersix said:


> Top down in October...in Seattle. Who woulda thunk?


Winter is top down season in Vegas..


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

MRVW00 said:


> WOW.
> 
> That cars gorgeous...nice Miata too...:laugh:
> 
> Seriously though, I'm jealous. I love that color and interior.


I still can't believe I own the thing. And yet there I was in 45 degree weather today driving it to do some shopping. All I needed were a pair of earmuffs and life was good


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Numbersix said:


> Top down in October...in Seattle. Who woulda thunk?


psshhh...it was 47 degrees hear today as a high...my wife was complaining her ears were cold. :laugh::thumbup:


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I've been DD-ing my Miata since my B5 was in for maintenance.

I don't miss the fuel mileage of the Audi V6...the Miata avgs 33 MPG


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

MRVW00 said:


> the Miata avgs 33 MPG


You must have highway/suburban/urban commute or you're not trying hard enough


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sledge said:


> All I needed were a pair of earmuffs and life was good


And a little Streisand blasting on the stereo


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Roadkilled78 said:


> You must have highway/suburban/urban commute or you're not trying hard enough


It was on a road trip where I cruised at 80+

EPA rates it at 28 MPG


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Diamond Dave said:


> And a little Streisand blasting on the stereo


The car has a cassette player. Do they even make cassettes any more (let alone Barbara Streisand cassettes)?


----------



## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

MRVW00 said:


> It was on a road trip where I cruised at 80+
> 
> EPA rates it at 28 MPG


Yours can hit 80!?!? :screwy:


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

It's supercharged....:screwy:


----------



## elmer fud (Aug 5, 2003)

gsprobe said:


> Has anyone here purchased a new 2013? I think I might early next year. I love the "club" trim level for aprox $25,000, I also want to get one before they cram a turbo in it.
> 
> ( I like them low maintenance )



not that I want you to hold off, but I don't think you will see that too soon, I am "in the know" so to speak, the next version of the miata will be more the the first ones then the latest, it will be a bit smaller, a bunch lighter, have less amenity's, and not a turbo in sight, basic back to basics design, I wont rule out a turbo version (mazdaspeed maybe) , but I would expect a skyactive version well before a turbo.


----------



## anthonyjimenezvw (Jan 5, 2010)

i finally got one a few months back and this is it today...


----------



## broner (Feb 14, 2010)

guess i'll whore my car out.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Putting my car up for sale...


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

MRVW00 said:


> Putting my car up for sale...


But why?


----------



## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

broner said:


> guess i'll whore my car out.


nice, you took the one thing miata owners rave about (suspension and handling), and threw it out of the door and are now left with all the other awesome features a miata has to offer....

being called gay.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

speed51133! said:


> nice, you took the one thing miata owners rave about (suspension and handling), and threw it out of the door and are now left with all the other awesome features a miata has to offer....


I was gonna say "quarter panel rust.":facepalm:


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

DubNMiatafan said:


> But why?


Going from 4 cars to 2, and replacing the Miata with a German sports car


----------



## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

speed51133! said:


> nice, you took the one thing miata owners rave about (suspension and handling), and threw it out of the door and are now left with all the other awesome features a miata has to offer....
> 
> being called gay.


Thanks for the quote.


----------



## xtravbx (May 21, 2005)

speed51133! said:


> nice, you took the one thing miata owners rave about (suspension and handling), and threw it out of the door and are now left with all the other awesome features a miata has to offer....
> 
> being called gay.


+1


----------



## elmer fud (Aug 5, 2003)

drove a co worker out to get one tonight, saveing one from the stanced out life it was liveing, its wireing harness was so messed up from a botched "wire tuck" he got it for a steal, he's is a big mopar fan... and is planing a monster miata..... hemi style. should be a riot when its done!


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

broner said:


> guess i'll whore my car out.


Do you even have a harness bar or are those mounted to the floor behind you?


----------



## mozcar78 (Nov 30, 2003)

*TCL darling opportunity.*

ok 'for serious' question to all you miata aficionados. My coworker is offering me her red 1991 miata in immaculate condition with only 57K miles on it. I plan on taking a drive over to her place next week to attest to the condition. 

Question: Assuming its accurately described. What is a fair price to pay for such a vehicle? 

Now i know KBB is about $2500. But we all really know when a highly sought out car with lo mileage and immaculate condition sometimes leaves the boundaries of reasonability and require upmarket value. To the right person of course.....

your thoughts?

btw, i just looked up ebay listings and people are definitely paying more....


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

mozcar78 said:


> ok 'for serious' question to all you miata aficionados. My coworker is offering me her red 1991 miata in immaculate condition with only 57K miles on it. I plan on taking a drive over to her place next week to attest to the condition.
> 
> Question: Assuming its accurately described. What is a fair price to pay for such a vehicle?
> 
> ...


For a 91, 5 speed, let's say in pretty good condition, with maintenance done (note, the t-belt and related items is recommended at 60k, so that's about $300 DIY, $7-800 at a shop) and a good condition soft top, with no rust, I'd say about $3.5k. Deduct money if more things are wrong, add money for a hardtop.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

mozcar78 said:


> ok 'for serious' question to all you miata aficionados. My coworker is offering me her red 1991 miata in immaculate condition with only 57K miles on it.


Don't ever refer to a car you are potentially buying as "immaculate". That only reinforces the seller's perception of their asking price.

So, it's a 91, unless it's a BRG or the VIN is > than 209446, it may have the Short Nose Crank issue. As a buyer, it might not be a huge issue for your ownership, but it represents an excellent "oh, this VIN is under 209446; it's a Short Nose Crank car. Basically a ticking time bomb. Good luck selling it before it fails" type of negotiation.

Other than that, get ready for anticipiontment when you find out it's an automatic











mozcar78 said:


> btw, i just looked up ebay listings and people are definitely paying more....


My God man, haven't you followed any of the threads of people trying to buy Miatas in TCL? If she hasn't told you yet, she's looking for $5500+. Add $1000 if there's a HT.


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## broner (Feb 14, 2010)

C4 A6 said:


> Do you even have a harness bar or are those mounted to the floor behind you?


theres a brace.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

broner said:


> theres a brace.


The factory tower brace behind the seats? If so, that ain't gonna do $hit all.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

DubNMiatafan said:


> The factory tower brace behind the seats? If so, that ain't gonna do $hit all.


Oh, it'll do quite a bit, like bend and snap in a crash.:laugh:


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## mozcar78 (Nov 30, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


> For a 91, 5 speed, let's say in pretty good condition, with maintenance done (note, the t-belt and related items is recommended at 60k, so that's about $300 DIY, $7-800 at a shop) and a good condition soft top, with no rust, I'd say about $3.5k. Deduct money if more things are wrong, add money for a hardtop.


Good advice. Thanks. 





Diamond Dave said:


> Don't ever refer to a car you are potentially buying as "immaculate". That only reinforces the seller's perception of their asking price.
> 
> So, it's a 91, unless it's a BRG or the VIN is > than 209446, it may have the Short Nose Crank issue. As a buyer, it might not be a huge issue for your ownership, but it represents an excellent "oh, this VIN is under 209446; it's a Short Nose Crank car. Basically a ticking time bomb. Good luck selling it before it fails" type of negotiation.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the response. i agree with trying to call the car 'immaculate' without seeing it, but this was her words to me. Which led me to conclude that in her eyes she may want more than i am prepared to spend (


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

mozcar78 said:


> The Short nose crank issue is something ill have to look into.


If the last timing belt change was a while ago, just look at the crank pulley when running. If no wobble, either it's fine or it hasn't degraded much and is repairable. Do a timing belt change soon simply because it's been a while.

No matter if it is short or long nose crank, do a damned good job tightening and loctiting the crank pulley bolt when you do a timing belt on a Miata. Use a proper torque wrench. Long nose cranks can fail too if assembled by a retarded monkey. PO of my engine was one, apparently.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> For a 91, 5 speed, let's say in pretty good condition, with maintenance done (note, the t-belt and related items is recommended at 60k, so that's about $300 DIY, $7-800 at a shop) and a good condition soft top, with no rust, I'd say about $3.5k. Deduct money if more things are wrong, add money for a hardtop.


3.5k would be a steal in Socal. I know the rust bucket junk you folks deal with up there lol.. I searched 5 mos for my red hardtop 93 and ended up paying 4k with a 130k and maintenance records. They bring a premium in socal because we dont live in a salty winter wasteland. If it is the right car for the original poster I personally would pay what I felt comfortable with / judging by other cars on the mkt.



mozcar78 said:


> Good advice. Thanks.
> 
> Thanks for the response. i agree with trying to call the car 'immaculate' without seeing it, but this was her words to me. Which led me to conclude that in her eyes she may want more than i am prepared to spend (


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## anthonyjimenezvw (Jan 5, 2010)

my .02 cents...i went from a vw to a miata, and my miata is "stanced"...slammed all the way on racelands and 13s...but all this talk about molesting it by slamming it is horse ****, i can take my car around a turn faster than any one i know with a vw, and i can take it sideways and not break a thing...so the whole function>fashion is a theory, my car has fashion, and sure functions. broner your car looks great, im surprised its getting hated on here on the vortex where everything is bagged out LOL. but then again, it is vortex...:laugh:eace:


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

AKADriver said:


> Oh, it'll do quite a bit, like bend and snap in a crash.:laugh:


Hell, I'd trust a Cusco ricerapproved roll cage over that.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

anthonyjimenezvw said:


> my .02 cents...i went from a vw to a miata, and my miata is "stanced"...slammed all the way on racelands and 13s...but all this talk about molesting it by slamming it is horse ****, i can take my car around a turn faster than any one i know with a vw, and i can take it sideways and not break a thing...so the whole function>fashion is a theory, my car has fashion, and sure functions. broner your car looks great, im surprised its getting hated on here on the vortex where everything is bagged out LOL. but then again, it is vortex...:laugh:eace:


Just stop. I enjoy hammered miatas as much as Miata track whores. But saying your miata on racelands handles better than every person with a performance oriented vw is just plain bull****. I own them both.. I drive much better than you.. I know better.:thumbup:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> 3.5k would be a steal in Socal. I know the rust bucket junk you folks deal with up there lol.. I searched 5 mos for my red hardtop 93 and ended up paying 4k with a 130k and maintenance records. They bring a premium in socal because we dont live in a salty winter wasteland. If it is the right car for the original poster I personally would pay what I felt comfortable with / judging by other cars on the mkt.


Really? I always thought it was the other way around. Here since it IS so salty we pay a hell of a premium for a rust free one. Though I did get lucky and pay 4k for my red w/hardtop 90 with 79k on it. Totally rust free. Then again, I searched for a year for mine. :laugh:


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## anthonyjimenezvw (Jan 5, 2010)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> Just stop. I enjoy hammered miatas as much as Miata track whores. But saying your miata on racelands handles better than every person with a performance oriented vw is just plain bull****. I own them both.. I drive much better than you.. I know better.:thumbup:


im not even going to bother...your are god. good day


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

anthonyjimenezvw said:


> im not even going to bother...your are god. good day


Id like to hear what you say.. :wave:


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Really? I always thought it was the other way around. Here since it IS so salty we pay a hell of a premium for a rust free one. Though I did get lucky and pay 4k for my red w/hardtop 90 with 79k on it. Totally rust free. Then again, I searched for a year for mine. :laugh:


The miata market is a funny one. Ive had 300+ cars and its the first time I didn't bicker with the seller over price.


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## inquisitive (May 23, 2008)

anthonyjimenezvw said:


> my .02 cents...i went from a vw to a miata, and my miata is "stanced"...slammed all the way on racelands and 13s...but all this talk about molesting it by slamming it is horse ****, i can take my car around a turn faster than any one i know with a vw, and i can take it sideways and not break a thing...so the whole function>fashion is a theory, my car has fashion, and sure functions. broner your car looks great, im surprised its getting hated on here on the vortex where everything is bagged out LOL. but then again, it is vortex...:laugh:eace:


Wow...pure ignorance at it's finest.


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a 1991 Red Hardtop with 52,000 miles tomorrow.  Listed at $5,300 (has had a re-spray). I'll see what I can do!


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## EnIgMa '06 (May 13, 2004)

anthonyjimenezvw said:


> my .02 cents...i went from a vw to a miata, and my miata is "stanced"...slammed all the way on racelands and 13s...but all this talk about molesting it by slamming it is horse ****, i can take my car around a turn faster than any one i know with a vw, and i can take it sideways and not break a thing...so the whole function>fashion is a theory, my car has fashion, and sure functions. broner your car looks great, im surprised its getting hated on here on the vortex where everything is bagged out LOL. but then again, it is vortex...:laugh:eace:


I don't know man...I'd be willing to bet substantial amounts of money that my Corrado with Star Specs, a RSB, and Koni coilovers at stock ride height could carry substantially more speed through a corner. It may not look as cool or *feel* as flat, but it is set up to handle well despite being an _extremely_ compromised chassis. A stock Miata with Star Specs would probably hand my car its ass though.

No offense, your car looks nice.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Anyone on here interested in my 90, rust free with 134K?

PM me.


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

anthonyjimenezvw said:


> my .02 cents...i went from a vw to a miata, and my miata is "stanced"...slammed all the way on racelands and 13s...but all this talk about molesting it by slamming it is horse ****, i can take my car around a turn faster than any one i know with a vw, and i can take it sideways and not break a thing...so the whole function>fashion is a theory, my car has fashion, and sure functions. broner your car looks great, im surprised its getting hated on here on the vortex where everything is bagged out LOL. but then again, it is vortex...:laugh:eace:


LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

This comment, I don't even. People still think the lower you are the better your handling? What, you think RACECARS are riding on bumpstops just because they have 0 inches wheel gap? Look how much travel those wheels are doing when they go over bumps. I can guarantee they ain't rubbin' cuz they ain't dubbin'.

****ing tard.


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## Spiller337 (Nov 27, 2009)

I've been looking into NA's lately, and I can't believe how affordable they are.

Unfortunately all I have to offer for one is a '97 GTI and a '99 Cherokee 4.0


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

even though I hate miatas, I'll help a buddy out....

he is selling his miata that has a "flyin' miata" turbo kit in it. Garrett ball bearing turbo. GT2560R . It also has full stand alone engine managment. The ECU is "LINK" which I don't know a ton about other than it can self tune. He also had the link setup installed in colorado at the flyin miata shop.

It also has an aftermarket roll bar bolted in it. Williams racing belts and the oem belts.

Full coil overs, Koni. A few sets of wheels/tires. Carbon hood. 

It doesnt have many miles on it. Wanna say in the 60's. I think its like a 1998. Garaged in winters.

PM me if interest and I can have him post pics here.

I will say its very fast and handles well, but im 6'3" 210lbs it is a pain in the ass to fit in it


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

speed51133! said:


> even though I hate miatas, I'll help a buddy out....
> 
> It doesnt have many miles on it. Wanna say in the 60's. I think its like a 1998. Garaged in winters.


It's funny because 1998 is the one year it definitely* isn't*.


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

it is a 1996 with 56k miles. 
He is asking 8,000 for it.
PM me if you are interested. Located in Milwaukee WI area. You can ship a car X country for under a grand, and he would deliver in the WI/IL/MI/ area.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

anthonyjimenezvw said:


> so the whole function>fashion is a theory


So you're saying it's a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment?:laugh:


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## broner (Feb 14, 2010)

DubNMiatafan said:


> The factory tower brace behind the seats? If so, that ain't gonna do $hit all.


well no matter what, if i get hit in this car I'm most likely going to die. no worries


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

broner said:


> well no matter what, if i get hit in this car I'm most likely going to die. no worries


It doesn't work that way, broseph - just because you're in a small car that doesn't mean a properly working seat belt isn't essential. And all it'd take to test that harness install is a midcorner bump to unsettle that bumpstop-riding suspension and send you into a tree/wall/etc, at which point the shoulder belts will come loose and you'll be ejected from the car.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

I made some minor changes today. Replaced wiper blades with Valeo 600s. Replaced Sylvania sealed beam headlights with Cibie reflectors with Narva ultra high output H4 bulbs. Next change will be replacing Dunlop SP Sport D89 tires with Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec. Thought about getting larger wheels (like a 15x7 set of Minilites) but I decided not to spend too much on this car.


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## Aguilar (Jan 28, 2006)

Bought me a 1993 Miata Limited Edition with the hard top and 118xxx miles. Not enamored with the red interior, but can't argue with the BBS wheels and having a LSD. 

The body/paint is in rough shape, so it's going to need a lot of love, but mechanically it's all there. So much fun to drive!


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Aguilar said:


> Bought me a 1993 Miata Limited Edition with the hard top and 118xxx miles. Not enamored with the red interior, but can't argue with the BBS wheels and having a LSD.
> 
> The body/paint is in rough shape, so it's going to need a lot of love, but mechanically it's all there. So much fun to drive!


Dude, the red interior is the Holy Grail of Miata things. Live it and love it. 

Sent via electromagnetic waves released by the testing of Illuminati weaponry.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

If only that 93 LE model had silver paint instead of black. Silver with a red interior is beautiful.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Everyone is so grouchy in this thread now. Where's the love, man? And the pictures??

:beer: ic: :heart:

Here's a dirty Miata for you to look at:



and here I am losing 10 seconds a run because I roll on boat anchors:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)




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## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

after a clay bar and wax (pic is a few weeks old- no more leaves in CT!)


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

I should take some more recent pictures of my car. Maybe I will once I put it into WINTER MOOOOOOOODE

I had to remove my factory fog lights because they melted. Plastic housings for 55W H3 bulbs... why not?


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Ill play..


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

Absolutely love the new NC Miata Club.


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

freedomgli said:


>












:sly:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Okay then.


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

hushypushy said:


> Okay then.


Looks much better.


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## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

PCH between Pismo Beach and Big Sur two weeks ago. This is the kind of thing you need a Miata for.


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## Blitzkrieg59 (Oct 29, 2002)

Just joined the club. Stock Ti '04 Mazdaspeed MX-5. The mods will come when winter melts away. Can't wait.








And this is how my manual came to me:








:laugh:


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## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

if anyone wants to join the club, see my signature.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Top down all winter! :vampire:


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Are those Kumho Ecsta XS's? How do you like them so far? I was considering those instead of my BFG Sport Comp 2's but I decided i wanted something with more than 200 treadwear. :laugh:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Are those Kumho Ecsta XS's? How do you like them so far? I was considering those instead of my BFG Sport Comp 2's but I decided i wanted something with more than 200 treadwear. :laugh:


 Man, I love these tires. 

I've had this set for two years, which has been a little over 13,000 miles (I've been lucky enough to commute on the train, be traveling for work, or WFH). As you can see, low treadwear isn't very relevant to me, because my car isn't a commuter! 

For autocross, they are fantastic. While the R1R guys are desperately squirting their tires between each run, I'm looking around and wondering if there are any blankets I can use. They just LOVE to get hot. Also, the breakaway at the limit is incredibly progressive and confidence inspiring. And they sound good, too. Not screaming tortured cats like S.Drives, and not library-spec silent RS3's. 

In the rain, they are pretty pathetic, as you might expect from the tread design. The rubber gets pretty damn hard below 50º too. Oh well, you gotta compromise somewhere (this is where I get disagreements. My friends have chosen to go with either Star Specs, R1R's, or RS3's for wet-weather performance). 

One more thing---I really like the way they look. I like the hard, squared-off sidewalls. I like the big chunky tread blocks at the edge. And I like the way, even though the tires are Korean, I see the Japanese character for power ("chikara") in the tread pattern...


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## RacingManiac (Mar 19, 2011)

That'd actually be a Chinese character....Kanji use in Japanese...


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

RacingManiac said:


> That'd actually be a Chinese character....Kanji use in Japanese...


 You're right. The word 漢字 even means "Chinese characters". 

I have a BA in Japanese, and sometimes I guess my mind forgets that China even exists :laugh:


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## RacingManiac (Mar 19, 2011)

Also interesting, its on a Korean tire...


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## nismor32 (Jan 16, 2008)

AZGolf said:


> I'm 6'1" and sat in an NA and NB. The NA jammed the steering wheel into my thighs. I don't think it is adjustable. It didn't seem to be adjustable in the NB either but there was plenty of room for my legs. Width seemed fine in either car. I had the same steering wheel too low problem in my old S2000 too.


 Na wheels can be raise slightly by removing a shim. Buy a proper wheel 330mm and problem solved. I am 6'1" and with aftermarket seat and wheel fit very comfortably.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

hushypushy said:


> You're right. The word 漢字 even means "Chinese characters".
> 
> I have a BA in Japanese, and sometimes I guess my mind forgets that China even exists :laugh:


 :laugh: Chinese characters are also used in Korean, sparsely, mostly for emphasis or as shorthand. 

力 is one that most educated Korean people would be familiar with, pronounced "(r)yeok" 

Of course if you turn your head sideways it also looks like a handwritten Korean syllable "na" 나


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

RacingManiac said:


> Also interesting, its on a Korean tire...


 have they had problems in the past with each other...oh wait... :laugh:


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## RacingManiac (Mar 19, 2011)

Maybe a Korean TCLer can provide some more insight, I do notice more use of Chinese characters in general in Japanese usage, Korean do tend to stick their their own alphabet/characters. As a Chinese I can sometimes make out what is written by sorta looking at the subject matter and piecing the kanji together. I am completely lost when it comes to Korean writing...


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## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

*help me out 1.6 vs 1.8?*

I am about to pull the trigger on a 90 or 96 miata. I'm sure this has been talked to death and I've been searching on other forums but I trust opinions of the lounge and especially folks within this thread. (i know i know..mock me now) 

Would anyone mind breaking down the 1.6 vs 1.8 argument? I know 1.8 had better brakes and diff. 1.8 has more power with around 16 more hp stock. is one more reliable than another? More fun to drive? 

I just don't want to buy the "wrong" engine. This will be a 2nd car for fun, autocross, a few track days and I will probably lightly modify the suspension, wheels and exhaust. No turbo, just a fun canyon carving car. 

I found a clean, unmolested 1990 1.6 w/ a hardtop for 3200$ 

1990 w/ factory hardtop 104k. new timing belt @ 60k and new clutch @70k 


















here is a 96 with an ugly interior but it has the 1.8..same price 


















$3200 OBO 

FEATURES: 
-5-Speed Manual 
-NEW Front Tires 
-NEW Soft-Top 
-NEW Clutch 
-Red/Black Seat Covers 
-Cold A/C 
-128k miles 

Thoughts?


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Definitely the 1.6. It feels revvier, sounds better IMO, and that one has a hardtop and maintenance records for a really great price. I bought my 90 with 79k and a hardtop for just under $4k and that was a steal. 

Just be wary of the Short nose crank issue on the early 1.6's, which that one has. Read up on it. 

You will never notice the power difference in daily driving. I have driven a friend's 1.8 and it didn't feel any different than mine. And the only thing the 1.8 has better mechanically other than the slightly more powerful engine is the better brakes (easily swappable, really cheap too) and the stronger 7" diff (vs. the 1.6's relatively weak 6"), but that is easily swappable into a 1.6 car. All you need is the diff, axles, and driveshaft from the 1.8. With a Torsen, that will run about $800, and with an open, you can find it for $500 (both with axles and shaft included). 

Edit: And the black one looks rusty by the rear panel (where they rust out). Don't touch a rusty one. Just run away. Find the absolute cleanest rust free one you can find. Every other issue these cars have is just a few (maybe a few hundred sometimes) dollars and a few hours of wrenching time away from being fixed. Rust kills these completely.


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## choochoo (Nov 12, 2008)

AZGolf said:


> PCH between Pismo Beach and Big Sur two weeks ago. This is the kind of thing you need a Miata for.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 :thumbup: did you stick around for the sunset?


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)




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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

1.8 is faster but 1.6 is more fun because it tries harder.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

AKADriver said:


> :laugh: Chinese characters are also used in Korean, sparsely, mostly for emphasis or as shorthand.
> 
> 力 is one that most educated Korean people would be familiar with, pronounced "(r)yeok"
> 
> Of course if you turn your head sideways it also looks like a handwritten Korean syllable "na" 나


 Interesting. I did not know that. I just went and looked it up :thumbup: :beer: 

It's also a Japanese character(s) too...it looks like カ　(katakana "ka", similar to か which is hiragana). 



DubNMiatafan said:


> *You will never notice the power difference in daily driving. I have driven a friend's 1.8 and it didn't feel any different than mine.* And the only thing the 1.8 has better mechanically other than the slightly more powerful engine is the better brakes (easily swappable, really cheap too) and the stronger 7" diff (vs. the 1.6's relatively weak 6"), but that is easily swappable into a 1.6 car. All you need is the diff, axles, and driveshaft from the 1.8. With a Torsen, that will run about $800, and with an open, you can find it for $500 (both with axles and shaft included).


 Really? Maybe something is wrong with your friend's car. I owned a 1.6L (NA6) and drove a couple others, and they are completely gutless below ~4000 RPM. 

I own a '94 and I got rid of my '91 because it was just too gutless...and this was after coming from a Honda D16. The 1.8L has more midrange torque, which makes a HUGE difference in daily driving. At the autocross and out on the track, not so much. 

After owning both cars, I always recommend the later car. Sure, the early car is lighter--but it's flimsier. So once you stiffen it up and add all the parts you want from the later car...well, now you have all the OEM upgrades, but you still have that weak 1.6L! So you swap that and now you're the same weight and have the same equipment as the later model cars...wait...why didn't you just start with a 1.8L car to begin with? Exactly  

The early ones (90-93) have the cool dashboards though. And 90-94 have the "real" oil pressure gauges. Everything is swappable, it just depends on what you feel like doing :beer:


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## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

i'm in LOVE!!!


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## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

Black one had rust on the bottom as you spotted, I didn't even think about rust because is so unusual to see in Cal, (he bought it in MO) but the 1.8 felt pretty good, interior was kinda junky. Did a quick test drive, smelled burning coolant? and walked away. The white one is owned by an older lady and I am currently # 7 on her list of call backs, im sure it will sell before me. I think I will hold out for a 1.8, better brakes, diff, bracing, absence of crank issue and mid range torque is hard to pass up. Unless I find a minty 1.6 with a hard top. 

This one has a salvage title and the lowest he said he will take is 4500, new timing belt, receipts for all.. At what price would this be worth it, considering the salvage title? 3500? 4000? My insurance co will charge me the same rate for salvage title and I would have it checked out by shop before buying. 

-Adult Owned 
-39,920 actual miles 
-1.8 liter engine (27 mpg in the city, 31 on the highway) 
-Original Mazda Miata hardtop (not taiwan copy or china) with perfect condition defrosters 
-Toyo Eclipse all season tires (90% life left almost brand new) 
-Original Mazda Miata rims 
-5 Speed transmission shifts perfectly like a brand new car 
-Angel Eyes upgraded headlights 
-Pioneer Stereo Deck 
-Paint in excellent condition 
-No leaks whatsoever 
-Soft Top is in perfect condition 
-Blows cold A/C and Heater works very well too 
-Passed Smog Test 11/18/12 for registration renewal 
-Title in hand


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

I'd go 1.8. Have had mine for a month and a half, if I had gone open diff and 1.6 I would seriously be missing out. If the last 6 digits of the VIN are under 209,446 steer clear... or let the low-balling do some wrecking on that price.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

There's enough Miatas out there that a salvaged one shouldn't be on your radar. Maybe it's just me but that white one looks like it has a few different shades of white. 


At that price this looks like it would be a better one, IMO 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/3455094570.html 

Here's some under $3k 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/3455870613.html 
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/3434123961.html


----------



## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

Bought it on Saturday! Previous owner was a car geek like us and this miata exceeded my expectations! The engine feels fresh, suspension ala gokart, perfect interior, except drivers seat. 
140k 
Torsen LSD 
Ground Control coilovers with Eibach springs (can't remember the spring rates) 
Eibach sway bars front and rear with new 949 Racing end links (no noise!) 
Bilstein HD shocks on '99 top hats 
A'PEXi intake 
Racing Beat header 
Jackson Racing high flow cat 
ebay SR-S polished stainless steel cat back exhaust (about 6 months old) 
New ATE slotted rotors front and rear 
New HAWK HP plus pads front and rear (little noisy and dusty but stop great!) 
New Mishimoto aluminum radiator (water and water wetter only) 
New Drag DR 46 Gold/Polished 15" wheels +10 offset 
New Falken 205/50 ZE512 tires (not a track tire, but ok for the street) 
Eurolights replacement headlights (nice and bright!) 
Newer soft top in great condition 
JVC HD1 CD deck, stock speakers 
Stainless interior trim around door handles, vents, and parking brake button 

Timing belt and water pump were replaced at about 108k Oil changed every 2500-3000 miles, burns very minimal amount ever since I added some Lucas Oil cylinder treatmeant stuff. Red Line synthetics in transmission and differential. New clutch slave cylinder and fuel filter too.


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

A new one of my friend Ian's Miata on salad shooters that I had posted pictures of a little while ago. 


IMG_3262 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I think that should be a little darker.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I think that should be a little darker.


 You sir are super super witty









Got the car back from the body shop.. Damn blue hair decided to have a geriatric moment behind me in a hynudai and scratched my bumper. It received a facelift via her insurance


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

lynx8489 said:


> I just don't want to buy the "wrong" engine.


There is no "wrong" engine. Both are brilliant and near-bulletproof. Both have their own characteristics. I HIGHLY recommend buying the cleanest Miata you can find that has all the things you're looking for rather than worrying about which engine the car has.

Do NOT buy a salvage title car and sure as hell don't pay a price premium for a salvage title car. There are just too many out there to worry about finding out the depth of damage or quality of repair. Also, don't buy cars that came from back east. There shouldn't be much rust underneath.

Also, don't get hung up on finding one with a Torsen LSD; they cost ~$500. The cost to add one isn't worth overlooking a clean car.


----------



## Aguilar (Jan 28, 2006)

Mine is far from clean, but surprisingly, everything works after 20 years. :laugh:


----------



## Aguilar (Jan 28, 2006)

Having some fun in the cold.


----------



## Vdub303 (Apr 14, 2008)

Picking up a 1990 white hardtop miata from the sweetest old lady today who can no longer drive a manual. :thumbup:


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Vdub303 said:


> Picking up a 1990 white hardtop miata from the sweetest old lady today who can no longer drive a manual. :thumbup:


Pics.. Keep an eye on that crank pulley.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Just found these on Tumblr. No Flickr link or anything...

This is pretty much what I want to do to my Miata in the near future, which is certainly not the most original idea: shave the rear filler panel (not just a simple debadge) and 15x8 6UL's. I'm also going back and forth as to whether I want the Garage Vary or R package front lip...



















I think those are 15x8 anyway. If this Merlot is running 15x8 with 225/45/15, then I assume the above is running 15x8 with 205/50/15 Star Specs (weird side note: I just looked it up and TireRack doesn't even sell 205/50/15 Star Specs anymore. They weren't available when the Star Specs debuted, and I guess they withdrew them early. Very strange.)


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I think they're getting rid of them for the next Star Spec that is to be coming soon, so I've heard.


----------



## VEE-DUBBER (Nov 22, 2000)

Mid parting out my 91 BP swapped turbo car. Going to kick myself this spring for parting it but priorities shift. Was fun messing with E92 M3 drivers. 275 wheel with a 2150 scale weight.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

VEE-DUBBER said:


> Mid parting out my 91 BP swapped turbo car. Going to kick myself this spring for parting it but priorities shift. Was fun messing with E92 M3 drivers. 275 wheel with a 2150 scale weight.


Link to part out thread? :laugh:


----------



## Step1han3ie (Jan 7, 2013)

I like the Miata. I don't care how gay it makes you look.
http://********************.com/images/4.gif
http://********************.com/images/5.gif
http://********************.com/images/6.gif
http://********************.com/images/7.gif
http://********************.com/images/8.gif


----------



## VEE-DUBBER (Nov 22, 2000)

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/pts/3512635575.html


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

VEE-DUBBER said:


> http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/pts/3512635575.html


Damn, everything I would want is sold already


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> Just found these on Tumblr. No Flickr link or anything...
> 
> This is pretty much what I want to do to my Miata in the near future, which is certainly not the most original idea: shave the rear filler panel (not just a simple debadge) and 15x8 6UL's. I'm also going back and forth as to whether I want the Garage Vary or R package front lip...



I've seen a few Miata's with black filler plates like this:










If I had one I'd consider doing some sort of vinyl overlay to create a blacked out section between the tails like this. (Poor MS paint representation)


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

^ what was in place of the white bars?


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

It was all black like the pic above it.


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

Oh lol :facepalm: me. Maybe I should get some shut eye.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

hushypushy said:


> This is pretty much what I want to do to my Miata in the near future,


It's still amazing how proper a Miata can look with a simple drop and aggressive wheels.



hushypushy said:


> I think those are 15x8 anyway. If this Merlot is running 15x8 with 225/45/15,


The 6UL comes in 7.5, 8, 9, and 10" widths, so it's pretty difficult to tell which tire that guy is using; although they are obviously not the 9" or 10" version.



VEE-DUBBER said:


> http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/pts/3512635575.html


Righteous parts for sale. Already spent my fun money on an exhaust, but how much for the roll bar?




Picked up an RS*R exhaust for the project car over the holiday. 2.5" stainless. Loud, from what I gather on the internet.


----------



## VEE-DUBBER (Nov 22, 2000)

Bar is a weld in. I'll be cutting out the body around the bases next weekend since I have had so much interest in it. $500. I paid over twice that to have it made. You have to eliminate the seat belt towers but it retains full soft top function. It's the max height and the furthest back you can go in one of these cars unless you run no top at all. 









I caught a lot of flak from purist wannabe racers because of the design.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> It's still amazing how proper a Miata can look with a simple drop and aggressive wheels.


Future classic 




Diamond Dave said:


> The 6UL comes in 7.5, 8, 9, and 10" widths, so it's pretty difficult to tell which tire that guy is using; although they are obviously not the 9" or 10" version.


6UL's also come in 15x7 +36. So with 15x7.5 +42 and 15x8 +36 added in the mix, plus suspension settings, I can't figure it out.

Here's mine with 15x7 +35 and 205/50/15 Kumho XS:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Bumpin' this thread. My U-joints finally got really noisy--I realize now they have been going out since I bought the car--so I decided to replace the driveshaft. Well, you have to replace the driveshaft anyway, because the OEM U-joints are not serviceable. 

So what the hell, I decided to go for a SuperMiata driveshaft. It looks better, the U-joints are beefier and serviceable, it's a tiny bit thicker, and it's also balanced. 

Drives so much better now  

Here are my shafts. 




























Jacked up. 










Bonus content: I found this on my Flickr. I checked like a dozen pages of this thread, and although I posted related pics at the time (2011!), I don't think I posted these. If not, I don't care, no one else is posting any Miatas... 










I remember I didn't want to post this one because the depth of field sucked, although I like the photo... 










My seat. From a time before I cared about top latches.


----------



## omllenado (Jul 14, 2002)




----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

hushypushy said:


> My seat. From a time before I cared about top latches.


 Ha! First thing my Miata friend said to me when I pulled up in my newly acquired Miata: "So, if the top is down, we put the latches down too, kthanx."


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Ha! First thing my Miata friend said to me when I pulled up in my newly acquired Miata: "So, if the top is down, we put the latches down too, kthanx."


 Hell, with mine if the top is down then the boot cover is on as well! The chicks dig a Miata with a boot cover.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Stretching out the ole softop..


----------



## VWstung (Dec 19, 2010)

No longer have mine


----------



## VWstung (Dec 19, 2010)

Also if you have a NA Miata then you *NEED* to get rid of the hideous steering wheel. 

*FOR SALE:* 
Great condition OEM NB Nardi 3 spoke wheel 
Minimual wear/fading 

Can fit NA with minor modification 










More pics here 
http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/28-sale-trade/69517-nardi-3-spoke-steering-wheel.html#post1450149 

PM me if interested 
eace:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

oh yeah, that clean Montego reminded me of something... 

As we all know, the stock Miata headlights are terrible. A good upgrade is the E-Code conversion which, while unfortuntately not DOT legal, gives you some half-decent headlights. I personally have the HELLA conversion, these are Bosch... 

 

 

 

The devil's in the details. This is the part I like...the cool(er) looking lens


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I got my Miata back....

The buyer got behind on his payments to me, etc...and I made money, got the car back, so now I'm keeping her.

So now I need seats, door seals, a top, and wheels/tires.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MRVW00 said:


> I got my Miata back....
> 
> The buyer got behind on his payments to me, etc...and I made money, got the car back, so now I'm keeping her.
> 
> So now I need seats, door seals, a top, and wheels/tires.


Awesome. This time, actually keep it !


----------



## lojasmo (Dec 23, 2002)

MRVW00 said:


> I got my Miata back....
> 
> The buyer got behind on his payments to me, etc...and I made money, got the car back, so now I'm keeping her.
> 
> So now I need seats, door seals, a top, and wheels/tires.



Huh. Strange. Your inbox is apparently full, by the way. And thanks for answering all of my emails.

Jackass.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I never got an email from you doucher. 

Besides, you had to sell a minivan per our conversation.









Where is the law on the books that said I had to sell you a car?
Or the deposit?

GTFO.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> Awesome. This time, actually keep it !


I will. Trust me.

After I sold it, I looked for a small, lightweight, manual, that was fun to drive...I didn't find anything...besides Porsche....and it wasn't a convertible.


----------



## BHB (Oct 26, 2004)

This is not the venue for this discussion, guys. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MRVW00 said:


> I will. Trust me.
> 
> After I sold it, I looked for a small, lightweight, manual, that was fun to drive...I didn't find anything...besides Porsche....and it wasn't a convertible.


That's probably the reason I'll never sell mine. Besides, I only put about $100/year into the car for maintenance and insurance and tags are cheap. I think the most 'expensive' part about the car is that it takes up a garage space. :laugh:


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

hushypushy said:


> oh yeah, that clean Montego reminded me of something...
> 
> As we all know, the stock Miata headlights are terrible. A good upgrade is the E-Code conversion which, while unfortuntately not DOT legal, gives you some half-decent headlights. I personally have the HELLA conversion, these are Bosch...


I have the Hella e-codes as well. Anything is better than the sealed beam halogens. :thumbup:


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> That's probably the reason I'll never sell mine. Besides, I only put about $100/year into the car for maintenance and insurance and tags are cheap. I think the most 'expensive' part about the car is that it takes up a garage space. :laugh:


I'm able to put my car on collector car insurance now... Even cheaper than normal insurance in a "no-fault state"

I plan on the car being my spring/summer driver, while my other toys can be rotated out. (quattro for slick, wagon for trips)


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

I forgot I promised I would post my winter mode here.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

14's or 15's?

I need new tires...and I'm thinking new wheels.

I don't NEED new wheels, I want them. Keep in mind, I'm trying to stay as lightweight as possible.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Winter: NA6 "daisy" OEM, 14x5.5 +45, wrapped in ancient Firestone Winterfire, 195/60-14. I bought the set mounted from a guy building a spec racer, the previous owner gave him the full set of unused snows with the car.

Summer: Kosei K1 15x7 +38 with BFG GForce Sport 195/50-15.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I don't drive my car in the winter unless it's dry out.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MRVW00 said:


> I don't drive my car in the winter unless it's dry out.


Seconded. Come to think of it, I don't drive my daily driver in the Winter either. :laugh:

I have collector's insurance on my Miata as well (and historic tags), making the car extremely cheap to own.


----------



## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/3582406065.html

Price on this one a bit high?


----------



## secretaznman (Aug 28, 2002)

Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but I don't think the seller mentioned the mileage. Do you know what it is?

I paid about that for my 94 R with 37k on the clock. I wasn't looking at paying that much for a miata, but I had been looking for years and clean ones were hard to come by. The car I bought was super clean inside and out, low mileage, had documented maintenance, and I knew the owner history. I am super particular about the condition of my cars, and with pristine ones seeming to be a rarity, I checked it out in person, took a test drive and took it home. 

For the car you posted it might be worth it depending on mileage. The car looks really clean in the pics although is there a dent on the right rear quarter panel? It's original owner, seems meticulously maintained, hardtop, nice set of 14" rpf1s and some various extra bits. Go check it out! Join the club!  And if you don't want the hardtop, I'll buy it off of you. I have been looking for a clean one with original Classic Red paint for ever! :laugh:


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> Stretching out the ole softop..


Details on the wheels?



hushypushy said:


> oh yeah, that clean Montego reminded me of something...
> 
> As we all know, the stock Miata headlights are terrible. A good upgrade is the E-Code conversion which, while unfortuntately not DOT legal, gives you some half-decent headlights. I personally have the HELLA conversion, these are Bosch...


Where did you pick these up at?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

titleist1976 said:


> http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/3582406065.html
> 
> Price on this one a bit high?





secretaznman said:


> Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but I don't think the seller mentioned the mileage. Do you know what it is?
> 
> I paid about that for my 94 R with 37k on the clock. I wasn't looking at paying that much for a miata, but I had been looking for years and clean ones were hard to come by. The car I bought was super clean inside and out, low mileage, had documented maintenance, and I knew the owner history. I am super particular about the condition of my cars, and with pristine ones seeming to be a rarity, I checked it out in person, took a test drive and took it home.
> 
> For the car you posted it might be worth it depending on mileage. The car looks really clean in the pics although is there a dent on the right rear quarter panel? It's original owner, seems meticulously maintained, hardtop, nice set of 14" rpf1s and some various extra bits. Go check it out! Join the club!  And if you don't want the hardtop, I'll buy it off of you. I have been looking for a clean one with original Classic Red paint for ever! :laugh:



It looks like that car has at least 60k on it since he mentions the timing belt/water pump service. 

My dad paid ~$7k for a 1995 with 24k miles on it a couple Summers ago. It was in great condition, but it had obviously been hit in the rear and re-painted (clear coat peeling in a couple of spots).

If the car posted is in as good of condition as it looks, I wouldn't hesitate to offer $7k for if the mileage was under 80k. It's getting harder and harder to find well kept, non nodded-to-hell NAs. And the owner seems just about as OCD with the car as I would be (see the OCD thread).

EDIT: In most places an OEM hardtop in good condition is worth $1000 on its own.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

MRVW00 said:


> I don't drive my car in the winter unless it's dry out.


Miata Badger Don't Give a ****. :laugh: Every year I say "this is the last year I'm going to use my Miata year 'round." And then I do it anyway.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> EDIT: In most places an OEM hardtop in good condition is worth $1000 on its own.


Asking prices have been going up lately. I sold one for $950 four years ago and thought I was getting good money - some people were asking $700. Nowadays I usually see starting asking prices around $1200.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

titleist1976 said:


> craigslist miatal
> 
> Price on this one a bit high?


I don't think it's that high if it checks out. Look at the pictures that show the undercarriage and the engine bay; that sucker is CLEAN! The black piceas are clean and shiny, no rusty bolts, the axle boots are in like new condition. The only reason my project looks that clean is because I've removed and powder coated those pieces and I've replaced the hardware with fresh zinc coated ones.


----------



## UnitedGTI. (Oct 1, 2007)

drove up a few weekends ago with my dad and he bought a project car 
10th ani miata, 60k miles well mantained, was traded in on an s2000 and before it went to auction he gave them a lowball offer and they took it.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

10th AE make me c*m.

I always wanted one of those when they were new...I have issues...:screwy:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

UnitedGTI. said:


> drove up a few weekends ago with my dad and he bought a project car
> 10th ani miata, 60k miles well mantained, was traded in on an s2000 and before it went to auction he gave them a lowball offer and they took it.


Nice ! I always liked 10AEs.


----------



## UnitedGTI. (Oct 1, 2007)

he actually paid less for this one than he did for my brothers 02 miata. under 3k for the 10th ani


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

**** wow. I hope the dealer didn't take that as a straight trade for the S2000...


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

I know how much you all love my buddy Ian's car 


IMG_3499 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr


_MG_2238 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr


IMG_3478 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr

:wave:


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## lojasmo (Dec 23, 2002)

dubina4steve said:


> I know how much you all love my buddy Ian's car
> 
> 
> IMG_3499 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr
> ...


That stance is stupid....in a bad way.


----------



## Burnitwithfire (May 14, 2005)

Checking out this beauty tomorrow, hopefully it looks as good in person. It's a 92 with 158k km / 100k miles. Never seen winter, single owner in her 60's. Asking price is 6k. If I can get it for 5.5k I'll be happy.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

One miata wasn't enough. Bought a White 96 auto. Clean inside and out. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

lojasmo said:


> That stance is stupid....in a bad way.


Aside from his wheel choice, is it really that much different that how a lot of other stanced Miatas sit?


IMG_3488 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

dubina4steve said:


> Aside from his wheel choice, is it really that much different that how a lot of other stanced Miatas sit?


No, it's exactly the same. Which is why it's so stupid. Here is how a Miata should be "stanced":


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

DubNMiatafan said:


> No, it's exactly the same. Which is why it's so stupid. Here is how a Miata should be "stanced":



The same can be said about so many cars. :facepalm:


----------



## 01tj (Nov 8, 2005)

dubina4steve said:


> Aside from his wheel choice, is it really that much different that how a lot of other stanced Miatas sit?
> 
> 
> IMG_3488 by S.R.Porter, on Flickr



That's probably the point. I guess everyone has their own taste but why take a drivers car and turn it into something for looks that doesn't look good to 99% of people who like cars


----------



## Short Bus (Oct 9, 2009)

I still need a Miata.

Those Corvette wheels look terrible on that car.


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

01tj said:


> That's probably the point. I guess everyone has their own taste but why take a drivers car and turn it into something for looks that doesn't look good to 99% of people who like cars


But it looking good to 99% of people who like cars isn't why he did that :laugh:

I'm sure it'll make you all pleased to hear though that he is currently trying to sell this wheel setup and will be looking for something more oriented towards handling and drifting.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> No, it's exactly the same. Which is why it's so stupid. Here is how a Miata should be "stanced":


Yawn... Here we go with your ranting again .. Maybe you should be polishing your nearly rust free stock miata. There is a place for people like you .. Miata.net. Go in your hole .


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> Yawn... Here we go with your ranting again .. Maybe you should be polishing your nearly rust free stock miata. There is a place for people like you .. Miata.net. Go in your hole .


It's a forum. If you don't like people posting opinions about things people put up, then go shove it. Until then, I'll be ranting as always. :wave:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

dubina4steve said:


> But it looking good to 99% of people who like cars isn't why he did that :laugh:
> 
> I'm sure it'll make you all pleased to hear though that he is currently trying to sell this wheel setup and will be looking for something more oriented towards handling and drifting.


Handling != Drifting.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> It's a forum. If you don't like people posting opinions about things people put up, then go shove it. Until then, I'll be ranting as always. :wave:


Yawn. lets see some pics of this stock miata you hold such high regard... :laugh:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Bam. And what. 

"Eww it's so high" 
"OMG lower it lololololo"
"Hellasunk bro wtf"
"Offset is everything"
"LOL nice antenna brah"

There.


----------



## H. Stark (Apr 18, 2007)

I just finished reading through this thread for about the 10th time. I've decided I'm getting one as soon as a worthy opportunity presents itself. Harder to find nice Miatas in the Midwest that aren't exorbitantly over priced. Beater, and I mean beat, rusted, 200k mile examples are listed for 3-5k.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Bam. And what.
> 
> "Eww it's so high"
> "OMG lower it lololololo"
> ...


 How about.. umm erm quit the hairdresser day job ? :laugh:


----------



## Short Bus (Oct 9, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Bam. And what.
> 
> "Eww it's so high"
> "OMG lower it lololololo"
> ...


That's a sexy scrub radius you've got there.


----------



## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

Random pic from last year: Golf vs. Miata @ Millville NJ SCCA race.


----------



## DUBSfightinRUST (Aug 13, 2011)

What if you are a man sized man and you do not fit in Mazda's smallest???


----------



## ThatOneJetta (Dec 22, 2012)

DUBSfightinRUST said:


> What if you are a man sized man and you do not fit in Mazda's smallest???


Suck it up and try harder. 

6'5", 275lb former Mazda tech, we just picked up a '97 M-edition as a drift project


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Short Bus said:


> Those Corvette wheels look terrible on that car....and weigh as much as a church.


FTFY


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DUBSfightinRUST said:


> What if you are a man sized man and you do not fit in Mazda's smallest???


You will fit..Foamectomy remove the door pull.. Im 6'5 330 and I fit.



ThatOneJetta said:


> Suck it up and try harder.
> 
> 6'5", 275lb former Mazda tech, we just picked up a '97 M-edition as a drift project


lightweight. :laugh:


----------



## ThatOneJetta (Dec 22, 2012)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> You will fit..Foamectomy remove the door pull.. Im 6'5 330 and I fit.
> 
> 
> 
> lightweight. :laugh:


I was 330 when I was a Mazda tech.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Burnitwithfire said:


> Checking out this beauty tomorrow, hopefully it looks as good in person. It's a 92 with 158k km / 100k miles. Never seen winter, single owner in her 60's.


That price seems optimistic unless there's a HT and confirmed TB service. My Sunburst had that crappy fake wood stuff on the interior as well. If you buy the car, just buy another set of the trim and sell the wood stuff on eBay. I made money on mine.





01tj said:


> That's probably the point. I guess everyone has their own taste but why take a drivers car and turn it into something for looks that doesn't look good to 99% of people who like cars


Some people could give a flying F8ck what someone else on the internet thinks of their car. The Miata is a mass produced, parts bin special, economy car that just happens to have been brilliantly engineered and executed. If you don't like what someone else has done to their car, then just move along, but don't bring regurgitate that _"you did it wrong because your modifications won't produce a lower autocross time"_ garbage.


----------



## EnIgMa '06 (May 13, 2004)

You are terrible people. A white '92 popped up on craigslist a few days ago and I emailed on a whim thinking, "I don't need a third car or a Miata, but I'll do it for grins." I threw a battery in the thing and it fired right up. New clutch/flywheel, receipt for brand new tires, exhaust leak, vacuum leak from the taped over PCV holes, peeling paint, etc. Still, it was a rust-free (good rockers, frame rails, floorpans, trunk, etc!) and straight (except for the front fenders) Miata. It even has Raceland coilovers (which are waaaay too low and stiff).

Then I saw this thread pop up. I haven't seen this thread in a long time and it just popped right up on the front page right before I went to check the thing out. Thanks bros. You made me spend money.

I drove it away for $750. The ultimate budget build begins.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Bam. And what.
> 
> "Eww it's so high"
> "OMG lower it lololololo"
> ...


They're so cute when they're stock!


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

UnitedGTI. said:


> drove up a few weekends ago with my dad and he bought a project car
> 10th ani miata, 60k miles well mantained, was traded in on an s2000 and before it went to auction he gave them a lowball offer and they took it.


gorgeous. :thumbup:

mine had the hardtop and ABS. i loved it though. absolutely one of the best sorted small cars i've ever driven. one thing i would recommend, i was running a cocktail of syncromesh and redline MTF 50/50 in the trans...seemed to quiet the only complaint i had, which was a relatively notchy 6 speed. do be careful when pulling the bolts for draining/filling the trans, make sure you're on the correct side of the transmission case, because one that looks like a fill actually holds some of the internals in place. unbolt that one and you'll be unbolting the whole box to fix it. :laugh:

i owned mine 28 days. i'd say it held up very well. i credit it with saving me from serious injury/death. pretty sure these pics appear way back in this thread...


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

I too felt the need for one, so here's a few pics from this weekend, shot with my sweet, sweet cellphone camera eace:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

WDodd's '91 from m.net. So clean and such great quality photography.


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## jackboots (Feb 3, 2005)

Screw it, I'll whore my baby out.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> They're so cute when they're stock!


Hey, that's my line!



Smigelski said:


>


This picture would have been epic if my car wasn't a quarter-mile or so ahead of yours.


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

jackboots said:


> Screw it, I'll whore my baby out.


Kinda wish you hadn't  but the good thing is the mods are easily reversible.


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## jackboots (Feb 3, 2005)

C4 A6 said:


> Kinda wish you hadn't  but the good thing is the mods are easily reversible.


Guess what.

Screw you.


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## Zeroth (Feb 14, 2006)

jackboots said:


> Guess what.
> 
> Screw you.


Aside from the wheels (which shouldn't be red imo) I quite like it!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Not a super fan of the wheels or stripes, but god I want that GV rear panel.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

I love reading the local CL ads....here's a beauty...

"- *has a small bump on the right fender"









http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/3662260732.html

Patience, Grasshopper....soon I will have one to call my own.


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## kenny301 (Aug 30, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> I love reading the local CL ads....here's a beauty...
> 
> 
> 
> Patience, Grasshopper....soon I will have one to call my own.


I keep telling myself the same thing. Must not jump on the first quazi acceptable one I come across just to have one.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

C4 A6 said:


> Kinda wish you hadn't  but the good thing is the mods are easily reversible.


Man, you really are an extremely bitter and closed-minded person. Take a chill pill, dude. It seems like you only visit TCL when you're having a bad day and want to take out your aggression on strangers. Or, are you embittered because the only positive thoughts in your head are about your ITR, but when you post about it on TCL, people make fun of you for it? Whatever the case, you've surely landed a spot on many members' ignore lists, and if I read a couple more of your "hilarious" troll posts you'll be on mine too...

Regarding that Miata, I'm not really a fan of the red wheels (they don't match the car), but the Garage Vary tail lights are cool, and the paint scheme looks like an old school race livery. Works for me :thumbup:



VTECeateR said:


> I love reading the local CL ads....here's a beauty...
> 
> "- *has a small bump on the right fender"
> 
> ...


I dunno man, that looks like a small bump to me; it's just a dented fender. Classic Red is the #1 most popular NA Miata color, so it shouldn't be hard to find another fender.

My Miata, on the other hand, just suffered a big bump. Suspension damage and I have the feeling I tweaked the unibody...so I sold it on the cheap.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Nooo hushy! Your car was awesome


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

I know. Out of the fifteen cars I've owned, this was probably my favorite one so far.

Only problem was, I got a new job and it turned out to be just a horrible, horrible commute car. I'll get another Miata when I don't have to daily drive it.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

hushypushy said:


> Only problem was, I got a new job and it turned out to be just a horrible, horrible commute car.


Truth! Once you crest 35yrs old, it's time for comfort. I do love doing the work commute once or twice a week though. Such an attitude adjuster.


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## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

Diamond Dave said:


> Truth! Once you crest 35yrs old, it's time for comfort. I do love doing the work commute once or twice a week though. Such an attitude adjuster.


Yeah, on the same plan. Works great - keeps the miata in good fighting trim, I drive when I feeling the most alert (important in a miata in commuter environment with plenty of hurried and inattentive drivers), and I pick days with weather conducive to safe miata enjoyment.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300 using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Pfft - I bought my first Miata shortly after turning 40. Of course I've had my MGB for 20 years before that.


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## NationYell (Oct 26, 2007)

My bro drives one around, and I get jealous because they're inexpensive and parts o'plenty.

Modern day Lotus Elan much?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

My dad had a '71 Elan n the early '80s, and I don't think the comparison is that valid. The Elan was much more stripped down, a much more raw motoring experience. The body was basically a styrofoam cup sitting on top of a Bic pen. My dad's car had no radio and barely any exhaust, leading to more of a go-kart feel. You'd have to strip a lot of weight and really stiffen up the suspension of a Miata to duplicate what I remember about that Elan.


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## Benthefrench (Nov 17, 2007)

http://cdn.*************.net/instances/250x250/24450934.jpg


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Claff said:


> My dad had a '71 Elan n the early '80s, and I don't think the comparison is that valid. The Elan was much more stripped down, a much more raw motoring experience. The body was basically a styrofoam cup sitting on top of a Bic pen. My dad's car had no radio and barely any exhaust, leading to more of a go-kart feel. You'd have to strip a lot of weight and really stiffen up the suspension of a Miata to duplicate what I remember about that Elan.


Closest you will get to an élan in 1991. Today light cars are considered around 3100 lbs.


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## 20vTa4 (Jun 21, 2001)

In case any of you girls actually "need a miata", mine is for sale.


















http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...Miata-MP62-supercharged-and-tons-of-extras-NJ


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

menacing by GlebZ, on Flickr



2 by GlebZ, on Flickr




6 by GlebZ, on Flickr




STOP by GlebZ, on Flickr


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

20vTa4 said:


> In case any of you girls actually "need a miata", mine is for sale.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very nice. Seems like a very fair price for a clean and well modded Miata. :thumbup::thumbup:


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## lojasmo (Dec 23, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> Truth! Once you crest 35yrs old, it's time for comfort. I do love doing the work commute once or twice a week though. Such an attitude adjuster.


Ugh. 44 here, and looking for an NA for a DD. My wife has a chevy cruze, and the kid will have the 96 Vue...this will be for me to get around in. I live withing walking distance from work.

Are they really that uncomfortable?


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Claff said:


> Pfft - I bought my first Miata shortly after turning 40. Of course I've had my MGB for 20 years before that.


You went from an MGB to a Miata? Sounds like an comfort and reliability upgrade to me 



Calcvictim said:


> 6 by GlebZ, on Flickr


I love the early NC front


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

lojasmo said:


> I live withing walking distance from work.
> 
> Are they really that uncomfortable?


The novelty wears thin in direct relation to how boring and plebeian your commute path (i.e. nothing can make a straight highway commute fun). The rate at which it wears thin can be accelerated significantly depending on how much older than 30 you are.


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

Was a decent weekend to nab a few new shots:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

God damn the NC3 looks great with the removable HT.


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## lojasmo (Dec 23, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> The novelty wears thin in direct relation to how boring and plebeian your commute path (i.e. nothing can make a straight highway commute fun). The rate at which it wears thin can be accelerated significantly depending on how much older than 30 you are.


While this will be "my" daily, we have two other cars for hauling/getting around town. 

I walk to work most days. Really, it will be a weekend/autox car, but *sometimes* (when the wife and kid have the other cars) I will be "stuck" with this one.

How will it be flying out to the west coast and driving back to Minnesota? Terrible?

ETA: not looking to sell one, by any chance? :wave:


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

20vTa4 said:


> In case any of you girls actually "need a miata", mine is for sale.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If I had the cash lying around, I'd snap that up in a heartbeat.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

lojasmo said:


> While this will be "my" daily, we have two other cars for hauling/getting around town.
> 
> I walk to work most days. Really, it will be a weekend/autox car, but *sometimes* (when the wife and kid have the other cars) I will be "stuck" with this one.
> 
> ...


Even if you're not comparing it to walking, your commute should be a joy. For a while I drove 13 miles non-highway to the train station and I loved doing it in my Miata (shown below). I was in a bucket seat with the top down both ways and never had a happier commute in my life.










When I switched to a 35 mile, stuck-in-traffic-for-an-hour highway grind, the Miata was excruciating. Tons of road and top noise, and a terrible audio layout. The stock seats are bad too (I never got the 90-93 seatbelts in my '94 so I could use my Momo seat).

Driving from the west coast to Minnesota...well...the novelty should make it fun :laugh: You'll probably be pretty uncomfortable though. And don't bring a lot of luggage either!


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## girlbrown20 (Mar 8, 2013)

Alan, you going to get rid of your STS license plate or what? Great seeing you guys again last week, I am sure we will meet again.

Mike #45 STS CRX


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## lojasmo (Dec 23, 2002)

hushypushy said:


> Even if you're not comparing it to walking, your commute should be a joy. For a while I drove 13 miles non-highway to the train station and I loved doing it in my Miata (shown below). I was in a bucket seat with the top down both ways and never had a happier commute in my life.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's helpful. Thanks.

I haven't been on a long road trip in twenty years, and I'm looking forward to that. Also, It's going to be easier to find a rust free example on the left coast than it is in the midwest, or intermountain region.

Yup, I'll pack light (except I'll have a basic tool kit with me.) I'll grab belts and a few common replacement parts for the ride back.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

girlbrown20 said:


> Alan, you going to get rid of your STS license plate or what? Great seeing you guys again last week, I am sure we will meet again.
> 
> Mike #45 STS CRX


I think we earned the right to keep the plate for another year after Nationals '12.

We ran it this weekend. I put in four runs trying to get a 45.XXX second run and just missed. Ian Baker got in and his first run was a 45.6. His third was in the 44s. On the plus side, we learned that the car can be really good. On the bad side, we have yet another data point telling us that the drivers still need a lot of work.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Mr. Clarkson said:


>


:thumbup:


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## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

NationYell said:


> My bro drives one around, and I get jealous because they're inexpensive and parts o'plenty.
> 
> Modern day Lotus Elan much?


I have a friend that is a Lotus (Loti?) collector (has a couple of europas stored and an elan that he is going to restore "someday"). He is pretty knowledgeable and said at least from a chassis design, the Miata center backbone design is direct ripoff of Colin Chapmans Elan design. Of course he also claimed that Chapman ripped off that idea from someone else, so no hard feelings ;-)! 

Anyhow, drove my '91 w/out the hard top on yesterday and she was floppy as hell (I guess 130k of abuse will loosen things up a bit) in comparison to with hardtop on. I'm definitely going to need to put in some chassis bracing in cockpit and underneath, at least that stuff is cheap and easy to install.. 

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300 using Tapatalk


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

fahrfast said:


> Anyhow, drove my '91 w/out the hard top on yesterday and she was floppy as hell (I guess 130k of abuse will loosen things up a bit) in comparison to with hardtop on. I'm definitely going to need to put in some chassis bracing in cockpit and underneath, at least that stuff is cheap and easy to install..


On my '91 I've got FM frame rails, HD HS1D roll bar, RB front subframe brace, FM Canon rear subframe brace and polyurethane bushings all around and I still think the car is a little bit floppy. But it sure is better than without all those things! One day I'd love to strip the car down to the bare chassis, add the OEM structural reinforcements from the NB and seam weld the whole thing.


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## Nuieve (Aug 20, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I'm not letting this damn thread die.


Damn, what a surprise! This was my car - I posted this set of pictures on miata.net within two months of buying it). I got rid of it last August and never regretted it, but this picture pricked me deep inside... made me sad. Not of the particular car but rather the experience of having something so new and cool looking. I didn't care much the way it drove, even after eibach sways. 

Now I drive a 99' Forester with 5 million miles, and although I made a promise to myself that I won't buy another Miata (had 4 of them since 2008: 2 NAs - loved them, 1 AUTO NB - sold it within 3 weeks and NC2 in the picture - had it for 2.5 years...) I thought I grew tired of them, but looking at these pics brought back the longing... 

But due to budget constrains looks like a newer car is out of the question and yet I can't go the whole year without convertible experience and Miata is the only thing that can be had in decent condition for $3000 or so... so right now I'm shopping for Miss#5. Gotta be NA, don't like NB, don't like NC. Only NA, the only real Miata. Was really thinking about splurging on a CPO Z4, but... after looking at this thread I thought... ah what the heck, so many things I can buy every month for $600 (monthly payment for Z4) for 6 (!) years... F... it, I'd rather have Miata for now... Z4 - maybe some other day.


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## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> On my '91 I've got FM frame rails, HD HS1D roll bar, RB front subframe brace, FM Canon rear subframe brace and polyurethane bushings all around and I still think the car is a little bit floppy. But it sure is better than without all those things! One day I'd love to strip the car down to the bare chassis, add the OEM structural reinforcements from the NB and seam weld the whole thing.


You are hardcore on the chassis stuff, man . 

I'm going to start with a used cockpit brace I picked up on ebay and the two lower front and rear tunnel cross braces and see what happens...

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300 using Tapatalk


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Nuieve said:


> But due to budget constrains looks like a newer car is out of the question and yet I can't go the whole year without convertible experience and Miata is the only thing that can be had in decent condition for $3000 or so... so right now I'm shopping for Miss#5. Gotta be NA, don't like NB, don't like NC.* Only NA, the only real Miata.* Was really thinking about splurging on a CPO Z4, but... after looking at this thread I thought... ah what the heck, so many things I can buy every month for $600 (monthly payment for Z4) for 6 (!) years... F... it, I'd rather have Miata for now... Z4 - maybe some other day.


Remember that you have to get a '90 or early '91 to have a real Miata. 1.8L Miatas aren't the 'real' thing, as they provide too much torque and are not rev-happy enough. Also, the bracing they started to get in '92 adds weight and stiffness - it takes away from the _real_ Miata experience. And besides, all real Miata owners live in fear of Short Nose Crank issues.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

fahrfast said:


> Anyhow, drove my '91 w/out the hard top on yesterday and she was floppy as hell (I guess 130k of abuse will loosen things up a bit) in comparison to with hardtop on.


 
Few things can make such a difference to tighten up the NA chassis than door bars with a rollbar. Here's a friend's car getting the door bars installed at Blackbird Fabworx.






lojasmo said:


> How will it be flying out to the west coast and driving back to Minnesota? Terrible?


There are tons of clean, rust free Miatas all over the country and certainly quite a few with uber low mileage (sorry guys, nothing over 80K counts as low mileage), so you don't necessarily need to fly to LA to buy one. That is where I bought my Sunburst though. Couldn't find anything inspiring or reasonably priced here in Portland and so my wife and started shopping in other cities where we knew people. First thing she says "huh, there's a yellow one near your Dad...". Had my Dad test drive it and I negotiated on the phone bought a one way ticket and drove it home 900 after a few days vacation with my Dad. I decided to drive home on the backroads and it was much more entertaining, but tiring nonetheless. I still remember driving through Reno while they were having biker week... "don't mind me in my yellow hairdresser's car guys."


Here she was in all her glory. The PO was especially proud of the wire wheels







. Removed them when I pulled in my driveway. In many ways though, the 91 I purchased from Seattle for the SR20 was much cleaner and straighter than this Socal car.












They're fairly bulletproof cars, so if they drive fine and the engine bay/interior aren't destroyed, it's a fairly undramatic purchase. The problem comes when people want a great car in the


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Here she was in all her glory. The PO was especially proud of the wire wheels
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> They're fairly bulletproof cars, so if they drive fine and the engine bay/interior aren't destroyed, it's a fairly undramatic purchase. *The problem comes when people want a great car in the*


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> Remember that you have to get a '90 or early '91 to have a real Miata. 1.8L Miatas aren't the 'real' thing, as they provide too much torque and are not rev-happy enough. Also, the bracing they started to get in '92 adds weight and stiffness - it takes away from the _real_ Miata experience. And besides, all real Miata owners live in fear of Short Nose Crank issues.


I'm a real Miata owner! :laugh:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

MRVW00 said:


> I'm a real Miata owner! :laugh:


Yay me too! I don't even have a finned diff!


----------



## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

Nuieve said:


> Damn, what a surprise! This was my car - I posted this set of pictures on miata.net within two months of buying it). I got rid of it last August and never regretted it, but this picture pricked me deep inside... made me sad. Not of the particular car but rather the experience of having something so new and cool looking. I didn't care much the way it drove, even after eibach sways.
> 
> Now I drive a 99' Forester with 5 million miles, and although I made a promise to myself that I won't buy another Miata (had 4 of them since 2008: 2 NAs - loved them, 1 AUTO NB - sold it within 3 weeks and NC2 in the picture - had it for 2.5 years...) I thought I grew tired of them, but looking at these pics brought back the longing...
> 
> But due to budget constrains looks like a newer car is out of the question and yet I can't go the whole year without convertible experience and Miata is the only thing that can be had in decent condition for $3000 or so... so right now I'm shopping for Miss#5. Gotta be NA, don't like NB, don't like NC. Only NA, the only real Miata. Was really thinking about splurging on a CPO Z4, but... after looking at this thread I thought... ah what the heck, so many things I can buy every month for $600 (monthly payment for Z4) for 6 (!) years... F... it, I'd rather have Miata for now... Z4 - maybe some other day.


The $3-5k was my sweet spot too. But If you've got the bimmer itch, instead of the Z4, why don't you change things up with a Z3 (should be able to get something serviceable around $5k) and report back to us ?The Z3 was a cheap roadster runner up for me - and are supposedly pretty bulletproof as well, although not as driveable according to the folkflore. I have a co-worker who has one, and is plenty happy with it.


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## Nuieve (Aug 20, 2009)

fahrfast said:


> The $3-5k was my sweet spot too. But If you've got the bimmer itch, instead of the Z4, why don't you change things up with a Z3 (should be able to get something serviceable around $5k) and report back to us ?The Z3 was a cheap roadster runner up for me - and are supposedly pretty bulletproof as well, although not as driveable according to the folkflore. I have a co-worker who has one, and is plenty happy with it.


I'm only interested in 09+ Z4 as a fast luxury cruiser with stunning looks/DD. Z3 are too expensive, and doesn't really hit any sweet spots for me. NA should get me through summer for minimal cost.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Yay me too! I don't even have a finned diff!


Because racecars don't need them! :laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## BTM (Feb 20, 2007)

apologies if it's been covered in here before. anyone know why NA guys tend to autox with their pop ups up? Gives them a reference point to the corners of the car maybe?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

BTM said:


> apologies if it's been covered in here before. anyone know why NA guys tend to autox with their pop ups up? Gives them a reference point to the corners of the car maybe?


If you have an air intake the filter is right behind the driver's side headlight. Opening the headlights is believed to let more air into the filter.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

It's true even with the stock airbox. The stock snorkel is right over the driver's side wheelwell.


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## BTM (Feb 20, 2007)

thanks :thumbup:


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## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

Anyone with an NC upgrade their sways?

Apparently the RX8 yellow dot/red dot option is really popular, OEM, and about $100-$150 cheaper than any aftermarket options (about $200 new, shipped). If you go red/yellow instead of red/red or yellow/yellow, they don't change the balance of the car; just tighten everything up.

I'm leaning towards going with the RX8s, but figured it couldn't hurt to hear first hand accounts of other options. Racing Beat and Progress would be the likely candidates if I do go OEM.


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

pwm said:


> Anyone with an NC upgrade their sways?
> 
> Apparently the RX8 yellow dot/red dot option is really popular, OEM, and about $100-$150 cheaper than any aftermarket options (about $200 new, shipped). If you go red/yellow instead of red/red or yellow/yellow, they don't change the balance of the car; just tighten everything up.
> 
> I'm leaning towards going with the RX8s, but figured it couldn't hurt to hear first hand accounts of other options. Racing Beat and Progress would be the likely candidates if I do go OEM.


I have the Mazdaspeed/Eibach sways on mine. They weren't that expensive (probably more so than the RX8s), but they much better compared to the stock ones.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

pwm said:


> Anyone with an NC upgrade their sways?
> 
> Apparently the RX8 yellow dot/red dot option is really popular, OEM, and about $100-$150 cheaper than any aftermarket options (about $200 new, shipped). If you go red/yellow instead of red/red or yellow/yellow, they don't change the balance of the car; just tighten everything up.
> 
> I'm leaning towards going with the RX8s, but figured it couldn't hurt to hear first hand accounts of other options. Racing Beat and Progress would be the likely candidates if I do go OEM.


I upgraded mine to Mazdaspeed swaybars. Along with the Mazdaspeed springs and shocks it was a fantastic suspension where all the parts complimented eachother. I got numerous compliments at autocrosses and at the autocross school from the instructors. I miss that car.


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## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

Mr. Clarkson said:


> I have the Mazdaspeed/Eibach sways on mine. They weren't that expensive (probably more so than the RX8s), but they much better compared to the stock ones.


Yeah the consensus is the stock ones suck and that virtually anything is an upgrade. 

I'm just debating whether I want to go with sways/tires (and prematurely toss the junk Chinese crap that came with the car), or sways/shocks/springs and just live with the garbage tires for a year.

Springs would likely be Koni yellows with some sort of springs (RB, Eibach, etc).


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

pwm said:


> Yeah the consensus is the stock ones suck and that virtually anything is an upgrade.
> 
> I'm just debating whether I want to go with sways/tires (and prematurely toss the junk Chinese crap that came with the car), or sways/shocks/springs and just live with the garbage tires for a year.
> 
> Springs would likely be Koni yellows with some sort of springs (RB, Eibach, etc).


Normally, the correct performance-oriented response would be to change the tires first. But the wheel gap on the NC is particularly horrible. I did springs,shocks,sway bars, exhaust, wheels, and tires and my NC was very, very nice afterward.


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## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> Normally, the correct performance-oriented response would be to change the tires first. But the wheel gap on the NC is particularly horrible. I did springs,shocks,sway bars, exhaust, wheels, and tires and my NC was very, very nice afterward.


The previous owner got the Mazdaspeed intake and exhaust installed at the dealership, so those are covered already. I have a feeling it was traded in on bald tires and the dealership put on the cheapest tires they could find. There is plenty of tread left, and they are alright for the time being I guess...I just don't trust them.

When I'm honest with myself, this car won't be autocrossed and likely not taken to the track. It's just my fun, nice weather car that I'll commute in during the summer, take on weekend drives, and drive to the beach in with the wife. I want to improve the easy bits and just enjoy it, so that's why I'm looking at the simple bolt on type stuff.


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

pwm said:


> When I'm honest with myself, this car won't be autocrossed and likely not taken to the track. It's just my fun, nice weather car that I'll commute in during the summer, take on weekend drives, and drive to the beach in with the wife. I want to improve the easy bits and just enjoy it, so that's why I'm looking at the simple bolt on type stuff.


I'm in the same boat, which is why I did the MS springs / dampers / sway bars and left it at that. Lowers it about an inch, and feels much better in all driving conditions, not just the twisty fun parts.


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## Nuieve (Aug 20, 2009)

pwm said:


> Yeah the consensus is the stock ones suck and that virtually anything is an upgrade.
> 
> I'm just debating whether I want to go with sways/tires (and prematurely toss the junk Chinese crap that came with the car), or sways/shocks/springs and just live with the garbage tires for a year.
> 
> Springs would likely be Koni yellows with some sort of springs (RB, Eibach, etc).


These things are subjective. I installed Eibachs (which are Mazdaspeed which are identical to RX yellow/red combo). Car leaned less in the corners, but still plenty and was nowhere near to be confidence inspiring. At first I was impressed (well, compared to stock even riding your sofa is improvement), but then I realized it still didn't handle as good as my old NAs. Those were nuts even with their shot suspensions.

I have to admit I'm a crazy driver, I drive everything like I stole it, al the time. But there was something about NC that I didn't trust it to go particularly fast around the corner. Something visceral that told me not to push it. I knew I should had been able go around corner faster, but I didn't want to. I drive my Forester on touring tires right now faster than I ever did my NC. Somehow Forester sticks better (don't ask my why, I don't know) and gives you confidence and you know exactly how much to push it, but with the NC2 I was in quite a few surprises where it would start plowing unexpectedly at what I thought was rather low speed (on both stock Potenzas and Evo K112s later). My favorite twisty roads have never been as fun in NC as they were in both NAs. 

Many people like it, so it must be just me. If I ever end up with another Miata though, it will be NA. Will never buy a NC again, regardless of the price, don't like that car, period. YMMV.


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

Nuieve said:


> These things are subjective. I installed Eibachs (which are Mazdaspeed which are identical to RX yellow/red combo). Car leaned less in the corners, but still plenty and was nowhere near to be confidence inspiring. At first I was impressed (well, compared to stock even riding your sofa is improvement), but then I realized it still didn't handle as good as my old NAs. Those were nuts even with their shot suspensions.


Bingo. Right after I picked the car up after all the MS parts were installed, it was much better than the previous stock parts; felt much tighter and focused. But now that's sort of worn off, and just like you said, it's still not exactly confidence-inspiring, as it's still quite "floaty".


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## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

Long time lurker, finally posting. A fellow Miata buddy posted this thread on a Miata forum (idk how I missed this thread), but I figured I'd add a few pictures of mine and a couple friends. Mine is the silver one. Here's a few from our trip to the Tail of the Dragon for Miatas at the Gap. All photos taken by Chris Juliano (owns the red NA). 










Rich ridin dirty with his hitch full of camping equipment and beer. (place we camped at was a dry county). 









rest stop in Tennesee. 









Chris' NA. Wheels are 15x8 et20 and tires are 205/50. He'll be adding flares and running 15x9 et0 come spring time. 













































And one from our trip to Baltimore's Import Alliance meet, which was actually way before the Tail of the Dragon trip.


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

I have always thought those types of blinkers on the red NA looked the equivalent of JC Whitney stick on chrome door handles for trucks, but daannng those are great painted black!!! :thumbup:


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## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

paulmo said:


> Long time lurker, finally posting. A fellow Miata buddy posted this thread on a Miata forum (idk how I missed this thread), but I figured I'd add a few pictures of mine and a couple friends. Mine is the silver one. Here's a few from our trip to the Tail of the Dragon for Miatas at the Gap. All photos taken by Chris Juliano (owns the red NA).
> And one from our trip to Baltimore's Import Alliance meet, which was actually way before the Tail of the Dragon trip.


 Wow, sounds like great trip and thanks for posting the great shots. 

opcorn:


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## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

fahrfast said:


> Wow, sounds like great trip and thanks for posting the great shots.
> 
> opcorn:


 Sure was! Thanks, glad you liked the pics


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Picked up a new hood and trunk today for my car today. 

Can't decide to paint or turbo it first....


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## pwm (Feb 26, 2009)

Mr. Clarkson said:


> I'm in the same boat, which is why I did the MS springs / dampers / sway bars and left it at that. Lowers it about an inch, and feels much better in all driving conditions, not just the twisty fun parts.


 Well I was on amazon and noticed they had 1 set of the Eibach/MS springs left, and Eibach is 10% off this month. Amazon's price was already lower than anywhere else I found, and I had a $25 credit, so I got the springs for $175. I'll probably hold on to them until I buy shocks since the car is pushing 70K and will likely need replacements (if not already).


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## Burnitwithfire (May 14, 2005)

Just bought it last saturday. Didn't come cheap but clean Miata's are expensive here in the deepness of the rust belt.

As I bought it









Removed the pin stripe and adjusted the headlight covers









Here's a before/after of the rear bumper. The paint was faded pretty bad.









And done polishing. I removed the side markers to sand and polish them.









And a shot of the engine bay. Its probably hasn't been cleaned often.









Here's what I know about it:
-Single owner, woman in her sixties, didn't smoke
-Rustproofed every year even though its never seen winter
-VLSD which was a nice surprise
-Headrest speakers
-Power windows
-Aftermarket glass window top


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Replace that radiator before it pops on you. I've never seen one go straight past brown to "ashy" and still work! 

Awesome finding a Sunburst though...


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## still_a_G (Jun 23, 2008)

paulmo said:


> Long time lurker, finally posting. A fellow Miata buddy posted this thread on a Miata forum (idk how I missed this thread), but I figured I'd add a few pictures of mine and a couple friends. Mine is the silver one. Here's a few from our trip to the Tail of the Dragon for Miatas at the Gap. All photos taken by Chris Juliano (owns the red NA).


 
Great shots! Looks like fun.


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## Burnitwithfire (May 14, 2005)

AKADriver said:


> Replace that radiator before it pops on you. I've never seen one go straight past brown to "ashy" and still work!
> 
> Awesome finding a Sunburst though...


 Thanks for the tip :thumbup: :thumbup: There's a pretty nasty dent on the engine bay side of the radiator that's probably due to previous work that had me worried.

I get a pretty nice discount through work, I'll see how much the OEM one sells for VS a premium aftermarket unit.


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## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

Had mine out this weekend as well


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Burnitwithfire said:


> Thanks for the tip :thumbup: :thumbup: There's a pretty nasty dent on the engine bay side of the radiator that's probably due to previous work that had me worried.
> 
> I get a pretty nice discount through work, I'll see how much the OEM one sells for VS a premium aftermarket unit.


 http://www.amazon.com/TYC-1140-Aluminum-Replacement-Radiator/dp/B000IYPNC8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_1 this is the one to get! It's rebranded OEM (but it's the same thing) and it's $90, can't go wrong.


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## Burnitwithfire (May 14, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> http://www.amazon.com/TYC-1140-Aluminum-Replacement-Radiator/dp/B000IYPNC8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_1 this is the one to get! It's rebranded OEM (but it's the same thing) and it's $90, can't go wrong.


 Nice, I can get TYC from work. Thanks!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Burnitwithfire said:


> Nice, I can get TYC from work. Thanks!


 Careful. You don't want the TYC one. You want the one they advertise as a TYC, but is actually a KOYO. Which is the one in the link.


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## Burnitwithfire (May 14, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Careful. You don't want the TYC one. You want the one they advertise as a TYC, but is actually a KOYO. Which is the one in the link.


 Good to know, thanks :beer:


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## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

still_a_G said:


> Great shots! Looks like fun.


 Thanks! It was indeed. I finally got my brackets for my Lotus seats, so my interior is finally coming together  











Burnitwithfire said:


> Thanks for the tip :thumbup: :thumbup: There's a pretty nasty dent on the engine bay side of the radiator that's probably due to previous work that had me worried.
> 
> I get a pretty nice discount through work, I'll see how much the OEM one sells for VS a premium aftermarket unit.


 Agreed on that radiator. Mine looked the same when I bought it. Just be careful where you purchase an OEM replacement from or make sure it has a good warranty. My OEM replacement went bad rather quickly. Thread here.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Burnitwithfire said:


> Just bought it last saturday. Didn't come cheap but clean Miata's are expensive here in the deepness of the rust belt.


 
Great looking detail! 

All of the Sunburst yellow cars had the VLSD and power steering. You can call Mazda Customer service and they can give you the build specs for your VIN (which there isn't much else to know except whether or not it was ordered with a HT). Can't remember if Canada got them in 92 or 93 though. My Sunburst was rustproofed as well, even though it spent the first 11yrs of its life in LA banghead. I'd recommend getting a zip window top. The flow through effect of having the top up with all the windows down is near religious. 

Be really careful when buffing out a Sunburst. If you burn through the edges or thin out the paint too much, the Chrytsal White paint underneath really starts to show through.


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

paulmo said:


> Thanks! It was indeed. I finally got my brackets for my Lotus seats, so my interior is finally coming together


 You track/autocross this thing at all?


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## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

C4 A6 said:


> You track/autocross this thing at all?


 Not yet. It's just my fun daily driver. The hardest driving it has seen was on the Tail of the Dragon. I'm moving to South Carolina soon, picking up a beater, and then the Miata will be getting some major track time


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## Burnitwithfire (May 14, 2005)

Diamond Dave said:


> Great looking detail!
> 
> All of the Sunburst yellow cars had the VLSD and power steering. You can call Mazda Customer service and they can give you the build specs for your VIN (which there isn't much else to know except whether or not it was ordered with a HT). Can't remember if Canada got them in 92 or 93 though. My Sunburst was rustproofed as well, even though it spent the first 11yrs of its life in LA banghead. I'd recommend getting a zip window top. The flow through effect of having the top up with all the windows down is near religious.
> 
> Be really careful when buffing out a Sunburst. If you burn through the edges or thin out the paint too much, the Chrytsal White paint underneath really starts to show through.


 Thanks.

Yeah the paint has been buffed quite a few times already. Some areas around the trunk edge and center stop light are showing the base color. The driver's side mirroir is pretty burned too. It does have a zip window, I can't wait to try it out!


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## Fortythreepercent (Oct 19, 2012)

Good thread. :thumbup:


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

paulmo said:


> Not yet. It's just my fun daily driver. The hardest driving it has seen was on the Tail of the Dragon. I'm moving to South Carolina soon, picking up a beater, and then the Miata will be getting some major track time


Just curious because I can't imagine those seats being too comfortable for long hauls.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

C4 A6 said:


> Just curious because I can't imagine those seats being too comfortable for long hauls.


If you haven't sat in Lotus Elise seats before, you should. I think they're quite comfortable. I'm saving for them in my other Miata because the head protection and low mounting point.


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

I can not wait to do my beater/sleeper build!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> If you haven't sat in Lotus Elise seats before, you should. I think they're quite comfortable. I'm saving for them in my other Miata because the head protection and low mounting point.


I have, and they SUCK. Sure they'll sit you low and they're good for holding you in, but god damn, they feel paper thin. It's the Probax Elise/Exige seats that are the money. The regular ones are very hard and thin.


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

Diamond Dave said:


> If you haven't sat in Lotus Elise seats before, you should. I think they're quite comfortable. I'm saving for them in my other Miata because the head protection and low mounting point.





DubNMiatafan said:


> I have, and they SUCK. Sure they'll sit you low and they're good for holding you in, but god damn, they feel paper thin. It's the Probax Elise/Exige seats that are the money. The regular ones are very hard and thin.


One of you weighs more then the other. $151,000,000 to whoever guesses correctly. 

More :beer:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

FuelDrivenSpeed said:


> One of you weighs more then the other. $151,000,000 to whoever guesses correctly.
> 
> More :beer:


I think we know the answer to that. Get to the point :laugh:


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I think we know the answer to that. Get to the point :laugh:


Haha I appreciate the understanding of the comedic gesture I was making. 

1:35 AM and :beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer: later I can't thank you enough for the mutual laugh. :beer: later


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

FuelDrivenSpeed said:


> Haha I appreciate the understanding of the comedic gesture I was making.
> 
> 1:35 AM and :beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer: later I can't thank you enough for the mutual laugh. :beer: later


No seriously, what was the point 

I weigh a svelte (some call it Skeletor-like) 120 lbs. Is my ass not fat enough for Lotus seats?


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Very good.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

No one likes you 43%.


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Loving this!


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## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

C4 A6 said:


> Just curious because I can't imagine those seats being too comfortable for long hauls.


I only rode in them 20 mins before getting in for a 12 hr drive to SC and they were fine for me. I actually like the lack of padding to them. The inflatable lumbar support makes up for it. Plus I'm only 5'8" 140lbs, so I have a bit of wiggle room, but they still hold me tight.

I know the seats are kind of a love/hate thing in general though. I love em, so my passengers can deal with it


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

You guy's are going to hate my NA when I get done with it, because as far as I've seen these are three of the best looking NA's in this entire thread. 

I can't wait to piss you guys off. :thumbup: :laugh:










One of the best NB's I've seen in this thread, hands down.


















And my old VR Jetta to give you an idea of what to expect:


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## FuelInMyVeins (Feb 8, 2012)




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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Masquerade said:


> You guy's are going to hate my NB when I get done with it, because as far as I've seen these are three of the best looking NB's in this entire thread.


Those aren't even NBs, stancetard.

kindly GTFO.:thumbup:


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

AKADriver said:


> Those aren't even NBs, stancetard.
> 
> kindly GTFO.:thumbup:


Did you really just say "stancetard?" 

I corrected my mistake, and admittedly I made one. And now? Moron...


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Masquerade said:


> Did you really just say "stancetard?"
> 
> I corrected my mistake, and admittedly I made one. And now? Moron...


But you still missed the mistake. :laugh:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

It still says NB before the red NA 

But what's with the whole "haters are motivators" attitude? Why not do something because it makes _you_ feel great? It's your car, after all. Not sure why people are out there seeking the approval of the internet.

I understand that not everyone wants to be a racecar driver, and while I enjoy tearing up twisties more than anything else, I understand that some people just want to go slow and low :beer:

Here's a slammed NB for you. I wouldn't drive a car like this but damn, it looks cool to me.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

That cars an abortion.


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## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

hushypushy said:


> I understand that not everyone wants to be a racecar driver, and while I enjoy tearing up twisties more than anything else, I understand that some people just want to go slow and low :beer:
> 
> Here's a slammed NB for you. I wouldn't drive a car like this but damn, it looks cool to me.


I wish more people had this kind of mindset. :thumbup:


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

hushypushy said:


> But what's with the whole "haters are motivators" attitude? Why not do something because it makes _you_ feel great? It's your car, after all. Not sure why people are out there seeking the approval of the internet.
> 
> I understand that not everyone wants to be a racecar driver, and while I enjoy tearing up twisties more than anything else, I understand that some people just want to go slow and low :beer:


:beer:


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## Chris_V (Jun 18, 2009)

Some from today's Cars N Coffee in MD...


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## H. Stark (Apr 18, 2007)

Just put a deposit down on an NB. Pictures to come Monday when I pick it up.


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Solid! :thumbup:


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

*FV-QR*

^ love the 95 M Edition...that color looks good on such a short list of cars.


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## Nuieve (Aug 20, 2009)

compy222 said:


> ^ love the 95 M Edition...that color looks good on such a short list of cars.


These cars (NA Miatas) are impossible to buy here. Right there with Lambo Venemo. Can only dream about one.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> No one likes you 43%.


What does this mean?


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Taking my NA on a road trip tomorrow. 
TN, and "The Dragon".

Super excited to have a vacation in my toy and not deal with anything for 4 days.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Claff said:


> What does this mean?


The guy who posted the white stanced (ruined) NA with orange wheels got banned and his username was 43%. Nothing to do with your car Claff, he just hated Miatas built as race cars (what they should be doing) so I posted a Miata doing what it does best.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Masquerade said:


> Solid! :thumbup:


Although I hate stance, my following comment has nothing to do with stance itself:

Those cars just plain look *ugly*. Super low with stretched tires does NOT compliment the Miata's body style. It just looks terrible. Aesthetically, it is really, really offensive. It looks like a small, ugly bloated frog.










That's how a Miata should look.

And yes Pennywise and hushypushy, I've heard what you have to say to me about how Miatas should look. And I continue to stand by my statement that stanced Miatas are terrible.


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


> And yes Pennywise and hushypushy, I've heard what you have to say to me about how Miatas should look. And I continue to stand by my statement that stanced Miatas are terrible.



I don't like cars from the 'stance' scene, so I'm not sure what you're saying


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Pennywise said:


> I don't like cars from the 'stance' scene, so I'm not sure what you're saying


Every time I've said something negative about a stanced car you've been on my case.


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Every time I've said something negative about a stanced car you've been on my case.


LOL WHAT? for the sake of keeping the thread going, here's my old NC...


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Woops, looking back I realized it was PineappleGTI and not you Pennywise. Damn your P names. All apologies. :beer:


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Every time I've said something negative about a stanced car you've been on my case.


Take a chill pill. It's a highly mass produced sports car, so a few thousands "stanced" ones really isn't a crime. For every 1 "stanced" Miata there's probably 10 times as many neglected and beat ones.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)




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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

the GWR NC is seriously my favorite NC.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> And yes Pennywise and hushypushy, I've heard what you have to say to me about how Miatas should look. And I continue to stand by my statement that stanced Miatas are terrible.


First of all, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: I believe Miatas (or indeed, any car) should look in whatever manner that gives the owner the most satisfaction. Unlike many people, I do not believe that there is only one way to mod a car, nor do I believe that the world would be a better place if every single car were modded to my own personal specifications.

You know what? No one is forcing you to like anything. Your opinions are made in your own head (hopefully). But surely you can understand that other people have their own tastes too, right?

What confuses me is that some people _really_ like to express themselves negatively  It's like talking **** about other peoples' cars makes them feel awesome or something. Of course, these are usually the people who never post up their own car, and rarely contribute anything of value.

FWIW DubNMiatafan, I think you are fairly level-headed. I don't recall seeing one of your posts and thinking "what kind of baseless BS am I reading??" But I do think you should shut up about hating "stance"; you (and all the other "haters") sound like a broken record--I've been reading the same comments for years now. You're not going to change anyone's mind, so stop the campaign already. There's a saying, "you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar". I think it means that you should keep posting sexy Miatas and stop bitching about the ones you don't like 


There's a Japanese dude I follow on Flickr, he takes some interesting pics of his NB.


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

^^ Clean & simple. :thumbup:


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## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

A couple of mine from our first C&C of the year, yesterday.


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

^^ Nice! :thumbup:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> First of all, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: I believe Miatas (or indeed, any car) should look in whatever manner that gives the owner the most satisfaction. Unlike many people, I do not believe that there is only one way to mod a car, nor do I believe that the world would be a better place if every single car were modded to my own personal specifications.
> 
> You know what? No one is forcing you to like anything. Your opinions are made in your own head (hopefully). But surely you can understand that other people have their own tastes too, right?
> 
> ...


 You make a fair point, but alas is it a public forum. I'm sure some people don't like some of the Miatas I post. I'm just salty because all of my life I've thought of Miatas as this sweet little sports car that is fun to drive and can devour more powerful cars on the track with a few simple mods. Now seeing all these stancekids getting them and taking away the one thing that makes them awesome in my book (truthfully, they're not drop dead gorgeous, just slightly above average in the looks department) just ruins the point of the car for me. It's like taking a chair, cutting off its legs into stubs, and angling the legs so it isn't stable. And most of these people modify the cars to "impress" other people, they don't seem to do it because they truly like it. It seems like the whole stance scene is just a teen fad that happened to include cars.

But enough ranting, here's some sweet Miatas.


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## aleexxxxx (Mar 30, 2007)

RIP PIR


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Ran across my old Miata the other day. Guy put wheels and coils on it. I kinda miss it.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

That looks nice. I would miss it too.


Maybe you should get yourself back into one


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> That looks nice. I would miss it too.
> 
> 
> Maybe you should get yourself back into one


Perhaps! I am relatively content with the A4 I daily now. It is decently fun as a daily, but I do wish I had a second car. I did the second car thing for a couple of years but I still live at home and I don't believe the parents would be happy about me trying to pull that again.

I do check craigslist for Miatas from time to time though. I must say that a 924/944 are what I really lust after for now. I might just save off on Porsches until after college though so I can get that 3.2 911


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## Helltime (Jun 3, 2009)

I have to sell my NA, makes me sad, but sore legs to the point of it being difficult to work isnt worth it, tried everything, foamectomy, spacing the front of the seat up and gas pedal/dead pedal mods, nothing worked, really sucks because that car is in such awesome shape and its a blast to drive.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Helltime said:


> I have to sell my NA, makes me sad, but sore legs to the point of it being difficult to work isnt worth it, tried everything, foamectomy, spacing the front of the seat up and gas pedal/dead pedal mods, nothing worked, really sucks because that car is in such awesome shape and its a blast to drive.


Have you tried floor mounted race seats? Pretty extreme but it's worth a shot.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Helltime said:


> I have to sell my NA, makes me sad, but sore legs to the point of it being difficult to work isnt worth it, tried everything, foamectomy, spacing the front of the seat up and gas pedal/dead pedal mods, nothing worked, really sucks because that car is in such awesome shape and its a blast to drive.


 How tall are you.. I am pretty sure I am one of the largest humans in a miata. Have you removed the arm rest and switched to a smaller wheel ?


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## Helltime (Jun 3, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Have you tried floor mounted race seats? Pretty extreme but it's worth a shot.


 Not the issue


Pineapplegti ! said:


> How tall are you.. I am pretty sure I am one of the largest humans in a miata. Have you removed the arm rest and switched to a smaller wheel ?


6'1. the issue isn't the lack of room, with the gas pedal and dead pedal delete I have plenty of room, the issue is the seat is too close to the floor which messes with the angle of my legs and ankle and causes sore muscles, I had a similar issue in a Z4 my dad had until I started playing with the seat and was able to adjust it up high enough that the issue went away.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> I am pretty sure I am one of the largest humans in a miata.


Confirmed. :laugh::thumbup: 

I'm picking up an NA this week for free man haha!

Oh, it's Dag. Forgot my SN email/pass, again.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Curious what front lip this is 'gents. Also, does anyone have the wheel/offset/tire specs? Looking for ballparks to start my wheel hunt.


----------



## Vash350z (Jun 25, 2007)

Masquerade said:


> Curious what front lip this is 'gents. Also, does anyone have the wheel/offset/tire specs? Looking for ballparks to start my wheel hunt.


I think that is the R package lip.


----------



## redshift (May 22, 2002)

Helltime said:


> Not the issue
> 
> 
> 6'1. the issue isn't the lack of room, with the gas pedal and dead pedal delete I have plenty of room, the issue is the seat is too close to the floor which messes with the angle of my legs and ankle and causes sore muscles, I had a similar issue in a Z4 my dad had until I started playing with the seat and was able to adjust it up high enough that the issue went away.


Have you sat in an NC? Only reason I ask is because I actually feel like the seat in my 2008 is too high. They added height-adjustment to the seat bottom in 2008 and in order to accommodate the extra bits, the lowest adjustment of the seat is higher than the 2007 seats were. When I sit in my wife's '07 or our '96 track car, I feel like I'm sitting down in a bucket, although it's nice not getting smacked in the forehead with all the wind.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Vash350z said:


> I think that is the R package lip.


Appears to be correct after some searching, thank you sir!


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Wheel/offset/tire specs: wrong

That's all you need to know :laugh:


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Wheel/offset/tire specs: wrong


As is your opinion.  :thumbup:

Much good going on in this picture...


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

No, not just my opinion. The FACTS of the car manufacturer, tire manufacturer, and wheel manufacturer.


----------



## Chris_V (Jun 18, 2009)

As was said, there's more than one way to build a car, and your way is only one way. It's only wrong if they come over and modify YOUR car in a way YOU don't want. Other than that, it's merely_ different_, and the sooner you get that concept, the easier your life will be.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

DubNMiatafan said:


> No, not just my opinion. The FACTS of the car manufacturer, tire manufacturer, and wheel manufacturer.


Oh hell, I should have known better than to banter back and forth with a complete dullard like yourself. 

On to the next one. :thumbup:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I come back to my chair analogy. Why chop the legs off the chair and angle them to make it unstable? Defeats the purpose of it being a chair.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I come back to my chair analogy. Why chop the legs off the chair and angle them to make it unstable? Defeats the purpose of it being a chair.


I can say with full confidence, that your analogy is the dumbest ****ing **** I've ever heard in my entire life. 

You have proved your point that you're a complete ****ing lame-ass with no imagination, light-heartedness, or ability to grasp the fact that you are not the last-word in how to modify (or in your case do absolutely nothing,) to a car. 

Now post some more pictures and shut the **** up champ. We _really_ are sick and tired of hearing you speak. As I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me drone on as well. 

2cents deposited. Keep it. :thumbup:


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)




----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I come back to my chair analogy. Why chop the legs off the chair and angle them to make it unstable? Defeats the purpose of it being a chair.


Yeah but then it looks like a freaking sweet chair.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Masquerade said:


> I can say with full confidence, that your analogy is the dumbest ****ing **** I've ever heard in my entire life.
> 
> You have proved your point that you're a complete ****ing lame-ass with no imagination, light-heartedness, or ability to grasp the fact that you are not the last-word in how to modify (or in your case do absolutely nothing,) to a car.
> 
> ...


 Give me one reason how "stancing" your Miata makes it a better car to drive. Just one. One reason that makes it a better driving car.


You can't. I rest my case.

And FYI, I have been posting pictures kid. Are you blind as well?


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Yeah but then it looks like a freaking sweet chair.


Wether you're serious or not, that was ****ing hilarious. :laugh::thumbup:

Not much into the colors, but it's a good build all around.:


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Same car as above, V2 however:


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Masquerade said:


> Same car as above, V2 however:


Both look great. I'm a sucker for green cars.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Give me one reason how "stancing" your Miata makes it a better car to drive. Just one. One reason that makes it a better driving car.


This isn't the thread for being the idiot that argues what you can and can't do with your car. We get your position, it has no bearing in this thread. I suggest you wander over to Miata.net where there's probably a discussion about which gasoline grade to use or which 15: wheels ruin the car the least.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Give me one reason how "stancing" your Miata makes it a better car to drive. Just one. One reason that makes it a better driving car.


Cars aren't only able to be experienced from the driver's seat. Cars can also be experienced from the outside. So for some style does matter. And style differs from person to person. 

Unless, of course, you think that cars should only come in a single color. After all, how does having multiple colors from the factory help performance?

I love performance-oriented Miatas as much as you do, but I'm not going to tell someone he was _wrong_ if he wants to compromise the handling to achieve a specific look.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Give me one reason how "stancing" your Miata makes it a better car to drive. Just one. One reason that makes it a better driving car.
> 
> And FYI, I have been posting pictures kid. Are you blind as well?


When the **** did I say I wanted a car that's good to drive? I want a car that makes me feel good, while driving. And those boring ass track-stars you posted, don't do it for me. And I really don't need to see any reason to continue this conversation about how we like our own cars. 

However your ability to read and understand what was written clearly needs to be addressed...

I said "...now post more pictures..." More, as in I've recognized that you've posted pictures, so continue. 

Reading comprehension sport, ask about it. :thumbup:

On with the show!


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

I can dig it. :thumbup:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I get that you guys do it for looks. What I don't get is that you said you like the how a stanced car feels while driving. I completely agree that a car is about feel. But what feel do you get when you have to worry about every bump in the road and can't take corners with aplomb because you'll bottom out your suspension and ruin your fenders? It just defeats the purpose of using a Miata. You can stance out a Focus (yes I've seen it done) or a Corolla or something and not be losing out on anything, but why take a car that is great from the factory at doing a specific thing and then proceed to make it worse at doing that thing? For me, feel is about the car performing as well as it possibly can while being able to hoon around like a 17 year old without breaking something. And that's what a proper track/autox setup does.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Masquerade said:


> I can dig it. :thumbup:


Hey, something we agree on! :laugh:


----------



## mk3junk956 (Apr 1, 2013)

this is the most wonderful thread in the world :thumbup:


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Hey, something we agree on! :laugh:


:thumbup:

And now something we most certainly won't agree on.


----------



## Chris_V (Jun 18, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Give me one reason how "stancing" your Miata makes it a better car to drive. Just one. One reason that makes it a better driving car.


Because it makes them happy to look at it and to drive around gathering attention? There's more than one way to enjoy driving a car, and many of us who have been lowering cars understand this. It's been going on since the '40s. And it's not stopping now.

Unlike you, I'm not a closed minded asshat and can build functional race cars AND lowriders and be happy with BOTH. 


By the way, chopping the legs off a chair and angling them outward make it a beach chair...


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Chris_V said:


> Because it makes them *happy to look at it and to drive around gathering attention*? There's more than one way to enjoy driving a car, and many of us who have been lowering cars understand this. It's been going on since the '40s. And it's not stopping now.
> 
> Unlike you, I'm not a closed minded asshat and can build functional race cars AND lowriders and be happy with BOTH.
> 
> ...


 By all means, say it looks cool (to you). But Masquerade brought "feel" into this. There's no way a stanced car feels better to drive than a properly set up car, or hell, even a stock one. 

And Touche about the chair :laugh:

Post more pictures!


----------



## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Please just drink a bottle of shut the **** up. Seriously. I used to like this thread. I liked both the cars you posted and (most) of the others. But do us a favor. SHUT UP.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

titleist1976 said:


> Please just drink a bottle of shut the **** up. Seriously. I used to like this thread. I liked both the cars you posted and (most) of the others. But do us a favor. SHUT UP.


Nah. It's a public forum. Everyone's open to critique of their opinion. Hell of a lot of people don't like what I say, you don't see me trying to tell them to shut up. Sure, I'll argue with them, but they can rant all they like. 


Now post some Miatas! (See what I did there? I didn't tell you to shut up. I don't like hearing what you have to say either but again, public forum.)


----------



## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

It's the "you need a Miata" thread. Not the "you need to listen to DubMiatafan spout off" thread. Nevermind. I'm out of here. It may be a public forum, but on this page alone, about a half dozen people asked you to just stop yapping. 

Enjoy your aneurism.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

So? They ask me to stop yapping, I continue giving my opinion and posting pictures. If you don't like it, get out of the thread. I'm discussing what I think works well for Miatas and posting pictures. Exactly what this thread is for. If you don't agree with what I have to say, tell me why and post some pictures. If you can't have a discussion about it, GTFO. :thumbup:


----------



## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Holy cow. You're like the neighbor's annoying little Chihuahua.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

titleist1976 said:


> Holy cow. You're like the neighbor's annoying little Chihuahua.












Now either post some Miatas or quit cluttering the thread with your whining.


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

All this stancefail isn't making me need a Miata. I thought that's what this thread was about?


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

people should shut up before a thread with a variety of miata flavors gets locked up. we get it -- some of us track our cars, some us do the stance thing, and some of us just leave them alone. that should be the end of it. as much as the stance thing isn't what i would do, it's not my car. i'll do what i want to mine and they'll do what they want to theirs.


----------



## Nisic (Mar 14, 2013)

Cool thread.  I bought my 1992 Miata in October 2012 with 59,000 original miles and sold in March 2013 with 63,000. It was my first car and I am so thankful it was. I learned so much from it and it probably won't be my last one either. So last month, I got an awesome deal I could not give up so I sold it and picked myself up a 2004 R32 with 50,000 miles. 

Miata(Last picture of it with the new owner)


R32 


Sorry for the crappy pictures. LOL

P.S. I was going to rebuild the Miata interior with a classic/vintage look so if anyone is interested, the link below has the items with pictures for sale.

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/28-sale-trade/71970-interior-part-out.html


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

^^ those door cards look amazing


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Retro inspired Miatas are so awesome. There's a great thread dedicated to them on either miata.net or clubroadster. I forget which.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

:thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## Nisic (Mar 14, 2013)

Pennywise said:


> ^^ those door cards look amazing


Thanks a bunch, I think they the plates make them. Pretty rare I think not sure though.


mellbergVWfan - I know there's one on clubroadster and I love them. Props to your Miata, I love those wheels!


----------



## Phunkshon (Nov 16, 2005)




----------



## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

That last blue one had 245s on it


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

That last blue one is a fine example of a well-tuned Miata. Not my particular taste, but a fine example of a drivers car, none-the-less.


----------



## JDMX-5 (Jun 22, 2011)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Wow that looks fantastic! That red pops so much. I want your oil cap!


----------



## JDMX-5 (Jun 22, 2011)

Not my car  Owner is Ricky Silverio, this car was featured in Sport Compact Car in the 90's


----------



## Spiller337 (Nov 27, 2009)

Went to NYIAS today. There was the new club edition of the NC Miata with the power retractable hard top. Sat in it for a couple of minutes.

I WANT that car. I DO need a miata.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I get that you guys do it for looks. What I don't get is that you said you like the how a stanced car feels while driving. I completely agree that a car is about feel. But what feel do you get when you have to worry about every bump in the road and can't take corners with aplomb because you'll bottom out your suspension and ruin your fenders? It just defeats the purpose of using a Miata. You can stance out a Focus (yes I've seen it done) or a Corolla or something and not be losing out on anything, but why take a car that is great from the factory at doing a specific thing and then proceed to make it worse at doing that thing? For me, feel is about the car performing as well as it possibly can while being able to hoon around like a 17 year old without breaking something. And that's what a proper track/autox setup does.












The answer to that is buy two miatas one to look at and one to drive .. or as I have found one of each of these.. .. That being said I will still acquire a D-prepped miata (streetable where I live) for a 5th or 6th car..I forget where I am at.


----------



## H. Stark (Apr 18, 2007)

Just started its own thread but here was my purchase from yesterday.


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Retro inspired Miatas are so awesome. There's a great thread dedicated to them on either miata.net or clubroadster. I forget which.


Should be a "Bored boyfriends in cars" thread :laugh:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Spiller337 said:


> Went to NYIAS today. There was the new club edition of the NC Miata with the power retractable hard top. Sat in it for a couple of minutes.
> 
> I WANT that car. I DO need a miata.


Last week I saw one (Club w/PRHT) at my local Mazda dealership, so I sat in it and made some vroom noises. It was my first time even sitting in an NC.

I'm not really digging the PRHT (the looks and the concept of a power hardtop on a Miata), but the NC interior is really cool. It's like they just modernized the NA interior.

I haven't driven one...but for the price, I'm pretty satisfied with my FR-S 

I had some cell phone pics but I broke that phone the other day. The one I saw was white, which seems to be kind of rare. Google turns up almost exclusively red ones.


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

^^ That looks good. :thumbup:


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## redshift (May 22, 2002)

Really not feeling the mismatched 2 of 3 hardtop panels. That just looks "off" to me.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

redshift said:


> Really not feeling the mismatched 2 of 3 hardtop panels. That just looks "off" to me.


Upon further viewing, you're absolutely right. It's distracting.


----------



## redshift (May 22, 2002)

*FV-QR*

Yeah. A mismatched clamshell hardtop I can understand since those things are f*cking hard to get at sometimes. But this, on purpose? Just weird, IMO.


----------



## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

I did my removable hardtop in black, as its one big piece which makes the two-tone effect work much better, I think


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

I'd like to see a better shot of that hardtop/setup if you got it. :thumbup:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)




----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

A slew of fantasticness ensues....


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

The wheels look like sofa casters, but other than that this is such a clean car!


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

MRVW00 said:


> Taking my NA on a road trip tomorrow.
> TN, and "The Dragon".
> 
> Super excited to have a vacation in my toy and not deal with anything for 4 days.


How'd you like the Dragon? I can't wait to go back this year. On topic, a crappy instagram pic from my last day in Pittsburgh and one of my new location in SC 










lots of garage space!


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## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

You guy's will _love_ this one... 

That's a x10, et -29. Like my boy DeHate said, I'd have just went with 11's at that point, but hey - work with what you got i suppose.
-


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

^if it's the slammed ones you're into, there are much better looking ones than that.










This guy has some serious money into his. All quality/rare parts and he didn't skip a thing.


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

I love me some "vintage/retro" styled Miatas.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

This is _very_ interesting...


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

I would never rock the Pit Crew front, but yeah, it's just so..._interesting_ to look at. I don't dislike it though, I'm strangely drawn in :what:














also




























what the heck is this?










:vampire:


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Pit Crew nose 

http://www.rspeed.net/Pitcrew_Front_Nose_Miata_90_97_p/na00818200.htm


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Who's is this anyways? I'd like to ask them some fitment questions...


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Not a fan of the Pit Crew nose. Headlights are too low on the car. It looks depressed


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

Masquerade said:


> Who's is this anyways? I'd like to ask them some fitment questions...


His username on clubroadster.net is JDMPalace. He's a good source for rare/actual JDM parts.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

paulmo said:


> His username on clubroadster.net is JDMPalace. He's a good source for rare/actual JDM parts.


Good looking out!


----------



## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)

my roadster


----------



## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Drove race prepped miata today at an autox, all I can say is wow as the first rwd car i've ever driven. It was quite the transition from driving fwd at an autox, completely different approach and feel from the drivers seat. I liked how the learning curve wasn't too bad, still had some surprises, but getting a rwd roadster is on my eventual list


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Sledge said:


> Not a fan of the Pit Crew nose. Headlights are too low on the car. It looks depressed














The Pit Crew front really says _Karmann Ghia_ to me...










oh, and to keep it Miata related...I can't remember if I posted this shot, but I'm not going through 39 pages to find out...


----------



## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

Had a small local meet this afternoon. 70 and sunny in Ohio?!


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Washed it.. drove it..parked it.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

****, who needs Pinterest? This thread is just fine for me.










Liking this nose. 










Wonder how hard it'd be to find someone to upholster OEM seats in fabric with this pattern (after a foamectomy). Love the diamond pattern stitch, not feeling leather/vinyl in an open top car though.

In other Miata-related news: these appeared in my basement this weekend. 










Counting the days until monsoon season ends.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

I want that bike.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Aaaand-done.










Next up: Bushings/springs/shocks/tophats.


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Are those the new BFG Rivals?
I'm probably going to pick up a set next to replace my R-S3's. From what I understand, they're about the same grip-wise on a 225/45/15, and probably a little more predictable... but the good part is that they are listed as a 200 tread wear vs 140 tread wear of the Handkooks. 

That'll free up 2 Miata Challenge points so I can put in my VVT motor.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Nah, just g-Force sports. We get too much rain here through June to make the Rival a reasonable street tire IMO.


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

Stolen from www.slamburglars.com


----------



## Masquerade (Mar 28, 2013)

...and another.


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

Numbersix said:


> Nah, just g-Force sports. We get too much rain here through June to make the Rival a reasonable street tire IMO.


How's the quality on those TR-Motorsports? I've never seen a set in person and was always curious how they are, given the cost. It would be a good alternative to other wheels on the market.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Numbersix said:


> Nah, just g-Force sports. We get too much rain here through June to make the Rival a reasonable street tire IMO.


The Sport comps are a pretty good tire even still. Especially in lighter cars. I've got a set of 195/50/15's on my car. :thumbup:


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Pennywise said:


> How's the quality on those TR-Motorsports? I've never seen a set in person and was always curious how they are, given the cost. It would be a good alternative to other wheels on the market.


They seem fine thus far. About 12.8lbs and the finish seems to be good thus far. People use them for track work quite a bit, so they are apparently quite robust. I got this set slightly used (3 months old) for an unbeatable price, so I couldn't complain.


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

I run the TR Motorsports 15x9 C3m (225/45/15) on the track car and the 15x8 C1 spec E30 (205/50/15) on the street car. Given the price, they're a good compromise. A little heavy, and I've heard people complain about the variances in spoke thickness. I have a full season on my 15x9's and I keep a close eye on them for cracks.

TireRack blatantly took all the fitment information directly from Emilio @ 949 Racing. My next set of wheels will be a set of 6ULs just for that reason. Nobody wants to see the big guy profit from the little guy's work.


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Mine has gone through a few changes since last year

Street setup is 15x8/9 Equip 01's 
Track setup is 15x7 with 205/50 Azenis










Put these in last week which, unfortunately, I absolutely hate now that they're in the car. With the foam in they sit as high as stock. With no foam they sit low but not enough to pass the broomstick test. I'll be ditching these for some Kirkeys or Ultrashields soon.


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

SourKrout said:


>


I'm loving that purple rollbar! :thumbup: I've been thinking about powdercoating mine bronze, once I get one, that is. I'd totally bite your style and do purple, but I think that might clash to much with red, lol. :laugh:


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

zeewhiz said:


> I'm loving that purple rollbar! :thumbup: I've been thinking about powdercoating mine bronze, once I get one, that is. I'd totally bite your style and do purple, but I think that might clash to much with red, lol. :laugh:


Thanks for the love  Its actually a candy purple which goes well with the color shifting tendencies of the Montego Blue paint. Its different and I love it :thumbup:

The bronze sounds like a good idea for a Red car. A white pearl might be neat too.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Don't know if I ever posted these, but here's mine:


----------



## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

So I know everyone was a huge fan of my friend's Miata: 
 

In the past two months it has undergone some changes, mainly this: 
 

To this: 
 

 

 
 

Paint will be happening hopefully within the month :thumbup:


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

Took the top off for the first time in a while


----------



## Craig610 (Apr 22, 2013)

one crappy pic of mine. mild STS prep at this point, plan to do more work over the winter and go hard next season. evolution school this saturday, i hope the weather holds out!


----------



## neilhimself (Dec 7, 2012)

paulmo said:


> Took the top off for the first time in a while


 Anymore pics? I am a sucker for a red interior.


----------



## H. Stark (Apr 18, 2007)

paulmo said:


> Took the top off for the first time in a while


 You're over on CR right? If so I read through your build thread the other day. Me gusta.


----------



## lojasmo (Dec 23, 2002)

Have a line on a 2 owwner 1990 for $3300


----------



## Stigmata (Jun 1, 2001)

This thread made me do bad things - blow my tax return on a Miata. It's a black and tan 94 with a salvage title . It seemed well cared for - engine stock down to the intake but with a roll bar and adjustable KYBs. Sitting in it the first time it smelled like my Dad's MG - had to have it. 










Got some wheels 









Installed an M-style front lip and the Touge Run spoiler - no pics yet. Next up is to figure out if I should replace the KYBs with one of the Flyin' Miata kits. No plans other than daily driver.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Craig610 said:


> one crappy pic of mine. mild STS prep at this point, plan to do more work over the winter and go hard next season. evolution school this saturday, i hope the weather holds out!


 Pics didn't show up for me. STS is a great class to run in, what have you done with the car so far and what are your goals? You picked a good start with the Evo school, you'll get a lot out of it. I'm doing a Level II school in a couple weeks.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I drove my NA today....God I miss that car after spending a weekend in my Audi


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

neilhimself said:


> Anymore pics? I am a sucker for a red interior.


 I'm the same - always loved it in other cars and hadn't seen an NB with it before. Just got this crummy Instagram pic for now. I don't have a real camera haha. I recently painted the remaining tan pieces black for the time being, because I'm gonna be getting an NA6 dash soon. 












H. Stark said:


> You're over on CR right? If so I read through your build thread the other day. Me gusta.


 Yup! I'm 'morr' on CR. Thanks  Guessing you're Stark with that red NA with the Aerios looking kit? If so, I love it. Very cleanly executed car!


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

MRVW00 said:


> I drove my NA today....God I miss that car after spending a weekend in my Audi


 After driving home from work in the Prius, I went to get some lettuce and tomato from the supermarket in the Miata. 

That's right. It's the grocery getter for the next 9 months :laugh:


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

You get it too! 

I'm literally doing the same thing right after this post. 

Drove the Audi to appointments in a suit, come home and switch into shorts and flip-flops for a drive in the NA!


----------



## Juniper Monkeys (Jul 18, 2003)

Anyone else going to the Miata thing at Laguna Seca this weekend?


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

Juniper Monkeys said:


> Anyone else going to the Miata thing at Laguna Seca this weekend?


 I sure as hell wish I was  I will be going to Miatas At The Gap again this year though! I'd highly recommend it to anyone within a reasonable driving distance. It's an awesome time!


----------



## H. Stark (Apr 18, 2007)

paulmo said:


> Yup! I'm 'morr' on CR. Thanks  Guessing you're Stark with that red NA with the Aerios looking kit? If so, I love it. Very cleanly executed car!


 Thanks but I'm not actually. I've registered but haven't posted at all on Club Roadster. I have a completely stock 01 SE. That will change soon though.


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

vortexblue said:


> TireRack blatantly took all the fitment information directly from Emilio @ 949 Racing. My next set of wheels will be a set of 6ULs just for that reason. Nobody wants to see the big guy profit from the little guy's work.


 so you're saying TireRack is incapable of figuring out wheel diameter and offset combinations to meet a variety of rulesets? 

on topic, these are my autocross weapons from last year (was mine) and this year (not mine), respectively.


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Pf3il said:


> so you're saying TireRack is incapable of figuring out wheel diameter and offset combinations to meet a variety of rulesets?


 Nope, not saying they they can't... I'm saying that they didn't.


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

vortexblue said:


> Nope, not saying they they can't... I'm saying that they didn't.


 we're not talking about proprietary designs here. they're wheels. diameter, width, and offset. 5th grade math. 

they're not even competing directly with him. his wheels are much better quality, with a matching price. what's the big deal?


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Pf3il said:


> we're not talking about proprietary designs here. they're wheels. diameter, width, and offset. 5th grade math.
> 
> they're not even competing directly with him. his wheels are much better quality, with a matching price. what's the big deal?


 You're right, and I'm not disagreeing with you. The wheels don't even look similar. 

Anyone can take the time and measure up to see a 15x9 is going to need a 36et on an early Miata. There are plenty of companies that have done this as well. Still, TR took the fitment instructions/ sizing directly from his website - and didn't even change the wording when they posted the info on their site (There was a post about this on MiataTurbo or Miata.net). From what I understand, they've done the same thing with other car makes with special size/offset combos that are not common, but popular. 949 did the work to see which would work the best in a track environment; TR grabbed the specs and designed their own wheel around those specs. 

I agree that the 949's are built nicer/ are lighter than the budget TRM's. 

I kinda feel like you're coming after me for some reason.  I *have* the Tire Rack wheels on 2 of my cars; I will be purchasing 6uls for the track car later this season. It is what is is.


----------



## Pf3il (Dec 28, 2004)

vortexblue said:


> You're right, and I'm not disagreeing with you. The wheels don't even look similar.
> 
> Anyone can take the time and measure up to see a 15x9 is going to need a 36et on an early Miata. There are plenty of companies that have done this as well. Still, TR took the fitment instructions/ sizing directly from his website - and didn't even change the wording when they posted the info on their site (There was a post about this on MiataTurbo or Miata.net). From what I understand, they've done the same thing with other car makes with special size/offset combos that are not common, but popular. 949 did the work to see which would work the best in a track environment; TR grabbed the specs and designed their own wheel around those specs.
> 
> ...


 i thought you were making an unfounded accusation, but i wasn't aware of the copy/pasta from 949's site. interesting. :beer:


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

That's why the info is no longer there... 

Of course, the gate was locked after the horse got out. :laugh:


----------



## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)




----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

vortexblue said:


> That's why the info is no longer there...
> 
> Of course, the gate was locked after the horse got out. :laugh:


 Was it even there to begin with hilosoraptor:


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Mr. Clarkson said:


>


 :thumbup::thumbup: 

looks great.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

More history 




Pf3il said:


> so you're saying TireRack is incapable of figuring out wheel diameter and offset combinations to meet a variety of rulesets?


 There was NOTHING remotely close to the sizing specs before Emilio designed that wheel. It was getting tough to find more than ~5 light and strong 15x7 wheels and no one was even considering a 15X8 in the FWD fitment. Emilio spends years designing, researching, and testing to come up with the first 6UL 15X8 and TireRack mysteriously shows up with the SAME sizing after the first season of podium finishers on 6UL's. 

Here's the play-by-play thread of a one-man show fulfilling his dream of making his own, unique wheel to compete with the big brands, but using a nique process (for the price point). Read through some of his posts and you can see the blood, sweat, and tears (well, and money) he shed in the process of designing, refining, and bringing this wheel to market. Then to have TR come in and just copy the spec sheet. It's the reason I won't buy their wheels. I'd rather support the little guy who put the time in and that has a superior product. 

Until Emilio did that, it was hard to justify bringing a 15x7 wheel to market with those sizes. Since Emilio took the leap and proved the market, the others just copied the specs.


----------



## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

Masquerade said:


> Good looking out!


 he lives in my area and has over 40 cars, nice guy..brought a mint 1973 2002 to our last meet. I might be able to ask him some questions for you..


----------



## lynx8489 (Jul 29, 2002)

anyone know what wheels, size and offset? wow. are they RS's?


----------



## sforsancho (May 1, 2010)

Some pictures from a Yosemite day trip:


----------



## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

lynx8489 said:


> anyone know what wheels, size and offset? wow. are they RS's?


 16x9.5 CCWs


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

sforsancho said:


> Some pictures from a Yosemite day trip:


 Wait...RRs on the street?


----------



## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)

Got a Nardi shift knob, and matching ebrake handle. 









Just a few random photos I took with my point and shoot


----------



## Helltime (Jun 3, 2009)

This thread makes me wish the weather would coopterate so i can go enjoy mine with the top down again!


----------



## sforsancho (May 1, 2010)

C4 A6 said:


> Wait...RRs on the street?


 Toyo RA1s (100 treadwear) with very little tread left. I have two cars, so the Miata is driven only on the sunniest of days. But yes, it is well past time for new rubber


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

Helltime said:


> This thread makes me wish the weather would coopterate so i can go enjoy mine with the top down again!


 My hardtop has been off for 4 days now  Luckily I have a garage to park in overnight (as I've removed the soft top/frame altogether).


----------



## Anz33alone (Apr 24, 2013)

I hope the weather holds out!


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

sforsancho said:


> Toyo RA1s (100 treadwear) with very little tread left. I have two cars, so the Miata is driven only on the sunniest of days. But yes, it is well past time for new rubber


 Ah the double grove in the middle made me think they were straight RRs. God damn, bald RA1s


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

Mr. Clarkson said:


> NC


 GOOD GOD.


----------



## white91A (Apr 28, 2013)

Diamond Dave said:


> More history
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Hmmmm. That's not quite correct. The Chaparral wheels and other makes have had proper fitments for Miatas for many years. There is nothing magical about the 37mm offset, although that's the most convenient for Miata without rolling the fenders. I'm rocking +25 fitment and it works just fine.


----------



## Den2Bright (Apr 27, 2013)

I am sure we will meet again.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

No moving shots yet, but here's a still from the first autox of the season today. Placed first in 90-93 (1.6) class with 24 year old stock suspension, greasy all seasons and a Cobalt cat back. Other than that, the car is bone stock with regards to go faster mods. Not too shabby! :laugh:


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

i made a miata look big today :laugh:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Doing what they do best


----------



## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

If anyone knows of a BRG '91 SE for sale in southern California, please let me know


----------



## Grip Driver (Feb 16, 1999)




----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Grip Driver said:


>


 Looks great!


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

buddys hoonmobile


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

freedo84gti said:


> buddys hoonmobile


 I notice the dual exhaust. What's done to it?


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

C4 A6 said:


> I notice the dual exhaust. What's done to it?


 thats it coilovers, cold air intake, and dual exhaust at the moment. pretty much stock engine. one he gets the money hes eventually going to do some engine work


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

freedo84gti said:


> i made a miata look big today :laugh:


 Haha wow, I've seen lots of Corvairs in person (there's a Spyder Vert I frequently see around my work) but that puts them in a different perspective. :thumbup:


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

freedo84gti said:


> thats it coilovers, cold air intake, and dual exhaust at the moment. pretty much stock engine. one he gets the money hes eventually going to do some engine work


 Ah. Thought maybe he had LS swap.


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Haha wow, I've seen lots of Corvairs in person (there's a Spyder Vert I frequently see around my work) but that puts them in a different perspective. :thumbup:


 the rest of the photos are here 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.455935987819584.1073741837.427843143962202&type=1 

and photos of just the miata 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.455931917819991.1073741836.427843143962202&type=1


----------



## pinkmeansdanger (Feb 22, 2013)

Here's mine from this weekend before it broke something up front. Still need to put it on the lift to see whats rattling up front but i suspect it's endlink related.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Damn thing is getting my driveway dirty  237 whp toy 








The other hides with the mopeds.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Digging the white one Pineapple, but with that cage I would ditch those seats before you get some brain damage from the cage. Looks like you would need some racing seats and a full harness setup to be safe.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Digging the white one Pineapple, but with that cage I would ditch those seats before you get some brain damage from the cage. Looks like you would need some racing seats and a full harness setup to be safe.


 It was a drag car... still not sure what will be done for seating.. Pretty much if I put one on its lid I'm done cage or not due to my size lol


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> It was a drag car... still not sure what will be done for seating.. Pretty much if I put one on its lid I'm done cage or not due to my size lol


 i think people who have never seen your mk2/mk3 threads have no idea how tall of a human you really are


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> It was a drag car... still not sure what will be done for seating.. Pretty much if I put one on its lid I'm done cage or not due to my size lol


 The worry is getting rear-ended, not rolling over. If you get rear-ended your head is going to hit the cage pretty hard.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> The worry is getting rear-ended, not rolling over. If you get rear-ended your head is going to hit the cage pretty hard.


 Yep. And if you're a lanky monster of a human, a set of Elise seats will solve both problems, if you can find 'em.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

AKADriver said:


> Yep. And if you're a lanky monster of a human, a set of Elise seats will solve both problems, if you can find 'em.


 Elise seats will work for you mear mortals .. Lol but not I. It took an act of Mithra to get me into a miata period . The red car is getting custom low backed 914 seats . The white miata is void of any rear bumper rebar etc so a rear ender is totally out of the question ..if you live your life on what could happen you won't have any fun .


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

white91A said:


> Hmmmm. That's not quite correct. The Chaparral wheels and other makes have had proper fitments for Miatas for many years.


 Wow, you must really have been frustrated by my comment; had to join just so you could white knight. 


You missed the point. Before the 6UL, there was no off-the-shelf, single piece, 15x8 wheel with 4x100 bolt pattern and et37. Lots of options existed for a custom order, but it wasn't a standard stock item.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> Elise seats will work for you mear mortals .. Lol but not I. It took an act of Mithra to get me into a miata period . The red car is getting custom low backed 914 seats . The white miata is void of any rear bumper rebar etc so a rear ender is totally out of the question ..if you live your life on what could happen you won't have any fun .


 More power to you, but driving a car with a cage and no headrest isn't just "what could happen", you are stacking the deck against your survival.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

AKADriver said:


> More power to you, but driving a car with a cage and no headrest isn't just "what could happen", you are stacking the deck against your survival.


 stock seats are like having no headrests for me... whats the difference


----------



## de_la_mmmiata (Sep 28, 2011)

Mine.


----------



## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

de_la_mmmiata said:


> Mine.


 Quality. Thanks for joining/posting :thumbup: Throw up some specs!


----------



## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

de_la_mmmiata said:


> Mine.


 That is the dictionary definition of bad-ass. Excellent.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

CJ318 said:


> Quality. Thanks for joining/posting :thumbup: Throw up some specs!


 multi lug work knock offs :laugh::laugh: 
:wave: Hi Anthony :wave:


----------



## stevegolf (Aug 13, 2003)

beautiful


----------



## de_la_mmmiata (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks guys. Been on here for a while now. Actually bought a set of RM's on vortex a while back. I sold the RM's to get the works you see on the car in my pics. They are 15x9 +7 and 15x9.5 +1 with 195/50 tires




Pineapplegti ! said:


> multi lug work knock offs :laugh::laugh:
> :wave: Hi Anthony :wave:


 Lol I hate you Aron. Haven't seen you at the meets in a while. Where ya at?


----------



## DzlDub (Aug 16, 2007)

Going to look at a 92 sunburst yellow with a hardtop in an hour. Maybe it's time for me to get in a Miata!


----------



## de_la_mmmiata (Sep 28, 2011)

DzlDub said:


> Going to look at a 92 sunburst yellow with a hardtop in an hour. Maybe it's time for me to get in a Miata!


 Sunburst is a very rare color 👌👌👌
If you can find one in factory orange it's even more rare


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

de_la_mmmiata said:


> 👌👌
> If you can find one in factory orange it's even more rare


 So rare it doesn't exist anymore  Mazda only made the one test color car orange (nicknamed "Sunkist") and it was totalled a few years back. No paint code existed so they matched the paint as close as they could. Hence, it's no longer the original color. But, if you've got $30K, you can buy it.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

de_la_mmmiata said:


> Thanks guys. Been on here for a while now. Actually bought a set of RM's on vortex a while back. I sold the RM's to get the works you see on the car in my pics. They are 15x9 +7 and 15x9.5 +1 with 195/50 tires
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 been playing with mopeds and scooters lol


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I drove my car for the past 2 days. Damn it's fun. 

Also, I'm sunburned.


----------



## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

K, so your Miata has wheels... what else? (specs means more than wheel fitment :laugh: )


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

CJ318 said:


> K, so your Miata has wheels... what else? (specs means more than wheel fitment :laugh: )


 From what i remember.. 
supercharger 
914 seats 
low pro headlights 
tein coils


----------



## de_la_mmmiata (Sep 28, 2011)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> From what i remember..
> supercharger
> 914 seats
> low pro headlights
> tein coils


 Projectg sideskirts, 25mm fenders and hardtop glass. I'm on BC coils. There's a lot more Not listed though.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Open air lunch by the Bay? Why yes.


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

de_la_mmmiata said:


> Projectg sideskirts, 25mm fenders and hardtop glass. I'm on BC coils. There's a lot more Not listed though.


 Any pics of the 914 seats installed? How hard was it to fit them into the miata?


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

http://www.flyinmiata.com/projects/707/index.php?UID=67 

Keith @ Flyin' Miata did this. I had some to install on my daily before I sourced my probax Elise seats. 

I still have 3 914 seats sitting in my garage (2 for the car, and 1 office chair with base!), if anybody wants to give it a go.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

vortexblue said:


> http://www.flyinmiata.com/projects/707/index.php?UID=67
> 
> Keith @ Flyin' Miata did this. I had some to install on my daily before I sourced my probax Elise seats.
> 
> I still have 3 914 seats sitting in my garage (2 for the car, and 1 office chair with base!), if anybody wants to give it a go.


 Im planning to lowback mine and make a bracket that bolts to the stock location and then bolts to the seat bottom.. Should be as low as possible..I pick up almost 3 inches over a heavily foam ectomied seat.. 
Test fit in what was my first miata ( don't mind the ****ty wheels or the even ****tier car they are attached to )( and the seats are from my rail.. hence the color and tweed  
Again.. my neck sits higher than the stock headrests so in a rear ender im "finished" as most of you have alluded too.. and if this thing goes on its lid I am a dead man .


----------



## de_la_mmmiata (Sep 28, 2011)

Aron the seat look really good! I need to reupholster mine. Vinyl is terrible in the summer especially on the drives to cali


----------



## de_la_mmmiata (Sep 28, 2011)

zeewhiz said:


> Any pics of the 914 seats installed? How hard was it to fit them into the miata?


 Not a good pic but here's one from IG

http://distilleryimage6.ak.instagram.com/012cee4af53411e18e1522000a1ea03a_7.jpg


----------



## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

Put the suspension on last night :thumbup:


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

de_la_mmmiata said:


> Aron the seat look really good! I need to reupholster mine. Vinyl is terrible in the summer especially on the drives to cali


 Thanks man. The seats pictured are out of my rail.. I picked up the mate to my other seat today so I guess it's time for brackets .


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Twosont said:


> Put the suspension on last night :thumbup:


 Looks great! What kind?


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)




----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Twosont said:


> Put the suspension on last night :thumbup:


 
I see you opted for the 'black hole' edition. :wave:


----------



## Burnitwithfire (May 14, 2005)

Twosont said:


> Put the suspension on last night :thumbup:


----------



## Chris_V (Jun 18, 2009)

from this weekend's cars n coffe in Hunt valley, a fat tire racer in progress:


----------



## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Looks great! What kind?


 Thanks :beer: 
koni adjustable shocks, ground control coil over sleeves with eibach springs, mazda speed adjustable swaybar end links


----------



## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

Burnitwithfire said:


>


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

My favorite sunburst :heart:


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

I can dig it


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

It also has 250 hp out of a turbo 1.6 with a DSM ECU :laugh:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> My favorite sunburst :heart:


This meets with my approval.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> My favorite sunburst :heart:


A stunning looking car. I never really cared for Sunbursts the way some people do, but that looks gorgeous. And with a turbo 1.6? I'll take it.


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

Here's an updated picture of mine:










I've taken about 200lbs out of it so far and just installed a set of ground controls over koni yellow shocks. I am going to get it aligned and corner weighted soon and will find out what the weight is at now. I need to ditch the ES decals and get a new set made for the current autocross class - I'm pretty sure I'll be classed in DP but will have to double check. 

Also - RockAuto recently chose my car to be on their magnets.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

It's gonna take a lot more than coilovers to get bounced all the way up to DP. What else have you done?


----------



## rjohnstonstl (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks in part to the influence of this thread, I picked this up a few weeks ago:










It's a 1997 that's mostly stock expect for a few goodies like adjustable Konis, some other suspension upgrades and a Borla cat-back.

Loving is so far. Should be a fun summer/project car.


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

Claff said:


> It's gonna take a lot more than coilovers to get bounced all the way up to DP. What else have you done?


It's effectively an STS car with a gutted interior. I think the gutted interior automatically bumps me into the prepared class. I wasn't competitive in ES and surely wont be competitive in DP, but the car is definitely a lot more fun to drive now.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

DubNMiatafan said:


> My favorite sunburst :heart:


My next Miata is going to be Sunburst yellow.


----------



## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

rjohnstonstl said:


> Thanks in part to the influence of this thread, I picked this up a few weeks ago:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


and a new mustang. nice stable :thumbup:


----------



## paulmo (Mar 15, 2013)

DubNMiatafan said:


> My favorite sunburst :heart:


Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that the NA that was owned by the guy that posted videos of updates and projects on all his other cars? I think he recently sold it - called it Sunflower or something? Wish I could remember the guy's name. His videos were always entertaining :laugh:

edit: My buddy Chris changed his look up recently. Used to look like this...










With new wheels/flares. Wheels are 15x9 et.0 Flares are Autokonexion I believe - can't remember which version.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

It was (still is?) owned by TurboMirageDude. 


After further searching, it looks like he put it back to stock and sold it


----------



## TurboTrucka (Nov 18, 2002)

rjohnstonstl said:


> Thanks in part to the influence of this thread, I picked this up a few weeks ago:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My car. How's it treating you?


----------



## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

paulmo said:


> With new wheels/flares. Wheels are 15x9 et.0 Flares are Autokonexion I believe - can't remember which version.


OMG so sexy! That tire combo, how's it working? I know S2000 guys who have RE-11s in the back and StarSpecs in the front, but that may be better for higher HP cars.


----------



## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)

A photo someone took from staggered


----------



## rjohnstonstl (Feb 1, 2008)

TurboTrucka said:


> My car. How's it treating you?


Quite well. Passed inspection/smog with no problem. Planning to drive and enjoy it while addressing a few issues like the rear window and rocker surface rust.


----------



## TurboTrucka (Nov 18, 2002)

rjohnstonstl said:


> Quite well. Passed inspection/smog with no problem. Planning to drive and enjoy it while addressing a few issues like the rear window and rocker surface rust.


Glad it's working out.


----------



## asadjewonxmas (Jan 24, 2007)

Currently For Sale by my soon to be Brother in Law. 

1992 Miata soft top. 160k miles garage kept. 5 speed. Clean title. Car is stock from what i am told minus the head unit. It is Located in Nashville. Car does need a battery but ill start with a jump. 

PM me for details or offers. I see no reason why this car isnt worth 2500-3500 easily.


----------



## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

I just bought this one today just to play with. 1996 5-speed, 250k. Has rust and faded paint. original owner, has stack of receipts. We'll see how long it lasts. I really know nothing about these cars. I just always wanted one and the price was right. I'm hoping it passes NJ inspection this week.


----------



## JMillerUA6 (Sep 1, 2009)

DooDooMagoo said:


> A photo someone took from staggered


lol...those are the tiniest Work Meisters I've ever seen. :thumbup:


----------



## still_a_G (Jun 23, 2008)

asadjewonxmas said:


> Currently For Sale by my soon to be Brother in Law.
> 
> 1992 Miata soft top. 160k miles garage kept. 5 speed. Clean title. Car is stock from what i am told minus the head unit. It is Located in Nashville. Car does need a battery but ill start with a jump.
> 
> PM me for details or offers. I see no reason why this car isnt worth 2500-3500 easily.



I see no reason why this should be worth more than $1800. If I'm wrong than the children of TCL have really outdone themselves.


----------



## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

That would be a $3500-5k car all year long in Ohio.


----------



## still_a_G (Jun 23, 2008)

Last year I sold my 90 with 115k miles, koni shocks, FM sways, rollbar, maintenance records, momo interior for $1,350. I regret it for sure but could not fetch more for it around here. Had some rust but otherwise drove like a dream.


----------



## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

As a raging homosexual, and a Miata driver, I don't know why you say gay is a bad thing?


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

JMillerUA6 said:


> lol...those are the tiniest Work Meisters I've ever seen. :thumbup:


And yet they still look massive on that car. VIP/drift/stance wheels are way too big to work on Miatas.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Scored more fun stuff for the autocross car. In our class we're allowed to add OEM aero, purely cosmetic stuff but I like the look. We had R package front and rear skirts but were lacking the R trunk spoiler. Found someone parting out a crashed car that had that spoiler and only wanted a hundred bucks for the trunk lid including the spoiler.

It's in perfect shape. Only problem is that it's pearl white, which will look funny on our BRG car that has white stripes. I don't know if I'm going to sand it down and paint it or try and find vinyl that matches and wrap it. Or I could really take the easy way out and have someone else paint or wrap it. I'll probably try wrapping it myself since it'll be an easier fix than if I tried painting it and screwed something up.










I might put it on the car this week even in mis-matched colors just to see how it'll look.


----------



## KrautFed (Jan 9, 2002)

My Cabrio sitting outside hates when I open this thread.


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## miatafreak (Dec 27, 2009)

KrautFed said:


> My Cabrio sitting outside hates when I open this thread.


Hopefully I'm selling my Cabby this weekend to buy my Dad's Miata *fingerscrossed*


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> And yet they still look massive on that car. VIP/drift/stance wheels are way too big to work on Miatas.


wat


In other news my friend just picked this up for $1,200. Not sure of all the details but he says it runs great and is going to scrap the ripped top for a bikini top and hardtop because California.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

:thumbup:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

(Finally) got my front brakes sorted (mostly--think I'm going to swap out the pads for something more aggressive) and did a foamectomy on the seats yesterday (no photos, was too busy slicing up my fingers on the razor-sharp seat pans). Sit below the roll bar hoop now which is great. :thumbup: 

In my parking garage after a brisk drive to work this morning









Now I'm looking for a steering wheel + hub. Stock vinyl unit ain't cutting it.


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

Numbersix said:


> Now I'm looking for a steering wheel + hub. Stock vinyl unit ain't cutting it.


You should get the Nardi Classic and Dekei Hub with airbag wiring, it's totally reversible so you can keep the R package original when you sell it on










When you did a Foamectomy, did you cut off the top of the foam or the bottom section?


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

I have a Montego Blue now, but I'm always missing the Mariner Blue I had.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Chris.K said:


> You should get the Nardi Classic and Dekei Hub with airbag wiring, it's totally reversible so you can keep the R package original when you sell it on


$175 for the hub--ouch. Guess it'd be worth it to be able to return the car to stock though. Then the question of which wheel and size--320 or 350?



Chris.K said:


> When you did a Foamectomy, did you cut off the top of the foam or the bottom section?


Bottom. Much easier from my perspective--I just undid the hog rings holding the seat cover in place (this required removal of one seat rail on each seat). Then lifted the seat cover/foam up from the front, inserted a serrated knife, and cut out the section that dips down into the seat pan. Zip tied the seat cover back in place (hog rings can bite me). 

Took me about 25 minutes on the passenger seat once I'd learned the lessons from doing the driver's seat. 

This also keeps the seat fabric from looking baggy as the foam directly underneath is preserved.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Just a little surgery on the Sunburst. Timing belt + Water pump. Wow, deferred maintenance opens tons of little Pandora's boxes


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Chris.K said:


> I have a Montego Blue now, but I'm always missing the Mariner Blue I had.


God that's so beautiful. Mariner with RPF1's is perfect. :thumbup:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Numbersix said:


> $175 for the hub--ouch. Guess it'd be worth it to be able to return the car to stock though. Then the question of which wheel and size--320 or 350?


You can save money by getting the regular Daikei hub. You just have to remove the pins from the airbag connector to fit the harness through the hole in the hub and then solder in your own resistors to keep your airbag warning light from illuminating. What's your time worth?

As for size, I really like 350mm but I'm too fat so I don't have a lot of leg room between the seat/ steering wheel/ center console with the 350mm wheel. It is much better with 320mm but the smaller diameter definitely requires more effort to turn. A steering wheel spacer helps as well, but then you get into a tradeoff between more clearance for your legs vs. how far your fingers have to reach to get to the wiper and turn signal control stalks on the steering column. Your gauges will be partially obscured whether you choose 320mm or 350mm.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

I love my 280mm


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Chris.K said:


> I have a Montego Blue now, but I'm always missing the Mariner Blue I had.


gorgeous. what suspension was that on?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Just a little surgery on the Sunburst. Timing belt + Water pump. Wow, deferred maintenance opens tons of little Pandora's boxes [/img]


While it's apart I'd replace all the coolant hoses and the radiator. Then the car will be good for another 20 years. :thumbup:


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

I just drove my B5 for the last 3 days solid.

Today I was in a terrible mood, and some buddies asked me to come over to relax. I dropped the topped in the Miata and everything went away. 
My bad mood. 
My sh!tty disposition for the last week. 
My smile came back. 
In 4 miles, I came back to the real me. 

I didn't need therapy. I needed my Miata.


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

compy222 said:


> gorgeous. what suspension was that on?


They were green and said TEIN. $650 I believe.


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## crushed20th (Aug 8, 2010)

last summer.








just a quick cell shot walkin out the door this morning


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

freedomgli said:


> As for size, I really like 350mm but I'm too fat so I don't have a lot of leg room between the seat/ steering wheel/ center console with the 350mm wheel. It is much better with 320mm but the smaller diameter definitely requires more effort to turn. A steering wheel spacer helps as well, but then you get into a tradeoff between more clearance for your legs vs. how far your fingers have to reach to get to the wiper and turn signal control stalks on the steering column. Your gauges will be partially obscured whether you choose 320mm or 350mm.


I wish I could find someone with a depowered rack that has a 320mm wheel installed. The fat bitch 205's already make parallel parking a bit of a chore with the squishy but large stock wheel. I'd love the addl. leg clearance the 320mm wheel provides but not if it makes the car a total bitch to drive.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Numbersix said:


> I wish I could find someone with a depowered rack that has a 320mm wheel installed. The fat bitch 205's already make parallel parking a bit of a chore with the squishy but large stock wheel. I'd love the addl. leg clearance the 320mm wheel provides but not if it makes the car a total bitch to drive.


If only you lived closer. I swapped in a manual rack so the ratio is slightly different than a depowered rack but it would give you an idea. It's totally manageable, I just never bother turning the hand wheel unless the road wheels are moving.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

My car's an R Package so it has a man rack; it's just very rare to find a manual rack car hence why I said depowered instead. (I realize the rack ratios are different, but feel should be similar under those circumstances). 

I actually need to get this car aligned, so perhaps a new steering wheel should come before that.


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## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

My "other" Miata. Dmod/eprod wannabe built on a super budget.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Dial back the caster a bit so the steering is less weighty. 3.5° positive caster is good on a Miata with manual steering. By going with less than the maximum available caster adjustment you will have the added benefit of gaining more negative camber adjustment range, which you may or may not need/want.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

freedomgli said:


> Dial back the caster a bit so the steering is less weighty. 3.5° positive caster is good on a Miata with manual steering. By going with less than the maximum available caster adjustment you will have the added benefit of gaining more negative camber adjustment range, which you may or may not need/want.


Thanks! I realized that most published alignment specs for NA Miatas are for cars with PS racks. Have been trying to do some digging on that.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

doward said:


> My "other" Miata. Dmod/eprod wannabe built on a super budget.












Build thread?


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## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

doward said:


> My "other" Miata. Dmod/eprod wannabe built on a super budget.





zeewhiz said:


> Build thread?



Kinda. It is mostly about my 94 M track toy. But there is a bit in the about the autocross projects the last 3 years.

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/89-roadster-projects/33957-dowards-jack-all-master-none-build.html


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Chris.K said:


> They were green and said TEIN. $650 I believe.


that certainly narrows it down. thanks, my dad has been looking for a good set-up for his '99. :beer:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Washed/clayed/waxed the Mazdaspeed today. This car doesn't get the royal treatment very often (the wife is usually out playing with it), but when it does, it turns out awesome.


----------



## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

This might be a good place to post this


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

Speaking of video, here is me stuck behind a GT500 and his ego yesterday.






I was 13 seconds a lap faster, but this mustang wasn't having any.


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

Chris.K said:


> Speaking of video, here is me stuck behind a GT500 and his ego yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I hate drivers like that. Were you running in novice or intermediate?


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## SargeinAZ (Nov 24, 2005)

^^^ brings back memories of a red GTO when i was RR my miata :thumbdown:

What you have to do is take it easy on the straightaway so u create a lot of distance, at least you can get a couple solid laps in toward the end of the session


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

SargeinAZ said:


> ^^^ brings back memories of a red GTO when i was RR my miata :thumbdown:
> 
> *What you have to do is take it easy on the straightaway* so u create a lot of distance, at least you can get a couple solid laps in toward the end of the session


I mean, he _is_ in a Miata, I don't think there's any other way to take a straightaway


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Chris.K said:


> You should get the Nardi Classic and Dekei Hub with airbag wiring, it's totally reversible so you can keep the R package original when you sell it on


I'd love to do that because that is a gorgeous wheel, but I just have this weird thing about removing an airbag even though I know my car is routinely in close proximity to 5k lb SUVs (with owners on cell phone) which would squash my little car flat.


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## PcMoney01 (Feb 17, 2003)

Bought this garage queen from a member on Miata.net. The car is so much fun to drive.


----------



## KrautFed (Jan 9, 2002)

How much of a project would it be getting this back together as a Monster Miata?

http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/cto/3730890118.html


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## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

I just got mine aligned and corner weighted. It was at 2150lbs with a filled to the brim tank of gas, radio with speakers, full size battery, and a few other things I should have removed before going in. Autocross weight should be just under 2100lbs with a quarter tank of gas and no stereo. It could be under 2000 with minimal work, but I'm happy with the way it sits now.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

KrautFed said:


> How much of a project would it be getting this back together as a Monster Miata?


The general rule for people that need to ask _"how much does it cost to put a V8 in a Miata?"_ is ~$15K. The people that spend $2K to put a V8 in a Miata already have the mechanical skill and understanding for that kind of project and they just show up with pictures saying _"Look at my Miata with a V8"_

Also, starting with a rusted out, clapped out Miata only works against the final cost of the project.


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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

Sledge said:


> I'd love to do that because that is a gorgeous wheel, but I just have this weird thing about removing an airbag .



But the Miata airbag is a death trap.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

My thinking is...a 17 year old first Gen airbag might be unsafe anyway. If it works.


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## SuperGroove (Aug 20, 2000)

C4 A6 said:


> I hate drivers like that. Were you running in novice or intermediate?


He was probably in the slow group, judging by the B8 S4. I was there that day and knew that B8 S4 was in the early session in the slow group.

It's not a knock against anyone being in the slow group. The fast group had Jeff Gordon's 24 Dupont Race car, two GT-Rs, GT3 class M3s, 911s, etc. 

But then again, I think one of the race schools thought it would be fun to drive a Cayenne Turbo out on the track.

My RX8 decided to be an RX8 and overheated in the first session. I cannot rely on this car anymore.


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## SargeinAZ (Nov 24, 2005)

Yavuz said:


> I just got mine aligned and corner weighted. It was at 2150lbs with a filled to the brim tank of gas, radio with speakers, full size battery, and a few other things I should have removed before going in. Autocross weight should be just under 2100lbs with a quarter tank of gas and no stereo. It could be under 2000 with minimal work, but I'm happy with the way it sits now.



Still E-Stock with those seats?


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## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

SargeinAZ said:


> Still E-Stock with those seats?


No - It was an ES car, but I need to get new decals made. It's basically an STS Miata with a gutted interior which unfortunately bumps me straight into DP. I'm going to get creamed, but it's a lot more fun to drive now than it was when prepped for ES.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

PcMoney01 said:


> Bought this garage queen from a member on Miata.net. The car is so much fun to drive.


Little Red! I miss it. I see the Parsimonious Racing decal disappeared from the back bumper.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

horribleR said:


> But the Miata airbag is a death trap.


I am having difficulty arguing with this logic :laugh:


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## Vash350z (Jun 25, 2007)

1400$ miata, good idea or great idea?


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## lojasmo (Dec 23, 2002)

Numbersix said:


> My thinking is...a 17 year old first Gen airbag might be unsafe anyway. If it works.


I think the best thing to do in a Miata is avoid getting hit altogether.


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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

Vash350z said:


> 1400$ miata, good idea or great idea?



depends... why is it 1400? Condition?


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## Vash350z (Jun 25, 2007)

horribleR said:


> depends... why is it 1400? Condition?


Broken a/c in florida, 162k miles. I am looking to build a track slut


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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

not bad.


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## Vash350z (Jun 25, 2007)

horribleR said:


> not bad.


Yea, paint is ****, interior is dirty...basically nothing that matters to me


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## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Vash350z said:


> Broken a/c in florida, 162k miles. I am looking to build a track slut


1.6 or 1.8? Open, VLSD, or if a 1.8, torsen? Auto or manual? Come with a hardtop?


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## Vash350z (Jun 25, 2007)

1.6, 1993, Manual, no hard top, no idea about lsd but it has the bbs wheels with a cloth interior if that means anything


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## lawdogg (May 11, 2011)

Vash350z said:


> 1.6, 1993, Manual, no hard top, no idea about lsd but it has the bbs wheels with a cloth interior if that means anything


Cool, so you won't have a short nose crank, which is good. Have you thought about whether you'd need a good rear diff to track it or would it matter?

If you pop your head under the car to take a look, it'll be easy to spot if it's a VLSD ... http://www.miata.net/garage/diffguide/index.html

If the stub shaft flanges DONT look like this, it's a VLSD:










Of course, some people who track their Miatas say the VLSD is junk anyway ... mine has only done autocross duty and it worked like a charm under those conditions. Perhaps people can chime in with more experience.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

lawdogg said:


> Of course, some people who track their Miatas say the VLSD is junk anyway ... mine has only done autocross duty and it worked like a charm under those conditions. Perhaps people can chime in with more experience.


VLSDs tend to lose their LSD ability after so many years and so many miles:



Wikipedia said:


> Viscous LSDs are less efficient than mechanical types, that is, they "lose" some power. In particular, any sustained load which overheats the silicone results in sudden permanent loss of the differential effect.[6] They do have the virtue of failing gracefully, reverting to semi-open differential behavior. Typically a visco-differential that has covered 60,000 miles (97,000 km) or more will be functioning largely as an open differential;[citation needed] this is a known weakness of the original Mazda MX-5 (a.k.a. Miata) sports car. The silicone oil is factory sealed in a separate chamber from the gear oil surrounding the rest of the differential. This is not serviceable; when the differential's behavior deteriorates, the VLSD center must be replaced.


My primary autocrosser has an open diff. Class rules allow me to put in a VSLD but not a Torsen, but I imagine finding a VSLD that actually still LSDs after 20+ years is going to be pretty tough, so it's very low on the list of upgrades.


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## ThatOneJetta (Dec 22, 2012)

This car is so much fun to take up into the hills.


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## blackslcchild (Dec 13, 2012)

I'm thinking of getting one of these. 
Anybody have a corrado and a miatar?lol


----------



## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

blackslcchild said:


> I'm thinking of getting one of these.
> Anybody have a corrado and a miatar?lol


Anyone who has had both cars probably got rid of the Corrado once they realized the Miata is both more fun to drive and more reliable. :laugh:


----------



## Juniper Monkeys (Jul 18, 2003)

Good weekend; I spent a while polishing and waxing my car, which it badly needed. Then I took it to my favorite road on the coast, where all the hard work was blasted off by sea spray. Then I stopped off at my dad's house and polished and waxed it again. Then I drove back home and it rained. Oh well.



























Stage Road by Juniper Monkeys, on Flickr


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## blackslcchild (Dec 13, 2012)

R-Dubya said:


> Anyone who has had both cars probably got rid of the Corrado once they realized the Miata is both more fun to drive and more reliable. :laugh:


Dang,

Around the first of the month I'll be looking for a miata. Hopefully I'll see a decent/unmolested one.:thumbup:


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Juniper Monkeys said:


> Good weekend; I spent a while polishing and waxing my car, which it badly needed. Then I took it to my favorite road on the coast, where all the hard work was blasted off by sea spray. Then I stopped off at my dad's house and polished and waxed it again. Then I drove back home and it rained. Oh well.


Didn't realize you'd bought back in after the wrecked car. Welcome back. :thumbup:


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## Juniper Monkeys (Jul 18, 2003)

SSLByron said:


> Didn't realize you'd bought back in after the wrecked car. Welcome back. :thumbup:


If only it had just been wrecked -- I replaced the entire front suspension, including subframe, with new OEM parts, then had to sell it for a pittance to pay for grad school  Now, every sunset, I look east towards the Floridian Lands and shake my fist.

:beer:


----------



## SuperGroove (Aug 20, 2000)

Juniper Monkeys said:


> Good weekend; I spent a while polishing and waxing my car, which it badly needed. Then I took it to my favorite road on the coast, where all the hard work was blasted off by sea spray. Then I stopped off at my dad's house and polished and waxed it again. Then I drove back home and it rained. Oh well.


That's a beautiful car, junipermonkeys


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Mmmm. '93 LE goodness. What's it running for suspension now?


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## still_a_G (Jun 23, 2008)

blackslcchild said:


> I'm thinking of getting one of these.
> Anybody have a corrado and a miatar?lol



I did, for 12 years or so. Of course the Miata started every Spring and never broke down. I wish I _could have_ sold the Corrado. Really, owning both is really best of both worlds though. When the Corrado is driving nice it's a fun car. When it breaks down the Miata is ready to ride. A Miata as your only toy will burn you out because you won't want to drive your DD but the Miata is so loud and jittery.


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## Reallyslowrio (Oct 1, 2012)

I daily'd this Miata for 2 years. My favorite car that I have ever owned, and will definitely own another one.



Oh yea, I'm 6'2" #280


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Had it half way outta the garage while I was working on my moped and it hit me.. I really love this car... sigh.


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## Juniper Monkeys (Jul 18, 2003)

Thanks SuperGroove :beer:



Numbersix said:


> Mmmm. '93 LE goodness. What's it running for suspension now?


One of the older FM spring designs and Illuminas. I'd like to switch to FM's newer springs and add the rear shock mounts, but the ride and handling are fine and I like the way it sits, so ehhh, no rush


----------



## Reallyslowrio (Oct 1, 2012)

I day I get out from underneath this Tiguan, I'll be visiting a Mazda dealership. I'll probably end up waiting for the ND.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Reallyslowrio said:


> I day I get out from underneath this Tiguan, I'll be visiting a Mazda dealership. I'll probably end up waiting for the ND.


No reason not to own both..I do.


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## mk_ultra (Jan 31, 2009)

Gorgeous car, Juniper Monkeys :thumbup:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Just saw this one over on Miata.net...so pretty.


http://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=6372386&postcount=5890


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

PcMoney01 said:


> Bought this garage queen from a member on Miata.net. The car is so much fun to drive.


Fantastic car! I may have more pics of it than you do!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> VLSDs tend to lose their LSD ability after so many years and so many miles:
> 
> My primary autocrosser has an open diff. Class rules allow me to put in a VSLD but not a Torsen, but I imagine finding a VSLD that actually still LSDs after 20+ years is going to be pretty tough, so it's very low on the list of upgrades.


I'm actually curious if it's possible to rebuild a VLSD back to original specifications. I've never heard about it being discussed, even in STS circles.


----------



## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

blackslcchild said:


> I'm thinking of getting one of these.
> Anybody have a corrado and a miatar?lol


:wave:

two corrados and a miata here.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I'm actually curious if it's possible to rebuild a VLSD back to original specifications. I've never heard about it being discussed, even in STS circles.


I seem to recall there being some debate over whether they really wear out, or if they just need a little heat to work and don't lock up all that much anyway by design.

My personal experience includes a '91 with 275k miles on the original rear end including 3 seasons as an STS car and 2 seasons as an ES car. VLSD worked fine when sold.

Miata v.2, 175k miles on original rear end, 7 seasons as an ES car. VLSD works fine to this day.

Compared to non-LSD cars I have also raced, holy-cow-yes-theres-a-difference. The two diffs above DEFINITELY worked even in their advanced age.

In STS circles, it's not terribly critical since the body roll is well controlled and torque...what torque?  In ES on R-comps, night and day difference.


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Someone come to my place and pick up my vLSD with abs axles and the driveshaft. 
I stuck my spare torsen in my 93 LE, and I'm moving... so it's gotta go.

Give me $100, and you could take home a bunch of Miata spares.

http://cnj.craigslist.org/pts/3813050969.html


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Just finished a HUGE spring maintenance project on the Sunburst. I've avoided a lot of maintenance items on the car in the past few years due to infrequent driving. Now with my new job starting on Monday, I needed to get this car back in to shape so it's reliable enough for my wife to drive it more. Its been a sort of Miata-Jeep for a few years.

Timing belt + Pulleys + VC gasket
Water pump + belts
Camshaft/crank seals
Coolant flush with fresh hoses
Trans drain and fill (redline)
Oil + filter
Turned rotors + brake fluid flush
Trimmed my rear bump stops (these Bilsteins have NEVER felt this good!)

The one thing I haven't done is fix the suspension. Years ago when I got the LE Bilsteins, I didn't know the suspension was supposed to be loose and the car supporting its weight before you tighten them. So yes, it's a super 4x4 look  










If anyone is trying to get rid of an old (yet straight) set of wheels I'm looking for a set of Kosei K1 15x7 or 15x8 bronze 6UL.







Roadkilled78 said:


> I seem to recall there being some debate over whether they really wear out, or if they just need a little heat to work and don't lock up all that much anyway by design.


Well, it being a clutch type means it will wear. I've got nearly 200K miles on mine and it "works" in low speed slip situations, but if you were to try to swing it around under power it doesn't do much.


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## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

IF you're in SoCal.. you NEED to join this Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SoCalMiata/


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Make the page public so us non-facebookers can see. I'm moving to SoCal at the end of the month.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)




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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Added 205/50/15 Azenis, Raised it up, got a good alignment, and took 1st in STS yesterday. 

This was the first event on the Azenis, rebuilt/stiffer coils, bucket seats, and a proper alignment and the difference between last year is astounding. Its nice not to be flopping back and forth between the door and center console :laugh:


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Looking good! I was hoping to get out on the autocross course this coming weekend but looks like other commitments won't let that happen. 

Holy ****snacks, I actually got all three cars clean at the same time! Amazing. I can't think of a time in the past year that's been the case










I gave the Miata a little vent bling courtesy of Revlimiter









Lots of round silver things in the cockpit now


----------



## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

I also just got some vent rings from Revlimiter, to compliment the new Nardi wheel I installed.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Nice! Are those the silver ones or polished?

I went with powdercoated silver. Fits better with the fairly minimalist interior vibe of this car.

Like the look of the wood Nardi :thumbup: I want a slightly smaller, meatier wheel with which to wrestle against the non-PS rack and 205's.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)




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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

Numbersix said:


> Nice! Are those the silver ones or polished?
> 
> I went with powdercoated silver. Fits better with the fairly minimalist interior vibe of this car.
> 
> Like the look of the wood Nardi :thumbup: I want a slightly smaller, meatier wheel with which to wrestle against the non-PS rack and 205's.



I ordered polished, but they looked too nice so i scuffed them with sandpaper.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Chris.K said:


> I ordered polished, but they looked too nice so i scuffed them with sandpaper.


Nice :laugh:


----------



## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

freedo84gti said:


>


Car :thumbup::thumbup:

Interior :thumbdown::thumbdown::thumbdown:


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

R-Dubya said:


> Car :thumbup::thumbup:
> 
> Interior :thumbdown::thumbdown::thumbdown:


100% agree.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Every time I see a hellastanceflushy0! miata I wince thinking about how bad the underside must look.

Also, NA Miatas already have insufficient suspension travel. I'm sure this does wonders for how they handle.


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## kpaskdub (Mar 23, 2010)

Miatas are so fire, here's my slampeice


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## KrautFed (Jan 9, 2002)

Can I get a real world (probably wrong people to ask :laugh explanation on what a M edition is... is it worth any more than a regular?


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Diff.. bilstien suspension.. some nice interior stuff...My advice is to buy the cleanest miata you can regardless of what package it is..


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

After a LONG day testing & tuning at FedEx Field. SCCA Pro Solo is next weekend.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

KrautFed said:


> Can I get a real world (probably wrong people to ask :laugh explanation on what a M edition is... is it worth any more than a regular?


Here you go man. Definitely NOT the wrong people to ask... not all of us are hellaflush stancetards. :laugh:

http://www.miata.net/faq/mfield.html




Pineapplegti ! said:


> My advice is to buy the cleanest miata you can regardless of what package it is..


QFT. The M editions had so many examples made, that they aren't really worth more than a standard car.


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## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)




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## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

^^^^ just some teasers (raw image file)- hi-res pics being processed by the photog. should have next week :thumbup:


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## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

KrautFed said:


> Can I get a real world (probably wrong people to ask :laugh explanation on what a M edition is... is it worth any more than a regular?


Special colors. 
Special wheels. 
Leather.
Nardi.
Torsen. 
Loaded, most with abs. 

Typically taken care of better by first and second owners because they were sold as "special editions" 

Yes, worth more than a base model.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

SourKrout said:


> Added 205/50/15 Azenis, Raised it up, got a good alignment, and took 1st in STS yesterday.


is that naca air duct STS legal?


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## MLogan (Dec 12, 2003)

corrado-correr said:


> Originally Posted by SourKrout
> Added 205/50/15 Azenis, Raised it up, got a good alignment, and took 1st in STS yesterday.
> 
> is that naca air duct STS legal?


FYI, if it is a 96 M Edition, it has a torsen and is therefore an STR car and not STS.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

MLogan said:


> FYI, if it is a 96 M Edition, it has a torsen and is therefore an STR car and not STS.


yeah. that too.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

corrado-correr said:


> is that naca air duct STS legal?


Probably not? The region I race in is very lax.

I also have the Ex-Intake cam mod too. Last year I said hey I have these mods, mentioned the cam, and they said ehh it doesn't make much of a difference, run in STS. Its really just your standard Miata with I/H/E, timing bump, and suspension. 

If someone wants to say something, fine, but I'll never compete at a national level. Just out there to have fun.


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## MLogan (Dec 12, 2003)

SourKrout said:


> Probably not? The region I race in is very lax.
> 
> Just out there to have fun.


That's the way to do it. 

And depending on the big event, some competitors are fine with the minor stuff. At the NJ ProSolo a couple years ago, a competitor had an aftermarket wheel (no airbag) in his Miata in STS. He came around and asked all of us in the class if it was ok, and the consensus was it was fine for that event. Granted, if he came out and smoked everyone, I am sure some of the competitors would have thrown paper, but as a mid-packer myself, I knew the wheel wasn't going to put him/the car over the edge.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

MLogan said:


> aftermarket wheel (no airbag) in his Miata in STS


This is the one rule in STS i hate. I guess it's related to weight savings, what ever.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

STS is weird. My knee hits the steering wheel when I use the brakes in a stock NA Miata, so a wheel + quick release (to bring it closer to my chest) was essential for me. Plus, I had a '94 with Torsen, so I was in STR anyway. At that point, I just ran for fun and compared my times overall, instead of relying on the restrictive classes.

Plus, no matter what I did, I would get destroyed by this guy. Kraig is probably the best autocrosser I've ever seen in action...he won ProSolo Nationals in his 1.8L Miata.










Can't remember if I posted these...and if not, whatever. They're relevant again eace:



















One of the only pics I have of myself in action...


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Dammit, every time I see those Millen wheels I kick myself for passing up the set that was FS on M.net for like $200 -with- centercaps. :banghead:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

I still have the set in my garage. Three in decent shape (some rash) and one is destroyed from a crash  I don't know how I'm gonna get rid of them. The wheels are directional and they're all Lefts!


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Oh no! That's a super bummer one got ruined. Not like you'll find another lying around.


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## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

*as promised*



















:beer:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> Plus, no matter what I did, I would get destroyed by this guy. Kraig is probably the best autocrosser I've ever seen in action...he won ProSolo Nationals in his 1.8L Miata.


Kraig's car looks funny in white.

He's going to destroy me this weekend.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)




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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

KrautFed said:


> Can I get a real world (probably wrong people to ask :laugh explanation on what a M edition is... is it worth any more than a regular?


Mazda wanted to call them Limited Editions, but apparently there are specific rules for what constitutes a "Limited Edition". They settled on "M Edition" because it's a nebulous term. For the most part, they are appearance package cars with exclusive exterior colors. The standout is that the 95M (Merlot) is the only Miata that had Roadster seats (movable headrest) and the 97 M Edition, STO for Still The One (although enthusiasts call it Stuff Taken Off) didn't have an LSD.


Worth is subjective obviously, but of the M Editions, the 95 Merlot seems to be the most sought after.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)




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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

Yo retro!!!!!!!!!!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Mazda wanted to call them Limited Editions, but apparently there are specific rules for what constitutes a "Limited Edition". They settled on "M Edition" because it's a nebulous term. For the most part, they are appearance package cars with exclusive exterior colors. The standout is that the 95M (Merlot) is the only Miata that had Roadster seats (movable headrest) and the 97 M Edition, *STO for Still The One *(although enthusiasts call it Stuff Taken Off) didn't have an LSD.
> 
> 
> Worth is subjective obviously, but of the M Editions, the 95 Merlot seems to be the most sought after.


 It actually stood for Special Touring Option. 

And of the M Editions, the '95 is the most sought after because of the headrests and the 15" BBS wheels. There were other Miatas that got BBS wheels, but they were 14" and no nearly as desirable.


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## KrautFed (Jan 9, 2002)

I'm afraid to ask, but I'm guessing I missed out on a great deal? '95 M 95k miles, merlot mica with CLEAN tan interior. Maintained and bone stock (including the BBS) except for double hoop roll bar. Also included factory merlot hardtop. Was asking $5k. 

I couldn't move on it because I'm purchasing a house and my broker won't let me purchase or move any money until we close (July).


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I dunno. Ms never did anything for me. Even when I was shopping for my first one back in '07 and didn't know anything about special models and limited editions, I wouldn't have paid extra for an M over a similar shape/mileage non-M. And then I pretty much stopped looking at Ms because I was not looking for the 'luxury' model. I wanted cloth seats and as few creature comforts as possible.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Miatas on Bristol Motor Speedway: 










Miatas on the Blue Ridge Parkway:


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

KrautFed said:


> I'm afraid to ask, but I'm guessing I missed out on a great deal? '95 M 95k miles, merlot mica with CLEAN tan interior. Maintained and bone stock (including the BBS) except for double hoop roll bar. Also included factory merlot hardtop. Was asking $5k.
> 
> I couldn't move on it because I'm purchasing a house and my broker won't let me purchase or move any money until we close (July).


 That was a great deal. There isn't usually a huge price premium for an M edition, but like Diamond Dave said, the '95 is the only one that came with really cool unique stuff (those seats...) and matching hardtop is easily worth $1k over the base price of the car especially for a rare color (it's easy to find a classic red or black hardtop). 

FWIW those '95 M style seats came in all '98-'00 NB MX-5s sold in Europe and you can find cheap cloth ones on ebay.co.uk some times. Shipping is a bee-otch though.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Miatas on the Blue Ridge Parkway:


 They're about to fall off.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> They're about to fall off.


 Their grippy tires are what is keeping them on.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

freedo84gti said:


>


 Your valve cover looks like mine, right down to where the paint is chipping off.  I plan on doing mine again, this time actually spending more time on properly cleaning and prepping the metal.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> Their grippy tires are what is keeping them on.


 and really good parking brakes.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Their grippy tires are what is keeping them on.





corrado-correr said:


> and really good parking brakes.


 :laugh:


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

AKADriver said:


> Your valve cover looks like mine, right down to where the paint is chipping off.  I plan on doing mine again, this time actually spending more time on properly cleaning and prepping the metal.


 Not my car. All miatas i post are ones i see at car meets/shows


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Lawn post wash Iphone pic..


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

Lovely day for stopping by a nearly decrepit building next to the freeway :beer:


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

I do love ncs.. 
Had a little fun with the exhaust yesterday .. It will hold me off till I get some bigger pipe to handle the pressurized intake charge ..


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## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

Picked up this rice machine a month ago and have been too busy driving to take real pictures. These will have to do for now.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Did a little work on the Miata today.

Replaced the rear window guides in the hopes I could fix my slow/stubborn driver's window (only partially helped, which may mean the regulator is on its way out)










While I was in there, I added Fatmat to the doors in the hopes of making the door speakers perform better. 










Good news: The left Clearwater speaker I was worried had a damaged woofer sounds fine without the door panel installed. :thumbup:

Bad news: The door panel speaker grille rattles like a bitch--and sealing up the door has only exacerbated that problem. :thumbdown: Off to the hardware store for some self-adhesive foam weatherstripping to see if I can space it out better.

Also--there's a special place in hell for whomever created that black crap that aheres the vapor barrier to the door. Only thing I found that would take that off my hands/clothes/etc was paint pre-prep.

Have a couple of other goodies in the mail/sitting downstairs...hope to get 'em installed by next weekend.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

That stuff is pretty nasty.


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## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)




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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Numbersix said:


> Did a little work on the Miata today.
> 
> Replaced the rear window guides in the hopes I could fix my slow/stubborn driver's window (only partially helped, which may mean the regulator is on its way out)



Check and clean out the window slots in the 1/4 window. Believe it or not, they can cause a lot of problems. I recently did mine based on advice from people at miata.net and it worked like a charm. And mine were STIFF. http://www.miata.net/garage/lubricating_windows.html


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## C4 A6 (Mar 8, 2011)

initiation said:


> Picked up this rice machine a month ago and have been too busy driving to take real pictures. These will have to do for now.


Wasn't this someone's old car on here?

Also, your R1Rs in the rear are going the wrong way.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Check and clean out the window slots in the 1/4 window. Believe it or not, they can cause a lot of problems. I recently did mine based on advice from people at miata.net and it worked like a charm. And mine were STIFF. http://www.miata.net/garage/lubricating_windows.html


Thanks! I'll toss some silicone in there and see what it does. Can't hurt.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Stopped by a hot rod cruise @ the local Dick's Drive In yesterday. 








\

Miata was a bit out of place, but while I was grabbing some food I noted a couple of people checking it out.


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## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)




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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

were those taken with a coconut?


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## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)

Youtube video screen shots. cry.


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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

I stand corrected...a potato.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

again not my car, just a locals. he had a red one but someone cut him off an he tboned them. a turbo is in the works for it


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Wonder how they get a jack under that thing with the side skirt which I assume isn't load-bearing.


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## 42green (Aug 4, 2001)

soon... 

I'll be picking up a 99 in the next week. Gotta love sight unseen eBay purchases. :laugh:


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

My poor little Miata has an issue. Rough idle and acceleration. Will very reluctantly go above 3k rpm. Lots of vibration. No check engine light or codes. I'm going to do plugs and wires today then we'll see what happens next.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Claff said:


> Wonder how they get a jack under that thing with the side skirt which I assume isn't load-bearing.


I assume with something like this. I had to put my Miata up onto a 2x4 to get my jack under it.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Sledge said:


> My poor little Miata has an issue. Rough idle and acceleration. Will very reluctantly go above 3k rpm. Lots of vibration. No check engine light or codes. I'm going to do plugs and wires today then we'll see what happens next.


I just replaced the plugs and wires and I'm about 95% sure I fixed it. I ran it around the neighborhood and all symptoms seem to be gone. I will take it out tonight after dinner and let it warm up properly and do one more test run. I R A MEKANIK :laugh::laugh:

Now how the f*** do you get this anti-seize crap off the underside of your fingernails


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

east coast bash last saturday 





"im in your face" :laugh:


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

freedo84gti said:


> east coast bash last saturday


I miss my old car....nothing like a turbo NA.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)




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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Cool trendy stickerbombed miatas bro.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

My first auto-x ever today...


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## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)




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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

You Need a Miata by rrotsaert, on Flickr


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

corrado-correr said:


> You Need a Miata by rrotsaert, on Flickr


Brg.. Mk2 vw wheels.. yum


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> My first auto-x ever today...


Love the white, how was it?


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## It's Big Ty (Feb 19, 2011)

Claff said:


>


First time looking through this thread and I recognize this car. I was at an autocross event either last year or 2 years ago and this car was there. Don't know if you'll remember me or not, but I was the one with the gold Audi A4 Avant and my dad had his black and white widebody 912.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Love the white, how was it?


It was a blast! I'd never auto-crossed before, so I had no idea what I was doing, but it was a lot of fun. I was quite slow compared to most other people there, but I improved my time by 6 seconds over the course of 6 runs :thumbup:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah! My new steering wheel arrived, and then I realized neither it nor the hub came with the retaining ring for the horn button. :banghead: 

I really want to get it installed too. Curses.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Anyone have a preferred brand/website for replacement hoses? I'd like to replace all the vacuum hoses.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

The mother of a girl I went to high school with is selling her creampuff NB. 2003, 35k miles, Green over Black. 

If anybody wants details, let me know (feel free to email me as my PM box fills up quickly, byron-at-speedsportlife-dot-com).


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sledge said:


> Anyone have a preferred brand/website for replacement hoses? I'd like to replace all the vacuum hoses.


With just vacuum hoses you can just buy a roll at the auto parts store and cut to length. For coolant hoses, etc, there's nothing better than OEM. Rosenthal is the place to get them and Rosenthal sells them in kits for your specific car. 

http://parts.arlingtonmazda.com/


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

What he said--even the turbo guys I know run OEM hoses.


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## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

I didn't know there was a Miata thread here on VWVortex. He's mine and my other roadster:



















I've had the S2000 since 2005 and picked up the Miata last April for a good, cheap daily.


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## KrautFed (Jan 9, 2002)

I've located a possible '90 that I might try to acquire, can anyone point me in the direction of things to watch for in the first year of Miatas? The car has 110k and originally (optioned) equipment of hard top, LSD, and B package. The big negative is that it's been teenage driven... but as far as I know, completely stock other than aftermarket stereo. The body has damage to front bumper and driver front fender from what the father says was a parking lot incident, also has clear coat peel. The father has apparently kept up with maintenance and has recently replaced t-belt, water pump, radiator, clutch/pp/bearings, most consumables, and top + cover. The reason for sale is the kid wants to get into trucks. Could this car be worth $2500?


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## skoolboi (Dec 17, 2003)

http://www.miata.net/faq/usedmx5.html

Could be worth it.. I paid $2700 for mine.. sounds similar to yours, except I'm in CA, mine is a '95, had 190k on it, and dings and dents..


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

It's Big Ty said:


> First time looking through this thread and I recognize this car. I was at an autocross event either last year or 2 years ago and this car was there. Don't know if you'll remember me or not, but I was the one with the gold Audi A4 Avant and my dad had his black and white widebody 912.


I'm drawing a blank. We go to quite a few autocrosses but not many with this car. I did a bunch of BMWCCA with this car in 2010, and maybe one PCA in late 2009. I'd like to say I'd remember a widebody 912 but can't off the top of my head.


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## Spiller337 (Nov 27, 2009)

This popped up fairly locally. If I didn't just have my car repainted I would probably be driving this for the summer instead.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/cto/3912745030.html


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## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

That is a steal for that price. De-rice it a little, add some coils, done.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Holy cats, that's a good deal if the drivetrain is still in good shape.

I spent part of July 4th liberating myself from the awful airbag steering wheel:









"Some modification required"









(Almost) Finished product









I like the wheel, but it's too far away from my seating position now. I've ordered a hub spacer to address that issue. Also, as previously mentioned neither the used (JDM y0!) Momo hub nor the steering wheel shipped with a horn spacer ring, so I'm waiting on that to arrive as well.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Numbersix said:


> "Some modification required"


OMG, I've got that same workbench!! I found that a Dremel Ceramic tile bit works well on that cast metal. I'm assuming you did the airbag light resistor mod?


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

good choice on the momo


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## It's Big Ty (Feb 19, 2011)

Claff said:


> I'm drawing a blank. We go to quite a few autocrosses but not many with this car. I did a bunch of BMWCCA with this car in 2010, and maybe one PCA in late 2009. I'd like to say I'd remember a widebody 912 but can't off the top of my head.


It was a Porsche Club event at the Bowie Baysox Stadium. This is the 912.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> OMG, I've got that same workbench!!


All the cool kids do. 



Diamond Dave said:


> I found that a Dremel Ceramic tile bit works well on that cast metal.


If only I had been so equipped. I ended up using the tip of the drill bit as a lathe to take the metal out. Needless to say, that's one busted-ass drill bit now but it worked.



Diamond Dave said:


> I'm assuming you did the airbag light resistor mod?


Yessir.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

It's Big Ty said:


> It was a Porsche Club event at the Bowie Baysox Stadium. This is the 912.


Oh OK, that was the one and only time I ran with PCA. It was an "interesting" course that I recall. I ran my '90 (white with green stripes) and was vying for FTD with a 911 during the second heat. My wife was driving the MSM that day.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> With just vacuum hoses you can just buy a roll at the auto parts store and cut to length. For coolant hoses, etc, there's nothing better than OEM. Rosenthal is the place to get them and Rosenthal sells them in kits for your specific car.
> 
> http://parts.arlingtonmazda.com/





Numbersix said:


> What he said--even the turbo guys I know run OEM hoses.


Good enough. OEM it is.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

It's Big Ty said:


> This is the 912.


Would definitely be interested in seeing more of this. Build thread or blog?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

KrautFed said:


> I've located a possible '90 that I might try to acquire, can anyone point me in the direction of things to watch for in the first year of Miatas? The car has 110k and originally (optioned) equipment of hard top, LSD, and B package. The big negative is that it's been teenage driven... but as far as I know, completely stock other than aftermarket stereo. The body has damage to front bumper and driver front fender from what the father says was a parking lot incident, also has clear coat peel. The father has apparently kept up with maintenance and has recently replaced t-belt, water pump, radiator, clutch/pp/bearings, most consumables, and top + cover. The reason for sale is the kid wants to get into trucks. Could this car be worth $2500?


Read up on the Short Nose Crank issue with the early Miatas. Basically, a ham-fisted T-belt, water pump job is the cause, and there's a decent fix available. If the car doesn't have the issue now, don't worry about it. Also, if the paint has clear coat, it has already been repainted at least once. 

The bumper and front fender are bolt-on parts (as opposed to the rear fenders). The maintenance done is a big deal, so that's a definite plus. If it looks like it is in good shape otherwise, I'd buy it and put on a new fender and bumper, get the car repainted, and call it a day. If the hard top is in good shape you can sell that for $1000 easily if you want the cash. Depending on the cost of a repaint you could have a pretty sweet Miata for a half decent price.


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## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

Bought a Miata on accident about 6 months ago... Now I have 3 and my brother got one. You NEED a Miata!

The accidental one: 96 without a speck of rust. New tires, runs and drives perfectly! (For Sale) 










The NB, just got it last week. Love the hardtop, and love the way the NB drives compared to the NA's especially because it has a strong LSD which my 96 doesn't. 











My brothers, manufactured the same year and month he was born, by coincidence.


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## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

av315 said:


> Bought a Miata on accident about 6 months ago... Now I have 3 and my brother got one. You NEED a Miata!
> 
> The accidental one: 96 without a speck of rust. New tires, runs and drives perfectly! (For Sale)
> 
> ...


And the POS 97. I try to blow it up so I can turn it into a parts car.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Wow. That's a whole lotta Miata.

How are the door cards in the parts car?  My driver's door card is broken on the inside, and I think it's causing some interference with the speaker.


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## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

Numbersix said:


> Wow. That's a whole lotta Miata.
> 
> How are the door cards in the parts car?  My driver's door card is broken on the inside, and I think it's causing some interference with the speaker.


They're in good shape, not quite ready to part it yet but when I am I'll be sure to post it up here. You on miata.net?


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Yep. Same name.


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## Nisic (Mar 14, 2013)

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/28-sale-trade/71970-interior-part-out.html

Insane interior deal


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

corrado-correr said:


> You Need a Miata by rrotsaert, on Flickr


my dad has a 99 in this color. i honestly now want to sell the evo and build one of these. gorgeous pic and car. :thumbup:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Dinner in the Home Depot parking lot? Yes please


----------



## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

I like the way that car looks. 

Mine:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

My Miata brother from another mother :thumbup:


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

Cool feature on the Miata Super 20 concept. I'd love to turn my NC into this....but for the money, I could just get a C6 Corvette. 
I don't have the money, so my anguish is moot!


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Drove mine to work with the top up this morning. It's been months since I've driven it with the top up, and it's a weird experience. Like being in a different car in many ways.

Oddly, I find my driving style changes markedly with the top up. I swing to the 'normal no-rush commuter' end of the dial, upshifting at 3500rpm, vs. my typical top-down style which is at the 'MUST MAKE POLE POSITION' end of the dial with lots more WOT time  

I suspect it has something to do with not being able to hear the JR exhaust as clearly. Also the worryingly poor rear/side visibility.


----------



## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

Old lady at the post office called my black NB, "darling" Really lady? Just what a 23 year old guy year old wants to hear about his car. Lol I proceeded to drift out of the parking lot in efforts to ruin what she saw as a darling car.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

av315 said:


> Old lady at the post office called my black NB, "darling" Really lady? Just what a 23 guy year old wants to hear about his car. Lol I proceeded to drift out of the parking lot in efforts to ruin what she saw as a darling car.


it was worse owning the s2000. "you have such a cute car" would make my head explode.

speaking of Miata's, there is a company making spoon-style hardtops for the miata and they look really good to me.










unpainted:


----------



## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

compy222 said:


> it was worse owning the s2000. "you have such a cute car" would make my head explode.
> 
> speaking of Miata's, there is a company making spoon-style hardtops for the miata and they look really good to me.
> 
> ...


Haha I'm thinking a "Track Whore" sticker across the windshield should curtail all the demeaning comments. 

I like those tops a lot... Don't even want to know what they cost tho.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

av315 said:


> I like those tops a lot... Don't even want to know what they cost tho.


the two known companies are warhorse performance and autokonexion.

this is a warhorse top:









that retails in the 2600-3000 range depending on the decklid spoiler and options.

the other one is an autokonexion fastback top (as seen on the orange NB above). those start at 2200 unfinished, but with all hardware (add 1k if you want carbon fiber).

both are modeled on the OE top and are fully removeable/reversible mods....you just unbolt the OE trunk deck. :thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Numbersix said:


> Drove mine to work with the top up this morning. It's been months since I've driven it with the top up, and it's a weird experience. Like being in a different car in many ways.
> 
> Oddly, I find my driving style changes markedly with the top up. I swing to the 'normal no-rush commuter' end of the dial, upshifting at 3500rpm, vs. my typical top-down style which is at the 'MUST MAKE POLE POSITION' end of the dial with lots more WOT time
> 
> I suspect it has something to do with not being able to hear the JR exhaust as clearly. Also the worryingly poor rear/side visibility.


Funny you say this, as I'm the same way. Drove my Miata to work this morning with the top up and did the same thing. And mine is stock.

Weird...


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Numbersix said:


> Oddly, I find my driving style changes markedly with the top up. I swing to the 'normal no-rush commuter' end of the dial, upshifting at 3500rpm, vs. my typical top-down style which is at the 'MUST MAKE POLE POSITION' end of the dial with lots more WOT time
> 
> I suspect it has something to do with not being able to hear the JR exhaust as clearly. Also the worryingly poor rear/side visibility.





weezintrumpeteer said:


> Funny you say this, as I'm the same way. Drove my Miata to work this morning with the top up and did the same thing. And mine is stock.
> 
> Weird...


Me 3. I just love hearing my enthuza XR style exhaust when the top is down. Its like two different drivers in two different cars.


----------



## bro_brah (Aug 6, 2010)

DubNMiatafan said:


>


So clean. :thumbup:


----------



## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

Mine needs to be lowered.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

redwe-in-wi said:


> Mine needs to lowered.
> [/URL]


Nah, love the way those Clubs look, even stock!

PS Would you let me drive it since we appear to be neighbors?


----------



## It's Big Ty (Feb 19, 2011)

Diamond Dave said:


> Would definitely be interested in seeing more of this. Build thread or blog?


I will be making a detailed build thread for it once the new paint and body parts are done.


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Nah, love the way those Clubs look, even stock!
> 
> PS Would you let me drive it since we appear to be neighbors?


I may have seen you autocrossing in Milwaukee. I have used my R32 of late, but I likely will transistion to the miata next year.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

redwe-in-wi said:


> I may have seen you autocrossing in Milwaukee. I have used my R32 of late, but I likely will transistion to the miata next year.


I've only been to one so far (June 30th)!


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Just ordered pre-bedded Carbotech 1521's from 949 Racing. Can't get rid of the crap "OEM Value" pads quickly enough.


----------



## Helltime (Jun 3, 2009)

njn63 said:


> I like the way that car looks.
> 
> Mine:


Very nice! which wheels and lip do you have?
I figured out the leg problems i was having (actually not caused by the miata, YAY!) put a new set of tires on it and then took a 320 mile trip in it a couple days ago (which would have been unthinkable when i was having leg issues) to break them in, can't wait to auto-x tomorrow!!


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Helltime said:


> Very nice! which wheels and lip do you have?


Lip is an OEM r-package one.
Wheels are TR Motorsports C1M's (15x7 +30). I want to go 15x9 but I keep getting deals on 205/15 tires.


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## 42green (Aug 4, 2001)

I finally have my Miata. Sight unseen eBay purchase. Mailed cashiers check, seller mailed title and keys. He was even on vacation this week when I finally made it down to NJ to pick it up. 

First picture, the red Cabrio is my mom's. 










Midnight Stretch on the drive back. 











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 42green (Aug 4, 2001)

In the light before I had to go to work today. It was drizzling when I put the top down then started picking up. So I've only had the top down for 5 minutes. :banghead:


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

^^ the 6ULRs are a good look :thumbup:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Mmmm, 6UL's.

Want in black for my car. Perhaps next year...can't do it all this year.


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Well... I guess I'm getting a miata, $1500, 1992, 170k miles, clear title, a little rust, needs struts and but runs good. Good deal?


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

$1500 Miatas that go, stop, and turn are always a good deal :thumbup:

And since you'll be part of the club soon: Miatas don't have struts :laugh:


----------



## ventovr (Aug 29, 2006)

Numbersix said:


> Dinner in the Home Depot parking lot? Yes please


Mmm el camion. so good.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Damn straight.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Newbie at the autocross yesterday, a guy I never talked to before, told me he got a Miata and is starting a STS class build after watching a bunch of my videos from the last year or so. I had no idea of my influence with these things.


----------



## 42green (Aug 4, 2001)

DubNMiatafan said:


> $1500 Miatas that go, stop, and turn are always a good deal :thumbup:


I missed out on a '90 a month or so ago. 120k miles, possibly beginning stage of the short nose crank issue WITH a hardtop for $800. 

This was the ad. I was second in line, first person bought it. He told me the other person was looking at it at 6pm. I texted him I could be there 6:01pm with cash if the other person didn't buy it. 



> I 've owned this miata for about ten years and it is the most economical and reliable car I have ever owned. However it has started to lose power and may have a short nose crank issue. I know nothing for certain. I havent opened her up to see. This car was basically rolling dog house for me and my mutt while she sat copilot for the last 100k miles. The dog is old now, the car is tired and I am moving on to motorcycles. It is an early 1st year model that belonged to the ADZAM mazda dealership's wife... It has the hard top... NO FAIR OFFER REFUSED.... email any questions...Lets do this!


So I ended up paying about three times that for my NB, but still think i got a fairly good deal.


----------



## Dan92SLC (May 27, 1999)

Driving my father's 99 Miata this week. It really needs new shocks, IMO. He knows this but cannot decide whether to go with Bilstein HDs or those orange non adjustable Konis. Car is for street driving, no track or auto x stuff.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Have him to the Flyin' Miata Stage 1 kit + FCM bumpstops.

Alternately, just do the Tokico Illuminas + FCM bumpstops. It'll transform how it drives, and he can dial in how stiff he wants it. I can go cush/sloppy to stiff/super responsive in 2 mins.


----------



## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)




----------



## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

DooDooMagoo said:


>


Sweet pics and video. My drift practice happens in my stock NB on flat dirt roads between two corn fields in Michigan 

What's done to your NA?


----------



## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

DubNMiatafan said:


> $1500 Miatas that go, stop, and turn are always a good deal :thumbup:
> 
> And since you'll be part of the club soon: Miatas don't have struts :laugh:


Are you sure about this? why are these damn websites trying to sell me them lol. I guess they are just calling them shocks and struts incase you search on or the other. 


And I'm not actually buying the car we are suppose to be trading my sprint for the miata +$500 on his end. 

Oh and a hard top miata for $800?! You could just sell the top and come out making money lol.


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## 42green (Aug 4, 2001)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Oh and a hard top miata for $800?! You could just sell the top and come out making money lol.


That's why I was so eager to buy it but wasn't quick enough. I knew even if the SNC issue couldn't be loctite fixed I knew I would easily be able to get my money back out of buying it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

You should have sent him the take my money image of fry, might have made him like you more than the other guy. I've been allowed to jump in front of people in these type of cl deals just be bsing with the seller a bit.


----------



## 42green (Aug 4, 2001)

spitfirevr6 said:


> You should have sent him the take my money image of fry, might have made him like you more than the other guy. I've been allowed to jump in front of people in these type of cl deals just be bsing with the seller a bit.


According to him it was a girl, so I guess boobs win. :laugh:


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## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)

av315 said:


> Sweet pics and video. My drift practice happens in my stock NB on flat dirt roads between two corn fields in Michigan
> 
> What's done to your NA?


Thanks. The car has the bare bones needed to be a decent drift car. Flyin miata clutch, act 13lb flywheel, megan streets, cx racing radiator, tie rod spacers, power steering cooler w/full synthetic atf fluid, welded diff w/royal purple gear oil, mtl in the transmission, and t6 in the motor. I just wanted something that can handle the abuse. Other than that mostly just maintenance items, new axle seals, rear main seal, shifter dust boot, turret boot, and cam position sensor seal. Can't forget about the bucket seats, that made a huge difference.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Are you sure about this? why are these damn websites trying to sell me them lol. I guess they are just calling them shocks and struts incase you search on or the other.
> 
> 
> And I'm not actually buying the car we are suppose to be trading my sprint for the miata +$500 on his end.
> ...


Yep, Miatas do not have a MacPherson strut type suspension. They have double wishbone suspension all around with a coil-over shock setup.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Just finished my suspension install last night. H&R race springs, Tokico Illumina shocks. Please excuse the haggard top, a new one is on a fedex truck somewhere.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

That looks pretty low. 

What'd you do for bumpstops?


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

Then 









Now









Flares to come soon.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Interesting. I liked the Grids with the polished lip. (Probably because I had a set in polished w/graphite spokes on a different car some years back.)

Flares + R rep front/rear lip + maybe the Autokonexion rear spoiler would be good on that car.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Numbersix said:


> That looks pretty low.
> 
> What'd you do for bumpstops?


The OEM's were in great shape, so I reused them.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

zeewhiz said:


> The OEM's were in great shape, so I reused them.


Standard Miata lore says that you made the worst decision possible. The OEM bump stops are extremely hard and make the ride harsh since the car is designed to spend a lot of time on the bump stops. Aftermarket options (FatCat Motorsports and Flyin' Miata, etc) are made of better materials for the application and desired ride height. 

That said, I don't think its worth it to rip everything out just to change the bump stops.

EDIT: You have an NB. Disregard.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> Standard Miata lore says that you made the worst decision possible. The OEM bump stops are extremely hard and make the ride harsh since the car is designed to spend a lot of time on the bump stops. Aftermarket options (FatCat Motorsports and Flyin' Miata, etc) are made of better materials for the application and desired ride height.
> 
> That said, I don't think its worth it to rip everything out just to change the bump stops.
> 
> EDIT: You have an NB. Disregard.


Disregarded, lol. FWIW, with the Illuminas set on 3, it rides better than the MSM suspension that I took off of it.


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## FuelDrivenSpeed (Oct 15, 2012)

Numbersix said:


> Interesting. I liked the Grids with the polished lip. (Probably because I had a set in polished w/graphite spokes on a different car some years back.)
> 
> Flares + R rep front/rear lip + maybe the Autokonexion rear spoiler would be good on that car.


I'd like to check out bronze eventually. Possibly a full polished set then do a tan interior swap. Works for now, hardtop after the flares then onto the lips, I think it could be too much going on for me. 

Gotta get to that point first, then theres the side of me that says **** it all and just turbo it and go beater sleeper for ultimate lolz.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

my buddys daily driven miata.





opcorn:opcorn:


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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

tell your buddy to clean off the rust.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I laugh at people who sacrifice drivability in order to look and feel popular to people who don't matter. :laugh:


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

Hey guys, convince me to get a miata! I am stuck between a 02-05 NB or an e36 M3. I love the looks of both and I feel like the miata would be more fun, easier to maintain and less to care for but I am afraid the straight line speed will have me wishing for more power. I know they are easy to boost (which I want to do) but who knows if I would ever get around to saving up for FI.


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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

No..

One simply does not cross shop a Miata and a M3.

If you can afford it, M3.

If you cant afford the M3: 335i.

If you can't afford either of those..

Buy a bicycle.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

horribleR said:


> No..
> 
> One simply does not cross shop a Miata and a M3.
> 
> ...



:screwy:

How does one afford a 335i if he cannot afford an *e36* M3?


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

bboy_jon said:


> Hey guys, convince me to get a miata! I am stuck between a 02-05 NB or an e36 M3. I love the looks of both and I feel like the miata would be more fun, easier to maintain and less to care for but I am afraid the straight line speed will have me wishing for more power. I know they are easy to boost (which I want to do) but who knows if I would ever get around to saving up for FI.


Any reason you have it narrowed down to 02-05? The refreshed NBs started in '01. And honestly, I wouldnt rule out a '99-'00. Sure, the '01+ has VVT, but it also takes premium fuel. The '99-'00 doesnt. Here's a dyno chart. The blue is with VVT, the red is without. 

http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/dyno_runs/03_VVT_disconnected.pdf

The '01+ are cosmetically different, but all of the things you like can easily be swapped in the '99-00. 



horribleR said:


> No..
> 
> One simply does not cross shop a Miata and a M3.
> blah blah blah
> Buy a bicycle.


Dude if you have a problem with our cars... why even come in the thread? Trolls gonna troll. Be gone.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

How about some photos? 

(from miata.net)


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

zeewhiz said:


> Any reason you have it narrowed down to 02-05? The refreshed NBs started in '01. And honestly, I wouldnt rule out a '99-'00. Sure, the '01+ has VVT, but it also takes premium fuel. The '99-'00 doesnt. Here's a dyno chart. The blue is with VVT, the red is without.
> 
> http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/dyno_runs/03_VVT_disconnected.pdf
> 
> ...


Mostly because I want that style but as new as I can find; really it all depends on if I can find what I want; a red or white 6 speed with a hard top with 80k or so.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

bboy_jon said:


> Mostly because I want that style but as new as I can find; really it all depends on if I can find what I want; a red or white 6 speed with a hard top with 80k or so.


That's a good enough reason for me, lol. The only other thing I will add is that the 6 speed was more for economy, not performance... and the 5 speed is the better transmission of the two. Good luck in your search!


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

zeewhiz said:


> That's a good enough reason for me, lol. The only other thing I will add is that the 6 speed was more for economy, not performance... and the 5 speed is the better transmission of the two. Good luck in your search!


I heard that the 6 speed wasn't all that much better for economy but was also a lot stronger in terms of handling more power.


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## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

zeewhiz said:


> Dude if you have a problem with our cars... why even come in the thread? Trolls gonna troll.



troll? who are you? Boxxy? Last time I checked my garage I had an NA in it.. I might have to check again.


yep! it's still in there.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Carbotech 1521's should await me at home tonight. Hoping they solve the rather wooden brake pedal feel and ****ty response.


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

horribleR said:


> troll? who are you? Boxxy? Last time I checked my garage I had an NA in it.. I might have to check again.
> 
> 
> yep! it's still in there.


My apologies.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

horribleR said:


> troll? who are you? Boxxy?


My NA is behind seven garage doors


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

bboy_jon said:


> I heard that the 6 speed wasn't all that much better for economy


Think of the 6spd as a 5spd box with an extra gear thrown in down low.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

This is how I want to spend the time with my Miata:






















































































































Yea, the last one doesn't have a Miata, but I love the picture. I really need to do a long roadtrip into all of Western America with my car. The scenery and roads are absolutely jaw dropping. It makes my hair stand on end, and I can't imagine how good it would be in a car as rewarding and fun to drive as the Miata :thumbup:

All pictures from http://www.smitasin.com/


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## lunatik1 (Mar 13, 2003)

WOW!! it is like a those old western movie and taking picture of your horse. What is the camera that you are using?


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Man. A Miata on Kosei K1's just looks so _right._


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Not my pictures, they're all from http://www.smitasin.com/

I agree though, they are absolutely fantastic. And yes Numbersix, it is crazy how well they sync up with the car. It's like it was made for the Miata.

Quoting them on this page so more people can see them



DubNMiatafan said:


> This is how I want to spend the time with my Miata:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

lunatik1 said:


> WOW!! it is like a those old western movie and taking picture of your horse. *What is the camera that you are using?*


Haha. I love hearing people ask that. Those photos were taken with a 10 year old DSLR---the Canon Digital Rebel (300D). That was the original low-end DSLR! He was shooting with the 50mm f/1.8, which is among the very cheapest lenses Canon makes. He's also using a 17-35mm f/2.8, and probably the Tamron (as opposed to the vastly superior Canon) because those shots don't seem as sharp.

As usual, a quality result was produced by the human being being the equipment, rather than the equipment itself :thumbup:


FYI, you can check EXIF data with a browser add-on, and that metadata tells you what camera was used, what lens, what settings, what software was used, and a host of other info. That's how I answered your question


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

hushypushy said:


> Haha. I love hearing people ask that. Those photos were taken with a 10 year old DSLR---the Canon Digital Rebel (300D). That was the original low-end DSLR!


I had one of those. Best camera I ever had. :thumbup:


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Hey guys, just picked up another Miata this week, this is my 4th one, and I actually plan on holding on to this one haha.

It's a 91 BRG Special Edition (LSD, Nardi shift knob, etc), it's got 195k miles, but it drives great, no issues at all, and I absolutely love the color combo, I couldn't be happier with it.

Well, except for the really cheap wheels, but they have brand new tires on them, so I'll hold on to them for a little while anyway.

I'd like to do a few little modifications to it, roll bar, better wheels and tires at some point, suspension, etc, it's my daily driver so I'm not gonna **** with it too much. I'd really like to start doing some autocrossing with it though, I know there are a ton of DC area guys in here with Miatas, so I should probably start talking to some of you, especially Claff. It's got a lot of heavy options on it, so I don't expect to be super competitive, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun, so hopefully I'll be out autocrossing before too long.

Anyway, here it is:


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Hogan said:


>


Your driveway looks a lot like mine. :laugh:

Don't sweat the wheels. My '90 came riding on worse. 

Also, unrelated: $150 finder's fee to anybody who locates a Cosworth/FM supercharged NC that I end up buying.


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

SSLByron said:


> Your driveway looks a lot like mine. :laugh:
> 
> Don't sweat the wheels. My '90 came riding on worse.
> 
> Also, unrelated: $150 finder's fee to anybody who locates a Cosworth/FM supercharged NC that I end up buying.


haha yeah, trust me, the fence is there for a reason, behind that Impreza wagon you see peaking out is a B5 A4 that I'm finishing up an engine rebuild on, and an E34 525i haha.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Hogan said:


> haha yeah, trust me, the fence is there for a reason, behind that Impreza wagon you see peaking out is a B5 A4 that I'm finishing up an engine rebuild on, and an E34 525i haha.


:beer: :thumbup:


----------



## lunatik1 (Mar 13, 2003)

Here is my 4th Miata too, I keep trying different cars (rx8, corvette, mini, IS300...etc) but end up keep re-buying a Miata :laugh:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Hogan said:


> I know there are a ton of DC area guys in here with Miatas, so I should probably start talking to some of you, especially Claff. It's got a lot of heavy options on it, so I don't expect to be super competitive, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun, so hopefully I'll be out autocrossing before too long.


The best time to try autocrossing this car is right now, before you start throwing parts at it. The sooner you try it the sooner you can decide if it's something you want to do semi-seriously, or just dabble in it, or walk away. That will help decide what you modify and with what parts.

Don't get wrapped up in weight for now. When I started I ran my '90 with a roll bar and other stuff it didn't need. We have a guy just starting out who is running on steel wheels.

Next DC SCCA event at FedEx Field is August 11. Feel free to PM any questions you have.

Locally, check the forum at ChesapeakeRoadsters.com - good mix of Sunday drive folks, autocross folks, HPDE/time trial guys, Spec Miata guys, etc etc.


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Claff said:


> The best time to try autocrossing this car is right now, before you start throwing parts at it. The sooner you try it the sooner you can decide if it's something you want to do semi-seriously, or just dabble in it, or walk away. That will help decide what you modify and with what parts.
> 
> Don't get wrapped up in weight for now. When I started I ran my '90 with a roll bar and other stuff it didn't need. We have a guy just starting out who is running on steel wheels.
> 
> ...



Oh yeah, I definitely plan on leaving it as is for the time being, I wanna get a good feel for the car and what I would like to do with it. I've done a few autocross type events (a thing through Mini at Fed Ex Field, and another one with an F430) so I know I love it, but this be very different, since it's with my own car, and actually competition based and so on, and it will give me a chance to figure out what sort of class I'd like to pursue, and with what degree of seriousness. I'm going to send you a PM right now, I'm definitely going to try and make it out on the 11th, thanks!


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Took my Miata to a local autocross yesterday and had a blast. Didn't take too many photos, but here's s shot of my car:










...and a shot of one of my favorite looking NC's ever:


----------



## FuelInMyVeins (Feb 8, 2012)

lunatik1 said:


> Here is my 4th Miata too, I keep trying different cars (rx8, corvette, mini, IS300...etc) but end up keep re-buying a Miata :laugh:


Looks good sir.:thumbup: Would love to own one someday, but unfortunately I can't fit inside.:facepalm:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Couple more:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Nice! Looks a bit like my car on the stockies.

Hogan--I am really happy with the FM Stage 1.5 setup. The added rear shock travel, bumpstops, and adjustable shocks really make for a great package.


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Checking in again 

Street guise 

















Trying out the foam gun









Race mode! 

















Crap picture but changed up the interior a bit. Snagged some OEM sill covers, 360mm Nardi Classic, and JASS shift knob


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## LordBass (Mar 17, 2003)

Wanted one since 1989, finally bought one this weekend. It's an '06 Sport with only 15k miles. Brand new condition with not even a spec of dirt. Put 200 miles on it in two days, including a run up the (short) NH coast. Super excited, a total go kart.












*******

Unrelated, but I was at this exact spot in central Oregon in early June. The most stunningly quiet, expansive place. Brilliant empty long winding Miata-friendly roads too:



DubNMiatafan said:


>


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

LordBass said:


> Wanted one since 1989, finally bought one this weekend. It's an '06 Sport with only 15k miles. Brand new condition with not even a spec of dirt. Put 200 miles on it in two days, including a run up the (short) NH coast. Super excited, a total go kart.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Congrats! Mind me asking how much you paid for it? I'd love to have that exact car (2006, sport, grey).


----------



## mikegilbert (Nov 29, 2006)

Spotted this in Eugene, Oregon. Best caption I could come up with:


----------



## unimogken (Jan 19, 2005)

Haha that's awesome!


----------



## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

Rolling shot:


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Been autocrossing ES Miatas for 3 years now, Will be picking up my third one in a few weeks and it's likely it will turn into a complete STS build. [Hi Claff!]


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

This weekend: full detail. Claybar, wax, leather treatment stuff, engine bay. It'll be so clean you could eat off of it.


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

juliefernandus said:


> hi
> i am julie
> from california


It's too bad you're not a man, so that these Miatas could gay bang you into going away


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Been autocrossing ES Miatas for 3 years now, Will be picking up my third one in a few weeks and it's likely it will turn into a complete STS build. [Hi Claff!]


Hey the more the merrier! Hope you can make it to a DC event nce it's under way.


----------



## Gear_Cruncher (Mar 28, 2013)

I stopped and looked at a 1999 yesterday for $4500 ... I have no idea if that's good or not, probably not  ... mileage wasn't listed but the paint told me it had about 150K on it. Side bolster was duct taped up, so that's not good.  Had a nice chrome roll bar .... probably was autocrossed to death.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

I am also building an STS Miata and selling my CSP car. I just cannot afford the whole, separate wheel and tire set-up or trailer deal.

Hoping to see some people at the VAC. I'm in the Silver CSP NA #364.


----------



## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

juliefernandus said:


> hi
> i am julie
> from california


Tits or GTFO.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

82Turbo930 said:


> I stopped and looked at a 1999 yesterday for $4500 ... I have no idea if that's good or not, probably not  ... mileage wasn't listed but the paint told me it had about 150K on it. Side bolster was duct taped up, so that's not good.  *Had a nice chrome roll bar .... probably was autocrossed to death.*


Autocrossers typically don't use roll bars. And I've never seen a real roll bar in chrome, so it has most likely a 'style bar' . It looks like a roll bar, but it provides no protection whatsoever and if it didn't have 'back braces' that brace the bar outside of the vertical plane then it could actually cause harm in a rollover by 'mousetrapping'.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> Autocrossers typically don't use roll bars. And I've never seen a real roll bar in chrome, so it has most likely a 'style bar' . It looks like a roll bar, but it provides no protection whatsoever and if it didn't have 'back braces' that brace the bar outside of the vertical plane then it could actually cause harm in a rollover by 'mousetrapping'.


a true roll bar (with at least four mounting points to the body of the car) is at least 4-500 bucks, take 4-6 hours to install minimum, and is usually black (though several companies do make a chrome/stainless one). 

the upside is that if the car goes for a roll, you'll probably walk away. the downside is that depending on how tall you are, the roll bar can interfere with your head in a high speed rear end collision. if you're going to do a roll bar and you're of actual height, i would definitely consider a proper racing seat with a taller back and wings.

case in point:









i'd be very wary of where you head ends up in a rear crash with that bar. traumatic brain injury really sucks.


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Soo.. I got my first miata yesterday, and today I started swapping the old worn 170k mile stock setup for some clean 10ae bilsteins. Everything was going merrily(using the long bolt method) until I got to the bottom shock mount on the front passenger side. I got the nut off then realized the metal bushing has fused itself with the bolt(bolt and bushing spinning freely together).. Fvck. After banging on the bolt with a mini sledge hammer, using a heavy duty c clamp, and heat didn't work I opted for the sawzall. Things were going swimmingly until the saw decided to take a **** & It's too tight to fit my angle grinder, so hopefully tomorrow I will get a new sawz. 

Tl;dr miatas are gay and you guys should feel bad for this thread convincing me to get one. Jk, but I wish this would have gone smoother, it's not even rusty down there... 

/miata rant


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

82Turbo930 said:


> I stopped and looked at a 1999 yesterday for $4500 ... I have no idea if that's good or not, probably not  ... mileage wasn't listed but the paint told me it had about 150K on it. Side bolster was duct taped up, so that's not good.  Had a nice chrome roll bar .... probably was autocrossed to death.


It's pretty hard to autocross a car to death, especially a Miata. How much can you hurt the car by driving around cones in 2nd gear every weekend?

The bolster is irrelevant, because Miata seats are begging to be replaced anyway 

Anyway, speaking of seats, I am going to mention this here, one time, and one time only: *my Momo Start is for sale!* PassSedanGLX (who I _just_ figured out is now SSLByron) already called 'dibs' but he's too far now  I don't want to ship this...come pick it up in the SF Bay Area.


It was in my Mariner Blue:










It looks just like this, although it isn't this exact seat. Mine has a tiny rip in the seat bottom.



I'll get some real pics later, it's just hibernating in my garage. If no one here wants it, I'll throw it on NorCalRoadsters where it'll surely be snapped up in no time flat. It comes with rails and bolts right in (for an NA8 you'll need the NA6 seatbelt receiver though, the one that bolts to the chassis instead of the seat rail).


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

I did a test fit with the wheels, drove for about two miles on the highway with some on-ramps and off-ramps and had no rubbing. Ill most likely have my guy do a mild roll anyway since during autox the cornering will be harder and the car will lean more.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Numbersix said:


> Nice! Looks a bit like my car on the stockies.
> 
> Hogan--I am really happy with the FM Stage 1.5 setup. The added rear shock travel, bumpstops, and adjustable shocks really make for a great package.


That's exactly what I was thinking actually. I'm going to leave it as is for a little while, perhaps get that set up next spring or something. But that's a good vote of confidence for that, thanks for the input!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

teejtiu said:


> I am also building an STS Miata and selling my CSP car. I just cannot afford the whole, separate wheel and tire set-up or trailer deal.
> 
> Hoping to see some people at the VAC. I'm in the Silver CSP NA #364.


We'll be there. Green with white stripes #39/139 STS. Pictures are floating around this thread here and there.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

The urge to get a Club soft top is getting stronger...


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

Mosbius Designs said:


> The urge to get a Club soft top is getting stronger...


Do it. Mine for six weeks now.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

I'll take mine in black.

Unfortunately, it's the same deal as my BRZ conundrum. I'll have to do a two for one swap. Even though I know the 944 is going to be a huge time commitment down the road, I don't know if I want to get rid of it.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Detail over. All shiny and clean


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## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

Nice to see another M-Edition in IL. What are your future plans?


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Jae_Rex said:


> Nice to see another M-Edition in IL. What are your future plans?


Keep gas in the tank and the wheels on the ground? :laugh:

No mods. I want this one stock


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## Silly_me (Jul 26, 1999)

Delusions of grandeur? Saw this at the foothills of the Smoky *mountains* over the weekend :laugh:


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

*FV-QR*

^ i can hear that little motor just screaming for mercy now... :laugh:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Down at Spriso Motorsports visiting the SR20 Miata over the weekend. 

DD Sunburst with a 66 Datsun SR20 Roadster 










Looking a little dishy in here 











Did a 5pt turn in the shop and "drove" from the 3rd bay to pole position in the first bay. Yes, this means we'll get back to work on it; radiator, intake fab, exhaust fab, etc. 











glamor shot of another of the Spriso SR20 Roadsters later that weekend. Owned by this fella


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

All courtesy of matt-tastic at miata.net (http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=430351):


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## KrautFed (Jan 9, 2002)

jeez I need to hurry up and get a Miata


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## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

Sledge said:


> Keep gas in the tank and the wheels on the ground? :laugh:
> 
> No mods. I want this one stock


 That's what I said then I got mine. We shall see.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

the car for every situation


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

*FV-QR*

^ every roadster i've owned, i've had the privilege of stuffing junk out through the roof. the looks you get from other people are priceless. :laugh:


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Car I was supposed to pick up next week had a close encounter with a deer on the interstate. Totaled. Back to searching...


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Car I was supposed to pick up next week had a close encounter with a deer on the interstate. Totaled. Back to searching...


 Yikes...may want to consider changing your username after that :laugh:


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Went to my 6th autocross, I think it was my best one so far. I got some new tires(BFG Rival) so I am excited to see how far away from FTD I'll be with them compared to the current tires.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Two amusing anecdotes: 

-I have a FitBit Flex on my left wrist. It will track your sleep patterns if you tap it rapidly as you're going to sleep. Twice in the past week, I've been driving the Miata and noticed it vibrating--looked down to see that the vibrations coming up through the steering wheel have activated sleep mode. Now that's steering feedback. :laugh: 

-This morning, I entered I-5 in a left side onramp that drops you into the fast lane. It was early and traffic was still moving at normal freeway speed. I hammered it through first and second, seeing a car to my right out of my peripheral vision and wanting to ensure I merged ahead of it. Only when I started to pull into the lane did I notice it was an unmarked new Impala with a cop behind the wheel. :facepalm: Fortunately he was from a different county and hence out of his jurisdiction. Whew.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I had a close call yesterday as well. I was getting off a highway onto a 45 MPH road. There was a stoplight after I got off and then a nice long straight. When it turned green, naturally, I hammered it. I think I got up to about 60-65 when I saw a cop in an SUV pulling out of a gated community intersection to the left of me. I hit the brakes but I passed him doing at least 55-60. His lights went on and I prepared for the worst. 

He didn't move out of the intersection, just stayed there with his lights on. There was very little traffic so he could have pulled out, I guess he just had something to do right there and it was coincidence that I passed him as he was turning his lights on. 

All was well. 

Alas, I got a red-light camera ticket in the mail the other day. I apparently just entered the intersection (to make a left turn) as the arrow turned red. I watched the video and my bumper was maybe a foot away from the line as it turned red. But I was hauling ass so fast to make the light that it looked like I was doing about 50 through the turn :laugh: 

Oh these joyous little roadsters.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

This one made it to my place without hitting a deer! 

55k miles. Smurf blue. Zero options, completely original, zero body rust. But it was originally a CT car so getting the suspension apart might still result in some broken bolts. Close enough. 

STS build is go!


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Roadkilled78 said:


> This one made it to my place without hitting a deer!
> 
> 55k miles. Smurf blue. Zero options, completely original, zero body rust. But it was originally a CT car so getting the suspension apart might still result in some broken bolts. Close enough.
> 
> STS build is go!


 The worst will be some seized bushing, just spray everything down with pb blaster every day for a couple days while your still driving the car. I had to angle grind my front shock out . 

I just got back from picking up some frame rails of cl, yessss


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## infamous20V (Dec 17, 2004)

fkn need one! :banghead:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Took my '92 in for service today at the Mazda dealer. Spotted a '13 Club in red. Stopped by to take a look, sales guy asked me if I wanted to drive it. How could I say no? 

Dammit, that was a really bad idea. I really want one now. But I'll take mine like this: 










(actually, I can't decide whether I'd get the soft top or hard top)...


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## Mr. Chaos (Oct 13, 2010)

Silly_me said:


> Delusions of grandeur? Saw this at the foothills of the Smoky *mountains* over the weekend :laugh:


 that camper weighs between 1200-1500lbs. from the manufactures catalog.


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

On that subject, how much(guesstiment) could a miata tow with a 5.0 swap, upgraded brakes, and sufficient cooling? 

Would it be safe to tow your track miata with your street miata?


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Jae_Rex said:


> That's what I said then I got mine. We shall see.


 I admit I'm thinking about replacing the steering wheel with a nice Nardi three spoke. Still at the thinking stage though


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Took my '92 in for service today at the Mazda dealer. Spotted a '13 Club in red. Stopped by to take a look, sales guy asked me if I wanted to drive it. How could I say no?
> 
> Dammit, that was a really bad idea. I really want one now. But I'll take mine like this:
> 
> ...


 Voted soft top with my wallet. :thumbup: 

That lower ride height in the promo photo looks way better.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

redwe-in-wi said:


> Voted soft top with my wallet. :thumbup:


 And that was the right choice IMO :thumbup: I think the soft top looks a lot better, the bulge for the HT cover looks funky to me...


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## Thursday90 (Feb 25, 2010)

I picked up my 90 right before Christmas last year. I've put 10k miles on it since then my GTI never leaves my driveway unless I need the space for work.

Just picked up this hardtop and a running "parts car" for $700.


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Thursday90 said:


> I picked up my 90 right before Christmas last year. I've put 10k miles on it since then my GTI never leaves my driveway unless I need the space for work.
> 
> Just picked up this hardtop and a running "parts car" for $700.


 
is that the one that was on cl in the auto parts category and he was only asking like $900obo for it :laugh::laugh:, if i had the cash i would have picked that up the night i saw it. 

on another note, the fm rails were a success 

 

but i managed to knock both of the drain tubes out while trying to unclog them


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Clean and topless today


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

^ That looks really good.


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> Clean and topless today


 Motorcycle muffler?


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Chris.K said:


> Motorcycle muffler?


 Yoshi gsxr 1000 can.. Good eye.. Till the motor gets pressurized I wanted to have a little fun. :laugh:


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## dubina4steve (Aug 5, 2007)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> Clean and topless today


 Team 280? Love those and your Miata :thumbup:


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

dubina4steve said:


> Team 280? Love those and your Miata :thumbup:


 Yep . Had it for years.. Helps my 6 foot 5 frame for a bit better


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## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)

show car


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

So much flare with stock rear wheels.. Meh


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## davenowood (Aug 9, 2010)

Friend of mine's Mia


7305274264_2406d19dbe_h by David_Kerwood, on Flickr

7305271200_1fd6a38823_h by David_Kerwood, on Flickr

7305269398_0a42464fac_h by David_Kerwood, on Flickr


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> So much flare with stock rear wheels.. Meh


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## jackboots (Feb 3, 2005)

spitfirevr6 said:


> on another note, the fm rails were a success
> 
> 
> 
> but i managed to knock both of the drain tubes out while trying to unclog them


Tell me more. I have a set of these waiting to go on, just haven't had the time. How long did it take? Any tips you can share? Driving impressions after installation?


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## G60 CAB (Oct 26, 2003)

Post claybar/polish/wax.


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

opcorn:


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

jackboots said:


> Tell me more. I have a set of these waiting to go on, just haven't had the time. How long did it take? Any tips you can share? Driving impressions after installation?


I actually haven't driven it since, it needs a new rear caliper. I have the caliper, but I'm in another state at school. It also needs tires really bad.

The install wasn't bad, just time consuming. I'd recommend getting at least two cans of undercoating, the picture is before I undercoated everything, I undercoated inside too just to be on the safe side. I'd also apply some anti seize compound at least on the inside bolts incase you want to add the butterfly brace latter. 

Make sure the the rails are as far forward as possible also or else you might drill into an inaccessible area towards the rear. 

If your frame rails have any bends/dents that are stopping you from putting the rails on I'd recommend using some large channel looks to squeeze it back into shape. They don't have to be perfect, but if you do have to do this I'd recommend undercoating them before installing the FM rails. 

Also wear gloves while you are drilling, metal splinters suck. 

Other than that just read a couple walk throughs and it will be a breeze. It took me about 4 hours with a few brakes and not really being in a hurry.


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## still_a_G (Jun 23, 2008)

Pineapplegti ! said:


> Yep . Had it for years.. Helps my 6 foot 5 frame for a bit better



I always wondered why tall people even try to be car enthusiasts. It's like, don't you want to give up at some point?


----------



## doward (Apr 26, 2006)

G60 CAB said:


> Post claybar/polish/wax.


Well look who's here!


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

freedo84gti said:


> opcorn:


Inb4 DubnMiatafan loses his ****. 

But that does look pretty awful.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Reporting for duty!

Lol at his bomb-ass turbo setup. I bet you go real f*ckin' fast with that much drop and jdm wheel slantiness. :wave:

Edit: Also just looked closer and saw that he has COPs with a 1.6 AFM. That thing bottlenecks a bone stock motor, why the hell would you leave it on there with a turbo setup?

That car is just plain dumb.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

Miatas at the Virginia Autocross Championship. Mine is the Silver NA with the red fender










Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

More










Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Leading the pack through the turns(I could hold them off in the turns, but on the straights ALL of them ended up passing me...bone stock motor in my car).


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

freedo84gti said:


>


Instead of more mods he could spend some cash on fixing his suspension. Clearly it is broken on all four corners.

Wait... he did that on purpose?

:laugh:


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

Sledge said:


> Instead of more mods he could spend some cash on fixing his suspension. Clearly it is broken on all four corners.
> 
> Wait... he did that on purpose?
> 
> :laugh:


:laugh: how about some drifting miatas from freedom moves at englishtown?









this guy was ripping it up


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

freedo84gti said:


> this guy was ripping it up


When your Miata is purple with a canary yellow rollcage, you'd better be ripping it up


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## 100% Asian (Jun 13, 2013)

You know what they say about male figure skaters, drifting, and Miatas


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

100% Asian said:


> You know what they say about male figure skaters, drifting, and Miatas


----------



## FuelInMyVeins (Feb 8, 2012)

mellbergVWfan said:


> Inb4 DubnMiatafan loses his ****.
> 
> But that does look pretty awful.





DubNMiatafan said:


> Reporting for duty!
> 
> Lol at his bomb-ass turbo setup. I bet you go real f*ckin' fast with that much drop and jdm wheel slantiness. :wave:
> 
> ...


:laugh:


----------



## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

Two timing belt/water pump installs today, one on my 97 and one on my brothers 94. All went smoothly! One less thing I have to worry about breaking now! Approximately $85 for parts shipped for each car from rock auto.

One tip to anyone trying this in the future, put it in fifth and pull your e-brake when you go to remove the lower timing belt retaining ring bolt (big one in the center of the crank pulley). I used a breaker bar and both came off. Makes the whole process possible without any speciality tools!


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## Dr.AK (Jul 17, 2007)

Man, I'd love a NA Miata so bad. I really need to go testdrive one to see if I fit inside... I'm not that tall, just 186cm but I am rather... well cushioned.


----------



## EdRacer71 (May 10, 2006)

So does this little headline on the cover of the latest C&D make you want to go run out and buy a Mazda 3, or cancel your subscription for them daring to make that comparison?


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

sucks it was a auto


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## av315 (Nov 30, 2007)

EdRacer71 said:


> So does this little headline on the cover of the latest C&D make you want to go run out and buy a Mazda 3, or cancel your subscription for them daring to make that comparison?


I'm curious how an automotive magazine can justify making such a far-fetched comparison!? Even a speed3 isn't comparable to a Miata.



The all new Civic, think of it as a four door S2000!


----------



## kmead (Feb 11, 2001)

*After twenty-four years of wanting one, we finally bought one*

Our new (to us) 1992 Mariner Blue with 98k on it, bought it on 9/7. Not perfect but pretty damn nice.


----------



## Mr. Chaos (Oct 13, 2010)

freedo84gti said:


> sucks it was a auto


a standard miata 5 speed wouldnt stand up to the power of a 1uz would it?


----------



## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Mr. Chaos said:


> a standard miata 5 speed wouldnt stand up to the power of a 1uz would it?


1UZ makes 260 lb-ft of torque. 5 speed wouldn't last long with that power being put through it but a 6 speed might.

I know it's like the 5th thing wrong with that v8 swapped car but what is with the bumper trim?


----------



## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

Just picked this up over the weekend. The Miata will be boosted next Spring. I will be scrapping the t3/t4 and use a TDO4 from a WRX, 6lbs max.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Mr. Chaos said:


> a standard miata 5 speed wouldnt stand up to the power of a 1uz would it?


You don't keep the Miata transmission with hybrid (non-manufacturer) engine swaps.

If that was in Texas, I believe his username on Miata.net is andris. Built himself. Needed the car to be auto to pass the BAR when he was in CA and the plan was always to get the sticker, then do the 5spd swap so it would be 100% legal anywhere.





av315 said:


> I'm curious how an automotive magazine can justify making such a far-fetched comparison!? Even a speed3 isn't comparable to a Miata.


Plenty of people have asked the question "what's the closest thing to a Miata with a back seat. Until now, that answer has been MCS or possibly a Speed3.


----------



## mutcth (Mar 11, 2000)

av315 said:


> I'm curious how an automotive magazine can justify making such a far-fetched comparison!? Even a speed3 isn't comparable to a Miata.


They're not that far off. The new 3 is a fantastic driving car - fabulous shifter. 

Driving that car actually rekindled the urge to own another Miata - I'm trying to find the NC2 of my dreams: 2009 PRHT GT 6MT in silver/havana brown leather...

Tom


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Diamond Dave said:


> You don't keep the Miata transmission with hybrid (non-manufacturer) engine swaps.


It's been done. Offhand I can think of Austin's K24 swap and that Hayabusa swap.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

av315 said:


> I'm curious how an automotive magazine can justify making such a far-fetched comparison!? Even a speed3 isn't comparable to a Miata.


I've seen the magazines say the same thing about every compact Mazda since the Protege. As someone who has previously owned a Protege and extensively driven Mazda 3s and 2s... they haven't been right yet.

Mind you, those were all fantastic little cheap and cheerful FWD compact cars. If the alternative was a Civic, give me the Mazda3. It's great at what it does. It's not a Miata.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

njn63 said:


> It's been done. Offhand I can think of Austin's K24 swap and that Hayabusa swap.


That's because those weren't RWD car engines to begin with, so the stock trans didn't work.

The 1UZ comes bolted to a Toyota A430 RWD automatic. Much easier to use that than to fab a trans adapter. Though there are plenty of adapters to use the 1UZ with Toyota manuals (W58, R154, or V160).


----------



## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

AKADriver said:


> The 1UZ comes bolted to a Toyota A430 RWD automatic. Much easier to use that than to fab a trans adapter. Though there are plenty of adapters to use the 1UZ with Toyota manuals (W58, R154, or V160).


Depends. You have to fabricate a solution for the PPF (trans mount and differential mount) along with a custom driveshaft.

Neither is easy but I could see sticking with the Miata trans for a lower powered engine swap. :beer:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

teejtiu said:


> Miatas at the Virginia Autocross Championship. Mine is the Silver NA with the red fender


I've been there! Sunday was fun.










I shot a handful of CSP










Looks like it wasn't too wet for you Sunday morning









I know you said you were going, I should have said hi. I'm buddies with the Schmidt clan and saw a lot of them, didn't even dawn on me to find you while I was around.


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

Here's an action shot of mine from a few weeks ago. I've been having a blast with it this year.


----------



## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Yavuz said:


> Here's an action shot of mine from a few weeks ago. I've been having a blast with it this year.


 was this at Deven's? I was there on the 8th racing and taking pics.


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

Calcvictim said:


> was this at Deven's? I was there on the 8th racing and taking pics.


That is at Devens, but from an SCCA event a few weeks back. I was there on the 8th too - what were you driving?


----------



## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Yavuz said:


> That is at Devens, but from an SCCA event a few weeks back. I was there on the 8th too - what were you driving?


I drove a Copper Red NC, number 963. I drove alternate groups and took pictures, as I am going through them I found one of you. I'll have stimpy send a link to everyone once I am done editing all of them.


----------



## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

Claff said:


> I've been there! Sunday was fun.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks for the pics! I enjoyed finally seeing your car as well as Kraig Klippel's car. As weird as it sounds, I was actually standing right next to you and your wife during the awards ceremony.


----------



## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

Freaking painters tape survived two days. hahaha


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

My Miata has a multipurpose life

Street guise - AM coffee run 









A few hours later, ready to destroy STS per usual 









I should probably fix this soon  Front main has been leaking something fierce for a while. Makes me extra bitter than everything conceivable was replaced two seasons ago so I'm not happy about having to tear everything apart again.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Someone shot some awesome pics at the July WDCR SCCA autocross and dropped some prints in our car while we were course walking on Sunday. This is one: I was pretty impressed.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

kmead said:


>


Is that a true roll bar or is that a style bar? Who makes it?


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Definitely just a style bar


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Sledge said:


> Is that a true roll bar or is that a style bar? Who makes it?


it's a style bar, they run about 50 bucks on fleabay...no sense in paying more for one than that...do be aware that won't do anything in a rollover.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

compy222 said:


> it's a style bar, they run about 50 bucks on fleabay...no sense in paying more for one than that...do be aware that won't do anything in a rollover.


If I'm going to spend money on something like that, I want the real deal. Looks nice though.


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

Sledge said:


> If I'm going to spend money on something like that, I want the real deal. Looks nice though.


If you like that look, but want a real roll bar - consider one of these: http://www.bethania-garage.com/deuce.htm

They are considerably more expensive than a style bar though.


----------



## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

Boss Frog also makes a nice double hoop, I've one on mine.









Photo cred goes to previous owner


----------



## lunatik1 (Mar 13, 2003)

Where did you buy that clear windblocker?


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Yavuz said:


> If you like that look, but want a real roll bar - consider one of these: http://www.bethania-garage.com/deuce.htm
> 
> They are considerably more expensive than a style bar though.


this is what i'd tell you to spend the money on.

if you just want a cheap piece of stainless, then go to ebay...


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## kmead (Feb 11, 2001)

That bar is the first thing that will be going on the car. I will be putting a factory cross bar on (if you have one you want to get rid of let me know).

That style bar will soon be available...


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## lyonsroar (Dec 5, 2012)

IMG_3960_wm by Lyonsroar91, on Flickr


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## noludoru (May 14, 2009)

still_a_G said:


> I always wondered why tall people even try to be car enthusiasts. It's like, don't you want to give up at some point?


People ask me how I fit into my Miata all the time. . . the answer? With determination.


----------



## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

noludoru said:


> People ask me how I fit into my Miata all the time. . . the answer? With determination.


 My fav comeback is " i fit in your daughter"..( Im 6'5 285 :laugh.. Usually they walk away


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## TheOrange (Jul 15, 2003)

I'll just leave this here. You need a Miata...to build one of these.





















> The Exomotive MEV Exocet
> With 750,000 sold between 1989 and 2005, the Mazda Miata is the bestselling two-seater sports car in history. A reliable, lightweight roadster featuring front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout with a soul that descends from the popular British sports cars of the 60s. There’s a reason we all love it: it really is that good. Just take a look at your local track on any given weekend.
> So what is the problem with the Miata? Truthfully, not much. That’s why it makes an excellent platform for a new exoskeletal kit car. Designer Stuart Mills had very clear design goals from the beginning of the Exocet project: easy to build, lightweight, low cost and massive fun. A brilliant concept aimed at the novice car builder.
> For 2013 and beyond, Exomotive has taken the Exocet concept to the next level by completely reengineering the chassis for improved rigidity, safety and build time. Every single tube and panel has been redesigned using the latest CAD software and extensive Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to eliminate weak points, improve stiffness and optimize weight. New front and rear bulkhead designs, stressed driveshaft cover, gusset plates, triangulation tubes, integral rollbar design, revised tubing wall thicknesses, a boxed-in engine bay, and a revised floor that now functions as a loadpath between the subframes and suspension points all contribute to an over 300% torsional stiffness improvement compared to the previous model.
> In addition to the Miata powertrain, the new Exocet has been designed with LSx V8 power in mind. Improved front bulkhead, floor and transmission cover design allows for exciting options like an LS3/T56 with a Ford 8.8 or CTS-V rear end. Bolt on your Monster Miata, V8 Roadsters or Boss Frog V8 subframe kit and you can create something that will truly scare you. Even a relatively modest LSx build would put you at a power-to-weight ratio similar to the current crop of hypercars – and the new chassis can handle it!


http://exomotive.com/exocet/


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

lyonsroar said:


> IMG_3960_wm by Lyonsroar91, on Flickr


love this look. excellent ride height/wheel and tire combo. :thumbup:


----------



## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

lunatik1 said:


> Where did you buy that clear windblocker?


http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/30-1035C.html

Attaches with velcro. Let me know if you're interested in buying one -- I like wind and don't use it anymore.


----------



## Minker17 (Apr 2, 2004)

Alright, let's say I'm thinking of a Miata. I want a daily that gets good gas mileage, cheap to maintain, that is fun to drive, and can be found for cheap (I'm pretty damn broke)

Other than a few things, this seems the most obvious choice. Tell me what I need to know.


----------



## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

What is everyone's thoughts on mazdaspeed miatas vs buying standard miata and boosting it?


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

bboy_jon said:


> What is everyone's thoughts on mazdaspeed miatas vs buying standard miata and boosting it?


The answer is always "it depends". For example, it depends on if you live in an emissions controlled state. It also depends on what your budget is. If you've got $20k to spend in a no emissions inspection state, you can get a premium condition Mazdaspeed and the "Big Enchilada" upgrade from Flyin Miata. That gives you a mostly stock car (and I mean that in a good way) that should be solid, reliable for a modified turbo car, and a claimed 225whp.

Fact is, if you want a turbo Miata and live in a tightly emissions / OBD controlled state, you probably need to either go with an OBD-I Miata (90-95) or just buy the Mazdaspeed. For a small budget in a non-emissions state, then it's up to you. A really good turbo kit can run way into the thousands for the kit alone and you might be looking at $6-10k for a clean 01+ 6-speed car. I say 6-speed because that's supposed to be the stronger transmission and more suitable for turbocharged applications.

So I've got an 03 and live in an OBD emissions inspection state. I've looked over the options and none of it makes sense to me. I already spent something like $10k for my car and the only emissions legal FI kit I know of is the FFS supercharger kit, which is $4700 + install, at which point I may actually want a bunch of other stuff to help handle the extra power & torque. For $16k I could just buy a Boxster instead or a Z3, or... a stock Mazdaspeed Miata. Hence why I say it never made sense to me to turbo a non-turbo Miata, but if I were in a non-emissions state it might be a little different story.


----------



## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

bboy_jon said:


> What is everyone's thoughts on mazdaspeed miatas vs buying standard miata and boosting it?



You should post this question on miata.net 

You will get extremely detailed and helpful feedback from those guys.


----------



## makasay (Apr 19, 2013)

Claff said:


> I've been there! Sunday was fun.


^ this one looks awesome. I like it :thumbup:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Thought my Miata looked dashing in the warm glow of the streetlamps 










...and one from earlier today...


----------



## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

I bought some wheels and suspension for my car.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

*FV-QR*

Crappy cell phone pic of my wife's new 03 SE Miata.


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

compy222 said:


> Crappy cell phone pic of my wife's new 03 SE Miata.


Sweet! It looks _exactly_ like mine! Probably because all 03 SE's look the same.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

SourKrout said:


> A few hours later, ready to destroy STS per usual


Illegal air intake headlight door
Illegal air dam

(just kidding, I'm not a rules nazi, at least for local stuff)


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

AZGolf said:


> Sweet! It looks _exactly_ like mine! Probably because all 03 SE's look the same.


:beer:

46k on it and we love it. it's my 5th miata...her first. and now, after all these years, she gets it. i'm literally not allowed to even drive it. the speed differential between the evo and it on the street is just hilarious. :laugh:


----------



## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)




----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Claff said:


> Illegal air intake headlight door
> Illegal air dam
> 
> (just kidding, I'm not a rules nazi, at least for local stuff)


For Street Touring classes, cosmetic air dams/spoilers/body kits are allowed. You could protest that this is functional aero and not cosmetic but not likely.

The headlight scoop I dunno.


----------



## 318989 (Mar 14, 2007)

AKADriver said:


> That's because those weren't RWD car engines to begin with, so the stock trans didn't work.
> 
> The 1UZ comes bolted to a Toyota A430 RWD automatic. Much easier to use that than to fab a trans adapter. Though there are plenty of adapters to use the 1UZ with Toyota manuals (W58, R154, or V160).





njn63 said:


> Depends. You have to fabricate a solution for the PPF (trans mount and differential mount) along with a custom driveshaft.
> 
> Neither is easy but I could see sticking with the Miata trans for a lower powered engine swap. :beer:


They also make adapter plates for the KA, SR, VQ, VG transmissions as well. I have one in my Lexus.


----------



## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

DooDooMagoo said:


>





Coming from someone who has rolled a car sliding sideways into dirt/grass, I can't believe they don't mandate you have a roll bar.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

AKADriver said:


> For Street Touring classes, cosmetic air dams/spoilers/body kits are allowed. You could protest that this is functional aero and not cosmetic but not likely.
> 
> The headlight scoop I dunno.


Not to hijack, but only 'factory' aero is allowed. Our STS car has all the R-package add-ons (or, technically, 93LE pieces), that's OK.

Headlight scoop is definitely a no-no. Can't put holes where there weren't any from the factory.

But again, it's not a big deal unless you're running in a national event. And even then it's not a big deal unless you're running in the top half of the class.

But I digress.


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

I took a better photo of my new wheels.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Claff said:


> Not to hijack, but only 'factory' aero is allowed. Our STS car has all the R-package add-ons (or, technically, 93LE pieces), that's OK.
> 
> Headlight scoop is definitely a no-no. Can't put holes where there weren't any from the factory.
> 
> ...


Exactly and for the 3 times I ran this year no one gives a hoot. To really rustle some jimmies the car also has the ex-intake mod which should technically bump me to SM but the regional organizers know this and don't mind because the benefit is negligible. Next season the car will be boosted any way and in at least SM for good.


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

SourKrout said:


> Exactly and for the 3 times I ran this year no one gives a hoot. To really rustle some jimmies the car also has the ex-intake mod which should technically bump me to SM but the regional organizers know this and don't mind because the benefit is negligible. Next season the car will be boosted any way and in at least SM for good.



I'm making turbo plans, curious to what you have in mind with your car?


----------



## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Chris.K said:


> I'm making turbo plans, curious to what you have in mind with your car?


Pretty set on a Begi S4 with MS to control it all. Shooting for 230-240whp next season and maybe a built bottom end the season after. Still figuring out the nitty gritty details of what my plan will be.


----------



## jbell (Sep 7, 2002)

mine:









you can buy it  
<55k miles. Stock, babied engine.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Chris.K said:


> I took a better photo of my new wheels.


Gorgeous! Any more photos of the rest of your car?


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Gorgeous! Any more photos of the rest of your car?


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Pulled the Miata out of the garage yesterday and fired it up. Didn't want to run worth a damn while cold. Stumbled, nearly died out, didn't want to rev, felt like it was missing. WTF? It's only been a couple of weeks since it was last driven.

Investigation found the hose below the red arrow to be cracked badly at both ends, creating a massive vac leak.










$1.39 in vac hose later and the car is transformed. Revs MUCH better, pulls better at low engine speeds. Gotta love it.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Urge to get a Miata is constantly increasing.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Chris.K said:


>


Stop. You're making me want one.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Which of you PA folks is playing in STS with me in Hershey at the end of the month?


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## Chris.K (Jan 27, 2005)

Numbersix said:


> Pulled the Miata out of the garage yesterday and fired it up. Didn't want to run worth a damn while cold. Stumbled, nearly died out, didn't want to rev, felt like it was missing. WTF? It's only been a couple of weeks since it was last driven.
> 
> Investigation found the hose below the red arrow to be cracked badly at both ends, creating a massive vac leak.
> 
> $1.39 in vac hose later and the car is transformed. Revs MUCH better, pulls better at low engine speeds. Gotta love it.


I noticed you have a jackson racing header and intake, did you also delete the factory AFM? Because I was looking over the 949 Super Miata example dyno recently and had no idea how much whp a few simple modifications and a stand alone ECU could net. 

http://supermiata.com/supermiata/supermiata-rules-regulations/supermiata-sample-dyno-plot/


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Claff said:


> Which of you PA folks is playing in STS with me in Hershey at the end of the month?


:wave:

And my codriver is taking a crack at it too, I owe him a drive after beating up on his car for a season and a half.

Right now the coilovers are on my workbench...end links are in the mail...we'll be happy if the springs have settled by next Saturday. Shock settings...bah, who needs that. :laugh:

Oh, and the alignment will be "whatever camber is gained from lowering." I just really wanted to get it to an event this year before finishing the build over winter.


----------



## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

Chris.K said:


>



Looks like my Miata.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Chris.K said:


> I noticed you have a jackson racing header and intake, did you also delete the factory AFM? Because I was looking over the 949 Super Miata example dyno recently and had no idea how much whp a few simple modifications and a stand alone ECU could net.
> 
> http://supermiata.com/supermiata/supermiata-rules-regulations/supermiata-sample-dyno-plot/


I haven't--yet.

Next year I'm seriously thinking about going the MSPnP route with the box that plugs in directly to the OEM ECU loom. 

Doing that means I'd need to delete the AFM with...something, and then have the car properly tuned. It's not an especially cheap process--I'd guess it'd run me close to $8-900 all in. I'd love to have the car run better and pull harder, though, especially at heavy throttle openings at lower engine speeds. I think the CAI/header/exhaust confuse the ECU under those conditions.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Jae_Rex said:


> Looks like my Miata.


More! :thumbup:


----------



## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=153081&page=432


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

opcorn:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Roadkilled78 said:


> :wave:
> 
> And my codriver is taking a crack at it too, I owe him a drive after beating up on his car for a season and a half.
> 
> ...


Cool. I should have a co-driver for one of the two days but running solo the other (the wife's not making this trip). I'm still sorting the suspensionas well, as the rear coilover sleeves are due to show up either late this week or early the next. No alignment here either, and I'm debating between this year's pretty much dead Rivals or slightly less dead two year old R1Rs that I've been using as rains and around-town driving.

Oh and we're all going to get killed by Little Mike's CRX no matter what stuff we bring.

Regardless I'm looking forward to trying a new site and new region a little out of town. Make sure you find me and say hi if I don't find you first.


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Claff said:


> Oh and we're all going to get killed by Little Mike's CRX no matter what stuff we bring.


Naturally. But it'll set a benchmark, and I plan to run some more Susq and DC events next year so I can compare myself and the car to you and mike/ian. Philly STS competition is nonexistent lately. And I'm gonna miss having a codriver. He wants to drive his S2000 or something :screwy: :laugh:

Run whichever tire works better ice-cold. Especially as a single-driver car. Seriously, it's October in PA...


----------



## 100% Asian (Jun 13, 2013)

freedo84gti said:


> opcorn:


Kill it with atom fission.


----------



## noludoru (May 14, 2009)

bboy_jon said:


> What is everyone's thoughts on mazdaspeed miatas vs buying standard miata and boosting it?


I'm going to leave the intelligent answers to the people with more knowledge than I have, but my take was that a Speed would be cheaper than boosting one, and easier as I wasn't planning on having two cars at once. As it's stock, I was also able to get a 100k-mile warranty.

The other part is the cool factor. It's going to sound silly, but everyone who knows what it is _knows_ what it is. I've gone AutoXing the last two weekends and it's like my car is a celebrity. No one cares about me, they just want to look at my car. Even people with way better/more expensive/faster/rarer/cooler cars love it. It's kind of amazing.

Regardless, if you go with a regular Miata, get the 6spd.



jbell said:


> mine:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can't buy it, but I can drool. LOVE IT. 


New pics of my car!

AutoX:










Not dirty for once:


----------



## JMTombstone (Jan 21, 2008)

I just drove a Miata for the first time in my life last night (2011 Touring) and I fell in love with it. Everything about it was beyond words. I can't wait to get to a point in my life where a "fun" car is possible alongside my daily so I can pick up a Miata, or when my gf gets her own car. Then I can sell my car and get a Miata for a daily.....screw practicality. If she has something practical, why must I?


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

JMTombstone said:


> I just drove a Miata for the first time in my life last night (2011 Touring) and I fell in love with it. Everything about it was beyond words. I can't wait to get to a point in my life where a "fun" car is possible alongside my daily so I can pick up a Miata, or when my gf gets her own car. Then I can sell my car and get a Miata for a daily.....screw practicality. If she has something practical, why must I?


The virus has activated.

Prepare yourself :laugh:


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

JMTombstone said:


> I just drove a Miata for the first time in my life last night (2011 Touring) and I fell in love with it. Everything about it was beyond words. I can't wait to get to a point in my life where a "fun" car is possible alongside my daily so I can pick up a Miata, or when my gf gets her own car. Then I can sell my car and get a Miata for a daily.....screw practicality. If she has something practical, why must I?


yup, that's the argument our family just recently had...we have no kids and a 40 pound dog..."well honey, i have a sedan (coughevocough) and wouldn't it'd be fun if you could drive something you like?"

a few weeks later we pulled this into the garage...









also, just an add along to this thread. A big shout out to Steve at *Panic Motorsports* (in South Carolina) who UPS'ed me the little tiny trim filler piece on the trans tunnel that was missing on my wife's car. I emailed him, he replied within minutes, and asked for my address. No question about payment, even after I offered. Highly recommended source for used parts. :beer::beer: www.panicmotorsports.com 

they also have a sweet looking NB.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

How do the NB's drive on the OEM 16's? Always been curious.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Numbersix said:


> How do the NB's drive on the OEM 16's? Always been curious.


not bad. it's a little "crashier" over bumps, but they aren't overly heavy compared to any of the other wheels Mazda threw on the cars. the only complaint i have is that they're a rather odd size. there aren't a lot of tires available in the 16" size range (only 1-2 winter tires for example). it seems every skipped from 15 to 17 when building cars. they are also nearly as narrow as anything else on the early cars, it's wild seeing them next to the 235 star specs on the evo that sits next to it. it's been a blast to own one again...i forgot just what a c0ck you can drive like at all times in one. the 16's are pretty forgiving, it's got general all seasons on it right now that are actually pretty nice riding and relatively quiet. next spring/over the winter i'll hunt for some lower offset 15x7 or 15x8's though.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Interesting. I've never driven a Miata on anything bigger than the 15x7.5's on my current car wrapped in 205's, which (with its unassisted steering) is quite enough meat. I've wondered how much of a penalty you pay in terms of unsprung weight with the 16's--these cars seem awfully sensitive to that.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

http://www.miata.net/faq/wheel_weights.html

actually, the 16's are far lighter than the factory steelies...by over a pound. the 16x6.5 03 SE wheels are 16.2lbs. the factory steelies in 14 inch weight 18 pounds. keep in mind too, the SE wheels are also .5 inches wider than normal LS or base model wheels.

the real porkers are the 02 SE wheels, which are the best looking (i think) but are very heavy at 18 pounds as well.


----------



## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Interesting. The more you know :thumbup:


----------



## LordBass (Mar 17, 2003)

It was a fine fall weekend for some top down time here in New England. The cold isn't far off, but this weekend was a good one.


----------



## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

Saw this on Reddit, HNNNNGHHH...

http://imgur.com/a/DuZnF


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Two from today...

I seriously love this car.


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

shoot i did on my buddys miata :wave: opcorn: 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/10411110816/" title="miata shoot james 125 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5498/10411110816_37f4c03fef_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="miata shoot james 125"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/10411100205/" title="miata shoot james 137 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/10411100205_607b9a9689_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="miata shoot james 137"></a>


----------



## Euro-Tech (Feb 4, 2012)

Finally left the VW scene for a bit. Picked up my 96 NA after selling my GTI. Love the car, want to give it more power.


----------



## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

More power you say?

The General can help you out with that quite nicely.


----------



## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Euro-Tech said:


> Finally left the VW scene for a bit. Picked up my 96 NA after selling my GTI. Love the car, want to give it more power.


Align your headlight covers, just pull up (gently) on the backs with the hood up then adjust them to be flush with the hood down.

Other than that :thumbup:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Two from today...
> 
> I seriously love this car.


Fantastic.


----------



## 100% Asian (Jun 13, 2013)

freedo84gti said:


> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/10411100205/" title="miata shoot james 137 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/10411100205_607b9a9689_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="miata shoot james 137"></a>


Sweeping is one way of putting it...


----------



## Project_2501 (Apr 21, 2008)

What do the MSM factory 17" RacingHart wheels weigh? 

Wondering what the boat anchors on my car weigh and how much I'll save when I eventually switch to some 15x8 wheels.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Drove up to Madison today for a bit of shopping. Perfect fall droptop weather.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Sledge said:


> Drove up to Madison today for a bit of shopping. Perfect fall droptop weather.


I was topless as well (in Milwaukee).  Gorgeous day!


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Project_2501 said:


> What do the MSM factory 17" RacingHart wheels weigh?
> 
> Wondering what the boat anchors on my car weigh and how much I'll save when I eventually switch to some 15x8 wheels.


They're pretty heavy. But when I weighed our MSM 17s with nearly-bald S.Drives, and 15x7 Kosei K1 with new Star Specs, it was almost dead even. Tire tread weighs a lot, too.


----------



## Jae_Rex (Apr 12, 2013)

Fall/Winter mode on:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Love those wheels on darker colored cars. What are they?


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## dorkage (Jul 7, 2009)

Sent from my super fantastico toaster.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Some quick shots from the season finale auto-x this weekend. A few of myself, my friends, and even one of a resident TCL member :wave:

Photos courtesy of Doug Austin


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## UsernameValid (Aug 2, 2013)

This thread sucks.

-signed, 6'5" 300lb man.


I need a miata. This one spends a lot of time in my driveway and is quite fun


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

SourKrout said:


> Some quick shots from the season finale auto-x this weekend.


Hey! I beat all those guys and no one took a picture of me! :banghead::laugh:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

compy222 said:


> the real porkers are the 02 SE wheels, which are the best looking (i think) but are very heavy at 18 pounds as well.


It's tough because small sporty cars like the Miata are especially sensitive to wheel weight (and wheel balance) but the manufacturer must balance all dynamic performance benefits against cost and durability and looks. The 02SE wheels are like a lot of German alloy wheels. The reason why most German wheels are really heavy is because the German government and the consumers in general demand that their wheels be exceptionally durable. To make wheels both inexpensive and durable they end up being heavy and made of cast aluminum.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Hey! I beat all those guys and no one took a picture of me! :banghead::laugh:


There might be some! Which car was yours? I tried my best to put down a good time but the planets didn't align. 54.3 was my best time, just a few thousands behind Claff 
I brought my ST out Sunday though and managed 3rd in RTF but it reminded me how much I hate auto crossing a FWD car. 

Also, the results are up: http://www.scca-susq.com/results.php


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

SourKrout said:


> There might be some! Which car was yours? I tried my best to put down a good time but the planets didn't align. 54.3 was my best time, just a few thousands behind Claff
> I brought my ST out Sunday though and managed 3rd in RTF but it reminded me how much I hate auto crossing a FWD car.


I was the Mariner Blue '90 that was there on Saturday. I asked Doug to check if he got any shots of the car.










Oddly enough, I found myself driving this not unlike a FWD car. Lots of trail braking and [because open diff] careful with the throttle on corner exit. I still did one-wheel burnouts all over the course. :laugh:


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> I was the Mariner Blue '90 that was there on Saturday. I asked Doug to check if he got any shots of the car.
> 
> Oddly enough, I found myself driving this not unlike a FWD car. Lots of trail braking and [because open diff] careful with the throttle on corner exit. I still did one-wheel burnouts all over the course. :laugh:


Ah nice! I cried a little when you posted the 52 second time :laugh: I knew there weren't 2 seconds left to be found in one run. 

What suspension and tires are you using?


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Koni Yellows - race front, sport rear. 700 lb front springs, 440 lb rear. Racing Beat 1.125" front bar, no rear bar. Dunlop ZIIs, 205/15

My codriver managed a 51.9 with a cone. Needless to say I am really *really* happy with how the car is working so far. It was damn quick for a 1st event.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

What tire pressures on the ZIIs?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

29f/27r on Saturday seemed like too little all around. Cold center of the tread even after 8 aggressive runs. But then the weather was cold and the front camber is currently -1 instead of -3.

Sunday I ran 30f/29r and liked it better.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Koni Yellows - race front, sport rear. 700 lb front springs, 440 lb rear. Racing Beat 1.125" front bar, no rear bar. Dunlop ZIIs, 205/15
> 
> My codriver managed a 51.9 with a cone. Needless to say I am really *really* happy with how the car is working so far. It was damn quick for a 1st event.


Guess so! That sounds like a more track focused setup than mine anyways. 

I've got Fortune Auto Coilovers 593/393 rates (10k/7k), Racing Beat 1.125" front, stock rear bar and 205/50 Azenis (not ideal but had a $200 gift certificate to Vulcan tire and thats all they carried at the time). 

My winter plans will put me in SM next season anyways.


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## Reallyslowrio (Oct 1, 2012)

So many 6UL's...I miss my miata


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## Nik.moretto (May 22, 2013)

No one needs a miata


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Nik.moretto said:


> No one needs a miata


Them TCL fightin words


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

SourKrout said:


> Them TCL fightin words


Don't feed the troll...


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Nik.moretto said:


> No one needs a miata


i vote ban.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Nik.moretto said:


> No one needs a miata


You suck at cars, and the Internet.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

Roadkilled78 said:


> 29f/27r on Saturday seemed like too little all around. Cold center of the tread even after 8 aggressive runs. But then the weather was cold and the front camber is currently -1 instead of -3.
> 
> Sunday I ran 30f/29r and liked it better.


Seems where I put mine as well. I have put mine as low as 25r. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

I know a few people run them that low, and I can't believe it works. Claff, for instance, runs the rears [Rivals] at 24.5 I think he said? Clearly it works for some people, and is more comfortable on the street, but I am not fond of it. There may be more ultimate grip but the feel/feedback is too vague...I run out of talent and end up plowing around the course especially under braking :laugh:


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## clutch_dust (Apr 24, 2007)

You guys are killing me!

I haven't had a Miata in almost 2 years and I can't stand it anymore, someone please buy my car or trade for a decent NA. Please!!! (93560)


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> I know a few people run them that low, and I can't believe it works. Claff, for instance, runs the rears [Rivals] at 24.5 I think he said? Clearly it works for some people, and is more comfortable on the street, but I am not fond of it. There may be more ultimate grip but the feel/feedback is too vague...I run out of talent and end up plowing around the course especially under braking :laugh:


Wait... you guys run those pressures even during hot weather?! Granted dropping the pressures to the high 20's made a big difference in the cold but I keep mine at 36-38 for hot weather events and have been happy with it. Initially I tried running high 20's in the heat but as you said the lack of feedback is discouraging.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I ran my Rivals at 29F 24.5R pretty much all year. I had the benefit of a couple all-day test & tunes, plus three (!) two-hour test & tunes at Nationals, to experiment, and that's what I finally settled on.

Now these Rivals were new in March. They have run

8 WDCR SCCA events
7 Autocrossers Inc events
Dover Tour
DC Pro
2 Evo schools
2 WDCR test & tune days
3 Evo test & tunes at Nationals
SCCA Solo National Championships
2 day Susquehanna season-ender

Nearly all of these were with two drivers. And some of those AI ones had as many as six or seven drivers taking shots at the car in fun runs.

What's amazing is that the tires are still showing an amazing amount of tread left considering the torture we've put them through. But we've obviously gotten all the good out of them that we're going to. By the end of the season they were way down on grip, doubly so if the temperature was below T-shirt weather. With the R1Rs I ran in the past they'd be pretty much bald but still quite grippy. And that's why I'll be ordering up two sets of shaved R1Rs for next year.

I think by the time I left Hershey Park I had the tires at something like 24F 22R. I also went down about half on the front shocks. Anything to try and get the nose to bite better, otherwise it would lock the fronts if I even looked at the brake pedal. It was so frustrating and confidence-killing. I had co-drivers lined up for both Saturday and Sunday and neither could run, on days where a tire warmer was probably going to be worth his or her weight in gold.

So yeah, a lot of excuses, not much for results. Either way, it's not a bad way to end the season. I've already put the big battery back in, the stock drivers seat, put on all-season tires, the muffler, and floor mats. Our little Duckling is going back to commuter duty till next spring when it thinks it's a race car all over again.

Glad to meet a bunch of TCLers at Hershey. I'm not too thrilled that I was far from my best but the actual competition is only a small part of why we got mixed up in this sport in the first place.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

SourKrout said:


> Wait... you guys run those pressures even during hot weather?! Granted dropping the pressures to the high 20's made a big difference in the cold but I keep mine at 36-38 for hot weather events and have been happy with it. Initially I tried running high 20's in the heat but as you said the lack of feedback is discouraging.


This was literally my first day on the Z2s. Pressure was kind of a guess based on typical f/r difference in the ES and RTR/ES cars, past experience with Z1s, and talking to a few people at the event. But I can say 14" Z1s, I ran at 34/32 for a year and a half in RTR/ES and they were equally happy hot, cold, wet or dry.



Claff said:


> I think by the time I left Hershey Park I had the tires at something like 24F 22R. I also went down about half on the front shocks. Anything to try and get the nose to bite better, otherwise it would lock the fronts if I even looked at the brake pedal. It was so frustrating and confidence-killing.


FWIW I never got above 1 turn on the front shocks at either event. It sounds like many people run the fronts nearly full stiff, but there's just no way the front was going to grip like that this weekend.



> Glad to meet a bunch of TCLers at Hershey. I'm not too thrilled that I was far from my best but the actual competition is only a small part of why we got mixed up in this sport in the first place.


:beer: And thanks for your help with the valve stem issue. We lost another one during our heat, by the way. I think my tire guy needs to clean his machine.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Wife pulls into mall, immediately spots best parking spot. :laugh:


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

^ Wow, that NB looks TINY compared to the American muscle!

Here's a link that I thought you guys would like...a look into the cars in Mazda's Design Center basement lot...

http://www.autobytel.com/mazda/news/deep-in-the-mazda-basement-120260/?id=32379


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## Reallyslowrio (Oct 1, 2012)

Bibs said:


>


Hnng...that coupe...


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Mine is for sale! 

Someone needs this

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6853545-FS-FT-1996-Miata-59k-Miles-PA-Montego-Blue


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## jackboots (Feb 3, 2005)




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## yellowbird (Feb 4, 2001)

possibly mine next week:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*FV-QR*


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Why are 1/2 the Miatas built automatics!?!?! It's so disappointing to look into a Miata's interior and see this-->


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Probably has something to do with mostly women buying them


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## firstorbit84 (Feb 25, 2006)

*FV-QR*

you mean women don't enjoy working a stick?


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## Gabo (Dec 7, 2010)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Probably has something to do with mostly women buying them


I vote baby-boomer-mid-life-crisis.


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## k4df4l (Sep 29, 2006)

yellowbird said:


> possibly mine next week:


Was that over at Bergey's in Zieglersville and did you buy it?

I looked at that back in September and it had a few roof leaks and some other small problems.


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## Juniper Monkeys (Jul 18, 2003)

Bibs said:


> Here's a link that I thought you guys would like...a look into the cars in Mazda's Design Center basement lot...
> 
> http://www.autobytel.com/mazda/news/deep-in-the-mazda-basement-120260/?id=32379


Cubic to a heretofore unknown extent :thumbup:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

compy222 said:


> Wife pulls into mall, immediately spots best parking spot. :laugh:


What exhaust do you have on it? Looks like possibly an Enthuza or Magnaflow?

Also, your wife is awesome :thumbup:


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## bombardi (Mar 28, 2004)

firstorbit84 said:


> you mean women don't enjoy working a stick?


Well the Miata is referenced to the gay community a lot, sooo yes, some women do not enjoy working the stick...


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## yellowbird (Feb 4, 2001)

k4df4l said:


> Was that over at Bergey's in Zieglersville and did you buy it?
> 
> I looked at that back in September and it had a few roof leaks and some other small problems.


yes, the same one. saw something going on in the roof in the interior, but didnt think it was a leak. what other problems did you find that i may have missed?


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## k4df4l (Sep 29, 2006)

yellowbird said:


> yes, the same one. saw something going on in the roof in the interior, but didnt think it was a leak. what other problems did you find that i may have missed?


Replied to your PM. 


Congrats on the new ride!


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Got some used running shoes for the miata tonight 

















hoosier SM6's with about 50% tread left for $180, score!


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> What exhaust do you have on it? Looks like possibly an Enthuza or Magnaflow?
> 
> Also, your wife is awesome :thumbup:


Thanks. She loves it. Car is currently snow covered in the garage. Picked up 4 MB alloys with 16" hankook ipikes and it rocks on them. 

Exhaust is a 68 dollar ebay nb special. Sounds good and came with car. I have the original too. Its pretty quiet though.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

compy222 said:


> Thanks. She loves it. Car is currently snow covered in the garage. Picked up 4 MB alloys with 16" hankook ipikes and it rocks on them.
> 
> Exhaust is a 68 dollar ebay nb special. Sounds good and came with car. I have the original too. Its pretty quiet though.


I have some 175/70/14 ipikes on mine right now and it is hilariously fun in the snow with them


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I have some 175/70/14 ipikes on mine right now and it is hilariously fun in the snow with them


it's absurd what a tank these cars are on snow tires. just put a little weight in the trunk and it's like driving a dorifto go-kart in anything less than 5-6 inches. :beer::beer:

the tires are just about as tall as you can fit on the car at 195/55/16, but it makes it look even cooler. :laugh:


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

mid winter changes*

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/11258061245/" title="pw meet 045 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2815/11258061245_7a5d83677b_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="pw meet 045"></a>

*not my car, my friends


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## jackboots (Feb 3, 2005)

freedo84gti said:


> *not my car, my friends


Does your friend know that his suspension is broken?


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## administrator (Jul 3, 2006)

freedo84gti said:


> mid winter changes*
> 
> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/11258061245/" title="pw meet 045 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2815/11258061245_7a5d83677b_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="pw meet 045"></a>
> 
> *not my car, my friends


your friend is a c*nt. :wave:


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

jackboots said:


> Does your friend know that his suspension is broken?


funny enough it actually is broken in this pic :laugh: cracked his upper control arm on the way there


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Florida Miata owners on their understanding of how the convertible top works.

I've been vacationing here for almost 2 weeks and nearly every convertible I've seen had the top up and it's 60 to 70 degrees outside. The Miata drivers most consistently had their tops down. Good job


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## 100% Asian (Jun 13, 2013)

bombardi said:


> Well the Miata is referenced to the gay community a lot, sooo yes, some women do not enjoy working the stick...


That's if they drive a Legacy.


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## 100% Asian (Jun 13, 2013)

jackboots said:


> Does your friend know that his suspension is broken?


*car



freedo84gti said:


> funny enough it actually is broken in this pic :laugh: cracked his upper control arm on the way there


Gee I wonder why. It couldn't possibly be those alignment settings...


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## No Pork (Jan 3, 2010)

Pretty at the park by Amir Hamdi, on Flickr


Neatly waiting by Amir Hamdi, on Flickr


kayak-miata by Amir Hamdi, on Flickr

:beer:


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## xombiesarelove (Dec 23, 2010)

No Pork said:


> Neatly waiting by Amir Hamdi, on Flickr


This looks great. :thumbup:

An NA is getting very high on my "what car to buy next" list"


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

Bump because I broke down and bought a Miata last night in part due to this thread. Classic Red. Rust free. Hardtop.


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)




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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

So I have been watching this thread pretty closely over the past few weeks and I am hoping to see if you guys can enlighten me about the late-model cars.

I am looking at a 2011 Miata with the Grand Touring package with 6 speed manual transmission and integrated hard top (PHRT) option. The car has factory HID headlights but I am wondering if anyone knows enough about these cars to be able to tell me if they automatically come with the LSD rear and improved suspension standard when they have HID headlights and the keyless entry system?

Looking at the 2014 models in the Mazdausa.com website it seems that the Grand Touring with PHRT has a couple of different option packages; one is the premium package with HID headlights and the keyless entry and bluetooth and then there is a suspension package that has Bilstein shocks and the LSD. I can't seem to figure out if this car has the latter. Are there obvious signs or a way to do a VIN decode on it?

Thanks for the help! :beer:


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

[email protected] said:


> So I have been watching this thread pretty closely over the past few weeks and I am hoping to see if you guys can enlighten me about the late-model cars.
> 
> I am looking at a 2011 Miata with the Grand Touring package with 6 speed manual transmission and integrated hard top (PHRT) option. The car has factory HID headlights but I am wondering if anyone knows enough about these cars to be able to tell me if they automatically come with the LSD rear and improved suspension standard when they have HID headlights and the keyless entry system?
> 
> ...


When I had my NC, a 2006 model, they did not have a a rollbar that would fit the PHRT. I'm not sure if that's still the case.

From what I remember, it is the 6speed models that come with LSD, so you're limited to the Touring and Gran Touring model. I'm a bit rusty, I'm sure someone will chime in.


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

Pennywise said:


> When I had my NC, a 2006 model, they did not have a a rollbar that would fit the PHRT. I'm not sure if that's still the case.
> 
> From what I remember, it is the 6speed models that come with LSD, so you're limited to the Touring and Gran Touring model. I'm a bit rusty, I'm sure someone will chime in.


Thanks Pennywise I appreciate it. The goal of this car is to share it with my wife as her part-time commuter (five miles each way) and a car that I could do some autocrossing in. I haven't yet gotten a definitive answer from my research to determine if I cannot run a PRHT in the local autocross program without either leaving the top up or if I can run with it down but that research will happen soon.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Paul, a couple easy options for you...

check these two things:
1. car is a manual
2. car has the yellow bilstein shocks. if it has the bilsteins, it's got an LSD (part of the sport package)
* if the car has premium package 1 or 2 it has an LSD. http://www.miata.net/faq/brochures/2011/specs_MX5.pdf

also, you can take the VIN # and call Mazda's 800 number. they can tell you what the car was equipped with.

lastly, since the car is only three years old, you can see if the owner has the original window sticker...any performance options will be listed there. 

best of luck. :beer:


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

Here is mine







[/URL]


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Looks great OnTheHouse! 

Welcome to the madness.


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Looks great OnTheHouse!
> 
> Welcome to the madness.



Thanks been lurking and this thread pushed me over the edge. Will address the suspension and wheels soon.


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## Varrr6 (Jan 16, 2002)

I think I "need a Miata" one of these days. I've been eye-balling S2000s, but the Miata is moving up the charts. Is miata.net the best place to track down clean ones for sale? I checked NH Craigslist and there are a few, some with insane prices ($9k for a rust bucket, for example). I'd love to find one locally (within a 4-hr ride) in clean condition. LSD and 5-speed a must... most colors would do but I love the dark green ones.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

OnTheHouse said:


> Thanks been lurking and this thread pushed me over the edge. Will address the suspension and wheels soon.


I suggest FM springs with Tokico Illuminas for a perfect daily/autox/mild track blend. They drop it just the right amount to look good (and not be a stancekid) and not damage your underbelly.


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## CP2 (Dec 8, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> I haven't yet gotten a definitive answer from my research to determine if I cannot run a PRHT in the local autocross program without either leaving the top up or if I can run with it down but that research will happen soon.


While I know of many track day events that wouldn't let a stock NC out on course because it may not past the "broom test" - I've never heard of an autocross event that it'd be a problem. In fact, most Miata owners who are die hard autocrossers prefer to run their car without a rollbar altogether for the weight savings combined with the unlikelihood of a rollover in a autocross situation. 

Also, last I'd checked, all GTs come with the LSD with the 6-speed.


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

Looking at getting Ohlins for mine.  

This car pitches and rolls like your father's Buick would.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Don't put in a rollbar for autocross. It's not necessary and adds weight in a terrible place.

New pics because why not


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

Thanks everyone! We are pretty excited at the prospect of getting the car so if and when we do I will post 'em up.  I am more concerned about the diff than the suspension; to me the springs and shocks are the easy part but my intention is to drive the car and get to know it and of course just have a good time.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

redwe-in-wi said:


> Looking at getting Ohlins for mine.
> 
> This car pitches and rolls like your father's Buick would.


:thumbup:

More and more I want a Miata Club in white. Mmmm.


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

Are Racelands a decent budget coilover? My miata won't see track time and is just a driver and I'm looking to keep the suspension at a $400.00 pricepoint. If not the Racelands then anything better in that price range? Again, my car isn't a track monster. I just want something with some height adjustability and these seem to be popular with the Miata crowd. Thank In advance.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

OnTheHouse said:


> Are Racelands a decent budget coilover? My miata won't see track time and is just a driver and I'm looking to keep the suspension at a $400.00 pricepoint. If not the Racelands then anything better in that price range? Again, my car isn't a track monster. I just want something with some height adjustability and these seem to be popular with the Miata crowd. Thank In advance.


racelands ride very rough...i've been in a few with them. i'd also consider the megan EZ street if you're not doing a lot of track work.

at 400.00, i'd look into the tokico handling kit or the FM stage kit. both are over your budget, and are fixed perches, but both offer a very nice ride/handling balance. perhaps finding a used set for cheaper would be best.


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

compy222 said:


> racelands ride very rough...i've been in a few with them. i'd also consider the megan EZ street if you're not doing a lot of track work.
> 
> at 400.00, i'd look into the tokico handling kit or the FM stage kit. both are over your budget, and are fixed perches, but both offer a very nice ride/handling balance. perhaps finding a used set for cheaper would be best.


It's not a daily driver so I don't mind the roughness if it improves cornering/handling and aesthetics on the street. I will look into your other suggestions but I would prefer new vs used. Not too much of a fan of buying used suspension parts but if the deal is right I suppose. Thanks again.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

OnTheHouse said:


> It's not a daily driver so I don't mind the roughness if it improves cornering/handling and aesthetics on the street. I will look into your other suggestions but I would prefer new vs used. Not too much of a fan of buying used suspension parts but if the deal is right I suppose. Thanks again.


there is a really good thread on miata.net that actually has shock dyno plots on it and a breakdown of the internals. i assume you're a member there. if you search there you should be able to find it.

if you're keeping the car near stock height, they aren't terrible, but dollar for dollar, save another month or two and buy FM's V-Maxx or a nice stage kit. they really do nice work there and actually do testing/caring for customers vs. a chinese company that just imports metal stuff.


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

I am a member over there. Thinking you're right and it'll be worth saving for the FM kit.


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

[email protected] said:


> Thanks everyone! We are pretty excited at the prospect of getting the car so if and when we do I will post 'em up.  I am more concerned about the diff than the suspension; to me the springs and shocks are the easy part but my intention is to drive the car and get to know it and of course just have a good time.


So the great deal on that PRHT car went away on Sunday after I lolly-gaggled a bit too long.. which is unfortunate on a lot of levels. There are a couple of decent NC's local to me but I have what may be a stupid question. Do any of the NC cars come with a power-operated top or are they all manual? I found a very nice 2006 Grand Touring with a soft top locally but wasn't sure if any trim level gave you that option.

I know it sounds silly but this car would be a daily driver for my wife about six months out of the year and it would be a nice to have.


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

Where do you guys order your oem parts? Any online dealers that discount parts? I need a new shift boot and some misc parts for my '90.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> So the great deal on that PRHT car went away on Sunday after I lolly-gaggled a bit too long.. which is unfortunate on a lot of levels. There are a couple of decent NC's local to me but I have what may be a stupid question. Do any of the NC cars come with a power-operated top or are they all manual? I found a very nice 2006 Grand Touring with a soft top locally but wasn't sure if any trim level gave you that option.
> 
> I know it sounds silly but this car would be a daily driver for my wife about six months out of the year and it would be a nice to have.


All of the soft tops are manually operated. They literally take 1 second to open and two to close. And that's literlly as in literally, not as in 'figuratively.'

To open: Push the unlock button on the latch with you one hand, and grab the latch and throw it back over your head with your other. The top will fall into place and lock down. 

To close: Unlatch the lock on the rear of the center console. Reach over your head and pull the now-popped top up and over your head. When the top is in place, latch the lock on the windshield header with your other hand.

I miss my NC.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

OnTheHouse said:


> Where do you guys order your oem parts? Any online dealers that discount parts? I need a new shift boot and some misc parts for my '90.



I order all my OEM parts from here: http://parts.arlingtonmazda.com/

If there's something you need, but it;'s not on the web site, call them and ask for Tommy. Awesome people to deal with.


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## big_dane (Jan 23, 2011)

I'd like to get one, but it has to be in the next couple of years, while I can still fit in one.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Over the last 11yrs, I can count on one hand the number of times this car has spent the night sitting outside. Now we're headed in to the 3rd day of it being abandoned in a neighborhood less than 1/4mi away from home. Dunlop Direzza Z1s' are amazing tires until you need to drive in 1" of snow.


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

Smigelski said:


> All of the soft tops are manually operated. They literally take 1 second to open and two to close. And that's literlly as in literally, not as in 'figuratively.'
> 
> To open: Push the unlock button on the latch with you one hand, and grab the latch and throw it back over your head with your other. The top will fall into place and lock down.
> 
> To close: Unlatch the lock on the rear of the center console. Reach over your head and pull the now-popped top up and over your head. When the top is in place, latch the lock on the windshield header with your other hand.


Yup. It really is that easy until you get a rollbar, and even then, it's still a simple operation. You don't even have to get out of the car to lock it in or to pull it back up.

I miss my NC sometimes too


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

Finally sourced the pieces to add a custom center exhaust to my NC. Now just have to wait for parts


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)




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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

I have stumbled across a white '95, 2 owner, with original top, that is currently owned by a 66 year old and has 116k. This car has not been abused or tracked. I don't think he drives it in the rain much. He is asking $3k. I'm not up on current prices so, sound like a deal?


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## MAGICGTI (Jul 3, 2003)

I would pay $3k all day for that car


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

MAGICGTI said:


> I would pay $3k all day for that car


$3k for a 1.8 car is a pretty good price. Though hopefully it has decent maintenance records and isn't a base model. Still would be a good price if it's clean though.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

mellbergVWfan said:


> $3k for a 1.8 car is a pretty good price. Though hopefully it has decent maintenance records and isn't a base model. Still would be a good price if it's clean though.


It's not a base car. I don't know about any records yet. The guy is a friend of a friend and has a lot of heavy equipment that is used to build mt biking trails here so I know he maintains his stuff. I do know that he bought the car with 42k on it. He said I can take a week long test drive if I want to. The car stays garaged most of the time. I told him I would be in touch when the weather clears. Who knows, maybe after 25 years of drooling I'll actually own a Miata.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Diamond Dave said:


> Over the last 11yrs, I can count on one hand the number of times this car has spent the night sitting outside. Now we're headed in to the 3rd day of it being abandoned in a neighborhood less than 1/4mi away from home. Dunlop Direzza Z1s' are amazing tires until you need to drive in 1" of snow.


Mine's still stuck in the garage. Haven't been able to get it out to run the engine a bit it's been so cold


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## J2G (Aug 9, 2012)

I'm 6'2, 250. Will I have a problem DD'ing an NA? I don't mind contorting to get in and out, just don't want to be cramped while driving. 

Sat in a few NCs at auto shows, and those were perfectly fine.


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## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

J2G said:


> I'm 6'2, 250. Will I have a problem DD'ing an NA? I don't mind contorting to get in and out, just don't want to be cramped while driving.
> 
> Sat in a few NCs at auto shows, and those were perfectly fine.


If not then search for foamectomy on miata.net to deal with the issue.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

Doedrums said:


> It's not a base car. I don't know about any records yet. The guy is a friend of a friend and has a lot of heavy equipment that is used to build mt biking trails here so I know he maintains his stuff. I do know that he bought the car with 42k on it. He said I can take a week long test drive if I want to. The car stays garaged most of the time. I told him I would be in touch when the weather clears. Who knows, maybe after 25 years of drooling I'll actually own a Miata.


I think 3 is a bit on the high side for a car with that kind of mileage unless it's an m edition or something. Check that the rear plastic window isn't about to go on it. I think 2400-2800 is more like it for a car like that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

hushypushy said:


>


That's a beautiful car...


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

J2G said:


> I'm 6'2, 250. Will I have a problem DD'ing an NA? I don't mind contorting to get in and out, just don't want to be cramped while driving.
> 
> Sat in a few NCs at auto shows, and those were perfectly fine.


6'2", 215 here. Depends how you carry your weight, and your leg/torso ratio. With a foamectomy, I have daily driven Miatas every day for 5 years, and there's actually plenty of headroom to fit a helmet with the top up. The seat has been in 3 cars, i think it is molded to my ass at this point.  6'5" people are the ones that are prohibitively uncomfortable.

Edit: If you fit in an NC, an NA will be fine. I *don't* fit in an NC...my head makes a comical bulge in the roof and steering wheel interferes with legs. But like I said, an NA is no problem. They are roomier inside.


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## J2G (Aug 9, 2012)

It's mostly fat if that's what you're asking . But I have longer legs and a shorter torso. Thanks for the NA vs. NC perspective. Means I can go test drive them without worrying about wasting the owners' time.

Foamectomy looks like a well-liked idea, too. You may be looking at a future Miata owner here. :thumbup:


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## yellowbird (Feb 4, 2001)

Roadkilled78 said:


> 6'2", 215 here. Depends how you carry your weight, and your leg/torso ratio. With a foamectomy, I have daily driven Miatas every day for 5 years, and there's actually plenty of headroom to fit a helmet with the top up. The seat has been in 3 cars, i think it is molded to my ass at this point.  6'5" people are the ones that are prohibitively uncomfortable.
> 
> Edit: If you fit in an NC, an NA will be fine. I *don't* fit in an NC...my head makes a comical bulge in the roof and steering wheel interferes with legs. But like I said, an NA is no problem. They are roomier inside.


very interesting. i am also 6'2" and 210, and i DONT fit an NA or NB, only the NC, which is why i bought an '09.....in the NA an NB my knees were behind my ears.

all that said, the only way to know for sure is to go sit in em all and try for yourself


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> That's a beautiful car...


Yeah, it's amazing what a simple buff/polish will do. That's the original paint


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12488842274/" title="hooning 062 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7297/12488842274_77d1760a66_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="hooning 062"></a>


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## KrautFed (Jan 9, 2002)

freedo84gti said:


> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12488842274/" title="hooning 062 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7297/12488842274_77d1760a66_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="hooning 062"></a>


Atlanta? :laugh:


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

KrautFed said:


> Atlanta? :laugh:


:laugh:


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

.


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## RacerrRex (Nov 21, 2008)

Any miata owners wanna trade for a mustang?


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

RacerrRex said:


> Any miata owners wanna trade for a mustang?


You gotta be on some good crack if you think someone is going to want an early 2000s V6 mustang in exchange for their Miata.


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## RacerrRex (Nov 21, 2008)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> You gotta be on some good crack if you think someone is going to want an early 2000s V6 mustang in exchange for their Miata.


Worth a try


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

No.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Figured I would update with my NC


MX-5 next to my mother-in-laws truck. 


































My version of lumber jetta


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> No.


.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Some old Linhbergh pics ic:


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## fahrfast (Feb 20, 2010)

^^^ gorgeous pics.thanks for posting.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

Has anyone done a COP conversion on their NA? I'm leaning going this route in preparation for a turbo build and it eliminates the pesky stock coil pack.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12867421263/" title="mikes miata 060 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7325/12867421263_4da8d328b7_z.jpg" width="640" height="441" alt="mikes miata 060"></a>


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

OnTheHouse said:


> Has anyone done a COP conversion on their NA?


COP Thread on Miataturbo.net


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Googly-eyed drifter


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## slikaznricer (Mar 27, 2008)

I just installed new coilovers to retire my tired stock suspension.

I got the FM AFCO's for daily driving use. 

I picked them up at a good price too. Original was $2099 and i got my set for $1500 with only 10miles on them.

Its been about 500 miles since i installed them and the fun part is just beginning. I'm trying to dial in the rebound and compression.

Anyone else have any experience using them? So far, i love them SO EFFING MUCH.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sledge said:


> Googly-eyed drifter


I do believe that my Miata will have googly-eyes very soon :thumbup: I just need to figure out an easy mount/unmount system.


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

It is quite choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend you pick one up.










2002, LS, limited slip diff option, vivid yellow option.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> I do believe that my Miata will have googly-eyes very soon :thumbup: I just need to figure out an easy mount/unmount system.


These have an adhesive back and are 7" in diameter which are the same as Miata headlights.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Did get one pic from that event mentioned 3 pages back. 










All I managed to do this winter was install a VLSD and lightweight passenger seat. Will be a bit of an underdog this year, and still on the 'wrong' tires. My season starts March 23 with a mad dash through 6 local events and 2 national events...in 7 weekends. Then a relatively leisurely summer and no more east coast nationals. Seriously, who schedules this stuff?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Obviously you should go to Nebraska in September.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sledge said:


> These have an adhesive back and are 7" in diameter which are the same as Miata headlights.


:thumbup: They were already purchased by the time you posted. :beer: As of now, I cut the entire cardboard backing off the eyes and I'm going to add a flexible clear backing to a) let the headlights shine through, and b) mount to the headlights a bit better since the headlights are convex.


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

Finished my new custom exhaust today:










Pretty ****in' stoked :heart:


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12888129975/" title="mikes miata 145 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/12888129975_17474a645f_z.jpg" width="640" height="438" alt="mikes miata 145"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12888233323/" title="mikes miata 142 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7335/12888233323_0c8cc66da7_z.jpg" width="640" height="451" alt="mikes miata 142"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12888233053/" title="mikes miata 128 by freedo70, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3817/12888233053_acbe568e44_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="mikes miata 128"></a>


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

Mr. Clarkson said:


> Finished my new custom exhaust today:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


:thumbup: hows it sound?


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## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

Pretty similar to the RoadsterSport setup I had before, but a little more raspy. Overall, pretty good.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Did an oil change, new pre-bedded Carbotech 1521's up front to replace the horrible Mazda 'value' pads I was stuck installing last Summer that didn't stop worth a ****, and got a street/auto-x semi-aggressive 4 wheel alignment done this week. 

Car drives MUCH better, but I now need to buy tires as the fronts are quite worn on the inside due to overly aggressive negative camber (now corrected). 











Any recommendations for a 205/50/15? Car is street driven 95% of the time with (I hope) the occasional autocross this year. I'd like something quite sticky but it also needs to be good in the wet (it's Seattle after all). 

I'm curious about the new Dunlop Direzza DZ102--the DZ101 was an average performer at best but I've heard promising things about the new compound. I'd consider the ZII or RE-11A but I don't know about wet weather performance (or whether I need something that aggressive, honestly).


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Numbersix said:


> Did an oil change, new pre-bedded Carbotech 1521's up front to replace the horrible Mazda 'value' pads I was stuck installing last Summer that didn't stop worth a ****, and got a street/auto-x semi-aggressive 4 wheel alignment done this week.
> 
> Car drives MUCH better, but I now need to buy tires as the fronts are quite worn on the inside due to overly aggressive negative camber (now corrected).
> 
> ...


I have Z1 Star Specs on my NA (185/60/14), and I've had them on my car for about 18k miles so far. Those miles are all 'pleasure' miles, so think autocross, back roads bombing, Tail of the Dragon, etc. They work very well in the rain, so no complaint there.

According to this test from Tire Rack, the ZIIs are _better_ in the rain than the Z1s.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=168

Sure, the tires are agressive, but if you don't mind getting 'only' 18k-20k miles out of them, they are a fantastic tire. In 205/50/15, the R1Rs have a 'magic' compound that make them super-sticky, but I can't testify to their longevity, since the people know that run them, run them shaved and at autocrosses every weekend.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

It's interesting, because the ZII tread pattern does NOT look like it functions well in the wet. 

I don't drive this car in winter, but depending on the year rain is likely in all seasons here--so I can't buy a tire that won't function well in wet conditions. 

I also don't have an opportunity to drive it as aggressively as I'd like most of the time, hence the debate as to whether I really _need_ something of the caliber of the ZII's.

It's on g-Force Sports at the moment, which I think are average in most respects, terrible when it's cold (40-45 degrees and they're like driving on ice for the first few miles), and noisy.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Numbersix said:


> It's interesting, because the ZII tread pattern does NOT look like it functions well in the wet.


I've got the ZII's on my Kosei K1's. Stunning tire in rain performance and traction; I highly recommend them. Even with my lowly VLSD, it's difficult to break the rear loose or keep it loose on really rainy days. Performance is outstanding all the way down to ~35*, at which point it traction performance suffers significantly.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

So I finally got it out of the garage and drove it for a bit. It's 25 F or so meaning the top was up. It had been sitting since late November. By the time I had returned from vacation in late December, the roads were covered with snow, salt, or both and that condition was constant up until a few days ago.

Got it a quick wash to remove the dust. Needs oil change, tire rotation, and a few other things soon.

Also removed the visors and put in the blanks from Moss.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> I've got the ZII's on my Kosei K1's. Stunning tire in rain performance and traction; I highly recommend them. Even with my lowly VLSD, it's difficult to break the rear loose or keep it loose on really rainy days. Performance is outstanding all the way down to ~35*, at which point it traction performance suffers significantly.


Thanks for the recommendation, Dave :thumbup: I'll seriously consider them.


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## shadowmilkman (Mar 24, 2006)

looks like i need to get in the market for a NB. hopefully i can get one and throw suspension and bolt-ons in there for under 12k


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

shadowmilkman said:


> looks like i need to get in the market for a NB. hopefully i can get one and throw suspension and bolt-ons in there for under 12k


i think you easily could depending on what you're looking for. we were out the door for less than 10.5k for our 03 SE w/ matching OE hardtop. that was with taxes too.

finding a 99-00 for 7-8k is easily doable. if you're really looking to autocross it try to find a 5 speed car, they can go further in 2nd gear. if you're looking for a nice tourer too, i'd find a 6 speed car. oddly, the 6 speeds often turn more highway revs due to the final drive ratio being different.


----------



## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

What do you guys think a 1.8L long block (fresh rebuild/zero miles) should go for?


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

OnTheHouse said:


> What do you guys think a 1.8L long block (fresh rebuild/zero miles) should go for?


Depends on who did the work and to what standard. Lots of people claim to be engine builders but really they're hacks. I could see a "rebuilt" motor being worth $0 if the builder screwed everything up. I can also see a rebuild costing $15k and being worth whatever someone else was willing to pay for it. Not many people are willing to pay $15k for a Miata motor, but I have seen it on rare occasion for truly sick builds (stroker crank, forged pistons & rods, radical head work, all top shelf hardware, etc.)

On eBay I see people with 0 reputations offering "fresh rebuild/ zero miles" 1.8L long blocks for $1,000. I also see "35k mile JDM" motors of questionable provenance sell in the same range. I've seen people pay $3,500 for average quality rebuilds. I've seen people score really nice, low-mileage junkyard motors in superb condition for a few hundred. It all depends.... Typically, the more you need it the more expensive it will be. The deals are found when you're (obsessively) looking for something you don't really need but can afford to buy when the right opportunity comes along.


----------



## OnTheHouse (Feb 2, 2014)

OK thanks for the reply. It's a stock rebuild. Fairly well known vendor in the miata community. $900.00 shipped. Weighing the pros and cons of going all out with a v8 swap or a mild build with 1.8L w/boltons swap. Mine has a 1.6 in it currently and it's not cutting it


----------



## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

shadowmilkman said:


> looks like i need to get in the market for a NB. hopefully i can get one and throw suspension and bolt-ons in there for under 12k


... or half that.


----------



## J2G (Aug 9, 2012)

The want for an NA is getting stronger than ever.


----------



## DooDooMagoo (May 7, 2012)




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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

I miss mine so bad. Sold it to fund a 96 Miata STS build then found out that I am moving to Alaska. So I had to sell my STS project as well.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

teejtiu said:


> I miss mine so bad. Sold it to fund a 96 Miata STS build then found out that I am moving to Alaska. So I had to sell my STS project as well.


Wow! That's a couple of revoltin developments.

Me, I've finally thrown in the towel trying to make our '93 with open diff work in STS. I'm moving suspension and all the other go-fast bits onto my '90, which I believe has a VLSD, and seeing if we fare any better. I still have to take out the roll bar and the cheater frame rail braces, but it'll be ready to go for this weekend's test & tune as it sits now. I'll also be testing & tuning my STS CRX since I still think I can make that car faster than either Miata.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Taking my baby out of storage (temporarily  )


----------



## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

Your cars look familiar ^^^^^^^


----------



## Vosty3 (Aug 11, 2011)

If I could find one at the right price I definitely would pick one up simply for auto cross. :thumbup:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

smoothsix said:


> Your cars look familiar ^^^^^^^


Duuuuude, nice! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Claff said:


> *Me, I've finally thrown in the towel trying to make our '93 with open diff work in STS.* I'm moving suspension and all the other go-fast bits onto my '90, which I believe has a VLSD, and seeing if we fare any better. I still have to take out the roll bar and the cheater frame rail braces, but it'll be ready to go for this weekend's test & tune as it sits now. I'll also be testing & tuning my STS CRX since I still think I can make that car faster than either Miata.


Why's that? Something about the 1.6? Because 1.8's with open diffs are very competitive in STS (AFAIK, the Torsen bumps you out of STS anyway). They remove the rear sway bar to give more rear compliance (and thus, grip).

Also, the VLSD only locks 15-20% anyway (when _new_) and it's a speed-sensitive system as opposed to the Torsen, which is (obviously) torque-sensitive.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I can't explain the 1.8s success. I have had a couple different setups under my car and the wheelspin has just gotten to be too much. I've had a number of drivers in the car including Ian Baker and Sam Strano and they say there is at least a full second being lost due to wheelspin. Strano did the current setup and says the only fix is to really stiffen the front end, and that's not ideal. I ran the car back-to-back with my '90 last week and the difference is huge. Maybe something's not right under the 93, who knows. I'm through fighting it. I got 75% of the fun stuff switched over and we'll start dialing the 90 in over this weekend.


----------



## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

I am currently co-driving Brian Wells' Miata and the vLSD makes a buttload of difference. His car puts the power down much better than my old 1.8 open diff car. Granted he has a stiffer front end (spings and bar) 

Claff,

Too bad I'm moving to Alaska. I was excited to be in STS for this year had a whole spreadsheet made up. I also planned on finally talking to you at the VAC instead of standing next to you for a whole hour and not even saying hi. I was just to star struck. hahaha.


----------



## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

the VLSD in my car works great, no rear traction issues (that is, unless both wheels are spinning).


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

teejtiu said:


> I am currently co-driving Brian Wells' Miata and the vLSD makes a buttload of difference. His car puts the power down much better than my old 1.8 open diff car. Granted he has a stiffer front end (spings and bar)
> 
> Claff,
> 
> Too bad I'm moving to Alaska. I was excited to be in STS for this year had a whole spreadsheet made up. I also planned on finally talking to you at the VAC instead of standing next to you for a whole hour and not even saying hi. I was just to star struck. hahaha.


I've been meaning to ask Brian about his VLSD conversion. He also has a '93 base model, and from what I've found, a VLSD wasn't a stand-alone option on base models in '93. It was only an option on A or. B package cars, which all had power steering. Since my '93 has manual steering, I can't add a VLSD unless I convert to an A package, which means I'd also have to add power steering. I'm not willing to do that, so I'm stuck doing without.

I don't remember if Brian's car has power steering or not. If it doesn't, I don't *think* he can legally add the diff. But I don't know how to broach the subject with him without coming across as Rulebook Guy.

It's less relevant to me since I have this other car (VLSD was a stand-alone option on base model cars from 90 through 92). If I was really stuck with just the '93 I'd be a lot more curious.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

So, there's this:




















And then there's this:


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Going to be unloading mine here relatively soon to make room in the driveway (and savings account) for the 5.0 come fall. Hopefully I can convince a friend to take them off my hands so I can still drive the runner on occasion.


----------



## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

got my summer wheels put on

Enkei Tenjin, 17x8, tires are Yokohama S4 235/40/17
Suspension is Koni Yellow with FM springs, half a coil cut on the front springs


----------



## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

First time out in the Miata with 160k mile suspension on it. It was sloppy to say the least, but still a lot of fun.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

We did a little back-to-back testing with the existing '93 autocross car (green) and the '90 toy (white), eventually settling on the fact that the '90 is probably the better way to go.









Steelies!









Fun









When the car's not behaving, sometimes it takes a little one-on-one conversation. In this case, it didn't help.


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Miatas also make good boats. I discovered that running full tilt during a torrential downpour causes water to slosh up out of a perfectly intact rain rail and dribble back and forth across the rear deck with each turn. :banghead:


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Here's me passing emissions last week











And playing with the project car on the weekend. Started the weekend like this:











Ended like this:










Making a push to have the car running before the end of Summer (and I live in Oregon, so that's a broad timeline).

I had to earn my position in the shop with a little manual labor; pushed some roommates out of the way. Anyone like classic Datsuns?


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

landstuhltaylor said:


> First time out in the Miata with 160k mile suspension on it. It was sloppy to say the least, but still a lot of fun.


Finally saw the results from this. I was on track for a top 10 time before I coned my last run despite the old suspension and Sumitomo all-seasons. Should be a fun year once these issues are fixed. :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Photos taken at yesterday's autocross in Waldorf, MD.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

^^ The car looks so happy to by autoxing


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sledge said:


> ^^ The car looks so happy to by autoxing


You should have seen it when I plowed through a cone wall and carried 3 cones to the finish. My friends said my car looked like the Cookie Monster om-nomming on a bunch of cookies. :laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I was there too! No googley-eyes though.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

they let you run STS with out a passenger seat?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

corrado-correr said:


> they let you run STS with out a passenger seat?


He has a stock passenger seat. But he pulls it forward and leans it back in such a way that it remains under the belt line. That way, it can't obstruct vision. I wouldn't have known this had he not taken my car for a spin on the course and done the exact same thing. 

I thought to myself "What the heck did he do to the seat?" Ahh! That's genius!"


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smig is right. I get the passenger seat reclined out of the way. No reason other than to give my camera a better view of the course and driver inputs.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Start with a rainy morning.

2014SeasonRacePrep-9718 by rrotsaert, on Flickr

End something like this:

2014SeasonRacePrep-9740 by rrotsaert, on Flickr


2014SeasonRacePrep-9739 by rrotsaert, on Flickr


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## RacerrRex (Nov 21, 2008)

capitaldrivingclub?


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/13919347862" title="caddy. HRS meet. mobbin philly. 4.19.14 057 by tim wilson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5459/13919347862_c1cebe8893_z.jpg" width="640" height="431" alt="caddy. HRS meet. mobbin philly. 4.19.14 057"></a>


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Claff said:


>


Awesome plate :thumbup:


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

corrado-correr said:


> Red NA w/silver wheels


Konig Heliums? Looks good!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

RacerrRex said:


> capitaldrivingclub?


Autocrossers Inc. (SCCA lite). Capital Driving Club doesn't run in Waldorf till later in the season. I haven't run with CDC in a few years but I might rejoin to do those Waldorf ones.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Here's how mine is sitting currently.

I gotta say, the little guy has been quite a bit of trouble. I'm currently finishing up replacing the head, need a few more things, but this is a list of what I've replaced since I've bought the car in July:

Plugs
Wires
Ignition coil
O2 sensor
Catalytic converter
Fuel filter
Trans/diff fluid flush
Brake pads
Lower balls joints
Tie rod ends
Right inner tie rod
Lower alignment bolts
Head gasket
Cylinder head
Heater hoses
Heater core
CAS o-ring
Thermoswitch
Thermostat temp sensor
Thermostat
Water pump
Timing belt
A/C compressor
Serpentine belts

And it currently needs upper ball joints, all new vacuum lines, a radiator, and possibly a new CAS and/or AFM.

Now, before anyone gets concerned that Miatas are unreliable, they aren't. This is my fourth one, and it's the only one that's been so much trouble. But that said, it does have 200k+ miles, and I bought it from a somewhat seedy used car dealership, so I'd imagine I'm just catching up on stuff they were trying to mask when I bought it. It should be in pretty awesome shape when I'm done with it though, but it's annoying having a car that I haven't driven since January.

I was highly considering selling it once I finished it, and I mean, I guess I still might but after all this work, and all those new parts, it's probably not worth it.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

That's why I tell people there is no such thing as a $2000 Miata. Sure, some people get by without replacing all those things you did. But mostly people who scrape by are just deferring maintenance that still needs to be done. And yes, once in a blue moon, someone stumbles upon a genuinely good deal on a Miata that has all up to date services and a hardtop and extras thrown in for some unbelievably low price but you could spend years looking for such a deal and not get lucky. For the most part, a $2000 Miata is a mythical creature.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

freedomgli said:


> That's why I tell people there is no such thing as a $2000 Miata. Sure, some people get by without replacing all those things you did. But mostly people who scrape by are just deferring maintenance that still needs to be done. And yes, once in a blue moon, someone stumbles upon a genuinely good deal on a Miata that has all up to date services and a hardtop and extras thrown in for some unbelievably low price but you could spend years looking for such a deal and not get lucky. For the most part, a $2000 Miata is a mythical creature.


To an extent, I agree with you. But it certainly does happen. It's equal parts luck, timing, and a keen eye when it does though. When I bought this one, I knew it was running rich, and had some stumbling issues. I didn't know it was going to turn into something quite this involved, but whatever, it happens. But I've had a friend get an M edition that needed a complete engine rebuild and suspension overhaul, so it does happen. This can really act as proof to all of you hyped up to buy a Miata because of this thread: ****ty Miatas do exist. They aren't all magical, cheap, auto-x monsters. There are quite a few really really ****ty, tired, beat up examples running around, more and more by the day, in fact. So by all means, get one, they're lovely cars, but look it over first.

Oddly enough though, this is the most expensive Miata I've ever bought (purchase price, not including my monumental laundry list of repairs). All my Miatas have been 1.6ls, I got one for $1500 with a hardtop, I spent $900 on two occasions, and my current bucket cost $2300, including a new, installed a/c compressor. The others basically just needed a tuneup and they were good to go, if that.

I would like this one to be in good enough shape for me to keep it when I'm all done with this mess. I just have to say though, I'm very thankful I do my own work right now, otherwise I would have junked the damn thing months ago.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

freedomgli said:


> That's why I tell people there is no such thing as a $2000 Miata. Sure, some people get by without replacing all those things you did. But mostly people who scrape by are just deferring maintenance that still needs to be done. And yes, once in a blue moon, someone stumbles upon a genuinely good deal on a Miata that has all up to date services and a hardtop and extras thrown in for some unbelievably low price but you could spend years looking for such a deal and not get lucky. For the most part, a $2000 Miata is a mythical creature.


I'm going to echo some of what Hogan above me already said but I feel like I can honestly comment here as I have recently picked up the prototypical "cheap" Miata very recently (I have a thread here on the first page).

First, in that price range you need to be very diligent looking for and sussing out potential cars. This as Hogan said takes patience and a keen eye. I was shopping for one while we were in the middle of winter so that worked to my benefit as the potential buyers for a Miata in the middle of a New England winter is down significantly. You also need to know common issues with these cars and be willing to work on the car yourself to fix minor issues that can and will pop up with 25 year old cars. My main concern was rot and rust. Luckily I found a very very clean car (spent most of it's life as a Florida car) with a hardtop and clean interior. I did a tune up and replaced a broken temp sensor that was causing a CEL and the car runs like a top. Has Ice cold AC and looking at it underneath on a lift shows that it's extremely clean. For it to be 100% all I need to do now is replace the leaking slave cylinder ($25 part and a couple of hours of labor) and it will have zero isues as a competent daily driver. 

So for me at least, the $2000.00 Miata is not a myth at all......it's my reality. It's sitting outside of my office at the moment and I couldn't be happier. :beer:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

I love my Miata.

Went for a top down nighttime drive last night when it was ~60 degrees and enjoyed every second of it. Drove to work today at around ~57 degrees, top down, sun out, heat on (slightly) and it was incredible. You really do need a Miata


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

kwik!gti said:


> I'm going to echo some of what Hogan above me already said but I feel like I can honestly comment here as I have recently picked up the prototypical "cheap" Miata very recently (I have a thread here on the first page).
> 
> First, in that price range you need to be very diligent looking for and sussing out potential cars. This as Hogan said takes patience and a keen eye. I was shopping for one while we were in the middle of winter so that worked to my benefit as the potential buyers for a Miata in the middle of a New England winter is down significantly. You also need to know common issues with these cars and be willing to work on the car yourself to fix minor issues that can and will pop up with 25 year old cars. My main concern was rot and rust. Luckily I found a very very clean car (spent most of it's life as a Florida car) with a hardtop and clean interior. I did a tune up and replaced a broken temp sensor that was causing a CEL and the car runs like a top. Has Ice cold AC and looking at it underneath on a lift shows that it's extremely clean. For it to be 100% all I need to do now is replace the leaking slave cylinder ($25 part and a couple of hours of labor) and it will have zero isues as a competent daily driver.
> 
> So for me at least, the $2000.00 Miata is not a myth at all......it's my reality. It's sitting outside of my office at the moment and I couldn't be happier. :beer:


Yeah, they're still around, and aren't impossible to find. Might take a bit of time, but it's not impossible. We're sort of lucky that prices have yet to skyrocket like they did when everyone realized E30s and fox body Mustangs were good, cheap cars. You're right though, I'm still quite lucky my car isn't a rust bucket, I've definitely got that to be thankful for.

And in all honesty, I haven't spent THAT much on all those parts, I'd have to total it up, but I'd reckon definitely less than a grand. I got a used cylinder head for $50. So it's hard to complain. But not having driven the thing since January is getting annoying, especially not that it's so nice out. Whatever, at least I've got a motorcycle to hold me over til it's done.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Speaking of cheap Miatas, there is a Mariner Blue hardtop within walking distance of me that has been sitting forever (at least 15 years) in a driveway. I've wanted to look at it up close for quite some time but the driveway is a good 50-60' removed from the street. So yesterday I decided to just walk up and look at it and maybe the owner would come out and talk to me about it. No such luck but I did leave a note on it expressing interest in buying the car (parting it out would be my plan, I mainly would love to flip the hardtop for a few bucks). Anyway, looking at it up close really shows how a car just parked can deteriorate. The body is in pretty rough shape, no shade and exposed to the elements.



















In this pic you can see the note I left tucked under the wiper (who knows if they will even see it, I am going to mail a handwritten letter as well):


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Don't count on getting more than about $500 plus scrap metal out of that thing. Yes, including the hardtop. That is rough.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Don't count on getting more than about $500 plus scrap metal out of that thing. Yes, including the hardtop. That is rough.


The hardtop alone once cleaned up is worth more than $500 IMO no? Sure the paint isn't great but I think it would sell. But I would not be offering any more than $500 for the whole car as is.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Lots of good "hard" parts on the car. Tails. Rear bumper. Front bumper. Rear filler panel. Hardtop. Door panels look clean. I think it would be a worthwhile partout. Maybe I'm wrong.


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## still_a_G (Jun 23, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> That's why I tell people there is no such thing as a $2000 Miata. Sure, some people get by without replacing all those things you did. But mostly people who scrape by are just deferring maintenance that still needs to be done. And yes, once in a blue moon, someone stumbles upon a genuinely good deal on a Miata that has all up to date services and a hardtop and extras thrown in for some unbelievably low price but you could spend years looking for such a deal and not get lucky. For the most part, a $2000 Miata is a mythical creature.



Guess I should have posted this here instead of the regional classifieds. Only got $1,350. It was a rebuilt title and needed some body work but it was very healthy otherwise.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5432664-1990-Miata-w-110K

It was sold to an employee of www.dustyoldcars.com . He said they were going to track it. I never saw it posted on their site so who knows what happened.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Pennywise said:


> Konig Heliums? Looks good!


Enkei Racing somethings (maybe an older version of the PF01?). If anyone knows specifically what kind of Enkei's they are I'd love to know. Here's a close up pic of the wheels:


2014SeasonRacePrep-9722 by rrotsaert, on Flickr


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## slikaznricer (Mar 27, 2008)

as of today


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## RacingManiac (Mar 19, 2011)

Plenty of Miatas at the Detroit Region SCCA opener...


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

I didn't know that the stock Daisys were manufactured by Enkei. Learned that this weekend. Here's a pic of my 'cheap Miata"


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## g34343greg (Jan 9, 2014)

nope


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

^That NB looks familiar, was that car on CT CL by any chance? There was a similar looking Miata on there a while back. IIRC it had 200k+ miles? Looks like it's in great shape for $2000.00 regardless.


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## firstorbit84 (Feb 25, 2006)

Morning sun after driving her to work the other day.


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

Took a 20 ton shop press, jack stands and a moving dolly with room to spare today.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

I'm seriously thinking about doing a swap of my two current cars (GTI and 944) for a new Miata.

I know I'll love it as a replacement for the fun stuff, but will I regret it for the occasional DD duty? Yeah, I rag on my GTI all the time, but it's very comfy as a daily driver. Curious how many here use them every day.


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## g34343greg (Jan 9, 2014)

nothing.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)




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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> I'm seriously thinking about doing a swap of my two current cars (GTI and 944) for a new Miata.
> 
> I know I'll love it as a replacement for the fun stuff, but will I regret it for the occasional DD duty? Yeah, I rag on my GTI all the time, but it's very comfy as a daily driver. Curious how many here use them every day.


I daily drove miatas year-round, including commuting, road trips, etc. for about 4 years. Only bought a 'better' daily when I needed baby seat capacity. Still drive the Miata to work every day in summer.


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> I'm seriously thinking about doing a swap of my two current cars (GTI and 944) for a new Miata.
> 
> I know I'll love it as a replacement for the fun stuff, but will I regret it for the occasional DD duty? Yeah, I rag on my GTI all the time, but it's very comfy as a daily driver. Curious how many here use them every day.


I drive my POS every day that I can't ride the bike. The only thing I don't like is the lack of a locking differential, especially when trying to get off my street in the snow.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Yeah, I'm not worried about snow since we have another FWD vehicle, which will also serve as the baby mobile. By that time, I may buy a cheap Subaru Forester anyway.

I guess my one big holdup (other than having an irrational connection to the 944) is the occasional utility that I get out of the GTI for Home Depot runs. It wouldn't be the same in my wife's 6, and I don't really want to mess it up anyway, since that's our nice car.

I'm such a waffling ****.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

I'd offer to let you drive my 1.6 for a week, but it's a* lot* more raw and noisy than a NC or even a NB.


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

I would say that fitting the 20 ton press in the Miata was easier than 90% of other cars. I didn't have to deal with the door opening or anything else. Just open the door and drop the damn thing on the seat. When I bought it I drove it 800 miles with 4 wheels, 4 tires and a bunch of other random crap loaded in it. You would be surprised how much you can fit in one with the top on or off.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

SSLByron said:


> I'd offer to let you drive my 1.6 for a week, but it's a* lot* more raw and noisy than a NC or even a NB.


Appreciate the offer, but that's not necessary. I'm already used to a loud and rough ride in the 944, which does not bother me at all. If I was looking for just a fun car to replace only the 944, I'd probably be looking for an early model like yours.

However, my holdup is more on the utility/practicality I'd lose by giving up my two cars. Hell, I've done all my recent ikea runs in the Porsche. I bought a huge corner desk there a few years ago and the only car I could fit it in was that one.


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> I'm seriously thinking about doing a swap of my two current cars (GTI and 944) for a new Miata.
> 
> I know I'll love it as a replacement for the fun stuff, but will I regret it for the occasional DD duty? Yeah, I rag on my GTI all the time, but it's very comfy as a daily driver. Curious how many here use them every day.


IMO the Miata is one of the silliest cars to buy new. The old ones do the same things the new ones do (I know, could be said about any car).

Replace 944 with Miata that costs the same or less, done.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

smoothsix said:


> IMO the Miata is one of the silliest cars to buy new. The old ones do the same things the new ones do (I know, could be said about any car).
> 
> Replace 944 with Miata that costs the same or less, done.


So you're one of those people. I like the current model, really like it in club spec, and I'll have a full warranty to boot.

Not silly at all.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

freedo84gti said:


> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/13919347862" title="caddy. HRS meet. mobbin philly. 4.19.14 057 by tim wilson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5459/13919347862_c1cebe8893_z.jpg" width="640" height="431" alt="caddy. HRS meet. mobbin philly. 4.19.14 057"></a>


Serious question: do people actually drive cars with camber like that or is it just done for the photoshoot?


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## Kumamon (Jun 13, 2012)

Nealric said:


> Serious question: do people actually drive cars with camber like that or is it just done for the photoshoot?


People actually do it and the end results are about what you would expect them to be.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

smoothsix said:


> IMO the Miata is one of the silliest cars to buy new. The old ones do the same things the new ones do (I know, could be said about any car).
> 
> Replace 944 with Miata that costs the same or less, done.


I agree. Although I wouldn't call buying a new Miata "silly", I definitely wouldn't spend my own money on one (or a BRZ/FR-S for that matter) when an older Miata can do almost everything a new one can (and does a couple things better) for a fraction of the price. I feel the same way about Jeep Wranglers and motorcycles

To the guy asking about DD'ing a Miata, I've DD'd mine for over 2 years now and I *love *it. No complaints at all.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's a picture I just found of my car and posted in another thread. It needs to be here. 










I'm looking forward to getting down to Tennessee and drive the mountains, get on Bristol Motor Speedway, _and_ have an autocross on the infield. Not to mentioned taking a morning run down to Deal's Gap.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Stormy tonight


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Crimping Is Easy said:


> People actually do it and the end results are about what you would expect them to be.


So when you want to do this to your car, do you go to Google and search for "aftermarket Miata pre-broken suspension"? :laugh:


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> Here's a picture I just found of my car and posted in another thread. It needs to be here.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow your wheels look brand new. Refinished/painted? Looks great.


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## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

Sledge said:


> So when you want to do this to your car, do you go to Google and search for "aftermarket Miata pre-broken suspension"? :laugh:


wow, very joke, such original


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

I kinda want to buy Smig's miata. And by kinda, I mean a lot.


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## 100% Asian (Jun 13, 2013)

Crimping Is Easy said:


> People actually do it and the end results are about what you would expect them to be.


Highlight for spoiler: Absolute shlt.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

After being my daily driver for the last month not driving it for 2+ weeks stinks


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## MAGICGTI (Jul 3, 2003)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> Yeah, I'm not worried about snow since we have another FWD vehicle, which will also serve as the baby mobile. By that time, I may buy a cheap Subaru Forester anyway.
> 
> I guess my one big holdup (other than having an irrational connection to the 944) is the occasional utility that I get out of the GTI for Home Depot runs. It wouldn't be the same in my wife's 6, and I don't really want to mess it up anyway, since that's our nice car.
> 
> I'm such a waffling ****.


I bought a brand-new 2009 NC2 Touring out of college and loved every minute of it. I'd daily it again in a heartbeat. It's much more refined than previous Miatas including my NB2. When is the ND coming out?

Rent a truck at Home Depot. The catch with your situation is that you don't have a hatch if you sell the GTI, which is a situation I do not want to be in again.


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## Stupid-GTi (Sep 13, 2006)

Hey Mazda guys, who's the best known Mazda tuner in North America? And what's the big Mazda forum?


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## Rattlesnake (Nov 29, 2001)

Stupid-GTi said:


> Hey Mazda guys, who's the best known Mazda tuner in North America? And what's the big Mazda forum?


miata.net


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Stupid-GTi said:


> Hey Mazda guys, who's the best known Mazda tuner in North America? And what's the big Mazda forum?


Miata.net for forums. As far as tuners and accessories it's Flyin' Miata, Moss, and Racing Beat are the Big 3 it seems


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

R-Dubya said:


> wow, very joke, such original


Very insignificance, such weak, wow.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Stupid-GTi said:


> Hey Mazda guys, who's the best known Mazda tuner in North America?


What do you mean by "tuner?" Do you mean tuning standalone engine management system? Or are you referring to modifying all aspects of the car? And what do you mean by Mazda? Are you specifically asking about Miatas? If yes, then what years/models? 

There are hundreds of "tuner" shops that will sell you aftermarket parts and install them for you. But there is really only a small handful of Miata specialty shops in the USA that can truly "tune" your car to your liking. Flyin' Miata is at the top. They can do it all but you pay for it. Be prepared to wait for them to get to your project as they have strong customer demand and are always very busy with turbo installs, motor swaps, etc. If you're in the PNW then be sure to check out Chikara Motorsports in BC. Their man Ocean used to work for Maruha Motors and knows the NA/NB Miata inside and out. Moss is a parts seller only. They don't tune squat. Racing Beat makes lots of nice parts but they don't install or tune anything, either.

If you're interested in a built engine let us know details so we can guide you who to go to. Not all engine builders are the same. If you're interested in engine tuning, let us know what your goals are. Flyin' Miata will help you tune if you bought your Hydra from them but if you have AEM or Megasquirt then you've got to find someone else.


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## Stupid-GTi (Sep 13, 2006)

I mean I'm working on a project where we'd building an $80k Mazda3 and I want to know a tuning shop that's well known enough to have a following to build this car.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Stupid-GTi said:


> I mean I'm working on a project where we'd building an $80k Mazda3 and I want to know a tuning shop that's well known enough to have a following to build this car.


Kinda weird to ask this question in a Miata thread. But whatever. What are the goals of your project?

If I was weird enough to want to dump $80k into a Mazda3, I'd probably take the car and my bundles of cash to Downing Atlanta or Tri-Point Engineering and ask them for help in building a time-attack monster. If you just want a typical SEMA/NOPI car with wild paint, stereo, big rimz, etc. then just about anybody will do. Try West Coast Customs.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

kwik!gti said:


> Wow your wheels look brand new. Refinished/painted? Looks great.


The wheels are original. The cast aluminum is really hard to clean with all of its nooks and crannies. Parts of the smooth lip are getting a little thin (paint wise), but overall they are in great shape. 



Rabbit5GTI said:


> I kinda want to buy Smig's miata. And by kinda, I mean a lot.


Thank you, kindly. :wave: I take it to Zoomin' the Mountains of East Tennessee (a big Miata gathering) and I throw it in the car show in the Survivor class (stock, NA, over 100k miles) and I've been winning the class since 2011. The car is by no means perfect cosmetically, but it is pretty clean and has its original paint.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

All decked out in stickers for extra POWAH.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Help request from NA gurus:

Let's just assume everything is in good working order, is $3800 OBO a fair asking price for a red '90 with 40k?

Paint looks bright and shiny, soft top (no hard top included) looks to be in decent shape. I haven't asked any questions yet or seen the car in person.

Is this worth pursuing, or this crack pipe pricing?


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

Seems fair to me as that's really low miles


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Help request from NA gurus:
> 
> Let's just assume everything is in good working order, is $3800 OBO a fair asking price for a red '90 with 40k?
> 
> ...


That seems like a solid deal. Not a steal but solid for sure. There is 1990 Silverstone with that mileage for $7k listed here locally so use that as a barometer.

HOWEVER, factor in that anything that old will need maintenance regardless of the miles. So ask about maintenance records etc.

EDIT: Also, since it is a 1990 and low mileage there is a concern with the SNC issue. Make sure that has been addressed. If it has not use it as a bargaining chip.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Help request from NA gurus:
> 
> Let's just assume everything is in good working order, is $3800 OBO a fair asking price for a red '90 with 40k?
> 
> ...


If NO rust, worth pursuing. In fact it's priced on the lower end of what I'd expect someone to ask if it has no issues.

For comparison the blue car I just posted was $3400. '90, 50k miles, no rust, all original, no big problems but not particularly clean or well-loved either. Little issues all over the car from a non-enthusiast first owner.

If the timing belt has never been changed nor the crank bolt removed, you should be good on the SNC thing. It fails when reinstalled with inadequate torque, or reusing an old bolt after a TB change. If the guy did a TB 300 miles ago and is selling now, red flag, check for crank wobble or lack of power.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Help request from NA gurus:
> 
> Let's just assume everything is in good working order, is $3800 OBO a fair asking price for a red '90 with 40k?
> 
> ...


I agree that it sounds like a pretty good deal if the mileage represents the condition. As about maintenance records. If there are no maintenance records, figure on $1k-$1.5k to get things replaced to have it tip top condition: all coolant hoses, cursed water plug, radiator, timing belt, water pump, all associated belts,pulleys, tensioners, CAS o-ring,etc. And 40k is generally when the stock shocks wear out, so consider replacing them (and the springs, because more low). 

EDIT: Plugs and wires. Do those,too. Every 30k or 40k miles. Use NGK plugs and OEM blue wires. 

After you do that, proceed to drive it four 25 more years. 

A red '90 will automatically pull in less money than a red '90 of any other color.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

^^^ Oh dang, you guys came through. I know nothing about the SNC issue, so I'll have to read up. All good points about delayed maintenance, etc.

Smig, why does a red '90 pull in less bucks? Least desirable color, or something else? I kind of like the red.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

AlBeezy36 said:


> ^^^ Oh dang, you guys came through. I know nothing about the SNC issue, so I'll have to read up. All good points about delayed maintenance, etc.
> 
> Smig, why does a red '90 pull in less bucks? Least desirable color, or something else? I kind of like the red.


The SNC isn't a big thing to be concerned about, unless the timing belt was _just_ changed, as mentioned. If it was changed over 10k miles ago, you'll be fine. Defintely see if the car is down on power and crank pulley wobble. The SNC issue is overblown on the internet, and now we're starting to see some longe Nose Crank cars have crank issues. It stems from ham-fisted tightening of the crank pulley. NOTE: sometimes the crank pulley can appear to be wobbly because of the harmonic balancer not doing it's job. 

The red NAs pull less money simply because Mazda made a billion of them. The other colors are rarer. And Miata pricing is partially dictated by color and/or special editions. A '91 BRG, '92 Sunburst, '93LE ,M editions, etc, are all worth more than equivalent non-special editions. If you like the red, buy it. There are a lot of them to choose from.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Thank you!

I've got a text in with the seller to try and learn more. We'll see what I find out.

:beer:


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Classic Red pulls in less bucks b/c quite frankly it was/is the most common NA color by a mile. Regardless its a great color on the NA (biased opinion ofcourse on my end).

I do agree the SNC issue is overblown BUT since you were asking for info I figured I would throw it out there and not to mention its a good negotiating tool to have in your back pocket.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I've got a text in with the seller to try and learn more. We'll see what I find out.
> 
> :beer:


OK, this is what I've got:

Quoted from seller



> Two owners. Well maintained have recent records. New shocks, battery, and exhaust. Back window is cracked (plastic). Interior is immaculate. Runs and drives like new. Timing belt hasn't been changed.


Seems like 1st order of business would be swapping that belt. I thought it was mileage or years, whichever comes first. Might be red flag for other deferred maintenance.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

AlBeezy36 said:


> OK, this is what I've got:
> 
> Quoted from seller
> 
> ...


Its a non-interference motor so it's not the end of the world if the belt snaps. I would go and check it out with cash in hand if I were you and genuinely interested.

Edit: Budget another $1000.00 for TB and WP and other misc maintenance that will always popup with a 25 year old car.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

kwik!gti said:


> Its a non-interference motor so it's not the end of the world if the belt snaps. I would go and check it out with cash in hand if I were you and genuinely interested.
> 
> Edit: Budget another $1000.00 for TB and WP and other misc maintenance that will always popup with a 25 year old car.


Thanks man, I'll see if I can go see it this weekend. He's only available from 8-11am which is tough with work.

Appreciate all the feedback!


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

The cracked rear window happens. You have several options, from duct tape {hey, it's a convertible, put the top down!} to replacing the window with one of a few methods depending what type it is, to replacing the whole top - $200 for a cheap functional one, $400-500ish for a nice one, and DIY replacement is well documented.

As stated, non-interference engine. People let the belts go for 70-80k miles with no issues, and that is apparently about when the water pump needs to be done anyway. Mine has 60k (and 25 years!) on it now, gets bounced off the rev limiter a whole bunch every other weekend and it is fine.

But...one of the only ways to kill a Miata engine is to overheat it. So while the:

-cursed water plug
-radiator, if it is turning brown
-all hoses if hard
-heater core/heater core hoses

are items you should budget for sooner than later (and are also overstated on the internet but for good reason), don't let that stop you from buying it and driving it and enjoying it. Just watch the temp gauge. Should be at 11:30-12 o'clock when warm, and generally any movement beyond what you learn to be normal means there is a problem. Don't push your luck to 'just get home' if it ever starts overheating. Again, i have a scary amount of original hoses etc on my car. The plan is to do it all next winter, but it isn't preventing me from beating the heck out of it right now.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Overheated mine 2 weeks ago due to a water pump that went. Swapped in a low mileage 1.6L swap that I had the shop go through and replace all the seals. I didn't want to bother with a high mileage motor (156k) that had just been overheated.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*FV-QR*

While the Miata engine is a non-interference type, I've heard a few stories of valves getting bent when the belt snaps and really hiigh RPMs. So just change it. 

As for the top, yeah, the windows can crack. I'd personally skip all the half-assed solutions and get a new, quality top. Like a Robbins top. Not a Kee top. That alone will make installation a lot easier. 

Also, I think Planet Miata will sell you a new top and install it on a used top frame and mail it to you. That makes installation a LOT easier.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

One more thing, Miata.net is THE forum for Miatas. Save yourself the nonsense of stancebros on roadster forums. JMO


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Good info on the top and forums there. I'll check it out. Planning to see it Sunday at 9AM. I'll post up if I take it 

I think I posted 3800 asking, it's 3900 actually. Looks like Scion TC wheels?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Good info on the top and forums there. I'll check it out. Planning to see it Sunday at 9AM. I'll post up if I take it
> 
> I think I posted 3800 asking, it's 3900 actually. Looks like Scion TC wheels?



They look like generic steel wheels, which are heavy. Besides, tC wheels have 5 lugs, Miatas have 4.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> They look like generic steel wheels, which are heavy. Besides, tC wheels have 5 lugs, Miatas have 4.


Huh, for some reason I thought Scion ran 4x100 as well. Nevermind then


----------



## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Welp...

I was sold from the second I saw it roll up. Seller was very cool. Car is beautiful. He told me it was original paint via texts, but I found out later it had been resprayed. A little bummed about this, but he also reported no accidents, and I can't tell where it was hit, if at all. Everywhere I look, trunk, underside, interior, under the hood - this car is awesome. He sort of knew what he had, I offered him 3700, and he went for it. Maybe could've gotten another couple hundred off, but whatevs. He said he paid 10K for it when it had 27k on it. Not sure how long ago that was, but it has been hanging out in a storage shelter, only to be driven on sunny days, ie never (Seattle).

Car has a Jackson Racing cold air intake and some aftermarket sways (not sure what brand). PO just did struts, exhaust, and battery. Odometer reads 40,XXX.

He works at the same plant as me so he felt OK throwing me the keys and letting me go on a solo test drive. The last time I drove one of these I didn't have a license and was sneaking my mom's out after hours.. (yeah, yeah) The second I started rolling I was smiling. I popped the headlights up for extra giggles. This thing is just fun. Shifter is tight and exact, and the car has a nice growl from the intake. Pulls nice and strong, and handles like a sunofagun. It makes my 79 Rabbit feel like a piece of poo in the bends.

At the seller's meeting spot:



Back home:



The interior is in very good condition. Seats could use a cleaning, but otherwise almost perfect. One piece of cracked trim on the center console. 



That's a blutooth mic. The OE stereo was swapped out to a Pioneer unit by the original owner. I'd actually kind of like to restore that to stock, but I'm a weirdo like that.

Look how happy it is in its new habitat:



Under the hood:



I taped up the crack in the back window and checked the air and fluids. First order of business is all the paperwork, then searching for a hard top!

Just stoked all around


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## LordBass (Mar 17, 2003)

Nicely done! That's a great looking ride, and loads of fun for short money. You're a set of nice alloys away from not having to do anything else to it.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

LordBass said:


> Nicely done! That's a great looking ride, and loads of fun for short money. You're a set of nice alloys away from not having to do anything else to it.


Thanks man! I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for a new set.


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

Nealric said:


> Serious question: do people actually drive cars with camber like that or is it just done for the photoshoot?


his daily driver in new york. channeled frame rails, fuel and brake lines re routed into the cabin, raised dif, trans and engine.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Wow that NA was a steal! Congrats! That engine bay looks fantastic! Loving JR CAI


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## SLK350 (May 7, 2009)

Ugh, I don't know if it's worth this much, but god damn do I want it. 
Dat leather, dat hardtop, dat mileage... But dat wife, and dat bank account.
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/kingston-on/1993-mazda-mx-5-miata-se-convertible/587422586

These things really do command a premium here.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

I recently learned about those. 1 year only keeps the prices up apparently. Personally I wouldn't pay the premium for one but the interior is awesome.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Welp...
> 
> I was sold from the second I saw it roll up. Seller was very cool. Car is beautiful. He told me it was original paint via texts, but I found out later it had been resprayed. A little bummed about this, but he also reported no accidents, and I can't tell where it was hit, if at all. Everywhere I look, trunk, underside, interior, under the hood - this car is awesome. He sort of knew what he had, I offered him 3700, and he went for it. Maybe could've gotten another couple hundred off, but whatevs. He said he paid 10K for it when it had 27k on it. Not sure how long ago that was, but it has been hanging out in a storage shelter, only to be driven on sunny days, ie never (Seattle).
> 
> ...


Congrats! That looks like a sweet car.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

kwik!gti said:


> I recently learned about those. 1 year only keeps the prices up apparently. Personally I wouldn't pay the premium for one but the interior is awesome.


There are actually a couple of those for sale near me (in apparently in better condition and at a cheaper price). VERY tempting...I'm not usually a fan of black cars though...


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

SLK350 said:


> Ugh, I don't know if it's worth this much, but god damn do I want it.
> Dat leather, dat hardtop, dat mileage... But dat wife, and dat bank account.
> http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/kingston-on/1993-mazda-mx-5-miata-se-convertible/587422586
> 
> These things really do command a premium here.


I just found this one in Quebec (if you'd be whiling to drive). Surfing through LesPac (french version of Kijiji) and found a really clean one at what I think is a really interesting price for the condition. I'd try it out if I had the money to spend on a fun summer car.

http://www.lespac.com/st-paul-d-abbotsford/vehicules-autos/mazda-miata-mx5_29238182D0.jsa?searchCriteria=L3NlYXJjaC9yZXN1bHRzLmpzYT9sPTEmYT1teC01Jmk9MSZkaD0wJms9MiZlPTQ1LjMxNjY3JmY9LTczLjI2NjY3Jmg9MSZnPTI1MTcwJmI9Mjg1JmRmPTI4NSZqPTA&navigationInfo=YT0xMCZiPTIzOCZjPTI3OTk2NTIyUzI4NDMxNDMzUzI5Mjg2MDc4UzI5MDM4MDIxUzI4OTkzMDEyUzI5Mjg1Mzg5UzI5MjE5Njg1UzI5MzAxMTE1UzI5MjM4MTgyUzI5MjI1MjIxJmQ9MA&requester=SCH


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

2.0_Mazda said:


> I just found this one in Quebec (if you'd be whiling to drive). Surfing through LesPac (french version of Kijiji) and found a really clean one at what I think is a really interesting price for the condition. I'd try it out if I had the money to spend on a fun summer car.
> 
> http://www.lespac.com/st-paul-d-abbotsford/vehicules-autos/mazda-miata-mx5_29238182D0.jsa?searchCriteria=L3NlYXJjaC9yZXN1bHRzLmpzYT9sPTEmYT1teC01Jmk9MSZkaD0wJms9MiZlPTQ1LjMxNjY3JmY9LTczLjI2NjY3Jmg9MSZnPTI1MTcwJmI9Mjg1JmRmPTI4NSZqPTA&navigationInfo=YT0xMCZiPTIzOCZjPTI3OTk2NTIyUzI4NDMxNDMzUzI5Mjg2MDc4UzI5MDM4MDIxUzI4OTkzMDEyUzI5Mjg1Mzg5UzI5MjE5Njg1UzI5MzAxMTE1UzI5MjM4MTgyUzI5MjI1MjIxJmQ9MA&requester=SCH



I think he meant the 93 LE...1500 made, and the only ones with the red interior. Very cool cars.


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I think he meant the 93 LE...1500 made, and the only ones with the red interior. Very cool cars.


Ah okay :beer:


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

I daily drive a 93LE.
I'd love to strip the interior out and put it in my 90, but I don't think I can do it.

Currently, my LE has a set of red leather Probax Lotus seats in it; I may put them in the 90 and just fake the rest of the red interior with SEM paint and a new carpet.

For those that have been shopping for 93 LE's... what high/ low prices are you seeing? I may move mine on in the next year.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

vortexblue said:


> I daily drive a 93LE.
> I'd love to strip the interior out and put it in my 90, but I don't think I can do it.
> 
> Currently, my LE has a set of red leather Probax Lotus seats in it; I may put them in the 90 and just fake the rest of the red interior with SEM paint and a new carpet.
> ...


I would LOVE to put the LE interior in my white car. It would look so sweet. A guy on M.net and/or Clubroadster did it...it looks great.

There are two LE's for sale around me at the moment:

57k miles: $9900
135k miles: $3800 (doesn't have original BBS wheels)
116k miles: $4900 <-- this one is super tempting..all original, great shape, etc...


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## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

my buddys miata at his first drift event with it yesterday. he got maybe 12 runs in but got to hot and one fan wasnt kicking in. also it was the one year anniversary of the horrific death of his friend who is the reason the car is purple. 

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/14081982768" title="east coast bash, corvair 021 by tim wilson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2927/14081982768_3203d527a4_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="east coast bash, corvair 021"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/14266531682" title="east coast bash, corvair 012 by tim wilson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3785/14266531682_f47f4d681b_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="east coast bash, corvair 012"></a>

how the car used to look 

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/14294767323" title="050 by tim wilson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/14294767323_a16e489232_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="050"></a>


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Just an FYI as it took me some searching to find this out:

One of the lifting fasteners on my top boot broke. For most years of the NA, you want to find a German TENAX wide head model (and not English). See link below.

http://www.eagleday.com/tefage.html - TENAX-3000079 for chrome plated fastener.


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

freedo84gti said:


> but got to hot and one fan wasnt kicking in.


The 2nd fan only comes on when the a/c is on.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

vortexblue said:


> I daily drive a 93LE.
> I'd love to strip the interior out and put it in my 90, but I don't think I can do it.
> 
> Currently, my LE has a set of red leather Probax Lotus seats in it; I may put them in the 90 and just fake the rest of the red interior with SEM paint and a new carpet.
> ...


Love everything about your NA.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I would LOVE to put the LE interior in my white car. It would look so sweet. A guy on M.net and/or Clubroadster did it...it looks great.



A guy I know dyed and reupholstered his white '95 in ALL red interior - dsah, center console, radio bezel, everything.

Here's a bad picture of it:


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

I'd have to see pics but I think the LE black/red looks great but ALL red? I think it would be overkill.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

kwik!gti said:


> I'd have to see pics but I think the LE black/red looks great but ALL red? I think it would be overkill.


If I see the car in a few weeks I'll get better pictures. It may not be to everyone's tastes, but it's done extremely well, and it does look very good.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> If I see the car in a few weeks I'll get better pictures. It may not be to everyone's tastes, but it's done extremely well, and it does look very good.


That would be great. I'd personally love to see it.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

kwik!gti said:


> I'd have to see pics but I think the LE black/red looks great but ALL red? I think it would be overkill.


Agreed. It's the same thing with Boxsters...they have an all-red interior and a black/red interior. The black/red looked way better.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Normally I dislike silver paint, but silver with an all red interior looks just right. I don't know why.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Fellow Miata owners...is it just me or does every time a fellow car enthusiast knows you have a Miata they feel the need to pipe up about "Hey you know you can stuff a Mustang 5.0 in there....herp derp derp". I find it aggravating to say the least at this point and now feel like I need to reply with "If I wanted a 5-liter powered car...I'd buy a Mustang". /rant


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

kwik!gti said:


> Fellow Miata owners...is it just me or does every time a fellow car enthusiast knows you have a Miata they feel the need to pipe up about "Hey you know you can stuff a Mustang 5.0 in there....herp derp derp". I find it aggravating to say the least at this point and now feel like I need to reply with "If I wanted a 5-liter powered car...I'd buy a Mustang". /rant


I get this all the time with LS swaps. No thanks, I already have an LS car and I don't need more. If I'm going to swap anything in it will be something I haven't seen done a million times already.

On another note I managed to take my sub-$1000 car running dead all seasons and put it in 2nd of 9 in ES against 1.8 cars all running Direzzas. Not a bad day.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

kwik!gti said:


> Fellow Miata owners...is it just me or does every time a fellow car enthusiast knows you have a Miata they feel the need to pipe up about "Hey you know you can stuff a Mustang 5.0 in there....herp derp derp". I find it aggravating to say the least at this point and now feel like I need to reply with "If I wanted a 5-liter powered car...I'd buy a Mustang". /rant


It's like they think you can't be happy with it the way it is.

We had a new intern start here recently that has a Focus Coupe (no idea what year). Someone brought up the fact that I own the Miata outside and he says "1.8 or 1.6?". I say "1.6". He says "Oh, bummer, that sucks. You know, you should put a 5.0L in there, then it would actually be fun".

I looked at him blankly and said "Ummm, no" and walked away... :facepalm:


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

If I didn't have almost $3K in medical bills this car would be all mine


http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/4459502320.html















> Black, southern car, Adult owned and maintained.
> Seen no Winters garage kept.
> 
> Options Include:
> ...


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

kwik!gti said:


> Fellow Miata owners...is it just me or does every time a fellow car enthusiast knows you have a Miata they feel the need to pipe up about "Hey you know you can stuff a Mustang 5.0 in there....herp derp derp". I find it aggravating to say the least at this point and now feel like I need to reply with "If I wanted a 5-liter powered car...I'd buy a Mustang". /rant


It's not just Miatas, it's every "slow" car. Pretty much every "car guy" I've told about my FR-S says "oh I heard those are really fun, but they're so underpowered." :facepalm: And by the way, that includes both real life and TCL. I swear the TCL horsepower brigade is even more ludicrous than the manual tranny zealots.

Whatever, man. It seems to me that about 0.1% of the people who harass me about power are skilled enough to take my car to the limit and feel that it's too slow...the other 99.9% of people would be scared out of their wits by what I can do with that "little" power on the streets :laugh:


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

landstuhltaylor said:


> On another note I managed to take my sub-$1000 car running dead all seasons and put it in 2nd of 9 in ES against 1.8 cars all running Direzzas. Not a bad day.


Damm that's awesome. Congrats


weezintrumpeteer said:


> It's like they think you can't be happy with it the way it is.
> 
> We had a new intern start here recently that has a Focus Coupe (no idea what year). Someone brought up the fact that I own the Miata outside and he says "1.8 or 1.6?". I say "1.6". He says "Oh, bummer, that sucks. You know, you should put a 5.0L in there, then it would actually be fun".
> 
> I looked at him blankly and said "Ummm, no" and walked away... :facepalm:


I feel ya. I replaced my 1.6 recently with another 1.6 (I could have gone 1.8 for almost the same money but wanted to stay 1.6 in my 90) and I get that as well now. ""Why didn't you go 1.8?" as if there is a huge difference in performance. Similar to people suggesting I swap a GSR 1.8 into my EM1 which has it's matching numbers unopened b16 still in it. It makes me :facepalm: every single time.



CaleDeRoo said:


> If I didn't have almost $3K in medical bills this car would be all mine
> 
> 
> http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/4459502320.html


Nice. Has all the goodies already done to it too. Just need a h-top. He's asking all the money for it though it seems.



hushypushy said:


> It's not just Miatas, it's every "slow" car. Pretty much every "car guy" I've told about my FR-S says "oh I heard those are really fun, but they're so underpowered." :facepalm: And by the way, that includes both real life and TCL. I swear the TCL horsepower brigade is even more ludicrous than the manual tranny zealots.


Very good point. People automatically think you need a swap for anything less than 250hp. It gets tiresome hearing people yabber on about 5.0 and LSx swaps. I told my cousin "go back to the internets and masturbate about those swaps" when he told me to do an LSx swap (one day after I got my car back from having the motor swapped lol)

Here's a pic of mine from this weekend. Don't mind the ride height. I'm currently collecting all the suspension parts and components


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

Swapped out the oe springs for H&R springs this weekend. 

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/14324561794" title="20140531_144856 by Desmond, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/14324561794_727589412d_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20140531_144856"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/14321877351" title="20140531_150345 by Desmond, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2933/14321877351_44657644ea_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20140531_150345"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/14138525908" title="20140601_133147 by Desmond, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/14138525908_bc5130b120_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20140601_133147"></a>


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## 2ndGearSlump (Jun 1, 2014)

My Miata back when it was in full Smurftastic plastidip mode.










Oh, and my Miata back in red cheap-but-fun commuter mode.


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## Project_2501 (Apr 21, 2008)

I wouldn't do an LSx swap, but I would definitely be putting a turbo on a 1.8 in either the NA or NB chassis if I didn't already have a Mazdaspeed. Maybe it's just me, but the chassis needs around 200whp (mine is still stock and it needs more...).


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

redwe-in-wi said:


> Swapped out the oe springs for H&R springs this weekend.


That looks incredible. Every time I see a photo of your car (or a White Club) I get the sudden urge to get in the car and go buy one. So good.


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## blackslcchild (Dec 13, 2012)

Just picked this up. Runs good, needs a lot of cosmetic help.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Going back to Bristol Motor Speedway this week!


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Project_2501 said:


> I wouldn't do an LSx swap, but I would definitely be putting a turbo on a 1.8 in either the NA or NB chassis if I didn't already have a Mazdaspeed. Maybe it's just me, but the chassis needs around 200whp (mine is still stock and it needs more...).


I'd even go so far as to say it only needs 175.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Just ordered mine figured I'd give you guys the heads up:
http://blipshift.com/products/maths...345786257&mc_cid=7529e69c96&mc_eid=658be2a268


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> Going back to Bristol Motor Speedway this week!


Did you get a chance to drive the toilet bowl? 

That was one of the most fun tracks I have ever driven, it is very silly :thumbup:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

redwe-in-wi said:


> Swapped out the oe springs for H&R springs this weekend.


Looking good!


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

kwik!gti said:


> Just ordered mine figured I'd give you guys the heads up:
> http://blipshift.com/products/maths...345786257&mc_cid=7529e69c96&mc_eid=658be2a268


ordered


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> Did you get a chance to drive the toilet bowl?
> 
> That was one of the most fun tracks I have ever driven, it is very silly :thumbup:


The past couple of years (and this year) we've run it at night. I have video of the night time laps, but I can post it to TCL.

This year I should have a GoPro and a Sony Action Cam set up to record the festivities :thumbup:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> The past couple of years (and this year) we've run it at night. I have video of the night time laps, but I can post it to TCL.
> 
> This year I should have a GoPro and a Sony Action Cam set up to record the festivities :thumbup:


Awesome! Looking forward to video :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

hushypushy said:


> Awesome! Looking forward to video :thumbup:


I have some (crappy) HD video of running under the lights last year, but I don't have a youtube account. And I don't really want to create a G+ profile to get one.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

We're so slow.

From 2011, before they switched to running under the lights.






Hoping to recreate this (with less 'stuff' in my windshield) on Thursday


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## Project_2501 (Apr 21, 2008)

corrado-correr said:


> I'd even go so far as to say it only needs 175.


In an NA you're probably right. But curb weight on an NB Mazdaspeed is a fair bit heavier - 2540lbs. It has just shy of 180hp stock, though that's likely at the crank, not the wheels. I'm planning to do the "little enchilada" kit from Flyin' Miata when I'm back in the states, and see how that goes.


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

Project_2501 said:


> In an NA you're probably right. But curb weight on an NB Mazdaspeed is a fair bit heavier - 2540lbs. It has just shy of 180hp stock, though that's likely at the crank, not the wheels. I'm planning to do the "little enchilada" kit from Flyin' Miata when I'm back in the states, and see how that goes.


Does curb weight include driver? I weighed my 02 non-turbo NB (sans driver) and it was something like 2350 on the truck scales, IIRC.


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## Project_2501 (Apr 21, 2008)

smoothsix said:


> Does curb weight include driver? I weighed my 02 non-turbo NB (sans driver) and it was something like 2350 on the truck scales, IIRC.


No, manufacturers don't account for driver weight because it varies so much. That's just the figure that's both readily available on the internet and found on the door jamb sticker of my car. It's an 04 for what it's worth.

Either way, it needs more power next time I drive it (couple years from now).


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

Can someone buy this car so I can stop obsessing over it?


https://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/4459502320.html












2000 Mazda Miata 

Mileage -53,671

Asking $7,250 or best offer

Black, southern car, Adult owned and maintained. 
Seen no Winters garage kept.

Options Include:
Power Steering
5 speed transmission
Convertible soft top
Hard door sports bar with leather cover
Interior was insulated along firewall, floor pans, doors
Pioneer CD player and speakers
Cruise control
AEM air intake and filter
Flyin Miata stainless steel exhaust
Racing Beat stainless steel header with blanket
Stainless steel flex brake lines
Stainless steel Clutch line
Brake pads, rotors, and calipers on all four corner have 13,000 miles on them
Clutch master and slave cylinders are new less then 5,000 miles on them
Flyin Miata Butterfly frame kit with frame rails
Flyin Miata 2 suspension adjustable shocks
Lowering springs
Approximately 1" adjustable sway bars and adjustable end links
15x8 949 wheels and lug nuts
Magard wheel locks


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Highlights!


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## cu4life7 (Jul 8, 2009)

A few from my trip to pick up my car. It used to be my dad's, but he passed in November. Loving the car for what it is, but it's especially fun considering.


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

I've been doing a lot of thinking on whether or not my Miata is worth saving. A quick search through Florida Craigslist tells me I can get a very clean NA for $2500 or so. I think that pretty much seals the deal. It's probably best to just let this one rust away and drive it for another few years, then just do the fly and drive thing.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)




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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

landstuhltaylor said:


> I've been doing a lot of thinking on whether or not my Miata is worth saving. A quick search through Florida Craigslist tells me I can get a very clean NA for $2500 or so. I think that pretty much seals the deal. It's probably best to just let this one rust away and drive it for another few years, then just do the fly and drive thing.


I don't know how bad your car is but rust repair is something you never get your money back from and costs you a lot more in the long run. You are much better off finding a non-rusted car from places like FLA, GA, AZ, CA etc. My car is a florida car that spent the last 2 years up here in the northeast (never saw winter thank god) and it's well worth getting a clean starting point IMO.

Speaking of I spent a little time last night cleaning and polishing the dull single stage paint on my hard top. Still more work to do but it looks better. If you look close you can see the masking tape "racing stripe" running down the center of the roof that I used as a before/after reference:


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

kwik!gti said:


> I don't know how bad your car is but rust repair is something you never get your money back from and costs you a lot more in the long run. You are much better off finding a non-rusted car from places like FLA, GA, AZ, CA etc. My car is a florida car that spent the last 2 years up here in the northeast (never saw winter thank god) and it's well worth getting a clean starting point IMO.


The rust is pretty bad on this car, to the point that one of the control arm bolts is seized in the subframe. I'm not concerned with getting my money back, but at the same time it would cost just as much to clean the car up as it would to just buy a nice one. With how little I paid ($1250 with a hardtop) I'm not too concerned either way.

Of course if I do eventually pick up a clean one I will need to do some serious rust proofing. It will be driven all year round up here.


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## 92VR6C (Mar 16, 2005)

Hot


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




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## 92VR6C (Mar 16, 2005)

Stock '92


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## JetBlackGT (Apr 4, 2011)

Simple '97

Untitled by sean alessi media, on Flickr


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

Should I get a first gen or second gen Miata? There is a silver 1999 for like only $3000 FS by me. There are plenty of 1990s for 3K.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Giovanni said:


> Should I get a first gen or second gen Miata? There is a silver 1999 for like only $3000 FS by me. There are plenty of 1990s for 3K.


i've owned both so i'll give you some insights. my ownership: 91 base, 97-M, 99 base, 99 10th AE, 03 SE.

first. buy the nicest condition one you can find for your budget. they are all generally reliable, easy to work on, and share many parts with each other (even NA to NB).

All cars share the scourge of rocker rust and rust in general. Avoid it like the plague if you can. Look just ahead of the rear wheels, if it's rotting, walk away. Also, avoid cars that have been crashed heavily, but don't be afraid of minor damage. due to the tiny size it's a super easy car to have bumped in a parking lot by an idiot in something big. i've owned two that have had bumper covers or hoods replaced from getting backed into/onto. be careful where you park!

The NA is a better Miata. It's a very pure driving experience, lower power levels, lighter in general. Keep in mind that even the newest NA is now almost 20 years old. So age and condition are becoming much more of a factor. 90-93 is the 1.6 motor, less powerful and the very early cars (90-early 91) can have the "short nose crank" problem. it's fixable, just bad news if ignored. Watch for bolster wear on the seats, slave cylinder failures, and general lack of maintenance. There are a few other niggles, but few real reliability problems. they are the most tossable and i've found them a bit of an anachronism to daily drive. keep in mind the slowest minivan in production right now is faster 0-60 than the fastest NA was. All NA/NBs with leather have an LSD, so if you want an NA, hunt for that.

The NB is the better car. It's much newer, often integrates more modern features, the door cards, steering wheel, and interior parts are more substantial feeling. Many often say the interior of the NB is more cramped, though the same size as the NA in nearly all dimensions, the NB has more "fit and finish," with thicker door cards and wheel making the interior feel tighter. they are stiffer and suffer from less cowl shake. their headlights are better and on later NBs are projectors. NA headlights are atrocious by comparison. Nearly all running gear from 94-05 is identical, brake rotors, pads, driveline parts (though 01 saw VVT added for emissions), even trans fluid. 

If you can wrench on a 90 NA, you'll be able to wrench on an 05 NB. Hardtops will fit both interchangeably. IF YOU CAN find a car with a hardtop or buy one, it really adds to the pros of the car, bringing security, warmth/insulation, and better NVH to the car. Also, hardtop cars seem to rust less as the top drains can be covered from water entry if winter/salt driven.

The best one i owned in my opinion was the 10th. Awesome blue color, blue interior, i had a hardtop, it was a very cool car. it had the factory sport suspension with bilsteins which was stellar. the 99-00 cars take boost very well and are the most power for the weight of most Miatas. the SE we have now is a close second, the 6 speed in the later NBs is really good. All of them were great fun, the M edition on star specs was a destroyer at autocross. Sadly, I only owned the 10th AE for 28 days before it was destroyed in a spectacular rear ending from a ford explorer, that car saved my life, and happily, it's driveline lives on in a Locost. 

my dad and my NAs (96 c-package and my 97 M):









:beer::beer:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Nerd alert



























My two roadsters ready to go


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Claff,
The car looks great. Which Kirkey seat are you using? Is it mounted on a base or directly to the floor? Are you running a back brace (what's it mounted to with no cage?)

We have a Kirley Road Race seat in our SpecRace Atom, and it fits me great. I'll definitely pick one up for my car.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*September 3rd*! The New Miata will be revealed!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

vortexblue said:


> Claff,
> The car looks great. Which Kirkey seat are you using? Is it mounted on a base or directly to the floor? Are you running a back brace (what's it mounted to with no cage?)


Kirkey Intermediate Road Race 15" seat, mounted to stock Miata sliders from a junkyard seat. The co-driver likes to drive sitting on top of the wheel, I prefer to be a little more rearward than that, and then for daily driving I move the seat all the way back, having the seat on sliders is a must. No back brace and none is needed for what we do.


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

Thanks compy222, I should be scared of one with higher miles right? Especially if it was well maintained like this:

5 speed, 182K miles. New shocks, brake pads, battery, Sony head unit. Water pump & timing belt replaced @ 178K. Newer canvas top with glass window, newer tires. Runs strong, cold A/C, fun to drive! Clean title. Passed NJ inspection in April 2014. No trades. If it's posted, it's still available. 

Also what are some tall people mods? I saw one with the inner door handle removed and replaced with a strap. I am 6'1" and it felt a little tight in there for me.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Giovanni said:


> Thanks compy222, I should*n't* be scared of one with higher miles right? Especially if it was well maintained like this:
> 
> 5 speed, 182K miles. New shocks, brake pads, battery, Sony head unit. Water pump & timing belt replaced @ 178K. Newer canvas top with glass window, newer tires. Runs strong, cold A/C, fun to drive! Clean title. Passed NJ inspection in April 2014. No trades. If it's posted, it's still available.
> 
> Also what are some tall people mods? I saw one with the inner door handle removed and replaced with a strap. I am 6'1" and it felt a little tight in there for me.


Bold section is my FTFY for what I think you meant. And no, you shouldn't necessarily be scared of one with higher mileage if the price is right and the maintenance is done. How much are they asking for that example? What year? On its face, it looks okay. 

Tall people mods: The interior handle/strap conversion depends on the year. Mazda changed the interior door cars every few years, so depending on the year, you may not even have to do that. Also, look on Miata.net for 'foamectomy.' It's a procedure where you remove some of the foam in the seat back and/or the seat bottom to get more bolstering and room.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

EBay: http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=151335710969

I remember this car being totaled. The only Sunkist orange test car built.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

nemo1ner said:


> EBay: http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=151335710969
> 
> I remember this car being totaled. The only Sunkist orange test car built.


This car has been for sale for _years_. Typcially, the owner wants _lots_ of money for it. And it's just not worth it. Yes, it's one of the original 'color cars', but that's all that it has going for it. It was modified, some say poorly, but that's not the biggest thing. It was wrecked, fairly substantially (totaled), and rebuild, and the whole car was *repainted*. And since Mazda never had a 'Sunkist' color code, the color we see here is a _best approximation_ of what the original color was. 

All taken together, it has not been worth the $20l to $30k the seller has been asking for it.











Here's a thread on Miata.net about it: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=544542


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

Thanks Smigelski, that is what I meant to say. I was tired last night.

it is a 1996 for 2500 reduced from 3K. The seller is in NJ and I gotta figure out how to get it home. 

I dig the color too.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Giovanni said:


> Thanks compy222, I should be scared of one with higher miles right?


It's essentially a bulletproof car. If it runs, then it works. The only "problem" with a higher mileage experience is that at some point, a wide array of parts are nearing the magical "end of life" - where things appear to work fine and then all of a sudden...they don't. So your ownership experience slowly degrades to the point to where every other week there is something that needs to be addressed; from fuel pumps to fuel filters to clutch slaves, etc. It can be pretty defeating when you get to the point that you know something will fail, but you don't know what. Luckily, the Miata.net community has some of the most professional/detailed DIY write-ups of any other marque. Parts can be expensive for Mazdas, but repair procedures are incredibly logical and awesome. 

So, when you buy a lower mileage car for an extra $2K, you might not ever learn to do some of the maintenance repairs, but you spend more of your time driving the car. Lower mileage cars (regardless of age) tend to be cleaner and less like a Jeep. I bought my Sunburst with ~123K miles about 11yrs ago and now it's got around 180K. It's been, hands down, the MOST reliable car of my fleet. But it's getting closer to that Jeep stage. It's a driver, but it looks clean.

There isn't a right answer, there's only _your_ answer.


For instance, my wife has been DD'ing the Sunburst and she came home last night and told me "you have to come hear this, the Miata is making a funny noise". Oh, you mean puking coolant out the radiator cap and boiling the water in the overflow tank...?








[/url]Leaky Miata by Diamond _Dave, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Giovanni said:


> Thanks Smigelski, that is what I meant to say. I was tired last night.
> 
> it is a 1996 for 2500 reduced from 3K. The seller is in NJ and I gotta figure out how to get it home.
> 
> I dig the color too.


My first Miata was a high-mile Montego '96 that cleaned up real nice. I only had it for something like 8 months before it got totaled but it spawned an obsession that's probably going to last the rest of my driving days.

These are the last pics I took of the car before the accident:



















I'll spare you the 'after' pics.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


>



They're so cute when they're stock!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Just a few projects this weekend. Suddenly the car feels out of place, but I can't put my finger on it.

Miatsun by Diamond _Dave, on Flickr


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

This thread kept taunting me so I went out and bought this....









92 Suburst Yellow with Autopower Rollbar. 

It is my 7th Miata.​


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Phil Pugliese said:


> This thread kept taunting me so I went out and bought this....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Sunburst is great...love those.


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

How much is a decent exhaust for a Miata, like a thousand bucks?

This is priced kind of high for a car that needs an exhaust right?



_*
1992 mazda miata - $4800 

1992 Mazda miata mx5 convertible 113k 5 speed manual bought as a project for less than a year came with bbs rims plasti dip in orange i put alot of brand new parts but i need the money now my loss your gain. Cold air intake misimoto radiator and fan new battery radiator and alternator nkg spark plugs oil senor i did put raceland coilovers and it has a full turbo kit and i do have hid which i havent put on. It runs 100 % it does need a new exhaust and window regulators which was a common problem. Any questions just ask. Throw me an offer worst i can say is no pics available upon request. everything works 100% asking 4800 text anytime


condition: good
1992 mazda miata mx5 odometer: 113 
paint color : black 
type : convertible 
drive : rwd 
fuel : gas 
transmission : manual 
title status : clean


*_


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Giovanni said:


> How much is a decent exhaust for a Miata, like a thousand bucks?
> 
> This is priced kind of high for a car that needs an exhaust right?
> 
> ...


That thing is a nightmare waiting to happen. Don't hobble, walk, jog, or run from that thing. Sprint from it.

And even a brand new Borla (the most expensive) cat back exhaust is about $450.


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## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> That thing is a nightmare waiting to happen. Don't hobble, walk, jog, or run from that thing. Sprint from it.
> 
> And even a brand new Borla (the most expensive) cat back exhaust is about $450.


I agree. The busted exhaust would be the least of your worries here. The raceland coilovers lead me to believe that the turbo kit is probably junk too. Sounds like the car was put together with garbage parts and is just waiting to blow. $4800 should get you into a REALLY nice NA.


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

Yavuz said:


> The raceland coilovers lead me to believe that the turbo kit is probably junk too. Sounds like the car was put together with garbage parts and is just waiting to blow.


Thanks guys, raceland coilovers seem to be the suspension mod of choice for most of the Miatas on CL. They're junk too?


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## Flying Low (Mar 11, 2006)

So, today I finally drove the Miata that's been sitting in my garage for three weeks, never driven one before. My buddy and I had to put a new top on it and ran in to difficulties and parts needed and such. I will say, it's a well mannered car, I drove it for about an hour on a rainy country road and had no issues. Being that it isn't mine and I was not familiar with it, I only drifted it once and it came right back in line. I was amazed at how it made my e46 328 seem like a big, overweight car when I got back into it......Need one? nah.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

So, Miata hivemind, I have a drivability issue I can't figure out. Help pls. '94 1.8, no AC/PS.

When you upshift 1-2 and 2-3 and then give it 60% throttle or greater! the motor bogs down- badly- below ~3000rpm, then revs more normally. Also feels like the motor is down on power overall. This seems to have been getting progressively worse. I threw in a new set of NGK plugs and replaced a vacuum hose that was cracked-no change. Lacking any further time, I took it to a good shop-they haven't been able to readily diagnose it.

They did say that the JR intake places the IAT sensor directly adjacent to the thermostat housing, which is causing a massive spike in reported inlet air temp readings to the ECU. 

I am having the replace the fuel filter as it has never been done in the 4 years I have had the car.

Any thoughts, Miata folk? What should I look for first? Bad coil pack? Any recommendations on a different intake?


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## Schumo (May 30, 2010)

OOC from our way to Überfest in Germany.


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Giovanni said:


> Thanks guys, raceland coilovers seem to be the suspension mod of choice for most of the Miatas on CL. They're junk too?


They're basically the cheapest coilover you can buy and are usually purchased from eBay. I haven't owned a set so I can't give a review but it's a definite sign of the type of owner the car has. If they cheapened out on that, I am sure other items were the cheapest available as well and there are half assed fixes elsewhere.

It's crazy to see Miata prices these days. I paid 2k for my stock/rust free 93 in 2008.


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

njn63 said:


> It's crazy to see Miata prices these days. I paid 2k for my stock/rust free 93 in 2008.


Thank you, do you mean that the prices are higher now? Maybe because it is the summertime now and in the fall there will be a lot more deals?


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Whoring out my MX-5 by GlebZ, on Flickr


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## toucci (May 22, 2006)

Giovanni said:


> Thank you, do you mean that the prices are higher now? Maybe because it is the summertime now and in the fall there will be a lot more deals?


I assume he got that great deal in the fourth quarter of 2008 after the economy started really falling apart. Gas went from just under $4 to $1.50 for a short time that year


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Update: Picked the Miata up from the shop yesterday morning. Didn't have time to do more than a cursory diagnosis of the drivability problem, and it needed a couple of other maintenance items addressed that I hadn't had time for either (coolant flush, new fuel filter).

Shop cleaned the MAF, noted that the Jackson Racing CAI puts the IAT sensor *right* next to the thermostat which is likely causing some of the cold start drivability issues. 

Car drives MUCH better now--back to what it was like when purchased (if not a bit better, actually). Pulls very strongly through the rev range, and the bogging I was experiencing before has been eliminated. Result!

I had such a great drive home tonight, I ordered new tires for it. (I threw it hard onto a freeway onramp and it pitched sideways a bit too enthusiastically. Guess those tires are as done as they look... )


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## Armed Escort (Jul 30, 2003)

I finally got to drive a Miata recently for the first time at Laguna. I managed a 1:59 and it's a very easy car to learn quickly, even though the track is challenging. In order to get under two minutes, you have to get really comfortable with committing fully to turns 2, 5, 6, the corkscrew, and the crazy fast downhill lefthander, 9. After a full day of spec miata I was really impressed. It's a momentum car that really rewards smooth input and correct lines. And it was fast..ish, in terms of laptimes for a 115hp car. Not an expensive build either, maybe I should keep my NSX safe and sound and build a track bitch. Impressed.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

After driving the car a full day yesterday, I discovered the following:

1. I can carry 4 tires with a ratchet strap and still apex highway off ramps. :laugh:
2. The car needs a suspension refresh (ball joints are shot).

Anyone have any recommendations on a suspension/bushing refresh? 

I am looking to swap the shocks out for much firmer ones (Koni Yellows?) and stiffer springs, better bushings, ball joints, and possibly tie rods.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Koni yellows are an excellent choice. They're on sale now, but I'm not sure how long that lasts.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Claff said:


> Koni yellows are an excellent choice. They're on sale now, but I'm not sure how long that lasts.


I can get special pricing on Konis, which is why I'm considering them. Really considering the Flyin Miata stage one package that comes with their springs, konis and bump stops.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Giovanni said:


> Thank you, do you mean that the prices are higher now? Maybe because it is the summertime now and in the fall there will be a lot more deals?


Actually depends on the region. In the south when it is too hot for a convertible in the summer, fall is the better sellers market.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Giovanni said:


> Thank you, do you mean that the prices are higher now? Maybe because it is the summertime now and in the fall there will be a lot more deals?


It's pretty much a no-no to buying a convertible in the spring, summer, or early fall if you don't want to overpay.


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## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

Here are the latest photos of mine. I've stopped autocrossing it at SCCA events and only stick to events put on by other clubs. It's now an SCCA DP where it gets absolutely crushed in PAX. I've been using my Mazda2 successfully in STF instead lately. 

The Miata now weighs 2105 lbs with a completely full tank of gas. I can get nearly get race weight under 2000 by running low fuel and ditching the passenger seat. There's a lot more weight to lose, but I still use the car on the street whenever it isn't raining so it has to pass inspection and have some degree of streetability. Its been an absolute riot on the street and autox after going on a diet.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

For DP I would assume you would need to basically have a bottomless wallet to be competitive.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

nemo1ner said:


> For DP I would assume you would need to basically have a bottomless wallet to be competitive.


And an up-to-date tetanus shot.

I put my '90 STS car on the scale at the Wilmington Pro and it came out at 2065 lbs with half a tank of gas. I still have the stock passenger seat (8 lbs potential weight savings), full exhaust (15 lbs), then things get complicated. Some say to go to a little 3 lb battery though my current one is 6.9 lbs. I don't know what kind of weight savings can be realized with an aluminum crank pulley... that's something I don't really want to mess with since it's the short-nose crank.

One fellow STS driver gave me a little crap (good-naturedly) that I had a half-full washer fluid reservoir, and that my coolant overflow tank was filled to the high level instead of low. "A pint is a pound that moves around" he said. I guess I'll have to siphon them down before the next time out.


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## VWmk3GTI (May 4, 2013)

I found this online and i've never been able to identify what kit that is for the top,but it is just fantastically beautiful


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

http://shop.autokonexion.com/


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

I'm actually going to go take a look at one later today ('96 Manual). I really have been bitten by the Miata bug. Something about them is so appealing to me. Minimalist driver's car... which is quite different from my B5. Haha. 

It's got 230k miles and the guy is asking $1500, seems reasonable (no rust, was originally a southern car). Also saw one on CL with 37k miles and the guy was asking $8000. So there's two ends of the spectrum for you. 

Figured I'd take a look, maybe offer the guy $1000. I think it would make a nice, fun, reliable DD.

Anything in particular to look out for? Been doing a lot of reading on Miata forums and know of the more major things.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

VWmk3GTI said:


> I found this online and i've never been able to identify what kit that is for the top,but it is just fantastically beautiful


do they make aftermarket hardtops for soft-top miatas???


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## VWmk3GTI (May 4, 2013)

Dravenport said:


> do they make aftermarket hardtops for soft-top miatas???


that link DucSam posted is to their website,its kinda pricey but it looks worth it


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

fR3ZNO said:


> I'm actually going to go take a look at one later today ('96 Manual). I really have been bitten by the Miata bug. Something about them is so appealing to me. Minimalist driver's car... which is quite different from my B5. Haha.
> 
> It's got 230k miles and the guy is asking $1500, seems reasonable (no rust, was originally a southern car). Also saw one on CL with 37k miles and the guy was asking $8000. So there's two ends of the spectrum for you.
> 
> ...


#1 would be to verify the car's non-rusty status. Bring a magnet and poke around the rocker panels in front of the rear wheels.

Other than that, treat it like any other high-mile used car. Jack it up and shake the wheels around to make sure the wheel bearings and tie rod ends are nice and tight. Check tire wear for funky alignment, poke around underneath for oil leaks, ask about the timing belt/water pump maintenance schedule, etc. Make sure the soft top goes up and down easily, and if it has a plastic rear window make sure the zipper works the way it's supposed to. Under the hood note the color of the upper tank of the radiator; they start out black when they're new but turn brown and then a sick green as they age. As they get older and greener they get brittle. They're stupid easy to replace but it could be a negotiating point.

EDIT one more thing to check if you're inspired. Get a hose or some sort of water conveying device and pour it down the rear of the roof and see if water drips out just inside the rocker panels in front of the rear wheels. Sometimes the top's rain rail and/or drains get clogged and that water won't drain as described, which means water's going somewhere else and will eventually cause problems in the form of water in the trunk or inside the passenger area where it'll make the carpets wet and stinky and promote rusty floors.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Claff said:


> #1 would be to verify the car's non-rusty status. Bring a magnet and poke around the rocker panels in front of the rear wheels.
> 
> Other than that, treat it like any other high-mile used car. Jack it up and shake the wheels around to make sure the wheel bearings and tie rod ends are nice and tight. Check tire wear for funky alignment, poke around underneath for oil leaks, ask about the timing belt/water pump maintenance schedule, etc. Make sure the soft top goes up and down easily, and if it has a plastic rear window make sure the zipper works the way it's supposed to. Under the hood note the color of the upper tank of the radiator; they start out black when they're new but turn brown and then a sick green as they age. As they get older and greener they get brittle. They're stupid easy to replace but it could be a negotiating point.


Thanks! 

But I literally just called to let the guy know I was on my way, and he said someone scooped it up already.  the ad was only posted earlier this morning. I guess someone else saw how much of a deal it was.

Maybe it's for the better, I should be saving money for school next semester anyway. Haha.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

fR3ZNO said:


> Maybe it's for the better, I should be saving money for *a 1.6L Miata* anyway. Haha.


FTFY.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Really? I thought the 1.8L's were the ones to buy?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

The easy answer for someone looking to get into one of these cars is to find a way to drive both and then decide. If you're looking for a real bare basic driving experience, the older cars are about as bare basic as you can get. Some say that the 1.6s are peppier, and that's been my experience having had both and driven both almost back to back. The 1.8s might be (marginally faster) but the 1.6 cars' lighter weight makes them more tossable and fun. And like we've said here before, the 1.8s might be faster, but the 1.6s try harder.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Ah, I see. I don't really know the nuisances between the two. Guess I'll just have to keep looking.


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## OneSloRngr (May 3, 2008)

So i just got a 96 1.8 in a trade for my old jetta, ive been waiting to make a thread about it so i figured i'd ask here. Anyone have a spare right front knuckle? Po was a moron, left the ipper balljoint nut loose and it oblonged the taper in the knuckle.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

fR3ZNO said:


> Ah, I see. I don't really know the nuisances between the two. Guess I'll just have to keep looking.


Haha. Nuances 

On a serious note though, Claff is totally right: you gotta drive it and decide. The 1.6 is more free revving, the car is lighter, and has a simpler interior (which I like more). They have real oil pressure gauges, and the seatbelts mount directly to the chassis so it's very easy to add an aftermarket seat. However...the 1.8's feel a little more solid, the engine has a broader torque curve (it's no faster, though), they have a Torsen LSD, and the extra weight is added in a useful form: more chassis bracing and bigger brakes. Unfortunately, only the '94 had a real oil pressure gauge and there's a pesky passenger-side airbag (which you could delete, I guess). Also, the '94+ has a bigger gas tank for those Miata road trips!

I've owned a '91 and a '94 and driven a few other NA's. To be honest with you, if I were going to buy a Miata again, I would probably get a 91-93 long nose crank or a '94 A-Package, but I really don't know which...I loved both my Miatas for different reasons.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Dammit, my brain thought nuances but hands typed nuisances. 

My main reason for thinking the 1.8L was better was mainly because of the LSD. 

I guess I'll keep my eye out for a 91-93 Miata. There's always a few on CL near me for anywhere from $2000-4000ish sometimes higher for really low mileage and clean cars.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I commuted all last week with out 1.6. I did notice that the car likes to make power in the mid to high range. 

For those looking for a NA, make sure to check the condition of the upper ball joints. On my initial inspection, I noticed the front wheel shake a bit and knew it needed a joint, but didn't realize that it is recommended to purchase a complete control arm rather than pressing a new ball joint in. Many folks complain that the ball joint backs out, and sometimes even go as far as tack welding it in. 

Always inspect the joint boot and replace when they start showing wear. Preventive maintenance of that $10 part will save you a couple of hundred down the road.


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## LindsayLowhan (May 29, 2010)

VWmk3GTI said:


> I found this online and i've never been able to identify what kit that is for the top,but it is just fantastically beautiful


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

New shoes:










Dunlop DZ102's. The type of driving I do doesn't require ZII's. The DZ101's weren't loved but the DZ102's have gotten good reviews thus far according to the Tire Rack consultant I spoke with. I'll keep y'all posted if anyone's interested.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Speaking as a 1.8 owner--

The 1.8 motor is easily my least favorite part of the car.

The 1.6 is definitely more free revving. The 1.8 really doesn't like to rev. It feels like it was designed to be forced to rev by a lot of PSI being shoved into the cylinders--which I suppose it was. 

I occasionally daydream about going MSPnP, dumping the restrictive flapper style MAF sensor, yanking the head & having it cleaned up/slightly ported/decked to increase compression a bit, and doing the exhintake cam swap to see if I can get it to enjoy revving a bit more. I think that's altogether too much $ for the likely result, though.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I thought the "reviness" of the 1.6L was a similar BS argument. Kind of like the VW guys arguing that the 8V is better than the 16V because of lower range power. 

I have only driven the 1.6, so I have no idea how it feels compared to the 1.8. It does feel like it hits its sweet spot in the mid to upper RPM range though. Probably because it takes so long to get there. :laugh:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

I've not owned a 1.6, but I've driven a few extensively. They all seemed more free revving. My car has nearly everything one might do to a 1.8 in terms of bolt-ons (Jackson Racing CAI, header, exhaust) as well as a lightweight flywheel. It's still not what I'd call rev happy by a long shot.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

I have had 7 Miatas, 4 1.8's and 3 1.6's, one which I currently own now. IMHO, the best combination is the 99/00 NB with the 1.9 for balance performance and rigidity.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

In terms of looks: NA>NB


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Koni yellows are an excellent choice. They're on sale now, but I'm not sure how long that lasts.


I really like my Koni Yellows with FM springs :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> The easy answer for someone looking to get into one of these cars is to find a way to drive both and then decide. If you're looking for a real bare basic driving experience, the older cars are about as bare basic as you can get. Some say that the 1.6s are peppier, and that's been my experience having had both and driven both almost back to back. The 1.8s might be (marginally faster) but the 1.6 cars' lighter weight makes them more tossable and fun. And like we've said here before, the 1.8s might be faster, but the 1.6s try harder.


I think I've said this before, but my dad has a '95 that I drive a lot (in addition to my '90). I like the 1.6L cars better. But, if I was shoping for my first Miata, I'd buy the best condition car in my price range, no matter the engine.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

My NA has the Flyin Miata Stage 1.5 setup with R package swaybars. 

The FM rear tophats really make a big difference in ride as well as how the car manages mid-corner bumps. The OEM R-Package Bilsteins and springs would cause it to hop sideways when it hit a bump midcorner fairly drastically at higher speeds. Not to mention they had a punishing freeway ride. 

The FM setup is light years better in both respects.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Numbersix said:


> Speaking as a 1.8 owner--
> 
> The 1.8 motor is easily my least favorite part of the car.
> 
> ...


Get a 4.78 rear end for a couple hundred and it will rev to the moon. Also get a lightweight flywheel/clutch combo.

As for bang for buck, there is no free lunch with a Miata B6 or BP motor. I've got about $10k into my BP4W swap and I haven't even begun touching internals. But it sure is pretty though. The goal for Stage 2 is a built head on the stock bottom end.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Yeah...I'm not putting $10k into what is, on its best day, a $4k car. And/or if I did it's going into a built motor and FI.

I occasionally look at the M45 setups that come up used, but then I'd have to mess around with MSPnP and tuning and crap. Bah.


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## FuelInMyVeins (Feb 8, 2012)




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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> Get a 4.78 rear end for a couple hundred and it will rev to the moon. Also get a lightweight flywheel/clutch combo.
> 
> As for bang for buck, there is no free lunch with a Miata B6 or BP motor. I've got about $10k into my BP4W swap and I haven't even begun touching internals. But it sure is pretty though. The goal for Stage 2 is a built head on the stock bottom end.



ITB seem to be a new trend for Miatas. Do they make that much of a difference?


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## Nerd-Vol (Jan 29, 2013)

I just got one a few weeks ago. I love it!

1995 Base


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## Slowkums (Dec 12, 2003)

All last week I was seeing Miatas on the road and now today before even clicking this thread I've been having perverse thoughts about one with a small-block swap and roll bar. :banghead:


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

NA Miata



















I hate those decals, but it's so cheap and tempting...

also, mismatched wheels meh


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> ITB seem to be a new trend for Miatas. Do they make that much of a difference?


Not a new trend at all. Folks been putting carbs and ITBs on Miatas since the beginning but mostly on race cars. They remain a fringe modification on street cars because of the cost, cost/benefit ratio and opportunity costs. Most people figure why spend $6k or more for ITBs and a built head when you can slap on a FMII turbo kit for a much bigger punch?

In my opinion, ITBs and Miatas are like peanut butter and jelly. They're just meant to go together. When setup properly, they emphasize all the Miata's greatest attributes and make for a very responsive, very fun driving experience. But like I said earlier, unless you are a purist with deep pockets and the skill/determination to put together a well tuned package then you will likely be disappointed as the ITBs themselves aren't what makes the magic happen - it's the totality of all the parts that make it sing: getting rid of the stock AFM, the addition of the fully programmable standalone engine management system, the porting and polishing of the head, the cams, the oversize valves and valve work, the valve springs, the SUB lifters, the head shave to bump up compression ratio, the quality of the tuning, the raised rev limiter, the optimized exhaust system, the accompanying modifications like a lightweight flywheel and clutch combo, etc.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

I would love ITB's just for the sound alone, not to mention the throttle response. Unf.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I am actually the exact opposite. Fuel injection has made cars much more dependable. I am a car enthusiast that would rather drive than work on/tune a car. ITB's seem to be more of a headache than what they are worth to me. Yes, they look great and sound great, but if FI gives me more seat time, I'm all for it.


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## still_a_G (Jun 23, 2008)

I hate that children are buying Miatas. Please kill this thread.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Wat


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

still_a_G said:


> I hate that children are buying Miatas. Please kill this thread.


Hell, this thread is tame. You should check out the Miata Club Facebook group. Hundreds of kids asking about Raceland coilovers, stance, and welding differentials. Oh, and how to pop the headlights up without turning them on. :laugh: It's almost nothing besides people who don't know how to use Google and trolls.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

nemo1ner said:


> I am actually the exact opposite. Fuel injection has made cars much more dependable. I am a car enthusiast that would rather drive than work on/tune a car. ITB's seem to be more of a headache than what they are worth to me. Yes, they look great and sound great, but if FI gives me more seat time, I'm all for it.


ITBs are fuel injected. And yes, they require tuning. So do most decent forced induction setups worth having (forget 1990s band-aids like powercards and RRFPRs). There is no free lunch.


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Dravenport said:


> do they make aftermarket hardtops for soft-top miatas???


All 90-05 Miatas are soft top. The cars with hard tops either have the soft top folded down or removed.


freedomgli said:


> Not a new trend at all. Folks been putting carbs and ITBs on Miatas since the beginning but mostly on race cars. They remain a fringe modification on street cars because of the cost, cost/benefit ratio and opportunity costs. Most people figure why spend $6k or more for ITBs and a built head when you can slap on a FMII turbo kit for a much bigger punch?
> 
> In my opinion, ITBs and Miatas are like peanut butter and jelly. They're just meant to go together. When setup properly, they emphasize all the Miata's greatest attributes and make for a very responsive, very fun driving experience. But like I said earlier, unless you are a purist with deep pockets and the skill/determination to put together a well tuned package then you will likely be disappointed as the ITBs themselves aren't what makes the magic happen - it's the totality of all the parts that make it sing: getting rid of the stock AFM, the addition of the fully programmable standalone engine management system, the porting and polishing of the head, the cams, the oversize valves and valve work, the valve springs, the SUB lifters, the head shave to bump up compression ratio, the quality of the tuning, the raised rev limiter, the optimized exhaust system, the accompanying modifications like a lightweight flywheel and clutch combo, etc.


How much power does the car make with all of that?


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> Get a 4.78 rear end for a couple hundred and it will rev to the moon. Also get a lightweight flywheel/clutch combo.
> 
> As for bang for buck, there is no free lunch with a Miata B6 or BP motor. I've got about $10k into my BP4W swap and I haven't even begun touching internals. But it sure is pretty though. The goal for Stage 2 is a built head on the stock bottom end.


$10k for like 160whp. 

Looks awesome but eesh.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

njn63 said:


> How much power does the car make with all of that?


I don't know because the build isn't done yet but I'm shooting for 140-150whp on the current setup. There's a lot going on with the 1.8 swap, Megasquirt and ITBs all at the same time. The plan is to get the car running again and get comfortable with tuning the engine management system before moving onto Stage 2. With another $3k into the head I am expecting about 170whp, or about as much as a stock S2000. I'm building the car for my own personal enjoyment, not to race against other Miatas or to try to take down larger, more powerful prey like Honda S2000s and Porsche Boxsters. For me it is all about cultivating a raw and thrilling sensory experience, not what comparing dyno figures or stopwatch times.


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

freedomgli said:


> I don't know because the build isn't done yet but I'm shooting for 140-150whp on the current setup. There's a lot going on with the 1.8 swap, Megasquirt and ITBs all at the same time. The plan is to get the car running again and get comfortable with tuning the engine management system before moving onto Stage 2. With another $3k into the head I am expecting about 170whp, or about as much as a stock S2000. I'm building the car for my own personal enjoyment, not to race against other Miatas or to try to take down larger, more powerful prey like Honda S2000s and Porsche Boxsters. For me it is all about cultivating a raw and thrilling sensory experience, not what comparing dyno figures or stopwatch times.


The horsepower numbers are kind of what I was figuring. Never really been a fan of the 1.6/1.8 engines... just too much money for horsepower if you're not going forced induction.

I have a K24A2 engine sitting in the garage right now that is going in the Miata this winter. Total swap will be ~8k but it will put down over 200 to the wheels. I'm shooting for mid 1:40's at Gingerman on a street tire so it is completely about lap times.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

mellbergVWfan said:


> $10k for like 160whp.
> 
> Looks awesome but eesh.


It's not about looking awesome. It's about cultivating a certain driving experience. But yeah, ITBs do look sexy  The reason most people don't do ITBs is because naturally aspirated power isn't cheap nor easy to achieve. But I can tell you I'd much rather drive a 150hp Miata with ITBs than one making the same power with a Sebring supercharger or a home-brew turbo kit. I've been into Miatas for a very long time and over the years I've seen every single motor swap and power adder imaginable used in a Miata: GM LSx, Ford 5.0, Buick V6, VW VR6 and diesel, Honda F20C and K20A, Nissan SR20 and RB26, Toyota 1JZ and 2JZ and 1UZFE, Mazda rotary and KZLE V6, Suzuki Hayabusa, electric motor conversion, Roots-type superchargers (hot side and cold side), centrifugal superchargers, turbochargers, nitrous oxide, carburetors, ITBs, etc. and I've had the opportunity to drive many of them.

In my view, most of the engine swaps fundamentally alter the car's character and balance. Sure, a 400hp Miata is fun but it's also a rather one trick pony in my opinion. It's more akin to a Sunbeam Tiger or Shelby Cobra than a Lotus Elan. I appreciate the hard work that goes into the radical engine swaps and the top notch turbo builds (that are actually few and far in between - most are unreliable hack jobs) but for me I'd rather just have a Miata with a lightly massaged BP motor that keeps the fundamental character of the car intact but enhances all that is right with the basic formula.

Subtract $2k from the price above if you're already staring with a 1999-2000 Miata. I wanted to swap the newer motor into my early chassis because it is newer (and hence less wear and tear) and because it has more power potential than the tired old 1.6 that was in my car and that needed a rebuild and because I like the NA looks and I'd already done a lot of work to my car that I didn't want to do over. Not having to worry about OBDII or emissions testing was a bonus. Of course deals can be had and you can find BP4W (99-00) or BPZ3 (01+) motors for a few hundred bucks if you get lucky but I decided to pay retail prices for a motor and transmission from my preferred supplier for a variety of reasons, mostly due to logistics and a desire to service my existing relationship with that vendor. I also could have cut corners and used lots of cheap parts in my build but I didn't. I went top notch with everything from the throttles to the fuel hose. When my build is complete I can share my spreadsheet if you're interested in seeing what everything really costs to refresh a junkyard motor, add all the aftermarket parts and get it running properly.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Oh god, why?


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Still more functional than a stance-tard mobile. ^


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

fR3ZNO said:


> Oh god, why?


That's straight out of 1994. It was ugly then and it's ugly now.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

freedomgli said:


> That's straight out of 1994. It was ugly then and it's ugly now.


It's almost painful to look at. I know you should respect everyone's own taste, but, jesus christ. If it was cheaper, I'd consider. I feel like it'd be a pain to fix the dash and find bumpers...


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## Minglor (Jul 26, 2004)

freedomgli said:


> In my view, most of the engine swaps fundamentally alter the car's character and balance. Sure, a 400hp Miata is fun but it's also a rather one trick pony in my opinion.


Nope.
I summer daily drove an LS1/T-56 Miata for two years. 
Not at all a "one trick pony" - IMO it drove like a stock car in regard to balance and steering feel.
Stock cam and quiet exhaust barely could tell it until it was opened up.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

And that's your opinion. I'm not saying a V8 Miata can't be docile or even downright friendly when driven at 4/10ths every day on the street. It can be. And I'm not talking about steering feel, weight, ride, or handling because we all know that a fully dressed aluminum LSx weighs little more than the iron BP boat anchor and if you add a turbo or supercharger to the BP they're about equal. I'm talking about the total package. With >250hp the fundamental character and balance of the car is changed. You can no longer put your foot to the floor when you hit the apex of a turn because you'll roast the tires and need a giant handful of opposite lock to keep yourself from getting spit off the road backwards. 0-60 in <5 seconds is awesome until you live in VA where they throw you in jail for speeding. Sure you can add 15x9 6ULs and super sticky rubber to help tame the beast but then you disturb the steering feel and the light on it's toes feeling in exchange for pure grip, which is awesome on the track but not so much fun on the street. The cool thing about a a basic Miata is that it is so forgiving and you can take huge liberties with it without getting thrown in jail or dying. With a V8 you must always be mindful of cops and of not dying due to an over exuberant right foot.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> Oh god, why?


As I look at the horribleness of that car, I ask myself, where does the rear license plate go?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Zip tie to the style bar would be a suitably ghetto method of attaching a license plate to that monstrosity. Or trim adhesive stuck right to the rear finish panel that's been blended in. You'll get pulled over for not having license plate lamps, though. This car has cop magnet written all over it.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

I joined the club. Been thinking about getting one for years. Finally found my car. 

Just took a 25 mile drive with my 10 year old with the top down.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> I joined the club. Been thinking about getting one for years. Finally found my car.
> 
> Just took a 25 mile drive with my 10 year old with the top down.


Silver is my other favorite color on the NA :thumbup: Congrats!


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Who says Miatas aren't practical? :laugh:


















Somewhat ironically, in that box is my new soft top, which I just installed tonight. No more leaking! Yay!

And here's a beauty shot from a few nights ago...


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I went to replace the upper ball joints this evening. Discovered that the lowers were bad too. Also the shocks are crap and the sway bar links need to be replaced. Guess a suspension refresh is coming.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

nemo1ner said:


> I went to replace the upper ball joints this evening. Discovered that the lowers were bad too. Also the shocks are crap and the sway bar links need to be replaced. Guess a suspension refresh is coming.


I've done all of that on my brother in laws NA, it's not a bad job at all.

:thumbup:


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

It was just a pain since I was initially swapping the upper control arm, but still had to remove the lower to get the shock out. Quite annoying. We decided to just leave it as is and do the whole suspension while it's apart and get it aligned once.


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

single led flashlight by GlebZ, on Flickr


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## Nuieve (Aug 20, 2009)

Nerd-Vol said:


> I just got one a few weeks ago. *I love it!*
> 
> 1995 Base


I can definitely see IT...


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

We usually make fun of people with personalized plates, but we couldn't help ourselves when we found that this was available. :laugh:










Also, we managed to snag up this on eBay. I need to find 1:18 BBS wheels to complete the look.


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## lunatik1 (Mar 13, 2003)

<img style="max-width: 800px; " src="http://www.thephotobooth.net/photos/i-CW6VQHf/0/O/i-CW6VQHf.jpg" border="0" alt="">


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## TheTynosaur (Jul 27, 2012)

I so badly want a miata right now, my friend lowered his na today and it looks so much better


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## MK3 LUV (Nov 23, 2012)

TheTynosaur said:


> I so badly want a miata right now, my friend lowered his na today and it looks so much better


ok


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

I want a Miata. Scratch that, I NEED a Miata.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

lunatik1 said:


>


it was a great weekend


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

TheTynosaur said:


> I so badly want a miata right now, my friend lowered his na today and it looks so much better


Do it.


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## JetBlackGT (Apr 4, 2011)

Mine just hit 59k miles the other day. Finally got around to shooting it as well!

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/14988413127" title="Clarity by Rocky Rock, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5587/14988413127_37957028c1_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Clarity"></a>


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

^Looks great. Are those 15" wheels?


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## sp3nt (Oct 3, 2008)

*Miata Alternative*

Drove my neighbours miata a few weeks ago and sort of got the idea of what's all the love for them is. I say 'sort of' because it had oversized winter tires on it (on 17" steelies) and pretty sure the engine has been ran ragged, so I don't think I got the whole experience.

Anyways, always been driving FWD cars (current = MK6 GTI) and am looking for a fun RWD for street use mainly. Since 'miata' is always the answer I would like to know if there is any alternatives to the miata for under $7k CAD. I ask for alternatives because not a huge fan of convertibles (yes I know you can buy hardtops), it's pretty flat where I live (so no canyons/mountains so not sure if the 1.6/1.8 would be fun enough to rip around in).

I have only driven a couple RWD cars:
- C6 Corvette with Supercharger install <-- stupid fast and scary
-2008/9 Cayman w/ PDK <--- super fun in Sport+ and loved the steering


I liked the rush of speed in the Corvette but I think I enjoyed the precise steering in the Cayman more. If I could combine the two (with less emphasis on C6 levels of power) + hardtop that would be awesome. It feels like I am just saying miata + hardtop + turbo while I type this. 

Some alternatives I can think of are:
-e36 3-series
-e36 //M <-- out of price range
-Lotus <-- Way out of price range
-e30 <---overpriced currently in my area


tl;dr Miata + Hardtop + turbo the perfect fun street car?


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

^ You sir, need a Monster Miata.


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

Sp3nt, now I haven't actually owned a Miata but I did go with an e36 M3 instead of one. As much as I love my e36, it still did not satisfy or alleviate my want for a Miata. Keep in mind, I have only experienced Miatas on test drives (with and without a passenger on curvy roads) so my experience is nothing to brag about but I think it is enough to allow me to make a reasonable opinion; get the Miata. I still hoping to keep my M and pick up a miata in the next year or so.


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## 8v_gti777 (Oct 30, 2006)

I need a 2016 Miata, I do know that


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## sp3nt (Oct 3, 2008)

haha don't know if I need a monster miata lol.

So no real alternatives? Hmmm I see pics of NB miatas and more want builds in my heart lol.


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## JetBlackGT (Apr 4, 2011)

kwik!gti said:


> ^Looks great. Are those 15" wheels?


Yep 15"s... IMO they fit the car perfectly.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Just got back from the 25th Anniversary at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It was a 13hr drive from Portland. Got 32MPG, 30MPG, 31MPG while driving ~80MPH. My first time at Laguna Seca and it's such a cool place. I was originally in the campground which is on the rim of the canyon overlooking turn 6. Although, I ran into a friend from Mazda and ended up staying at the hotel. We broke the Guiness record on Friday with having over 1200 cars for the "MX-5 25" picture. Then, at the track on Saturday, there were 1900+ Miatas! Anecdotal point, on Saturday, I counted 7 Sunburst Yellow NA Miatas (1512 produced). They're damn uncommon. Then I drove south another 3hrs near Santa Barbara to hang out with my Dad for a few days. By the time I got home yesterday (9.5hr drive from Sacramento), I was ready to leave the Miata in the garage for a month.

I know I should be surprised, but I was really shocked at the demographics. Most of the owners seemed to be near or above retirement age (sort of the wine and cheese crowd). The owners that were doing any racing or performance mods to their cars seemed to be in the ~35 and under.

Glamor shot
25th Anniversary - Miata at MRLS by Diamond _Dave


My NA gauge hood signed by the 4 inventors of the Miata; Bob Hall, Tom Matano, Mark Jordan, & Garret Norman.
25th Anniversary - Miata at MRLS by Diamond _Dave


This is a friend's Miata - it revs to 11,000RPM  Can you guess what engine?
25th Anniversary - Miata at MRLS by Diamond _Dave, on Flickr


25th Anniversary - Miata at MRLS by Diamond _Dave


One of the Chikar Motors cars - "over 12:1 comp"
25th Anniversary - Miata at MRLS by Diamond _Dave


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Busa motor?


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Yep: http://www.motoiq.com/Projects/Mazda/Miatabusa.aspx


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

2 30mpg 2-seaters at the ATM this morning:









2 racecars at the pump this morning:


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## firstorbit84 (Feb 25, 2006)

Observe the humble Miata in her natural setting: mountain roads.


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## J2G (Aug 9, 2012)

Grrr. Every time I talk myself out of an NA (It's too old, not too good on the highway, not very safe, can you even fit?) this thread gets updated and I'm in la-la land (i.e. Craigslist) for about 2 weeks. 

Gorgeous cars, as usual. That 25th anniversary event sounds like an awesome time.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Same. I go crazy over them for a good week or so and drool over craigslist. Haha. 

What do you mean by "not too good on the highway"?


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)




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## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


>


Man, it is that late already. I was cruising today on M35 along Green Bay up near Escanaba Michigan and it was beautiful!


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## MK3 LUV (Nov 23, 2012)

fR3ZNO said:


> Same. I go crazy over them for a good week or so and drool over craigslist. Haha.
> 
> What do you mean by "not too good on the highway"?


lack of power?


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## J2G (Aug 9, 2012)

High-rpm cruise, light car (more buffeting), probably wouldn't do too well in an accident.

Still want one bad, though. Need to figure out how I can test drive one, since I doubt I'll fit comfortably without a foamectomy/concave steering wheel.


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## MK3 LUV (Nov 23, 2012)

J2G said:


> High-rpm cruise, light car (more buffeting), probably wouldn't do too well in an accident.
> 
> Still want one bad, though. Need to figure out how I can test drive one, since I doubt I'll fit comfortably without a foamectomy/concave steering wheel.


Six speed, coilovers/aero, rollbar, seats/harnesses, etc. 

and just put the top down for the test drive if the seats are too tall haha


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## DzlDub (Aug 16, 2007)

Hnnnggg, there's an NB for sale here and I'm so tempted to check it out, but I'm afraid I'll end up buying it. Bad timing since I just bought a townhouse and test drove a Fiesta ST and really want that too.


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## RattyFox (Nov 23, 2013)

If you want the Fiesta and the NB just sell the townhouse and buy both haha


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

Spent some time lovin' my Miata this weekend. Replaced the fuel filter, accessory belts, and valve cover gasket.

SSLByron will be happy to know the orange is now gone from my engine bay. I put a spotlessly clean unpainted valve cover back on. The orange was peeling like a sunburn.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

MK3 LUV said:


> Six speed, coilovers/aero, rollbar, seats/harnesses, etc.
> 
> and just put the top down for the test drive if the seats are too tall haha


Just a note: If you put a six speed into a (5-speed) car with the 4.30 rear end, you will end up revving HIGHER in 6th than you did in 5th with the 5 speed. You need to get the 3.909 rear end to go along with it. On that note, if you just want better fuel economy/less revs on the highway, stick with the 5 speed and just get the 3.9 rear end.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

track day in the miata yesterday. 


download_20140928_204757 by rrotsaert, on Flickr

:beer:


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Just a note: If you put a six speed into a (5-speed) car with the 4.30 rear end, you will end up revving HIGHER in 6th than you did in 5th with the 5 speed. You need to get the 3.909 rear end to go along with it. On that note, if you just want better fuel economy/less revs on the highway, stick with the 5 speed and just get the 3.9 rear end.


6-speed with the 4.10 is my favorite combo for a naturally aspirated street car... it's what they used in the '04-'05s. It gives the same cruise RPMs as the 5-speed/4.30 combo from '90-'93 or '99-'03 5-speeds but with better acceleration in gears 1-4. I've never felt like my 5-speed/4.30 was too short. I used to have a 75mph reverse highway commute with it.

I wouldn't combine the 5-speed with 3.909 in a naturally aspirated car... it'd still accelerate around town just fine, just too much of an economy car vibe for my tastes.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

What kind of highway mileage do the NAs tend to get anyway? Can't imagine it's that bad since its a small 4 banger in a light car.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

fR3ZNO said:


> What kind of highway mileage do the NAs tend to get anyway? Can't imagine it's that bad since its a small 4 banger in a light car.


It greatly depends on how you drive it. I got about 35 mpg last week doing 95% highway and taking it gently (55-70, with one blast to 100). If you're sitting at 75-85 for long periods of time, you'll probably see around 29 mpg.

Side note: I have a hardtop as well so that probably helps with the highway fuel economy.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

fR3ZNO said:


> What kind of highway mileage do the NAs tend to get anyway? Can't imagine it's that bad since its a small 4 banger in a light car.


Last highway trip I had was 30 on the button. The 5-speed winds a little high on the hwy or it would be a higher number.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

DubNMiatafan said:


> It greatly depends on how you drive it. I got about 35 mpg last week doing 95% highway and taking it gently (55-70, with one blast to 100). If you're sitting at 75-85 for long periods of time, you'll probably see around 29 mpg.





kwik!gti said:


> Last highway trip I had was 30 on the button. The 5-speed winds a little high on the hwy or it would be a higher number.


Yeah, your right foot is the biggest factor. Haha. That's decent though. I'm sure it'd be worse if you had wide wheels and sticky tires.


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## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

I get 28 mpg in my 1996 with 257k on her....


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> It greatly depends on how you drive it. I got about 35 mpg last week doing 95% highway and taking it gently (55-70, with one blast to 100). If you're sitting at 75-85 for long periods of time, you'll probably see around 29 mpg.
> 
> Side note: I have a hardtop as well so that probably helps with the highway fuel economy.


Pretty much this. Om straight highway I'm usually between 33mpg and 35mpg with the top down with my 1.6L. My dad, with his 1.8L NA gets between 31 and 33 on the same exact trips (we drive together on big road trips).


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

I get a consistent 29 these days. Some stop and go, some 50mph suburban roads. 154,000 miles.

On that all-highway commute I got 30-31.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

On the other hand, if I'm flogging it in the city and stop and go highway traffic, I average closer to 23-24 mpg.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

92 w/116K...28 Driving hard, 31-32 taking it easy. The latter was just to see what I could get. I rarely seek over 30 now.


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## flytech78 (Nov 25, 2003)

230k miles on mine 29mpg consistently, runs like its new....love driving this more then any other car i have....picked it up for 675.00


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Look closely...










http://www.motortrend.com/features/performance/1409_2014_motor_trends_best_drivers_car/photo_01.html


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)




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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

^^^ Jealous. I happened to be driving by one of the Mazda dealers near me and noticed they had a white soft top club. So good looking, I wanted to buy it on the spot.


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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

Prices on NC's are dropping like rocks.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

redwe-in-wi said:


>


There's one just like that one of the faculty members at my college drives. I walk by it like a creep on my way from my car every time I see it. Haha.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Look closely...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

AKADriver said:


> I get a consistent 29 these days. Some stop and go, some 50mph suburban roads. 154,000 miles.
> 
> On that all-highway commute I got 30-31.


I am averaging 32.3mpg since I bought my Miata 2,000 miles ago. Mixed driving in easy traffic in the am and heavy traffic in the pm.

Having a cooling issue now as the passenger side fan is not kicking on. I'm attacking that this weekend.


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## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

Less mpg, moar pictures


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

With absolutely no Highway driving I was averaging 24 on my 1.6 and I drove it pretty hard. 
All the other Miatas I owned usually had summer only tires so I also never saw over 24-25 mpg on them in combined driving.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

R-Dubya said:


> Less mpg, moar pictures


OK I'll oblige, I did some tweaking on the suspension this weekend and replaced a few bushings too. Now I just need better tires but I'm pretty happy:


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## Power5 (Jun 19, 2001)

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...=[MAZDA[MIATA[]][]]&listingId=374723466&Log=0


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Power5 said:


> http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...=[MAZDA[MIATA[]][]]&listingId=374723466&Log=0


Hmmmmm........if that's a good running car meaning the motor is tip top......it MIGHT be worth the 4k only b/c it has the hardtop. But there is a whole lotta awful going on that would need fixing (for me anyway). Yikes.

Edit: At least it's all relatively easy and reversible.


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## Power5 (Jun 19, 2001)

kwik!gti said:


> Hmmmmm........if that's a good running car meaning the motor is tip top......it MIGHT be worth the 4k only b/c it has the hardtop. But there is a whole lotta awful going on that would need fixing (for me anyway). Yikes.


Yeah, I would raise it up a couple inches. Remove all the hideous interior junk. Looks like the stance setup has bruised the fenders.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Power5 said:


> Yeah, I would raise it up a couple inches. Remove all the hideous interior junk. Looks like the stance setup has bruised the fenders.


Now that I think about it.....I personally would def pass on this. Mashed fenders. Bad wheels. I'm sure it's on crappy racelands. Terrible interior that is missing parts. I'm sure the rear qtrs. are a mess. :banghead:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

R-Dubya said:


> Less mpg, moar pictures


Oh OK


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Power5 said:


> http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...=[MAZDA[MIATA[]][]]&listingId=374723466&Log=0


Listing has been removed.  

I know people have different tastes, but those stickers are so lame.



kwik!gti said:


>


Perfect comparison of what a good looking Miata is versus one that well... doesn't


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## flytech78 (Nov 25, 2003)

Mine picked up for 675$


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

flytech78 said:


> Mine picked up for 675$


Where do you people find these deals?! There was a really rough NA soft top for $1500 that was posted one morning, it was sold by the time I went to go look at it that afternoon.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

fR3ZNO said:


> Listing has been removed.
> 
> I know people have different tastes, but those stickers are so lame.
> 
> ...


The stickered fenders are awful I agree. It's such a poor attempt to "hide" beat to crap fenders.

And thanks. Appreciate that (assuming mine is the good looking one in that comparison) 



flytech78 said:


> Mine picked up for 675$


$675 that is a nice deal. At that price though I'm sure there is some deferred maintenance. From the pic it looks well worth the $675 though.



fR3ZNO said:


> Where do you people find these deals?! There was a really rough NA soft top for $1500 that was posted one morning, it was sold by the time I went to go look at it that afternoon.


Deals pop up. But you need to be on CL 24/7 and be ready with cash in hand and move quickly. The real deals are gone within hours. So they are gone before you know they are even for sale. I paid $1600 for mine WITH a hardtop.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> The stickered fenders are awful I agree. It's such a poor attempt to "hide" beat to crap fenders.
> 
> And thanks. Appreciate that (assuming mine is the good looking one in that comparison)


Haha yes! But stickers are so JDM bro



kwik!gti said:


> Deals pop up. But you need to be on CL 24/7 and be ready with cash in hand and move quickly. The real deals are gone within hours. So they are gone before you know they are even for sale. I paid $1600 for mine WITH a hardtop.


Yeah, I learned that the hard way when I went to call the guy after work to tell him I was on my way and he told me it was gone. Then he proceeded to tell me that he had a BMW he was selling I could have instead. lol no thanks. 

I had no idea that Miatas moved that fast, I figured no one in my area would give a crap and it'd be around for a while.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

fR3ZNO said:


> I had no idea that Miatas moved that fast, I figured no one in my area would give a crap and it'd be around for a while.


The real "steals" sell very fast. This isn't just for Miatas....it's for anything. I suggest getting a CL app/client that has the functionality to alert your smartphone when new listing are posted. I have scored many parts for my car simply because I got to them first thanks to my CL app.

Edit: A good example of this are the BBS wheels in the above pics


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## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

yea the CL app is your best friend when it come to buying and selling. Everything I post on CL sells fast 90% of the time. You just need to price it right. Although no one seems to want my Chicco Stroller, car seat and four bases right now...


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

I use my CL app often as well. The alert functionality I think is not available on the free version and never really bothered. Might be a good idea to find one with it then.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

fR3ZNO said:


> I use my CL app often as well. The alert functionality I think is not available on the free version and never really bothered. Might be a good idea to find one with it then.


If you have an Android device I suggest the Mokiyra app. That's the one I use. Not sure if it's available for iOS. Probably not.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

kwik!gti said:


> $675 that is a nice deal. At that price though I'm sure there is some deferred maintenance. From the pic it looks well worth the $675 though.



What people don't really understand is that looks have nothing to do with it. These deferred maintenance cars are the worst. EVERY week, something will begin failing or it will fail. EVERY week, you'll be looking at the ground to see which color fluid is leaking. EVERY time you drive it you'll wonder what's going to fail next. Then you'll finally get tired of the Miata because it was such a PITA. Sound like fun? Then shop in the <$2000 range and see what kind of Miatajeep you can own.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Diamond Dave said:


> What people don't really understand is that looks have nothing to do with it. These deferred maintenance cars are the worst. EVERY week, something will begin failing or it will fail. EVERY week, you'll be looking at the ground to see which color fluid is leaking. EVERY time you drive it you'll wonder what's going to fail next. Then you'll finally get tired of the Miata because it was such a PITA. Sound like fun? Then shop in the <$2000 range and see what kind of Miatajeep you can own.


Haha I agree with you. I know all too well. My "cheap" Miata now has almost $5000 into it (including the orig 1600 I paid). Still not bad and I did want a project so I knew what I was in for.


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## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

Heh..my miata is kinda the opposite. It doesn't look pretty, but run pretty well for 257k. Its has rusty rockers and peeling paint. Burns and drips a bit of oil.....but otherwise very reliable. I'd might sell this one and find one in better visual shape but needing mechanical work so my wife won't mind riding around with me in it.


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## Power5 (Jun 19, 2001)

AJB said:


> Heh..my miata is kinda the opposite. It doesn't look pretty, but run pretty well for 257k. Its has rusty rockers and peeling paint. Burns and drips a bit of oil.....but otherwise very reliable. I'd might sell this one and find one in better visual shape but needing mechanical work so my wife won't mind riding around with me in it.


You sure it's the car?


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## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

LOL... You might be right.....



Power5 said:


> You sure it's the car?


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Man, you guys must have some light feet and appreciate leisurely travel. I managed a lifetime 25.5 in my bone stock 1.6, but the overall average for my mildly modded 1.8 was 23.7  :laugh: 

That reminds me: you guys who just got your Miatas, have you advanced the timing yet?

Seriously contemplating a Miata again...I miss this thing.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

AJB said:


> Heh..my miata is kinda the opposite. It doesn't look pretty, but run pretty well for 257k. Its has rusty rockers and peeling paint. Burns and drips a bit of oil.....but otherwise very reliable. I'd might sell this one and find one in better visual shape but needing mechanical work so my wife won't mind riding around with me in it.


There is something to be said for something that runs and drives great even if it isn't that nice cosmetically. No worries about parking lot bumps and bruises. It's very liberating in a way. :thumbup:


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## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

Yep. Additional marks/scratches just add character.



kwik!gti said:


> There is something to be said for something that runs and drives great even if it isn't that nice cosmetically. No worries about parking lot bumps and bruises. It's very liberating in a way. :thumbup:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

hushypushy said:


> Man, you guys must have some light feet and appreciate leisurely travel. I managed a lifetime 25.5 in my bone stock 1.6, but the overall average for my mildly modded 1.8 was 23.7  :laugh:
> 
> That reminds me: you guys who just got your Miatas, have you advanced the timing yet?


I've had my 1.6 for a while and didn't know about advancing the timing. Interesting. Did you do it?

Also, two questions for you: what wheels and what suspension? Looks really great. My car is due for a suspension refresh...


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

To be completely honest, I get around 23 mpg in the city when I'm hammering it. Only can get 30+ when I'm gentle with it. 

And suspension refresh? Yea, I think mine needs it. Here's me diving for concrete at an autox last year:










And yes, those numbers are magnetic vent covers with sharpie on them :laugh:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I've had my 1.6 for a while and didn't know about advancing the timing. Interesting. Did you do it?
> 
> Also, two questions for you: what wheels and what suspension? Looks really great. My car is due for a suspension refresh...


Yeah, I advanced it on my 1.6...the 1.8 already came advanced though. It makes a difference in power! But it would ping under heavy load on hot days so I had to pump 89...

Suspension: Koni (Blue) Springs on Koni Yellows; ride was excellent, car had a very neutral/slight understeer balance (or maybe everything seems like it understeers in comparison with my wildly oversteering FR-S....). Wheels: 15x7 Panasports...I actually don't know the model name. I do know they came on the Rod Millen Turbo Miata, though. (Click the link for full article)










*I actually still have those wheels and tires--and I want to get rid of them.* In fact, the first Miata-owning* TCLer that comes to pick them up can have them for a song. Well, preferably something like a six-pack. I just need to get rid of them. What's the catch? Well...the tread is down to the wear bars, and oh--one of the wheels is bent beyond repair from a crash 

*other 4x100 cars also eligible. At one point I drilled out the center bore so they'd fit on my CRX:


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

DubNMiatafan said:


> And yes, those numbers are magnetic vent covers with sharpie on them :laugh:


My numbers were vent covers that were cut/spray painted. I tore one at Rockford though. :facepalm:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

hushypushy said:


> Yeah, I advanced it on my 1.6...the 1.8 already came advanced though. It makes a difference in power! But it would ping under heavy load on hot days so I had to pump 89...
> 
> Suspension: Koni (Blue) Springs on Koni Yellows; ride was excellent, car had a very neutral/slight understeer balance (or maybe everything seems like it understeers in comparison with my wildly oversteering FR-S....). Wheels: 15x7 Panasports...


Thanks. I might have to look into advancing the timing on mine...

What I'm looking for in a suspension is something that lowers my car a bit, has an excellent ride, but also is capable around the twisties. Sounds like your setup might fit the bill? I could also pair them with some swaybars...

And sweet wheels, although I have no use for ones that are bent  Too bad though, they look great!


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> What I'm looking for in a suspension is something that lowers my car a bit, has an excellent ride, but also is capable around the twisties.


Lowering is immediately detrimental to ride quality because the NA especially spends a lot of time on its bumpstops. The trick is finding springs that are *stiff* enough to prevent that. Counterintuitive but it works. Most Miata aftermarket springs are too soft to ride properly with their reduced travel.

I don't know about the Koni springs, but the Flyin' Miata springs that they pair with Koni or Tokico shocks and new NB-style bumpstops are one of the best basic street setups. Then add NB upper mounts to add a little more travel.

http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?deptid=5635&parentid=0&stocknumber=13-16310 1990-97


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Buy XIDA's.
Cry once, and enjoy a whole new level of Miata.

If your local to SoCal, you can come back-to-back test them. I've got a set of Bilstein/ ground control/ FatCat/s in the 93LE and 949's 'Big Grip' kit in the 90. There is no comparison.

http://949racing.com/coilovers.aspx
I'm running the single adjustables and softer springs for bumpy tracks/ normal streets.

Remember, we're talking about a Miata. It's completely customary to spend 3x more than you paid for the car on your suspension.:laugh:


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Owned my NA just over a month and I've taken care of quite a few maintenance items in that time.

-slave cylinder
-thermostat
-all new radiator hoses
-fan switch
-temperature sensor
-spark plugs
-plug wires
-valve cover gasket
-oil change
-air filter
-R134a conversion

Need to get new tires, struts and shocks installed over the winter. 
All pretty simple maintenance thus far.


----------



## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

I've never seen better than 23.5mpg on my NB, that was on a highway trip, cruising at, IIRC, 85mph, so turning like 4700rpm.

On my commute I get something like 18mpg. But it's all stop signs and WOT.

Lifetime average is 21.5mpg. Stock.


----------



## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Fender mirrors


----------



## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Why?


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

hushypushy said:


> That reminds me: you guys who just got your Miatas, have you advanced the timing yet?


I took my '90 autocrosser to the local Spec Miata guru in the spring. He bumped the timing to 16*, then worked his magic tuning the AFM. After 14 dyno pulls he declared it done. When it showed up it showed 89 RWHP. When he was done it was at 97 RWHP. Cost me $100.

Only problem is that when I told one of my competitors about it, he went to the same shop right afterwards. His car left with 98 RWHP. Dammit!

PS - I hate to say negative things on this forum, but geez those mirrors mounted on the fenders look absolutely awful.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I took my '90 autocrosser to the local Spec Miata guru in the spring. He bumped the timing to 16*, then worked his magic tuning the AFM. After 14 dyno pulls he declared it done. When it showed up it showed 89 RWHP. When he was done it was at 97 RWHP. Cost me $100.
> 
> Only problem is that when I told one of my competitors about it, he went to the same shop right afterwards. His car left with 98 RWHP. Dammit!
> 
> PS - *I hate to say negative things on this forum*, but geez those mirrors mounted on the fenders look absolutely awful.


You seem to the only one. :laugh:


----------



## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> You seem to the only one. :laugh:


If you're talking about the mirrors, he is not alone. Looks horrible and I can't imagine you can see anything out of them.


----------



## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

kwik!gti said:


> Fender mirrors


:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:


----------



## Euro-Tech (Feb 4, 2012)

I only got to drive my Miata for 2 months before I left the country on a volunteer position. My Land Cruiser is not as much fun. My brother has been holding onto it for me while I am gone, and he has now put more miles on it than me. I am looking forward to getting back to the States and driving/building it.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Claff said:


> PS - I hate to say negative things on this forum, but geez those mirrors mounted on the fenders look absolutely awful.


Haha I agree. I came across that pic on Instagram. Looks terrible....but I had to share.


----------



## MK3 LUV (Nov 23, 2012)

ily :heart:


----------



## TheTynosaur (Jul 27, 2012)

MK3 LUV said:


> ily :heart:


Are you drunk?


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

smoothsix said:


> I've never seen better than 23.5mpg on my NB, that was on a highway trip, cruising at, IIRC, 85mph, so turning like 4700rpm.


These cars aren't really about mileage anyway. It was even a comment from the Mazda engineers at the 25th anniversary event; something to the effect of "the car is supposed to be fun to drive for every skill range as its primary purpose. 

Getting great mileage is truly a side effect and at the age of your Miata there are many different variables; health of the engine, your driving ability and awareness, the type of road you drive on, type of transmission, type of wheel/tire combination, etc.

When I drove from Portland to Laguna Seca, I mostly drove 80MPH and had several gas station to gas station legs (about 200-ish miles) in my 92 1.6L car and I never got below 31MPG. For city driving, it usually gets ~26MPG. As far as driving style, it's just as common for me to be in 5th gear at 40MPH as it is for me to wind it out to the redline in 1st or 2nd and I drive briskly enough that I'm genuinely shocked when a car pass me while I'm driving on the highway. And I've got the record of speeding tickets to prove it.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

*FV-QR*

our NB averages pretty consistently 26-27mpg average and that's with a mostly highway 11 mile commute. lots of top down in the summer and speeds average around 75-80mph. i will say i've found the 5 speed miatas do a bit better on gas than the 6 speed ones (not by much), I think it has to do with gearing and rear diffs. iirc, the 6 speed actually turns slightly more highway rpm, despite the 6th gear, the ratio is 4.10.


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

compy222 said:


> our NB averages pretty consistently 26-27mpg average and that's with a mostly highway 11 mile commute. lots of top down in the summer and speeds average around 75-80mph. i will say i've found the 5 speed miatas do a bit better on gas than the 6 speed ones (not by much), I think it has to do with gearing and rear diffs. iirc, the 6 speed actually turns slightly more highway rpm, despite the 6th gear, the ratio is 4.10.


The 6 speeds have a 3.90 rear gear through 03 and a 4.10 in 04-05. 6th gear is a .843 ratio while 5th gear in a 5 speed is .814.

Has anyone verified their speedometer? On my 93 it was significantly off (like 10 mph off at 80 mph according to the GPS). I got mid-30's mpg figures but it was in no way accurate.


----------



## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

Because dogs love them too, as long as it's not winter.










I've been clocked at 86mph when the speedo said 91. Also generally get 31mpg overall with a 22 mile mostly highway commute doing an indicated 75.


----------



## jonpwn (Aug 13, 2010)

What is the ECStuning equivalent for NA+NB mazdas for new Parts?


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

jonpwn said:


> What is the ECStuning equivalent for NA+NB mazdas for new Parts?


parts.arlingtonmazda.com It's an awesome place. They sell everything. And if the part you want isn't on the website, just call (or email). They'll put it on the website right away so you can order it with the rest of he stuff you want.


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

I wanted to race my NC at the track(Louden) but it turns out that the stock rollbar/fashionbar is not acceptable so if I want to race I need a real rollbar.

A harddog rollbar is 500 plus install, so I have two questions.


1)WhyTF can I not find a used one anywhere

2)If I install it and remove it later will the factory plastic pieces be completely cut up and it will look like crap?



Until them I am stuck doing autox only


----------



## jonpwn (Aug 13, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> parts.arlingtonmazda.com It's an awesome place. They sell everything. And if the part you want isn't on the website, just call (or email). They'll put it on the website right away so you can order it with the rest of he stuff you want.


thanks, that seems to be in line with a lot of posts i've seen when people ask for parts. Just picked up an NA, gotta be ready in case anything happens... Pics to follow...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Calcvictim said:


> I wanted to race my NC at the track(Louden) but it turns out that the stock rollbar/fashionbar is not acceptable so if I want to race I need a real rollbar.
> 
> A harddog rollbar is 500 plus install, so I have two questions.
> 
> ...



There are some parts that you don't see come up for sale very often. People who track cars typically sell them later as 'track cars' with the roll bar in place, or it's just not worth the effort to uninstall the roll bar.

Hell, I'm trying to find 949 6UL wheels in either 15x7.5 or 15x8 and _none_ are for sale. Wheels are one of the most easily removed modifications, but no one seems to be selling them. 

2) All of the NC roll bars I've seen necessitate cutting the factory plastic behind the seats a bit. So yeah, it won't look good if you remove it, but by now you should be able to buy a rear panel piece from a wrecked car and cut that up, no?


----------



## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Smigelski said:


> There are some parts that you don't see come up for sale very often. People who track cars typically sell them later as 'track cars' with the roll bar in place, or it's just not worth the effort to uninstall the roll bar.
> 
> Hell, I'm trying to find 949 6UL wheels in either 15x7.5 or 15x8 and _none_ are for sale. Wheels are one of the most easily removed modifications, but no one seems to be selling them.
> 
> 2) All of the NC roll bars I've seen necessitate cutting the factory plastic behind the seats a bit. So yeah, it won't look good if you remove it, but by now you should be able to buy a rear panel piece from a wrecked car and cut that up, no?


Great idea on the wrecker factory plastic


----------



## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

I see a roll bar as more of a permanent modification. What with all the cutting and drilling and awesome improvement to stiffness and safety, once in I would never take it out.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

corrado-correr said:


> I see a roll bar as more of a permanent modification. What with all the cutting and drilling and awesome improvement to stiffness and safety, once in I would never take it out.


For an NC it's different. The only cutting is basically just plastic pieces. The rest bolts into where the factor roll bar bolts to. The aftermarket bars get you more strength and more height, though.


----------



## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

njn63 said:


> If you're talking about the mirrors, he is not alone. Looks horrible and I can't imagine you can see anything out of them.


X1000


----------



## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

fR3ZNO said:


> X1000


Haters gon hate


----------



## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Skaters gon skate


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> Hell, I'm trying to find 949 6UL wheels in either 15x7.5 or 15x8 and _none_ are for sale. Wheels are one of the most easily removed modifications, but no one seems to be selling them.


You know 949 15x8's are available brand new, right? Preorder now to get them in November.

15x7.5's....hey, what's it worth to you...wink wink...I'll let a set go for $750. :laugh: Tire Rack TRMs are your best substitution there, unless you specifically want 6ULs.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> You know 949 15x8's are available brand new, right? Preorder now to get them in November.
> 
> 15x7.5's....hey, what's it worth to you...wink wink...I'll let a set go for $750. :laugh: Tire Rack TRMs are your best substitution there, unless you specifically want 6ULs.


I specifically want 6ULs. The 15x7.5s should be out in early 2015, so that's enough time before the next autocross season. Gouging denied! :laugh:

I'd like to get a used set of either 15x7.5s or 15x8s for my dad, since he will undoubtedly paint them, and he would feel bad painting brand new wheels. 

6ULs are pretty fantastic looking on NAs/NBs, and they are lightweight. That's why everyone wants them. Including me.


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Claff said:


> I took my '90 autocrosser to the local Spec Miata guru in the spring. He bumped the timing to 16*, then worked his magic tuning the AFM. After 14 dyno pulls he declared it done. When it showed up it showed 89 RWHP. When he was done it was at 97 RWHP. Cost me $100.
> 
> Only problem is that when I told one of my competitors about it, he went to the same shop right afterwards. His car left with 98 RWHP. Dammit!
> 
> PS - I hate to say negative things on this forum, but geez those mirrors mounted on the fenders look absolutely awful.


Claff, I'm probably going to have to talk to you about this guy then.

My Miata has been out of commission since January. The 1.6l gave up on me, and I picked up a 1.8l parts car back in like June, tore the whole thing down, and now I'm almost done with the 1.8l swap on my BRG. It's been slow going... Finished school, started a new job, etc. And I'm trying to figure out how long I want to keep it after I finish, and maybe pick up a second car as a daily, or if I just want to get rid of it since it's been such a pain... I've put so much work into it, it sorta seems silly to do that at this point, but we'll see. An extra handful of horsepower will definitely make me want to keep it a bit longer though.










It's seen better days, but it's starting to look like a complete car again. And the 1.6l was never in good shape, that's why I never made it out to an auto-x like I was trying to. The 1.8l has half the miles the 1.6l had, so it should be a pretty solid car when I'm done.



Smigelski said:


> parts.arlingtonmazda.com It's an awesome place. They sell everything. And if the part you want isn't on the website, just call (or email). They'll put it on the website right away so you can order it with the rest of he stuff you want.


This place is amazing. It's even more amazing because I live 10 minutes away from them. They're getting to know me pretty well over there, I was just there this past Saturday... Twice... Needed a temp gauge sensor and a shifter bushing. I've never been to a dealership that carries such a huge variety of parts for a car that's more than 20 years old, with a staff that's so knowledgeable about these old cars and has them so readily available, at such a low price.


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Oh yeah, and here's the parts car that I hacked up to bring my car back to life. (courtesy of Byron from TCL)









Just starting to take it apart









andddd done.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Hogan said:


> *Claff, I'm probably going to have to talk to you about this guy then.*
> 
> ...
> 
> ...


The guy of whom Claff speaks is York Automotive in Mt. Airy, MD.

300 S Main St 
Mount Airy, Maryland
(301) 831-7337

Their website is currently down, though - http://www.yorkautomotiveinc.com/

Fantastic people. They do enough Miata stuff that when I go in there for an alignment I tell them what I'm going to do with the car and they know what numbers I need. 


I hear that Rosenthal is a parts distributor/hub, so that can explain why they stock all kinds of esoteric parts. They also run an internet Parts Department properly and the internet rewards them with loyalty.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> The guy of whom Claff speaks is York Automotive in Mt. Airy, MD.
> 
> 300 S Main St
> Mount Airy, Maryland
> ...


Oh sweet, thanks! I'm gonna need an alignment soon too, so I'll definitely be calling them, I'll just bring it in for all of that at the same time.


Their online parts department is very thorough, although at times it's hard to search for parts. If you're looking for a specific bolt/gasket/hose/o-ring, odds and ends like that, it takes some trail and error and hoping the page for the part has a parts diagram attached. But that's my only gripe, and they make up for it by far with service and availability.


----------



## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

First post here, please be gentle! 

My humble Miata:


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

AutoBear said:


> First post here, please be gentle!
> 
> My humble Miata:


That's a good looking miata :thumbup:


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

AutoBear said:


> First post here, please be gentle!
> 
> My humble Miata:


welcome!

nice looking car. what parts are on it? :beer:


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Hogan said:


> Oh yeah, and here's the parts car that I hacked up to bring my car back to life. (courtesy of Byron from TCL)


Oh hai. 

Credit goes to Dempsey (TurboMinivan), from whose sister I originally purchased that car as my own parts source. :thumbup: :beer:


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## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

compy222 said:


> welcome!
> 
> nice looking car. what parts are on it? :beer:


Mechanically wise, it has a stock engine with a cold air intake, header and an exhaust line.
The suspension is a Ground Control kit with shortened and revalved Koni yellows. Mazdaspeed suspension bushings.
15X9 Konig Dial In with Hankook RS3 tires as well as Hawk HP+ brake pads.

For safety equipment: hard dog rollbar, race seats and 6-point safety harnesses.


I have only had this car for a year so i'm still learning and trying to get rid of 14 years of FWD habits.


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## flytech78 (Nov 25, 2003)

my 600$ miata with my $300 new top some old vw wheels and a 40$ lip spoiler, repaired fender......what i do next with my bbs wheels will make history....coming this spring...


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

AutoBear said:


> Mechanically wise, it has a stock engine with a cold air intake, header and an exhaust line.
> The suspension is a Ground Control kit with shortened and revalved Koni yellows. Mazdaspeed suspension bushings.
> 15X9 Konig Dial In with Hankook RS3 tires as well as Hawk HP+ brake pads.
> 
> ...


very nicely set-up. :beer:


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

flytech78 said:


> ....what i do next with my bbs wheels will make history....


Unless you fly them to Mars, cure Ebola with them or use them to pave over the middle east, I don't think you'll make too big of a mark.

Are you gonna rattle-can them pink? That would be different. :laugh:


----------



## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

flytech78 said:


> my 600$ miata with my $300 new top some old vw wheels and a 40$ lip spoiler, repaired fender......what i do next with my bbs wheels will make history....coming this spring...


Not too shabby. Have you thought of painting the windshield frame to match the black top? Anyway, looks good on those wheels. I dig them.


----------



## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Smigelski said:


> The guy of whom Claff speaks is York Automotive in Mt. Airy, MD.
> 
> 300 S Main St
> Mount Airy, Maryland
> ...


Thats crazy, my parents have lived in Mt Airy for a years and i had no idea this was there, would have saved me a lot of time and trouble.


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## MK3 LUV (Nov 23, 2012)

flytech78 said:


> my 600$ miata with my $300 new top some old vw wheels and a 40$ lip spoiler, repaired fender......what i do next with my bbs wheels will make history....coming this spring...


oh hey, youre a local :wave:

any more info on the miata?


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

flytech78 said:


> my 600$ miata with my $300 new top some old vw wheels and a 40$ lip spoiler, repaired fender......what i do next with my bbs wheels will make history....coming this spring...


Nice :thumbup:


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Picked up a 94 FM2 Miata with a blown motor off eBay 7 weeks ago. Just went by pictures and honest sellers description. Took a chance...
Shipped it to NJ from Michigan .Turns out it was built by Flyin' Miata with a crate engine and $12K in parts back in 2003 and fell into the wrong hands in 2013.
Previous owner had the car for a few month and serviced it at random Midas...
Found a used 94 engine in New Hampshire, drove out and had a local Miata guru, Dave @ T&Z of South River, swap out the engine.
Drove it today for the first time. Absolute* RIOT ON WHEELS.*
I think I paid less for the entire build + car than FM charges for the FM2 kit.
It's a work in progress but I love the color. Only 1% of NA Miatas came in Laguna Blue.
You have to admire that straight through hole in the block and wonder WTF did they do...


----------



## GoldenGloves1980 (Jun 21, 2008)

This is my 99. It had a light hit to the front and was upgraded to a 2003 front bumper and headlight setup. Pretty much stock minus an axle back. I have a pile of parts to throw at come spring but keeping it stock over the winter.
Come spring it will be on fm vmaxx track pack coils. 1.125 hollow front bar , mazda speed 14mm rear bar , es bushings , c1m 15x9's 225/45/15 ra1's and a bunch of useless carbon miata body add ons. It will see a rare auto cross day here and there (I'm Co driving a 2013 evo Mr for the season in bs) basically just a fun daily with some cool carbon parts. I'd love to get some seats but at 5'10" 230 with 30 inch hockey thighs there isn't any that will fit with out major cutting to the tunnel. The door panel and center consol keep me pretty tight though


----------



## BODH1 (Nov 24, 2011)

flytech78 said:


> my 600$ miata with my $300 new top some old vw wheels and a 40$ lip spoiler, repaired fender......what i do next with my bbs wheels will make history....coming this spring...


Nice! Where'd you get a hardtop for $300???


----------



## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

AutoBear said:


> Mechanically wise, it has a stock engine with a cold air intake, header and an exhaust line.
> The suspension is a Ground Control kit with shortened and revalved Koni yellows. Mazdaspeed suspension bushings.
> 15X9 Konig Dial In with Hankook RS3 tires as well as Hawk HP+ brake pads.
> 
> ...


I just put Hankook RS3s on my Miata and I absolutely love them


----------



## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

BODH1 said:


> Nice! Where'd you get a hardtop for $300???


Not speaking for the guy you quoted but CL sniping and alerts are key. 

Exhibit A:









Yes that's a $150.00 OEM hardtop.


----------



## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

thetopdog said:


> I just put Hankook RS3s on my Miata and I absolutely love them


V1 or V2? I have the V1 and i'm probaly going to replace them with the V2 unless some new tire comes out and dominates the tests.


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

AutoBear said:


> V1 or V2? I have the V1 and i'm probaly going to replace them with the V2 unless some new tire comes out and dominates the tests.


For street driving? You're not going to notice a difference in the V2s, other than that they will be new and therefore grippier than your old V1s.

For autocrossing? Sure, get V2s.

Serious autocrossing? You should know better than to buy tires now, wait until the dust settles in like March.


----------



## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

Roadkilled78 said:


> For street driving? You're not going to notice a difference in the V2s, other than that they will be new and therefore grippier than your old V1s.
> 
> For autocrossing? Sure, get V2s.
> 
> Serious autocrossing? You should know better than to buy tires now, wait until the dust settles in like March.


Autocrossing and Time Attack. I'll wait until Andy Hollis does all the tire testing for me


----------



## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)




----------



## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

kwik!gti said:


> Yes that's a $150.00 OEM hardtop.


:banghead:


----------



## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Has anyone had any experience using Seasucker racks on their Miatas? This one in particular: https://www.seasucker.com/shop/ski-rack/
I am looking for a way to transport my snowboard this coming winter, and this seems like a pretty good option (I have a hardtop).


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Winter Mode:

Hard top and all season tires on spare wheels. 

#BarelyDrivesItInTheWinterAnyway
#WhyDoIHaveTheseThings


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

AutoBear said:


>


I've probably posted this before:


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Nemo1ner,

Personally, I don't have the balls to try the Seasucker rack on my hard top. If you will do it get the hardtop secured with solid brackets that spec Miata guys use. Just in case the wind resistance will introduce some flex into the fiberglass hardtop structure.
I used a suction cup camera mount on my hardtop and it held on very tightly.


----------



## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

EuroAtomic said:


> Nemo1ner,
> 
> Personally, I don't have the balls to try the Seasucker rack on my hard top. If you will do it get the hardtop secured with solid brackets that spec Miata guys use. Just in case the wind resistance will introduce some flex into the fiberglass hardtop structure.
> I used a suction cup camera mount on my hardtop and it held on very tightly.


With the seasuckers, part would be mounted at the back end while the other part is mounted on the trunk portion. May be a bit more wind noise, but I wouldn't think it would be enough to turn the hard top into a kite. 

Another idea is to run a luggage rack on the trunk backwards so that the higher bar is toward the front of the car. Then, attach the snowboard mount onto the round bars. It may block the view of the license plate though.


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

I like the luggage rack idea. Probably would be cheaper too since they are everywhere on eBay and crIgslist. 
Instead of running a snowboard mount on the luggage rack I would just get some sort of homebrewed tight, rubber based clamp/bungee system and tie or clamp the board directly to the luggage rack making into a giant spoiler. 
Not sure about clearance issues though. You would definitely pick up some down force when merging on GSP, haha.
Obviously, my design is a bit flawed but I would be willing to try it given that snowboard doesn't stick out too much past the rear quarter panels.
If you do manage to secure a snowboard to a Miata successfully don't forget to post pictures!


----------



## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I may try the luggage rack idea first since it is cheaper. Nothing pops up on CL, so I may need to go to eBay. Worse case, Raceland makes a rack that owners say is actually quite good. It's about $180 shipped.ay not be a bad option, and I'm sure it would get used all seasons rather than just winter.


----------



## MK3 LUV (Nov 23, 2012)

EuroAtomic said:


> I like the luggage rack idea. Probably would be cheaper too since they are everywhere on eBay and crIgslist.
> *Instead of running a snowboard mount on the luggage rack I would just get some sort of homebrewed tight, rubber based clamp/bungee system and tie or clamp the board directly to the luggage rack making into a giant spoiler. *
> Not sure about clearance issues though. You would definitely pick up some down force when merging on GSP, haha.
> Obviously, my design is a bit flawed but I would be willing to try it given that snowboard doesn't stick out too much past the rear quarter panels.
> If you do manage to secure a snowboard to a Miata successfully don't forget to post pictures!


like such?
















I know the bodies are not the same, but you get the concept


----------



## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Local guy has this clean hardtopped NA I seen once before so I spotted it last night and grabbed a pic as I drove by:









Sorry for the potato pic


----------



## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Enjoying the final days of no salt on the roads


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Mine is getting closer... Tried to crank it, seems like I'm having trouble getting the injectors to fire, from what I can tell. I've gotta do some troubelshooting, but it's very nearly there... Just in time for the weather to turn ****ty, but whatever, I'll be happy to have it back.


----------



## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

The more I go under our Miata, the more upset I get. This car has fought me tooth and nail over every little thing. From replacing the upper A arms and shocks, to something as stupid as securing the R lip it came with. 

For instance, yesterday I was trying to disconnect the little bumper support bars that attach to the frame rails because they were not on properly. Snapped a bolt doing it. So I start drilling it out and the tab on the bar snaps because of the rust. PO used giant bolts and nuts to secure the lip, instead of trim screws. Snapped 2 more bolts and flexed the hell out of the bottom part of the bumper doing it. He used 10mm bolts to secure this thing, so now I don't have any trim screws to even fit those holes. 

I have seen hardware in better shape on cars with 3 times the mileage of this thing.


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

nemo1ner said:


> The more I go under our Miata, the more upset I get. This car has fought me tooth and nail over every little thing. From replacing the upper A arms and shocks, to something as stupid as securing the R lip it came with.
> 
> For instance, yesterday I was trying to disconnect the little bumper support bars that attach to the frame rails because they were not on properly. Snapped a bolt doing it. So I start drilling it out and the tab on the bar snaps because of the rust. PO used giant bolts and nuts to secure the lip, instead of trim screws. Snapped 2 more bolts and flexed the hell out of the bottom part of the bumper doing it. He used 10mm bolts to secure this thing, so now I don't have any trim screws to even fit those holes.
> 
> I have seen hardware in better shape on cars with 3 times the mileage of this thing.


Those ALWAYS break.

You're right though, if you get a bad/rusty example, you're kinda screwed.

I stripped that parts car until it was literally just a pile of metal, I unbolted every single thing, and I snapped probably half the studs in the process. Granted I didn't care cause it was a parts car, but still, it was awful.


----------



## PIFF (Nov 11, 2007)

Listened to TCL. Feeling duped.


----------



## MK3 LUV (Nov 23, 2012)

PIFF said:


> Listened to TCL. Feeling duped.


a foamectomy should help you out a bit


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

MK3 LUV said:


> a foamectomy should help you out a bit


Or going the route of Recaros or Bride LowMax


----------



## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

PIFF said:


> Listened to TCL. Feeling duped.


Lmao.


----------



## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Hogan said:


> Those ALWAYS break.
> 
> You're right though, if you get a bad/rusty example, you're kinda screwed.
> 
> I stripped that parts car until it was literally just a pile of metal, I unbolted every single thing, and I snapped probably half the studs in the process. Granted I didn't care cause it was a parts car, but still, it was awful.


It really pisses me off that the car has only 90,000 miles on it, and the OP "fixed it" like he did. Zip ties, things not attached, ball joints that needed replacing years ago, mismatched shocks and springs. I went through a can and a half of PB blaster, broke a ratchet, multiple snapped bolts and rat welded hardware, and wore down two drill bits just doing the suspension.


----------



## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

I keep looking at this thread and thinking to myself "I want to participate"

I think I will buy a Miata.


----------



## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Roketdriver said:


> I keep looking at this thread and thinking to myself "I want to participate"
> 
> I think I will buy a Miata.


good idea. 

better plan than buying in MI, take a vacation to the south during the middle of cold hell (usually around feb.), bring one back with you from outside the rustbelt. :thumbup:


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

nemo1ner said:


> The more I go under our Miata, the more upset I get. This car has fought me tooth and nail over every little thing. From replacing the upper A arms and shocks, to something as stupid as securing the R lip it came with.
> 
> For instance, yesterday I was trying to disconnect the little bumper support bars that attach to the frame rails because they were not on properly. Snapped a bolt doing it. So I start drilling it out and the tab on the bar snaps because of the rust. PO used giant bolts and nuts to secure the lip, instead of trim screws. Snapped 2 more bolts and flexed the hell out of the bottom part of the bumper doing it. He used 10mm bolts to secure this thing, so now I don't have any trim screws to even fit those holes.
> 
> I have seen hardware in better shape on cars with 3 times the mileage of this thing.


I broke both the brackets as well. Thankfully I knew this ahead of time and had ordered 2 new brackets ahead of time.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I finally got the car aligned today and took it to work. Besides a slightly shaky steering wheel, it drives pretty nicely. I think the shaky wheel is due to improperly balanced wheels and possibly a worn sway bar link. It shakes back and forth very slightly, but the car drives straight.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Those new digital print NJ tags look so fake.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> Those new digital print NJ tags look so fake.


Yeah, they really do. Lol


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Would I be crazy for considering a straight trade for an FC Turbo II RX7 for my NA?


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> Would I be crazy for considering a straight trade for an FC Turbo II RX7 for my NA?


No, I don't think that's crazy...but it all depends on what you enjoy driving. The FC is a much more all-around car than the NA, while being even more addictive....but a rotary does take a lot more attention than the Miata's bulletproof I-4. This is aside from the obvious factors (condition, mileages, owner's ability to maintain the car, etc).


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> No, I don't think that's crazy...but it all depends on what you enjoy driving. The FC is a much more all-around car than the NA, while being even more addictive....but a rotary does take a lot more attention than the Miata's bulletproof I-4. This is aside from the obvious factors (condition, mileages, owner's ability to maintain the car, etc).


The rotary is what scares me. I have ZERO experience with rotaries. The owner of the RX7 is an older gentleman and has piles of maintenance and is the second owner. Still, rotaries scare the heck outta me BUT I'd like to cross one off of my bucket list. The condition is similar to my NA. Very nice driver even though it's no show queen.

Hmmmm...


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> The rotary is what scares me. I have ZERO experience with rotaries. The owner of the RX7 is an older gentleman and has piles of maintenance and is the second owner. Still, rotaries scare the heck outta me BUT I'd like to cross one off of my bucket list. The condition is similar to my NA. Very nice driver even though it's no show queen.
> 
> Hmmmm...



You're over thinking it . They're really not that complicated, and are actually very easy to work on. FD's are probably the worst when it comes to complicated issues, but FCs are pretty straight forward. The biggest things you'd need to keep in mind are to check the oil fairly often (every fill-up or two, depending on how anal you are with your fill levels and how hard you drive your car), NEVER use off-the-shelf synthetic (if you find a rotary blend like RE Amemiya or KnightSports carries, feel free to try it...but I run Rotella T in mine, in an effort to take it easy on the apex seals), and to make sure your OMP is working properly (maybe replace it with a new one, just so you're starting on square one). Of course, making sure you properly "heat cycle" the engine in order to prevent flooding, always running 93 (I prefer Shell!), and occasionally running to redline to burn off carbon deposits are little things to keep in mind, as well. It sounds like you've found yourself a really rare car....one that's actually been taken care of, and not "stanced out bro". I'd say to snag it, and baby it like it deserves (i.e. drive it hard, maintain it well, and modify it cleanly/simply, if at all). My ¢0.02. I'd be happy to fill you in on what little knowledge I have, as an owner, if you like...just ask!


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

Oh yeah! Forgot to mention, NGK Iridium plugs every 30k miles or less . Keeps the car running like a champ. Bear in mind, rotarys have three combustion cycles where a piston engine has one, so 30k rotary miles ~= 100k piston miles. Throw in the fact that they're burning oil by design, and the plugs get fouled quick.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> You're over thinking it . They're really not that complicated, and are actually very easy to work on. FD's are probably the worst when it comes to complicated issues, but FCs are pretty straight forward. The biggest things you'd need to keep in mind are to check the oil fairly often (every fill-up or two, depending on how anal you are with your fill levels and how hard you drive your car), NEVER use off-the-shelf synthetic (if you find a rotary blend like RE Amemiya or KnightSports carries, feel free to try it...but I run Rotella T in mine, in an effort to take it easy on the apex seals), and to make sure your OMP is working properly (maybe replace it with a new one, just so you're starting on square one). Of course, making sure you properly "heat cycle" the engine in order to prevent flooding, always running 93 (I prefer Shell!), and occasionally running to redline to burn off carbon deposits are little things to keep in mind, as well. It sounds like you've found yourself a really rare car....one that's actually been taken care of, and not "stanced out bro". I'd say to snag it, and baby it like it deserves (i.e. drive it hard, maintain it well, and modify it cleanly/simply, if at all). My ¢0.02. I'd be happy to fill you in on what little knowledge I have, as an owner, if you like...just ask!


Great food for thought. I'm going to take a closer look at it this weekend (assuming the weather cooperates).

Thanks for the responses :beer:


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> Great food for thought. I'm going to take a closer look at it this weekend (assuming the weather cooperates).
> 
> Thanks for the responses :beer:


Cheers :beer:. Always happy to help inform someone considering becoming one to continue on the legend of the "47 Samurai". Definitely look at the car if you can...I'd love to see photos, if you get a chance to PM me some. If you have any questions, ask away...I'll do my best to answer, and provide you with a place to find it if I don't know. I have a ton of resources for you if you decide to buy it....RX owners are all about doing it themselves, since service shops always screw things up.

P.P.S. forgot to mention on the oil end of things: never over fill. It's bad in a piston engine, worse in a rotary.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

The e-codes I got for my MK1 build weren't much good on a car that's not finished yet. 10 minutes later:










What an improvement. The previous lights were craptastic.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

nemo1ner said:


> What an improvement. The previous lights were craptastic.


A candle in a hurricane puts out more light than sealed beams


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Cheers :beer:. Always happy to help inform someone considering becoming one to continue on the legend of the "47 Samurai". Definitely look at the car if you can...I'd love to see photos, if you get a chance to PM me some. If you have any questions, ask away...I'll do my best to answer, and provide you with a place to find it if I don't know. I have a ton of resources for you if you decide to buy it....RX owners are all about doing it themselves, since service shops always screw things up.
> 
> P.P.S. forgot to mention on the oil end of things: never over fill. It's bad in a piston engine, worse in a rotary.


Thanks again for the info regarding this. I never followed up on the RX7 and at this point will be listing it tonight For Sale on my local CL. I love the car and it's been a fun project but I think the time has come to let someone else enjoy the car. Thanks again for the help.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

nemo1ner said:


> I finally got the car aligned today and took it to work. Besides a slightly shaky steering wheel, it drives pretty nicely. I think the shaky wheel is due to improperly balanced wheels and possibly a worn sway bar link. It shakes back and forth very slightly, but the car drives straight.


I'm probably thinking too much but I can't imagine a worn sway bar link causing a wheel shake. If it's not an unbalanced wheel, the next things I'd check are the outer tie rod ends. But if the alignment shop didn't bring that up, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Claff said:


> I'm probably thinking too much but I can't imagine a worn sway bar link causing a wheel shake. If it's not an unbalanced wheel, the next things I'd check are the outer tie rod ends. But if the alignment shop didn't bring that up, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree.


I forgot to update. The shaking was caused by my stupidity. 

When I installed the suspension, I did the passenger front last. When I put the wheel back on, I slightly tightened the nuts and lowered the car to put some weight on the wheel and finish. I guess I was distracted, walked away, and never finished torquing them down properly. The bolts held on until the afternoon and began working themselves off, which caused the wheel to shake. 

Luckily I discovered my mistake before the wheel fell off. Just a stupid brain fart on my part.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

My car has a slam, stretch, poke (yo!) look going on with its 14" ZIIs:


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

We got our Christmas tree. Lol.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

And who said Miatas weren't practical?!?


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Nice nemo1ner


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> Thanks again for the info regarding this. I never followed up on the RX7 and at this point will be listing it tonight For Sale on my local CL. I love the car and it's been a fun project but I think the time has come to let someone else enjoy the car. Thanks again for the help.


Just saw this now....no problem on the help! What route do you think you're going to go next? Be sure you find her a good home where some kid won't total her!


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Hi I still have the car. I had it up on cl shortly but quickly realized that winter in New England is not an ideal time to sell a Miata and ofcourse I had ridiculous lowball offers (several people offering $2500 +/- for a clean hardtopped and BBS Miata!?!). So I said to heck with it and stuffed it into my garage and I'll revisit it again in the spring. Maybe I'm just overvaluing the car (certainly possible) but I'll keep it instead of parting out the desirable parts to get my money out of it.


My next project will be a first gen CRX Si (or possibly a 3G Prelude or 1G Integra). I have a whole plan that I hope/plan to pull off in late May that will involve a bit of luck, adventure, and a cross country drive.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

The spam is strong in here.


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> Hi I still have the car. I had it up on cl shortly but quickly realized that winter in New England is not an ideal time to sell a Miata and ofcourse I had ridiculous lowball offers (several people offering $2500 +/- for a clean hardtopped and BBS Miata!?!). So I said to heck with it and stuffed it into my garage and I'll revisit it again in the spring. Maybe I'm just overvaluing the car (certainly possible) but I'll keep it instead of parting out the desirable parts to get my money out of it.
> 
> 
> My next project will be a first gen CRX Si (or possibly a 3G Prelude or 1G Integra). I have a whole plan that I hope/plan to pull off in late May that will involve a bit of luck, adventure, and a cross country drive.



Definitely interested in your next project...please make a thread chronicling that, if you weren't going to already . Any particular reason for the 3G Prelude? Would be pretty awesome if you could find a 2G and save it from obscurity. They look so amazing when done up right.

I don't think you're over-valuing the Miata at all. Clean examples are worth good money, especially with some of the options you have (which trim package is it, BTW? Sounds almost like an M-edition if it came with the BBSs). Wish I had more disposable income...I'd be happy to take it off your hands and keep it well taken care of. I've always wanted an NA to compliment my RX-8, and it crushes my soul to see people destroying them by slamming or drifting them into oblivion.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

kwik!gti said:


> Hi I still have the car. I had it up on cl shortly but quickly realized that winter in New England is not an ideal time to sell a Miata and ofcourse I had ridiculous lowball offers (several people offering $2500 +/- for a clean hardtopped and BBS Miata!?!). So I said to heck with it and stuffed it into my garage and I'll revisit it again in the spring. Maybe I'm just overvaluing the car (certainly possible) but I'll keep it instead of parting out the desirable parts to get my money out of it.
> 
> 
> My next project will be a first gen CRX Si (or possibly a 3G Prelude or 1G Integra). I have a whole plan that I hope/plan to pull off in late May that will involve a bit of luck, adventure, and a cross country drive.


You are and you aren't overvaluing it.

Miatas are worthless this time of year in New England, same with DC for that matter.

I've bought three Miatas during the winter:

'93 Mariner Blue w/ hardtop - $1500
'92 Black Miata (special edition one) - $900
'90 Miata, nothing special, but had reasonably low miles - $900

Don't sell it now.

Put it away for the winter, do the timing belt/water pump, spark plugs, etc, and sell it for close to double the offers you're getting when May rolls around.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Definitely interested in your next project...please make a thread chronicling that, if you weren't going to already . Any particular reason for the 3G Prelude? Would be pretty awesome if you could find a 2G and save it from obscurity. They look so amazing when done up right.
> 
> I don't think you're over-valuing the Miata at all. Clean examples are worth good money, especially with some of the options you have (which trim package is it, BTW? Sounds almost like an M-edition if it came with the BBSs). Wish I had more disposable income...I'd be happy to take it off your hands and keep it well taken care of. I've always wanted an NA to compliment my RX-8, and it crushes my soul to see people destroying them by slamming or drifting them into oblivion.


I plan to make a thread (now that some of the worst of the trolls are either on my ignore list and/or banned lol) once there is more "meat" that is thread worthy. As of right now I only have a vague outline and timeline.

I really want a first gen CRX Si. It's what I have my heart set on. But I'm open to the 3G 'Lude and 1G Integra as I've always had a soft spot for those and they still have a decent aftermarket support. The 2G 'Lude although cool is a little too off the beaten path for me.

My Miata is an "A" package car. So it's manual windows and locks, leather wrapped wheel, alloys. Has AC/PS. No cruise control. Basically 1 step above a base model. I've upgraded the wheels to the BBS off of the 93 LE model. Upgraded the suspension (Koni yellows and Eibach sways). I also added the front and rear R Package spoilers. And refurbed a bunch of worn parts like the steering wheel and marker lights that were water logged, and of course swapped in a lower mileage motor after I overheated the original 1.6.

I'm with you though, so many of these get the "Hoonigan" treatment and I promised myself I wouldn't sell it to one of those types. :beer:


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Hogan said:


> You are and you aren't overvaluing it.
> 
> Miatas are worthless this time of year in New England, same with DC for that matter.
> 
> ...


It has a fresh service on it including TB and WP only 5k miles ago. I swapped in a 90k mile 1.6 and had all the seals and various other things done at a local Miata specialist. :thumbup: I have all the receipts.


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> I plan to make a thread (now that some of the worst of the trolls are either on my ignore list and/or banned lol) once there is more "meat" that is thread worthy. As of right now I only have a vague outline and timeline.
> 
> I really want a first gen CRX Si. It's what I have my heart set on. But I'm open to the 3G 'Lude and 1G Integra as I've always had a soft spot for those and they still have a decent aftermarket support. The 2G 'Lude although cool is a little too off the beaten path for me.


True enough with the 2G Prelude....they are extemely obscure, but something about how they really maximize the "80s-ness" of the design really resonates with me. Personal preference . A 1G Integra would be cool, but talk about a needle in a haystack to find one that's not totally falling apart. I love the first gen CR-X...and it would actually be super cool if you could find the Ballade Sports retractable headlight covers to install on a US model . Those and EA-T Civics are the pinnacle of old school Honda greatness, IMHO.




kwik!gti said:


> My Miata is an "A" package car. So it's manual windows and locks, leather wrapped wheel, alloys. Has AC/PS. No cruise control. Basically 1 step above a base model. I've upgraded the wheels to the BBS off of the 93 LE model. Upgraded the suspension (Koni yellows and Eibach sways). I also added the front and rear R Package spoilers. And refurbed a bunch of worn parts like the steering wheel and marker lights that were water logged, and of course swapped in a lower mileage motor after I overheated the original 1.6.
> 
> I'm with you though, so many of these get the "Hoonigan" treatment and I promised myself I wouldn't sell it to one of those types. :beer:


First part: jealous. Sounds like a really, really nice car, with some of the nicest "trinkets" added. PM me a photo sometime so I can drool over it .

Second part: Kudos. I should buy you a beer sometime based on that fact alone. Seeing NAs get wrecked when clean examples are getting harder to find is disappointing at least, infuriating at most (especially pre-airbag cars!). I'm thinking that if I can't find a clean example when I have the disposable income to give a proper offer, I'll end up importing one from Japan.


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## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

I can't sell my 1996 Miata either. Lots of no shows and a few tire kickers. The thing is, if I wait till spring, I'm just going to want to keep it and drive it again all spring/summer.  Mines has hi miles and needs a bit of work, but I was dailying the car 60 miles per day until the temps dropped into the 30's.






Hogan said:


> You are and you aren't overvaluing it.
> 
> Miatas are worthless this time of year in New England, same with DC for that matter.
> 
> ...


----------



## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> True enough with the 2G Prelude....they are extemely obscure, but something about how they really maximize the "80s-ness" of the design really resonates with me. Personal preference . A 1G Integra would be cool, but talk about a needle in a haystack to find one that's not totally falling apart. I love the first gen CR-X...and it would actually be super cool if you could find the Ballade Sports retractable headlight covers to install on a US model . Those and EA-T Civics are the pinnacle of old school Honda greatness, IMHO.
> 
> First part: jealous. Sounds like a really, really nice car, with some of the nicest "trinkets" added. PM me a photo sometime so I can drool over it .
> 
> Second part: Kudos. I should buy you a beer sometime based on that fact alone. Seeing NAs get wrecked when clean examples are getting harder to find is disappointing at least, infuriating at most (especially pre-airbag cars!). I'm thinking that if I can't find a clean example when I have the disposable income to give a proper offer, I'll end up importing one from Japan.


Don't get me wrong if the right one shows up I'd love a 2G Prelude and might go that way. All of it really depends what is available at that specific time. I will be at the mercy of the CA/PNW craigslist. Keeping fingers crossed. You hit the nail on the head though....I think the first gen CRX and EA Civics kinda signify "old school" Honda. But we will see what the car gods have to say in May.

It is a really nice driver. I spent a good chunk of money replacing, repairing, refurbing all the little bits on it....or most of the bits anyway. Broken oil dipsticks, misc broken trim bits, missing fasteners, etc. I still have a few items I need to replace though like the cracked windshield cowl but all in due time. 

I had a thread that I posted in with pics and stuff. Here it is if you'd like to check it out: http://forums.thecarlounge.com/show...(TCL-Darling-content)&highlight=went+from+fwd 
Its not everything but it has a lot of the major stuff in there. I really should go in there and clean it up and get more detailed.

I hear ya on the wrecked and abused NAs. Thankfully they are still plentiful and relatively cheap....not sure how long that will be the case as they appear to be getting bastardized at an alarming rate these days lol


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

AJB said:


> I can't sell my 1996 Miata either. Lots of no shows and a few tire kickers. The thing is, if I wait till spring, I'm just going to want to keep it and drive it again all spring/summer.  Mines has hi miles and needs a bit of work, but I was dailying the car 60 miles per day until the temps dropped into the 30's.


Hahaha yeah, that is the issue with the whole thing, isn't it? It's much harder to let go of them right when it's getting nice out again.



kwik!gti said:


> It has a fresh service on it including TB and WP only 5k miles ago. I swapped in a 90k mile 1.6 and had all the seals and various other things done at a local Miata specialist. :thumbup: I have all the receipts.


Well then you're definitely being lowballed haha, that'll sell in a heartbeat come springtime.


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> I had a thread that I posted in with pics and stuff. Here it is if you'd like to check it out: http://forums.thecarlounge.com/show...(TCL-Darling-content)&highlight=went+from+fwd
> Its not everything but it has a lot of the major stuff in there. I really should go in there and clean it up and get more detailed.
> 
> I hear ya on the wrecked and abused NAs. Thankfully they are still plentiful and relatively cheap....not sure how long that will be the case as they appear to be getting bastardized at an alarming rate these days lol



:heart:....it's perfect! And immaculately clean....I really dig it. AND it's a pre-airbag car (I can't recall if all NA6s are pre-airbag...)! You've done a nice job cleaning her up and restoring some "former glory". I know I said it before...but I wish I had the disposable income right now to tell you "I'll take it". The only thing I could see myself doing to it for a long time is adding V-Limited or M2 parts, wherever I could find them (oh yeah, and a Royal Clover key!), and just enjoying the hell out of driving it.

And yes, fortunately Mazda did sell a ton of them....but like you said, the clean ones seem to be getting eaten alive rather quickly. My fingers are crossed for getting a clean NA one day....I've always loved them, and reignited the passion when I got to drive a true imported Roadster in Vancouver last year.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> :heart:....it's perfect! And immaculately clean....I really dig it. AND it's a pre-airbag car (I can't recall if all NA6s are pre-airbag...)! You've done a nice job cleaning her up and restoring some "former glory". I know I said it before...but I wish I had the disposable income right now to tell you "I'll take it". The only thing I could see myself doing to it for a long time is adding V-Limited or M2 parts, wherever I could find them (oh yeah, and a Royal Clover key!), and just enjoying the hell out of driving it.
> 
> And yes, fortunately Mazda did sell a ton of them....but like you said, the clean ones seem to be getting eaten alive rather quickly. My fingers are crossed for getting a clean NA one day....I've always loved them, and reignited the passion when I got to drive a true imported Roadster in Vancouver last year.


Wow I really appreciate the kind words. Its not perfect but it's done to my personal liking. It's a really fun little car. I had initially kicked around the day of going turbo or going crazy with it but honestly I didn't see the point. I thought the simplicity would keep it reliable and fun.

Not sure if all NA6s are non-airbag to be honest. I think so but no sure. I too prefer the pre-airbag cars. The dash looks much cleaner and simpler to me. I debated a 1.8 swap but in the end I wanted to keep it 1.6 since it's a 90 (first year). Kinda kept it in the spirit of the original.


Are you in Canada? Would love to import a genuine Roadster....actually they are now 25 years old so I believe they are eligible now right? :beer:


@Hogan: That's what I'm saying! I even had one guy come and look at it (mind you I had it priced VERY reasonably) and he seemed serious and then proceeds to tell me he will give me $2000.00 "CASH IN HAND". After that I pulled the ad as I had enough.


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

In the US all NA6 had no passenger side airbag, all NA8 had one, and all NAs had a driver's side airbag.

Early cars in Canada and all NAs in Japan had no airbags at all.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

AKADriver said:


> In the US all NA6 had no passenger side airbag, all NA8 had one, and all NAs had a driver's side airbag.
> 
> Early cars in Canada and all NAs in Japan had no airbags at all.


I love that wheel ^. I assumed he was talking about the passenger side as "no airbag". Apologies if I misled anyone with misinfo.


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

kwik!gti said:


> Wow I really appreciate the kind words. Its not perfect but it's done to my personal liking. It's a really fun little car. I had initially kicked around the day of going turbo or going crazy with it but honestly I didn't see the point. I thought the simplicity would keep it reliable and fun.
> 
> Are you in Canada? Would love to import a genuine Roadster....actually they are now 25 years old so I believe they are eligible now right? :beer:


--You're welcome! Maybe not perfect, but certainly a very clean example of an NA. It sounds like you're sticking to the simplicity formula now, which is what I've always loved about the NA. My RX-8 is certainly a lot quicker and more "wild", but something about driving an NA...I've always found it to be like the fun you get driving a go-kart. It's not quite like anything else. When thinking about modding an NA, I typically think of ITBs and high-rise headers .

--Nope, I'm in Maryland. I was in Vancouver visiting some friends on vacation (for a shop opening), and one of them let me take their Roadster for a spin. With Canada having the 15 year rule, it was easy for him to get it. But we are starting to be eligible for import, now that the 25 year span is allowing early NAs to come in.




kwik!gti said:


> I love that wheel ^. I assumed he was talking about the passenger side as "no airbag". Apologies if I misled anyone with misinfo.


Bingo, I was talking about the dash airbag . That wheel is awesome....but I do like the Eunos Momo wheel even more:


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I need a question answered: I can't recall if the radiator is supposed to be straight up and down or pointed slightly inward. I was just backed into by someone at a light. Light turned red while they were waiting to make a left, and instead of completing the turn, they reversed back to the line where I was. Waiting on police to come by. 










There's a slight bend in the bumper, but the car seems to be running fine. Still going to file a report and go through insurance because I don't want to take any chances.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Going by shaky memory from changing my radiator a couple years ago, I *think* the bottom mounts of the radiator are pegs that fit into slots on the chassis, and the only fasteners that hold the radiator in place are at the top on either side. Your radiator might have been popped out of those slots at the bottom. It's not the end of the world if that's the case, and it can probably be fixed just by undoing the bolts at the top and wiggling it back into place. You should be able to do this without loosening the hoses.

I could be completely wrong. If it were dayligt I'd look at my car and confirm the above, but in the dark I don't think I can. Good luck.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Thanks. The radiator's pegs are in their slots. I was just afraid that the support under the bumper somehow bent. I couldn't really see any signs of bending, so everything may be ok. Either way, I filed a report just so I could see the car in daylight in case there is any damage that I couldn't see at night and in the rain. 

People often wonder why I don't want a newish car as a daily. This is why.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

That sucks! If you will need any detailed pics for alignment/positioning of radiator just PM me, I have my car sitting 30ft away. As long as 94 is the same.

Hope the nose damage is not bad.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

Sucks about the damage. Get yourself the undertray that is missing from your car.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Haven't gotten around to getting the undertray yet. 

So far, all that I can see is a dent in the bumper and scratches going up towards the hood from where her rear bumper went over. I also hear some type of clunking from the front passenger side suspension. May not be related. 

I was out during lunch and was almost hit in the parking lot. Car came burning in thinking that he had found a parking spot in the front row where I was parked in. I was in the car and heard some slight tire squeal. Looked up and there was a Ford Taurus nearly on top of my trunk. :facepalm:

So far, there have were 4 occasions where people didn't see me, and have either hit or nearly hit me. And in a bright blue, straight piped car, it's not like I'm incon****inspicous, am I?


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## stephen9666 (Nov 14, 2009)

I'm not claiming this is a good-looking example or anything special. It's clearly not. But at least I can say I no longer need a Miata, because I now have one.

I've been wanting a RWD, cheap fun car to add to the stable. The Miata was one of the models on my list. I just scored what I consider a good deal on a 1999 base model with a manual trans.

I don't dig the aftermarket wheels or poorly matched paint respray, but this car has very little of the normal Miata rust and hasn't had any ham-fisted mods performed on it. It will be a super-fun driver to tinker with. It's also not nice enough for me to be worry about the normal wear-and -tear that comes with a semi-beater fun car.

I've already been tearing into it to fix several things and do some maintenance.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

^Looks like you found yourself the sweet spot. A clean (but not too clean) fun car to tinker with. Congrats and welcome to the club. They sure are fun.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

stephen9666 said:


> I'm not claiming this is a good-looking example or anything special. It's clearly not. But at least I can say I no longer need a Miata, because I now have one.


congrats!

as some basic maintenance I'd check the shifter boots (beneath the center console), both are likely cracked and need replacement. i'd also look at the clutch slave cylinder to see if it's leaking (25 dollar fix), it's behind the right front wheel, you can easily see it if you pull the wheel off. make sure to properly lubricate the power antenna (which i don't think the base cars have, but i'd look into it just to be sure).


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

compy222 said:


> congrats!
> 
> as some basic maintenance I'd check the shifter boots (beneath the center console), both are likely cracked and need replacement. i'd also look at the clutch slave cylinder to see if it's leaking (25 dollar fix), it's behind the right front wheel, you can easily see it if you pull the wheel off. make sure to properly lubricate the power antenna (which i don't think the base cars have, but i'd look into it just to be sure).


Do a braided clutch line too while you're in there behind the wheel doing the slave.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

nemo1ner said:


> Haven't gotten around to getting the undertray yet.
> 
> So far, all that I can see is a dent in the bumper and scratches going up towards the hood from where her rear bumper went over. I also hear some type of clunking from the front passenger side suspension. May not be related.
> 
> ...


This is precisely why I always park far back in the spot when I'm in the Miata or on the motorcycle. I'm always worried about this happening. Glad there wasn't any serious damage.


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## landstuhltaylor (Jul 21, 2011)

I had so many close calls in mine, the only thing preventing it from actually being hit was that I could usually squeeze past the *******. I just sold mine over the weekend for $1100 which I think was a fair price for it's condition. I might have been able to get $1500 in the summer but I didn't have space for it and just wanted the cash. Luckily it went to someone who wants to run it as an STS car and has plans of replacing the busted rear subframe and fixing the frame rail rust among other things.

Someday I'll buy another NA in good condition.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Hogan said:


> This is precisely why I always park far back in the spot when I'm in the Miata or on the motorcycle. I'm always worried about this happening. Glad there wasn't any serious damage.


Seriously. After driving this thing in a sea of large vehicles, I had to change my driving habits drastically. I now have to leave even more room between me and the car in front because I cannot see anything ahead. I also find myself "peeking" to see if a lane is clear. When passing, I try not to do it in the right lane, even when every car seems to occupy the left. Whenever i do pass, I have to do it as fast as possible. 

Most close calls have been with a car or SUV traveling in the left lane and changing to the right lane without seeing me.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)

I approach drving a Miata (or any small car for that matter) in the same manner I did when I still rode motorcycles. Drive (and park) as if nobody can see you. Err on the side of precaution. Drive defensively. Make it a point to keep a buffer zone.....etc and so on and so forth.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

My street driving has evolved into thinking that everyone is out to kill me. It's served me well.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

"Drop It Like It's Hot" was so 10 years ago.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Yeah, it's helpful since most of the time I'm either riding my motorcycle, or in my Miata, so that behavior gets ingrained pretty quickly haha. I definitely treat it the same way though. In fact, more people probably try to run me over in my Miata than on my motorcycle.

Then again, my motorcycle has the same size engine as my Miata, so it's not exactly small haha.

But Nemo, you might wanna start doing that. Just pull in to spots so your car more or less lines up with the cars at the back of the spot, rather than the front. I'm sure that's saved me from several crunched bumpers.


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## MoPho (May 12, 2007)

Take your pick 



188_v3_Med by MoPho, on Flickr


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Cool picture.


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## kwik!gti (Apr 22, 2006)




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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

my winter miata blew a diff ... waiting on a new one 

back to winter mr2ing


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

I, on the other hand, finally got mine running. It's been off the road for 11 months.

I know it's a simple swap, if I had plenty of time to myself to get it done, I could probably wrap the whole thing up in a day, but I've only been able to mess with it for a few minutes at a time in between sourcing parts, and parting out/scrapping my parts car.

But it's finally running, and I'm pretty exciting. Looking forward to driving it with the 1.8l swap.


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)




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## FuelInMyVeins (Feb 8, 2012)

:wave:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's a twofer:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Hogan said:


> I, on the other hand, finally got mine running. It's been off the road for 11 months.
> 
> I know it's a simple swap, if I had plenty of time to myself to get it done, I could probably wrap the whole thing up in a day, but I've only been able to mess with it for a few minutes at a time in between sourcing parts, and parting out/scrapping my parts car.
> 
> But it's finally running, and I'm pretty exciting. Looking forward to driving it with the 1.8l swap.


got mine running monday. nice to have the fleet back up and running:


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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

Cockerpunk, you make me want to stop looking for that perfect miata, and just buy the cheapest runner I can find.:thumbup:


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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

CaleDeRoo said:


>



? details? :thumbup:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

panamajackLGT said:


> Cockerpunk, you make me want to stop looking for that perfect miata, and just buy the cheapest runner I can find.:thumbup:


i bought it for 500, now after winter tires, and the work its needed so far, its about a 1500 dollar car. 

excellent winter car.


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

panamajackLGT said:


> ? details? :thumbup:


Jet Stream NC Roadster

http://jetstream.co.jp/page car/nc-road/nc_earo/nc_aero_part.html

Really digging the center exit :thumbup:


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

The family is all there.


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## FuelInMyVeins (Feb 8, 2012)




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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)




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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

Finally in the game! Stock with a folder full of records!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

panamajackLGT said:


> Finally in the game! Stock with a folder full of records!



I see an aftermarket antenna! Definitely not stock; would not buy. 



Seriously, though, nice pick up. Now repaint the wheel center caps so they look nice next to the new paint job on the car. What year? Miles? I'm assuming by the wheels it's a '90-'92.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Just watched both those Smoking Tire videos last night actually.

Really getting the itch to start driving mine again. I've got a couple little issues to deal with, I have an air leak at the throttle body, and I still need to pick up tires for it. But it's almost there. But hey, at least it's January. If it were springtime and I was missing quality top down weather, I'd be in more of a hurry. The fact that it starts up is pretty encouraging in itself at the moment.

Gonna run to the junkyard for a couple things this weekend.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

It was 60 and sunny here today, so I got the Miata out of the garage and took it for a cruise across the Sound


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Took the Kenwood out of my Subaru before selling it and put it in the Miata.










Colors dialed in.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

was out ice racing my miata yesterday. 

only one not 4wd, had no trouble keeping up.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Numbersix said:


> It was 60 and sunny here today, so I got the Miata out of the garage and took it for a cruise across the Sound


Nice shot of Rainier. Looks too far south to be Bainbridge ferry. Which was it?

I pulled mine out this weekend as well. Found drained battery, soft tires, and poop on top the valve cover  

Spent the day getting it back up to snuff and setting up traps for any return visits.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> was out ice racing my miata yesterday.
> 
> only one not 4wd, had no trouble keeping up.


Driving mine later this week when my wife's car gets a service. It's supposed to snow, should be interesting.


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## sp3nt (Oct 3, 2008)

Been eyeing up NB and NC miatas lately for possible fun 2nd summer car (this summer or next). Still need to drive both (living in the North kills driving time haha) but what would you consider a better driving and engaging car? Future possible plans for either would be - suspension, wheels, hardtop and possibly turbo (everything needs boost). 

I understand the NC is more comfortable and has a softer suspension, but it has the 2.0 vs the 1.8 in the NB which I feel the extra displacement is worthwhile. Also I prefer the NC styling to NB but I can find some nice examples of NB's online as well. 


For reference also looking at AP1 S2000 (most likely higher mileage to get into budget), e36 m3, e30, 350z (on the list but not very high up), and 240sx (again on the list but not very high up).


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

sp3nt said:


> Been eyeing up NB and NC miatas lately for possible fun 2nd summer car (this summer or next). Still need to drive both (living in the North kills driving time haha) but what would you consider a better driving and engaging car? Future possible plans for either would be - suspension, wheels, hardtop and possibly turbo (everything needs boost).
> 
> I understand the NC is more comfortable and has a softer suspension, but it has the 2.0 vs the 1.8 in the NB which I feel the extra displacement is worthwhile. Also I prefer the NC styling to NB but I can find some nice examples of NB's online as well.


I driven several NBs, owned an NC, and still have an NA, so take this for what its worth. 

I loved my NC. It was a fantastic car. I put wheels/tires, a full suspension, an exhaust, and an OEM hardtop on it. I loved autocrossing it. It was direct, engaging car. It never did anything wrong, and I'm still in (somewhat) regular contact with the current owner, the guy I sold it to. 

An NB, on the otherhand, feels... different... more like my NA. It's a bit more raw, a bit more direct (due to less weight, if you stay away from the loaded models). It won't be as comfortable as the NC.


As far as turbo and a hardtop, the NB will definitely be easier than an NB to get and install those items. Mazda didn't make very many NC hardtops, especially after the PRHT came out. Both cars will need wheels/tires, and a suspension to be decent unless it has already been replaced. 

An NB will be easier to work on and modify, especially in the engine compartment (and even more especially if you stick with an '99 -'00 car).

Remember that an NC has more weight to pull around than a typical NB, but it has more HP and TQ. So there are trade offs. 

Also, you can raise/lower the top on the NC from sitting in the driver's seat with one hand. I could never do that in an NB. The NC also only has one center top latch, whereas an NB would have two. 

The real answer to your question is to go out and drive both of them. I personally love the NCs. Most people always hated them, but now that they are cheaper and older, enthusiasts seem to like them more. It seems to go that way with every car.

Mine:


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## sp3nt (Oct 3, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I driven several NBs, owned an NC, and still have an NA, so take this for what its worth.
> 
> I loved my NC. It was a fantastic car. I put wheels/tires, a full suspension, an exhaust, and an OEM hardtop on it. I loved autocrossing it. It was direct, engaging car. It never did anything wrong, and I'm still in (somewhat) regular contact with the current owner, the guy I sold it to.
> 
> ...



I appreciate your thoughts. I do agree NB would be easier than the NC for hardtops and installing the turbo may be a little bit harder but it seems it still is not too complex. I am not too concerned about the weight (2500-2600ish for the NC is still lighter than most cars I have driven). I really do want to go drive them, this winter bench racing is starting to get annoying hahaha.

The PHRT was introduced in 2007 correct? Was it standard on all cars from that point on or was it an option?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

sp3nt said:


> The PHRT was introduced in 2007 correct? Was it standard on all cars from that point on or was it an option?


Yeah, driving them is the only way to tell which one you'd like the best. The PRHT did come out in 2007, but you could still get a vinyl soft top or cloth soft top. The PRHT was obviously more expensive than the others. When the PRHTs came out, the market for NC removable hard tops tanked.


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

I can easily put the top up and down in my NB, from the driver's seat, with one hand. Even while driving. Easy peasy.

I wouldn't let the extra power of the NC sway you. IMO the NB has plenty for the kind of car it is. Very well balanced between power, handling, and brakes.... and it's significantly lighter than the NC. I think I weighed mine at 2320lbs?


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## Kumamon (Jun 13, 2012)

Smigelski said:


> I driven several NBs, owned an NC, and still have an NA, so take this for what its worth.
> 
> I loved my NC. It was a fantastic car. I put wheels/tires, a full suspension, an exhaust, and an OEM hardtop on it. I loved autocrossing it. It was direct, engaging car. It never did anything wrong, and I'm still in (somewhat) regular contact with the current owner, the guy I sold it to.
> 
> ...


I somehow ended up looking at NC Miatas the other night, and I was really surprised how cheap they've gotten. I think it'd make a great replacement for the Prius when the time comes. How are they for reliability?


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## 16volt (Oct 26, 2000)

Numbersix said:


> It was 60 and sunny here today, so I got the Miata out of the garage and took it for a cruise across the Sound


Y u no call when play cars?


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## 8v_gti777 (Oct 30, 2006)

How are the NC's for highway trips?


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

8v_gti777 said:


> How are the NC's for highway trips?


Better than an NA or NB, but still not particularly kind on the ears unless you crank the radio up. The 6MT gearbox on higher trim (and I believe later?) models makes a big difference on engine buzz. PRHT models might as well have been a coupe, with extra sound deadening and whatnot, but you pay the price in weight and complexity. I'm curious how the ND will compare to previous gen cars.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Crimping Is Easy said:


> I somehow ended up looking at NC Miatas the other night, and I was really surprised how cheap they've gotten. I think it'd make a great replacement for the Prius when the time comes. How are they for reliability?


From everything I've heard since I sold my '06 (in 2010), they are pretty reliable. It was my DD for a while, briefly became a Sunny Day car in 2009, and then went back to DD status with the new owner. So far on the car he's replaced the soft top ( or is about to replace it), he replaced the thermostat, and replaced the rear shocks. 



8v_gti777 said:


> How are the NC's for highway trips?


A _lot_ better than the older Miatas. With the top down, the wind management is fantastic compared to the earlier cars. It rides a bit nicer (even with a 'sane' aftermarket suspension) as well.

I've taken several 12 hour road trips in both my NA and NC. While they both did fine, the NC was a bit nicer. Most other cars will be 'better' at taking those long trips, these cars aren't bad as long as the roads don't look like a mine field.


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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I see an aftermarket antenna! Definitely not stock; would not buy.
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously, though, nice pick up. Now repaint the wheel center caps so they look nice next to the new paint job on the car. What year? Miles? I'm assuming by the wheels it's a '90-'92.


Thanks! It's a 92 137k. Runs great has a bit of the HLA tick. I'm going to see if goes away after the oil change. I took the caps of the daisies, and plan on picking up some hollow spokes this weekend. I already want another!


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

16volt said:


> Y u no call when play cars?


Shannon, this was a 'lemons into lemonade' deal. My dad and his wife live over there, are gone for a few months, and the power went out for a few hours causing all of the timers he set up to be way off. I am the closest person available to go fix it. 3+ hours of my Sunday for 15 minutes to fix the problem, but since the weather was so nice I broke out the Miata.

I promise I will do so soon...I need to clean up the GTI something fierce.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

featuring yours truly in the NA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jau91AmxVLs&feature=youtu.be


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> I've taken several 12 hour road trips in both my NA and NC. While they both did fine, the NC was a bit nicer. Most other cars will be 'better' at taking those long trips, these cars aren't bad as long as the roads don't look like a mine field.


Oh man, you're a better man than I. I took *one* roadtrip in my stock NB (~500 mi each way, so 7 hours or whatever) and it was terrible. 4700rpm at 85ish MPH, deafening road noise.. I hadn't packed earplugs so I just threw on my big headphones to deaden the sound.

Seats were comfy and car had good road manners though!


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Nice shot of Rainier. Looks too far south to be Bainbridge ferry. Which was it?


Kingston-->Edmonds. Boat turns south coming out of Kingston to avoid the incoming ferry, affording a nice shot to the SE.

It's nice to remind yourself mid-winter why it takes up the garage space 6 months of the year.


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## BTK_ (Jan 29, 2015)

I have 7k to spend. Would prefer spend 5k. Is a Miata a good buy that I could get my money back out of In 3-4 years? Are these rock bottom? First gen or second gen?


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## firstorbit84 (Feb 25, 2006)

BTK_ said:


> I have 7k to spend. Would prefer spend 5k. Is a Miata a good buy that I could get my money back out of In 3-4 years? Are these rock bottom? First gen or second gen?


$5k will definitely get you a decent shape car. (Hint: Buy mine:
 http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?t=7112799 )

I would say NA and NB are definitely done deppreciating. It almost even seems like really clean NAs are going up in value. 

If it's possible to stretch your budget a little you may even want to look at a Mazdaspeed.

Both the 1st gen and 2nd Gen are mechanically similar except for the early ones had a 1.6 liter. I prefer the look of the second gen with flush headlights.


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Couldn't stay away..


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## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

The "I need a Miata hood and headlight assembly" post.


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2014)

lausch said:


> The "I need a Miata hood and headlight assembly" post.


Ouch !! I was just here recently, as well, with my B13. Here's to a speedy recovery with (hopefully) some help from a fellow forum member!


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## Geechie_Suede (Jan 18, 2009)

I'm in the process of selling my Jeep, and I think it's time I own a Miata, preferably an NA. What should I be looking for in a less than $3000 budget? Differences between 1.6L & 1.8L and which has a better aftermarket? This will be my daily driver, I'll have snow tires for the rest of the winter, and another set of wheels for the summer. I want to get into AutoX this year and other track days. 

I'm looking in a 250 mile radius of Grand Rapids and I found a couple potentials. The southernmost place I'm looking is in the area around Fort Campbell, KY as I have a friend there.

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/4883277780.html

http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/4877214944.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/4850433989.html

NB with rebuilt title
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/4881818086.html

Pic of friends "Much Race Miata" for, like, no reason


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

lausch said:


> The "I need a Miata hood and headlight assembly" post.


What happened?


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

Sledge said:


> What happened?


i'm going to guess Deer...or medium height pedestrian... :laugh:


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## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

compy222 said:


> i'm going to guess Deer..


This.

Car had been garaged for months. Early November we had some b-e-a-utiful weather here in Maryland. My wife was driving home from work at dusk and struck a deer one mile from our house. GEICO totaled it. Needs a new bumper, hood, and headlight assembly, and dents pulled from the quarter panels. We've owned this '92 since '96.


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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

just picked up a set of Koni yellows and Racing Beat springs for a song. Looking at getting some hollow spokes next. Anyone know where I can get a good R package front and rear lip?


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

panamajackLGT said:


> just picked up a set of Koni yellows and Racing Beat springs for a song. Looking at getting some hollow spokes next. Anyone know where I can get a good R package front and rear lip?


If you can't find them (the rears are pretty rare), you can always go with replicas. Kinda pricey but at least they will be brand new. https://www.rspeed.net/R_Package_Front_Rear_Spoiler_Mazda_Miata_MX_5_p/na00790970.htm

I think I paid like 20 bucks for my front lip a few years ago, but then again it was all beat up and ripped in a couple places. However, there are quite a few mounting points so it still mounted flush and did the job :thumbup:


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## ChrisR18T (Sep 25, 2008)

Oh Miata gurus of TCL! I have a few questions.

So I'm getting the itch for a project car and I think a NA Miata would be a good route to go on, but the hunt for a clean car have been rather tough. And I'm also looking at spending only 2500 bucks max for the car, I have more funding for parts and stuff.

Most cars Iv'e been looking at have been rusty and beat cars, torn tops and just typical driven in the winter Midwest cars. I have a potential offer on one, the guy wants to trade for My Passat, the car has signs of bubbling paint on the rear fenders, and a small hole in the driver's side rocker, I don't have welding skills so I would have to have a shop fix it. Is this too much of a hassle and should I walk away from the car? I haven't had a good look over the whole car, but I'm fearing there is a lot of rust.

Another question would be to buy an automatic and do a 5 speed swap. How difficult would this swap be, and to people who have done it, whats an average cost?
I looked at two auto cars and they were super clean and garaged kept mostly, the one didn't have a speck of rust anywhere, but, it was an automatic.

What route should I try to go? Buy an Auto and work on doing a manual swap? or get the least beat manual car and repair it?

... Also, I hope a Miata will be right for me, I'm a tall guy (6 foot 4) and it might look like I'm driving a clown car! I've driven in a non-fomectomy NB before and it was tiny!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I wouldn't buy an automatic if you wanted a manual. Too much work when manual trans cars aren't exactly scarce.

I avoid rust if at all possible. Yeah you can patch the rockers, but if you get to the point where you might want to upgrade the suspension, tyere's nothing less fun than rusty nuts and bolts that strip, slip or snap off when you start trying to crack them loose.

With a $2500 budget your choices are probably limited to finding the best possible car knowing that the search could be long and frustrating. The other suggestion would be to consider expanding your search to the south and take some of your car budget and apply that towards a one- way plane ticket to fly in and drive home a better car for the money than you could ever find closer to home.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I couldn't imagine driving an automatic miata. Most of the joy you get is snipping through the gears.


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## Doug Butabi (Oct 15, 2009)

So I've decided I really need a NA Miata. Back in high school, my friends dad bought him a white NA for him to learn stick on. I ended up being the person to teach him stick with it. Driving it was such a hoot, I never forgot about it.

Is there any realm of possibility I can pick a decent one up for $2,000? That's the most I'm willing to pay for one. There are a few in my area - one right in my town listed for $3,000 with 190k on the clock, but the original owners.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/4910613571.html

Here's one deep in the Virginia: http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/cto/4883140350.html


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

Most of the stance kids are snagging these up. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if NA's jumped in prices this year. I have seen people trying to sell stanced miatas with 150k miles for $4k. Try to find the most unmolested one with the least amount of rust. For what it's worth, we purchased our Miata last summer with 98k miles and a hardtop for $3500.


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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

I bet you could get that first one for closer to 2k. need more details.


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## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

nemo1ner said:


> Most of the stance kids are snagging these up. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if NA's jumped in prices this year. I have seen people trying to sell stanced miatas with 150k miles for $4k. Try to find the most unmolested one with the least amount of rust. For what it's worth, we purchased our Miata last summer with 98k miles and a hardtop for $3500.


Yeah. NB Miatas are becoming a better deal as time goes on. Don't even get me started on Torsen diffs :banghead:


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## Pineapplegti ! (Dec 17, 2008)

Lol torsens


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

nemo1ner said:


> Most of the stance kids are snagging these up. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if NA's jumped in prices this year. I have seen people trying to sell stanced miatas with 150k miles for $4k. Try to find the most unmolested one with the least amount of rust. For what it's worth, we purchased our Miata last summer with 98k miles and a hardtop for $3500.


Between rust and modified Miatas, we had a hell of a time finding a good example.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Finally took my car off jackstands following a month or so of some overhauling in preparation for the warm weather. I had swapped poly bushings in the rear last year, but had to tackle the fronts. New bushings, tie rod ends, ball joint dust boots, camber bolts, painted control arms, etc. Also put in the 949 braided steel clutch line and Mazdaspeed competition motor mounts. Redid air intake stuff with a different heat shield and cool air hoses going from the grille area to the intake cone. And when I had dull moments I'd clean up a little under the hood and inside the trunk. Flushed the brake and clutch hydraulics too. Everything that came off got cleaned before going back on.

Car still needs some stuff: it needs to go to the tuner for AFM tweaking, it needs to go to the alignment shop, and it needs a shortie exhaust made up. I still need to work on mounting the drivers seat so it's a little more upright, and I have an aluminum passenger seat that needs to be installed.

Now we just need some warm weather to enjoy this thing.

Front suspension removed









Fire! Fire!









Let's just get some stuff out of the way up top too









Example of underhood cleaning









Installing bushings into painted control arms, with pug supervision









Stuff going back together. Just have to set the sway bar end links when I can get the car on ramps









Intake with fresh air hoses









And done


















The car may not be any faster after all this is done, but it should be more reliable, predictable, and easier to work on. I know my alignment guy will be happy to see new hardware under there.


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## ChompBit (Mar 4, 2015)

Doug Butabi said:


> So I've decided I really need a NA Miata. Back in high school, my friends dad bought him a white NA for him to learn stick on. I ended up being the person to teach him stick with it. Driving it was such a hoot, I never forgot about it.
> 
> Is there any realm of possibility I can pick a decent one up for $2,000? That's the most I'm willing to pay for one. There are a few in my area - one right in my town listed for $3,000 with 190k on the clock, but the original owners.
> 
> ...


No. You will not find an NA Miata worth owning for $2000.00. Sure you can buy one for $2000.00 (sometimes even less). But a $2000.00 Miata is….a $2000.00 Miata.

Over/under on a NA Miata WORTH owning is $5000.00. I know. I've been there and done it recently.

Want an NA Miata that's not stancetarded and stickered fenders with giant shift knobs and the typical "HooniTard" treatment? Well that's going to cost you.

Want an NA Miata that's not rusted and beat up? That's going to cost you.

Want an NA Miata with desirable bits like a hardtop? That's going to cost you.

Want an NA Miata with good maintenance history with up to date TB/WP/etc? That's going to cost you.

Want an NA Miata with nice mods (read Konis and FM sways NOT Racelands and slammage)? That's going to cost you.

Sure….go ahead and buy that $2000.00 NA Miata. You can….and probably will. But to bring that NA Miata up to spec is going to cost you. You will be $4000.00 into it by the time you realize what hit you. After all, the NEWEST NAs at this point are almost 20 years old. So anything you're shopping for with that budget will need to have money dumped into it OR is a total bucket that some stancebro owned.


Fact…..not opinion.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Claff said:


> Installing bushings into painted control arms, with pug supervision


Was the pug black before? Or overspray? :laugh:


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## Doug Butabi (Oct 15, 2009)

ChompBit said:


> Sure….go ahead and buy that $2000.00 NA Miata. You can….and probably will.
> 
> 
> Fact…..not opinion.


Lol, I appreciate your advice but take it down a notch. I'm clearly new to the NA market... No ones making any bad purchases any time soon. But again, thanks for the info. :thumbup:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Everything was on track and then the transmission thing happened 

Here is the new version of mousetrapping the engine cradle so we could swap the 6spd mystery box with a problem with another 6spd mystery box. 1.45hrs to remove and 1.3hrs to reinstall.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

ChompBit said:


> No. You will not find an NA Miata worth owning for $2000.00. Sure you can buy one for $2000.00 (sometimes even less). But a $2000.00 Miata is….a $2000.00 Miata.


Honestly, I feel like "worth owning" is relative. My Miata is ratty, but I paid $1,350 for it and it's been very, very good to me. No, it's not close to perfect, but it's still fun despite its failings. 

Decide what matters. A Miata with cosmetic issues but a fresh top and solid mechanicals is still a wonderful car to drive that won't give you fits. If you decide you want something prettier, you can always trade up down the road. 

If you must spend $5,000+ on a Miata, spend 6 or 7 instead and just get a NB.


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## ChompBit (Mar 4, 2015)

ByronLLN said:


> Honestly, I feel like "worth owning" is relative. My Miata is ratty, but I paid $1,350 for it and it's been very, very good to me. No, it's not close to perfect, but it's still fun despite its failings.
> 
> Decide what matters. A Miata with cosmetic issues but a fresh top and solid mechanicals is still a wonderful car to drive that won't give you fits. If you decide you want something prettier, you can always trade up down the road.
> 
> If you must spend $5,000+ on a Miata, spend 6 or 7 instead and just get a NB.


How's the msintrnace history on your $1300.00 Miata?

Has the tb and wp been done? Is the cooling system up to par? Is the suspension tired and old? Like my post states, you can get a cheap miata...but you get a cheap miata. The difference in a cheap rat and a well sorted car is worth the $2000 difference


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

ChompBit said:


> How's the msintrnace history on your $1300.00 Miata?
> 
> Has the tb and wp been done? Is the cooling system up to par? Is the suspension tired and old? Like my post states, you can get a cheap miata...but you get a cheap miata. The difference in a cheap rat and a well sorted car is worth the $2000 difference


The timing belt cost something like $18 and an afternoon of my time, and I only did it because it's cheap insurance. The water pump had been done twice before I took ownership. When it starts weeping, I'll replace it. 

Is this $5,000 assuming you're having big maintenance done by somebody else? Because if that's the case, then I get it, but if you have a set of wrenches and any kind of DIY inclination, even a "bad" Miata is cheap to maintain.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

I'm an obvious outlier because I've probably spent close to $20k on my $1900 Miata since I bought it over a decade ago. There's always the lucky few who steal a bargain of a deal or are supremely resourceful like the GRM $2014 Challenge guys. But from what I've seen in my area, a $2000 Miata is going to be a beater project car in need of everything. Decent cars are now $5k+ and really nice ones are still in the $8k-$10k range. And that's before you start talking about mods and cool things to do like turbos and Xidas.


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## AJB (Nov 11, 2002)

My 1996 Miata with 258k on it was more reliable than most of the cars I have owned. I bought it cheap and sold it for about what I had into over 18 months of ownership.

I will miss it.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*So close to being ready for the season* 

First autocross in a week or so, and then Miatas in Myrtle Beach the week after. 

Indoor, potato pic:









Oil, coolant, trans fluid, differential fluid, and brake fluid were all changed out for new. Plus the new 6ULs make an appearance on my car for the autocross season. I think I like the daisy wheels better, though.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> *So close to being ready for the season*
> 
> First autocross in a week or so, and then Miatas in Myrtle Beach the week after.
> 
> ...


I don't race mine, but it is also getting some maintenance today. Just an oil change and tire rotation are needed.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

wore out a front wheel bearing on my NA with all the ice hoonery. ~2 hours, and enough "motivation" and that was changed out. 

love maintaining these cars. so easy.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Haven't driven the VW in a week.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I think '90 is ready for the season now. Miatas in Myrtle Beach, here we come!

First I cleaned the windows and shined the tires:










Man, the original 25 year old paint is still pretty shiny:










New Googly Eyes were installed:










And then the hardtop was removed:










And here's a pic of the engine bay as it sits now. I can't wait to try out the steam cleaner I got for Christmas to make it a bit nicer.










I don't think I've really taken interior shots, so here are some:


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Smigelski said:


>


What "kit" did you use to install that dd radio?


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> New Googly Eyes were installed:


That's hilarious.:laugh:

Also, that car is super-clean. Really gives me an itch again, i'm kind of regretting checking in on this thread.:banghead:


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> What "kit" did you use to install that dd radio?


I asked the same question. That's custom trim cut from a piece of ABS. I think the brackets were a standard double-DIN mounting kit?


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

ByronLLN said:


> I asked the same question. That's custom trim cut from a piece of ABS. I think the brackets were a standard double-DIN mounting kit?


Ah, Thanks. I went JDM DD but I was curious.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Tornado2dr said:


> Also, that car is super-clean. Really gives me an itch again, i'm kind of regretting checking in on this thread.:banghead:


Do it.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Tornado2dr said:


> Also, that car is super-clean. Really gives me an itch again, i'm kind of regretting checking in on this thread.:banghead:


It looks just as good in person.


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## Slipstream (Feb 8, 2002)

Tornado2dr said:


> That's hilarious.:laugh:


Watching it autocross has to be hysterical. :laugh:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> What "kit" did you use to install that dd radio?





ByronLLN said:


> I asked the same question. That's custom trim cut from a piece of ABS. I think the brackets were a standard double-DIN mounting kit?


Byron has the answer. I used the stock mounting bracket behind the dash to mount my stereo. After that was installed, my buddy and I measured/trimmed/cut/sanded the textured ABS plastic until it formed a nice friction fit with the rest of the bezel. 

I think it looks alright, but not perfect. It's one things about my car that I'm kind of self conscious about. It matches the OEM plastic _reasonably_ well.

I just pulled it off the car and snapped some pics of it:










And I had my buddy sign and date the back :laugh:












FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> Ah, Thanks. I went JDM DD but I was curious.


I *really* want to buy the JDM 2-Din bezel for my car. I already bought the factory bracket, screws, and 1DIN cubby to use with the JDM bezel. I just need to find a decently looking single DIN stereo that integrates with the look of the car (see the ugly head unit thread). I just haven't found one yet. I think that the stereo I have in the car works reasonably well with the style of the car. Big, large buttons, tuneable color buttons and screen,etc. Nothing too fancy, but does have bluetooth (which is a necessity for me these days). I don't like that the screen has all those white labels on them, and I need to get them off for a more OEM-ish look.

Do you guys think my stereo setup works well with the car?

http://www.miataroadster.com/mazda/mazda-2din-jdm-radio-bezel/mzn04155210a00/i-411820.aspx



ByronLLN said:


> It looks just as good in person.


Thank you, sir. It's not perfect by any means, but it's nice enough where I am proud of it and want to take care of it, but not so nice that I don't want to drive or autocross it. It's going to be driven ~1300 miles this week. The car has about 111,000 miles on it now, so it's not one of those pristine 25k mile Miatas I see at Miata gatherings with the original tires on them.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> Haven't driven the VW in a week.


Both yours? Dolphin gray on the PRHT, right?


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> I used the stock mounting bracket behind the dash to mount my stereo. After that was installed, my buddy and I measured/trimmed/cut/sanded the textured ABS plastic until it formed a nice friction fit with the rest of the bezel.
> 
> I think it looks alright, but not perfect. It's one things about my car that I'm kind of self conscious about. It matches the OEM plastic _reasonably_ well.


Looks good. I was just curious because I hadn't see anything quite like that.



> Do you guys think my stereo setup works well with the car?


Decent and cheaper than the JDM bezel.




Smigelski said:


> Both yours? Dolphin gray on the PRHT, right?


Just the car in the background. I'd love to have a PRHT but got cheap when shopping.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> Do it.


Thankfully, a simple CL search in my area yields few examples that aren't beat/slammed/stanced/wrecked/ruined. Now, expanding the area brings lovely results. But I still haven't decided on which generation I like the best. I don't really care for NA(shoot me now), but they are fun to drive - the most recent NCs are the best looking, imo, but I don't want to pay that much for a toy, and the NBs I find are all either ruined, autos, or miled-up to hell and back. I also find the NBs to be very fun to drive, but I think they look more dated than NAs. NAs are so clean and simple that the look is very classic - NBs are typical bubbly '90s-mobiles.


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## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

Tornado2dr said:


> NAs are so clean and simple that the look is very classic.


This.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Tornado2dr said:


> Thankfully, a simple CL search in my area yields few examples that aren't beat/slammed/stanced/wrecked/ruined. Now, expanding the area brings lovely results. But I still haven't decided on which generation I like the best. I don't really care for NA(shoot me now), but they are fun to drive - the most recent NCs are the best looking, imo, but I don't want to pay that much for a toy, and the NBs I find are all either ruined, autos, or miled-up to hell and back. I also find the NBs to be very fun to drive, but I think they look more dated than NAs. NAs are so clean and simple that the look is very classic - NBs are typical bubbly '90s-mobiles.


If you want a clean, well maintained example at a decent price, it's really worth while to look further South, and take a trip down to drive the car back. Especially for NAs. 

I owned an NC as well and, with a few simple mods, they are a real joy to drive. I like the way the earlier NCs look, but the 2009+ improvements are hard to ignore. 

NBs really come into their own with some of the more special colors, IMO.

1999 10 Anniversary Edition:










2000 Mahogany Mica:










2001 BRG:









2004 Velocity Red:


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

i owned a 10th AE for awhile. loved that color, probably one of my favorite colors on a car period. it looked so good with the hardtop. :beer:


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> If you want a clean, well maintained example at a decent price, it's really worth while to look further South, and take a trip down to drive the car back. Especially for NAs.
> 
> I owned an NC as well and, with a few simple mods, they are a real joy to drive. I like the way the earlier NCs look, but the 2009+ improvements are hard to ignore.
> 
> NBs really come into their own with some of the more special colors, IMO.


Of course, all of those pictures make me love the nb. I perfer the NB with zero body-kit/skirts/spoiler - I actually like the look of more ground clearance and I think the bodykits _look_ like tacky add ons at some angles. 

South/North. Yeah, everytime I expand and look south I find really pretty cars- north of the VA/NC border and you get into some rough examples that have been used as daily commuters and street-parkers in the city(nothing wrong with that, just not for me). I'm sure all of this has been said in here, though.


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## Slipstream (Feb 8, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> 2004 Velocity Red:


My father-in-law has a MSM in Velocity Red that he bought from a local Chevy store for peanuts. He seems to be driving it less and less as he gets older. Like, <2k mi a year. My MIL always suggests selling it but he isn't there yet.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Tornado2dr said:


> Thankfully, a simple CL search in my area yields few examples that aren't beat/slammed/stanced/wrecked/ruined. Now, expanding the area brings lovely results.


You're a man with discerning taste, I'm well aware. :laugh:

It was the same in my area, there were a lot of messed up, rusty or raced out Miatas. I just wanted a clean, unmolested example.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Slipstream said:


> My father-in-law has a MSM in Velocity Red that he bought from a local Chevy store for peanuts. He seems to be driving it less and less as he gets older. Like, <2k mi a year. My MIL always suggests selling it but he isn't there yet.



I love Velocity Red. I always said that if I repaint my NA, I'll paint it in Velocity Red. My dad's (red) NA needed a repaint, and I convinced him to switch to Velocity Red. Such a pretty color. 

Now my current Miata color crush is the Soul Red that's on the Mazda6s and Mazda3s. I want my NA to be _that_ color.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Tornado2dr said:


> Of course, all of those pictures make me love the nb. I perfer the NB with zero body-kit/skirts/spoiler - I actually like the look of more ground clearance and* I think the bodykits look like tacky add ons at some angles*.
> 
> South/North. Yeah, everytime I expand and look south I find really pretty cars- north of the VA/NC border and you get into some rough examples that have been used as daily commuters and street-parkers in the city(nothing wrong with that, just not for me). I'm sure all of this has been said in here, though.


There's a reason why we call the NB body kits 'tuperware' in the Miata community. 

Call these guys up. They know Miatas very well and get good examples in regularly. They are well regarded on Miata.net.

http://www.funcarsforsale.com/inventory/?f[make_name]=Mazda&f[vcondition]=used


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Finally dragged mine out of the garage after hibernation. It carried me to work this morning. Forgot how freakin' quick 98 horsepower can feel.

First autocross is this weekend. It may actually be below freezing for my runs. Oof. This oughta be good.


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## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Forgot how freakin' quick 98 horsepower can feel.


IKR!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Compare and contrast my dad's Velocity Red with my original Classic Red.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

My GRRRR face


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## rsStewie (Jan 25, 2008)

Found a 10th anniversary with 115k miles negotiated to $6,000 out the door. Mechanically solid, interior is a little dirty and the front bumper is a little chipped from highway duty. Good deal?

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/631928193/overview/


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

rsStewie said:


> Found a 10th anniversary with 115k miles negotiated to $6,000 out the door. Mechanically solid, interior is a little dirty and the front bumper is a little chipped from highway duty. Good deal?
> 
> http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/631928193/overview/


It seems like an okay deal. Not great, though. A lot of people will pay extra for the 10AE, and it's reflected in the price. It's a fantastic color.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

It's 73 F here now, so I had to take my NA for a spin


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Took the hardtop off today since it was 70 degrees for a drive with the lady. Forgot how much I love the open air, the immense smells with the top down (good or bad), the trumpeting Cobalt exhaust that sounds like a 60's MG, and the huge amount of fatigue after the drive relative to if you have the hardtop on.

Days like these remind me why this car is so damn amazing. Even at normal speeds with the top down it just feels good. :heart:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> My GRRRR face


This version is better!


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Well, my sob story continues, unfortunately.

I got my car all finished up, 1.8l swapped in, transmission swapped in, cooling system is all new, new tires, hollowspoke wheels, new clutch hydraulics, all new ignition bits, etc etc.

Get the car fired up right as it starts to get really nice out, I was pretty happy about all this. Smoked a little on start up, but the engine had been sitting for a long time, and it went away quickly, whatever.

But the smoking got worse. Then I found muddy coolant. Awesome. Got about 300 miles on it, now I have to tear it down and replace the head gasket. Going to do the valve stem seals while I've got it apart. If the piston rings are bad too I'm just gonna burn the car to the ground haha.

I've gotta say, I'm getting pretty fed up with this car pretty quickly. It's fun, I really enjoy driving it, but if it keeps this **** up, I'm gonna unload it this summer and get something the goes through engines a little slower... Like an RX8.

Here it is during the brief period of time it was running under its own power hahaha.









I have not been the best advocate for this thread haha, sorry guys. But at this point I may have to back up the "be weary of cheap Miatas" stance.


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## firstorbit84 (Feb 25, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> Now my current Miata color crush is the Soul Red that's on the Mazda6s and Mazda3s. I want my NA to be _that_ color.


Ditto. I want all my cars to be that color.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Hogan said:


> But the smoking got worse. Then I found muddy coolant. Awesome. Got about 300 miles on it, now I have to tear it down and replace the head gasket. Going to do the valve stem seals while I've got it apart. If the piston rings are bad too I'm just gonna burn the car to the ground haha.


Well, ****, man. That sucks. I can't believe it needs a head gasket already at that mileage. 

Really sorry to see you're having bad luck with the swap.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

ByronLLN said:


> Well, ****, man. That sucks. I can't believe it needs a head gasket already at that mileage.
> 
> Really sorry to see you're having bad luck with the swap.


X2. I don't usually hear of head gasket problems on Miatas outside of overheating issues caused by something else. Good luck with fixing it.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

ByronLLN said:


> Well, ****, man. That sucks. I can't believe it needs a head gasket already at that mileage.
> 
> Really sorry to see you're having bad luck with the swap.


Thanks man, yeah, I couldn't believe it either. Honestly, the valve stem seals would make more sense since it was sitting for so long, perhaps even piston rings, but that's a big surprise. I'm going to do a little more diagnostic work, but it's looking like that's the issue.

The good news is that it's really easy to pull the head on these things, I could probably have it off in an hour or two. It'll be on the road again soon, worse things have happened to this thing haha

Love the new Mustang, by the way.


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## J2G (Aug 9, 2012)

Sorry to hear about your troubles.  But... how can piston rings cause coolant and oil mixture?


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

J2G said:


> Sorry to hear about your troubles.  But... how can piston rings cause coolant and oil mixture?


It can't. He has a head gasket issue.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

J2G said:


> Sorry to hear about your troubles.  But... how can piston rings cause coolant and oil mixture?





Sledge said:


> It can't. He has a head gasket issue.


This is correct.

I initially thought it was either valve stem seals or piston rings due to the heavy oil burning/smoke on cold starts. These would both be the probable culprits for an issue like that.

But now that I found the mess in the cooling system, I figured out I've got a head gasket issue, HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I don't have multiple issues here, so I'm not ruling the piston rings out completely.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Meanwhile I assume even a $1000 Miata, if running fine when purchased, will continue to run fine for a while. It's just gonna need lots of little stuff, blow up the brown radiator in a bit, and be really rusty. Not require a friggin' engine swap and head gasket. Sorry to hear about the personal hell you're going through.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Meanwhile I assume even a $1000 Miata, if running fine when purchased, will continue to run fine for a while. It's just gonna need lots of little stuff, blow up the brown radiator in a bit, and be really rusty. Not require a friggin' engine swap and head gasket. Sorry to hear about the personal hell you're going through.


His donor car was running well enough when purchased for me to comfortably drive it from Dayton, OH to Annapolis. Needed tires (I brought spares) but mechanically it seemed fine.


----------



## THE KILLER RABBIT (Jun 2, 2003)

is there a resource for NA cars. i'm interested in finding out about how to identify the cars and their trims (not just special editions).


----------



## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*



THE KILLER RABBIT said:


> is there a resource for NA cars. i'm interested in finding out about how to identify the cars and their trims (not just special editions).


http://www.miata.net/faq/america/


----------



## THE KILLER RABBIT (Jun 2, 2003)

lausch said:


> http://www.miata.net/faq/america/


that is bloody glorious. :thumbup:


----------



## Nuieve (Aug 20, 2009)

Although I don't plan on buying one, it's kind of sad that NAs becoming quite rare... at least ones in decent shape. It's been years since I saw a non-beaten up NA for sale in this neck of woods.


----------



## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

but it's relatively easy to "fix" a beat-up miata. maybe except for smashed rear quarters and cut up wiring harness. there's enough resources to easily replace almost everything.


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

There are still plenty of good NA Miatas to go around. Just be patient and a deal come along!

While I'm on the wrong coast for 2 weeks I have been getting my orphan Laguna Blue 94 FM2 back In shape. 

Rather peculuiar previous owner.... He Had Flyin Miata build this car and threw a full catalog at it and then proceeded to install Autozone fog lights, Altezza tails and a bottom of the barrel audio system. 

Also, 4 giant mudflaps look really choice with a proper 4 point roll bar...

I finally got the Link Software running right and FM2 turbo kit runs butter smooth.
Passed NJ inspection today :laugh::laugh:

I can't believe how hard this thing pulls in any gear. It is absolutely terrifying to watch the boost gauge creep towards 14psi.

If you haven't experienced a boosted Miata you have to, they are an absolute riot!


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

ByronLLN said:


> His donor car was running well enough when purchased for me to comfortably drive it from Dayton, OH to Annapolis. Needed tires (I brought spares) but mechanically it seemed fine.


Yeah, I wanna get this out of the way first and foremost, the car was in (mechanically) great shape when I bought it as a parts car from you. I'm not quite sure what happened, but it definitely has nothing to do you, at all.

But that's also why I suspected valve seals or even piston rings, you know, from getting sticky or dried out from sitting for awhile. The head gasket thing really surprised me.

We'll see, I'm going to start disassembly on it today after work, the head gasket should be here any day now. I'll post my findings after I get it all apart.



Roadkilled78 said:


> Meanwhile I assume even a $1000 Miata, if running fine when purchased, will continue to run fine for a while. It's just gonna need lots of little stuff, blow up the brown radiator in a bit, and be really rusty. Not require a friggin' engine swap and head gasket. Sorry to hear about the personal hell you're going through.


Well honestly, I just got unlucky with this one. This is not my first Miata, in fact, this has been the most expensive Miata I've ever bought. I've had a '93 that was $1500 with a hardtop, a $900 '91, and a '93 "Black Miata" special edition that also cost me $900. I spent $2300 on this one, which is hardly breaking the bank, but it's considerably more than the others. And of course, this has been the most unreliable. It's just been a series of bad luck, for lack of a better reason. 

My original 1.6l let go, then I got this 1.8l in there with no problems, it took forever to get it done cause I was storing the car in my parents driveway, and I lived about 45 minutes away and could only get to it on occasion cause of my work schedule, no other setbacks with broken parts, etc, the 1.6l->1.8l swap is a piece of cake, it was just geographically inconvenient, so the engine sat a little. That said, I can't think of any reason a modern engine shouldn't be able to sit for about 9 months without developing any issues. No idea where this head gasket thing came from.

That said, it should be in pretty solid shape after this, partially cause it's running out of bits to break haha, but I've been over everything and can't see any other unforeseen issues popping up. I just have to decide if I'm sick of the thing or not.


----------



## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

At Homestead Speedway with a track buddy(I had mine first).


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

It is time.

#ReadyForMyFirstMiata

I'm looking for something very entry level...about $2500...I can't find anyything good in the CA Bay Area. 

Help!!!!


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> It is time.
> 
> #ReadyForMyFirstMiata
> 
> ...


I can't believe that. For $2500 you aren't going to find a perfect car, though. What are your priorities? Maintenance? Outward appearance?


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> I can't believe that. For $2500 you aren't going to find a perfect car, though. What are your priorities? Maintenance? Outward appearance?


Just something I can start with. As long as I have my GTI I can't spend too much on a second. So unless I get out of the GTI (which I've considered) and have two beaters I need to start low.

I can deal with dings and such...I guess I don't know where to start. I want a 99 but it's not realistic yet. So NA is fine.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> Just something I can start with. As long as I have my GTI I can't spend too much on a second. So unless I get out of the GTI (which I've considered) and have two beaters I need to start low.
> 
> I can deal with dings and such...I guess I don't know where to start. I want a 99 but it's not realistic yet. So NA is fine.


How about something like this:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/4970338968.html

or this: 
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/4974088248.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4979027819.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4977191109.html

http://modesto.craigslist.org/cto/4957644854.html

http://stockton.craigslist.org/cto/4974286796.html


I'm not sure what your priorities are, but some of those seem decent.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> http://stockton.craigslist.org/cto/4974286796.html


If it's as-described, this is tempting. What seats are those?


----------



## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

I am selling mine if anyone is interested. I want to keep it but family comes first. And since we have a gti, I'm only allowed to keep one.


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

dslinc said:


> I am selling mine if anyone is interested. I want to keep it but family comes first. And since we have a gti, I'm only allowed to keep one.


What's it look like? How much? (If it's in this thread I'm not searching through 74 pages)


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

ByronLLN said:


> If it's as-described, this is tempting. What seats are those?


"Buyer smogs....

...don't waste my time..."

Nope. Good bye.


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

This one wasn't bad.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/4974088248.html


----------



## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

Pm me and I'll send you the link. I haven't looked through all the pages here but it is not on the recent links I've seen


----------



## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

ByronLLN said:


> If it's as-described, this is tempting. What seats are those?


This car looks clean. Buyer smogs though, that's the only part that I don't like. Other than that, it's worth to look at.


----------



## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

http://www.mossyhondalemongrove.com/used-San+Diego-1990-Mazda-Miata-Super+Charged-JM1NA3510L0120004

What do you guys think this car is worth? It's a supercharged '90 with only 57k miles. I got the sales manager to email me more pics of it with the hard top on. It looks extremely clean in higher resolution pics. I'm 99% sure I used to see an older gentleman driving it around in El Cajon about a year ago. My buddy just picked up an NB but I like the NA's more. Now I'm itching to get one.

I'm going to look at it tomorrow. I bought my Golf R and GLI from Mossy dealerships, so I'm hoping that gives me some leverage on the price. I think 6500 is way too much for it. It was listed at 7k a week ago. I'm also planning on paying cash for it (if that matters when it comes time to negotiate). 

What do you guys think? Is it way too much? What would you pay for it?


----------



## horribleR (Feb 1, 2010)

6500 is pretty darn reasonable. 

if you don't want to pay that you can always buy a higher mileage beat to **** one for less.


----------



## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Well I drove the miata I linked above. it is very clean, but there is a loud rattle coming from underneath it. Not sure what it is.


----------



## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

Is it a mechanical resonance? Could be the exhaust and/or heat shield. Does it happen over bumps? Could be the sway bar end links. Neither a deal breaker.


----------



## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

lausch said:


> Is it a mechanical resonance? Could be the exhaust and/or heat shield. Does it happen over bumps? Could be the sway bar end links. Neither a deal breaker.


I think it was something exhaust related. The sound would start at about 3/4 throttle and get progressively louder with more throttle input. 

Even though I've purchased two cars from one of their other dealers and was going to pay cash, they wouldn't budge on the price. It was 6500, and honestly it is probably worth it. Pictures don't do it justice. I wanted to buy it, but my wife said if I was spending over 5k I might as well get another ap1. I was hoping they could do under 6k otd. 

I'm gonna keep my eye on it. They said people were having a hard time financing it since kbb puts it much lower than their asking price. If they drop it a tad more I'll probably go back. the car was a hoot to drive.


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

jpwalker90 said:


> I think it was something exhaust related. The sound would start at about 3/4 throttle and get progressively louder with more throttle input.
> 
> Even though I've purchased two cars from one of their other dealers and was going to pay cash, they wouldn't budge on the price. It was 6500, and honestly it is probably worth it. Pictures don't do it justice. I wanted to buy it, but my wife said if I was spending over 5k I might as well get another ap1. I was hoping they could do under 6k otd.
> 
> I'm gonna keep my eye on it. They said people were having a hard time financing it since kbb puts it much lower than their asking price. If they drop it a tad more I'll probably go back. the car was a hoot to drive.


That's a good price. How is it legal in CA? Does it have a CARB sticker for the supercharger kit. If that is California legal supercharged Miata I would definitely pick that up for $6500. That is a sound investment since I have to form a Nevada LLC just to bring my Turbo Miata here from NJ.

A properly supercharged NA will be very very fun to own and I honestly think a stock S2K won't match it in smiles per gallon. 

Just picked up a wrecked 95 M Edition for pretty cheap. Have a free week so will part it out. That interior will look very good in my Laguna Blue A Package. So now I have 3 Miatas, time to see a shrink.


----------



## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

It is carb legal, and I know it's a good deal. Just a little more than I wanted to pay for a NA. I know they've had it for a few weeks, so maybe if it sits there for a few more they'll give me a call. Thi is the first time I've ever wanted a dealership to call me about a car


----------



## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

EuroAtomic said:


> That's a good price. How is it legal in CA? Does it have a CARB sticker for the supercharger kit. If that is California legal supercharged Miata I would definitely pick that up for $6500. That is a sound investment since I have to form a Nevada LLC just to bring my Turbo Miata here from NJ.
> 
> A properly supercharged NA will be very very fun to own and I honestly think a stock S2K won't match it in smiles per gallon.
> 
> Just picked up a wrecked 95 M Edition for pretty cheap. Have a free week so will part it out. That interior will look very good in my Laguna Blue A Package. So now I have 3 Miatas, time to see a shrink.


And the 95M wheels too on the Laguna.


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Phil Pugliese said:


> And the 95M wheels too on the Laguna.


Indeed. I probably will have a problem with traction with tire limited width that I can fit on that rim. But I might as well give it a try. For some reason this M came with very good Bridgestone RE-11 tires that supposedly grip very well.


----------



## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

EuroAtomic said:


> Indeed. I probably will have a problem with traction with tire limited width that I can fit on that rim. But I might as well give it a try. For some reason this M came with very good Bridgestone RE-11 tires that supposedly grip very well.


Lets run it up to Mosquito Ridge once you get it done.


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Phil Pugliese said:


> Lets run it up to Mosquito Ridge once you get it done.



Sounds like a Plan :thumbup: I'll PM you.


----------



## VDuBeats (Apr 21, 2010)

My roadster.


----------



## sp3nt (Oct 3, 2008)

*Canadian Prices*

So I don't know if I am under the wrong impression but I thought NA miatas were cheap to get into. I am finding in Canada, they are priced either the same as NB's or a few grand less (6-9k). Am I crazy thinking they should be priced way lower or is this how the market is? 

Examples:

NA: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...le/1066647421?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

NB: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...ed/1066075348?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Crazy or just misinformed?


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

sp3nt said:


> So I don't know if I am under the wrong impression but I thought NA miatas were cheap to get into. I am finding in Canada, they are priced either the same as NB's or a few grand less (6-9k). Am I crazy thinking they should be priced way lower or is this how the market is?
> 
> Examples:
> 
> ...


That NA is definitely overpriced but used NA prices have been on the upswing in the last couple of years since all the drift kiddies/stancetards have gotten their hands on them. The NB is not as popular just yet but I can see it increasing in price in a few years as well.


----------



## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

well.. I've gone and done it. 2.5 years without one of these things is far too long. 


recently acquired 2004 Black Cherry Mica


----------



## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

oh wowwww :thumbup:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

After riding on the 26 year old stock suspension for way too damn long, I came across a deal on cr.net that I couldn't pass up. A member was selling his Tein Basic (with 7k/5k springs, as opposed to 7k/6k stock from Tein) with FCM bumps and tophats. I had to have them so I bought them within 20 minutes of him posting it.










I got around to installing them Saturday. Took me just under 7 hours from jack up to jack down, with taking my sweet ass time. First time I've done suspension on the Miata, it wasn't too difficult, just a lot of stuff in tension that made bolts a little harder to pull out.

Set ride height to what I was before (about 13F/13.5R) so I could keep my alignment and not scrape on everything and took it for a spin. It seemed a little too oversteer-y for my taste, so I went ahead and removed the rear sway endlinks. After that it had a very nice, close to stock balance.

The ride is almost as good as the worn out stock stuff (and actually even better than stock on the highway) and it handles PHENOMENALLY BETTER than stock. I love how absolutely flat it is now, and transitions don't upset the car and make it roll and oversteer the other direction. It's also really more controllable in a slide, just a quick dab of opposite straightens the car out again. For the price, I love it :heart:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Oh look! A penny!


----------



## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

I plan on this upgrade for my 2.0L NC Miata...(30 HP and 18 TQs)

Header, exhaust + tune unlocks the potential of the MZR. From what I hear in the NC community, it transforms the car.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Bibs said:


> I plan on this upgrade for my 2.0L NC Miata...(30 HP and 18 TQs)
> 
> Header, exhaust + tune unlocks the potential of the MZR. From what I hear in the NC community, it transforms the car.



Where was this when I had my NC? I like. I'm going to do something similar with my BRZ pretty soon.


----------



## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

I sold mine last Thursday


----------



## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Absolutely gorgeous example of a BRG Special Edition NA on Bring a trailer right now!












http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-miata-special-edition-9830-original-miles-british-racing-green/


----------



## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

I really need to wash my car.


----------



## sforsancho (May 1, 2010)

dslinc said:


> I sold mine last Thursday


You'll be back 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...-Miata-commercial-that-ll-do-Mazda-That-ll-do


----------



## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

CostcoPizza said:


> Absolutely gorgeous example of a BRG Special Edition NA on Bring a trailer right now!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


God damn.


----------



## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

sforsancho said:


> You'll be back
> 
> http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...-Miata-commercial-that-ll-do-Mazda-That-ll-do


Man that was a good commercial! I'll be back for sure hahaha


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

CostcoPizza said:


> Absolutely gorgeous example of a BRG Special Edition NA on Bring a trailer right now!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Holy crap. :heart:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> Holy crap. :heart:


It's fantastic. I kind of want it, but at the same time I kind of don't.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> It's fantastic. I kind of want it, but at the same time I kind of don't.


I'd drive the piss out of that thing. Don't care one bit that it's in showroom condition 24 years later.

I showed it to my wife, and she asked - will you get rid of the 944? 

Damn house and it's one car garage


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> I'd drive the piss out of that thing. Don't care one bit that it's in showroom condition 24 years later.
> 
> I showed it to my wife, and she asked - will you get rid of the 944?
> 
> Damn house and it's one car garage


If you are just going to drive the piss out of it, there's plenty of Miatas in great shape that will sell for half of what this will end up going for (which I guess will be about $10k, maybe more). That's one thing I love about my car. It's in great shape, but no where near a collector status so I don't mind driving the hell out of it. 


Besides that, I'm not even sure I like the BRG Miatas enough to own one, let alone owning a 'collector' example.

Also, I looked through all the pics provided:



















The rear doesn't bother me much, but the giant scrape/touch up on the front does.


----------



## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

It has 9800~ miles, you could drive it a relatively decent 6k miles a year for 5+ years and still be under 50,000 :laugh:

Nothing makes me tempted to get out of the MG like a minty fresh NA


----------



## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> The rear doesn't bother me much, but the giant scrape/touch up on the front does.


Look like pretty cheap fixes to be "perfect".

But really, that is a pretty awesome example.


----------



## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

A BRG on tan would be the holy grail for me. Just illustrating how careless I could be in a situation like this. 

When I do have extra garage space, I'll probably get serious about looking. This one with the factory hard top, and 95% of the car being perfect just especially sticks out for me, and I probably would overpay for it since it's so much up my alley.


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> Oh look! A penny!


All it needs is headlight eyelashes 😃


----------



## Euro Skank (Feb 1, 2008)

I have a 1973 restored super beetle with spare turbo motor and trans I'm trying to trade for a clean miata. If anyone has a lead on one please hit me up. 

Im in the NorthEast. 

six one ohhhh 533- six 8 eight six


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sledge said:


> All it needs is headlight eyelashes 😃


Nah. That would be gimmicky.


----------



## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> Nah. That would be gimmicky.


Too much too (the gold tooth)?


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Not the most common or easiest drift car, but it still gets it done...


----------



## retro_rocket (Apr 17, 2002)

Pair of Sunburst Yellow NAs found on my local CL, both look a bit haggard but might be of interest to someone here:

http://lancaster.craigslist.org/cto/5043634537.html
http://lancaster.craigslist.org/cto/5043514371.html


----------



## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Definitely haggard, but they both seem to be sold now so....


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

These are some pictures I took from the 9th Annual *Zoomin' the Mountains of East Tennessee *Miata event in Johnson City Tennessee. 

Three 25 Anniversary Editions together. Only made 1000 worldwide. That Soul Red!


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Smigelski said:


>


I love and own Miatas but are there really shows where you open the hood like this?


----------



## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> I love and own Miatas but are there really shows where you open the hood like this?


Looks like he takes pride in keeping it clean, so why not show it off?


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

CaleDeRoo said:


> Looks like he takes pride in keeping it clean, so why not show it off?


Awesome. 

Back to my question, are there shows where many Miatas line up and open their hoods? Serious question.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> Awesome.
> 
> Back to my question, are there shows where many Miatas line up and open their hoods? Serious question.


I usually go to two or three big(ger) Miata events each year - Miatas at Myrtle Beach, Zoomin' the Mountains of East Tennessee (the event in question), and some others. Some of these events have Miata-only car shows (since all the cars there are Miatas).

Since we are showing off our cars, it's requisite to open the hood to show off how modified/clean/stock our engine bays are (depending on what class we are competing in).


In retrospect, I'm not sure what the crux of your question is. Are you questioning:

A) That there are gatherings of a couple hundred Miatas?
B) That at these gatherings there are sometimes car shows where we show off our cars and get awards?
C) That at these car shows we have to open our hoods?


Answers:
A) There are a lot of active Miata clubs and they sometimes host yearly gatherings an invite anyone that wants to come. There are typically registration costs and a lot of time these fees get donated directly to some kind of charity. 
B) At these events, people need activities. There are drives, autocrosses, corn hole, car shows, laps on tracks, etc. 
C) I think I addressed this.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> I love and own Miatas but are there really shows where you open the hood like this?


EDIT: The car in question won the Survivor Class in the car show. It also took FTD in the autocross. It's also mine. eace:


----------



## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> In retrospect, I'm not sure what the crux of your question is.


I think the crux of his question is that he was trying to be a little douchey.


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Since we are showing off our cars, it's requisite to open the hood to show off how modified/clean/stock our engine bays are (depending on what class we are competing in).


:thumbup::thumbup: Gotcha.

This is exactly what I was wondering. Never been to a Miata show or event. That makes sense.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

What do y'all think of my most recent (small) modification?









(just something fun since I love alfas, and I'm actually Irish )


----------



## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> :thumbup::thumbup: Gotcha.
> 
> This is exactly what I was wondering. Never been to a Miata show or event. That makes sense.


Never been to a car show at all?


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I can barely tell the difference!


----------



## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

I need a Miata.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I can barely tell the difference!



It really sucks they had it roped off. I'm looking forward to sitting in one. I don't know how much information I would have gleaned from going and looking at it in person if I wasn't even allowed to get close to it.


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Claff said:


>


Very cool. I love that it only looks a small proportion bigger.


----------



## panamajackLGT (Feb 8, 2008)

Just picked up a Boss frog singlehoop clearview for $150


----------



## Marc86Golf2 (Jul 21, 2005)

going to pick up a 91 NA long nose today. 104k original miles. ill post up pics once in my possession.

what do you guys think one should be spending on said car. its very clean very minimal surface rust, no maintenance history that i can get my hands on.


----------



## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

When I sold mine, I sold it for $2500, maintenance papers on hand and no rust. 230k miles on it though

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk


----------



## thatsoobiedude (Jul 16, 2015)

ok dudes, thinking of grabbing a miata as a fun, top down summertime car (live in Westchester NY)

looking to spend, preferably, under $5k. can i find a decently reliable model in that range? if so, what years should i look for? any tips? i'll be reading the whole thread but wanted to get some quick answers!

:wave:


----------



## WakusPakus (Feb 13, 2012)

njfastlife said:


> ok dudes, thinking of grabbing a miata as a fun, top down summertime car (live in Westchester NY)
> 
> looking to spend, preferably, under $5k. can i find a decently reliable model in that range? if so, what years should i look for? any tips? i'll be reading the whole thread but wanted to get some quick answers!
> 
> :wave:


is this after or before you buy your Subaru Forester XT/Yota Taco?:laugh:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

njfastlife said:


> ok dudes, thinking of grabbing a miata as a fun, top down summertime car (live in Westchester NY)
> 
> looking to spend, preferably, under $5k. can i find a decently reliable model in that range? if so, what years should i look for? any tips? i'll be reading the whole thread but wanted to get some quick answers!


$5K should get you either a real clean NA (I mean REAL clean) or a halfway decent 99-02ish. NB prices seem to be all over the place, but typically on the low side compared to where decent NAs were five or so years ago.

Try both a NA and NB, and if you're really curious, both a 1.6 NA and a 1.8 NA as they have different personalities. After that you can decide which you prefer and then get more serious about finding the right car that meets your preferences.


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## thatsoobiedude (Jul 16, 2015)

WakusPakus said:


> is this after or before you buy your Subaru Forester XT/Yota Taco?:laugh:





have been wanting a miata for awhile! and i think im set on the forester


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## EdRacer71 (May 10, 2006)

Followers of this thread will LOVE this week's blipshift shirt...

http://blipshift.com/products/no-wo...345845629&mc_cid=3dff7976af&mc_eid=90400ac5c9


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## D_B_Jetta (Apr 27, 2006)

EdRacer71 said:


> Followers of this thread will LOVE this week's blipshift shirt...


Just saw the same thing! lol

At the racetrack, the mighty racetrack, Meeata runs tonight. 
Aaaeeeeeeee-mum-oh-weh! 
Near the apex, the fearsome apex, Meeata hits tonight! 
Aaaeeeeeeee-mum-oh-weh! 
Hush my tires, don't squeal my tires, Meeata treats you nice! 
Aaaeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaahhhhhh aaaeee aa-mum-oh-weh!!

:beer:
G


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Seeing this thread pop up again inspired me to go out to the parking lot and snap a pic. This is one of the very few days I drive my Miata to work.


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Seeing this thread pop up again inspired me to go out to the parking lot and snap a pic. This is one of the very few days I drive my Miata to work.


Love your vehicles list. I've got a weekend sports car, a weekend sports car, and a weekend SUV of motorcycles!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Your interior will fade! You should find a tonneau cover.


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## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

Picture taken yesterday at a Time Attack event:


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Finally accepted that the answer is, in fact, Miata. Picked up an '04 Mazdaspeed today


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

*SR20 Miata*

I've been driving the wheels off this thing since we finished it a few weeks ago. 200HP really suits the car well


1991 Miata with 1996 Nissan S15 Silvia SR20 Autech (a 2L 4cyl, normally aspirated engine tuned to 200HP from Nissan's in-house tuner) and 6spd transmission. 

































Still working some bugs out to keep the high compression engine happy on pump gas, but here's a clip of our first shakedown run (less than 20miles since completion)


Vroom Vroom on a closed course


If you didn't see 16Volt's thread about this, there are more pictures HERE


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

Diamond Dave said:


> I've been driving the wheels off this thing since we finished it a few weeks ago. 200HP really suits the car well
> 
> 
> 1991 Miata with 1996 Nissan S15 Silvia SR20 Autech (a 2L 4cyl, normally aspirated engine tuned to 200HP from Nissan's in-house tuner) and 6spd transmission.
> ...


Nice!!  

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> I've been driving the wheels off this thing since we finished it a few weeks ago. 200HP really suits the car well
> 
> 1991 Miata with 1996 Nissan S15 Silvia SR20 Autech (a 2L 4cyl, normally aspirated engine tuned to 200HP from Nissan's in-house tuner) and 6spd transmission.


Good god. 
Now THAT's a freaking beautiful project. I love every bit of that thing. Congrats. :thumbup::beer:


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> 1991 Miata with 1996 Nissan S15 Silvia SR20 Autech (a 2L 4cyl, normally aspirated engine tuned to 200HP from Nissan's in-house tuner) and 6spd transmission.


:thumbup::thumbup: Very very cool.


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## sp3nt (Oct 3, 2008)

*Buying Advice*

Hopefully going out to look at a '92 miata this weekend (if not raining) that has been prepped for Auto-X. Owner says it is a California car (currently located in Canada) and has the following modifications/maintenance:

-Racingbeat sway bars, links
-Racing beat springs
-KYB AGX Adjustable struts
-Racing Hawk pads
-Brembo Rotors
-Newer rad and hoses
-Timing belt and water pump done (not sure when)


Also says paint is "Ok".

Anything I should be wary of or keep an eye out on this miata?


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## blimey (Nov 12, 2000)

Just started my search this week. Not much to choose from here in central Ohio


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

So last night while refueling my FTC, I see a brand spanking new red ND by one of the local pubs. It is taking all my willpower to not sell the NA


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

blimey said:


> Just started my search this week. Not much to choose from here in central Ohio


It's really worth it to look further south and fly down to bring a much better car up.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

blimey said:


> Just started my search this week. Not much to choose from here in central Ohio


If you wish, check Sacramento/Bay Area Craigslist and if you find a cherry, rust free car I can go and take a look at it for you.
I don't mind and I do know Miatas. I have a lot of free time when I'm in Cali so feel free to shoot me a PM.


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

I agree with the previous post. There's a bunch of miatas for sale here in the bay

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk


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## sp3nt (Oct 3, 2008)

*Test drove miata*

So I test drove the miata I mentioned earlier. Second miata I have been in (first was not a good example) and have a few questions:

1. I realize it is a 20+ year old car, but is it supposed to rattle alot?
2. Is second gear hard to get into when downshifting? 5->4->3 were easy to get into but 2nd seemed like the synchros were going or something and resisted being downshifted into.
3. Is the paint on early Miatas problematic? Seller was telling me the paint had hard time sticking to the car even during re-sprays.


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

sp3nt said:


> So I test drove the miata I mentioned earlier. Second miata I have been in (first was not a good example) and have a few questions:
> 
> 1. I realize it is a 20+ year old car, but is it supposed to rattle alot?
> 2. Is second gear hard to get into when downshifting? 5->4->3 were easy to get into but 2nd seemed like the synchros were going or something and resisted being downshifted into.
> 3. Is the paint on early Miatas problematic? Seller was telling me the paint had hard time sticking to the car even during re-sprays.


1 - Mine didn't rattle 

2 - The synchros were a problem on mine. Not downshifting but simply shifting.

3 - My paint was rebuffed and it remained fine after that. 

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)




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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Phil Pugliese said:


>


I'd drag that out of a field. :thumbup:


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

sp3nt said:


> 1. I realize it is a 20+ year old car, but is it supposed to rattle alot?
> 2. Is second gear hard to get into when downshifting? 5->4->3 were easy to get into but 2nd seemed like the synchros were going or something and resisted being downshifted into.
> 3. Is the paint on early Miatas problematic? Seller was telling me the paint had hard time sticking to the car even during re-sprays.


1) Can you tell what is rattling? Window cables/rollers loosen up and let the windows rattle when down. If you slam the door and it makes a racket, there's your problem.
2) It varies depending on the life the 20-year-old-trans has had. Ford motorcraft fluid is known to make them a lot happier but I've never used it myself. I had 275k mile, 165k mile and 54k mile Miatas and none of them had an issue with 2nd. Heck, I could slam any of them into 1st without a problem too.
3) The white paint on 90-93s falls right off. So if you repaint over white, it'll still come off again.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

I think this looks pretty good for the price.

NA owners- Should I buy one? I want a fun car that dosen't require lots of work. 

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5105921735.html


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

I understand the previous post was addressed to NA owners.. but NB is not that different of a beast. Mechanically similar besides the availability of a smaller engine for some NA. 

These are great cars. I would advise it to anyone, regardless what other cars you might have have. Great to work on if the need arises. NA has the most complete documentation of any generation, and you'll find the most used parts online for NA as well. Very little to these cars cannot be done in your garage at home. And many things have youtube videos for repairs. 

Not sure about the price on that one, looking around you may well be able to do some better on the price. The person who posted the ad at least went to reasonable effort to discuss the car, which is more than you find often looking for a car of this age and this low price on craigslist. So that maybe says something. 

My advice.. drive a few before ever picking one to buy. The more the better. for 3k.. you can find an NB if you like that better, though it will have higher mileage. My experience with these cars (I've owned 2) says that mileage is not much of an issue even if its high mileage, the care and maintenance is what matters.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Fined said:


> I understand the previous post was addressed to NA owners.. but NB is not that different of a beast. Mechanically similar besides the availability of a smaller engine for some NA.
> 
> These are great cars. I would advise it to anyone, regardless what other cars you might have have. Great to work on if the need arises. NA has the most complete documentation of any generation, and you'll find the most used parts online for NA as well. Very little to these cars cannot be done in your garage at home. And many things have youtube videos for repairs.
> 
> ...


Thanks. 

I think for around $2500-$3500, I'd prefer an NA in better condition. I only occasionally see any NBs for under $4000.

does it matter much if I end up with the 1.6L vs the 1.8L?

I know Chicago (4 hours away) is a large used car market, but getting my Volvo was a PITA, so i'd like to stay within 2 hours of where I live.

Alot of Miatas have rusty rockers. Is there any serious rust issues with Miatas (ie pans) that would compromise the structure? I just got out of an 88 Saab Vert with that sort of damage and would like to avoid that.



Fined said:


> My experience with these cars (I've owned 2) says that mileage is not much of an issue even if its high mileage, the care and maintenance is what matters.


 Agreed. I would rather have a well maintained car with 200,000 miles than a car thats been neglected with 70,000 miles.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

Agreed. Sticking within your price range you will get a much much better NA than what that money would get you for an NB. 


Hmm.. well the 1.6 vs 1.8.. I'll defer to some geezers on miata.net. Although there is a well documented issue with some of the early 1.6.. with the short nose crank. just pre 1992. 
Plenty of guys think the 1.6 is more zippy. 


http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=359959

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=511432

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=449614


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

88c900t said:


> Thanks.
> 
> *1*I think for around $2500-$3500, I'd prefer an NA in better condition. I only occasionally see any NBs for under $4000.
> 
> ...


1) I agree.

2) Not really. The 1.6L revs a bit faster. The 1.8L has more torque. I prefer the 1.6L, some prefer the 1.8. Try both and see what you like. The Short Nose Crank issue that affects the '90s and (some) '91s is overblown on the internet. I wouldn't let that sway me from an otherwise good good car.

3) Rocker rust is about the only rust issues with Miatas. It's not structural, but it looks terrible and the only way to repair it is to cut out the panel and replace it with a patch panel. And then repaint. There are not really any other rust concerns.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

88c900t said:


> I think this looks pretty good for the price.
> 
> NA owners- Should I buy one? I want a fun car that dosen't require lots of work.
> 
> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5105921735.html


From the pics it doesn't look too bad. If you look at it in person and it's in acceptable condition, I think it's worth the price. Especially with all the work that has been done to it.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

88c900t said:


> I think this looks pretty good for the price.
> 
> NA owners- Should I buy one? I want a fun car that dosen't require lots of work.
> 
> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5105921735.html


I'd buy that for under $3k. It looks like a solid, well maintained car.


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

I got to drive the ND on a quick trip down to Mazda HQ yesterday. Only about 25 minutes of driving time on the highway, but what a car!

Every review of this car is bang on. Amazing steering feel, great shifter and driving position.

Only problem I had was wearing a size 13 work boot and hitting the clutch pedal and brake pedal together at first. 

Pics.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

I also just took a test drive in a red Sport yesterday. ~15 minutes, mix of highway and city streets.

I want one. I need one. It was incredible how light the car felt and how tossable it was. It felt so familiar (to my '92), but also so much more...modern? No cowl shake, felt very sturdy. Gearbox was great (although I still think the one in my '92 is the best I've ever used), steering was light, and the interior was fantastic, as was the top mechanism (super easy and quick to use).

Getting out of that car and into my Z3 Coupe, the Coupe felt so much heavier. It certainly feels faster (although I didn't push the Miata with the salesman next to me), but the weight perception difference was incredible. Made the coupe feel like a boat.

I REALLY want one. Make mine a white Club model :thumbup:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Roadkilled78 said:


> I'd buy that for under $3k. It looks like a solid, well maintained car.


Its listed at 2800, I should offer him 24 or 2500.


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## Goingnowherefast (Dec 7, 2014)

Hello good denizens of the TCL miata thread. I need your help. Is a 1.8L miata the right car for me? I currently daily a K04 MKv GTI and I am looking for an extra car to be used mainly for track driving. I don't necessarily have a strict budget BUT cheaper is always better. I am looking to have a car that can do casual drifting, HPDE, and Autocross events. The setup for all of those things are pretty close, making it so that it only takes small changes to do each one. I am not looking to be competitive, but just to be able to do all those things. The plan is just supercharger and suspension mods/wheels/tires. Nothing too crazy. So I ask you, is a 1.8L miata the right car for me? 

In my mind it seems to fit the bill. They are cheap, aftermarket is plentiful, with a supercharger it should have enough power to slide with ease. My reasoning for only the 1.8L is that its more ready for power, LSD's are easily available, and the chassis itself is longer which should make it more stable/controllable for drifting. Thanks in advance!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Goingnowherefast said:


> Hello good denizens of the TCL miata thread. I need your help. Is a 1.8L miata the right car for me? I currently daily a K04 MKv GTI and I am looking for an extra car to be used mainly for track driving. I don't necessarily have a strict budget BUT cheaper is always better. I am looking to have a car that can do casual drifting, HPDE, and Autocross events. The setup for all of those things are pretty close, making it so that it only takes small changes to do each one. I am not looking to be competitive, but just to be able to do all those things. The plan is just supercharger and suspension mods/wheels/tires. Nothing too crazy. So I ask you, is a 1.8L miata the right car for me?
> 
> In my mind it seems to fit the bill. They are cheap, aftermarket is plentiful, with a supercharger it should have enough power to slide with ease. My reasoning for only the 1.8L is that its more ready for power, LSD's are easily available, and the chassis itself is longer which should make it more stable/controllable for drifting. Thanks in advance!


I can't fault your reasoning. So go for it.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Goingnowherefast said:


> Hello good denizens of the TCL miata thread. I need your help. Is a 1.8L miata the right car for me?


Generally speaking, Miatas are not great drift cars. Yes, people can and do drift them, but it's kinda stupid IMO. You end up spending a ton of money to make the car drift okay but it still won't be that easy to drive nor will it be competitive. All NA and NB have the same basic unibody chassis underneath the body panels regardless of motor. The 1.8 cars are not longer than the 1.6 cars. 

Miatas can be challenging cars to prepare for the track depending on your physical size. The interiors are already cramped before you start fitting roll cages, containment seats, etc. And a Miata setup for the track will not be as good as one setup for auto-x and vice versa. The weight of the roll cage will just slow you down at auto-x and most auto-x cars are setup much more loose than a typical track car (depending on the average auto-x lot size you run at). It sounds like you're okay with such a compromise.

You can spend a lot of money modifying a Miata. You're most likely going to be better off buying someone else's project car for pennies on the dollar rather than starting from scratch. See if you can test drive one before deciding if its for you. If I wanted a car to do all three of those activities I'd probably choose a "New Edge" SN-95 Ford Mustang GT or a 1999 Cobra instead. Maybe a E36 M3.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

This is my favorite pic so far...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Phil Pugliese said:


> This is my favorite pic so far...


Looks great!


Lower it.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Goingnowherefast said:


> My reasoning for only the 1.8L is that its more ready for power, LSD's are easily available, and the chassis itself is longer which should make it more stable/controllable for drifting. Thanks in advance!


All the NA chassis are the same length...the 1.8 is just a little stiffer and heavier due to extra bracing. And in fact, the NB dimensions are nearly identical to the NA--it's only 0.2" longer in the wheelbase.


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## horsty69 (Jun 21, 2003)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I also just took a test drive in a red Sport yesterday. ~15 minutes, mix of highway and city streets.
> 
> I want one. I need one. It was incredible how light the car felt and how tossable it was. It felt so familiar (to my '92), but also so much more...modern? No cowl shake, felt very sturdy. Gearbox was great (although I still think the one in my '92 is the best I've ever used), steering was light, and the interior was fantastic, as was the top mechanism (super easy and quick to use).
> 
> ...


I saw my first one on the road the other day...if I could justify a 2 seater Id be at the dealership putting my money down...thing looks killer and a bit high end, Im sure it drives fantastically.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Looks like if I want a non-beat Miata (without driving all the way down to Chicago, again) I'll have to spend at least $3000, maybe $3500. Here are the 2 best examples around me:


$3300.
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5185228070.html










$3700. I love the color combo but thats too much $ for a Miata with rust.
https://madison.craigslist.org/cto/5162087344.html


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

88c900t said:


> Looks like if I want a non-beat Miata (without driving all the way down to Chicago, again) I'll have to spend at least $3000, maybe $3500. Here are the 2 best examples around me:
> 
> 
> $3300.
> https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5185228070.html


Repainted front fender too.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Phil Pugliese said:


> Repainted front fender too.


It's definitely worth checking into, but sometimes silver panels just look like that in photos.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> It's definitely worth checking into, but sometimes silver panels just look like that in photos.


No they don't "just look like that". Even the panel gap on the hood is a warning.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Agree. Why not buy one from a non rust belt state and drive it back?


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## green tea (Feb 17, 2001)

came across this on the miata forum, looks pretty good in reflex blue


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

horsty69 said:


> I saw my first one on the road the other day...


Same here. The taillights are literally the ONLY thing I dislike about the new MX-5. Trying quite hard to emulate an Alfa :thumbdown:

otherwise: :thumbup:


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

green tea said:


> came across this on the miata forum, looks pretty good in reflex blue


lovely :heart:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Numbersix said:


> Agree. Why not buy one from a non rust belt state and drive it back?


My issue isn't that available cars have weep-hole rust, it's that Miatas available in my area are junk. That silver one is one of the nicest ones around (for a reasonable $$) And like I said, I'm not too fond of the long distance thing again. Enough Miatas were made that I shouldn't have to travel 800 miles for one:laugh:


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

88c900t said:


> Enough Miatas were made that I shouldn't have to travel 800 miles for one:laugh:


If you're in the rust belt, you should expect to travel for ANY nice car.

Hell, I live in CA and traveled 400mi for my Coupe and 500mi for my motorcycle.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

smoothsix said:


> If you're in the rust belt, you should expect to travel for ANY nice car.
> 
> Hell, I live in CA and traveled 400mi for my Coupe and 500mi for my motorcycle.


So your saying values are drastically different in different parts of the country for Miatas?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

88c900t said:


> So your saying values are drastically different in different parts of the country for Miatas?


supply VS demand.

There are only cars with rust in the rust belt. That population of cars has a price equilibrium because that is the available population of rusty cars for buyers. However, when you go outside your geographic region, your population of cars will grow to include non-rusty cars and therefore, they will have emote value (to you) in spite of the distance, because that type of car was previously unavailable.


I bought my Sunburst in LA and drove it home to Portland. If you don't like the selection of cars in your area, the logical solution is to widen your search.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

88c900t said:


> So your saying values are drastically different in different parts of the country for Miatas?




yes. 

for my first NB.. because of the area of the country I was in (Louisville) the market for those cars at the time was not that great. Most of the cars I could find in my price range were beat and showing signs of age and rust. I found that by looking south I could find more cars, better condition, much better price, no rust. Traveled from Louisville to Atlanta to get my first NB. Saved approx $1500 off what the local market had to offer for similar mileage and condition. Drove the thing 900 miles or so (didnt go striaight home) in its first 24 hours of ownership.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

88c900t said:


> My issue isn't that available cars have weep-hole rust, it's that Miatas available in my area are junk. That silver one is one of the nicest ones around (for a reasonable $$) And like I said, I'm not too fond of the long distance thing again. Enough Miatas were made that I shouldn't have to travel 800 miles for one:laugh:


Early Miatas are 25 years old now. Attrition takes its toll. The nicest ones tend to be bought and held onto for a long time. Supply of nice examples is drying up in some places. They'll always be available, but the nicest ones will command a premium and they won't be on the market for long.



88c900t said:


> So your saying values are drastically different in different parts of the country for Miatas?


Absolutely. Yes. Be glad you don't live in Canada! They're really expensive up there, especially with the provinces flirting with RHD import registration bans making genuine CMVSS certified LHD cars that much more costly.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

ND looks so sharp, I love it. Afraid that if I drive an ND I might leave the dealership with one so I am holding off. 

I am back on the wrong coast so I dropped off my Laguna Blue for the butterfly brace and rail install. Parked next to a Mariner Blue for comparison.

Once that is done the entire sound system installed by PO is coming out. AC and PS delete are already complete to make up for the weight gain due to Turbo system.


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

A great documentary on Miatas racing Targa Newfoundland...on my bucket list.

Thread here: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=587427

Video starts here (Part 1 of 7)


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

How much do you guys think a 1992 base model with 67k miles, a hard top, no rust in decent shape is worth? No accidents original paint(some peeling) 5 speed.

I also just picked up a 1994 with some slight front end damage for $400, score!


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

spitfirevr6 said:


> How much do you guys think a 1992 base model with 67k miles, a hard top, no rust in decent shape is worth? No accidents original paint(some peeling) 5 speed.


$3000, give or take. $3500 on a good day. I'd day it depends on whether it has newer t belt and roof, or it needs those soon.


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

88c900t said:


> $3000, give or take. $3500 on a good day. I'd day it depends on whether it has newer t belt and roof, or it needs those soon.


Sweet, just picked it up for 1300! I'm thinking I'll swap the lsd rear from the 94 over, but keep it original otherwise. The soft top is brand new, timing belt probably not.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

88c900t said:


> $3000, give or take. $3500 on a good day. I'd day it depends on whether it has newer t belt and roof, or it needs those soon.


That's a 5-6k car here.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Sweet, just picked it up for 1300! I'm thinking I'll swap the lsd rear from the 94 over, but keep it original otherwise. The soft top is brand new, timing belt probably not.


The problem with swapping the rear end from a '94 is that the Torsen is going to be 4.10 and your stock rear is a 4.30. You'll lose a decent amount of low-end acceleration by going to the taller differential. There are 4.30 Torsens. They came in a few Miatas in 2002 and 2003 I think (club sports?) You'll have to look it up. 

Also, don't forget you'll have to swap out your axles. The axles on the 1.8 cars are different and you'll need them to go with the diff. 

I'd love to have a 4.30 Torsen for my '90.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> The problem with swapping the rear end from a '94 is that the Torsen is going to be 4.10 and your stock rear is a 4.30. You'll lose a decent amount of low-end acceleration by going to the taller differential. There are 4.30 Torsens. They came in a few Miatas in 2002 and 2003 I think (club sports?) You'll have to look it up.
> 
> Also, don't forget you'll have to swap out your axles. The axles on the 1.8 cars are different and you'll need them to go with the diff.
> 
> I'd love to have a 4.30 Torsen for my '90.


The 4.10 came on 94-97 Miatas. The 4.30 was I think on the NB Miatas with the 5-speed.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> The 4.10 came on 94-97 Miatas. The 4.30 was I think on the NB Miatas with the 5-speed.


To clarify a bit more.



> '90-'93: 4.30, 6", LSD option
> '94-'97: 4.10, 7", Torsen option
> '99-'05 5-spd: 4.30, 7", Torsen option
> '99-'03 6-spd: 3.909, 7", Torsen std
> '04-'05 6-spd: 4.10, 7", Torsen std


The 4.3 came on 5 speed NBs as well, but just because an NB had a 5 speed transmission doesn't mean that the differential was automatically a Torsen. Open diffs were still the default.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> To clarify a bit more.
> 
> 
> 
> The 4.3 came on 5 speed NBs as well, but just because an NB had a 5 speed transmission doesn't mean that the differential was automatically a Torsen. Open diffs were still the default.


I know, that's why I didn't specify Torsen, just gear ratio.


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Maybe I will skip the lsd swap. I was under the impression you not only had to swap the diff and axles but the driveshaft as well, is that not true?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Maybe I will skip the lsd swap. I was under the impression you not only had to swap the diff and axles but the driveshaft as well, is that not true?


If you have a 1.6 and are upgrading to a 1.8 LSD then yes, you need the complete differential housing loaded with R&P and LSD, axles and the driveshaft as well.

If you already have a 1.8 with an open diff and are simply upgrading to a 1.8 LSD, then all you need is the diff itself, although most find it easier to simply swap the whole unit rather than mess with tearing down the differential, setting backlash, etc.

As always, the devil is in the details. So if you start mixing and matching RX-7 parts or S2000 parts then you've got to know what you're doing. See http://www.solomiata.com/Drivetrain.html for more info.


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## Goingnowherefast (Dec 7, 2014)

So I'm starting my search for a used 1.8L. 

The plan for the build is go turbo pretty quick with these components...
1. EFR 6258 turbo
2. Log style T3/T4 Manifold
3. Miscellaneous oil/coolant lines
4. RC 550 injectors 
5. Exhaust
6. Megasquirt PNP 
7. Walbro 255 in-tank pump

Gonna shoot for 260whp on pump at 15psi. Later when I build the motor I'll shoot for 320-330 on 93 + Meth


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> The problem with swapping the rear end from a '94 is that the Torsen is going to be 4.10 and your stock rear is a 4.30. You'll lose a decent amount of low-end acceleration by going to the taller differential.


I swapped a 4.10 in my 93 and the gearing difference isn't even noticeable.


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

Just sold my 02 NB today. Vivid Yellow, LSD, no ABS, 91k miles for $3k. Now that I have no Miata, "I need a Miata"! :laugh:

Friend price. Bought from a friend 4 years ago for that price, sold to another friend for the same price. Can't profit off of a friend deal unless no other friends wanted it-- in which case it would have gone on CL to the highest bidder, to split the proceeds with my friend.

Needs new top (hole all along top window), light body damage to LF fender, plus LR bumper and taillight. Just drove as-is for 4 years, never bothered to fix. But cosmetically it could use some TLC.

In the SF Bay Area I consider it a 4k car as it sits, 5k if it had a good top and no damage. Maybe my estimate is way off. Guy who bought it is happy, I'm happy, that's all that matters. What it's really worth would have only mattered if I had to go the CL route so its not really important to me.


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

I got $4750 for my NA R-Package with a number of upgrades, new DZ102's + the OEM wheels with Pilot Sports, a bunch of new spares, etc etc. it wasn't perfect cosmetically but it wasn't bad...cloth top with glass window in ok shape, some small dings, needed a front bumper respray. Mediocre NA's in this market are $3000 cars during Summer.


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## Doug Butabi (Oct 15, 2009)

Any general thoughts on holding out until the colder months in order to seek lower prices/a better deal on a NA?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

njn63 said:


> I swapped a 4.10 in my 93 and the gearing difference isn't even noticeable.


I found it very noticeable when I did it. Car felt like it lost 10hp. To fix it I installed a 1.8 motor.


----------



## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

what would you expect to pay for a 06 Grand Touring, 70k miles. I am not selling yet but will be in the spring
ipod adapter in glove box
stock engine
Koni Yellows
Flyin' Miata springs
braided brake lines
3 sets of wheels
1:stock 17 with Michelin ice-x snows
2:Kosei K4R 17x8 with BFG Rival 245/40/17(not too much tread left)
3:Enkei forgot the model with Yokohama summer tires 235/40/17(lots of tread left)


full by GlebZ, on Flickr

1-web by GlebZ, on Flickr

single led flashlight by GlebZ, on Flickr


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Just found a great Miata for sale. Has spare soft top _and_ a matching hard top for $2500. 141K, some rocker rust. 









https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5201506229.html

Edit: the owner has 2 showings already tomorrow. Ergo its gonna be sold


----------



## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

I've had my Miata for six years now and it's the longest I've ever owned a car. It still runs flawlessly and has never given me any major issues. After autocrossing it in ES for several years I decided that I was going to start chopping it up and turning it into a SCCA DP autocrosser. Halfway through deconstruction I decided it was too nice to really hack up and was perfect the way it is.

I removed the top, side windows, AC, full HVAC, stereo, sound deadening, spare/jack, misc parts. Weighs in at 2040lbs with a full tank of fuel and both stock seats. In autocross trim (one aluminum seat, min fuel) it is around 1950lbs and a riot to drive. 

I had a bunch of spare vinyl leftover and have given my Mazda2 STF car the same livery. I'll probably ditch the decals at some point, but I love how they both look right now.


----------



## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

Nice Yavuz!


----------



## EdRacer71 (May 10, 2006)

Nice setup, Yavuz. Been a while since I have put those same yellow triangle stickers on any of my cars. My goal is to have something worth of them for next season.


----------



## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

Some friends cars. No hardparkers here.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

88c900t said:


> Just found a great Miata for sale. Has spare soft top _and_ a matching hard top for $2500. 141K, some rocker rust.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Both that Miata and a rust free Miata from texas ($2800) sold within 24 hours:laugh::banghead:

This thing popped up today. $3500 and it looks good but its a repo vehicle and the seller has no clue about maintenance. Good thing is is that its a 1996.

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5209078579.html









This thing has been on sale for well over a month  Its a 1994 with a great color combo but with a nondescript ad and "rust by rear wheels". It has low miles which isn't always a good thing.

https://madison.craigslist.org/cto/5162087344.html


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)




----------



## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

Someone's getting lucky that night


----------



## Monster Cookie (Jul 27, 2013)

CaleDeRoo said:


>


Is he driving in the HOV lane?


----------



## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

88c900t said:


> Both that Miata and a rust free Miata from texas ($2800) sold within 24 hours:laugh::banghead:
> 
> This thing popped up today. $3500 and it looks good but its a repo vehicle and the seller has no clue about maintenance. Good thing is is that its a 1996.
> 
> ...




I shot the guy with the black Miata an offer, and he said "sure, sounds fair" :thumbup: Too bad it dosen't have any maintenance history but it's pretty new for an NA and looks clean.

EDIT: this wise guy posted the car in Milwaukee CL (a reasonable 75 minutes from me) Actual location? Chicago


----------



## 7.62 (Jul 25, 2001)

Without knowing condition, I'd go with the 94 M Edition of those two because of Torsen. Cruise control, leather steering wheel and power windows are nice to have as well. Too bad it doesn't have original wheels.


----------



## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

lausch said:


> The "I need a Miata hood and headlight assembly" post.


Other priorities have, well, taken priority since last November ... but I picked up an OEM silver hood and headlight assembly for $200, had a body shop pull the core support and align the body panels for $350 (headlight covers still need a little tweaking), replaced the headlights for $35, and had it aligned for $90. Not bad considering what it looked like in the light of day the morning after. Just in time for deer season.


----------



## LordBass (Mar 17, 2003)

You do need a Miata, for end-of-summer stops at Nubble Light.


----------



## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

7.62 said:


> Without knowing condition, I'd go with the 94 M Edition of those two because of Torsen. Cruise control, leather steering wheel and power windows are nice to have as well. Too bad it doesn't have original wheels.


I may look at the car. As an added bonus, my friends from school are also in Madision:thumbup:


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

mellbergVWfan said:


>


that looks like a really nice place to do some work from!


----------



## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

About this car. I emailed the guy today and offered $2900. He declined it and said he turned down $3000 and said he wants $3500. Also found out the timing belt/water pump and tires were done 6000 miles ago, but the said the top has a few cracks in it, and it has the typical miata rust. 

What do you think? I want to offer $3200 and remind him it's been for sale for several weeks. That black Chicago miata? I could get that for $2900.





Me said:


> This thing has been on sale for well over a month  Its a 1994 with a great color combo but with a nondescript ad and "rust by rear wheels". It has low miles which isn't always a good thing.
> 
> https://madison.craigslist.org/cto/5162087344.html


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

88c900t said:


> and it has the typical miata rust.


There is no "typical Miata rust". You've got rust out there like we've got moss everywhere.


----------



## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Diamond Dave said:


> There is no "typical Miata rust". You've got rust out there like we've got moss everywhere.


The weep holes. the back of the rocker panels.


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## simon_C (Oct 5, 2006)

Huh. You guys were right, I _did_ need a Miata!


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

simon_C said:


> Huh. You guys were right, I _did_ need a Miata!


Congrats! What are your plans for the car?


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## simon_C (Oct 5, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> Congrats! What are your plans for the car?


Get in it, revel in the fact that it starts every time, and drive it. 
Dunno what i'm going to do with it yet, never had a car this nice before.
Just doing little things and basic comfort mods to it now. It already has a bunch of suspension parts, an exhaust, short shifter, etc done to it. 
Steering wheel, seat, lighting and whatnot now.


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Congrats on that sunburst! It looks amazing! Keep the shiny side up :thumbup:

*To anyone interested in Flyin' Miata Butterfly brace I highly recommend getting it over ANY other suspension/handling upgrade. *
My 94 Miata already has a roll bar and the butterfly brace added an unreal amount of stiffness to the chassis. Drives like a new car and feels stiffer than my braced 968 did. 
My mechanic was nice enough to throw in a free Garage Vary lip in mint condition and install it. Was a nice surprise when I came to get the car.








Back to the west coast today to go wrench on my red one :laugh:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

1991 Miata with a large nose crank and fresh engine internals and clutch. No rust, but the top leaks around the rear window and windshield. Also has a couple small oil leaks. Has chassis braces and fresh paint in 2011. 

$3000. The other two are still in the running.









https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5218645325.html


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## simon_C (Oct 5, 2006)

EuroAtomic said:


> Congrats on that sunburst! It looks amazing! Keep the shiny side up :thumbup:
> 
> *To anyone interested in Flyin' Miata Butterfly brace I highly recommend getting it over ANY other suspension/handling upgrade. *
> My 94 Miata already has a roll bar and the butterfly brace added an unreal amount of stiffness to the chassis. Drives like a new car and feels stiffer than my braced 968 did.
> ...


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

If anyone is selling a clean NA/NB on the West Coast or within ~800 miles of Palo Alto please PM me. My good friend finally caved in and wants to join the flock.
Car will be doing daily driver duty for 3 years so must be maintained and must be presentable. Budget is up to $8K.


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## Kevin RS (Apr 20, 2003)

EuroAtomic said:


> Congrats on that sunburst! It looks amazing! Keep the shiny side up :thumbup:
> 
> *To anyone interested in Flyin' Miata Butterfly brace I highly recommend getting it over ANY other suspension/handling upgrade. *
> My 94 Miata already has a roll bar and the butterfly brace added an unreal amount of stiffness to the chassis. Drives like a new car and feels stiffer than my braced 968 did.
> ...



Thanks for posting this! I just recently picked up a 92 Miata, runs good. Has a racing beat header and a couple other things here and there. Rough around the edges for sure but will make a great project car! I'm excited! Never owned a convertible and always wanted one. Now I need to make it fit me lol (i'm 6'2 and 260 lbs). Anyone know where to get some lowering seat rails for a fixed back race seat? I might try and make some... :beer:


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## 7.62 (Jul 25, 2001)

Try this first.
http://www.miata.net/garage/foamectomy/


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

EuroAtomic said:


> If anyone is selling a clean NA/NB on the West Coast or within ~800 miles of Palo Alto please PM me. My good friend finally caved in and wants to join the flock.
> Car will be doing daily driver duty for 3 years so must be maintained and must be presentable. Budget is up to $8K.


I'm about 3 miles away and just sold my 02 NB for 3k


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

EuroAtomic said:


> Congrats on that sunburst! It looks amazing! Keep the shiny side up :thumbup:
> 
> *To anyone interested in Flyin' Miata Butterfly brace I highly recommend getting it over ANY other suspension/handling upgrade. *
> My 94 Miata already has a roll bar and the butterfly brace added an unreal amount of stiffness to the chassis. Drives like a new car and feels stiffer than my braced 968 did.
> ...


Interesting. I recently installed the frame rails on my '92 and didn't think it made much of a difference at all. In fact, I was quite disappointed by them. I can't imagine just adding the cross brace to them would make that huge of a difference...


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Interesting. I recently installed the frame rails on my '92 and didn't think it made much of a difference at all. In fact, I was quite disappointed by them. I can't imagine just adding the cross brace to them would make that huge of a difference...





















Yeah, all those triangulations probably don't add much.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

The Dubsta said:


> Thanks for posting this! I just recently picked up a 92 Miata, runs good. Has a racing beat header and a couple other things here and there. Rough around the edges for sure but will make a great project car! I'm excited! Never owned a convertible and always wanted one. Now I need to make it fit me lol (i'm 6'2 and 260 lbs). Anyone know where to get some lowering seat rails for a fixed back race seat? I might try and make some... :beer:


Don't get a race seat just yet. I am 2 inches shorter than you and at one point weighed the same. Do the foamectomy like someone posted above. I never modified seats in any of my Miatas and was pretty comfy, even when I did my 5K mile cross country road trip. 
I had to loose weight to pick up some oomph in my stock HP car :laugh:



smoothsix said:


> I'm about 3 miles away and just sold my 02 NB for 3k


Damn... I'll be actively looking for a car for him this month. His waspy, Tesla driving Stanford colleagues are making fun of him for driving my MR2 around so he is looking to upgrade to a metro hair dresser car. Its either that or a hand me down 04 Corolla :laugh:



weezintrumpeteer said:


> Interesting. I recently installed the frame rails on my '92 and didn't think it made much of a difference at all. In fact, I was quite disappointed by them. I can't imagine just adding the cross brace to them would make that huge of a difference...


Originally, I wanted to get just the rails but a few local Miata guys noted that the full brace makes a much bigger difference. And then I conversed with Keith in person a few months ago and he sold me on it. There is a rip off brace sold on ebay but I suggest buying from FM since they actively support the community and do endless R&D for our cars.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

zeewhiz said:


> Yeah, all those triangulations probably don't add much.


I can't reply to this without going into an engineering discussion, which I don't really want to do at the moment. 

Yes, I understand that the butterfly brace will add stiffness from _twisting_, but it will add negligible stiffness front to back, which is where most of the flexibility in the Miata comes from. Or at least, thats my understanding.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

EuroAtomic said:


> Originally, I wanted to get just the rails but a few local Miata guys noted that the full brace makes a much bigger difference. And then I conversed with Keith in person a few months ago and he sold me on it. There is a rip off brace sold on ebay but I suggest buying from FM since they actively support the community and do endless R&D for our cars.


Good to know. I heard a lot of great things about the frame rails, and the concept made sense to me from an engineering perspective. But not having seen much of an improvement with them, I'm hesitant to spend _more_ money on the add in butterfly brace.


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## Gear_Cruncher (Mar 28, 2013)

entire thread reported


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I can't reply to this without going into an engineering discussion, which I don't really want to do at the moment.
> 
> Yes, I understand that the butterfly brace will add stiffness from _twisting_, but it will add negligible stiffness front to back, which is where most of the flexibility in the Miata comes from. Or at least, thats my understanding.


Nice ninja edit.  I agree that front to back stiffness wont be greatly affected, but torsional stiffness will be much better. The best thing Ive seen for front to back stiffness would be some door bars like Boss Frog's "Frog Ribs".


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## Kevin RS (Apr 20, 2003)

7.62 said:


> Try this first.
> http://www.miata.net/garage/foamectomy/



Thanks! I will check that out.


----------



## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

A few pics of the Mazda Soul of Motion event. 





There was a small auto cross course set up. Very tight turns. Not to fast but you really got the chance to feel what the MX-5 is all about. 

It was also nice to test the NC to the ND. I really think I need a Miata now.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

JOHNS92JETTA said:


> There was a small auto cross course set up. Very tight turns. Not to fast but you really got the chance to feel what the MX-5 is all about.
> 
> It was also nice to test the NC to the ND. I really think I need a Miata now.


Just wait for the right trade-in and go to town.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

I really have been enjoying driving the wheels off this thing. The SR20 engine and 6spd Nissan trans have performed flawlessly and I've put almost 2500 miles on it since early July - even driving it daily just because I winter is around the corner and I still don't have a top for it. It's not the fastest Miata out there, but even in it's rough state of tune, this engine accomplished everything I ever wanted. 

While the tune still isn't right and I know it's nowhere near 200HP it's supposed to have on a diet of 105 octane, it sure drives wonderfully with a half tank of E85. While I have enjoyed the "HEY LOOK AT ME" sound of the RSR-Exmag exhaust, it will be going away after we build a new one in the winter. So, so loud. Occasionally glorious, but loud for my 40yr old ears.













Going from the 91 to our 92 Sunburst isn't quite the disappointment you'd imagine. If anything, it's relaxing - almost like putting on a familiar pair of gloves. A bone stock Miata really is brilliant. Everything works so fluidly. It's exactly as the Mazda engineers describe - a car that's fun and rewarding to drive for drivers of all skill levels. We went out for a Roadster dinner the other night (both cars with both kids) and there was a 2-lane uphill exit leading to the freeway. With both cars side by side, I stood on the loud pedal and the SR20 Miata and took off in a cloud of decibels and burned corn, leaving the torqueless Sunburst far behind. When we got to dinner, my wife said, I think I want a new engine in my car too. 












Another mildly curious note about owning two Miatas:
bone stock, ~200K mile 1.6L Miata = 33MPG
200HP SR20 on magic gas = ~19MPG


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

if i ever manage to sell the 3 extra motos in the garage... the miata is definitely on the list


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

Makes me want to get a miata again hahaha

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

For sale: 1999 NB with leather and a torsen LSD. 180k daily driven. $2900 Some rust CC and ebrake don't work

Yea or nay?

































https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5236780417.html


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> The problem with swapping the rear end from a '94 is that the Torsen is going to be 4.10 and your stock rear is a 4.30. You'll lose a decent amount of low-end acceleration by going to the taller differential. There are 4.30 Torsens. They came in a few Miatas in 2002 and 2003 I think (club sports?) You'll have to look it up.
> 
> Also, don't forget you'll have to swap out your axles. The axles on the 1.8 cars are different and you'll need them to go with the diff.
> 
> I'd love to have a 4.30 Torsen for my '90.


Axles and driveshaft are needed to swap a 94-05 rear end in a 90-93. Keep in mind also that there are 1 piece and 2 piece axles... I think 2 piece are 94-95 but I can't remember for sure.

IMO the gearing difference is negligible. I would take a Torsen 4.10 over a VLSD/open 4.30 anyday.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I know, that's why I didn't specify Torsen, just gear ratio.


thread isn't updating


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## [email protected] (Dec 12, 2001)

Test Reply


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

What is going on with this thread? I keep seeing updates and posts to it, but when I click on the thread, it seems like pages are missing.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> What is going on with this thread? I keep seeing updates and posts to it, but when I click on the thread, it seems like pages are missing.


Now that I have replied to the read, it seems to show me the last few pages.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

njn63 said:


> IMO the gearing difference is negligible. I would take a Torsen 4.10 over a VLSD/open 4.30 anyday.


Everybody is different. I thought it was a significant difference in gearing when I went from 4.30 open to 4.10 Torsen. The car simultaneously lost its pep and it's ability to break traction. But then again, I'm a fat ass and my 1.6 needed all the help it could get. I've since fixed the problem by installing a BP4W with lots of bolt ons


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

njn63 said:


> I would take a Torsen 4.10 over a VLSD/open 4.30 anyday.



Given that the 4.30 Torsen is available, I'd rather have that and bet the best of both worlds.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

88c900t said:


> For sale: 1999 NB with leather and a torsen LSD. 180k daily driven. $2900 Some rust CC and ebrake don't work
> 
> Yea or nay?
> 
> ...




That may not be too bad if you can snag it for 2500. 

I sold my first NB (2002) with 185k miles. It was my only car and daily at that time. It was rock solid and I'd have driven it across the country (again) if need be. Just got rid of it to get a TTS since St. Louis winter is serious biz.
All that is to say... 180k on an NB isnt something that would deter me from buying one, at the right price.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

88c900t said:


> For sale: 1999 NB with leather and a torsen LSD. 180k daily driven. $2900 Some rust CC and ebrake don't work
> 
> Yea or nay?
> 
> ...


This car was listed on CL a couple weeks ago for the same price, but WITH a hardtop. The current seller bought it just for the hardtop, and is now selling the car for the same price (in an effort to get a free hardtop).

Offer $2100 and call him out on it.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> This car was listed on CL a couple weeks ago for the same price, but WITH a hardtop. The current seller bought it just for the hardtop, and is now selling the car for the same price (in an effort to get a free hardtop).
> 
> Offer $2100 and call him out on it.


:thumbup:


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)




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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> This car was listed on CL a couple weeks ago for the same price, but WITH a hardtop. The current seller bought it just for the hardtop, and is now selling the car for the same price (in an effort to get a free hardtop).
> 
> Offer $2100 and call him out on it.


Yeah, I noticed that it was for sale a while ago. But thanks for the tip.


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## Goingnowherefast (Dec 7, 2014)

Hey guys. I asked in this thread whether the miata is the right car for me. I planned a turbo built but I came to my senses and figured it might be easier to find a nice MSM with the work already done for me. I came about this car here: http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/5225161806.html . How does that look? I am looking at it tomorrow night. If it all seems right, I am coming back on Saturday with cash and a friend to drive my car back or a trailer. What do you guys think? I think I will be able to drop the price a tad.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Goingnowherefast said:


> Hey guys. I asked in this thread whether the miata is the right car for me. I planned a turbo built but I came to my senses and figured it might be easier to find a nice MSM with the work already done for me. I came about this car here: http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/5225161806.html . How does that look? I am looking at it tomorrow night. If it all seems right, I am coming back on Saturday with cash and a friend to drive my car back or a trailer. What do you guys think? I think I will be able to drop the price a tad.


Price is a bit high- I wouldn't pay more than $10k, but the car looks fairly clean. Biggest downside is the cheapo suspension. For what it's worth, I only paid $6,500 for mine (stock) with 73k miles, but it did have a manufacturer buyback title.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Can't find the thread for "you need a fourth Miata" so we'll just put it here

Picked up another one, an impulse buy of a low-mile but cosmetically-challenged '08 MX5 Grand Touring. A friend bought it dirt cheap, fixed most of the glaring issues (half dismantled interior, dented front fender), then put it up for sale for dirt cheap + price of fixes. By my guess we got it for about half of market value. 26500 miles, some aftermarket goodies but a full complement of stock stuff as well as a truckful of further add-ons including low-mile Bilsteins and a never-installed Progress front sway bar.

I think it's going to be a commuter car for the most part, though I'll keep an eye out for more go-fast pieces to make it a STR Lite SCCA autocross car as well. I think getting into a faster car than my STS Miata occasionally will make my STS effort better (the world will move slower in the slower car).

I'm mostly curious to see how this drives (I haven't driven it much yet, and only in pouring rain so far) compared to our MSM. I have a feeling we'll only be able to justify having one or the other as we are very tight on parking places here.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Just took my ND press loaner over to my parents' place for some show-and-tell. My father, Mr. Wrangler, now insists he's trading for one.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Claff said:


> I'm mostly curious to see how this drives (I haven't driven it much yet, and only in pouring rain so far) compared to our MSM. I have a feeling we'll only be able to justify having one or the other as we are very tight on parking places here.


Nice score, report back on how it compares to MSM!!


For those of you on East Coast I have a crackhead deal alert for a 'Tex member in my garage:

A set of adjustible Illuminas and Flyin Miata springs for $250 Picked Up. They are not new by far but rode well when on the car. I upgraded to Vmax coilovers so I can adjust the suspension for my weight.

I am flying back to CA on Friday so come grab them. Work makes it it a bit hard to ship.* PM for contact info.*


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

ByronLLN said:


> Just took my ND press loaner over to my parents' place for some show-and-tell. My father, Mr. Wrangler, now insists he's trading for one.


I really shouldn't be reading stuff like this.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Can't find the thread for "you need a fourth Miata" so we'll just put it here
> 
> Picked up another one, an impulse buy of a low-mile but cosmetically-challenged '08 MX5 Grand Touring. A friend bought it dirt cheap, fixed most of the glaring issues (half dismantled interior, dented front fender), then put it up for sale for dirt cheap + price of fixes. By my guess we got it for about half of market value. 26500 miles, some aftermarket goodies but a full complement of stock stuff as well as a truckful of further add-ons including low-mile Bilsteins and a never-installed Progress front sway bar.
> 
> ...


After driving that car, it reminded me why I liked my NC so much. Nothing 'spectacular' about it, it just did everything really well. Defintely up on power compared to the NA, and it almost 'feels' faster than the BRZ because of the lack of a top.

My contribution picture of the new NC.









And because Miata thread, here's my old (previously posted) NC:













ByronLLN said:


> Just took my ND press loaner over to my parents' place for some show-and-tell. My father, Mr. Wrangler, now insists he's trading for one.


On the same day as the above lift pic, another friend stopped by with her new ND. It's still in the break-in zone, so I didn't hammer on it. But what a freakin' fantastic car. It's a modern NA, and I love almost everything about it. The only thing I had an issue with is the multifunction infotainment knob. I'm left handed, so I couldn't quite turn it precisely. It's something I'll have to work on. Is it something I want to trade my BRZ in on? _Almost_, but not yet. I still love the BRZ.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

EuroAtomic said:


> Nice score, report back on how it compares to MSM!!


If I were forced to pick one and only one, it would be the MSM (I like how the boost comes on, plus I'm a LOT more familiar with how it comes apart and goes back together, plus i have 600 wheels I could put on it). But the more I drive the NC, the more I like it. Hammering on it with the 3/4-used Rival S tires shows this thing has plenty of grip, even though I destroyed a front sway bar end link and new ones haven't shown up, so neither sway bar is hooked up. In order to get the car through inspection I had to put new tires on it (the car came with stock wheels as well, with bald all-seasons on them), so on went Continental Extreme Contact DW all-seasons. That sapped some of its fine handling, and especially how it puts power down (the traction control light shows up a lot more).

It's still quite a bit of fun, and I realized today that if all the remaining NAs got swallowed into a black hole, I'd still be able to have stupid fun in this NC. I'm already hatching plans to take this car to next summer's Zoomin' The Mountains of East Tennessee weekend, including a day trip to Deals Gap. I'm impressed that I can 'connect' with a Miata that has A/C and cruise control and comfie seats, because I didn't expect to... certainly not after just a few days of ownership.

This car came with a couple different mufflers and Smigelski suggested I go with the smaller one (to get through inspection the car has had a borrowed stock muffler). It's the Roadstersport Street? Race? one of those. Single exit so there's a gaping opening in the back bumper. But boy does it sound better.

The wife takes the NC to work and back tomorrow; we'll see if she decides she'll keep it for herself (buying the car was her idea, though I think she thinks she got it for me).


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## Goingnowherefast (Dec 7, 2014)

How does this look guys? I am confident I can get it down to ~3,500 or less. He says there is a tiny bit of rust in a common spot but I don't have the details just yet. https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/5245763484.html


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> This car came with a couple different mufflers and Smigelski suggested I go with the smaller one (to get through inspection the car has had a borrowed stock muffler). It's the Roadstersport Street? Race? one of those. Single exit so there's a gaping opening in the back bumper. But boy does it sound better.


You have the Roadstersport Race. Just take a look at the length of the exhaust tip. The Race is longer, (maybe 8"-10") while the Street is short (3"-4") The Race has the longer tip so that you can put in the removable baffle to quiet it down if you'd like. I bough the baffle for mine, but I preferred not to use it. It sound much better (and has deceleration pops) without.

Also, I never minded the look of the single tip on the car. From standing height with the car on the ground, I couldn't see the hole where the extra tip was missing, so it never bothered me. Plus the muffler only weighs 9 lbs. 

I'm glad you're connecting with it. Air conditioning is a wonderful thing. Now if only I didn't sell mine 5 years ago...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Goingnowherefast said:


> How does this look guys? I am confident I can get it down to ~3,500 or less. He says there is a tiny bit of rust in a common spot but I don't have the details just yet. https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/5245763484.html


I'm not too crazy about the rust, but it looks like it was owned by an enthusiast that took care of the car. It's definitely worth taking a look at.


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## admiralbabar (Jan 13, 2011)

I've been getting into autox lately and decided to retire my e36 to just daily use.... Here it is having some fun










My friend got a Miata track car in on a deal and has too many other projects to do anything with this so I offered $500 and it's now mine. 
'93 with a 1.8 swap, gutted, bar, harnesses, seats, adjustable suspension, lsd, 3 sets of wheels - two have slicks, racing beat sways, and some other goodies. It had a blown head gasket... Turns out the owner -or whoever built the engine- used rtv with the mls head gasket. LOL. I installed a new hg and did water pump, timing belt, rollers, seals, etc and now it runs great. The head looks worked a little bit and the cams I think have a custom grind.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

ByronLLN said:


> Just took my ND press loaner over to my parents' place for some show-and-tell. My father, Mr. Wrangler, now insists he's trading for one.





Smigelski said:


> On the same day as the above lift pic, another friend stopped by with her new ND. It's still in the break-in zone, so I didn't hammer on it. But what a freakin' fantastic car. It's a modern NA, and I love almost everything about it. The only thing I had an issue with is the multifunction infotainment knob. I'm left handed, so I couldn't quite turn it precisely. It's something I'll have to work on. Is it something I want to trade my BRZ in on? _Almost_, but not yet. I still love the BRZ.





Rabbit5GTI said:


> I really shouldn't be reading stuff like this.



Yeah, you guys are jerks. I hadn't considered a triple-black nd, but I can't say I don't like it.:thumbup::thumbup:


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

^^ Urge to trade in NA rising.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

admiralbabar said:


> My friend got a Miata track car in on a deal and has too many other projects to do anything with this so I offered $500 and it's now mine.
> '93 with a 1.8 swap, gutted, bar, harnesses, seats, adjustable suspension, lsd, 3 sets of wheels - two have slicks, racing beat sways, and some other goodies. It had a blown head gasket... Turns out the owner -or whoever built the engine- used rtv with the mls head gasket. LOL. I installed a new hg and did water pump, timing belt, rollers, seals, etc and now it runs great. The head looks worked a little bit and the cams I think have a custom grind.


Killer deal


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

Arrived back to my car today to find a near match parked by me.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Welllllllll now I have two of them again. Dammit. A grand total of $1368 into this one so far. Winter daily driver / rallycrosser. It's been repainted, nice quality job actually, but then dented up and rusted.

It was donated to auction in non-running overheating condition due to a busted cursed water plug. Dealer grabbed it for $900, fixed the plug. Tried to sell for $1900. I bought for $1200. Needed exhaust, it howled like a banshee. And it tried to overheat on the 1.5hr drive home - bad radiator cap was causing the system to suck air in on cooldown. So far I threw on an exhaust I had laying around ($free plus 2 gaskets), new rad cap, wiper blades, fuel injector cleaner, and a $150 set of decent snow tires on 14" hollow spoke wheels. Heck, I went 100-some miles on the tank of gas that was in the car when I picked it up.

Idle is wacky. Have a few parts to swap with the good car to narrow that down before buying parts. And, uh, that's it until something else breaks. My commute is 15 minutes of back roads so a ****ty Miata is just about perfect.


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

Anyone interested in my 92 before I put it on cl? 5 speed, all stock, 67k miles, comes with a hard top and the soft top was replaced not long ago. No major rust issues, but it has paint chipping away in a few places. Was sitting for a couple years before I got it, so far all I've done is change the oil and get a set of nb wheels with snows on the back for it. I'm the third owner, I bought it from a sweet old lady I met through my last summer job. She owned it from 33k mi to where it currently sits. $2000 firm, located in morgantown wv. PM me if you're interested


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Anyone interested in my 92 before I put it on cl? 5 speed, all stock, 67k miles, comes with a hard top and the soft top was replaced not long ago. No major rust issues, but it has paint chipping away in a few places. Was sitting for a couple years before I got it, so far all I've done is change the oil and get a set of nb wheels with snows on the back for it. I'm the third owner, I bought it from a sweet old lady I met through my last summer job. She owned it from 33k mi to where it currently sits. $2000 firm, located in morgantown wv. PM me if you're interested


WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO FAR AWAY?!?!?!?!?!?!

That thing will be gone in a heartbeat at that price.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

DubNMiatafan said:


> WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO FAR AWAY?!?!?!?!?!?!
> 
> That thing will be gone in a heartbeat at that price.


that is a great deal. :thumbup::thumbup:


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Fall foliage pit stop on the awesome Southern Ohio roads.


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## Marc86Golf2 (Jul 21, 2005)

soooo tempted to drive your way but work will not allow it


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## mouseOfMars (Jul 30, 2002)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Anyone interested in my 92 before I put it on cl? 5 speed, all stock, 67k miles, comes with a hard top and the soft top was replaced not long ago. No major rust issues, but it has paint chipping away in a few places. Was sitting for a couple years before I got it, so far all I've done is change the oil and get a set of nb wheels with snows on the back for it. I'm the third owner, I bought it from a sweet old lady I met through my last summer job. She owned it from 33k mi to where it currently sits. $2000 firm, located in morgantown wv. PM me if you're interested


PM'd.


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## 7.62 (Jul 25, 2001)

spitfirevr6 said:


> Anyone interested in my 92 before I put it on cl? 5 speed, all stock, 67k miles, comes with a hard top and the soft top was replaced not long ago. No major rust issues, but it has paint chipping away in a few places. Was sitting for a couple years before I got it, so far all I've done is change the oil and get a set of nb wheels with snows on the back for it. I'm the third owner, I bought it from a sweet old lady I met through my last summer job. She owned it from 33k mi to where it currently sits. $2000 firm, located in morgantown wv. PM me if you're interested


Given that the hard top is worth $1,000 on its own, somebody better grab this thing quick.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

i need a miata... but i has 0 dollars. anyone want an sv650?


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Found a clean 99 for $2900. Guy was going to meet up with me...I had cash ready to go.

Doesn't respond to me, tells me the next day that his son's hockey tournament ran late. When I ask if he can show the car later that day he then does not respond.

Do you not want my United States Currency???????


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## spitfirevr6 (Jul 15, 2007)

mad8vskillz said:


> i need a miata... but i has 0 dollars. anyone want an sv650?


I'd probably ly do that trade if you were closer! I have no space for cars but could squeeze a motorcycle in somewhere.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

spitfirevr6 said:


> I'd probably ly do that trade if you were closer! I have no space for cars but could squeeze a motorcycle in somewhere.


hmmmmmm.... id need to find a trailer for towing the M back... and it's like 6 hours each way at top speed. so more likely 8. :banghead: 
oh well, the sv will sell in the spring and i'll find an M


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

From today's fall drive on Ohio's back roads and hiking trips.


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

http://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/5287414737.html

Is this a good deal? 1990, 160k, new water pump, timing belt, tires and radio. There is some rust in the rear rockers, but it's been painted over. Is that a big deal? I know the rust is common, but I don't know if the new paint over the spots will fix it. I have some pictures I can upload later. There is also a small tear near the driver's side window on the top.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

gmeover said:


> http://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/5287414737.html
> 
> Is this a good deal? 1990, 160k, new water pump, timing belt, tires and radio. There is some rust in the rear rockers, but it's been painted over. Is that a big deal? I know the rust is common, but I don't know if the new paint over the spots will fix it. I have some pictures I can upload later. There is also a small tear near the driver's side window on the top.


The paint over the rust definitely does not fix it. They rust from the inside.

Also, it looks quite low, has fairly high miles and the only thing it would have going for it (Mariner blue paint) is ruined since it was repainted (****tily).

$2500 isn't a terrible price, but keep looking. Find one in better condition. These are plentiful enough that you want to get a good one regardless of the price.

People say Miatas are cheap. They don't say that when you buy a cheap one you have to spend about a grand or two to get the maintenance up to spec if it was neglected.


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> The paint over the rust definitely does not fix it. They rust from the inside.
> 
> Also, it looks quite low, has fairly high miles and the only thing it would have going for it (Mariner blue paint) is ruined since it was repainted (****tily).
> 
> ...


Thanks for the quick feedback. I didn't think a respray would fix the rust. I'll keep looking, it sounds like it would be better to spend ~$4k and not have to do $1,500 worth of maintenance on a $2,500 car.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I'd call and ask about the rust repair. If it was just buzzed down and painted over, yeah, it'll come back and quicker than you think. But you might be surprised and they'll say it was cut out, replaced with clean sheet metal and professionally painted. I don't think a repaint kills value. My first Miata was a repainted Montego Blue and it was a spectacular reshoot. This car is 25 years old, its needing a refresh at some point shouldn't come as a huge surprise. I'd rather have a quality repaint than original paint that is aged beyond simple repair. Key word is "quality".


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## Jobackson (Oct 31, 2015)

I have an MA miata. Hardtop. Konis. Bbs. Full r package oem aero. Fun car


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

Claff said:


> I'd call and ask about the rust repair. If it was just buzzed down and painted over, yeah, it'll come back and quicker than you think. But you might be surprised and they'll say it was cut out, replaced with clean sheet metal and professionally painted. I don't think a repaint kills value. My first Miata was a repainted Montego Blue and it was a spectacular reshoot. This car is 25 years old, its needing a refresh at some point shouldn't come as a huge surprise. I'd rather have a quality repaint than original paint that is aged beyond simple repair. Key word is "quality".


The rust hasn't been addressed in any way other than the respray. The paint looks pretty decent, other than the rust.


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## unplugged92 (Jul 13, 2012)

I've Sold my GTI last year which used to be my fun car and daily driver. I now own a 1997 turbocharged miata as my fun track car, and a 2014 golf station wagon tdi as my daily. I love the combination! My Miata is so much faster in the corners.








[/url]11231105_1491816287781710_6272233758156113551_o (1) by Rajan Thiru, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Is that a 06-08 MX5 lower front bumper tacked onto the '97? Looks... peculiar.

Also, not a fan of the sleepy-eye look.


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## BluePanda (Sep 20, 2015)

We have a '93 that's been with us for a few years now.

Shes no show car but man is she fun.

Just did the flyn miata turbo kit on top of the megasquirt. Finally got new rubbers on her too.

The only thing I still have a hard time with is that damn pucked clutch.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

DubNMiatafan said:


> WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO FAR AWAY?!?!?!?!?!?!
> 
> That thing will be gone in a heartbeat at that price.


FWIW, I flew to Los Angeles to purchase my Sunburst and drove over 900 miles back to Portland. Purchase where the cars are.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Bring on winter. Found a cheap hardtop for the '08.


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

How are Miatas in snow with proper tires? Is an LSD a must?


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Harpoon said:


> How are Miatas in snow with proper tires? Is an LSD a must?


Not a must with snow tires but it helps. Car is perfectly balanced so if you do slide its fun :thumbup:
My semi functional VLSD on my 93 Black/Tan got me through 2 heavy NJ winters back in 03/04. I bought used blizzaks and they were great!


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## 7.62 (Jul 25, 2001)

EuroAtomic said:


> Not a must with snow tires but it helps. Car is perfectly balanced so if you do slide its fun :thumbup:


This. Snow tires, LSD and hard top make it a decent car for snow. The only issue will be ground clearance or lack thereof.


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

Damn, that makes me want a competition yellow NC even more now...


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Harpoon said:


> Damn, that makes me want a competition yellow NC even more now...


Well you are in the right month to buy one. They are dirt cheap now and up till February. I've seen some really good deals.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Snow photos!




























I'll be driving one again this winter...good snow tires, but no VLSD this time. We'll see how that goes.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Snow photos!



I have a couple of those!


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

why have pics when you can have video?


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

so do miatas turn into wet noodles once the rockers rust, or is it just superficial and who cares that you have a hole in the side?


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Are we doing winter Miatas? Yes, yes we are.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

mad8vskillz said:


> so do miatas turn into wet noodles once the rockers rust, or is it just superficial and who cares that you have a hole in the side?


implying the miata isn't a wet noodle without rust


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Snow photos!


February 2010


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)




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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

mad8vskillz said:


> so do miatas turn into wet noodles once the rockers rust, or is it just superficial and who cares that you have a hole in the side?


A seasoned Spec Miata builder told me that NA Miatas are actually quite resilient even when rust sets in on the rockers. The frame and all suspension/sub frame/structural parts are solid, even on the tri state area cars.

NB cars are a different story. Mazda used a different steel/coating and they just rust everywhere including pretty bad structural rust. I'm actually helping him find a few high mile NB's for Spec Miata builds all the way in Cali.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Yeah, they're not exactly a shining example of chassis rigidity to begin with, but no, rocker rust does not seem to have a substantial effect on an NA's stiffness. Not very structural, if at all. I have back-to-back driven a VERY rusty 275k mile car with a 160k mile rust free one, and more recently a moderately rusty 180k mile car against a 70k mile rust free one. Chassis rigidity about the same all around, no discernible difference.

There's kinda 3 levels of the rust.

*Bubbling - no big deal but you'll find more as you look deeper.
*Hole - well at least the water can drain now, and you still have inner rocker panel, jacking point, lower pinch weld, etc. Seal/convert the rust and patch with your preferred method.
*Gaping obnoxious hole extending around from the side to the bottom of the car - pinch weld is going or gone, the inside rocker is probably rusted through too, this is where I start to wonder if it is worth fixing. You don't actually see this level very often.

My first one had gaping holes at all four corners, I sealed the rust and every year at inspection time I would fill the holes with spray foam and cover with undercoating. Like $10/year to pass inspection and the actual rot didn't change noticeably over 2 winters. Cut it out after inspection so it didn't hold more water and junk up there.

Rusty car w/ holes open:


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

EuroAtomic said:


> NB cars are a different story. Mazda used a different steel/coating and they just rust everywhere including pretty bad structural rust. I'm actually helping him find a few high mile NB's for Spec Miata builds all the way in Cali.


Well that...sucks.

So in 30 years we'll have plenty of NA's still around and no NB's? Well, no skin off my back, I only fit in the interiors of NA's and ND's


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

I was parked there for 30 seconds and I was the only person within 5 miles of that parking space.


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

Bigger concern for me in the winter is hills. Flat is one thing, hilly areas (me) is another. With snows is it like "you'll stress but you'll get by" or are you guys totally confident in these cars when the snow falls?


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Well that...sucks.
> 
> So in 30 years we'll have plenty of NA's still around and no NB's?



Getting one that lived in the south has been easy for both the two NB I've had. They were, and stayed rust free (so far)


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Harpoon said:


> Bigger concern for me in the winter is hills. Flat is one thing, hilly areas (me) is another. With snows is it like "you'll stress but you'll get by" or are you guys totally confident in these cars when the snow falls?


I do live in a hilly region. There's a (smallish) ski resort up the street. I have had a VLSD in every winter Miata thus far. I don't recall if I posted it here, but yeah, when you have an uphill off-camber curve and you have to stop because a 2wd SUV on snow tires got stuck sideways (it happens way too often), in the Miata you probably give up and turn around. Stopping on an off-camber incline is a difficult situation. I have had to back up and find a new route 3 times in 2 winters. All 3 because I wanted to take my unplowed or not-salted back road route, and I had to give up and take the highway.

If you live in an area where the snow plows are slow enough that you have to traverse roads with more than ~4 actual inches of snow on them, it might be a problem. In every other situation, you are no worse off than a 2wd pickup which a ton of people think is a fine winter vehicle...

Lastly, take my advice with a grain of salt. I hate hate HATE driving in CT on a clear sunny day because of the sheer number and stupidity of other cars on the road. The possibility of being stuck unmoving in a traffic jam for an hour while snow accumulates around me is not even on my radar.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

You can do this with 'em too.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

EuroAtomic said:


> A seasoned Spec Miata builder told me that NA Miatas are actually quite resilient even when rust sets in on the rockers. The frame and all suspension/sub frame/structural parts are solid, even on the tri state area cars.
> 
> NB cars are a different story. Mazda used a different steel/coating and they just rust everywhere including pretty bad structural rust. I'm actually helping him find a few high mile NB's for Spec Miata builds all the way in Cali.


oof. Good to know:thumbup:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Claff said:


>


God 

I will own one of these. Looks lovely :heart:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


>


Those 17x9's look hellaflush, yo!

Do you have a custom plate on order?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

No custom plate coming as of yet. The car hasn't told me what it wants the plate to say.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> No custom plate coming as of yet. The car hasn't told me what it wants the plate to say.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

"soapbar"


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

One from my trip to Great Smoky Mountains/Tail of the Dragon back in October. Probably the most fun I've ever had with this car. The roads there are unbelievable.










She's dirty, but I consider it a badge of honor. Thrashing the hell out of it in rain, wet leaves, mud, and finally dry over 1400 miles.

It's truly a 24/7/365 sports car. :heart:


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Going on 9 months without a Miata, and 2 years with the R53 Mini.

Getting really sick of (working on) the Mini, and really miss having a Miata. Throwing a new windshield (Monday), ball joints (Sunday), and o2 sensor (today) on the R53, then it's going up for sale to fund another Miata for a daily, you know, just in time for winter. There's a lot to be said for these little cars, can't wait to pick up another one.

Anyone know of someone selling a decent Miata in the DC area?

Hell, anyone know of anyone that would want to trade their NA/NB for an 03 Mini S in British Racing Green (noticing a trend? just like my old 91 BRG Miata, and my 97 Suburban) with 96k miles, 19% pulley upgrade, Megan Racing catback, Helix short shifter, some sort of CAI, strut tower plates, OEM header/cat with 20k miles on it, tires less than a year old, new control arm bushings, new ball joints, new front wheel bearings/hubs, new rear O2 sensor, rear brakes are pretty new, new spark plugs and wires, aux jack installed, rebuilt window motor, all new engine mounts, rebuilt OEM pass side CV axle, replaced power steering pump under recall, etc etc, it's in pretty good shape ever since I got finished with it. Just miss my Miata.


----------



## Marc86Golf2 (Jul 21, 2005)

Hogan said:


> Going on 9 months without a Miata, and 2 years with the R53 Mini.
> 
> Getting really sick of (working on) the Mini, and really miss having a Miata. Throwing a new windshield (Monday), ball joints (Sunday), and o2 sensor (today) on the R53, then it's going up for sale to fund another Miata for a daily, you know, just in time for winter. There's a lot to be said for these little cars, can't wait to pick up another one.
> 
> ...


^^^^ worst for sale ad evar lol


----------



## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

Claff said:


>


Wheel and tire size details please? My NC is still running the skinny 17" wheels and 205 series rubber...time for an upgrade!


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Bibs said:


> Wheel and tire size details please? My NC is still running the skinny 17" wheels and 205 series rubber...time for an upgrade!


It's not my car, but they are 17x9 Enkei RFP1s with 245 wide RE71R. It's a pretty standard STR wheel setup. Just be aware that you'll have to roll the rear fenders to get those wheels to fit without rubbing.


----------



## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Marc86Golf2 said:


> ^^^^ worst for sale ad evar lol


It's not a classified ad. There are just a ton of people in here that are local to me (Claff, Byron, etc) that tend to be pretty well connected to the miata community around here, so I figured it was worth asking since craiglist is a crapshoot for Miatas around here.

I know better than to start a classified ad with "I don't like this car, it's an unreliable pos". But hey, maybe someone wants my bucket haha


----------



## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

DAMNNNN

http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/1312-1991-mazda-miata/


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Someone roller their fenders wrong for those hella flush wheels. Spotted today in Sacramento.


----------



## proximal (May 2, 2006)

Sup, guys?


----------



## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

proximal said:


> Sup, guys?


Saw this exact combo ND today and I was smitten. What a beautiful car :thumbup:

That was the first one I saw on the road.


----------



## 8v_gti777 (Oct 30, 2006)

DubNMiatafan said:


> One from my trip to Great Smoky Mountains/Tail of the Dragon back in October. Probably the most fun I've ever had with this car. The roads there are unbelievable.
> 
> 
> She's dirty, but I consider it a badge of honor. Thrashing the hell out of it in rain, wet leaves, mud, and finally dry over 1400 miles.
> ...


That's a neat picture. Car looks like it's been put to use. How do you like it on a daily basis, for regular driving?

I'd like a Miata but wonder if I could live with the size.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

8v_gti777 said:


> That's a neat picture. Car looks like it's been put to use. How do you like it on a daily basis, for regular driving?
> 
> I'd like a Miata but wonder if I could live with the size.


Thanks! It gets put to use for sure, I thrash it probably every time I drive it and it takes it beautifully.

As for daily driving it, it's really not that bad. I have Tein Basic coilovers set at a reasonable height and the only time it's uncomfortable is when I hit a big dip with the rear. The rear suspension travel in the Miata is not that great in the first place, and even slightly lowering it will cause you to go into the bumpstops on a big dip/pothole in the rear.

Other than that, it's totally fine. I'm 5'10", about 145 lbs, and I drove it comfortably back from Tail of the Dragon to Chicago in one day. I had some slight right knee pain after 4 days of constant driving because of how my leg had to bend, but other than that, it's surprisingly comfortable. I drove the whole 11 hours back from the dragon and my back was completely fine. I have 391/279 lb/in spring rates front/rear (stock is about 160/95) and they are actually quite comfortable. It was really nice to drive on the trip.

There are the odd squeaks and rattles since it's a 26 year old car at this point (6/89 build date), but it's definitely liveable. I've dailied it for the past 3 years (including winter) and it's been great. Very reliable too. With winter tires, it has had no problems at all.

As long as you don't carry big items, it's fine to live with as a daily. Before I moved in with my GF, I was easily able to carry two weeks of groceries for myself in the car. In a pinch, if you need to carry something large, take the passenger seat out (4 bolts) and put the top down. Quite a lot of cargo room that way.

Basically, if you go into it knowing that it's an older car and you can deal with no back seats, it's a really fun, reliable sports car.


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Loving this fall/winter weather for driving in the hills.


----------



## Ark6 (Dec 14, 2007)

8v_gti777 said:


> That's a neat picture. Car looks like it's been put to use. How do you like it on a daily basis, for regular driving?
> 
> I'd like a Miata but wonder if I could live with the size.


Well how big are you? 
I'm 6"4 with a 34 inch inseam, and by far one of the biggest reasons that made me pick an S2K over a Miata is the difference in interior room. This isn't a car for you if you're clastrophobic at all. The NC and ND have more interior room, but neither I can clear with a helmet on (I barely can with the S2K). The interior is snug but it's not overly tight unless you're a wide or really tall guy. Just depends on what your comfort level is. And I can't imagine a Miata being worse than a S2k as a daily.


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## roccc (Feb 6, 2013)

Ark6 said:


> Well how big are you?
> I'm 6"4 with a 34 inch inseam, and by far one of the biggest reasons that made me pick an S2K over a Miata is the difference in interior room. This isn't a car for you if you're clastrophobic at all. The NC and ND have more interior room, but neither I can clear with a helmet on (I barely can with the S2K). The interior is snug but it's not overly tight unless you're a wide or really tall guy. Just depends on what your comfort level is. And I can't imagine a Miata being worse than a S2k as a daily.


I'm 6'1" 275 and the NC is a snug fit with the top up. Just picked up my ND and its got a noticeable amount more head room.


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## NationYell (Oct 26, 2007)

How about this Miata...

http://www.engineswapdepot.com/?p=7843


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I got a good laugh from the speedometer in that hot rod


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## simon_C (Oct 5, 2006)

NationYell said:


> How about this Miata...
> 
> http://www.engineswapdepot.com/?p=7843
> 
> http://www.engineswapdepot.com/wp-c...rtible-with-a-1.8-L-Mazda-Miata-Engine-01.jpg



That thing is cool! Bet it's not slow either, it probably doesn't weigh all that much.


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## Valgarba (Dec 21, 2015)

Today I learned that the Delorean DMC12 appears to use a miata ashtray??


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Ark6 said:


> And I can't imagine a Miata being worse than a S2k as a daily.


A stock Miata will beat the S2K out for ride comfort, but if you don't fit, you don't fit.


----------



## Mr Sheen (Oct 30, 2015)

Love this thread! :thumbup:

Always wanted a Mk1 Miata, I will definitely have one - it's just a matter of when... opcorn: 

Anyone for Dohc Bag's Delorean Miata? :laugh:


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I don't think there are enough vomit emoticons in all the world for that. Here's some eye bleach.


----------



## Valgarba (Dec 21, 2015)

Mr Sheen said:


> Love this thread! :thumbup:
> 
> Always wanted a Mk1 Miata, I will definitely have one - it's just a matter of when... opcorn:
> 
> Anyone for Dohc Bag's Delorean Miata? :laugh:


Kill that with fire


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I don't think there are enough vomit emoticons in all the world for that. Here's some eye bleach.


Man I miss that car.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Claff said:


> Man I miss that car.


Are my eyes playing tricks on me or did you have 14s in the front and 15s in the rear?


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

winter miata is best miata:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Are my eyes playing tricks on me or did you have 14s in the front and 15s in the rear?


Must be an optical illusion, they're all 15x7. The car's gone but the wheels are now on my CRX.

Funny CSB

When I started shopping for my first Miata back in 2007, I found the Autotrader ad for this car. My first thought? "Oh no, it's got some sort of aftermarket wheels." Bought the car anyway. After a couple people saw my car and offered to buy those wheels off of it, I looked up what they were and was pleasantly surprised. Same with the R pkg front lip. I really knew nothing about these cars back then.

/CSB


----------



## Marcao (Apr 1, 2009)

too bad they cost zillions of money here in Brazil,,,

:beer::beer:


----------



## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

Getting ready to sell my hardtop Miata. The ol' girl just doesn't get driven. 1996, Jackson Racing supercharger, Megasquirt, lots of goodies (but still lots of room for mods!)

She only has 79,800 miles. Registered in WA but is in CA (I'm active duty). Selling in state will be a PITA because of emissions... I think.. :laugh:


----------



## simon_C (Oct 5, 2006)

If the supercharger kit has a CARB EO number, it should be smog legal. Otherwise, good luck getting it sold here.


----------



## Spiller337 (Nov 27, 2009)

Wow that is awesome. Those wheels!!


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

Hogan said:


> Hell, anyone know of anyone that would want to trade their NA/NB for an 03 Mini S...


I'm contemplating the same thing with my '04 base Cooper but not for being tired of it, just the new car itch. Might be time for the first Miata. Trade pending...


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

QWKDTSN said:


> Getting ready to sell my hardtop Miata. The ol' girl just doesn't get driven. 1996, Jackson Racing supercharger, Megasquirt, lots of goodies (but still lots of room for mods!)


Oh lawd... I don't even want to know how much you're asking.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

I've had my Miatas for over 10yrs, but I'm only 2wks into having a hardtop. Now I know what all the fuss is about! The rear visibility is amazing.













In other news, within the last week, there have been 4 hardtops stolen from members in the NW Miata community


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Diamond Dave said:


> In other news, within the last week, there have been 4 hardtops stolen from members in the NW Miata community


I love the look, especially with the K1's. Plus I love what's under the hood LOL.

Theft is my biggest worry in taking the leap to get a hardtop, since I don't have consistent inside storage. But there are so many upsides: track days (depending on the track; I don't have a roll bar, not sure how I feel about it in my DD), highway drives, (as Dave mentioned) visibility, winter storage would be better.

My NA in it's current state:









I've got a set of 6UL's as well (love those wheels) but I don't have any pictures with the current suspension :banghead:


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## QWKDTSN (Oct 24, 2006)

simon_C said:


> If the supercharger kit has a CARB EO number, it should be smog legal. Otherwise, good luck getting it sold here.


Yeah, it's Megasquirt, so I'm pretty sure it's an automatic fail regardless. Most other states shouldn't be an issue. I just keep it registered out of state.



ByronLLN said:


> Oh lawd... I don't even want to know how much you're asking.


Kind of unsure what to ask for it TBH...


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> I love the look, especially with the K1's. Plus I love what's under the hood LOL.
> 
> Theft is my biggest worry in taking the leap to get a hardtop, since I don't have consistent inside storage. But there are so many upsides: track days (depending on the track; I don't have a roll bar, not sure how I feel about it in my DD), highway drives, (as Dave mentioned) visibility, winter storage would be better.


Unless you run with a very liberal track club, whether or not you have a hard top makes zero difference in needing a roll bar at the track. 

Also, they make locks for the hard tops so you can literally lock the hard top to the car and you need a key to remove it. That would prevent theft. 

http://www.gomiata.com/toploc.html

You can also get a 'bolt on' kit for the hard top so you don't need a key, but you do need wrenches to remove it.


----------



## It's Big Ty (Feb 19, 2011)

Sigh. This thread makes me wish I was short enough to drive a Miata. Such awesome cars.


----------



## It's Big Ty (Feb 19, 2011)

Sigh. This thread makes me wish I was short enough to drive a Miata. Such awesome cars.


----------



## 16VSerenity (Jul 26, 2006)

I really wish I had one for a toy/project car. Almost got one a number of years ago, but went a different route.


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

It's Big Ty said:


> Sigh. This thread makes me wish I was short enough to drive a Miata. Such awesome cars.


How tall? I may get a '94 from a guy who is 6'4". He uses a fixed/lowered seat rail.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> In other news, within the last week, there have been 4 hardtops stolen from members in the NW Miata community





Stevo12 said:


> Theft is my biggest worry in taking the leap to get a hardtop, since I don't have consistent inside storage.












http://garagestar.com/blog/?product=security-bolt-kit

http://garagestar.com/blog/?product=hardtop-brackets-oem-hardtop

or










http://www.gomiata.com/toploc.html


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Smigelski said:


> Unless you run with a very liberal track club, whether or not you have a hard top makes zero difference in needing a roll bar at the track.


True, some clubs require one or the other, while others you need the roll bar regardless. I'm still wrestling with myself to install a roll bar, since it's my 3-season DD that still sees significant mileage. That both my fiancee and I drive it gives me pause due to the risk of injury w/ a roll bar - me b/c I'm just at the height where it could become an issue (5'9"), and she's that not much shorter.

Finding a used one for an NB (I have an NB glass window top installed) I've found is a lot harder than finding a plastic window roll bar. Every time a used one pops up for sale, it's always for the plastic window cars :banghead:




Smigelski said:


> Also, they make locks for the hard tops so you can literally lock the hard top to the car and you need a key to remove it. That would prevent theft.
> 
> http://www.gomiata.com/toploc.html
> 
> You can also get a 'bolt on' kit for the hard top so you don't need a key, but you do need wrenches to remove it.





zeewhiz said:


> http://garagestar.com/blog/?product=security-bolt-kit
> 
> http://garagestar.com/blog/?product=hardtop-brackets-oem-hardtop
> 
> ...


Thanks for the links. Man, buying a hard top for a Miata is just...


----------



## yellowbird (Feb 4, 2001)

It's Big Ty said:


> Sigh. This thread makes me wish I was short enough to drive a Miata. Such awesome cars.


how tall? headroom or legroom problem?

im 6' 2", 34" inseam, i drive an 09 miata. legroom was a problem for me in the NA and NB cars.


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## Tokyosmash (Mar 11, 2007)

Anyone else driven the ND? Test drove a club pack and am sold as soon as my Focus is paid off, felt exactly like my old S2000, so simple and mechanical.


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## Marc86Golf2 (Jul 21, 2005)

creampuff










from ad:
*5,000 miles (actual miles)
*all factory options plus Fitapaldi mag wheels and low profiles
*have original mag wheels and tires, brand new
*soft top, never on car
*tanu cover, never used
*fiberglass boot cover, after market
*after market, trunk lid spoiler
*after market, ground clearance flaps
*after market. front grill cover
*factory matching hard top


----------



## It's Big Ty (Feb 19, 2011)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Edited


----------



## It's Big Ty (Feb 19, 2011)

CJ318 said:


> How tall? I may get a '94 from a guy who is 6'4". He uses a fixed/lowered seat rail.





yellowbird said:


> how tall? headroom or legroom problem?
> 
> im 6' 2", 34" inseam, i drive an 09 miata. legroom was a problem for me in the NA and NB cars.


6'3 with a 32" inseam. Headroom was a problem for me, but I've only driven my friends old NA. I guess the newer cars have more room?


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> I've had my Miatas for over 10yrs, but I'm only 2wks into having a hardtop. Now I know what all the fuss is about! The rear visibility is amazing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hardtops are awesome. Especially the ones with a working defroster for those colder weeks.

When we lived in the Bronx I only drove put the hard top on once and definitely woke up at 3AM to check if it was still there. 

They are easy $800 to any crack head that knows what they fetch. It is more lucrative than stealing wheels. You can walk away with an NA hardtop in 1 minute fllat.:banghead::banghead:


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

I needed a Miata.










because racecar.


----------



## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

It's Big Ty said:


> 6'3 with a 32" inseam. Headroom was a problem for me, but I've only driven my friends old NA. I guess the newer cars have more room?


I just picked up a '12 GT and I'm 6'3" w/34" inseam. My hair brushes the soft top's crossbar, so doing the GordyM mod to drop the seat bottom another 1". Miata.net is a good resource for these kinds of questions. Could also switch to a removable hard top to gain a little more head clearance.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's my car in Winter mode. After the recent blizzard I needed to enlist the help of my tracking Doodle to find the car!


----------



## flyinglizard (Aug 6, 2006)

Move to Michigan, buy Miata, drive it in the Winter.



















Mazdaspeed wheels and tires in 2nd pic are up for sale if anyone in Detroit area is looking


----------



## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

The want...


----------



## Euro Skank (Feb 1, 2008)

Super easy question, considering trading my restored 73 super beetle with a spare motor and trans for a 2000 Miata 1.8. 140k 5spd. New top, suspension, rims, spacers, exhaust, welded in roll bar. Thoughts? 

My beetle is clean. But not a pebble beach car by a stretch. Fiberglass front fenders but otherwise it's all steel. 

This. 



For 





I figure it's a car I'll actually be able to drive. Take to the beach. Not have to constantly tinker with and save gas over my v8 Touareg. 

Thoughts?


----------



## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

flyinglizard said:


> Move to Michigan, buy Miata, drive it in the Winter.


99% sure i've seen you around, unless theres another silver NA with missing passenger mirror. :beer:


----------



## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

My 03 SE I bought back in October. Just installed a revalved Bilstein coilover setup and RB front sway on it. Definitely a blast to drive.


----------



## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

I truly DO need another Miata. I never should have gotten rid of mine. There isn't a single reasonably priced NA left in the Northeast it seems though, unfortunately.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

zaYG said:


> I truly DO need another Miata. I never should have gotten rid of mine. There isn't a single reasonably priced NA left in the Northeast it seems though, unfortunately.


Pfft. This 3,000 mile 1995 Miata could be yours for $16,000.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/659297039/overview/


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

They're so cute when they're stock.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Euro Skank said:


> Super easy question, considering trading my restored 73 super beetle with a spare motor and trans for a 2000 Miata 1.8. 140k 5spd. New top, suspension, rims, spacers, exhaust, welded in roll bar. Thoughts?


I'd do it. Not sure if that's the Miata I'd choose, but do what you like. That Miata is at the mileage point when you'll have the deferred maintenance items trickle in - battery, clutch slave, radiator, timing belt, water pump, crank angle sensor, motor mounts, etc.

Other than that, every repair I've ever done on a Miata has been clean and straightforward.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Finally picked up a Probax Elise seat last week from a local. So far, it's everything I want in comfort, function, and appearance.












Winter has been pretty damn awesome in Oregon this year. Here's a snap from last month.












Roadster wash day


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Dave, I love your Miata. Just a perfectly exectured NA. How hard was the Probax Seat Install?

I'm doing a minimalist interior in my 94 this summer. Definitely upgrading the driver seat. I'm using your car as insiration :thumbup:


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Are those stock Lotus brackets on top of the factory sliders on the Probax install? Do they sit really high?

I currently have my Probax seats on some homebrew brackets that weld directly to the factory sliders, but I've made some models to have a floor-mounted adjustable bracket for more headroom. I just need to have prototypes cut.


----------



## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Does anyone here have an NA with a turbo kit? How much would it cost to install one? (.a conservative 180 HP)


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

EuroAtomic said:


> Dave, I love your Miata. Just a perfectly exectured NA. How hard was the Probax Seat Install?
> 
> I'm doing a minimalist interior in my 94 this summer. Definitely upgrading the driver seat. I'm using your car as insiration :thumbup:


Thanks, it's getting there. Too bad you weren't in Portland long enough for a ride.

Minmalist is where it's at. My theme has always been to emulate the Porsche RS style. They were already on a Miata bracket, so difficulty was removing the sliders form my factory seat and bolting to the bracket and then fitting to the car (which took patience and fine-tuning).






vortexblue said:


> Are those stock Lotus brackets on top of the factory sliders on the Probax install? Do they sit really high?


They're on the UltimatFab Miata bracket that bolts to the stock Miata sliders. It sits lower than the stock Miata seat height. The height is perfect for me - I'm 6'. If the seat were bolted to the floor, it would be lower than comfortable for me. It's also low enough now that my wife can barely see over the gauge cluster, so, you know, there's no reason she'll need to worry about ever driving it...


----------



## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

88c900t said:


> Does anyone here have an NA with a turbo kit? How much would it cost to install one? (.a conservative 180 HP)



Complete kit new will run you $3,500-$5,000. Used kits from $1,500-$3,000. Total hack job possible for under $1,000. Prices do not include supporting modifications.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

EuroAtomic said:


> Hardtops are awesome. Especially the ones with a working defroster for those colder weeks.
> 
> When we lived in the Bronx I only drove put the hard top on once and definitely woke up at 3AM to check if it was still there.
> 
> They are easy $800 to any crack head that knows what they fetch. It is more lucrative than stealing wheels. You can walk away with an NA hardtop in 1 minute fllat.:banghead::banghead:


The only time I ever locked my Miata was when it had the hardtop on it. Of course they can still break the window or just pry the window enough to get a tool in there to unlock the door but that's true of any car, especially one with frameless windows. There are a few different options on the market for locking latch plates and tamper-resistant hardware.


----------



## Kevin RS (Apr 20, 2003)

This thread is great but makes me sad! I just sold my na Miata. I had plans to build it but I could not pass up the offer I received on it. Shameless plug - i'm now in the market for a na or nb roller chassis - it only needs a clean title and relatively clean bodywork. I'm going to be making a v8 track car out of it. If anyone has one or knows of one within 500 miles of Denver, Co please let me know. Thanks all! :beer:opcorn:opcorn:::laugh:

Also Diamond Dave - love the lotus elise seat ! Looks just about perfect in the Miata. I want to do something similar with a very minimalistic approach. I have door pulls and i'm looking at taking the headlight motors out for a manual headlight setup but that may take away from the car...possibly.


----------



## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

Just want to thank you all for being a massive inspiration the past few years. I've been looking to get a Miata ever since I drove my buddy's NA back in 2014. The time is right. I found a guy selling his lightly modified NA in excellent shape, and I will hopefully plan to pick it up next weekend! No top, so a 5 hour open air drive home is waiting for me. Should be a great bonding experience. Pics will be posted as soon as she's home. Can't wait!


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> Thanks, it's getting there. Too bad you weren't in Portland long enough for a ride.


I might be by Portland around June. I'm thinking about driving the MR2 to East Coast, the long way. I'm sure I can find a way to drag Vad there again to buy another Sweedish wagon:laugh:



88c900t said:


> Does anyone here have an NA with a turbo kit? How much would it cost to install one? (.a conservative 180 HP)


I have a full FM2 kit on mine with oldschool Link engine management. I ran it safely at 12psi which was actually too much power for me. So i detuned it to 8 which is right around 170-180whp. 

You can build a decent kit for around $2500. It all depends on your patience, knowledge and mechanical incline. If you hunt for deals you can do it for less.

Go to Turbomiata.com and read A LOT. Make sure to use FM manifold. It's worth the $$. Best advice is to buy a properly put together turbo Miata from someone who lost interest. Get a 94/95 1.8 NA for best results.


----------



## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

I plan to replace the exhaust and OE plastic diffuser on my NC this spring. 

Center outlet. Likely would require custom exhaust work. 




























Or OE twin outlet. Many aftermarket exhaust options plug and play


----------



## Mr. Clarkson (Jul 24, 2008)

I ran a center exit on mine, and it took a fair amount of custom exhaust work. Although any shop that's ever done pipe work before should be able to sort it out.


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Was nice enough yesterday to break out the Miata for my commute.


----------



## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

OK, the itch is overwhelming. Anybody know anyone selling a well-sorted NC?


----------



## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

A nice look at all 4 generations...They could have got a better NB, as that one looks pretty ragged. I would have also used a NC Club soft top, to represent the best of the NC....same for the ND. Club models are the most driver-focused models.

I am sure they can't be picky, though. A good review.

In the Miata world, and even outside of it, the NC gets the most criticism...But it is a great platform, and pricing is coming down on the used market. :thumbup:


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

ByronLLN said:


> OK, the itch is overwhelming. Anybody know anyone selling a well-sorted NC?




Start your search. Take your time. Took me forever (many months) to find the NA I was willing to buy.

Unmolested. No rust. Low miles. Very well maintained. No power steering/locks/windows.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> Start your search. Take your time. Took me forever (many months) to find the NA I was willing to buy.
> 
> Unmolested. No rust. Low miles. Very well maintained. No power steering/locks/windows.


I'm not looking for another "forever" car. I have the 5.0 and my NA for that. I just want a more modern toy that I can cheaply run no matter the conditions.

Plus, it helps that I have multiple sets of FD wheels and various other Mazda accessories from that generation of cars still hanging around my shed.


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## dhvag (May 6, 2003)

Thread title accurate. Source: see pics :laugh:










Bought this 2006 Sport with 100k for pretty cheap in October. Life has been great ever since.

It's great for Costco runs.










Perfect for kids.










And is really the perfect winter commuter as discussed in another thread. :laugh:


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

Glad to see a bump for this thread :thumbup:

I need newer pictures, minor changes since this:









:heart:


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

dhvag said:


> Perfect for kid.


Fixed.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

Mr. Clarkson said:


> I ran a center exit on mine, and it took a fair amount of custom exhaust work. Although any shop that's ever done pipe work before should be able to sort it out.


Every time I see pics of this car...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Ready for summer. Well, eventually the hardtop will be removed and stored away till autumn.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Are there any weak points to NAs besides the early 4 bolt crankcase? These seem pretty bulletproof. Transmission? Suspension?


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## Slipstream (Feb 8, 2002)

Claff said:


> Ready for summer. Well, eventually the hardtop will be removed and stored away till autumn.


Gorgeous.

Also, is this a real/OEM thing? Or a replica Super20 that somebody cobbled together?

https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/272168709454


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Slipstream said:


> Also, is this a real/OEM thing? Or a replica Super20 that somebody cobbled together?
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/272168709454


It looks cobbled together. The first Super 20 articles I can find are from 2013, and this car is a 2009. Plus the ad says 'many well thought out performance upgrades,' so that doesn't inspire confidence. Plus it doesn't make reference to other Supepr20 stuff, like the short gearing. 

I think the Super20 was also supercharged. 

I don't think Mazda ever sold the Super20, so one may have gotten out - but this isn't it.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Bah. My battery died while the car was in winter storage. I ordered a WestCo AGM battery from Moss last night to replace the VRLA unit that was in the car.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> It looks cobbled together. The first Super 20 articles I can find are from 2013, and this car is a 2009. Plus the ad says 'many well thought out performance upgrades,' so that doesn't inspire confidence. Plus it doesn't make reference to other Supepr20 stuff, like the short gearing.
> 
> I think the Super20 was also supercharged.
> 
> I don't think Mazda ever sold the Super20, so one may have gotten out - but this isn't it.


I'd love a supercharged NC, but that one doesn't give me a warm fuzzy.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

88c900t said:


> Are there any weak points to NAs besides the early 4 bolt crankcase? These seem pretty bulletproof. Transmission? Suspension?


It's not the crankcase that's a problem. It's the short nose crank that is susceptible to keyway damage, most especially after a poorly done timing belt job. NAs have many weak points, most notably their power output and hairdresser image and likely history of abuse and deferred maintenance (aka dreaded previous owner syndrome). Thankfully, virtually every weak point imaginable is addressed by the aftermarket or by updating components to newer OEM parts. These cars are very simple for their age and thanks to their shared platform and long model run from 1989-2005, many NA and NB parts are interchangeable. So you ditch the early 1.6 open diff for a later 1.8 Torsen setup (including carrier, axles and driveshaft). Instead of building your 1.6, you swap in a junkyard 1.8 and then install your power adders of choice. Or you just say F-it and install a Honda K24, GM LFX V6 or LSx V8. You can make these cars anything you want, from fuel efficient grand touring car to rip-snorting track monster and anything in between. There basically isn't anything that hasn't been done: battery electric, hybrid battery electric, Nissan SR20 swap, Honda F20C/K20/K24/J32/J35 swaps, Mazda 13B and Renesis rotary swap, Mazda/Ford KLZE V6 swap, BMW M50 swap, Jaguar V12 swap, Suzuki G10 3-cylinder swap, VW VR6 swap, Ford 5.0 swap, Buick Busch Grand National Series V6 swap, etc.


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

Hey people....I am looking at two different used ones now....a NB and a NC. I am torn between the two and not sure what path to head down. Any help on a route? Positives....negatives...


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## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

tngdesi said:


> Hey people....I am looking at two different used ones now....a NB and a NC. I am torn between the two and not sure what path to head down. Any help on a route? Positives....negatives...


Model years of each? NBs got a significant upgrade in 01. Older NCs come with a 2.0 compared to newer ones with a much better 2.5.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

freedomgli said:


> It's not the crankcase that's a problem. It's the short nose crank that is susceptible to keyway damage, most especially after a poorly done timing belt job. NAs have many weak points, most notably their power output and hairdresser image and likely history of abuse and deferred maintenance (aka dreaded previous owner syndrome). Thankfully, virtually every weak point imaginable is addressed by the aftermarket or by updating components to newer OEM parts. These cars are very simple for their age and thanks to their shared platform and long model run from 1989-2005, many NA and NB parts are interchangeable. So you ditch the early 1.6 open diff for a later 1.8 Torsen setup (including carrier, axles and driveshaft). Instead of building your 1.6, you swap in a junkyard 1.8 and then install your power adders of choice. Or you just say F-it and install a Honda K24, GM LFX V6 or LSx V8. You can make these cars anything you want, from fuel efficient grand touring car to rip-snorting track monster and anything in between. There basically isn't anything that hasn't been done: battery electric, hybrid battery electric, Nissan SR20 swap, Honda F20C/K20/K24/J32/J35 swaps, Mazda 13B and Renesis rotary swap, Mazda/Ford KLZE V6 swap, BMW M50 swap, Jaguar V12 swap, Suzuki G10 3-cylinder swap, VW VR6 swap, Ford 5.0 swap, Buick Busch Grand National Series V6 swap, etc.


I mean weak points in terms of reliability- like the MR2's popping out of gear. 

Not planning to do anything crazy, just want something very fun to drive and reliable as a 2nd car. Last time I checked (granted this was in the fall) there were a number of very clean NAs for about $4000 or less.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

I'd be looking at an 01+ NB. I've owned two NBs.. never will own an NC, but will eventually own an ND once I have space to put one, and possibly another (more) NB miatas. 

I dont have a substantive reason for not wanting an NC. Just dont like em. So long as you make sure the one you get is well sorted, and your expectations are reasonable, you'll not be disappointed with either. These cars can take a metric crap-ton of abuse and still keep going. But making sure you got a good one to start is a good step for any car.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

tngdesi said:


> Hey people....I am looking at two different used ones now....a NB and a NC. I am torn between the two and not sure what path to head down. Any help on a route? Positives....negatives...


The NB is a revised NA platform, whereas the NC was a much more extensive redesign. It's more modern, but also heavier, and tends to get criticized for losing a lot of the magic of the NA and NB. It's going to be safer, quieter, more comfortable, but perhaps a bit less engaging. That said, it's still a very competent platform.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

zellers88 said:


> Model years of each? NBs got a significant upgrade in 01. Older NCs come with a 2.0 compared to newer ones with a much better 2.5.


NCs never came with a 2.5L engine. 

Although 2.5L swaps in NC are doable and seem to be pretty awesome.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Fined said:


> I dont have a substantive reason for not wanting an NC. Just dont like em.


I had the exact same thought about the NC, then I got one. Before that car came home, I had never looked at any of the NC threads on miata.net so I had a serious crash course on getting familiar with the car. This was very important since three days after that car came home, I wanted to change the shocks. Fortunately, it is a Miata.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

88c900t said:


> I mean weak points in terms of reliability- like the MR2's popping out of gear.


Weak points are the aforementioned 1.6 short nose crank (SNC) issue and the weak 1.6 differential ring and pinion. Everything else reliability wise would be related to a likely history of abuse and deferred maintenance and questionable modifications (aka dreaded previous owner syndrome). These cars have been cheap for so long and many have suffered accordingly. Good cars will have had comprehensive rolling restorations at this point with all new cooling systems, brake/clutch/suspension overhaul, head rebuilt, new exhaust system, etc. Check out the various Miata buyers guides for more details on what to look for when evaluating a used NA for potential purchase but here are some common "issues" (I wouldn't call them weak points, just common wear and tear issues due to DPOS or necessary updates for track use):

- noisy and/or collapsed hydraulic valve lifters
- brown radiators about to explode
- hot #4 cylinder (coolant reroute good idea for track cars or forced induction)
- rusty sills due to clogged sill drains
- rusty floors and other water related issues due to clogged soft top drains/ AC evaporator drain/ cracked soft top rain rail/ worn soft top/ top left open during rain storm
- 1.6 ECU is located in passenger footwell which can get flooded due to clogged AC evaporator drain, 1.8 ECU is located behind passenger seat back
- wheel hubs/ wheel bearings (track use requires frequent rebuilds or aftermarket solutions)
- cracked dash and instrument panel binnacle due to sun exposure and age
- idle droop (with or without AC, supercharger)
- worn out everything: interior and exterior trim, seat padding, seat belt webbing, faded red seat belt buttons, suspension bushings, motor mounts, exhaust hangers, shocks, springs, sway bar end links, clutch, brakes, tires, shift lever upper and lower rubber boots and bushings, perishable rubber coolant and vacuum hoses, CV boots, fuel pumps, catalytic converter, exhaust heat shields, exhaust pipe, plastic windshield wiper cowl cover, etc.

Things to remember: don't lower the car too much if you care about real world handling and ride comfort, don't put heavy wheels on for same reason, more mods don't necessarily make the car more fun to drive, just different.


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

zellers88 said:


> Model years of each? NBs got a significant upgrade in 01. Older NCs come with a 2.0 compared to newer ones with a much better 2.5.


The one I am looking at is a '02 with 40k miles. Black with a leather interior.
The seconds I am looking at is a '07 with 39k miles. White with a copper interior.

Both have a clean CarFax, but the '07 sounds like from a shady dealer. They really do not want to answer questions on the phone and are really dancing around my info request. The advertised price is shown lower and a decent proce. When you call them, they say "The advertised price is with a $3000 down payment....actual price is "X".


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## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

Smigelski said:


> NCs never came with a 2.5L engine.
> 
> Although 2.5L swaps in NC are doable and seem to be pretty awesome.


Ahh my bad. Must've misheard that. Haven't really looked into the NC much.


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

Super excited!! I fly down to FL tomorrow to go pick up my Miata. 2001 LS, one owner is an older lady that garage kept it. 34k miles on the car. Clean CarFax. Pics posting soon!


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

So friends, after much searching and looking...I finally found the Miata I was looking for. I live in New Hampshire and many of the cars up here suffered from rust a corrosion in all the wrong places. I wanted the Emerald Mica with a tan interior. I know this is one the harder color combos to find. I began looking in southern states hoping to find a good deal. After getting screwed over on a few cars, where the dealer sold the car from under me or was really shady with the numbers, I found a deal on AutoTrader for a dealer in Orlando, Florida. I called them right away and talked about the car. Asked for pics and descriptions of the car.
Car is a 2001 LS with *only 35k miles* on it. One owner car and it never left Florida. I right away put a deposit down and flew down the following weekend. SORRY for the HUGE pictures!

Leaving New Hampshire on a 7am flight.









Very bumpy flight down...









Greeted by Mickey when I landed









As seen at the dealer

















My co-pilot Garfield ready for the drive back to NH









Driving back in the beautiful Florida weather









First rest stop...had to step back and admire the car

















Got stuck in a FIVE HOUR traffic jam in Florida...From Daytona Beach to Jacksonville was bumper to bumper









HAD to stop at "South of the Border" for the cheesyness factor

















Got the Connecticut and the snow started to come down

























Finally home...tucked away in the garage!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I might as well post this here, too. These are my Summer wheels (I switch in the Summer between these and Daisies w/ ZIIs on them) that are normally silver that I plastidiped the Chameleon Turquoise/Silver with a black base.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Still debating between a clean NA or an RX7 vert (FC). There is a 1996 for sale that is MINT for $4800 with just 70000 miles, but also a 90 RX7 that's nearly as clean for just $3500 (and it's been for sale for some time so probably around $3000. I don't want to spend $4500 before I sell my 300ZX. Convince me to go with a Miata:laugh:


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

88c900t said:


> Still debating between a clean NA or an RX7 vert (FC). There is a 1996 for sale that is MINT for $4800 with just 70000 miles, but also a 90 RX7 that's nearly as clean for just $3500 (and it's been for sale for some time so probably around $3000. I don't want to spend $4500 before I sell my 300ZX. Convince me to go with a Miata:laugh:


Convertible FCs suck. There's a reason 90% of all FCs you see on CL are convertibles.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

zeewhiz said:


> Convertible FCs suck. There's a reason 90% of all FCs you see on CL are convertibles.


Really? The vert's seem to be pretty uncommon, I'd say under 20% on CL are. 

Why? Besides losing some structure and some storage space.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

zeewhiz said:


> Convertible FCs suck. There's a reason 90% of all FCs you see on CL are convertibles.





88c900t said:


> Really? The vert's seem to be pretty uncommon, I'd say under 20% on CL are.
> 
> Why? Besides losing some structure and some storage space.


Location: Wisconsin vs South Carolina. That's probably the difference. 

Would you rather drive the car or work on it? Drive: get the Miata. Work on: Get the FC.

I'd rather get the Miata. If the FC was a coupe I may have to consider it.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> Location: Wisconsin vs South Carolina. That's probably the difference.
> 
> Would you rather drive the car or work on it? Drive: get the Miata. Work on: Get the FC.
> 
> I'd rather get the Miata. If the FC was a coupe I may have to consider it.


Fair point. 

Meanwhile, I'm giddy because I just found this-

http://greenbay.craigslist.org/cto/5537912608.html

For the price it's extremely clean but the only downsides is that it's 2 hours away, and it has cheap, ugly alloys.

I'd look at it tonight but I have to wake up for work at 4, but I get out by 2 tomorrow afternoon.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

88c900t said:


> Fair point.
> 
> Meanwhile, I'm giddy because I just found this-
> 
> ...


It will be gone by then :laugh:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

nyexx said:


> It will be gone by then :laugh:


I just got an email back from the seller. He said hes out of town until Wednesday which would be the soonest I could see the car (also my birthday). 

The only disconcerting thing is when I asked when the timing belt was changed, he just said "not yet":sly:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

88c900t said:


> I just got an email back from the seller. He said hes out of town until Wednesday which would be the soonest I could see the car (also my birthday).
> 
> The only disconcerting thing is when I asked when the timing belt was changed, he just said "not yet":sly:


Buy it and change the timing belt. I have a set of 14" NB wheels that I'll sell you.

All of the problems solved.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Buy it and change the timing belt. I have a set of 14" NB wheels that I'll sell you.
> 
> All of the problems solved.


ok:thumbup:

You're from WI too? Where?


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

88c900t said:


> ok:thumbup:
> 
> You're from WI too? Where?


Glad you like my plan! I'm in Milwaukee, but not for much longer.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

88c900t said:


> I just got an email back from the seller. He said hes out of town until Wednesday which would be the soonest I could see the car (also my birthday).
> 
> The only disconcerting thing is when I asked when the timing belt was changed, he just said "not yet":sly:


Either way the car looks like it could be a steal.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

88c900t said:


> The only disconcerting thing is when I asked when the timing belt was changed, he just said "not yet":sly:


While that certainly speaks to an owner who has elected to defer maintenance (despite the claims that "Service records maintained"), it's not the end of the world. The Mazda BP motor is non-intereference design so a broken timing belt is just the inconvenience of a tow and lost time. 

People refuse to believe me but all these cheap Miatas need some level of restoration. I simply don't believe the stories about $1,000 Miatas with hard tops that need nothing. The amount of restoration work you do depends on how particular you are, how long you plan to own the car, whether you choose to modify it for motorsport or personal edification, etc. Because when you go to do the timing belt you're not just going to do that. You're probably also going to replace the brown radiator that's about to explode, water pump, a dozen coolant hoses, cam and crank seals, tensioner and idler pulleys and tensioner spring, valve cover gasket, PCV valve and grommet, spark plugs and wires, coolant flush, oil change, transmission and diff fluid change, brake fluid flush, ac/ps/alternator belts, possibly a new crank damper (because your rubber ring is showing signs of failure) and crank bolt, might as well go ahead and paint/powdercoat the valve cover while you've got it off, clean the EGR valve and more. It becomes a story of "while I'm in there I might as well address X, Y and Z because it won't be any easier to do than right now."


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

tngdesi said:


> So friends, after much searching and looking...I finally found the Miata I was looking for.


Awesome trip dude! Congrats!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

freedomgli said:


> While that certainly speaks to an owner who has elected to defer maintenance (despite the claims that "Service records maintained"), it's not the end of the world. The Mazda BP motor is non-intereference design so a broken timing belt is just the inconvenience of a tow and lost time.
> 
> People refuse to believe me but all these cheap Miatas need some level of restoration. I simply don't believe the stories about $1,000 Miatas with hard tops that need nothing. The amount of restoration work you do depends on how particular you are, how long you plan to own the car, whether you choose to modify it for motorsport or personal edification, etc. Because when you go to do the timing belt you're not just going to do that. You're probably also going to replace the brown radiator that's about to explode, water pump, a dozen coolant hoses, cam and crank seals, tensioner and idler pulleys and tensioner spring, valve cover gasket, PCV valve and grommet, spark plugs and wires, coolant flush, oil change, transmission and diff fluid change, brake fluid flush, ac/ps/alternator belts, possibly a new crank damper (because your rubber ring is showing signs of failure) and crank bolt, might as well go ahead and paint/powdercoat the valve cover while you've got it off, clean the EGR valve and more. It becomes a story of "while I'm in there I might as well address X, Y and Z because it won't be any easier to do than right now."


This x1000. You don't really realize it while you're in there, but you really do a lot of little things in cars this old. I just looked it up, I've spent $900 on maintenance parts from Rosenthal alone since I bought the car...

That's not to mention anything bought from Mazda Motorsports, autozone, pepboys, napa, o'reilly, any modifications.

They're cheap initially since a lot of people defer maintenance but boy do they get expensive if you want something very reliable as a daily.

I still have a bunch more maintenance that needs done but it has most of the "I'll be stranded on the side of the road if I don't fix this now" parts.

As a testament to how reliable they can be when you feed them good parts and keep up on the maintenance, I've never broken down enough to strand me in 4+ years *knock on wood*


Also, congrats on the ride tngdesi!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> People refuse to believe me but all these cheap Miatas need some level of restoration. I simply don't believe the stories about $1,000 Miatas with hard tops that need nothing. The amount of restoration work you do depends on how particular you are, how long you plan to own the car, whether you choose to modify it for motorsport or personal edification, etc. Because when you go to do the timing belt you're not just going to do that. You're probably also going to replace the brown radiator that's about to explode, water pump, a dozen coolant hoses, cam and crank seals, tensioner and idler pulleys and tensioner spring, valve cover gasket, PCV valve and grommet, spark plugs and wires, coolant flush, oil change, transmission and diff fluid change, brake fluid flush, ac/ps/alternator belts, possibly a new crank damper (because your rubber ring is showing signs of failure) and crank bolt, might as well go ahead and paint/powdercoat the valve cover while you've got it off, clean the EGR valve and more. It becomes a story of "while I'm in there I might as well address X, Y and Z because it won't be any easier to do than right now."



I 100% agree with this. My '90 (shown here: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...uot-thread&p=95474257&viewfull=1#post95474257 ) is _literally_ a needs-nothing car. Seriously. Everything works. It's mostly stock. All the rubber in the car has been replaced. All the maintenance is up to date, at minimum. As (non-comprehensive) examples: The A/C has been fully retrofitted to R-134A, the shifter boots are new, the tie rod ends are new, all fluids are new, etc. I've even gone so far as to replace the heater control panel (they yellow over time) and the seat belt latches (the red turns pink and white over time). The car has original paint/engine/interior. There is no way on God's green Earth I'd let the car go for less than $6k.

But people still think that my car and a $1,500 Craigslist Miata are equivalent.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

First day of the season with the top down. Went grocery shopping. Took the long way to the store


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Thinking of looking at this NB. I was mostly just looking for an NA, how do NBs compare? This one has "some rust" and high ish miles but it looks clean inside and out. Are NBs an improvement over NAs or is it a wash? Do 1.8s turn into oil burners with high miles?


http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5546728339.html


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

88c900t said:


> Thinking of looking at this NB. I was mostly just looking for an NA, how do NBs compare? This one has "some rust" and high ish miles but it looks clean inside and out. Are NBs an improvement over NAs or is it a wash? Do 1.8s turn into oil burners with high miles?
> 
> 
> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5546728339.html


NB's have better suspension geometry, and other than obvious bodywork and interior, mechanically they are the same as NA's, the even interchange tops. I can go deeper, but I won't... not on this thread. Speaking of which, please stop derailing this thread with your car purchase questions. Just bump one of your other threads. Just pick something and go with it... I can't be the only one to grow tired of the endless questions and back and forth to help you pick out your next ride. I've spoken my peace and counted to 3. /rant


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Maybe someone can back up this hearsay that I'm about to repeat, but I read somewhere that while rocker rust on a NA is mostly a cosmetic issue, the same is more structurally compromising on a NB.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

zeewhiz said:


> NB's have better suspension geometry, and other than obvious bodywork and interior, mechanically they are the same as NA's, the even interchange tops. I can go deeper, but I won't... not on this thread. Speaking of which, please stop derailing this thread with your car purchase questions. Just bump one of your other threads. Just pick something and go with it... I can't be the only one to grow tired of the endless questions and back and forth to help you pick out your next ride. I've spoken my peace and counted to 3. /rant


Fair enough. I'll post again here after I buy my new Miata


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Claff said:


> Maybe someone can back up this hearsay that I'm about to repeat, but I read somewhere that while rocker rust on a NA is mostly a cosmetic issue, the same is more structurally compromising on a NB.


All I've heard is that NBs are much less resistant to rust than NAs, which is of course anecdotal.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

I finally went and did it. Bought a 2016 Club w/BBS in Ceramic Metallic today. What a great car.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Doedrums said:


> I finally went and did it. Bought a 2016 Club w/BBS in Ceramic Metallic today. What a great car.


Hell yeah! Let's see some photos


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Hell yeah! Let's see some photos


Ok, when I get some.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Doedrums said:


> Ok, when I get some.


I drove an ND and was super impressed with it. Would LOVE to get one.

I also really like the ceramic metallic color...very interesting. Looks white at some angles/lighting, and grey in others. I like it a lot.


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## ShockWaveVT (Apr 16, 2002)

3 weeks into Miata ownership and... Autocross!










Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

ShockWaveVT said:


> 3 weeks into Miata ownership and... Autocross!


Oh you bought whatshisname's car. Looks like a fun one. Wanted to take a closer look at it Saturday but never got around to it.


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## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)

Photo from the Mitty via GRM:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Took a few photos of my Miata the other day...in preparation to sell it  I'll be getting another one, but I'm having a hard time getting rid of this one 

I took a few fun photos after the ones for the ad.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Took a few photos of my Miata the other day...in preparation to sell it  I'll be getting another one, but I'm having a hard time getting rid of this one
> 
> I took a few fun photos after the ones for the ad.


PM'ed


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## Dieselstation (May 15, 2001)

MrMook said:


> Photo from the Mitty via GRM:


one more


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## sforsancho (May 1, 2010)

zeewhiz said:


> NB's have better suspension geometry, and other than obvious bodywork and interior, mechanically they are the same as NA's, the even interchange tops.


I want to clear this up, not for you, because I believe you know, but for anyone reading. The control arm mounting spots in the subframe are moved slightly forward in the front. The control arm has the same dimensions. Although this improves the geometry, it's not like Mazda reinvented the wheel between the NA and NB. I personally believe they improved the steering rack internals between the NA and NB, and it is definetly mounted more solidly on the NB subframe. I love the power steering in my 2001, never had any affection for the steering in my 1997. One of the original American development team members for the Miata used to lament on the Miata forums that they had enough development time to do one really good steering rack for the original 1990 release, but they were forced to split their time between a power rack and a manual rack by marketing, so neither is as good as it could be. For what it's worth I prefer the NB as a package. 

From Keith Tanner (of Flyin Miata and wrote three books on Miatas):

_The front NB subframe does have some improved geometry. The lower A-arms are moved forward. The steering rack has better mounts. The front uprights have the steering arm moved up about 7mm, and the upper control arms have a slightly different taper on the ball joint and more reinforcements. 

If you're going to swap the front, you ideally need to do the subframe, rack, uprights, upper control arms and maybe the tie rods - not sure about the latter. If you have those parts, it's a straight bolt-in. 

The rear subframe is identical other than exhaust hangers and brace mounting points. It did let me run the stronger rear subframe brace which was good, because I planned to use the brace as a skid plate. And I did, big time. The rear uprights give an extra 5mm of track on each side, so I used 1994-97 uprights to give myself a bit more fender clearance. Again, this all bolts together although the 1.6 cars don't have the mounts on the chassis for the subframe brace and you'll find the exhaust hangers are in the wrong place for an NA exhaust._

From Lance Schall, big poster on the Miata forums

_The NB subframe is changed from NA by relocating the mounting points for the control arms to increase caster (upper back 3 mm and lower forward 2.1 mm). The lower points were also lowered to lower the roll center (5.7 mm).

Yes, you get more caster. It also deadens steering feel with increased trail, so Mazda made the steering rack mount stiffer._


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Went to a local meet up last Sunday night with a friend. It's like cars and coffee except it's Sunday night, no coffee and a younger crowd of enthusiasts, misfits, and jerkoffs. Frankly it was a nice break from the cars and coffee crowd.











If you like Datsuns, my friend's car is a 1969 Datsun Fairly Roadster with a late model S13 SR20det and everything else you could possibly touch or fabricate or modify. Truthfully, the fit and finish makes my Miata look a little haggard.


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## Marc86Golf2 (Jul 21, 2005)

Marc86Golf2 said:


> going to pick up a 91 NA long nose today. 104k original miles. ill post up pics once in my possession.
> 
> what do you guys think one should be spending on said car. its very clean very minimal surface rust, no maintenance history that i can get my hands on.


So i actually never ended up getting this car for some reason or another. Well, it sat another year outside. top still looks fine and not faded as it was replaced in 2014 when it was put up for sale. i took it for a test drive last year with my dad and it rode great and brakes worked fine. needs a battery and tires and all fluids changed and has a power steering leak. i stopped by last week and guy said lowest is 2500. what do you guys think? i have about $3k to play with. would this kill my wallet?


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

Marc86Golf2 said:


> So i actually never ended up getting this car for some reason or another. Well, it sat another year outside. top still looks fine and not faded as it was replaced in 2014 when it was put up for sale. i took it for a test drive last year with my dad and it rode great and brakes worked fine. needs a battery and tires and all fluids changed and has a power steering leak. i stopped by last week and guy said lowest is 2500. what do you guys think? i have about $3k to play with. would this kill my wallet?


Ask him if he wants to keep it another year. He should remember you were serious a year ago, so offer him what you feel it's worth after factoring in what you'd need to do to make it road worthy.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

*Miata Is Always The Answer*

Thought it was cool that Griot's Garage picked up my instagram of a mini detail job that 16Volt helped me with over the Memorial Holiday weekend.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

I would have bought a 1.8 Miata months ago, but the market is crap right now. I can't even find any decent ones in Chicago (under $5K) 

How easily can a 1996 open diff car be swapped to a torsen differential, and how much should all the parts cost? (yes, I've scoured Google for an answer and couldn't find one)


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> Thought it was cool that Griot's Garage picked up my instagram of a mini detail job that 16Volt helped me with over the Memorial Holiday weekend.



That's pretty awesome Diamond Dave!

Your car is immaculate and is put together like a Swiss watch. I won't be surprised if I see it on a magazine cover :thumbup:


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

88c900t said:


> I would have bought a 1.8 Miata months ago, but the market is crap right now. I can't even find any decent ones in Chicago (under $5K)
> 
> How easily can a 1996 open diff car be swapped to a torsen differential, and how much should all the parts cost? (yes, I've scoured Google for an answer and couldn't find one)


If you want a deal you gotta get a miata in the winter time. prices (can) go up as much as 1k once its over 50 degrees or so.


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

I forgot about this thread. I sold my BRZ and bought a 2001 Miata SE a few weeks ago. 53k miles, one owner, $7200. It will eventually be turbo'd like my previous 1996 Miata.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

88c900t said:


> How easily can a 1996 open diff car be swapped to a torsen differential, and how much should all the parts cost? (yes, I've scoured Google for an answer and couldn't find one)


Pretty sure to swap from open diff to Torsen you need the pumpkin, halfshafts and driveshaft. I see whole packages being sold for $600-750. Swapping diffs isn't a terrible DIY job but there are a couple gatchas that can frustrate for a while until you look up how to defeat them. When I swapped diffs on my '90 it probably took two hours but I could easily do it in half the time if I had to do it again.


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## njn63 (Nov 22, 2004)

Claff said:


> Pretty sure to swap from open diff to Torsen you need the pumpkin, halfshafts and driveshaft. I see whole packages being sold for $600-750. Swapping diffs isn't a terrible DIY job but there are a couple gatchas that can frustrate for a while until you look up how to defeat them. When I swapped diffs on my '90 it probably took two hours but I could easily do it in half the time if I had to do it again.


You don't need the driveshaft or axles on a 96, only on a 90-93 with the 6" differential.

So he only needs a pumpkin which should be available for less than $500 for a 4.1 ratio. I paid $350 for mine but I shopped around for a while. There are 3 different gear ratios (3.9, 4.1, and 4.3) but a 96 would have come with a 4.1 which is luckily the easiest to find and cheapest of the bunch.

There is also type 1 vs. type 2 torsens but I don't know a whole lot about that. Google the differences.

Swapping the pumpkin isn't too bad if your car is rust free. If it's rusty it will probably be an absolute pain though. Don't try swapping just the differential (and moving the ring and pinion over) because it requires specialized equipment and a lot of skill to get right.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Nevermind, I just found on craigslist a 1996 LSD loaded WITH a hardtop for a good price If all goes well, I'll upload pics by midday tomorrow.











That color :heart: Hope I'm the new owner, and it has under 150K miles (ad doesn't say)


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Starlight Blue Micah? Those are pretty. To answer your previous question though, you can add an LSD for <$500 if you can turn your own wrenches. It most certainly isn't a reason to pass up a nice car.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Diamond Dave said:


> Starlight Blue Micah? Those are pretty. To answer your previous question though, you can add an LSD for <$500 if you can turn your own wrenches. It most certainly isn't a reason to pass up a nice car.


Hi 



















Minus what the hardtop and extra snow tires are worth, I got this for about $3 grand. 1996, 153K, newer TB/Wp, allegedly new clutch, LSD, working AC, CC, power windows. It has snow tires on it now but comes with summer tires with one season on them. It has a little more rust than what I like, it has the common rocker rust but also a small (less than 1 inch squared) bad area in the framerail, but I know a guy who does bodywork and can cut and replace it with fresh metal. Given the floors/pinchwelds and for the most part the frame is clean, it's not bad for a Wisconsin car.

The seller (from Milwaukee) also has/had several interesting cars including a mint 1996 Miata, the 164 and Westy pictured, and a round tail BMW 2002 behind the Bus. He's also owned a classic Saab 900 turbo vert like me!


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## Grip Driver (Feb 16, 1999)

pic of my ongoing project


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's a few pictures from Zoomin' The Mountains of East Tennessee 2016. This is a trip that I've been taking the last several years and have always had a great time. 

Typically the weekend includes great driving roads, a corn hole tournament, laps on Bristol Motor Speedway, an autocross on BMS's infield, cookouts, auctions, live music, etc. And a boatload of Miatas. A great time was had by all. 

My car:









A stop while driving US 421 "The Snake":









Welcome to the dam tour:









Alcohol:









Velocity Red NA:









Some of the cars lined up on BMS:









Laps:









Miatas parked on the infield after the laps:









The awards that my car/me brought home. This includes 3rd place in the autocross, 2nd place in the corn hole tournament, and Best In Show in the car show. It was a pretty good weekend for me:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Who needs four tires on the pavement at the same time anyway?


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## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

My first autocross of the season was a little wet.











At least it was dry for the Time Attack.


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

88c900t said:


> Hi


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Autocross pictures! It was scorching hot that day. Even with spraying my tires down generously between runs, they would still get super hot halfway through the run and start greasing up. Got 2nd in my class though!

Also, daily driving and winter driving really takes its toll on the body/paint  Probably doesn't help that she hasn't been washed in months :laugh:















































All credit to flickr user davidricesony62.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

zeewhiz said:


>



1.8-:thumbup:
LSD-:thumbup:
pretty well optioned (CC, power windows and mirrors):thumbup:
My favorite color :thumbup:
matching hardtop with defroster :thumbup:
sounds great (cat is rusted out) :thumbup:
new TB/WP and (allegedly) clutch :thumbup:
floor and pinchwelds are clean:thumbup:


153K miles :sly:
Rockers are in poor shape :sly:
Softtop is in good shape besides a 1 inch tear, but plastic window is AWOL :sly:
torn shift boot:sly:
still had snow tires on in June :sly:
awful 90s aftermarket head unit. I've had these before and this is by far the worst :sly:

Framerail has a rust area where it was pinched/jacked up :thumbdown:
AC worked GREAT when I drove it home, then immediately stopped working :thumbdown:
Very first car I've managed to overheat the brakes, and I drove all my cars hard :laugh::thumbdown:
its actually pretty comfortable, except the bottom cushion is too short:thumbdown:
Hood doesn't line up. Bent hinges? :thumbdown:

I should be in it $2900 once I sell the hardtop and the ice tires (excellent tread yet, but getting cracks from driving when warm). Not bad:thumbup:

Is somebody going to make a case for keeping the hardtop? I love it's visibility but it isn't watertight, and I'm concerned about it getting damaged/stolen. I'm going to shoot for $1200.

Moar pics




























Blue FJ cruiser joke


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Another attempt at lobbying for a "You need a NC Miata" thread



















This car was an absolute blast on Lime Rock Park's infield road course, which hosted an 'autocross' as part of the Nutmeg Miata Club's 25th anniversary bash "Cruisin Connecticut". I got FTD by over two seconds.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I was at a Classics and Coffee show a few weekends ago and was about to leave. Just by chance, a red Lotus Elan parks near the back of the lot, not next to any of the six figure insane classics...

I had an opportunity and I took it. 




























Every now and then I see a Miata in traffic and it makes me realize how small the car is... I then parked next to an Elan and it made the Miata look like a fat pig :laugh:


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

very cool. makes me want to ride in an Elan or the like.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

What are my options as far as having a rear window put in? Plexiglass? Poly? Just buy a new roof? It's in otherwise good shape besides a 1 inch tear, don't want to buy a new one if the old one is still holding up. Still plan on putting the hardtop for sale, any reason why I should keep it?

I'd like cheap steel wheels to install my snow tires on. What are my options? The tires are the correct size for the alloys.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

88c900t said:


> What are my options as far as having a rear window put in? Plexiglass? Poly? Just buy a new roof? It's in otherwise good shape besides a 1 inch tear, don't want to buy a new one if the old one is still holding up. Still plan on putting the hardtop for sale, any reason why I should keep it?
> 
> I'd like cheap steel wheels to install my snow tires on. What are my options? The tires are the correct size for the alloys.


As far as the rear window, you could do something like this: http://www.miata.net/garage/rear_window/

Otherwise I think you'd need a new top. I hear about people asking if you can 'stitch in' a new rear window, but I've never known anyone that's actually done it. 

For the wheels? What about getting OEM steel wheels on the base Miata. I bet most people that have them sitting around would just give them to you if they aren't using the steelies themselves.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Check junkyards for used NB tops (glass w/ defroster). I scored one in VG condition for $100, including a rain rail that was in much better shape than my old one. Swapping the whole top/frame is so much easier than putting a new top on your existing frame.

If you have a boat/marine upholstery shop nearby, you can ask if they can sew a new plastic window on your existing panel (if it's the original zip-out type).

I'd still keep the hardtop, TBH, especially for the winter months. Miata tops wear out quick if driven in winter.

For wheels, I'd keep the snows on the 14s and find some other 4x100 takeoffs from another Miata - the NB 15's are light, but not cheap anymore since they are now the go-to for ES. There is a surprisingly good selection of tires (better than 14" IMO) for the 15's that aren't substantially more expensive than a set of 14s.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> Check junkyards for used NB tops (glass w/ defroster). I scored one in VG condition for $100, including a rain rail that was in much better shape than my old one. Swapping the whole top/frame is so much easier than putting a new top on your existing frame.


Don't forget that the newest NB top you are going to find is over 10 years old right now (if the one in the junk yard wasn't already replaced before being wrecked).

Personally, when my Miata needs a new top, this is what I'm going to do:

http://www.planet-miata.com/index.php?section=64451357

Use frame, new top. $600. Really easy to remove/reinstall the top frame yourself. I've done it twice now.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

The front crossbar on my top just came detached from the top, the glue came undone.
I am not looking forward to replacing it. The last one took about 6 hours.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

88c900t said:


> What are my options as far as having a rear window put in? Plexiglass? Poly? Just buy a new roof? It's in otherwise good shape besides a 1 inch tear, don't want to buy a new one if the old one is still holding up. Still plan on putting the hardtop for sale, any reason why I should keep it?


You don't mention if it's an OEM convertible nor which body style or year. However, with the OEM vinyl zipper rear window, it is possible to purchase a replacement for just the zippered window section and it attaches to the top in the same way a zippered hood would attach to a coat.

Are you asking if you should keep the hardtop? At this point, it's a sunk cost, except for storage space, so I'd recommend keeping it. I've had my miatas for almost 15yrs now and I've only had a hardtop for 8mos. So far I love it. I've had it on and off dozens of times, depending on the weather (my convertible top is on its last legs).

No idea why you'd get "cheap steel" wheels when a set of the 14" factory wheels are so inexpensive. Either way, 14's are ideal since that's the lowest cost size for snow tires. However, 15's will work also.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> The front crossbar on my top just came detached from the top, the glue came undone.
> I am not looking forward to replacing it. The last one took about 6 hours.


The part with the latches on it or on one of the cross bars over your head? If it's the vinyl piece over your head, just use some 3M upholstery glue - it's like $15


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Caught a cool shot of the sun reflecting off the paint the other night










no filter or touchup


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

I need some input from the experts that have a pulse on this - do you see a point in time when the NAs start getting to a point where they command inflated prices?

I casually browse now and seem to find some that I would deem fair prices (at least I think they are)...I guess I just don't want to wait too long and get to the point where some beat up NA commands some crack pipe price.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> The part with the latches on it or on one of the cross bars over your head? If it's the vinyl piece over your head, just use some 3M upholstery glue - it's like $15


That's correct, the bar above my head.

I may try that. Thanks.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> I need some input from the experts that have a pulse on this - do you see a point in time when the NAs start getting to a point where they command inflated prices?
> 
> I casually browse now and seem to find some that I would deem fair prices (at least I think they are)...I guess I just don't want to wait too long and get to the point where some beat up NA commands some crack pipe price.


It still seems like the prices are all over the place depending on area and condition.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Rabbit5GTI said:


> I need some input from the experts that have a pulse on this - do you see a point in time when the NAs start getting to a point where they command inflated prices?
> 
> I casually browse now and seem to find some that I would deem fair prices (at least I think they are)...I guess I just don't want to wait too long and get to the point where some beat up NA commands some crack pipe price.





FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> It still seems like the prices are all over the place depending on area and condition.


Yeah, the area in which they are being sold makes a huge difference. A rust free NA in Vermont will command a premium, a similar car in Arizona will not. I would like to see a point where more-or-less original Miatas start to command premiums in the market, but that won't be for a several years at least.


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## morimori (Jul 19, 2003)

Claff said:


> Who needs four tires on the pavement at the same time anyway?


:thumbup:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Diamond Dave said:


> You don't mention if it's an OEM convertible nor which body style or year. However, with the OEM vinyl zipper rear window, it is possible to purchase a replacement for just the zippered window section and it attaches to the top in the same way a zippered hood would attach to a coat.
> 
> Are you asking if you should keep the hardtop? At this point, it's a sunk cost, except for storage space, so I'd recommend keeping it. I've had my miatas for almost 15yrs now and I've only had a hardtop for 8mos. So far I love it. I've had it on and off dozens of times, depending on the weather (my convertible top is on its last legs).
> 
> No idea why you'd get "cheap steel" wheels when a set of the 14" factory wheels are so inexpensive. Either way, 14's are ideal since that's the lowest cost size for snow tires. However, 15's will work also.


1996 zip out style soft top.

I ask about the hardtop because I paid a lot for the car, and I could recoup over $1000 selling a mint montego blue hardtop. OTOH, I'll lose several hundred when I go to sell it, so I guess it's a wash. I also (probably irrationally) fear about it getting stolen or damaged. 

By factory wheels, do you mean alloys (like my car already has), or factory steel wheels?




Rabbit5GTI said:


> I need some input from the experts that have a pulse on this - do you see a point in time when the NAs start getting to a point where they command inflated prices?
> 
> I casually browse now and seem to find some that I would deem fair prices (at least I think they are)...I guess I just don't want to wait too long and get to the point where some beat up NA commands some crack pipe price.


I think prices have already gone up over the course of 4 or 5 years. Not to the tune of 240SXs or E30s, but still a decent amount. With the hard top, I paid $4300 for my 150K mile Miata with a significant amount of rocker rust (the frame and floor are clean). Of course, mine is a desirable configuration- 1.8 (which is worth 500-1000 more than a 1.6) with the Torsen LSD and its montego blue mica. IMHO, NB miatas are at the bottom of the depreciation curve, and wont get much cheaper. Its weird thinking about it this way, but the oldest Miatas are now almost 27 years old 



Smigelski said:


> As far as the rear window, you could do something like this: http://www.miata.net/garage/rear_window/
> 
> Otherwise I think you'd need a new top. I hear about people asking if you can 'stitch in' a new rear window, but I've never known anyone that's actually done it.
> 
> For the wheels? What about getting OEM steel wheels on the base Miata. I bet most people that have them sitting around would just give them to you if they aren't using the steelies themselves.


oooooooo I love the look of those steel wheels :thumbup:


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Living the dream. Just picked up a 1990 mariner blue base with lsd as only option.. can some steer me towards a good parts site and forum. So many to choose. Thanks. This is all I got for now. 


Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

KICKINGTI said:


> Living the dream. Just picked up a 1990 mariner blue base with lsd as only option.. can some steer me towards a good parts site and forum. So many to choose. Thanks. This is all I got for now.
> 
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk












Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Autox was a blast last weekend


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

mazdaroadster.net is my favorite forum, clean Mariner :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

For fora I like Miata.net the best. 


As far as parts site go: http://prioritymazdaparts.com/

Tommy, the guy who is in charge of it, knows Miatas forwards and backwards. If a part isn't listed on the website, call him up and ask. Seriously.

Tommy has been doing Miata and other Mazda parts for a _long_ time. The dealership he previously worked at just closed down, so he's getting his operation up and running at the new place. He is awesome. I get all my OEM parts from him.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

More photos from last month's Cruisin' Connecticut get-together





































Professional (?) driver coach


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Professional (?) driver coach


Well, he was a whole lot faster after your instruction than before. I'd say you were worth every cent he paid. :laugh:


This is a fine group of Miatas here:










(and I hear their drivers are pretty good looking)

How well do panorama shots work on TCL?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

And just because I can, I ran outside and snapped some pictures of my beautiful '90.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Not my car but just a really classy example of a BRG. The only thing I'd change is the driver-only roll bar. I'd probably go without for a cleaner look.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Is my asking price out of line here? I should've asked this before making the ad 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5730017345.html

It's in Edmonds, WA if anyone is interested by the way :thumbup:


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## vwpiloto (Nov 27, 2006)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Is my asking price out of line here? I should've asked this before making the ad
> 
> http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5730017345.html
> 
> It's in Edmonds, WA if anyone is interested by the way :thumbup:


My buddy just sold his, very similar to yours with a hardtop and lots of extra goodies for just over $5k, and it sold in a heartbeat. So yeah, your pricing should be perfectly fine I'd think.


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

I need an NB2.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

Harpoon said:


> I need an NB2.


yeah me too


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

vwpiloto said:


> My buddy just sold his, very similar to yours with a hardtop and lots of extra goodies for just over $5k, and it sold in a heartbeat. So yeah, your pricing should be perfectly fine I'd think.


Thanks, I wasn't sure based on markets being different for these cars all over the country. I'm still flexible if it needs to come down a bit. 


































http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5730017345.html


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Thanks, I wasn't sure based on markets being different for these cars all over the country. I'm still flexible if it needs to come down a bit.


When was the car repainted? Was it the entire car or just a part of it?


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

^ That is honestly the cleanest NA I've ever seen.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> When was the car repainted? Was it the entire car or just a part of it?


Unfortunately I don't know the answer to when, but I'm pretty certain it was not a complete respray. It was done by the original owner.



Harpoon said:


> ^ That is honestly the cleanest NA I've ever seen.


Thank you!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

KICKINGTI said:


> Living the dream. Just picked up a 1990 mariner blue base with lsd as only option.. can some steer me towards a good parts site and forum. So many to choose. Thanks. This is all I got for now.


Congrats on the new car. Lots of enjoyment on a bone stock 1.6L car.

For many, the Miata.net forum is THE knowledge storehouse on the internet. Many other sites even repackage the Miata.net tutorials and information as their own.

With so few details about mileage or service history, I'd have the following homework assignments for you:

Find out when the Timing Belt and Waterpump were serviced. If they haven't been serviced within the last 10yrs, consider getting it done at a shop that is familiar with Miata. Luckily, if the timing belt breaks on a Miata, the engine merely stops and you don't have any damage. However, if the waterpump fails at the wrong time, you might overheat the block and blow the headgasket.

Research the clutch slave replacement procedure, at the age of your car, it will need replacement if it hasn't had it already.

If you need tires, buy a high quality and relatively performance oriented tire. While you can put a 400 treadwear, high mile tire on it, the chassis really comes alive with a relatively sporty/sticky 200 treadwear tire. If you won't be driving in sub-40* temps, I highly recommend the Dunlop Direzza II.

Inspect the radiator. It should be a plastic tank version. The top portion (where the radiator cap is) should be close to black (healthy) and not green/brown (aged and brittle and near failing. Order a $8 Mazda radiator cap right now, while you don't need one. They do fail and you want a quality radiator cap instead of the china garbage you'll find at a local parts store.

Buy the cheapest brake discs possible. They're just metal and they're supposed to be heavy. Anything else is marketing. The best brake upgrade for the lowest money, is to purchase the Brake Caliper Brackets for a 94-2005 Miata and install them with new rotors and larger pads on your existing front calipers. When you do the rear brake pad/disc service, the rear caliper is retracted with a hidden allen key adjuster, not with C-Clamps. The fun news is the rear calipers are usually prone to rusting that adjustment assembly and usually the rear caliper needs to be replaced - SURPRISE $90 extra expense. Smart money is on just replacing both calipers if one fails, but often only the adjuster screw strips inside the caliper. You can easily pull that adjuster screen from the other side and try it before choosing to replace.

Buy a set of spark plugs and quality spark plug wires right now. Miatas tend to eat them on a regular basis. If they haven't been replaced in the last 3yrs, just buy a set now and replace the wires and plugs when the car starts running poorly.

If your leather shifter boot is torn, there are plenty of nice replacement options online. I'm using a $9 suede boot from eBay that I'm surprisingly pleased with. Inspect the rubber shift turret boot (that the leather shift boot is covering) on the top of the transmission. If it is torn, you should do the shifter turret service. Again, it's relatively simple, lots of DIY support on Miata.net, but the increase in shifter function can be dramatic and therefore increase the overall satisfaction of shifting.

The battery should not be a lead acid style (that you can add water) because the trunk does not vent the dangerous chemical gases. It should be an AGC sealed battery. I'm using a ~$200 Optima D51 and have had several over the years with good results (they require a longer $3 "J-hook" due to being slightly taller than a stock battery). Although, there is a lot of controversy with their quality since moving to China production. Some people are using AGC motorcycle or lawnmower batteries that cost ~$70. Feel free to try that, just don't be surprised when you need to replace a battery sooner than later.


Overall, if your car is in mostly good working condition, you should be getting around 34MPG on the highway and around 26MPG combined highway city. Lower still if you only drive short trips in a downtown metropolis. To test your car, fill up at a gas station near the highway and take the car on a moderate pace (constant speed of 65MPH) 100mi trip where there are few hills and no traffic jams. Then fill up and do the math. If you aren't getting great mileage, it could be a combination of many factors, but you could easily look to the Oxygen sensor and spark plug wires to be prime culprits.


Oh, if you've got a zip down plastic rear window, congratulations. It's such an amazing experience to have the windows down and the top up. the "suck through" airflow is great. Always unlatch the top before unzipping or zipping the window. I never touch the plastic rear window - even when washing the car. Every touch has the potential to leave a scratch that will ultimately cloud the window. When it's unzipped, don't lay it on the rear deck carpet, because that could also leave carpet rash. There's a black chamis/towel that you lay on the rear deck to protect the window. NEVER unzip the rear window in sub-40* temps as you could risk it cracking. The plastic window section of the factory top is replaceable, but the job requires removing the complete convertible top frame. It's a fairly straightforward job, just tedious and lots of 10MM bolts/nuts to remove and keep track of.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Is my asking price out of line here? I should've asked this before making the ad
> 
> http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5730017345.html
> 
> It's in Edmonds, WA if anyone is interested by the way :thumbup:


It looks high. You don't mention any maintenance or how long you've owned it. At this age, regardless of miles, it needs timing belt, water pump, fmc service. Not to mention, it's a short nose crank car and that is usually the " $1000 surprise" during the TB/WP service.

Also, you did the bull**** "Here are the great pictures of my car, but the price doesn't include the wheels or the hardtop" routine. Either price it as pictured or remove the "extra" parts.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Diamond Dave said:


> Congrats on the new car. Lots of enjoyment on a bone stock 1.6L car.
> 
> For many, the Miata.net forum is THE knowledge storehouse on the internet. Many other sites even repackage the Miata.net tutorials and information as their own.
> 
> ...


Awesome thanks.

The timing belt, wp, and radiator were replaced recently. Very fresh. Just changed the oil, plugs, wires, ps fluid. Have hawk pads, napa rotors, and motul rbf fluid waiting in line this week. Played with the clutch adjuster and will look into the slave. Been doing lots of searches on miata.net, great info. Car pulls very well, its straight, no rust. Tires are new but will get replaced. Just really happy with it.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> comments


Thanks for the honesty on the ad. Not trying to pull any BS. I think when I wrote it I figured locals could write and ask any questions they had, but now that I'm trying to spread the word - you're absolutely right - I should be more transparent with additional details.

I'll work in a revision over the weekend.

Thanks again :thumbup:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Mazda is hosting MX5 driving experiences at a handful of locations, with the first being in suburban DC this past weekend. (http://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/events/mx-5-experience/)

I went early Friday afternoon, figuring I'd get there before all the manual transmissions broke or the cars got otherwise ragged out. Didn't cost anything and didn't require any pre-registration. I started with a braking exercise: run the car up into 2nd gear and hammer the brakes at a certain point. The car stops. Not a huge surprise there.

Next up was a stability control test. Starting from a stop, there was a four-cone slalom with a stop box after the end. Then sweep around to the right and straighten out to tackle a quick lane-change. Got two laps of this. The instructor said "I guess you've done stuff like this before" as I attacked the slalom pretty aggressively and did't brake much for the lane change.

Then there was "hot laps" on an autocross course. The car wasn't the more appropriate Club model but one with tan leather interior (no LSD). Didn't matter. With all nannies on and stock all-season tires it was fun enough to toss around the turns. I was happy that the instructor pretty much let me go as hard as I was willing to go and offered up good instruction, especially on the first lap since I didn't really know where the course went. Ran three laps of this and figured I did OK. They ran video and gave me the results on a USB trinket.






TL;DR - I got to drive Mazda's cars for free and enjoyed it.


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## ShockWaveVT (Apr 16, 2002)

Claff said:


> Mazda is hosting MX5 driving experiences at a handful of locations, with the first being in suburban DC this past weekend. (http://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/events/mx-5-experience/)
> 
> 
> TL;DR - I got to drive Mazda's cars for free and enjoyed it.


I swung by on Saturday after completing an autocross school on the other side of FedEx. Arrived only a couple minutes before they closed, so I only got to do the hot laps. Very well organized event. 
Car was a lot of fun.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

AlBeezy36 said:


> Is my asking price out of line here? I should've asked this before making the ad
> 
> http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5730017345.html
> 
> It's in Edmonds, WA if anyone is interested by the way :thumbup:



For a well kept low mileage NA.. if it looks as good in person as the photos and the records are in order. It's a good price.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

ShockWaveVT said:


> I swung by on Saturday after completing an autocross school on the other side of FedEx.


That must have been HOT. I got there at 5:30PM to run that course at night and it was still miserable.


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## Slowrider7577 (Apr 7, 2006)

Not bad?

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/5722157463.html


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

dcmix5 said:


> Not bad?
> 
> http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/5722157463.html


I am tinking about selling my 92 SBY, that is what I would want to repalce it with.


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## 01tj (Nov 8, 2005)

dcmix5 said:


> Not bad?
> 
> http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/5722157463.html


Why would the clutch need to be replaced at 30,000 miles? Other than the busted suspension it looks good


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Something fishy about that CL ad.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I live in an area that does OBDII emissions testing. I wouldn't even look at this car unless it is proven it doesn't throw codes. Trying to make emissions work legally can be a real headache.


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## AlBeezy36 (Jun 25, 2008)

Mine is tentatively sold in config shown below. Thanks for the reality check on my previous ad.










I will have a near new (1 year old; 2k mi; zero damage) set of RPF1's + Dunlop Direzzas + Mcgard SplineDrive Lug Nuts for sale soon.

I will also be parting with the freshly painted red hard top with defrost, foam headliner, and some new rubber as well.

Shoot me a PM if interested.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

You need a Miata... with ITBs :laugh:


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Soooo I'm in a position to, once again, consider getting a Miata (probably the 12th time). 

In these parts, anything NA is either trashed for $5-6k or mint-ish low-mileage for a hair under $10k. Aussie dollars so don't panic. Now, early NC (2006-07) are coming in in the low teens with 130-150k kms on the clock (under 100k miles). 

Is the few extra ,000s worth it to get into a car that's 10-15 years younger, faster,, safer, likely less maintenance intensive BUT more complicated, not as fun to drive (?), larger?

Not considering NB as i think they ugly...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

strapontin said:


> early NC (2006-07) ... not as fun to drive (?)


Drive one before jumping to this conclusion.

I've probably said this here before, but I'll repeat it. If I had my '08 before I discovered NAs, I don't think I would have bothered with NAs.

My NC has good coilovers that lower the silly stock ride height, loud exhaust to appeal to my inner 17 year old, and wide wheels with sticky tires, but is otherwise pretty stock. And it's a ball to drive. I haven't driven it in a week or two (been out of town) and I'm itching for an excuse to take it for a romp later today.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I've probably said this here before, but I'll repeat it. If I had my '08 before I discovered NAs, I don't think I would have bothered with NAs.


You bastard.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Claff said:


> Drive one before jumping to this conclusion.
> 
> I've probably said this here before, but I'll repeat it. If I had my '08 before I discovered NAs, I don't think I would have bothered with NAs.


Yeah, the (?) was meant to indicate an unverified hypothesis. Or at least to recognize that driving enjoyment is suggestive. 

So right now, for the exact same $$:

'91 NA6 with 142k kms, BRG and tan leather, w/ hard top
'94 NA8 with 118k kms, red w/ hard top
'05 NC1 with 150k kms, blue, black leather (death in summer in these parts)


Or a number of much cheaper NBs...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> You bastard.


I LEARNED IT BY WATCHING YOU












strapontin said:


> So right now, for the exact same $$:
> 
> '91 NA6 with 142k kms, BRG and tan leather, w/ hard top
> '94 NA8 with 118k kms, red w/ hard top
> '05 NC1 with 150k kms, blue, black leather (death in summer in these parts)


OK I have this all figured out. Buy the '05. If those black leather seats are heated, and you are willing to box up those heated black leather seats and ship them, at no cost to me, to me, and are willing to pay for the shipping of a similar package back to you, I will gladly trade you, straight-up, the heated awful brown/orange leather seats out of my '08.

I don't see how you can possibly say no to a deal like that.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

I haven't been able to find much. Are the engines in the NC as reliable as the NA? If I were to pick up a NC with 120k+ miles, could I use it for DEs without concern?


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

The only issues I've read about on m.net are the NC1s popping motors. The motor (manuals only :screwy was redesigned for the NC2s with forged internals. Very popular to swap in a 2.5 motor and pick up a lot more torque/power. (relatively speaking)

With that car already at 150K, it sounds like the issue hasn't affected it.


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## simon_C (Oct 5, 2006)

I'm bored of my NA. Cali Smog sucks bananas. :screwy:

Should I:
A. TDI swap it and bypass smog altogether
B. V8 swap it and get it properly licensed and approved? (colossal pain in the pepperonis)
C. Sell it and get something already exempt and actually be able to have fun with it?

:beer:


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## CJ318 (May 22, 2002)

Miata TDI? I'm in.

dcmix5: not bad! New clutch at 30k, probably some dorifto shenanigans.. if nothing else was damaged or comprimised, why not? I'm curious what the underbody looks like being that low. 45,000 miles on the odo, looks like 90k underneath? hahaha


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

NA might be less slippery on the front straight at Road America than the NB and thus the less favored car for veteran spec miata driver ... but it does tend to push a nice bow wave through the mud .... 







RE71Rs in the wear bars are FANTASTIC mudding tires. no tread squirm here!



flash flood level raining + about half a mile of my street under construction, full rebuild down below the sub grades so there is litterally nothing there, no gravel, no nothing, just mud. as deep as the water gets into the ground, MUD.

almost got stuck. that NA and i have been through tougher, shes a champ. windshield wipers on, keep your foot to the floor, and hold on, its gonna be bumpy.

best car i've ever owned by any possible measure.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

simon_C said:


> I'm bored of my NA. Cali Smog sucks bananas. :screwy:
> 
> Should I:
> A. TDI swap it and bypass smog altogether
> ...


TDI miata sounds hilarious and awesome at the same time.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

I had to sell my '92 Miata when I moved out to San Francisco 

...but I just bought this one:





































I'm so stoked. 1991 SE (British Racing Green), 133k miles, some cosmetic blemishes and things to fix, but nothing major. $3300. I saw the ad 8 minutes after it was posted on Craigslist, and called him right away. Talked him down in price slightly (the driver's door latch broke when I was test driving it :screwy and made the deal.

Very happy to have a Miata again, especially one in this color combo!


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> NA might be less slippery on the front straight at Road America than the NB and thus the less favored car for veteran spec miata driver ... but it does tend to push a nice bow wave through the mud ....
> 
> flash flood level raining + about half a mile of my street under construction, full rebuild down below the sub grades so there is litterally nothing there, no gravel, no nothing, just mud. as deep as the water gets into the ground, MUD.
> 
> ...


I honestly can't wait for winter in WI with my LSD equipped 1996. Once it's consistently <50 degrees I'll pop the hardtop back on. 

A couple things I need to do:

-replacement zip in back window
-source some Miata steelies so I have a set of wheels to go with my ice tires. 

I should probably replace the rusted out cat with some piping to not attract any undue attention, but it sounds great right now. I'm so glad I found a Miata in Montego blue metallic, my favorite color the MX5 was ever offered with. 



















The day I bought it (best pictures). And, the only day the AC worked


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## roccc (Feb 6, 2013)

Miatas mine. Swap the Boxster for a Cayman and its a dream garage.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Hey guys, 

I'm thinking of buying a 2007 Miata GT + suspension package, 6-speed with 118k miles on it. Full service records are available, so I'm going to check them out today.

Anything I should look for when I inspect the car?

Cosmetically the car isn't great, but the engine and clutch felt pretty good to me. They are asking for $6k but I'm hoping to get it for cheaper. The car is pretty dirty but has been serviced religiously. The guy just bought his 5th miata (ND) and this one, the NC I'm looking at, he drove for 7 years then let his son drive it the past year or so. 

What should I check for? Any known issues to worry about? Plans are to put a rather expensive roll bar (blackbird RZ) which will retain use of the soft top, and track the car 4+ times a year as well as drive it for fun and on the weekends. I plan to also update the suspension. If the engine goes I'll likely do a 2.5 swap. 

Any advice is appreciated!


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

when you need to question your life choices:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> when you need to question your life choices:


Fantastic :thumbup:

My father has a decent sized property "up north" (as they say in Wisconsin), I'd love to tear around in my 1996 this late fall after hunting seasons done. When I was a youth I used to go ATVing all the time there but I've only put about 50 miles on the quad in the last 6 years.


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## DEZL_DUB (Aug 18, 2007)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I had to sell my '92 Miata when I moved out to San Francisco
> 
> ...but I just bought this one:


Looks like Ocean Beach. Congrats :wave::beer:


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## ShockWaveVT (Apr 16, 2002)

Ohlins DFV is the suspension of choice for an NC that will see plenty of street driving while being expected to perform at the track/autocross. 


Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## initiation (Oct 21, 2008)

simon_C said:


> I'm bored of my NA. Cali Smog sucks bananas. :screwy:
> 
> Should I:
> A. TDI swap it and bypass smog altogether
> ...


From what I understand, swapping a diesel engine will not exempt you from smog checks. The exemption applies to 1997 and older vehicles that were diesel from the factory.


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## simon_C (Oct 5, 2006)

initiation said:


> From what I understand, swapping a diesel engine will not exempt you from smog checks. The exemption applies to 1997 and older vehicles that were diesel from the factory.


Nope. 
1997 or earlier, with a diesel engine, regardless of what it came with. 
You drag it to the BAR station, prove to them it's a diesel, and they sign off and reissue you a title saying it's a diesel. No more checks.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

ShockWaveVT said:


> Ohlins DFV is the suspension of choice for an NC that will see plenty of street driving while being expected to perform at the track/autocross.
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


Thanks! I might look for a used set or just go with flyin miata package stage 2 if I can't find anything by next spring. I'm close to pulling the trigger but would love to hear you guys' opinion on the price: 

Car in question is: 

- 2007 Grand Touring 6 speed
- Suspension package
- Clean carfax
- Full maintenance records, nothing major has happened. thermo replaced
- 118k miles 
- Comes with winter wheels and tires as well as oem wheels with summer tires (hankook ventus v12)

Car runs strong and clutch still feels good to me. 

It's not physically that clean, but that's an easy fix. However, one headlight is out and a side rocker panel is missing. 

Top is in good shape. 

We got to $6k with both sets of wheels. I have no need for the winter wheels (will only use the car in warm weather, and I will likely sell the winter wheels). 

I plan to update suspension and get a roll bar and otherwise leave it alone for a bit. Then I'll likely do headers, perhaps midpipe and tune. Depends on bang for the buck (i need to do more research). If the engine does go I'll do a 2.5 swap but hopefully it will be strong for a while. 

Is $6k a fair price? I think it's a decent price. Not a steal, but not bad. Especially if I can recoup $300 or so for the winter tires and wheels. 

What do you guys think?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Is this 2007 local? I can put another pair of eyes on it if you like. Nothing about what you posted gives me any hesitation. Miles are highish but I think the price takes that into account. Suspension package = Torsen, right? Because you'll want the Torsen if you have designs on tracking or autocross.

Second vote for Ohlins DFV too. I have that in my '08 and it's a very entertaining car that handles well without the punishing ride that can come with aftermarket suspension. No harshness even though I run the car maybe a hair lower than what is recommended.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks! I might look for a used set or just go with flyin miata package stage 2 if I can't find anything by next spring. I'm close to pulling the trigger but would love to hear you guys' opinion on the price:
> 
> Car in question is:
> 
> ...



I'd pay 6K for that :thumbup: 6 speed is nice too, weren't the basic ones still only 5 speed when the NC came out?


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

*wasn't in the market...*

I have never seriously considered owning a Miata, but a local guy was selling a 2000 SE with 33,067 miles on it. So, I rushed over to take a look at it. It was garage kept and in really decent shape. So, I bought.

Sorry... this is the only pic I have at the moment:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

jspirate said:


> I have never seriously considered owning a Miata, but a local guy was selling a 2000 SE with 33,067 miles on it. So, I rushed over to take a look at it. It was garage kept and in really decent shape. So, I bought.
> 
> Sorry... this is the only pic I have at the moment:


Congrats! Enjoying it so far?


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Congrats! Enjoying it so far?


Very much so! My CC is heavily modded, so by comparison, I find myself wishing the Miata had a little more HP/TQ. That said, the Miata is a joy to drive and I am not sure I will try to get any more power out if. Its loads of fun just the way it is. Having the top down isn't bad either!


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## .:FrankRizzo:. (Jul 12, 2008)

I was looking at ND or 124 Abarth then decided I would just buy this for the price of a down payment. no rust. no accidents, track day ready, boost ready


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

jspirate said:


> I have never seriously considered owning a Miata, but a local guy was selling a 2000 SE with 33,067 miles on it. So, I rushed over to take a look at it. It was garage kept and in really decent shape. So, I bought.
> 
> Sorry... this is the only pic I have at the moment:


One just like that just popped up locally, color, interior, chrome wheels and all... Not many of those around.


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## compy222 (Apr 8, 2005)

jspirate said:


> Very much so! My CC is heavily modded, so by comparison, I find myself wishing the Miata had a little more HP/TQ. That said, the Miata is a joy to drive and I am not sure I will try to get any more power out if. Its loads of fun just the way it is. Having the top down isn't bad either!


:thumbup:

it's never going to be a fast car. what i learned was that you just stop braking as much, these things on decent tires will fly into and out of corners...use that momentum to your advantage. plus you have the ability to add power basically whenever you want as they make so little torque they won't step the tail out like a high hp/tq car would. basically, drive it like a big shifter car and you'll never not be smiling! :beer: :laugh:


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

jspirate said:


> I have never seriously considered owning a Miata, but a local guy was selling a 2000 SE with 33,067 miles on it. So, I rushed over to take a look at it. It was garage kept and in really decent shape. So, I bought.
> 
> Sorry... this is the only pic I have at the moment:


Wow, that 2000 SE is just gorgeous. Always dug the NB models. But not the NB v2.0 so much with its surfboard seat back and the more angular front grill. 

BTW, is the NB 10th Anniversary Edition the only NB (including the v2.0) with a 6 speed?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

mx5er said:


> BTW, is the NB 10th Anniversary Edition the only NB (including the v2.0) with a 6 speed?


No, several of them had the 6 speed. I can't remember exactly which, though.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

Smigelski said:


> No, several of them had the 6 speed. I can't remember exactly which, though.




I believe LS models came with 6 speed gearboxes and limited slip diff. My last NB was a 6 speed. I understand the 6 speed is a bit more robust than the 5 speed. It's nice to have that extra gear up there on NB.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Fined said:


> I believe LS models came with 6 speed gearboxes and limited slip diff. My last NB was a 6 speed. I understand the 6 speed is a bit more robust than the 5 speed. It's nice to have that extra gear up there on NB.


The 5th gear on the 5 speed was higher than the 6th gear on the 6 speed. So, with the same rear-end ratio (some varied), the 5 speed would turn fewer RPM on the highway. The 6 speed was also available with a 3.9 rear end (instead of the 4.10, which was available on both 5 speed trans and the 6 speed or the 4.3, which was only availalbe on the 5 speeds).

Lots of graphs here:

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/18...al-drive-gears-how-they-affect-rpm-speed.html


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Got to sign the One Millionth Miata on Sunday. Here are some pics.












My name above the right headlight.


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

I have my GTI up for sale now. As soon as it's gone (or if I can negotiate a trade) I'm in the market for the best Miata that I can buy for around 8 grand or less. Won't see any track time, but will see a lot of mountain roads. I'm leaning towards an NC1. If anybody has any good leads or has one they want to sell, shoot me a PM. I'm willing to travel.


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## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

You need a Miata ... and a Labrador Retriever ...


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## chaoskaze (Sep 11, 2015)

lausch said:


> You need a Miata ... and a Labrador Retriever ...


Beautiful 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

lausch said:


> You need a Miata ... and a Labrador Retriever ...


I see your Lab and raise you... Mini Golden Doodle!


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Now I need a dog 

Slowly but surely, the 91 BRG I bought is getting there. It needed a bit more work than I thought when I bought it. 

So far:
New tires
New timing belt, water pump, and all the associated seals, etc.
New thermostat
New O2 sensor
New water thermo sensor
New plugs and wires
Diff and trans fuild flush
Oil change
New (used) heater core (what a pain in the ass)
Weekend long detail to try and get rid of some of the fine scratches, defects, etc

Left to do:
Find oil leak (I think it's the RMS  )
Solve cold running bogging, etc (I think it's the air valve...new (used) one on the way)

It's starting to look good!


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Now I need a dog
> 
> Slowly but surely, the 91 BRG I bought is getting there. *It needed a bit more work than I thought when I bought it*.
> 
> ...


That's par for the course when buying used cars, I've found. Your car looks very clean next to my 1996!

I need to:

-have the hit and run damage fixed
-have the alloys sanded down (the fronts lose air, super annoying)
-new back window. 
-possibly fix the "typical miata rust", after having fun this winter. Looking forward to the snow:laugh: 
-possibly fix the exhaust. 

it also has a couple dime sized rust spots around the trunk area, and a very minor transmission leak. 

Also, I see you haven't updated your location


----------



## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

I need an NA. Any specific posts I should read for advice?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Left to do:
> Find oil leak (I think it's the RMS  )


Looks good!

Before you tackle the RMS, check the CAS O-Ring on the back of the engine. A lot of times those can leak and drip oil down the back of the engine, through the bell housing and make it look like an RMS leak.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

88c900t said:


> That's par for the course when buying used cars, I've found. Your car looks very clean next to my 1996!
> 
> I need to:
> 
> ...


Yeah, you have some work to do :laugh:

And I did update my location! You probably read the post before I did it though 



Smigelski said:


> Looks good!
> 
> Before you tackle the RMS, check the CAS O-Ring on the back of the engine. A lot of times those can leak and drip oil down the back of the engine, through the bell housing and make it look like an RMS leak.


Thanks!

I didn't mention above, with the timing belt, etc, I did the CAS O-ring and valve cover gasket as well. So I know it's not that, unfortunately.


EDIT: ****, new page. Needs a photo.

When I discovered the thermostat needed to be replaced :laugh:


----------



## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> I see your Lab and raise you... Mini Golden Doodle!


I see your Doodle, and raise you Garfield...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I see your Garfield and raise you a Chick-Fil-A EAT MOR CHIKIN cow










(would have been a better picture if the hardtop wasn't on)


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Yeah, you have some work to do :laugh:
> 
> And I did update my location! You probably read the post before I did it though
> 
> ]


Meh, still less work than the Volvo needs :laugh:

Oh yeah, the cat is rusted out.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

So, hypothetically, if I were to hypothetically buy an NA that hypothetically has had the soft-top removed, how hard would it be to reinstall a new one? Hypothetically speaking.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Ryukein said:


> So, hypothetically, if I were to hypothetically buy an NA that hypothetically has had the soft-top removed, how hard would it be to reinstall a new one? Hypothetically speaking.


I'm pretty sure there's a clip of it on youtube. 

And if you do, then pay a little extra and get a glass rear window. I recall with the early glass tops, you have to unzip the rear window just like the factory plastic rear window top. A real PITA. But now there are no-zip glass window top where it functions just like the NB top. 

And if your NA have the plug for the rear defroster in the rear shelf and a blank switch on the left-hand side of the dash, get the glass top with a rear defroster and a factory defroster switch. 

Hypothetically of course


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

mx5er said:


> I'm pretty sure there's a clip of it on youtube.
> 
> And if you do, then pay a little extra and get a glass rear window. I recall with the early glass tops, you have to unzip the rear window just like the factory plastic rear window top. A real PITA. But now there are no-zip glass window top where it functions just like the NB top.
> 
> ...


Thank you. Hypothetically.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

An important tip for owners with the plastic rear window. Before unzipping the rear window, always unlatch the top first. Even if you're just unzipping the rear window for extra ventilation. You want to undo the tension in the top so there is no stress on the zipper. Because if the zipper gets stuck or detaches itself, time for a new top! 

And oh, a rear defroster is not an absolute. When I owned a NA, I just kept a small towel wedged between the seat and console. If the rear window fogs up, I just reached back with the towel. No biggie.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

I've got a zipped in glass window in mine. It sucks. It's a complete PITA to use because the weight of the glass. I've had to resort to using my kid's booster seat bottom as a padded wedge to keep it up while zipping. The tabs don't keep it up with the top unlatched, as that creates too much slack.


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## 7.62 (Jul 25, 2001)

mx5er said:


> An important tip for owners with the plastic rear window. Before unzipping the rear window, always unlatch the top first. Even if you're just unzipping the rear window for extra ventilation. You want to undo the tension in the top so there is no stress on the zipper. Because if the zipper gets stuck or detaches itself, time for a new top!
> 
> And oh, a rear defroster is not an absolute. When I owned a NA, I just kept a small towel wedged between the seat and console. If the rear window fogs up, I just reached back with the towel. No biggie.


That's a good point. Also, you don't really need to unzip the rear window to lower the top. I have not done in 10+ years. Cut a pool noodle to length and use it to fold the plastic window around it. Just make sure it's at least 55-60F when you do it, else the window may crack.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

7.62 said:


> That's a good point. Also, you don't really need to unzip the rear window to lower the top. I have not done in 10+ years. Cut a pool noodle to length and use it to fold the plastic window around it. Just make sure it's at least 55-60F when you do it, else the window may crack.


I did that for a bit with mine. But I was getting scratches where the tube contacted the window. The rear plastic window was the only thing I loathed when I owned an NA.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

My NA btw 



















It's an '96 with just the power steering package. Which was just power steering and chrome trim rings around stock steel rims. And no air conditioning. 

For some reason, the base model and power steering pkg models did not come with the rear subframe brace. The brace ties in the rear subframe which is completely open on the bottom. So right after I purchased the car, one of the first thing I got was the brace from the dealer's parts dept.

If you purchase an NA, make sure to check if it's there. Last time I checked, there are aftermarket braces out there. But it's only one brace that just goes across. 

But the factory one goes further:









The 1.6L NA is another story when it comes to subframe braces. 

But the base models have the front brace.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Ryukein said:


> So, hypothetically, if I were to hypothetically buy an NA that hypothetically has had the soft-top removed, how hard would it be to reinstall a new one? Hypothetically speaking.


If you're real good/lucky, you'll find someone selling a good top already mounted on a frame. That makes for a pretty straightforward install.

Related question: I have a decent used soft top on a frame in the garage, but the back window is unzipped and I can't get the zipper started. Is it done? It was given to me so it's no big deal if I can't use it.


----------



## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

I finally got last week's pics of my camera. Here is her first solo pic!


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Ryukein said:


> So, hypothetically, if I were to hypothetically buy an NA that hypothetically has had the soft-top removed, how hard would it be to reinstall a new one? Hypothetically speaking.


If you're installing the frame and convertible top as a unit, it takes about 45mins. All NA / NB tops are interchangeable, however, you do need to have the correct latch pins and latch receivers.





mx5er said:


> And if you do, then pay a little extra and get a glass rear window. I recall with the early glass tops, you have to unzip the rear window just like the factory plastic rear window top.


The factory didn't use glass windows that unzip. Those are aftermarket. It really should be common sense that you need to unlatch the top before unzipping a rear window because the issue is the zipper and threads as opposed to the material of the window.




I sprung for $40 in vinyl and now my hardtop isn't quite as garishly mismatched. I'm really liking the color contrast with the matte bronze 6UL's












Also solved the cutting out issues I was having at high RPM. Not sure if these were cracked or not, but I swapped in a colder heat range and now the car pulls all the way to redline without hesitation again.


----------



## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Diamond Dave said:


> If you're installing the frame and convertible top as a unit, it takes about 45mins. All NA / NB tops are interchangeable, however, you do need to have the correct latch pins and latch receivers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, those bronze 6ULs look great!


----------



## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

FINALLY went out to test drive a couple: 


Early NC, 108k kms, very stock, owned by non-car guy, was a daily so dings and chips galore. Black leather seats in Australian summer... But great to drive. Asking is $13k (kangaroo dollars). 
Late NB, 171k kms, RPF1 reps, BC racing coil overs, intake, owned by a car guy, dings and chips galore (including a non-repairable on the door), heater is bypassed, rear bumper has bottom cut out with some weather stripping for "finition". Proper roll bar. Awesome to drive. $10.5k. 

In mint stock condition, the NB is probably worth about $10k (rather, people are asking about that for mint ones). There are some nice additions on it (roll bar, coil overs, wheels) but they're on a pretty meh car. Owner obviously takes care of it, it's clean, but it's started to slip. 

The NC was essentially dirty and in need of some attention. 

Having seen those 2, gives me a gauge of what to look for in others. I was considering putting an offer on the NB but figure I can get either a mint one for a bit cheaper than his asking, or get a stock, way cheaper one in similar condition. 

Or.....?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

strapontin said:


> In mint stock condition, the NB is probably worth about $10k (rather, people are asking about that for mint ones). There are some nice additions on it (roll bar, coil overs, wheels) but they're on a pretty meh car. Owner obviously takes care of it, it's clean, but it's started to slip.
> 
> The NC was essentially dirty and in need of some attention.


On no planet is a 171K KM NB Miata worth more than $3K. Also, an NB Miata is largely the same as a 1989 Miata, while the NC is 15yrs newer technology so the comparison between the two is confusing.


----------



## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

I've needed a Miata for a looooong time, finally scooped one up last night and I'm beyond excited. This is probably the first car I've owned since I was 17 that isn't stupid low on stretched tires and completely impractical (though the latter statement still applies tenfold).

2016-10-23_04-08-16 by Ronny Walters, on Flickr

2016-10-23_03-56-08 by Ronny Walters, on Flickr

2016-10-23_03-56-57 by Ronny Walters, on Flickr

20161020_190346 by Ronny Walters, on Flickr

20161020_190323 by Ronny Walters, on Flickr

It hasn't been on the road in two years but I drove it 2 hours home with zero issues. Saying it has a laundry list of mods would be an absolute understatement.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Diamond Dave said:


> On no planet is a 171K KM NB Miata worth more than $3K. Also, an NB Miata is largely the same as a 1989 Miata, while the NC is 15yrs newer technology so the comparison between the two is confusing.


I'm quite aware the NB is essentially a NA with a fancy suit. Later NBs are getting close to early NC in price so why wouldn't one compare the two?

Average asking price in Australia for NBs with 150-200k kms is $8400. None is under $6k and those are blergh. Mind you, there is no rust, no winter, so condition is generally better than NA.


----------



## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Went and drove this one today. It was a riot. Might be picking it up tomorrow.

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/5780534335.html


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Ryukein said:


> Went and drove this one today. It was a riot. Might be picking it up tomorrow.
> 
> http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/5780534335.html


Nice :thumbup:

If it really does have no rust, that's a great deal with the hardtop. I'm curious how it drives with no power steering. 

Its actually a really similar car to mine- same engine and diff, same miles, has hardtop, similar price. Mines optioned up (PW, CC) and has an up to date clutch and timing belt, but it has rust. 



I love my color, but I like what they did with the A pillars and the roof. Goes great with white.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

88c900t said:


> If it really does have no rust, that's a great deal with the hardtop.


_And_ a second set of Miata wheels with brand new snow tires. No rust at all, even on the rockers. The engine bay is clean as ****, as is the interior. The exterior is a bit ratty, but I don't mind. Kinda prefer it actually. It's basically exactly what I was looking for in a Miata. Oh, and it's got big rally mudflaps. **** yeah.



88c900t said:


> I'm curious how it drives with no power steering.


It was my first time driving a car without power steering and I loved it, the feel was amazing.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Ryukein said:


> _And_It was my first time driving a car without power steering and I loved it, the feel was amazing.


Welcome. Welcome to a new world of simplicity and directness. Now if only it were light enough to forego power brakes... 

:wave:


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## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)

Ryukein said:


> Went and drove this one today. It was a riot. Might be picking it up tomorrow.
> 
> http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/5780534335.html


Whats with the blue a-pillar? Are the windshield frames removable/swappable?


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

Diamond Dave said:


> On no planet is a 171K KM NB Miata worth more than $3K.


Wat. The average high-mileage NB still goes for ~6k here.


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

Is it reasonable to think I could Find a NC2 Miata for under 8K after this winter with a non ****ed up top?


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

CaleDeRoo said:


> Is it reasonable to think I could Find a NC2 Miata for under 8K after this winter with a non ****ed up top?


You would be very lucky to find one. Most NC2s are still well into the teens.


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

Elite_Deforce said:


> You would be very lucky to find one. Most NC2s are still well into the teens.


This car would be amazeballs. My <10K mile engine might be going bad already and if it is I'd totally pick this car up if I had more time to plan. Perfect timing since I just bought non refundable tickets to Dubai for New Years. :laugh: Maybe on of y'all can pick it up and keep it warm till I'm ready :heart:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/5830140214.html

*2009 MX-5 Miata Hard Top ** 1 of 318 ** - $9900 (West Houston)*


















FS: 2009 MX-5 Sport 5 spd MT in rare Competition Yellow color with black soft top & uber hard-to-find OEM Removable Hard Top.

Here are the particulars:

Rare (1 of 318) Competition Yellow color with color matching dash pad & hoop rear covers.

2009 MX-5 Sport but with the following Grand Touring features:

GT Steering wheel with audio & cruise control buttons
Heated seats
Aux connection
Upgraded 17" GT wheels with no scuff or curb rash whatsoever
GT strut tower brace (not installed but goes with car)

Included is a professionally painted removable hard top with corresponding hardware. 
The hard top makes this an all-weather MX-5 and makes road trips so much quieter in addition to the security feature. Removing the hard top gives you access to the soft top. 

Other features:

OEM rear spoiler
RoadsterSport II muffler (original muffler available)
RX-8 red front/yellow sway bar replacements
Thompson horn upgrade
OEM plastic all-weather mats in addition to OEM mats

Mileage is 96K and this MX-5 is a joy to drive. 

Negatives:

Bolster wear on the driver seat that I have covered with a matching patch
Very small ding on the rocker panel below the driver's door

Good title. 

I will not sell the hard top separately. 

Thank you.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MrMook said:


> Whats with the blue a-pillar? Are the windshield frames removable/swappable?


From the ad: The blue top and A-pillars are just a vinyl wrap, the OEM hardtop is red.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

CaleDeRoo said:


> This car would be amazeballs. My <10K mile engine might be going bad already and if it is I'd totally pick this car up if I had more time to plan. Perfect timing since I just bought non refundable tickets to Dubai for New Years. :laugh: Maybe on of y'all can pick it up and keep it warm till I'm ready :heart:
> 
> https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/5830140214.html
> 
> ...


Exactly this car was for sale in my area last year and I was really, really pissed that I couldn't snap it up at the time. :banghead: Love that colour and configuration.


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## .:FrankRizzo:. (Jul 12, 2008)

Is there anyway to tune a miata without going standalone? My car is bored out to 1.9l and has oversized valves in anticipation of a turbo build. I was thinking of just building NA as 150hp would be fun on the streets but at the cost of standalone I might as well buy a FM turbo kit...


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> From the ad: The blue top and A-pillars are just a vinyl wrap, the OEM hardtop is red.


Yup. There's carbon fiber wrap on the spoiler/mirrors/gas cap too, I'm gonna remove all of it. I kinda like the look of a red hardtop on a white car.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

.:FrankRizzo:. said:


> Is there anyway to tune a miata without going standalone? My car is bored out to 1.9l and has oversized valves in anticipation of a turbo build. I was thinking of just building NA as 150hp would be fun on the streets but at the cost of standalone I might as well buy a FM turbo kit...


Yes, but everything short of a standalone these days is kinda ghetto. The most popular band-aid is the oh-so-1990s Apex'i S-AFC. You can also change the stock ECU crystal to raise the rev-limit but that's pretty stupid also. Keep in mind that raising the rev limit will have some detrimental effect on engine lifespan. How much depends on whether you are using stock internals, the rev limit you select and a plethora of use factors. Even if you upgrade the valvetrain and internals to cope with the faster engine speeds there's no getting around the inherent geometry and piston speed issues of the BP motor. You are in effect robbing Peter to pay Paul with this method. 

Raise Rev Limit on Factory ECU
Increase Rev limit: Crystal or Chip-hack?
1990-1994 Miata Apexi Super AFC Install Guide
SAFC Manual
How to Make NA Horsepower - By Emilio of 949 racing
Engine building ideas - By Emilio of 949 racing
Cost Effective Break Point - By Emilio of 949 racing


150hp NA is fun. There is a simple recipe to achieve this. You are almost there. You didn't mention what exhaust you have but assuming you've already got the full Racing Beat setup then just get a MS3-Pro and tune it and you're done.


----------



## R-Dubya (Jun 23, 2011)

.:FrankRizzo:. said:


> Is there anyway to tune a miata without going standalone? My car is bored out to 1.9l and has oversized valves in anticipation of a turbo build. I was thinking of just building NA as 150hp would be fun on the streets but at the cost of standalone I might as well buy a FM turbo kit...


Oh yeah that reminds me, I forgot one important picture of the Miata I posted up yesterday 

2016-10-23_04-35-36 by Ronny Walters, on Flickr


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Geezum crow don't show the wife that yellow NC for sale. She'll send me to Texas with an empty trailer and money burning a hole in my pocket.


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## .:FrankRizzo:. (Jul 12, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> Yes, but everything short of a standalone these days is kinda ghetto. The most popular band-aid is the oh-so-1990s Apex'i S-AFC. You can also change the stock ECU crystal to raise the rev-limit but that's pretty stupid also. Keep in mind that raising the rev limit will have some detrimental effect on engine lifespan. How much depends on whether you are using stock internals, the rev limit you select and a plethora of use factors. Even if you upgrade the valvetrain and internals to cope with the faster engine speeds there's no getting around the inherent geometry and piston speed issues of the BP motor. You are in effect robbing Peter to pay Paul with this method.
> 
> Raise Rev Limit on Factory ECU
> Increase Rev limit: Crystal or Chip-hack?
> ...


Yeah, I'm not going to overclock the stock ECU. 

I have a Roadstersport catback and high flow cat


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Ryukein said:


> Yup. There's carbon fiber wrap on the spoiler/mirrors/gas cap too, I'm gonna remove all of it. I kinda like the look of a red hardtop on a white car.


The fact that those are traditional Japanese racing colors is just icing on the cake! :thumbup:

A friend got a new very early S2000 in white. I wanted it soooooooo badly and would've painted red rocker stripes on it. :heart:


----------



## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)




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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

CaleDeRoo said:


> Is it reasonable to think I could Find a NC2 Miata for under 8K after this winter with a non ****ed up top?


Finding an NC1 in that price isn't that easy, let alone an NC2. Most NC2s are still well above 10.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

A couple recent ones! Been solving some of the car's problems recently and it's running much better.


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

Well here in New England....I put her to bed for the winter....


----------



## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

tngdesi said:


> Well here in New England....I put her to bed for the winter....


I need to order a CTEK battery charger/maintainer and then I can put mine away for the winter.


----------



## shuko (Jul 24, 2007)

My current track beater:










And a great way to spend way too much on a Miata...


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

^^^^ oh nice nice nice.. K Swap? Don't mind if I do :thumbup:


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## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)

shuko said:


> And a great way to spend way too much on a Miata...


Lately there seem to be more and more ways to spend too much on a Miata....


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Are there any aftermarket options for chassis integrity, like Subframe connectors on F bodys? My car is a complete wet noodle, even compared to older convertibles I've driven. 

I can't decide to make money selling my snow tires for a few hundred dollars, or spending money to buy Miata steelies so I have 2 sets of wheels. My current tires are BFG G force super sports, anyone know how they do in the snow? I'd likely only take the Miata out to have fun after a snowstorm, it may have to be my back up car once and a while but generally I'd rarely drive it.


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## .:FrankRizzo:. (Jul 12, 2008)

88c900t said:


> Are there any aftermarket options for chassis integrity, like Subframe connectors on F bodys? My car is a complete wet noodle, even compared to older convertibles I've driven.
> 
> I can't decide to make money selling my snow tires for a few hundred dollars, or spending money to buy Miata steelies so I have 2 sets of wheels. My current tires are BFG G force super sports, anyone know how they do in the snow? I'd likely only take the Miata out to have fun after a snowstorm, it may have to be my back up car once and a while but generally I'd rarely drive it.


Does your car have the factory chassis braces?


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

.:FrankRizzo:. said:


> Does your car have the factory chassis braces?


I'm not exactly sure. It does have a brace behind the seats, though. It's a 1996 montego blue with Torsen, and most of the options-Alloys, cruise, PS, PW, power mirrors...


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## .:FrankRizzo:. (Jul 12, 2008)

88c900t said:


> I'm not exactly sure. It does have a brace behind the seats, though. It's a 1996 montego blue with Torsen, and most of the options-Alloys, cruise, PS, PW, power mirrors...


You should have the factory braces

http://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

.:FrankRizzo:. said:


> You should have the factory braces
> 
> http://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf


Hah, I saw that the same time you posted it:thumbup: It looks like I have the popular equipment package.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

88c900t said:


> I'm not exactly sure. It does have a brace behind the seats, though. It's a 1996 montego blue with Torsen, and most of the options-Alloys, cruise, PS, PW, power mirrors...


You should have all the factory braces. 










The base model and the base plus power steering package does not come with the rear subframe brace. I should know b/c I had a 1996 base with power steering package and I purchased the brace from the dealer soon after taking delivery. 

Rear subframe without the brace:









All models does come with the front brace:









This only applies to the 1994-1997 1.8L models. And of course all 1.8L cars gets the brace behind the seats. But I understand it's more for the new side impact law than stiffening up the chassis.


----------



## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Flyinmiata butterfly brace? I'd imagine that would stiffen things right up.


----------



## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

I put the FM frame rails (without the butterfly mid-section) on my 1996 Miata when I had it, and didn't notice any difference. I did notice a difference in chassis rigidity when I installed a roll bar, though. I've also heard good things about delrin door bushings that can get rid of some of the squeaks and rattles.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

DucSam said:


> I put the FM frame rails (without the butterfly mid-section) on my 1996 Miata when I had it, and didn't notice any difference. I did notice a difference in chassis rigidity when I installed a roll bar, though. I've also heard good things about delrin door bushings that can get rid of some of the squeaks and rattles.


I like the FM frame rails on my '90, but it doesn't have as much factory stiffness as a '96 does. 

I've been hearing a lot about the door bushings and I'd like to give them a try.


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## .:FrankRizzo:. (Jul 12, 2008)

DucSam said:


> I put the FM frame rails (without the butterfly mid-section) on my 1996 Miata when I had it, and didn't notice any difference. I did notice a difference in chassis rigidity when I installed a roll bar, though. I've also heard good things about delrin door bushings that can get rid of some of the squeaks and rattles.


I have just the factory braces and a roll bar, it feels good. Other Miata owners have driven it and thought I had additional bracing.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

I've been test driving MX5s for the past few weeks... pretty much going through all within my price range. And then some. 

Yesterday I drove a turbo NB8a Classic (blue on blue), turbo'd. 220hp at the wheels. I feel like that may be too much to handle. Easy to drive at sane speed and all, but nowhere to really exploit its full potential. 

I think I had more fun in the basic, no upgrades NB8a I tried.

Somewhat at a loss as to what to do... Maybe just get a cheap(er) NB8a, throw a roll bar at it and enjoy hammering it...


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Does anyone have experience with LED lights? I'm specifically looking at GE Nighthawks https://www.amazon.com/GE-NIGHTHAWK...d=1479757604&sr=8-2&keywords=ge+nighthawk+led

This has pretty much sold me on them http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=527546


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

strapontin said:


> Yesterday I drove a turbo NB8a Classic (blue on blue), turbo'd. 220hp at the wheels. I feel like that may be too much to handle. Easy to drive at sane speed and all, but nowhere to really exploit its full potential.




I would imagine a race track would be a great place.. 

failing that.. autocross.


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

strapontin said:


> Yesterday I drove a turbo NB8a Classic (blue on blue), turbo'd. 220hp at the wheels. I feel like that may be too much to handle. Easy to drive at sane speed and all, but nowhere to really exploit its full potential.


What kind of rubber and suspension did it have? LSD? I am considering a SC for mine...


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

So once again I'm considering a miata. 

A few months ago I almost bought an NC, then got a deal (I thought) on an AP2v2 s2000 and bought it. Well, it needed a bit more work than I expected to get it track ready so now that it's all fixed up, it's no longer a good deal. To get it on the track I still need a roll bar at least, plus likely seats and harnesses since I may not pass a broomstick test with the stock seats (at the very least will lower the stock seats). 

Moreover, as I've done my second DE and spoken to a lot more experienced drivers, the advice has universally been to go with an easier, more forgiving car to learn on. 

So I'm back looking for a miata and I have two options - buy a track prepped NA, enjoy it for a while (probably 1-2 years max before I get a little bored with the lack of power), and then move to something faster - perhaps an NC. 

OR - I get an NC1 like I looked at earlier, 5-6k, put a roll bar (bb fabworks) and suspension (ohlins dfv) on, maybe seats and harnesses but might wait on that, and probably wheels and tires. Track it for a while in stock form, learn the car, learn how to drive. Then start modding the car for more power (likely 2.5 swap) and put a half cage in there and transform it to a dedicated track car. 


What pushes me to option #1 is it's cheap (6-7k for a track ready but street legal NA), and I don't need to do much and I can likely sell it in a couple years for not much loss. Cheaper to run, good car to learn on.

However, what pushes me to option #2 is that I also want a car to drive on nice days, drive to work sometimes, etc. I will also drive the car to the track for the next couple of years at least until I invest in a bigger car and a trailer. 

I don't fancy driving 4.5 hours to VIR in an NA in racing seats. 

What do you guys think? Is there really that much benefit to learning how to drive on on NA vs an NC? It's not like the NC is sooo much faster or even that much heavier. From most accounts it looks like the NC is 290 lbs heavier than a 1.8l NA, and has about 40 more hp. 

A little more money, but much cheaper than an s2k to get on the track (about half the cost). 

So - NA vs NC? I've only done 2 track events so far but I'm hoping to do 4-8 a year for the next couple years with whatever car I buy.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Fined said:


> I would imagine a race track would be a great place..
> 
> failing that.. autocross.


Yeah, sure enough. But it would still mostly be a street car. 



jspirate said:


> What kind of rubber and suspension did it have? LSD? I am considering a SC for mine...


That may have been part of the "skittish" feeling: good suspension (Tein coilovers, fully dyno'd and corner balanced) on **** chinese tyres.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I posted above about considering a miata again, and NA vs NC. A few good things about the NA is they are cheaper, more toy like, and I can get one ready to go for much less than an NC.

Currently there is one at the shop I take my s2000 to, and it's ready to go. NA, 1991, only 64k original miles, no rust. Has been tracked for a while (shop car), has half cage, nice racing seats (recaro pp and sparco pro adv), 6-pt harnesses, OEM hard top, suspension taken care of and corner balanced, etc. Plus an extra set of wheels and tires (slicks). Everything has been taken care of, new water pump, belts, new hoses, etc. Should be solid for a while. 

He is asking $8500 for it. I think that's a little high, but given the low mileage and all the mods (and he knows I'm going to come back for any work the car needs so I'm assuming it really is taken care of; it was his personal car after all) I think maybe $7500 to $8000 is fair? 

Or is that already a good price?

My plan is to track the car a year or two and then sell it and get something with more power, once I'm comfortable and have learned better technique. Plus if I decide to get an NC at that point, they should be much cheaper.

What do you guys think? 64k clean, track ready miata with extra set of slicks for $8500. If I drive it a couple of years I imagine I could get most of what I pay back, if it's worth close to that now. I'm also going to ask him to include the tire trailer and hitch.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> What do you guys think? 64k clean, track ready miata with extra set of slicks for $8500. If I drive it a couple of years I imagine I could get most of what I pay back, if it's worth close to that now. I'm also going to ask him to include the tire trailer and hitch.


I haven't seen a dual-purpose street/track NA Miata top $7k, yet. Most tend to be in the $5-6k range with everything taken care of. Modded NA's are good for buyers, not sellers.

That it's clean doesn't boost value. As a matter of fact, purists who pay top dollar for condition will balk at the fact it's been tracked.

Next, it's a 1991. Depending on the VIN split, it could have a short-nosed crank. Not the end of the world, but something to keep in mind.

That it's a 1991, it doesn't have the bracing that the later NA's have (which is somewhat mitigated by the rollbar) and 1.6's are slightly more handicapped by their differential (6" vs. 7" although they have a 4.3 final drive vs. a 4.1 in the 1.8's) and that the 1.8's have a few other tricks up their sleeve (head work, euro intake manifolds, etc. can be done on a 1.8) that don't yield as much power in a 1.6

Even though there is something to be said about a well-sorted car, $7k is probably at the top end of what that car is worth.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> I haven't seen a dual-purpose street/track NA Miata top $7k, yet. Most tend to be in the $5-6k range with everything taken care of. Modded NA's are good for buyers, not sellers.
> 
> That it's clean doesn't boost value. As a matter of fact, purists who pay top dollar for condition will balk at the fact it's been tracked.
> 
> ...


Perfect, thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. $7k was the max of what I wanted to spend if I went this route anyway (based on many classifieds I've seen on miata forums, etc). 

I'm glad my gut feeling was correct that this is overpriced. I missed out on a very clean 94 (preferable to me) with brand new sparcos, harnesses, hard dog, 104k mi, that ended up going for $6600  

Question - why do the spec cars command such a premium?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Question - why do the spec cars command such a premium?


The cost of prep from scratch, including the car, can top $15k - which is still cheap for motorsports. Depending on the pedigree of the car (being a spec car, setup is extremely important) it would be worth it to someone to pay a premium for a well-set up car if they were to compete in Spec Miata, much less so if just using the car for HPDE. You can build an HPDE car for far less than you can to either buy or build a Spec Miata.

I've been told Spec Miatas make horrible street cars. My '94 had spring rates that approach that of a SM car, and it got to me eventually. I didn't even have a Spec exhaust (which is louder than the one I ran) or stripped interior, or a racing seat, and it was uncomfortable after about an hour. For a track beast, an SM isn't bad, but as I mentioned, the premium only makes sense if one was to compete in Spec Miata.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> The cost of prep from scratch, including the car, can top $15k - which is still cheap for motorsports. Depending on the pedigree of the car (being a spec car, setup is extremely important) it would be worth it to someone to pay a premium for a well-set up car if they were to compete in Spec Miata, much less so if just using the car for HPDE. You can build an HPDE car for far less than you can to either buy or build a Spec Miata.
> 
> I've been told Spec Miatas make horrible street cars. My '94 had spring rates that approach that of a SM car, and it got to me eventually. I didn't even have a Spec exhaust (which is louder than the one I ran) or stripped interior, or a racing seat, and it was uncomfortable after about an hour. For a track beast, an SM isn't bad, but as I mentioned, the premium only makes sense if one was to compete in Spec Miata.


I really appreciate your input! The car could be ssm class he said if the cage is completed and nets are installed.

Since the vast majority of my driving will be on the street, I think an NC probably makes more sense. Especially for potentially long drives (1-5 hours) to the track!

I think for 7k, or 7.5k max with the trailer I'll think about it but really I'd only have it for one year as a learning tool then sell it. I'll test drive it and think about it. Luckily I'm in no rush and if I want an Na, like you said I can get one set up for hpde substantially cheaper. A newer one, too if I so choose. Thanks again


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

300_munkeys said:


> Since the vast majority of my driving will be on the street, I think an NC probably makes more sense. Especially for potentially long drives (1-5 hours) to the track!


After test driving a range of NBs and NCs, I'm fairly set on getting an NC. Much more liveable of a car, still loads of fun, and near 2 decades younger platform wise. NAs tend to be either trashed or mint and crackpipe prices.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

strapontin said:


> After test driving a range of NBs and NCs, I'm fairly set on getting an NC. Much more liveable of a car, still loads of fun, and near 2 decades younger platform wise. NAs tend to be either trashed or mint and crackpipe prices.


I'll be honest - part of the appeal of the NA is that I like the idea of having an NA. Then I can say i learned how to drive on track in a small, light, momentum car etc. But realistically I'm not sure it will make a huge difference. More of a check the box of an auto enthusiast 

And of course it's much cheaper, but I was going to track an s2k so the NC is still cheaper, and probably a better weekend driver. It's all good - trying out cars and deciding is half the fun.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

How about, instead of buying a car to track with the goal of only having it for a year, renting a SM or SSM for those track days and saving yourself the headaches of buying the car this year and selling it the next.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

I am kicking myself for not buying this clean competition yellow NC2 PRHT last year. Do eet.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> How about, instead of buying a car to track with the goal of only having it for a year, renting a SM or SSM for those track days and saving yourself the headaches of buying the car this year and selling it the next.


edit: just looked at some rates - they are hundreds per day. Even if I bought this car at asking, and sold it a year later for 6k, I'd be ahead with after just a couple of events.  Good suggestion though.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Shook hands on an NC and will pick up in a couple days. 

Surprise under the hood:


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

strapontin said:


> Shook hands on an NC and will pick up in a couple days.
> 
> Surprise under the hood:


Plot twist, it's just a piece that says supercharged on it. Nothing more. :laugh:


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Elite_Deforce said:


> Plot twist, it's just a piece that says supercharged on it. Nothing more. :laugh:












Now put this on the back of it. Ready to go!


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Elite_Deforce said:


> Plot twist, it's just a piece that says supercharged on it. Nothing more. :laugh:





Air and water do mix said:


> Now put this on the back of it. Ready to go!


The belt goes around the thingamajig I swear!! It's got the whine!!!

Seriously though: it's the flying miata kit originally developed by Cosworth. With the proper ECU tuning instead of the piggy back that had engines blowing up early on.


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

NC Folks: Are the 09+ models worth it? The biggest appeal for me is the 500RPM higher redline, but in my limited searching the 06-08s have much better color combos.

For example:










vs.

Bleh


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

strapontin said:


> The belt goes around the thingamajig I swear!! It's got the whine!!!
> 
> Seriously though: it's the flying miata kit originally developed by Cosworth. With the proper ECU tuning instead of the piggy back that had engines blowing up early on.




It does sound like it'd be a fun car.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

CostcoPizza said:


> NC Folks: Are the 09+ models worth it? The biggest appeal for me is the 500RPM higher redline, but in my limited searching the 06-08s have much better color combos.
> 
> For example:
> 
> ...


I wouldn't be so sure..











It really depends what you are looking for. There are other improvements like the cupholders and overall looks (especially the later "sport" facias). I would personally prefer the NC2 if my budget wasn't super tight.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I wouldn't mind the 09+ just for the 500 RPM. The smiley-face front bumpers are a non-factor to me.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Ever since I saw the Super20, I actually _prefer_ the smiley face bumpers. Looks happy, but also demonic


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Air and water do mix said:


> It does sound like it'd be a fun car.


And it is. So. Much. Torque. Need to raise the suspension a bit though. 

The kids love riding in it so far.


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Ever since I saw the Super20, I actually _prefer_ the smiley face bumpers. Looks happy, but also demonic


I think the early NC's look good with the Mazdaspeed bumper


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Anyone here have experience with both na/nb and NC on the track? Comparisons?


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## AufMitDemSpiel (Nov 15, 2012)

Pennywise said:


> I think the early NC's look good with the Mazdaspeed bumper


That's one of the best looking NC's I've ever seen. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Ryukein said:


> Does anyone have experience with LED lights? I'm specifically looking at GE Nighthawks https://www.amazon.com/GE-NIGHTHAWK...d=1479757604&sr=8-2&keywords=ge+nighthawk+led
> 
> This has pretty much sold me on them http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=527546


thats a lot of money. have you tried an h4 conversion yet?


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

corrado-correr said:


> thats a lot of money. have you tried an h4 conversion yet?


I ended up buying these, they're exactly the same as the GEs: https://www.amazon.com/Truck-Lite-2...8&qid=1480692422&sr=8-4&keywords=trucklite+7"

They are INCREDIBLE. Well worth the price. Super easy install too, they just plugged right in.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Pennywise said:


> I think the early NC's look good with the Mazdaspeed bumper


I have a buddy who's selling a Mazdaspeed bumper. Galaxy Grey, with some light fixable damage.


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## drive_sideways (Jul 17, 2014)

I always wanted to drive a miata. Im looking at 1.8L NB's for a project car, boost it to 300 whp and run it at the auto x track. Heard there so pure... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

drive_sideways said:


> I always wanted to drive a miata. Im looking at 1.8L NB's for a project car, boost it to 300 whp and run it at the auto x track. Heard there so pure...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


300 whp is useless in an autocross Miata.

Plus it's not cheap (may not even be possible) to get 300 whp out of a BP without some serious (and I mean SERIOUS) rework.


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

drive_sideways said:


> I always wanted to drive a miata. Im looking at 1.8L NB's for a project car, boost it to 300 whp and run it at the auto x track. Heard there so pure...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have a NB and I want more HP.

300 is silly.

Give me 165 and I sploog on myself and the dash.

The car is darn decent in its own flesh. 300 ruins everything.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

drive_sideways said:


> I always wanted to drive a miata. Im looking at 1.8L NB's for a project car, boost it to 300 whp and run it at the auto x track. Heard there so pure...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


:sly:


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## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> Anyone here have experience with both na/nb and NC on the track? Comparisons?


Street cars





Street cars





Spec Miata cars


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Lithium Lotus said:


> Street cars
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks! I'd seen the first one but not the other two.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

I have the opportunity to rescue a 1991 Miata that may be bound for the junkyard. If I can snag it for scrap value, I'll finally have another project that I can take to all new lows. 

If I get this car, expect shenanigans comparable to what I did with my MK3. Maybe worse. :laugh:


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Miata was the answer for me. Picked up a '14 Club today! Got rid of my Evo X MR. I wanted something different.










I'll get some better pictures later. It basically has everything I planned on doing done to it (wheels, tires, suspension). I was laughing the entire drive home from LA to SD. The car is so much fun!


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Congrats! It looks great.  I hope to join you soon


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Thanks! I forgot to mention the PO put aftermarket brakes on as well. Im unsure what suspension is on it, but it feels a hell of a lot smoother than my swift springs I had on my S2000. Had the front fenders rolled but the rears were trimmed. It looks OEM. 

It's really different coming from an Evo X. I was surprised how easily the rear end kicked out :laugh:.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

jpwalker90 said:


> Miata was the answer for me. Picked up a '14 Club today! Got rid of my Evo X MR. I wanted something different.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My favorite NC! The wheels look gorgeous. Congrats!


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

jpwalker90 said:


> Miata was the answer for me. Picked up a '14 Club today! Got rid of my Evo X MR. I wanted something different.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good move!


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Thank you guys! At first I didn't think I'd want the PRHT, as I preferred the look of the removable hard top and the soft top, but now that I have it I don't think I'd have it any other way. Especially with the carbon fiber lip spoiler, it looks great. RPF1's are my favorite affordable aftermarket wheel. Part of me wants to PC them dark blue, but I'll probably keep them gold for now.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

NC2 PRHT club seems like the perfect DD. I want one too, looks great.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Your new Miata makes my new Miata seem much less impressive. That said, congrats!





































This '91 was probably going to get crushed. It runs and drives. And it was cheap. 

Plans: 
- New top
- Timing belt and tuneup
- Spray paint
- Roll bar
- ????
- Fun


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Looking at the rust on that 91, I'd probably try to drive it till it dies without putting any money into it.


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

The only similar car I've owned was an AP1, and one of the main reasons I chose the AP1 over any Miata was the lack of power. I definitely don't think this car _needs_ a ton of power, but 20-30 more whp couldn't hurt. Is there any way to get that without going FI or breaking the bank? Only asking here because there seems to be a lot of Miata experts :thumbup:.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Claff said:


> Looking at the rust on that 91, I'd probably try to drive it till it dies without putting any money into it.


What rust?


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Air and water do mix said:


> What rust?


The fenders are a tad crunchy, A-pillars have some as well. Thus the roll bar. Quick glance under the car doesn't show anything terrible. 

I don't plan on putting anything into this car that I can't transfer to another or sell later on.


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Is anyone running Hawk HP+ pads? I just got them put on, and they are uber grabby, as they say "my eyeballs hit the windshield". I am able to lock up wheels very easily, they warm up fast(only tried street), but at low speed and low pedal pressure they squeak, not sure how much dust they will produce. I had HPS pads before this and they were good but faded a bit on track days.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

When I was building my first STS car I read all the recommendations and built a very by-the-book car. For brakes I used the recommended parts-store front pads and Hawk HPS in the rear. That worked. On a whim I wanted to try something else so I tried HP+ in the rear. Once they got warm I found them to be too aggressive and too grabby. Went back to HPS and I've been running those ever since. Now maybe HP+ would work with more aggressive front pads (HPS F/HP+ R) but I wasn't in the mood to experiment further.

Edited to add: squeal with HP+ was mildly annoying. Dust with HP+ was VERY annoying.

Edited again to add: you're in a NC, didn't realize that before. I have HPS all around in my '08 and love it. I don't do track stuff so fade and temperature issues are less of a concern to me. Strano said going to a track with HPS wasn't ideal but was less concerned when I said I was only running on the kart track at Lime Rock and not the big track.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Ryukein said:


> I ended up buying these, they're exactly the same as the GEs: https://www.amazon.com/Truck-Lite-2...8&qid=1480692422&sr=8-4&keywords=trucklite+7"
> 
> They are INCREDIBLE. Well worth the price. Super easy install too, they just plugged right in.


Assuming you drive the car this winter, you'll have to tell me if you get the same problems as people were saying about the GE's regarding snow and ice accumulation (and the lights not burning hot enough to melt it away while driving).


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

I'm trying to prep my car for DE events next year. It's a '91 with some good upgrades (turbo, frame rails, sport brakes etc.) and started looking into seats and harnesses. I'm 6 ft. and 185 lbs. I was looking at the TDR Ultra Shield Rallye Seats but am looking for suggestions.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's a picture of my car that someone took at the local Cars & Coffee on Saturday. I've since thrown on some 7-spoke NA8 wheels with all-seasons and have stored my 949 6ULs.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

sicklyscott said:


> I'm trying to prep my car for DE events next year. It's a '91 with some good upgrades (turbo, frame rails, sport brakes etc.) and started looking into seats and harnesses. I'm 6 ft. and 185 lbs. I was looking at the TDR Ultra Shield Rallye Seats but am looking for suggestions.


i've got the sparco sprint 5. i'm 6'4" btw.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

jpwalker90 said:


> The only similar car I've owned was an AP1, and one of the main reasons I chose the AP1 over any Miata was the lack of power. I definitely don't think this car _needs_ a ton of power, but 20-30 more whp couldn't hurt. Is there any way to get that without going FI or breaking the bank? Only asking here because there seems to be a lot of Miata experts :thumbup:.


Down low, the s2000 (ap2) and miata (nc) feel pretty similar. In fact, the miata feels a bit perkier to me although I have a lot more time in Ap2 s2000 than in miatas. 

To get another 20whp on an NC, you'll need a header, exhaust, and tune. Not too expensive and supposedly opens up the top end for a more enjoyable experience. I haven't tried one, but I'm in the process of selling my s2000 to go that route. I'll report back.

The other option is to get a 2.5 swap (can be done for $2500 turn key, with tuning). With headers and exhaust it should be 30+ whp over a stock nc and should be able to hang with an s2000, though it still gives up a lot on the top end. It can be done even cheaper than that but that's a good baseline. 

Personally my path will be to enjoy the nc for a couple of years, doing only suspension mods. Then if it comes time to do a swap, go fully built 2.5 with high compression and aggressive cams, plus header and exhaust, which should be 220+ whp. That should be faster than an s2000 given the 300lbs lighter weight of the car, and should punch well above it's weight while retaining NA reliability. 

Personally I'm not too interested in FI. But that would be the cheaper/faster way to get well over 200 whp though reliability will decrease. I'm sure people here have better information as mine is just based on research so far.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

redwe-in-wi said:


> Good move!


OT, but could you provide more details on the garage setup you have? I've become much more curious about these types of lifts as I look for a house which may not have as many garages as I'd prefer.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Roketdriver said:


> The fenders are a tad crunchy, A-pillars have some as well. Thus the roll bar. Quick glance under the car doesn't show anything terrible.
> 
> I don't plan on putting anything into this car that I can't transfer to another or sell later on.


The fenders aren't a big deal, but the A-pillars? Certainly that is. :beer:


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

300_munkeys said:


> OT, but could you provide more details on the garage setup you have? I've become much more curious about these types of lifts as I look for a house which may not have as many garages as I'd prefer.


By the blue color I am guessing Benpack. $3000 if you garage floor is up to spec. Its a darn good deal for more storage!


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

jspirate said:


> By the blue color I am guessing Benpack. $3000 if you garage floor is up to spec. Its a darn good deal for more storage!


Thanks! I'll check it out. I guess ceiling height would be a significant issue as well.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Air and water do mix said:


> The fenders aren't a big deal, but the A-pillars? Certainly that is. :beer:


I'm going to poke them extensively with a sturdy screwdriver to see if it's cosmetic or worse. I'll feel safer with the roll-bar in. I doubt this will see much freeway use until warmer weather arrives, and it'll probably be fitted with one by then. 

Pretty dang excited, I'll be getting things finalized tomorrow.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

corrado-correr said:


> i've got the sparco sprint 5. i'm 6'4" btw.


How are they mounted? And are they comfortable?


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Thinking about treating myself to an aftermarket steering wheel for Christmas. So far, here are my options:

1: Momo Prototipo, black









2. Nardi Classic, black









3. Nardi Gara 3









I'm leaning toward 3, the Nardi Gara. I *really* like the other two, but a) everyone puts them in their Miatas and b) I don't particularly care for putting something that is "classic" into a modern car. I generally prefer period-correct modifications, and the Nardi Gara fits that well I think. I do *really* like the Gara as well.

Thoughts?

EDIT: OR, trying to find one of these rare Nardi's from an S-Limited MX-5.


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

I think my biggest gripe with the car is the steering wheel. It feels huge and too thin. I thought my Evo wheel was like holding onto a noodle. Has anyone had their wheel rewrapped in alcantara? I know there's several companies that wrap oem wheels. 

So far I freakin love the NC. I wont get to drive it again until Sunday. Ugh. I'm thinking about taking Friday and Saturday off so I can take it out on some canyon roads.

What do you autox guys suggest for tires? A week ago I was pricing out 18" tires and wasn't looking forward to buying any because they're so expensive. The difference in price between 17" and 18" tires is a significant. Now I'm debating buying an entire new set of RPF1's to go along with a new set of rubber. I have 225/45/r17 BFG Rivals now. From my limited driving, they ride pretty smooth and aren't too loud. I plan on auto crossing with the occasional track day (1-3) a year.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> EDIT: OR, trying to find one of these rare Nardi's from an S-Limited MX-5.


That is a stunning wheel.

My vote will always be for a Nardi Classic, but I think that the Nardi Gara looks very nice and will probably be better to actually use.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Ryukein said:


> That is a stunning wheel.
> 
> My vote will always be for a Nardi Classic, but I think that the Nardi Gara looks very nice and will probably be better to actually use.


Yeah that wheel is *really* nice. Classic shape, but modern enough to look correct in an early 90's car. I'm keeping an eye out, but they can be hard to find!


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## Mr. Spade (Aug 17, 2016)

I flipping love the non airbag Nardi.

New to this thread. Hopefully this weekend my GF's 2002 Miata will be running. We switch cars for the last track session at Sebring and it blew on me.

Bought an engine and 5 speed to swap for the 6.


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## Power5 (Jun 19, 2001)

jpwalker90 said:


> I think my biggest gripe with the car is the steering wheel. It feels huge and too thin. I thought my Evo wheel was like holding onto a noodle. Has anyone had their wheel rewrapped in alcantara? I know there's several companies that wrap oem wheels. .


Miatas were designed to be driven by gay men and little women. So the wheel is thin and large diameter for their small hands and weak arms... :laugh:


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## ShockWaveVT (Apr 16, 2002)

jpwalker90 said:


> I think my biggest gripe with the car is the steering wheel. It feels huge and too thin. I thought my Evo wheel was like holding onto a noodle. Has anyone had their wheel rewrapped in alcantara? I know there's several companies that wrap oem wheels.


There's a thread on the miata.net forums about replacement steering wheels that are beefier than OEM but retain airbag & controls. Look for 'Guardian Wheel'



> What do you autox guys suggest for tires? A week ago I was pricing out 18" tires and wasn't looking forward to buying any because they're so expensive. The difference in price between 17" and 18" tires is a significant. Now I'm debating buying an entire new set of RPF1's to go along with a new set of rubber. I have 225/45/r17 BFG Rivals now. From my limited driving, they ride pretty smooth and aren't too loud. I plan on auto crossing with the occasional track day (1-3) a year.


Short answer: The best (fastest) autocross tire is Bridgestone Potenza RE71R. The fastest NC Miatas in STR run 255/40R17 on 17x9 wheels. 

Long answer: Read this thread: http://autocross.us/forums/index.php?/topic/6123-Hottest-Autocross-Tires-for-2016. RE71R's wear relatively quickly and aren't the best choice for the track so there may be a better option for your situation. 


Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

jpwalker90 said:


> What do you autox guys suggest for tires? A week ago I was pricing out 18" tires and wasn't looking forward to buying any because they're so expensive. The difference in price between 17" and 18" tires is a significant. Now I'm debating buying an entire new set of RPF1's to go along with a new set of rubber. I have 225/45/r17 BFG Rivals now. From my limited driving, they ride pretty smooth and aren't too loud. I plan on auto crossing with the occasional track day (1-3) a year.


On my NC I run 17x9 RPF1 wheels with 255-40-17 Bridgestone RE71R. It's pretty much the spec wheel/tire combo for STR.

I have an ugly set of 17x9 6ULR wheels with 225 Rival S (someone's cast-off tires) that I figure I'll burn off on a test & tune in the spring. Ideally I'll have two sets of wheels and tires to get through next season... mind you we autocross a LOT (37 days in 2016). Your mileage may vary.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Claff said:


> On my NC I run 17x9 RPF1 wheels with 255-40-17 Bridgestone RE71R.


Offset? Did you need to roll the fenders?


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

I love this thing









Today I noticed shifting is a little notchy when it's cold. Seems smooth once it warms up though.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

jpwalker90 said:


> I love this thingToday I noticed shifting is a little notchy when it's cold. Seems smooth once it warms up though.[/QUOTE]
> 
> I'd check the Miata specific forums to see if there are any recommendations for trans oil. I've seen big differences going from conventional to synthetic (in my case it was Amsoil), though since yours likely comes with some type of synthetic from the get-go it might only be an incremental difference to use the ideal gear oil anyway. It's certainly worth a post or search in the right places, anyway.
> 
> ...


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Power5 said:


> Miatas were designed to be driven by gay men and little women. So the wheel is thin and large diameter for their small hands and weak arms... :laugh:


I know you are being facetious, but my typical response is that my "girly" car didn't need power assisted steering


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Air and water do mix said:


> I'd check the Miata specific forums to see if there are any recommendations for trans oil. I've seen big differences going from conventional to synthetic (in my case it was Amsoil), though since yours likely comes with some type of synthetic from the get-go it might only be an incremental difference to use the ideal gear oil anyway. It's certainly worth a post or search in the right places, anyway.
> 
> Come to think of it, there are enough Miata people here that you might find out if there's something better than stock in this very thread. :thumbup:
> 
> ...


Dude, it was like 60 degrees yesterday, it was miserable! :laugh:.

And I agree I could probably get all the info I'd ever need on here rather than any Miata specific forum :beer:. For the most part it seemed super smooth once it was up to operating temp.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

strapontin said:


> Offset? Did you need to roll the fenders?


45mm, and yes the rear fenders are rolled


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

I love this little hoopty.


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

That's a cool pic ^

I ordered some eBay centercaps for my wheels. They're black with a gold enkei emblem. Hopefully they look better than the rpf1 centercaps.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Photo dump from the recent track events.

Sebring:


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Okay, stupid question: How worried should I be that my NA's hardtop gets stolen? Anyone have theirs taken? Or worried much about it? :beer:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Only question I have is why back the car onto the trailer? I don't have that kind of mad skillz.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Claff said:


> Only question I have is why back the car onto the trailer? I don't have that kind of mad skillz.


the uhaul trailer has a metal lip at the front. The front spoiler on my car was too low to pull all the way forward and strap it down, so i had to back on. No more uhaul trailers, getting a alum flatbed trailer.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

titleist1976 said:


> Okay, stupid question: How worried should I be that my NA's hardtop gets stolen? Anyone have theirs taken? Or worried much about it? :beer:


I have the same concerns too, given the fact it's worth over $1000.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

If anyone has advice for sourcing a good 1.8L NA or NB engine... I would be very grateful


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Ryukein said:


> If anyone has advice for sourcing a good 1.8L NA or NB engine... I would be very grateful


Already????


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

titleist1976 said:


> Already????


Yup...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I don't worry about the hardtop getting stolen, mostly because I live on a quiet dead-end street. Out and about, I make sure to lock the doors - anything that happens after that is out of my control.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

titleist1976 said:


> Okay, stupid question: How worried should I be that my NA's hardtop gets stolen? Anyone have theirs taken? Or worried much about it? :beer:


I run spec miata mounting plates with anti-theft bolts. You can't take the top off easily, though.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Claff said:


> I don't worry about the hardtop getting stolen, mostly because I live on a quiet dead-end street. Out and about, I make sure to lock the doors - anything that happens after that is out of my control.


I feel the same way. I live behind some gates, but some short bus driver decided to take out the control box to the gates, so one gate is left open until they fix it. :laugh:

I was just wondering if I was being paranoid after watching some video on FB and the comments that followed. I figure the fb page is a bit skewed and less representative of the current owner's demographic, if that makes sense.


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## Pennywise (Oct 18, 2003)

Brandontrek1 said:


> Photo dump from the recent track events.


This makes me wish I knew how to drive when I had my NC. Maybe when I jump to an FR for my track car, I'll explore it as an option. This one is particularly rad :beer:


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Brandon, you pretty much have my dream garage. All you're missing is a 991 gt3 .

Does the Colorado (or Canyon, I can't tell) tow the Miata pretty easily?


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

Since the Martini 911 is in two pics it almost looks like you color swapped to yellow at the track! :laugh:


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

jpwalker90 said:


> Brandon, you pretty much have my dream garage. All you're missing is a 991 gt3 .
> 
> Does the Colorado (or Canyon, I can't tell) tow the Miata pretty easily?


Funny thing is the next car we will be looking for is a 997.

The Canyonero tows extremely well. 20mpg while towing, no drama, plenty of brakes thanks to the exhaust brake.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I just took a picture of my Miata in full-on Winter mode; I want to show it to you.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

My Miata in winter mode is a bit boring. It's my car in a garage with a battery tender hooked up to it


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## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

Ryukein said:


> If anyone has advice for sourcing a good 1.8L NA or NB engine... I would be very grateful


I'm selling a 03 VVT motor with 76k on it if you're interested. I'm down in Indianapolis.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sledge said:


> My Miata in winter mode is a bit boring. It's my car in a garage with a battery tender hooked up to it


That's how mine is most of the time as well. But since I have a spare set of wheels with all-seasons on it, I can get it come exercise in the colder months. Also, I have that hard top that would get no other use.


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm lucky in the sense that my Miata is a year round car for me, no winter setup needed. I hate getting it dirty in the rain, but damnit it's so much fun to drive when the roads are wet :laugh:.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Finally got a full fleet picture. 










Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

titleist1976 said:


> Okay, stupid question: How worried should I be that my NA's hardtop gets stolen? Anyone have theirs taken? Or worried much about it? :beer:


You should only be as aware as you'd be if you had a really nice stereo. At some level, there's NOTHING you can do. However, you can discourage theft or slow the theft process down.

The best theft deterrent is to keep the car in a safe, secure, secluded garage.

But if I were regularly parking my car on the street overnight, unattended (which I'd never do), I'd use a car alarm and use a fixed mounting kit for the hardtop. Most HT thefts are smash and grabs with a pickup truck. The mounting kit is going to require a few minutes to remove.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Thanks. I don't fear it much and didn't think of it much until I saw a youtube video on smash and grabs. I swap the Mini and the Miata in and out of the garage fairly often and we live in an HOA with gates and cameras (oh the horror!  ).


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## cournot (Jul 10, 2015)

My mechanic is selling his personal 93 Miata. I have no use for an NA, but the thing is 2500 and has 90K miles, so I'm thinking about impulse buying it to just toy around with a car.

Things I should look out for besides rust?


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Temperature was down in the teens today. Drove it anyway.


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Miata folks: Urgent!

What are my options for carrying some cargo for a cross country move?

A small lightweight trailer, one of these?













cournot said:


> My mechanic is selling his personal 93 Miata. I have no use for an NA, but the thing is 2500 and has 90K miles, so I'm thinking about impulse buying it to just toy around with a car.
> 
> Things I should look out for besides rust?


Timing belt/WP and general maintenance. They're hardy cars.

Here's a pretty thorough guide http://wiki.miata.net/tiki-index.php?page=Checking+Out+a+Used+Miata


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

cournot said:


> My mechanic is selling his personal 93 Miata. I have no use for an NA, but the thing is 2500 and has 90K miles, so I'm thinking about impulse buying it to just toy around with a car.
> 
> Things I should look out for besides rust?


Jesus. I've been looking for 4 months now and I can't find any deals anywhere near that good. Apparently convertible sales aren't actually seasonal in the south. Anything worth going to look at is 4 grand+ with over 100k. Might be going to check out a 5 speed NC this week. One of the few reasonably priced cars I've seen.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Get the little HF trailer and a FM hidden hitch. I love this combo.




















*edit* Oh yeah, backing up sucks. The Overlanding/ Jeep people who make off-road trailers out of these add a huge 8' tongue to them. 
It's a good idea because you can add a bike rack to the back, and you have a little length so you can reverse properly without jack knifing.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

dwagner88 said:


> Jesus. I've been looking for 4 months now and I can't find any deals anywhere near that good. Apparently convertible sales aren't actually seasonal in the south. Anything worth going to look at is 4 grand+ with over 100k. Might be going to check out a 5 speed NC this week. One of the few reasonably priced cars I've seen.


If your interested I can sell you mine for 2800. Located in savannah. Lmk. Not looking to sell but anything is for sale all the time.
1990 mariner blue 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

This is going to be all the snow this car will ever see. Don't even like driving it after the snow when all the rocks are on the road.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Someone backed into me at work a few months ago, bumper is chipping paint like mad 

But she still runs like a god damn top. 500 mile round trip to ice race, slid it around a frozen lake beating WRXs and STis, and just keeps on kicking.

I love this thing. :heart:


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## yellowbird (Feb 4, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> This is going to be all the snow this car will ever see. Don't even like driving it after the snow when all the rocks are on the road.


is this paint or wrap?


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

yellowbird said:


> is this paint or wrap?


Looks like it's repainted in Spice Orange from the Mazdaspeed Protege. :thumbup:


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Someone backed into me at work a few months ago, bumper is chipping paint like mad
> 
> But she still runs like a god damn top. 500 mile round trip to ice race, slid it around a frozen lake beating WRXs and STis, and just keeps on kicking.
> 
> I love this thing. :heart:


^winning!


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Got my eBay centercaps on. I think I like the look without centercaps better. 

Anyone have suggestions for attaching a leather headliner to the hardtop? I got a leather headliner from CarbonMiata, but all it came with was Velcro. The Velcro adheres directly to the hardtop and then attaches to the soft underside of the leather headliner. That doesn't actually work, the Velcro pieces barely grab the headliner, and in the heat the adhesive isn't strong enough and just falls off the roof.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

jpwalker90 said:


> Got my eBay centercaps on. I think I like the look without centercaps better.
> 
> Anyone have suggestions for attaching a leather headliner to the hardtop? I got a leather headliner from CarbonMiata, but all it came with was Velcro. The Velcro adheres directly to the hardtop and then attaches to the soft underside of the leather headliner. That doesn't actually work, the Velcro pieces barely grab the headliner, and in the heat the adhesive isn't strong enough and just falls off the roof.


There is nothing worse than centre cap-less RPF1s.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

jpwalker90 said:


> Anyone have suggestions for attaching a leather headliner to the hardtop?


If it's a permanent install, scuff the roof and apply DAP Weldwood Landau Top glue to both the roof and headliner. Wait till it sets and press them together. It won't go anywhere. 

I understand this glue is now banned in CA... so it must be good. I have a gallon here and it's awesome. I use it with my ABS door panels for the NA:





























**edit: I like RPF-01's without the cap. I say lose 'em.


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## Turbo Benzina! (Feb 7, 2010)

https://www.blipshift.com

:thumbup:


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Just got our first 2 RF's in.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

JOHNS92JETTA said:


> Just got our first 2 RF's in.


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## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

Do want


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## roberttatefan (Mar 18, 2009)

corrado-correr said:


> i've got the sparco sprint 5. i'm 6'4" btw.


How do you have it mounted? Just bought an NA with Sparco Sprints on sliders and I'm near touching the hardtop without a helmet (6'3"). 

Do you clear your roll bar (if you have one)? What steering wheel are you using (I'm having a hard time getting my leg/knee under the center of the wheel to heel/toe).


Here's the new car:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

roberttatefan said:


> How do you have it mounted? Just bought an NA with Sparco Sprints on sliders and I'm near touching the hardtop without a helmet (6'3").
> 
> Do you clear your roll bar (if you have one)? What steering wheel are you using (I'm having a hard time getting my leg/knee under the center of the wheel to heel/toe).
> 
> ...


Congrats. Details?

Want to buy some ice tires?


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## roberttatefan (Mar 18, 2009)

88c900t said:


> Congrats. Details?
> 
> Want to buy some ice tires?


Maybe! What do you have?

It's a 1990 Miata that a local guy was racing in the STX class. The short nose crank went on it and he rebuilt the motor with the updated part, so the motor runs very well, has very few miles, and should be reliable. As far as modifications, it has a few sets of suspension, a bunch of parts towards a 1.8 swap (in boxes from when he was deciding to rebuild the 1.6 or switch to the 1.8), radiator, headers, exhaust, RPF-1s with BFG Rivals, Sparco seats, Nardi wheel etc. It's a competitive Auto-X car but I'm hoping to get a rollbar on it for some HPDEs/track days. 

Hoping to keep it cheap but need to do some modifications so I actually fit better in the thing.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

roberttatefan said:


> Maybe! What do you have?
> 
> It's a 1990 Miata that a local guy was racing in the STX class. The short nose crank went on it and he rebuilt the motor with the updated part, so the motor runs very well, has very few miles, and should be reliable. As far as modifications, it has a few sets of suspension, a bunch of parts towards a 1.8 swap (in boxes from when he was deciding to rebuild the 1.6 or switch to the 1.8), radiator, headers, exhaust, RPF-1s with BFG Rivals, Sparco seats, Nardi wheel etc. It's a competitive Auto-X car but I'm hoping to get a rollbar on it for some HPDEs/track days.
> 
> Hoping to keep it cheap but need to do some modifications so I actually fit better in the thing.


185-60-14 Pirellis. Excellent tread.


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)




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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

JOHNS92JETTA said:


>


The RF looks awesome, but I think I still prefer the roadster to it. I should swing by my local dealer to check it out in person though.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Anyone have experience with the Project-G G-String Bikini Top? http://www.projectgla.com/gstring_na.html










My NA doesn't have a soft-top, so I'm thinking of getting one of these for the spring and summer when I take the hard top off. I won't be able to just remove the hard top and put it back on whenever I want, so I'm also thinking of getting something like this for when it rains:










Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

Oh, also, I think I'm gonna get a set of Enkei Compes soon...


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

Kind of counter to the spirit of this thread, with all it's cheap-and-cheerful Miatas, but here's C&Ds numbers on the Flyin' Miata ND:

Text stolen from Miata.net:
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=632025

_Hot off the presses from Car and Driver. This is our 2016 with the LS376/525 engine.

0-30 1.5s 
0-60 3.5s
0-100 7.8s
0-150 18.7s

5-60 3.9s

Top gear, 30-50 7.3s
Top gear, 50-70 6.1s

11.7 at 123 mph in the quarter.

70-0 braking of 148’.

1.07 g skidpad

If you do a 30 mph top-gear roll-on beside a new Z06 Corvette, you’ll beat it to 70 mph by 7.2 seconds._


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Those Enkeis look sweet! ^ I need to get the CarbonMiata quilted floormats to go with my headliner. 

I finally go to drop the top and take it for a cruise up the coast with the Wife last weekend. I :heart: my car.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

I just did the shifter turret rebuild and the car was running awesome. I took it out this weekend and it felt like the car couldn't get into gear. A few quick first to second movements and it the shifter felt fine (getting into gear) again. But, the car felt sluggish and it wouldn't get moving. Once I gave it some gas (more than usual) the clutch felt like it popped out really quick and it took off. I know I'm rambling, but I'm not sure how to explain it any further. Does it sounds like the clutch slave and master cylinder went/going out? Or the system needs to be bled?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

titleist1976 said:


> Does it sounds like the clutch slave and master cylinder went/going out? Or the system needs to be bled?


Odds are that the slave cylinder is giving up the ghost. That's a pretty standard maintenance item on these cars.

Last time I had to do the job, I got a slave cylinder and master cylinder, as well as the 949Racing braided clutch hose. The replacement hose makes bleeding the clutch hydraulics a lot easier (no curly-cue in the line to complicate things), and once it's done I'm pretty sure I won't have to worry about replacing those items again for a long time, especially on a car that goes (optimistically) 2500 miles a year.



Ryukein said:


> I'm also thinking of getting something like this for when it rains:


I've had a couple of these interior covers and first thing to note is that they're not waterproof. Also, they don't fit nearly as well as the photo indicates. I absolutely would not trust it as a substitute for an actual soft top or a full car cover. Besides, it seems like they're not available for the foreseeable future. Seen on the Moss Motors site where this is sold with the same picture as you linked from Goodwin Racing:



> Stock Outage: Covers are currently unavailable as we work to re-establish a material source.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Thanks for the advice. I jumped back into it this afternoon while we had a break in the rain. If feels stuck in first. Then after I start to let off the clutch (just barely), the rpms drop and the car lurches forward. Same with reverse.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Claff said:


> I've had a couple of these interior covers and first thing to note is that they're not waterproof. Also, they don't fit nearly as well as the photo indicates. I absolutely would not trust it as a substitute for an actual soft top or a full car cover.


Damn, that's what I was afraid of.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

titleist1976 said:


> Thanks for the advice. I jumped back into it this afternoon while we had a break in the rain. If feels stuck in first. Then after I start to let off the clutch (just barely), the rpms drop and the car lurches forward. Same with reverse.


Try pumping the clutch pedal a few times to build pressure and see if it lets you shift out of first better than if you hadn't.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

This car is someting else. So simple to work on, other than everything being a little stuck after 24 years. I swapped out the master cylinder, primed it, and tried it. The thing works just like normal again. I need to get under the car to bleed the line, but I ran out of time. 

I wanted to get the front seat out to vacuum, but one of the bolts is frozen. There isn't a ton of space for a breaker bar. My little Makita impact wrench couldn't crack it. I gave up. :facepalm: I don't want that head to snap off.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

roberttatefan said:


> How do you have it mounted? Just bought an NA with Sparco Sprints on sliders and I'm near touching the hardtop without a helmet (6'3").
> 
> Do you clear your roll bar (if you have one)? What steering wheel are you using (I'm having a hard time getting my leg/knee under the center of the wheel to heel/toe).


my sparco sprint 5 is effectively bolted directly to the floor and over bumps i can feel just a bit of contact with the floor carpet. you can test this by removing all the mounting brackets and just loosely placing the seat on the floor. I was able to retain the oem miata slider which allows the drivers seat to slide forward to accommodate the co-driver who's something like 5' 11". 

some modifications were necessary. i have my sprint 5 mounted on the oem miata sliders using the bottom mount locations on the sparco seat. i dont think we even had to drill new holes into the oem sliders so that the holes lined up with the sparco. the biggest modification was removing the rear humps and smashing in the transmission tunnel a bit to get the seat to sit more towards the center of the car and away form the factory top shoulder belt mount. we got this idea from reading about how the Flyin miata Targa build thread and spending some time talking to tall spec miata racers. 

for the passenger side we dont need it to slide, so we just mounted the the sparco to some flatstock bent to meet up with the factory seat mounting locations. at the time we were trying to compete in STS and werent 100% sure that these modifications with legal for the class so I never fully documented what we did. but you can get a pretty good idea from the pictures in the Targa build thread linked above.


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

Sake Bomb said:


> The RF looks awesome, but I think I still prefer the roadster to it. I should swing by my local dealer to check it out in person though.


Yeah... the RF is an odd beast. With the top up it is absolutely gorgeous. With the top down, its just not as open an airy as the roadster.


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

I wish I could fit 8" wide wheels with low offset on my car. I'd buy those Enkeis


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

titleist1976 said:


> I wanted to get the front seat out to vacuum, but one of the bolts is frozen. There isn't a ton of space for a breaker bar. My little Makita impact wrench couldn't crack it. I gave up. :facepalm: I don't want that head to snap off.


Break Free is what you want. Put a tiny amount on the bolt (the stuff will "walk"), let it sit for a week and try again. Once it has sat for a week try it, but not too hard. If it resists try _tightening_ it. You're not actually wanting to tighten the bolt, just get it to move a tiny, tiny bit. Once it's done that if it doesn't come loose hit it with a bit more Break Freemand let it sit. It'll come out. :beer:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

roberttatefan said:


> How do you have it mounted? Just bought an NA with Sparco Sprints on sliders and I'm near touching the hardtop without a helmet (6'3").
> 
> Do you clear your roll bar (if you have one)? What steering wheel are you using (I'm having a hard time getting my leg/knee under the center of the wheel to heel/toe).


Your car looks real good! Sparco Sprints generally fit pretty low, but there are always things you can do to get lower if need be. First step is to remove the bottom cushion. Are you on sliders or a fixed bracket? If on sliders, get rid of them. That will gain you 3/4" or more. If that isn't enough, then you need to remove the rear floor humps and mount your fixed bracket to the floor with backing plates to spread the load (the seat humps did provide some added strength that is now gone). If that doesn't do it then cut the floor pan out and weld in a new drop pan.

I've found that seat angle and seat height play a major role in your leg positioning, and thus the available clearance between legs, steering wheel and transmission tunnel/ center console. You're going to have to play with it a bit. A smaller diameter and/or flat bottom steering wheel helps, as does spacing the steering wheel closer to you or using a wheel with more dish. Good luck!


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

https://utica.craigslist.org/cto/6018486527.html

This popped up near me... price is okay. $2200 for 168k miles. Only thing is I'd prefer a 94 for LSD and 1.8. 

Not worried about the spoiler, cheesy racing seats and subwoofer. Those can be easily removed. Also, I hope that racing stripe is a decal...

Should I run away?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Ryukein said:


> Anyone have experience with the Project-G G-String Bikini Top? http://www.projectgla.com/gstring_na.html
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm thinking of getting an na now that's setup for track work. My only concern is lack of a soft top which limits commuting or going out somewhere for a drive, in case it rains.

What's that second picture you posted? Where can I find one?


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## Ben010783 (May 27, 2006)

300_munkeys said:


> I'm thinking of getting an na now that's setup for track work. My only concern is lack of a soft top which limits commuting or going out somewhere for a drive, in case it rains.


Why don't you get a hardtop then? It increases rigidity and protects you from rain.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Ben010783 said:


> Why don't you get a hardtop then? It increases rigidity and protects you from rain.


Hahaha sorry I wasn't clear! The car will have a hard top. However, sometimes I will want to drive with the top off so I would want some sort of portable solution in case it rains. Not really worried about theft.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

300_munkeys said:


> Hahaha sorry I wasn't clear! The car will have a hard top. However, sometimes I will want to drive with the top off so I would want some sort of portable solution in case it rains. Not really worried about theft.


That's what the convertible top was designed to do. Every other "solution" is less effective, less portable, more arduous to install, etc.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Diamond Dave said:


> That's what the convertible top was designed to do. Every other "solution" is less effective, less portable, more arduous to install, etc.


Indeed. And I'm not looking for something to keep on while driving. Just while the car is parked.


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## jettglx (Sep 6, 2001)

Saw this 04 on my local CL. Rocker Panel rust, whats the deal with that. Run, hide, try to get it cheap, whats cheap?
Shinsen Version Silver, 75K w navy interior & top. Mechanically excellent; Tires low miles. Roll bars; AM-FM CD. All standard equipment. Rust on rocker panels, wheels need work. Major service at 64k (asking $4800)








https://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/6021147241.html


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

A Shinsen for 4800? Check it thoroughly, then buy it for 4200. Then get the rocker panel rust fixed. Not uncommon for NA/NB miata.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

After browsing CL and other classifieds it seems like good condition NA's go for around 4k~. I've seen rougher, high mileage ones for less but I don't know if I'd want to deal with that. 

Case in point:

looks to be clean NA, 100k miles, asking 4500
https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6019239951.html
vs. 

yellow, racing stripe, giant wing, subwoofer behind the awful "racing" seats
https://utica.craigslist.org/cto/6018486527.html


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## jettglx (Sep 6, 2001)

Fined said:


> A Shinsen for 4800? Check it thoroughly, then buy it for 4200. Then get the rocker panel rust fixed. Not uncommon for NA/NB miata.


Anything special about the Shinsen? Is it a 5 or 6spd? Limited Slip...thanks,


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Seems like a great deal for a low mile, 04 Miata. I paid over 4K for a 150K NA with shot rockers and no back window :laugh: (granted this was in June and with a hardtop). Perfect time to buy.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

What's the most surefire way to tell if a Miata has LSD? As I understand it, 94 and up had option of Torsen LSD, otherwise it was open. I know you can call Mazda, but that requires a VIN and possibility it's been changed in the meantime. 

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6019239951.html


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## zeewhiz (Feb 11, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> What's the most surefire way to tell if a Miata has LSD? As I understand it, 94 and up had option of Torsen LSD, otherwise it was open. I know you can call Mazda, but that requires a VIN and possibility it's been changed in the meantime.
> 
> https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6019239951.html



On the test drive, do a burnout, count the stripes.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Hey guys,

So while I see if my mechanic will sell is 91 track ready miata, I am considering some other options in the mean time. I have a track event in a few weeks and want a car so I don't go with my DD again. 

The car in question is a 97 M edition. 120k miles. Seems to be reasonably well taken care of. Bilstein R-spec suspension, water pump and belts done at 95k. Interior is decent from the pictures, soft top doesn't appear to have any holes. 

What's a reasonable price? Here is his description

"Has matching Nardi Torino deep corn 330 mm steering wheel (yes the horn works) with NRG quick release and momo hub, Borla exhaust, and Bilstein R - Package suspension. Has tow hooks front and rear, mud guards, and front lip. Seats have a few tears in them from normal use, I did the "foamectomy" surgery on them awhile back. Dash is also slightly cracked by the airbag. I have owned the car for 2 years and had a blast driving it. Most everything else on the car is stock. Old blaupunkt radio works, antenna still goes all the way up and down. Brakes work fine, all headlights and blinker lights are in working order. I use full synthetic 10w30 and change the oil every 5k or less. Paint is 8/10 with some minor damage to the rear left quarter from previous owner (I will include a matching paint code kit with clear coat, primer and 13C green). No rocker rust, or any rust at all under this car which really makes it worth more than most of the 20 year old miatas you will find. This car has been garage kept most of its life"

Asking $4k for it. 

I do prefer the 1.8, but I will need to buy and install a roll bar and make sure tires and brakes are up to snuff. I only have 4 weeks to do that so hopefully if it happens, I have enough time. 

https://frederick.craigslist.org/cto/6014953798.html


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## weirdajs (Sep 15, 2007)

1990 Miata- Super Low Miles

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/5973129873.html



> Great little Miata with an automatic transmission. Just under 59,000 on the odometer- that will rise as I am daily driving it right now to make sure there are no issues for the next owner. Interior is spotless. Top is perfect, tonneau looks new. Tires and brake pads are awesome. New battery and a fresh oil change.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

As clean shells get harder and harder to find, I can begin to see some value in rust-free, unmolested 1.6 automatic cars as the platform for a BP-Z3 VVT, K24, LFX or LSX swap. But I'm not sure I'd pay $4k for one. Even if you swap in a 5-speed and leave the 1.6 as-is I'm not sure I'd pay $3500, even if the condition is commensurate with the low miles and the mileage is verifiable.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> The car in question is a 97 M edition. 120k miles. Seems to be reasonably well taken care of. Bilstein R-spec suspension, water pump and belts done at 95k. Interior is decent from the pictures, soft top doesn't appear to have any holes.
> 
> Asking $4k for it.


I wouldn't consider that a screaming deal, but you could do a lot worse.


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## 7.62 (Jul 25, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> What's the most surefire way to tell if a Miata has LSD? As I understand it, 94 and up had option of Torsen LSD, otherwise it was open. I know you can call Mazda, but that requires a VIN and possibility it's been changed in the meantime.
> 
> https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6019239951.html


This one has Torsen. In 1994 power mirrors came with a package that also included LSD, and the car in the CL ad has power mirrors.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

7.62 said:


> This one has Torsen. In 1994 power mirrors came with a package that also included LSD, and the car in the CL ad has power mirrors.


Good to know. 

How can you tell they're power mirrors?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> I wouldn't consider that a screaming deal, but you could do a lot worse.


Thanks. I'm passing on the car. Apparently "no rust" means "several small spots of rust." 

However I may be joining the club soon. I'll keep you guys posted!


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks. I'm passing on the car. Apparently "no rust" means "several small spots of rust."
> 
> However I may be joining the club soon. I'll keep you guys posted!


Define several small spots of rust. Rust from rock chips doesn't _really_ count.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Elite_Deforce said:


> Define several small spots of rust. Rust from rock chips doesn't _really_ count.


Yeah they're not too bad, relatively speaking, but he also sent me a bunch of pics showing spots of rust on both sides of the car and around the door jambs. Also a large dent in the rear driver's quarter panel, clearly hidden from the original pictures. 

I think I could probably get it for well under $4k, but I'm going to pass for now. I finally drove my mechanic's car and had a blast - well set up, super smooth, track ready, extra set of wheels, OEM hard top, etc. For what I'm looking for I think it makes the most sense.

I'll update accordingly if it all works out.


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## weirdajs (Sep 15, 2007)

> 1994 mazda miata mx5 $4000
> It may not look like it but i have invested over $10k into this car.
> Just to give you an idea wheels (enkie rpf1) , coilovers (bc racing) and oem hardtop on the car is worth $3k alone.
> 
> ...


https://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/6014753328.html


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

fR3ZNO said:


> What's the most surefire way to tell if a Miata has LSD? As I understand it, 94 and up had option of Torsen LSD, otherwise it was open. I know you can call Mazda, but that requires a VIN and possibility it's been changed in the meantime.
> 
> https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6019239951.html


For my 2000... I dropped down to my knees and looked at the tail. Nice spiffy heat sinks = LSD


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

weirdajs said:


> https://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/6014753328.html





> and oem hardtop on the car is worth $3k alone.


Lol, no.


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## 7.62 (Jul 25, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> Good to know.
> 
> How can you tell they're power mirrors?


[email protected] pictures so it's an educated guess. Power mirrors have slightly beefier housings than manual mirrors, and these do look like power mirrors. 

Talk to the seller or ask for better/more pictures, including interior. If it has power mirrors and power steering then it has LSD. Other things that would indicate LSD on a stock '94 are leather steering wheel, alloys and headrest speakers but those could have been swapped in later. 

Power windows and cruise control come with a package that went on top of the one containing LSD, so if the car has these, it definitely has a Torsen as well, but manual windows and no cruise do not mean that there's no LSD.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

vortexblue said:


> Lol, no.


If he'd said that a running NA with a hardtop is basically worth $3k, I'd almost be willing to give him that. 

However...


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

ByronLLN said:


> If he'd said that a running NA with a hardtop is basically worth $3k, I'd almost be willing to give him that.
> 
> However...


I think he's saying coilovers, rpf1, + hardtop are worth 3k. Which is probably about right if you bought them all separately.

If you parted the car out you could get more than 4k.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

You're probably right, but it was worded poorly.

The internet says hardtops are about $1000.
I've owned about a dozen tops in the past 5 years, and I've never payed close to that.
I buy every one I can under $600 and sell them quickly for ~$800. The one currently on my white car was $100 and in a basement since 1990. Came with a stand and bag/ cover. It's from 1989. 
I've bought non-running cars with hardtops for $500. Sell the top, sell the car.
You just gotta be there with the $$$ and willing to drop everything to be there first. 

Hell, I recently sold a daily 93 LE with a hardtop, coilovers, 15x8's with new rubber, mint interior, etc for $4200. 

These things aren't made of gold, and are absolutely worth more in parts.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Finally joined the club! Some of you guys might recall I was looking for a weekend and HPDE car for fun. I was back and forth between an s2000 and nc miata. Almost bought the miata, ended up with the s because I got it for a good price. Then I ended up spending too much money cleaning up the s and wanted to go back to something cheaper, easier to drive, and better to learn on. I almost went NC again, but I realized getting a well sorted, set up car from the start would be the easiest way to get on track quickly and to have fun and learn. So here we go: 










91, big nose crank. was being set up for ssm but he wanted to focus on another project for now. Came with an extra set of wheels with r-compounds on them, racing seats, harnesses, half cage, suspension done, timing belt, water pump, hoses done, new clutch, etc. Only 69k original miles. Super clean. One crappy pic for now.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Also the car has a spec exhaust meaning straight pipe. I want to put a cat back in to make it a bit quieter and so I don't have to smell the exhaust as it will give me a headache on long drives especially if I have to sit in traffic for any period (driving to the track). 

Any recommendations? He has the oem exhaust to give me as well if I want it. Should I just put the oem cat back on? Buy an aftermarket cat? get a full exhaust?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

OEM won't hurt. Especially if it's free.

If you do go for an aftermarket catback, for the love of God get one with a resonated midpipe. Miatas sound like doo-doo without one. A popular one is the Flying Miata exhaust, but it can be pricey. I went with a cost-effective option from Yonaka Motorsports which was at the time under $250 shipped. It's still stainless, and it comes with a resonator. While still relatively new (IIRC they've been out 3-4 years) they've got a lot of happy users. Would recommend one :thumbup:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> OEM won't hurt. Especially if it's free.
> 
> If you do go for an aftermarket catback, for the love of God get one with a resonated midpipe. Miatas sound like doo-doo without one. A popular one is the Flying Miata exhaust, but it can be pricey. I went with a cost-effective option from Yonaka Motorsports which was at the time under $250 shipped. It's still stainless, and it comes with a resonator. While still relatively new (IIRC they've been out 3-4 years) they've got a lot of happy users. Would recommend one :thumbup:


Awesome, thanks! Yes, definitely want a resonated exhaust if I go that route. I'm not in a rush so I'll probably put the oem cat on for now, and wait for something to pop up on the forums at miata.net or something. Or buy something like that Yonaka.

The plus side is I don't need emissions testing due to the age of the car, but the loudness/smell gets to me after a while. I must be getting old


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

https://www.flyinmiata.com/na6-intake-header-cat-exhaust-package.html

Header, high-flow cat, and full exhaust in one credit card bite. If I were starting over with a stock car this is how I'd go. I have all these parts on my '90 but bought them piecemeal over the course of a few years.

(I'm assuming a '91 set up for SSM still has the stock exhaust manifold)


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Claff said:


> https://www.flyinmiata.com/na6-intake-header-cat-exhaust-package.html
> 
> Header, high-flow cat, and full exhaust in one credit card bite. If I were starting over with a stock car this is how I'd go. I have all these parts on my '90 but bought them piecemeal over the course of a few years.
> 
> (I'm assuming a '91 set up for SSM still has the stock exhaust manifold)


That has been tempting me since I bought mine in October...


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

vortexblue said:


> Hell, I recently sold a daily 93 LE with a hardtop, coilovers, 15x8's with new rubber, mint interior, etc for $4200.
> 
> These things aren't made of gold, and are absolutely worth more in parts.


If you find yourself looking to flip another in similar condition, feel free to shoot me a PM.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> https://www.flyinmiata.com/na6-intake-header-cat-exhaust-package.html
> 
> Header, high-flow cat, and full exhaust in one credit card bite. If I were starting over with a stock car this is how I'd go. I have all these parts on my '90 but bought them piecemeal over the course of a few years.
> 
> (I'm assuming a '91 set up for SSM still has the stock exhaust manifold)


Thanks. They claim double digit hp gains? That sounds optimistic considering that's like a 10% increase lol. 

I'm getting used to the sound now, and have some headphones and ear plugs I'll keep in the car for long drives (radio is gone) so I may not change anything yet. I'll have a better feeling for the car after my upcoming 5 hour drive. 

Surprisingly, the recaro pole position in the driver's seat is pretty comfortable. I haven't spent more than 30 min in it but overall it's actually not bad. I have some lingering back issues but they haven't been triggered by the seat as of yet.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks. They claim double digit hp gains? That sounds optimistic considering that's like a 10% increase lol.
> 
> Surprisingly, the recaro pole position in the driver's seat is pretty comfortable. I haven't spent more than 30 min in it but overall it's actually not bad. I have some lingering back issues but they haven't been triggered by the seat as of yet.


I was surprised how much the header woke up my '90 once it hits 4000 RPM. Big, big difference in that single mod.

The 90 has Kirkey aluminum seats, and surprisingly they're not uncomfortable. If I'm going to take a roadie in that car, I'll stuck a memory foam pad in the bottom of the seat for a little extra cushion, but other than that it's fine for hours at a time.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Yes, the header nets the biggest increase in an NA. Next would be the cat because it's much smaller. Doing just a catback probably will not net you all that much, but man does it sound much better (and how a proper roadster should sound).

Interestingly, I had a Racing Beat intake on my car for a short while, and I was actually able to touch 30-31 mpg on my commute on more than a few occasions. I put the stock airbox back on and it went right back to 27-28.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

i have miatad!

































'90 fully repainted, adjustable coils, engine fully serviced, pretty good interior, new softtop, borla, nb wheels ( i think? or 16"ers off something else... )

bad: 
unknown mileage (odometer says 32k, but obviously newer than the rest of the car). not worried about it, just a bummer
too damn low. already raised it, but still feel like i should raise more. the problem is actually the 16" wheels which rub
ac is dead
really hates starting in 30f weather. probably some vacuum leak or something
ricearoni body kit which is blended into the fenders. 


first impressions:
-I need to rewire my brain for corner speed. every single time, I brake to what seems like a reasonable speed, and turn bored as hell while looking at the speedometer thinking "i've gone faster through here in the tundra". The couple times i sacked up, i went drifting.... 
-fastest slow car ever. or slowest fast car ever. acceleration like a prius. 
-got a thumbs up from a mclaren driver. yes for real. maybe he had one before winning the lottery or something?
-i may be able to hurdle over it (lower than the tundra door handles)


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

vortexblue said:


> You're probably right, but it was worded poorly.
> 
> The internet says hardtops are about $1000.
> I've owned about a dozen tops in the past 5 years, and I've never payed close to that.
> ...


i do the same thing with sv650s. all absolutely true.


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## mellbergVWfan (Jan 31, 2008)

vortexblue said:


> You're probably right, but it was worded poorly.
> 
> The internet says hardtops are about $1000.
> I've owned about a dozen tops in the past 5 years, and I've never payed close to that.
> ...


Damn that's a good looker. Very solid price I'd say.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)




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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I thought Civics were supposed to be small cars?


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

*first wash of the season*

bought a DA polisher, did wash, clay, polish, wax


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Where do you guys find used aftermarket parts. Ie roll bars ect. Is miata.net the best source for those kind of items. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

KICKINGTI said:


> Where do you guys find used aftermarket parts. Ie roll bars ect. Is miata.net the best source for those kind of items.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


It's tough, partially because if a part costs a couple of hundred then shipping adds a large percentage. The only used part I bought was a midpipe, found through miata.net but the guy was local so I drove and picked it up.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

KICKINGTI said:


> Where do you guys find used aftermarket parts.


http://www.miataturbo.net

http://clubroadster.net/

http://www.ebay.com

https://www.yahoo.co.jp


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Should I buy this car? See anything concerning or anything I should look out for? How's the price?

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/6088098908.html


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

KICKINGTI said:


> Where do you guys find used aftermarket parts. Ie roll bars ect. Is miata.net the best source for those kind of items.



A lot of used parts (at least around here) are bought/sold on local Miata buy/sell Facebook Groups.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

This is sort of a arbitrary question but what are some regions in the US that have a good NA market? 

In Upstate NY, there's not many to choose from and people want astronomical prices for decent examples, even clapped out cars, people are still asking 3.5k. 

I've seen a better selection in places like Florida and have been contemplating going down for a vacation this summer and driving back with the car. Of course, a 1300 mile drive in a Miata is probably not the best idea in the world, but hey.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

fR3ZNO said:


> Of course, a 1300 mile drive in a Miata is probably not the best idea in the world, but hey.


Just bring earplugs.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> I've seen a better selection in places like Florida and have been contemplating going down for a vacation this summer and driving back with the car. Of course, a 1300 mile drive in a Miata is probably not the best idea in the world, but hey.



It's not horrible. I put ~1500 miles on my Miata 2-3 times a year going to/from/driving at Miata events on the East Coast. You are allowed to put the top up if you want to. 

I found my Miata in Myrtle Beach at a Miata get together. I drove my NC home, then a couple days later flew down, bought it, and drove it back again.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> It's not horrible. I put ~1500 miles on my Miata 2-3 times a year going to/from/driving at Miata events on the East Coast. You are allowed to put the top up if you want to.
> 
> I found my Miata in Myrtle Beach at a Miata get together. I drove my NC home, then a couple days later flew down, bought it, and drove it back again.


I didn't think the soft top would do much in terms of sound deadening. Lol. But as mentioned above earplugs work too.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Mr. Regular and the ND.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

^^^^oooh thank you. need to check this one out. 


this thread is kinda like crack (I guess?)... I can only ever get so far from it and wanting to go back and check it out again. even though I know it will make me want to spend money.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Techun said:


> Should I buy this car? See anything concerning or anything I should look out for? How's the price?
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/6088098908.html


Nothing jumps out and says STAY AWAY. I kinda think the front fenders/bumper/hood and the finish panel are different colors than the rest of the car but that might just be light and angles and photographic quirks. So I'd poke around the front inner structures looking for crash damage. However, for a relatively cheap car I wouldn't consider that an instant red flag.

Price seems in line with reality: not a steal but not outrageous either. If it's not showing signs of rust you could probably do a lot worse.


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## Green Panzer (Aug 12, 2000)

This guy stretched his Miata and then draped a '62 Comet body over it.










Not quite done, but getting there. Big ol' build thread:

http://cometcentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4528


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## Vanilla_Coke (Sep 15, 2002)

THEY finally have ND's hitting the lots with the new revised transmissions, but not Sports. Aint no way I'm paying for that pile of garbage infotainment system...


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## proximal (May 2, 2006)

Vanilla_Coke said:


> Aint no way I'm paying for that pile of garbage infotainment system...


The screen is good. You can get an OEM Navigation SD card off ebay for $140. Even if you don't use it to actually give you directions, it does the following:

1. Displays the next cross street, no matter what screen you have displayed.
2. Warns of upcoming red light cameras and speed cameras.
3. Displays the speed limit on the map screen.
4. On the highway, shows lane assignments for interchanges as well as distance to the next 3 exits and whether they have food/gas.


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

Green Panzer said:


> This guy stretched his Miata and then draped a '62 Comet body over it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Paging Chris_V


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Techun said:


> Should I buy this car? See anything concerning or anything I should look out for? How's the price?
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/6088098908.html


Wow, body looks cleaner than my 4 grand car. Looks fine, just make sure it's a long nose crankshaft 91, and being a 1.6 the Diffs are made of glass.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Techun said:


> Should I buy this car? See anything concerning or anything I should look out for? How's the price?
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/6088098908.html


It looks like it may have had at least a partial repaint at some point. The Mazda logo sticker on the front bumper is missing. Other than that, it looks like it's a solid deal.


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

My 12 yr old son played a April fools joke on me a few weeks ago....I got a good laugh out of it


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

How does everyone feel about 15x7 vs. 15x8 for an NA? I found a very nice set of RPF1s on Yokohama S-Drives, and they're 15x7s. I'm not planning on doing serious track stuff, just fun backroads and autocross.

15x8 definitely _looks_ better... And that's a kinda big deal for me.


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## CaleDeRoo (Jul 30, 2011)

Ryukein said:


> How does everyone feel about 15x7 vs. 15x8 for an NA? I found a very nice set of RPF1s on Yokohama S-Drives, and they're 15x7s. I'm not planning on doing serious track stuff, just fun backroads and autocross.
> 
> 15x8 definitely _looks_ better... And that's a kinda big deal for me.


Go for 15x8 then. The difference between the two will be greater when you're looking at your car than when you're driving it.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

The seller replied back that he had a pricing issue with Craigslist and it's now up for $3500. Sounds like he got a bunch of interest and upped it.


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## yamobethere (Apr 18, 2017)

Techun said:


> The seller replied back that he had a pricing issue with Craigslist and it's now up for $3500. Sounds like he got a bunch of interest and upped it.


Yea, I went and saw it earlier today. Very minor rust on the rear rocker panels breaking through black paint (hmm). I didn't hear or feel anything mechanically wrong with it, but I got a lot "I honestly couldn't tell you" responses when asking questions and the title isn't even in the dudes name. He is selling it for some "neighbors". 

I passed.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Ryukein said:


> How does everyone feel about 15x7 vs. 15x8 for an NA? I found a very nice set of RPF1s on Yokohama S-Drives, and they're 15x7s. I'm not planning on doing serious track stuff, just fun backroads and autocross.
> 
> 15x8 definitely _looks_ better... And that's a kinda big deal for me.





CaleDeRoo said:


> Go for 15x8 then. The difference between the two will be greater when you're looking at your car than when you're driving it.


It depend on how serious he is about autocross. 7.5" is the maximum allowed width for cars in STS. If it's just for funsies, then go with the 8" wheels, yeah.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> It depend on how serious he is about autocross. 7.5" is the maximum allowed width for cars in STS. If it's just for funsies, then go with the 8" wheels, yeah.


ooh, I didn't know about that requirement. I've never autocrossed before, I'm going to start going to events with coworkers this spring/summer.

Time to read up on all the regulations I guess


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Ryukein said:


> ooh, I didn't know about that requirement. I've never autocrossed before, I'm going to start going to events with coworkers this spring/summer.
> 
> Time to read up on all the regulations I guess


I'd say go 15x8 then. Don't be to concerned with the rules this early on. You'll be slow either way, and you'll have a blast.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> I'd say go 15x8 then. Don't be to concerned with the rules this early on. You'll be slow either way, and you'll have a blast.


x2. Don't worry about trying to be competitive, just go out and have a good time.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> I'd say go 15x8 then. Don't be to concerned with the rules this early on. You'll be slow either way, and you'll have a blast.





fR3ZNO said:


> x2. Don't worry about trying to be competitive, *just go out and have a good time.*


That's exactly what I want to do :thumbup: Thanks guys

I'm already ahead of a couple of my coworkers, they don't have eligible cars yet :laugh: An 80s Land Cruiser won't exactly work...


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Seems like $4kish would find me a nice example in my neck of the woods. I've been perusing Craigslist for them way too often since I got skinny enough to actually entertain the idea.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Sporin said:


> Seems like $4kish would find me a nice example in my neck of the woods. I've been perusing Craigslist for them way too often since I got skinny enough to actually entertain the idea.


4K is enough for a good 1.8/torsen Miata. Mine was $4300 but without the hardtop it's a $3300-3500 car. Some will have lots of rocker rust like mine, some wont if it hadn't seen much rain. That one looks like Montego Blue Mica, which is what mine is and I love that color, although there is some other bluish purple that is completely stunning.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Considering taking a look at this soon: https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/6102263318.html

"posi traction rear"  

Black '92 with BBS so based on my research, it's a c-package special edition? Would this be a long nose crank 1.6?

$4k seems like a decent asking price given the maintenance, mileage and "limited" edition.. but I think I'd be happier with a 1.8 Torsen


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> Considering taking a look at this soon: https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/6102263318.html
> 
> "posi traction rear"
> 
> ...


I can't recall is the short nose crank changed in mid-91 or mid-92? It's called a Black & Tan edition, unofficially, and is desirable, in the NA Miata world. The 1.6L is a little slower than the 1.8L, but they are both fun. The VSLD in the 1.6L cars never really did much, compared to the Torsen in the 1.8L cars. 
Either way, at this point, I'd pick an old NA on condition first. I drove a non-Torsen 1.8L for years, and I didn't really miss it. It can always be added.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i beg to differ, the VLSD does quite a lot, and is plenty for a daily driver. the torsen is probably better on a dry track, but the VLSD is certainly worth it over an open diff.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Bibs said:


> I can't recall is the short nose crank changed in mid-91 or mid-92? It's called a Black & Tan edition, unofficially, and is desirable, in the NA Miata world. The 1.6L is a little slower than the 1.8L, but they are both fun. The VSLD in the 1.6L cars never really did much, compared to the Torsen in the 1.8L cars.
> Either way, at this point, I'd pick an old NA on condition first. I drove a non-Torsen 1.8L for years, and I didn't really miss it. It can always be added.


Yeah, it would be my first Miata so I wouldn't have anything to compare to. I think I would be happy with either. 



cockerpunk said:


> i beg to differ, the VLSD does quite a lot, and is plenty for a daily driver. the torsen is probably better on a dry track, but the VLSD is certainly worth it over an open diff.


Based on what I've read, it seems like most people rag on the VLSD and that it "wears out" by 100k miles, etc. I'm not sure if that's just because no one changes the diff oil or what.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

fR3ZNO said:


> Based on what I've read, it seems like most people rag on the VLSD and that it "wears out" by 100k miles, etc. I'm not sure if that's just because no one changes the diff oil or what.


its because the VLSD only has like 15% lockup.

the viscus oil in the diff (which is different that the oil you change out) never wears out.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> its because the VLSD only has like 15% lockup.
> 
> the viscus oil in the diff (which is different that the oil you change out) never wears out.


Ah. I assumed it used the same oil. Interesting.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Short nose crank was fixed mid-91. The B&T '92 shouldn't be an issue.

VLSD's are a sealed unit, so the fluid that operates it is separate from the gear oil in the differential. If (or I should say, when) it fails, it's not because the PO didn't perform regular gear oil changes.

Another downside to the VLSD, along with all 1.6 diffs, is the 6" ring gear. Any sort of power adder or hard usage is likely to bust it. 1.8 cars have a stronger 7" ring gear. The 4.10 rear gear ratio for the 1.8 cars vs. the 4.30 for the 1.6 cars can be an up- or downside depending on who you ask. If you swap in a Torsen to a 1.6 car, you'll make the car feel slower. IIRC 4.30 Torsens are rare/non-existent.

I prefer the 1.8 Torsen cars myself (I owned a '94 C-package for 4 years) but it's much harder (and more expensive) to make a ratty example into a good one, so I'd prefer a clean 1.6 over a ratty 1.8.


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## zaYG (May 29, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Seems like $4kish would find me a nice example in my neck of the woods. I've been perusing Craigslist for them way too often since I got skinny enough to actually entertain the idea.


This might actually be my old car, but I don't believe the guy would have put so few miles on it since he bought it from me years ago so probably not. Still, same color/year/area.

I've got a bit of a conundrum. I've been dying to own another Miata but I can't justify the crazy prices on them now. That $4k Miata above is an anomaly in New England. Most clean ones seem to come in at about $6k+ now which I really can't justify. However, one of my best friends picked up a clean NA off a coworker last fall for $2.5k and threw a few hundred more into it replacing the suspension. He is getting sent to Shanghai for work for a long period of time and said he would consider offering the car to me for what he paid + what he has into it, which would be under $3k. This is a very clean, rustless car with 5 digit miles at a great price. The top is in good condition but shows its age so daily use may end up resulting in its replacement sooner than I prefer though.

I absolutely love my GTI and would love to hold onto it. I can't afford to have a second car along with this GTI though, nor do I really have anywhere to store this car. I could probably sell the GTI for a good amount as the market on them is strong where I am and my car is very clean. It would be nice to have that extra chunk of cash. However, the lack of practicality may be a pain. I spend 90% of my time commuting alone or driving with one other person in the car, and I don't often store too much in my car. However, I do a lot of hiking/camping and I want to get into backpacking so I'm not too sure if I will be able to really fit my gear in a Miata. Also, it certainly won't be a great winter car so I would probably want to pick up a cheap Subaru or something as a winter beater (could also serve as my hiking/backpacking car) but I'm not sure how I will be able to handle having two cars in the city. I suppose I could street park both for 3/4ths of the year and store the Miata somewhere during the winter but that just seems like a hassle.

Any suggestions? Has anyone used a Miata for carrying backpacking/camping gear? Should I just wait until I can better afford having a GTI daily/Miata toy and the options for storage?

Edit: note that the car is a Laguna Blue 1.8 base model. I kinda dig the base model for the manual steering, although no LSD kinda sucks.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm in a similar spot. Having a 3rd car in our driveway is a real pain during the winter. We have a single lane driveway and can't really park off to the side in the winter and spring because the lawn is too soft. Street parking is not an option at all.

So the Miata would take the garage in that case (end of the driveway) meaning my wife (who leaves the house early every morning) would be scraping and clearing her car every single day. When my in laws moved in this winter to take care of us (after my fubar'd surgery) it was a constant car-shuffle to get in and out the car each person needed at various points in the day.

A LOT of the driving I do in the 4runner is just me and my son, shuttling around to school, errands, sports, etc. He's 6' fall already (only 14 yo) and I'm not sure his lacrosse bag would even fit in the trunk—his D-long stick sure wouldn't. So, in theory, a 2 seater would work for the people, but not all the other stuff.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

Sporin said:


> I'm in a similar spot. Having a 3rd car in our driveway is a real pain during the winter. We have a single lane driveway and can't really park off to the side in the winter and spring because the lawn is too soft. Street parking is not an option at all.
> 
> So the Miata would take the garage in that case (end of the driveway) meaning my wife (who leaves the house early every morning) would be scraping and clearing her car every single day. When my in laws moved in this winter to take care of us (after my fubar'd surgery) it was a constant car-shuffle to get in and out the car each person needed at various points in the day.
> 
> A LOT of the driving I do in the 4runner is just me and my son, shuttling around to school, errands, sports, etc. He's 6' fall already (only 14 yo) and I'm not sure his lacrosse bag would even fit in the trunk—his D-long stick sure wouldn't. So, in theory, a 2 seater would work for the people, but not all the other stuff.


I hear this. I live in a building where my parking spots are tandem. It sucks balls.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Stevo12 said:


> Short nose crank was fixed mid-91. The B&T '92 shouldn't be an issue.
> 
> VLSD's are a sealed unit, so the fluid that operates it is separate from the gear oil in the differential. If (or I should say, when) it fails, it's not because the PO didn't perform regular gear oil changes.
> 
> ...


Good info! Thanks.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

also if you either break or really care about getting the torsen, its not hard nor expensive to swap in the 1.8 diff and half shafts into a 1.6. people make a kit.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> also if you either break or really care about getting the torsen, its not hard nor expensive to swap in the 1.8 diff and half shafts into a 1.6. people make a kit.


Yeah, I'd never pass up a clean car just because it didn't have LSD.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

sat in/drove a Miata for the first time yesterday.

test drove a pretty beat down 99 NB, but it was what i could find at a dealer.
first gear was way notchy and hard to get in gear.
clutch didnt grab till near the top of the throw.
wheel bearings going out... at least 1, maybe 4.
wipers blade edges were tearing off, making a HUGE racket.
all 3 pedal loose on the arms.
it did have a nice newer soft top though.:laugh:


i am a fatter, short dude but fitting the Miata was different from any other smaller car i have owned/driven/been in... 240z, integra, crx, metro/swift, mini cooper, civic cvcc, fiero, mr2... 

seat position was fine at 5ft6, but i have NO CLUE how people with longer legs drive this thing.
these things are friggen LOW to the ground, capt. obvious... haha... but dang you gotta duck a long ways with the top up.
spacing from the deadpedal to clutch is tight. even with my size ten's i almost couldnt get my dress shoes in there.

the biggest issue for me was proximity to the door panel.
my shoulder HAS to sit hard against the panel. my arm literally would not go anywhere near beside me unless i sat off-center just a smidge... and even then only getting my arm beside my waist, not getting my shoulder off that door panel. therefore this would require me to change my driving style/arm positioning.
for the most part i was OK if i instead put my left arm up over on top of the door most of the drive, which i assume many people have to do.

having crank windows in this car, for me, would be a huge bitch. hard to get to the crank much less turn it.

as for driving. it was actually fine. not the greatest test drive route from the sales guy. he was literally going to take me 2 miles down a straight road and back.:thumbdown:
up a hill, it did fine. i know its not a powerhouse, but for its size the power is good enough.

handling was decent even with a newly wet road, no familiarity with car or road, and unknown tire condition... as well as being generally beat. the car still handled well. inputs were pretty immediately turned into action.

there was one corner at an intersection knew where i was able to keep some speed and goosed the rear end, maybe 2 ft out for 5 ft... literally out and back inline. 
easily controllable, but i guess scared the sales person... since at the very next turn he warned me that it was a sharp corner (normal 90 degree street) with stuff to hit, so dont drift it.:facepalm:

car was way overpriced. nearly $8500 with 110k, and no options. plus needing IMO quite a bit of work.

so i would def have to drive others. but the biggest take away for me is that driving this car, and maybe all NB's or even all Miatas, is that it actually felt a little physically tiring.
not sure i would be happy commuting an NA/NB for even a 30 mile rt commute.

hrmp.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I just got back from Miatas at Myrtle Beach and I had a blast.










When I left, all this stuff:










Fit in the trunk:










And on the way home:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

dunhamjr said:


> so i would def have to drive others. but the biggest take away for me is that driving this car, and maybe all NB's or even all Miatas actually felt a little physically tiring.
> not sure i would be happy commuting an NA/NB for even a 30 mile rt commute.
> 
> hrmp.


I would definitely drive others. That car was overpriced for the work needed that you mentioned (there's probably more under the surface).

I wouldn't worry about commuting in an NA/NB for 30 miles RT. I did 100 miles RT for 3 out of the 4 years I owned my NA, and 2 of those years were with an STR-spec suspension (homebrew Bilstein coilovers). Yes, I eventually grew tired of it, but it took a while, and a 100 mile RT commute definitely makes you think about moving closer, no matter what you're driving.

I took mine on some longer trips as well - the longest was when I took it to Ocean City, MD (yes, for H2Oi) when my E28 wasn't ready for the road. Literally jumped in and drove down there and back for the weekend. The seats are not long-haul comfortable (they started hurting around the 4-hour mark) but the car itself was solid.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

dunhamjr said:


> so i would def have to drive others. but the biggest take away for me is that driving this car, and maybe all NB's or even all Miatas actually felt a little physically tiring.
> not sure i would be happy commuting an NA/NB for even a 30 mile rt commute.



Sounds like you get the idea. I'm far more partial to NA's because they were built before the bean counters were involved. However, that's basically the Miata experience; it's a lightweight, loud, analog input car. You feel and experience everything and that's part of the draw as well as the drawback. It isn't relaxing per se when you are out on a drive or looking for an eventful trip. However, if you just want to put it on cruise control and blend in, you'll be disappointed because, like a young child, it's always begging for the attention of inputs.


That said, I've been daily driving my Miata and taking some weekend trips in it recently and have been having a blast.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

seriously considering an all mazda line up in my garage. sell the mr2 rack rat, sell the 944 turbo cruiser, keep my junker NA for daily, ND for C street autocross, and a spec miata for road racing.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Doing my first ever autocross event this weekend in the Miata! Should be fun.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*



dunhamjr said:


> but the biggest take away for me is that driving this car, and maybe all NB's or even all Miatas, is that it actually felt a little physically tiring.
> not sure i would be happy commuting an NA/NB for even a 30 mile rt commute.


My son has been driving my GTI for the past 9 months which leaves me with my 91 NA. My round trip commute to work is 60 miles a day. 

Also included are: 3x a week driving my daughter to soccer practice (40 miles a practice round trip), 2x a week driving to Dayton, Cincinnati, Kentucky or Indiana for games, and various trips with my son.

I'll admit that my GTI seems serene in comparison when I hop into it.

I guess the point is if the car isn't for you, then it's just not. I love driving the Miata as much as I do, my wife loathes even riding in it.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> My son has been driving my GTI for the past 9 months which leaves me with my 91 NA. My round trip commute to work is 60 miles a day.
> 
> Also included are: 3x a week driving my daughter to soccer practice (40 miles a practice round trip), 2x a week driving to Dayton, Cincinnati, Kentucky or Indiana for games, and various trips with my son.
> 
> ...


yeah i get all that. and i am likely being a weeny about it. but i havent driven a stripped down daily in a long while. i have been driving mk5, mk6, saab 9-5, sienna... etc.
and even though i had a long(er) test drive, it was still only about 20 minutes. making my complete Miata driving/seat time at 20 minutes. haha. :laugh:
i did think it was pretty fun. but as i mentioned. it was a much more physical experience than anything i have driven recently.

with whats in my head right now... 
i think i definitely lean towards trying miata ownership. i had fun in the car, even if its something way different. i have had my current daily, the saab 9-5 wagon, for 5 yrs. time for a change. my commute isnt THAT long or horrible that driving it in a miata 3 days/wk should be unbearable. and if it DOES turn out i hate it (honestly not likely)... miatas hold their value well enough. i could either keep it as a strictly weekend car, or sell it without much loss.

we also have multiple cars. so if i am not feeling 'miata-y' one day... i can just drive something more boring.


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

Just wanted to chime in and say that I did finally get a Miata. I bought a 2006 GT with the tech and LSD packages for stupid cheap with a bad motor and had my mechanic swap in an engine from a 2012 with only 22k on it. I actually bought the car back in January, but it's only been running since March. I'm completely in love with it. It's such a joy to drive. I'm a pretty tall person (6'2" 185) and I am very comfortable in the car. Now I'm wanting to start auto crossing.


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Ryukein said:


> Doing my first ever autocross event this weekend in the Miata! Should be fun.


Sweet! Autocross is the natural home for a Miata :thumbup: Strap on a GoPro while you're at it.

If possible, try to get an instructor or a veteran to ride along with you; at the bare minimum, you should definitely try to ride along in someone else's Miata. Riding with someone who really knows how to drive is eye-opening 

You don't want to be this guy. I'm not sure if I've ever seen anyone, Miata or not, understeer this bad at autocross:



And speaking of autocross, that gives me an excuse to post pics of my Mariner Blue '91 










That's Marina, and below is San Jose. They used to hold events in the overflow parking lot of Great America. It was really wavy so they were able to create some cool "elevation"!












Of course I went with Art. He was running an NB at the time.



And here's the NA that he had later:


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> I love driving the Miata as much as I do, my wife loathes even riding in it.


This. :laugh: My kids love it. Not my wife. Not even one bit.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> I guess the point is if the car isn't for you, then it's just not. I love driving the Miata as much as I do, my wife loathes even riding in it.


haha yeah.

one thing i am fighting with is basically NB vs NC.
NB seems like it would be more miata. more raw from the experience i had, and what i have heard.
would an NC dull that too much. being just a better car, and more civilized, but not quite as good of a miata.

a friend of mine has offered up his NC for me to take a drive in, so i guess we will find out soon.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> ...my wife loathes even riding in it.





titleist1976 said:


> This. :laugh: My kids love it. Not my wife. Not even one bit.


How sad. My wife loves mine. She even drives it on her own some days.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

am i the only one that has 0 interest in top down? I don't even have the soft top installed, just the hardtop. 
if I want to be out in the weather, i have motos for that.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> seriously considering an all mazda line up in my garage. sell the mr2 rack rat, sell the 944 turbo cruiser, keep my junker NA for daily, ND for C street autocross, and a spec miata for road racing.


you need some kind of tow vehicle i think  or can an ND tow a spec?


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

mad8vskillz said:


> am i the only one that has 0 interest in top down? I don't even have the soft top installed, just the hardtop.
> if I want to be out in the weather, i have motos for that.


Not the only one but we are in the minority. The only time I like the top down is for autox because it's easier to get in and out frequently with a helmet. I prefer a small coupe (and probably will buy an old MR2 over a miata soon partially for that).


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

Oh yeah, and speaking of autocross, I went to SCCA Nationals at Crows Landing on Sunday.



There were a couple DP (heh) Miatas out there. Super cool look; like a big pancake, with no windshield and fender flares.



There are so many CS (C Street) ND Miatas out there. Interesting side note, the BRZ/FR-S got bumped to D Street this season.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Doedrums said:


> How sad. My wife loves mine. She even drives it on her own some days.


I'm okay with it. It's low, like my Mini, and she drives a Pilot. So driving over speed bumps is an inconvenience to me. If she does that in one of my cars and I'll be missing a front bumper or scraped frame rails. Plus, it just means I get to burn more gas in both of them.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

I ran a friend's NB in STR yesterday too at a local event and it was quite fun. He's got one of the flyin miata vmax sub-$1k coilover setups with 225 RS3s and a handful of other little mods on a 170k mile 2002 6MT+LSD car, about $5-6k invested total. I was within half a second of the fastest S2000, got 4th of 15 drivers in the class. It even rides nicely on the highway now - with the old stock shocks it was super harsh.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

titleist1976 said:


> This. :laugh: My kids love it. Not my wife. Not even one bit.


Haha, yeap. Though my daughter only puts up with it, my son really enjoys riding and driving it.



dunhamjr said:


> haha yeah.
> 
> one thing i am fighting with is basically NB vs NC.
> NB seems like it would be more miata. more raw from the experience i had, and what i have heard.
> ...


I had to have an NA. Drove an NB and NC but was always drawn to the NA. So I found the cleanest and best condition one in my area after many MANY months of pining and looking. Lucky for me my wife found it and I can blame her to this day.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

mad8vskillz said:


> you need some kind of tow vehicle i think  or can an ND tow a spec?


CX-9 w/ an aluminum trailer. Plenty of room/capacity for car, tools, tires, and gear.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> I had to have an NA. Drove an NB and NC but was always drawn to the NA. So I found the cleanest and best condition one in my area after many MANY months of pining and looking. Lucky for me my wife found it and I can blame her to this day.


i prefer the NB as i am not a huge fan of popup lights, plus here in the PNW every NA i see is beat to piss or hugely overpriced.


----------



## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

My pos









Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I am all in on the NC. Not quite ready to sell my '90 but the '08 gets the lion's share of the roadster miles these days.














































Meanwhile, the NA is starting to look like a future barn find


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

gah!
found essentially a perfect match to what i would be looking for in a miata, and now waiting on the owner to call me back...

Edit:
It's already sold. Didn't even have a chance.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

my NA is starting to piss me off a bit. all the aftermarket things rattle. the muffler hits something. the bumper rattles. the whole exhaust system sounds like one massive leak (bzzzzzt instead of growl) 
oh yeah and i think either the wheel bearing or cv joint needs to be done. wubwubwub on HARD right turns


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

mad8vskillz said:


> my NA is starting to piss me off a bit. all the aftermarket things rattle. the muffler hits something. the bumper rattles. the whole exhaust system sounds like one massive leak (bzzzzzt instead of growl)
> oh yeah and i think either the wheel bearing or cv joint needs to be done. wubwubwub on HARD right turns


So a 25 year old car needs a few things. So? Fix 'em! Also, don't blame the car if it's all aftermarket stuff giving problems.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

I'll take your Miata off your hands 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

it's been a while.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sake Bomb said:


> it's been a while.


Dammit I love that car. :thumbup:


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Zillon said:


> Dammit I love that car. :thumbup:


Thanks :beer:, me too!

I went on a nice long cruise with the top down last weekend with the wife. Last weekend it was in the mid 80's, this weekend it dropped down to the 50's and was raining .


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sake Bomb said:


> Thanks :beer:, me too!
> 
> I went on a nice long cruise with the top down last weekend with the wife. Last weekend it was in the mid 80's, this weekend it dropped down to the 50's and was raining .


If there's one car I'd ever think about replacing my R53 with, it's either a NC2 or an ND Miata.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sake Bomb said:


> Thanks :beer:, me too!
> 
> I went on a nice long cruise with the top down last weekend with the wife. Last weekend it was in the mid 80's, this weekend it dropped down to the 50's and was raining .


It sounds like you went to the Kentucky Derby. :laugh: Man, what miserable weather for it this year.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6099744735.html









:screwy::what::facepalm:

at least the original wheels are included...


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Air and water do mix said:


> It sounds like you went to the Kentucky Derby. :laugh: Man, what miserable weather for it this year.


It was very unusual for Southern California, that's for sure. It was actually snowing in San Diego county yesterday.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sake Bomb said:


> It was very unusual for Southern California, that's for sure. It was actually snowing in San Diego county yesterday.


_Daaaaamn_! We have had the Derby with a bit of snow before, so I'm familiar with that this time of year... I just don't expect that in SoCal, but you probably don't either!


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

fR3ZNO said:


> https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6099744735.html
> 
> :screwy::what::facepalm:
> 
> at least the original wheels are included...


And those "brand new tires" might actually fit properly on the stock rims*. :laugh:

*at least width wise. :banghead:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

mad8vskillz said:


> my NA is starting to piss me off a bit. all the aftermarket things rattle. the muffler hits something. the bumper rattles. the whole exhaust system sounds like one massive leak (bzzzzzt instead of growl)
> oh yeah and i think either the wheel bearing or cv joint needs to be done. wubwubwub on HARD right turns


Does your exhaust have a resonator in it, in addition to a muffler? If not, get one ASAP, it will help a lot with the sound. Unmuffled and non-resonated Miatas sound like azz. I had a nice aftermarket system in mine (Yonaka Motorsports) that sounded great and was still stainless, but inexpensive ($230 shipped)

The noise is definitely a wheel bearing issue. On the left side.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Air and water do mix said:


> And those "brand new tires" might actually fit properly on the stock rims*. :laugh:
> 
> *at least width wise. :banghead:


I understand people have different tastes, but if you're going to ruin (imo) a Miata at least go all the way and slam it too. Don't half ass it with wheels only.:laugh:


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

fR3ZNO said:


> I understand people have different tastes, but if you're going to ruin (imo) a Miata at least go all the way and slam it too. Don't half ass it with wheels only.:laugh:


Don't say that! It's easy to fix right now. If someone wrecks the suspension it's either costly or nearly impossible to fix, according to what they did.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Air and water do mix said:


> Don't say that! It's easy to fix right now. If someone wrecks the suspension it's either costly or nearly impossible to fix, according to what they did.


Good point. Swapping a set of wheels isn't a big deal.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Priced sky-high but this is pretty 

*33K-Mile 1993 Mazda Miata Limited Edition*
http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-mazda-mx-5-miata-5/


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I've had a soft spot for a 93LE for a long time. The want hasn't been big enough to actually buy one, and that'll probably remain the case. Besides, I'd want a nice one, and I'm not willing to pay for a nice one. And my track record with nice cars isn't good. When I get one, I just don't drive it.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I've had a soft spot for a 93LE for a long time. The want hasn't been big enough to actually buy one, and that'll probably remain the case. Besides, I'd want a nice one, and I'm not willing to pay for a nice one. And my track record with nice cars isn't good. *When I get one, I just don't drive it.*


Your MG must be the nicest car on the planet.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Your post piqued my curiosity. Here's the 2017 year-to-date mileage numbers of the fun stuff

08 Miata - 2,723 miles
05 MSM - 820
93 Miata - 371
90 Miata - 117
71 MGB - 272

Note that the MG is not the least-driven vehicle in the fleet!

PS - the 90 still has the little battery in it, and half the time I go to drive that car, the battery is dead.
PPS - the 93 needs clutch hydraulics. I can't recall if I've replaced any of that before but it's due now.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6121611506.html

Seriously considering taking a look at this on Sunday. Recent paint job and price seems reasonable. 

Anything to note or look for on '91 models?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

fR3ZNO said:


> https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/6121611506.html
> 
> Seriously considering taking a look at this on Sunday. Recent paint job and price seems reasonable.
> 
> Anything to note or look for on '91 models?


Tan top is unusual - those only came on up-option (C-package) cars with tan leather seating. It looks odd with black cloth seats, but then again I'm a hypocrite in the reverse sense, since I had a red C-package '94 (so, with tan leather seats) that I fit with a black top from an NB.

'91 is a split year for the infamous "short nose crank" issue - basically the key aligning the cam sprocket on the crankshaft doesn't have enough engagement, and thus wears over time, and the engine cannot keep in-time. Thankfully it's not an interference motor, but since replacing a crank is usually more expensive than a used engine, most owners who can't repair it using the 'Loctite method' will end up just replacing the engine.

There's a VIN split for the '91 cars - look on Miata.net for the actual number and check against the car you're looking at. 

I also didn't see a mileage listed. The usual maintenance rule applies (records of TB/WP, oil changes, etc.) as well as condition of clutch & hydraulics, brakes, top, etc. They're simple cars so there's not much to check on 'em that's outside of standard automotive fare.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Tan top is unusual - those only came on up-option (C-package) cars with tan leather seating. It looks odd with black cloth seats, but then again I'm a hypocrite in the reverse sense, since I had a red C-package '94 (so, with tan leather seats) that I fit with a black top from an NB.
> 
> '91 is a split year for the infamous "short nose crank" issue - basically the key aligning the cam sprocket on the crankshaft doesn't have enough engagement, and thus wears over time, and the engine cannot keep in-time. Thankfully it's not an interference motor, but since replacing a crank is usually more expensive than a used engine, most owners who can't repair it using the 'Loctite method' will end up just replacing the engine.
> 
> ...


IIRC, the majority of 91 cars were actually big nose crank. I think any build date after November '90 or so was big nose.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> Seriously considering taking a look at this on Sunday. Recent paint job and price seems reasonable.
> 
> Anything to note or look for on '91 models?


There is nothing remotely attractive about this car. Never buy a repainted car. There are too many nice Miatas out there. Who knows what the "simple repaint" is covering up. The factory single stage paint is very durable.

The tan top is ugly. It's normal for the original top to fail at this age, but they cheaped out and put the wrong/ugly color on. Tan tops only come with tan leather cars.

No mileage listed means it's got ~170K+ but they didn't want to scare you off. There is typically no VLSD on the pre-93 cars unless you have a special edition (BRG, LE, Sunburst). That price is definitely on the high side for a driver. Probably closer to a $2200 car unless there are meticulous maintenance records. At this age/mileage you'll need suspension, radiator, Timing Belt, muffler, etc. 

You are rapidly going to race against the Sun tax. Now that the sun comes out everyone and their brother things that having a cute, cheap convertible is a great idea. You'll need to be ready with cash for the right one. Be the first to call and show up waving bills.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*



Diamond Dave said:


> There is nothing remotely attractive about this car. Never buy a repainted car. There are too many nice Miatas out there. Who knows what the "simple repaint" is covering up. The factory single stage paint is very durable.
> 
> The tan top is ugly. It's normal for the original top to fail at this age, but they cheaped out and put the wrong/ugly color on. Tan tops only come with tan leather cars.
> 
> ...


Fair enough. I guess I'm just getting impatient. The seller said it has 140k miles in an email and repaint was supposedly done since paint on the bumper and hood was faded. 

Apparently it's an older couple who are looking to get rid of it since they don't drive it anymore.

The price looked good to me since most listings around here are around $4500 for "cleaner" examples (NA). Probably due in part to the sellers being aware of the sun tax you mentioned. Top goes down, price goes up. Haha.



Stevo12 said:


> Tan top is unusual - those only came on up-option (C-package) cars with tan leather seating. It looks odd with black cloth seats, but then again I'm a hypocrite in the reverse sense, since I had a red C-package '94 (so, with tan leather seats) that I fit with a black top from an NB.
> 
> '91 is a split year for the infamous "short nose crank" issue - basically the key aligning the cam sprocket on the crankshaft doesn't have enough engagement, and thus wears over time, and the engine cannot keep in-time. Thankfully it's not an interference motor, but since replacing a crank is usually more expensive than a used engine, most owners who can't repair it using the 'Loctite method' will end up just replacing the engine.
> 
> ...





300_munkeys said:


> IIRC, the majority of 91 cars were actually big nose crank. I think any build date after November '90 or so was big nose.


Thanks for the info. I'll have to brush up more on the crank issue. I've been expanding my search to include all years of NA. Originally I was only looking at '94 and LSD.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

You need a C Street Prepared Miata


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> I've been expanding my search to include all years of NA. Originally I was only looking at '94 and LSD.


Buy the cleanest car you can find. It's far easier to add an LSD to a car than avoid ones with out it. For what it's worth, the 1.6L is a great little engine.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Also, provided the rest of the car is in good shape, I wouldn't shy away from a short nose crank car, either. I know it's a big boogie man, but it's a bigger problem on the internet than in real life. Even long nose crank cars (including 1.8Ls) have had the keyway failure.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Diamond Dave said:


> Buy the cleanest car you can find. It's far easier to add an LSD to a car than avoid ones with out it. For what it's worth, the 1.6L is a great little engine.


Good point.



Smigelski said:


> Also, provided the rest of the car is in good shape, I wouldn't shy away from a short nose crank car, either. I know it's a big boogie man, but it's a bigger problem on the internet than in real life. Even long nose crank cars (including 1.8Ls) have had the keyway failure.


As with most things, they get blown out of proportion on the internet. If 1000 people don't have any problems, they likely won't post about it. But if even 10 people have one they'll be more likely to complain and make a big deal out of it.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Claff said:


> You need a C Street Prepared Miata


That was great. I think I'd spin on every try. :laugh:


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

titleist1976 said:


> That was great. I think I'd spin on every try. :laugh:


i have never been to a pro solo. but that course looked like it was WAY more long and sweepy than any autox i have done in the PNW. no c-box, dont think i saw a decreasing radius 180, and the slalom had huge spacing.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> You need a C Street Prepared Miata


there is a nationally competitive CSP miata for sale locally if anyone is interested


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

i think i'd get lost due to not having enough track boundaries... and yeah, while my car could maybe do it, i don't think i could


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

300_munkeys said:


> IIRC, the majority of 91 cars were actually big nose crank. I think any build date after November '90 or so was big nose.


Watch it.

(I'll wait to see who gets the reference. :wave


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Work perk.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

dunhamjr said:


> i have never been to a pro solo. but that course looked like it was WAY more long and sweepy than any autox i have done in the PNW. no c-box, dont think i saw a decreasing radius 180, and the slalom had huge spacing.


Apparently courses at this particular site are typically faster than the usual fare. I found it kinda boring off the start and then too busy heading towards the finish. The other guys driving this car were having all kinds of trouble trying to go to third gear through the first half so I decided not to try, and just sat on the limiter for days at a time.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

So it hasn't happened yet, but I've kept in contact with my favorite teacher from my middle school and he has always had a pretty nice Laguna Blue 94 Miata hardtop and I've always told him, let me know if you sell it, I'd love to take it off your hands. 

Well yesterday, I got that call. It has beige interior, 100k (that's honestly all I know about it, I haven't seen it in years) and he's willing to give it away way too cheap. 

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. 

(pic for reference only, not the car)









Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

That's great! When you get it, take him out for coffee and have him tell you every story about it you can get from him. I love cars with stories. Even if he doesn't have anything crazy, there's bound to be something interesting. 

What if he has _no_ good stories? You still get a great car and have a nice time. :thumbup:


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

someone help me out please. 
doing my first autox in a week. and trying to figure out where my miata classes for autox
'90 1.6 
regular diff
NC (or NB?) 16" wheels
coilovers
catback

signed up for STS but that doesn't seem right


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

mad8vskillz said:


> someone help me out please.
> doing my first autox in a week. and trying to figure out where my miata classes for autox
> '90 1.6
> regular diff
> ...


Probably NB wheels since the bolt pattern is different between NA/NB and NC.

STS is the right class for that car. Not really a competitive setup, but you'll have fun.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

that's kinda what I thought. oh well, i don't even know how to drive yet, so doesnt really matter. (yes i know how to drive other cars, and have tracked cars, but i'm still getting used to the miata and i've never autocrossed before so i'm expecting to get lost in the cones)


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

mad8vskillz said:


> that's kinda what I thought. oh well, i don't even know how to drive yet, so doesnt really matter. (yes i know how to drive other cars, and have tracked cars, but i'm still getting used to the miata and i've never autocrossed before so i'm expecting to get lost in the cones)


Just remember to do a few course walks beforehand and you'll be fine. Haha.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

fR3ZNO said:


> Just remember to do a few course walks beforehand and you'll be fine. Haha.


also talk to some of the more experienced drivers. everyone at the site is likely going to be very helpful as they know what its like to be new and lost.:laugh:


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

^^^ true for damn near every sport ever
except carting parents. they think their 8 year old is schumacher and will punch you if you feel otherwise


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## Metallitubby (Aug 20, 2001)

mad8vskillz said:


> they think their 8 year old is schumacher


A vegetable? 

















































Too soon?


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

you know the hardest part about eating a vegetable right?








the wheelchair


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## Metallitubby (Aug 20, 2001)

mad8vskillz said:


> you know the hardest part about eating a vegetable right?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




You should be ashamed of yourself. 












Wait. Nevermind.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Air and water do mix said:


> That's great! When you get it, take him out for coffee and have him tell you every story about it you can get from him. I love cars with stories. Even if he doesn't have anything crazy, there's bound to be something interesting.
> 
> What if he has _no_ good stories? You still get a great car and have a nice time.


Great idea! We usually talk about the world news and stuff, but I'm sure he's been on travels. Thanks! 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

spotted this morning, this color combo works it.


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## dtamra2 (May 26, 2017)

This is such a dope vehicle !!


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Alright y'all, I need some advice on a few things.

I'm in the process of ordering some new wheels and tires for my NA. I'm looking at a 15x8 wheel with a 25mm offset and 205/50R-15 tires. Do I have to worry about rubbing? I'm seeing mixed answers online. 

That brings me to my second thing... I think it's time for new shocks. I started looking around, and I'm pretty set on this: http://www.koni-na.com/en-US/NorthAmerica/Products/Cars/STREET-PERFORMANCE/STR-T-Kit/ (I'll be ordering from Tirerack as I get a discount through work)

Does anyone have any experience with those? I don't need anything super serious, I won't be doing anything more than casual autocross and spirited driving. And if I get those too, with that 1" drop I'll definitely have to worry about rubbing with the new wheels, I assume.

Also, the tires that I'm looking at are Yokohama S-Drives. I daily this thing, so it seems like a really good fit for my needs. The price doesn't hurt, too...


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

VTECeateR said:


> Great idea! We usually talk about the world news and stuff, but I'm sure he's been on travels. Thanks!


Of course that's self serving on my part. You have to relay those stories _here_. :laugh: :beer:

You could relay the unrelated stories here, too. 




patrikman said:


> spotted this morning, this color combo works it.


If it had the original bed it would match the truck! :laugh:


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## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

Air and water do mix said:


> Of course that's self serving on my part. You have to relay those stories _here_. :laugh: :beer:
> 
> You could relay the unrelated stories here, too.
> 
> ...


Ah snap I ever even noticed that.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Wife is now on board with getting a fun convertible for a 3rd car (it will live in our 1 car garage during winter). Budget of $5k or less. We'd prefer a manual because then we can teach the kid to drive stick (neither of our other cars are).

I want a Miata, she'd prefer something a bit bigger and faster, likes the idea of a Mustang. Problem I'm having is that Mustang verts in that price range are usually V6 autos, or in the rare case of a V8, it's got a bunch of tasteless mods. They look trashed.

Whereas a $5k Miata budget is pretty solid, can find a bunch of nice cars for that.

Both are easy to work on and we don't mind needing to do some things to it, another good project for the boy and I.

Pretty excited but I need to find a car before her usually-dominant penny-pinching brain kicks in.  Anyone seen anything good in the New England area lately?

A couple that caught my eye...

https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/6153557111.html

https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/6132052355.html

https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/6152158056.html

https://southcoast.craigslist.org/cto/6148345654.html


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Ryukein said:


> Alright y'all, I need some advice on a few things.
> 
> I'm in the process of ordering some new wheels and tires for my NA. I'm looking at a 15x8 wheel with a 25mm offset and 205/50R-15 tires. Do I have to worry about rubbing? I'm seeing mixed answers online.
> 
> ...


S-Drives will be good for a sporty daily. They're a bit old, but agreed, cannot go wrong for the price.

The +25 might be a slight issue with rubbing. IIRC you may need to roll the fenders. I ran 15x8 et36 6UL's without issue, but then again they were designed for Miatas. They filled out the wheel wells quite well.

I haven't heard the best things about STR.T shocks, so I can't really recommend them.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

patrikman said:


> Ah snap I ever even noticed that.


They're like a matched set, you'd just need to change the wheels on the truck. When you restore that rusty thing, that is. :laugh:

It'd make a killer tow rig if you raced the Miata. :thumbup:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Wife is still on board, but wants to wait until Fall or winter and try to find a really nice car at a great price (avoid that summer tax). I'm cool with that as it gives me more time to plan and research.

I think I'm settled on a late 1.8 NA. It's interesting how many "compare all gens" videos I've watched that really, really prefer the NA still. Seems like the best fit for a bigger guy like myself, huge aftermarket, "purest" experience, etc. Also some great deals to be had, even on really nice ones.

I joined the big Miata forum and I'm reading up!


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Wife is still on board, but wants to wait until Fall or winter and try to find a really nice car at a great price (avoid that summer tax). I'm cool with that as it gives me more time to plan and research.
> 
> I think I'm settled on a late 1.8 NA. It's interesting how many "compare all gens" videos I've watched that really, really prefer the NA still. Seems like the best fit for a bigger guy like myself, huge aftermarket, "purest" experience, etc. Also some great deals to be had, even on really nice ones.
> 
> I joined the big Miata forum and I'm reading up!


The summer vs. winter pricing is a double-edged sword. Yes you *might* get a cheaper price, but usually the examples that are left aren't always in the best condition and/or are the ones that couldn't sell during the summer. Everyone wants top dollar for their cars, so the better ones come out during the spring/summer months. Because the market is then saturated, competition pricing comes into play, and sale prices end up being lower as a result of so many good ones being on the market at the same time.

When I bought my NA, it was in June 2012, going into the height of the summer season. Bought my '94 w/ 97k on it for $5k, but it was turn-key (no deferred maintenance), zero rust (never driven in winter), and all-around a very good example. I prefer shopping in the spring because more people are putting their best foot forward in terms of selling a good car - so while you might pay a little more (how much, is debatable, given how cheap Miatas are anyway) I argue you get a lot more for your money because you're not making up for people's laziness (in terms of deferred maintenance) or incompetence (messy or botched repairs).

Have you driven all the different gens? I had a bit of nostalgia (uncle owned a '95 when I was a kid) and I fell for the 'classic-ness' of the NA, but f I were to do it again it would be an early ('99 or '00) NB. Similar/slightly less weight than a late 1.8L NA, but more power, better suspension geometry. But that's just me. I wouldn't kick out a well-sorted NA, or a later NB either. My advice? Drive some different years/gens and see for yourself what fits your personality best.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Yep, there are way more nice examples for sale in the summer.


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Finally got to drive the RF.


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

na6 or bust


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Good advice gang, thank you.

I've only ever driven an NA, and that was 20+ years ago. I've been way too fat ever since but now I'm not so I will try to get some seat time in a few cars this summer and just keep our eyes peeled for a great car at a fair price sometime between late fall and spring.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Stevo12 said:


> S-Drives will be good for a sporty daily. They're a bit old, but agreed, cannot go wrong for the price.
> 
> The +25 might be a slight issue with rubbing. IIRC you may need to roll the fenders. I ran 15x8 et36 6UL's without issue, but then again they were designed for Miatas. They filled out the wheel wells quite well.
> 
> I haven't heard the best things about STR.T shocks, so I can't really recommend them.


Thanks :thumbup:


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

JOHNS92JETTA said:


> Finally got to drive the RF.


looks awesome

wtf happened to that road tho


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## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

Dravenport said:


> looks awesome
> 
> wtf happened to that road tho


Haha, it's going to give me seizure.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

patrikman said:


> Haha, it's going to give me seizure.


someone fvcked up!


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Dravenport said:


> looks awesome
> 
> wtf happened to that road tho





patrikman said:


> Haha, it's going to give me seizure.


Its a road that is now dead ended. Its for paint testing.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

JOHNS92JETTA said:


> Its a road that is now dead ended. Its for paint testing.


...and photoshoots.


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Air and water do mix said:


> ...and photoshoots.


Yup. This is a very well known spot.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

JOHNS92JETTA said:


> Its a road that is now dead ended. *Its for paint testing.*


I was wondering about that, here's how we do it in Canadia, on a major highway!


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)

Dravenport said:


> I was wondering about that, here's how we do it in Canadia, on a major highway!


I know. That paint spot is in Newmarket Ontario.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Ryukein said:


> Thanks


I have a 1990 miata and when I bought it last year it needed new tires and suspension overhaul. on a budget and talking with the fuys at 5x racinf in Fl. I went with koni str.t and tein s springs. About 380 for everything all said and done. added some of their all around bump stops too. Felt much better over all. Much more neutral and composed while not jarring. Since then added a fm front sway. Even better response. Tires were nokian zline summers at 50 a piece 185/60-14. Budget. Would love some star specs later on some 15x7. Its been a joy. 










Added this and love the feel too.










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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

KICKINGTI said:


> I have a 1990 miata and when I bought it last year it needed new tires and suspension overhaul. on a budget and talking with the fuys at 5x racinf in Fl. I went with koni str.t and tein s springs. About 380 for everything all said and done. added some of their all around bump stops too. Felt much better over all. Much more neutral and composed while not jarring. Since then added a fm front sway. Even better response. Tires were nokian zline summers at 50 a piece 185/60-14. Budget. Would love some star specs later on some 15x7. Its been a joy.


Thanks for the input! 



KICKINGTI said:


> Added this and love the feel too.


I'd really like to add an NB Nardi wheel to mine.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Ryukein said:


> I'd really like to add an NB Nardi wheel to mine.


Dat perforated leather, doe. :heart:


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

JOHNS92JETTA said:


> I know. That paint spot is in Newmarket Ontario.


lol yep ive driven it many times!


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Here are some pictures of Miatas doing Miata things:


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Roketdriver said:


> Here are some pictures of Miatas doing Miata things:


I spy a bit of intercooler peeking out.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Roketdriver said:


> Here are some pictures of Miatas doing Miata things:


Wheeee!

Needs more tire smoke.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Overheard my son telling his buddy about our plan to get a Miata so he can learn how to drive stick shift next summer when he gets his permit. He's really excited about it.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

Finally took the time to go drive the ND last weekend. I knew it was going to be good, but I was not expecting to be so utterly blown-away and smitten with the car.

It is everything I want in a car: convertible, nimble, incredibly easy to drive anywhere, sufficient power (haterz gon hate), and great interior besides the location of the Mazda Connect knob. The one I drove had the Brembos and Recaros too. 

The price of admission is much too high for me, unfortunately, but it is a justification for a higher education if I ever seen one. The Mustang is much more practical and is a much better highway bomber, but I could spend all day in the Miata.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Overheard my son telling his buddy about our plan to get a Miata so he can learn how to drive stick shift next summer when he gets his permit. He's really excited about it.


There's no better catalyst, TBH. When I had my NA, my now-wife loaned her automatic Civic to a friend who was having car trouble. She drove my NA for 2 weeks, having driven it less than a half dozen times in the previous year. When we got the Civic back, it wasn't long before we were car shopping, and she ended up in a manual transmission Mazda3.

They are so easy to drive, right up there with Jeeps - which, coincidentally is what I first taught her on almost 13 years ago.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Overheard my son telling his buddy about our plan to get a Miata so he can learn how to drive stick shift next summer when he gets his permit. He's really excited about it.


Awesome. 

I've told my kids that when they turn 15 I'll help them build a car if they wish. My older one is currently leaning towards a Miata. 

I'm all


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## Metallitubby (Aug 20, 2001)

Air and water do mix said:


> My older one is currently leaning towards a Miata.


Be sure to include a stack of Penthouse, Swank, and High Society mags just to be sure.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Metallitubby said:


> Be sure to include a stack of Penthouse, Swank, and High Society mags just to be sure.


Errrmmmmmmmm, no. Thankfully she would be repelled by that.


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## Metallitubby (Aug 20, 2001)

Air and water do mix said:


> *she*


Well this changes things.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Metallitubby said:


> Well this changes things.


Don't I know it. :laugh:


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Elite_Deforce said:


> Finally took the time to go drive the ND last weekend. I knew it was going to be good, but I was not expecting to be so utterly blown-away and smitten with the car.
> 
> It is everything I want in a car: convertible, nimble, incredibly easy to drive anywhere, sufficient power (haterz gon hate), and great interior besides the location of the Mazda Connect knob. The one I drove had the Brembos and Recaros too.
> 
> The price of admission is much too high for me, unfortunately, but it is a justification for a higher education if I ever seen one. The Mustang is much more practical and is a much better highway bomber, but I could spend all day in the Miata.


I wish we got the Recaros in the USA. Or have they finally started offering them?


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Ryukein said:


> I'd really like to add an NB Nardi wheel to mine.


10/10 Highly recommend


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

It is now mine, but I need to swap off the DC sports/Mazdaspeed muffler... That drone giving me a headache after only 30min.










Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

troyguitar said:


> I wish we got the Recaros in the USA. Or have they finally started offering them?


I like them, but I'm not sure about the coin I have to spend to get them. I can do without the Brembos and the GS (Club) already comes with LSD and Bilsteins. I also don't like black wheels at all, so that's three demerits for me. 

How are the stock seats?


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Elite_Deforce said:


> I like them, but I'm not sure about the coin I have to spend to get them. I can do without the Brembos and the GS (Club) already comes with LSD and Bilsteins. I also don't like black wheels at all, so that's three demerits for me.
> 
> How are the stock seats?


Stock seats are fine but not amazing. I have not actually tried the Recaros since we don't get them here - I'm just assuming that they're much more supportive for a skinny guy like me.


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## MAGICGTI (Jul 3, 2003)

If they come out with an ND in British Racing Green in an LE, I'll figure out how to buy it. Soft top please. :heart:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

I NO LONGER need a Miata! 

Today I picked up this 1994 with 100k. It came with the original wheels but they will need new tires. It's not perfect but I'll see what I do to spiff it up. These cars are a ton of fun and I can already tell my wallet is going to hate me.









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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Nice car! I love the NA's. I love the feeling of walking outside and seeing my car and saying "damn that thing looks good" . I can't get enough of mine and can't wait for my upcoming leave from work so I can drive the hell out of it.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

VTECeateR said:


> I NO LONGER need a Miata!
> 
> Today I picked up this 1994 with 100k. It came with the original wheels but they will need new tires. It's not perfect but I'll see what I do to spiff it up. These cars are a ton of fun and I can already tell my wallet is going to hate me.


Nice! I love the Lagunas, and will always be partial to the '94 :beer:

Sidenote: your wallet can't hate you with a Miata, unless you decide to do something like an engine build or swap. Parts are so hilariously cheap for them, that it kinda makes every other sports car platform seem egregiously overpriced. I paid more for a whole set of brake rotors on my E36 than I did all 4 pads and rotors for my NA.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sake Bomb said:


>


:heart::heart:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Stevo12 said:


> Nice! I love the Lagunas, and will always be partial to the '94 :beer:
> 
> Sidenote: your wallet can't hate you with a Miata, unless you decide to do something like an engine build or swap. Parts are so hilariously cheap for them, that it kinda makes every other sports car platform seem egregiously overpriced. I paid more for a whole set of brake rotors on my E36 than I did all 4 pads and rotors for my NA.


Care to point me in the direction of a good MX5 online shop? it badly needs rotors and pads-and suspension-and probably other things


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

VTECeateR said:


> Care to point me in the direction of a good MX5 online shop? it badly needs rotors and pads-and suspension-and probably other things


Flyin' Miata is usually a good place to shop, or Good-Win racing. FM is based in Colorado, and Good-Win is in Los Angeles (or San Diego, can't remember) so they may be a tad more local to you in terms of shipping.

For brakes, figure out how you want to use the car (track/auto-x, cruiser, daily) and buy pads accordingly. Miatas are so easy on their brakes, that rotors don't make a huge difference, so I would just go with some from NAPA, which are usually about $20/pc. I used my car for autocross, so I ran a setup with more aggressive pads (one step up) on the rear to balance the brake bias a little bit. I did EBC reds (their ceramic performance pad) in the front, EBC yellows (their lighter duty race pad) in the rear.

Suspension, again - figure out your plans for them and buy accordingly. FM usually has good setups, and have a lot of information and experience on the subject. My first setup (E-Street) was using adjustible-dampening shocks (Tokico Illumina) that I bought through FM. Those are a pretty solid choice. They offer other options such as V-Maxx coilovers that are also a favorite in Miata circles. Other good suspension shops that specialize in Miatas are Fat Cat Motorsports and 949Racing, also based in California. Those are more hardcore choices if you're feeling like the starter choices aren't everything you were expecting.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Weeeeeeeeee!!!!


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

VTECeateR said:


> Care to point me in the direction of a good MX5 online shop? it badly needs rotors and pads-and suspension-and probably other things


Moss Miata is based out of socal. So don't be a dummy like me and order stuff expedited shipping. :facepalm:

That blue is pretty too! Congrats!


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Congrats VTECEater!

Hope it treats you well. That Laguna/tan combo is very rare. Cherish it :heart:

Here's a couple pics that made me happy; the top one was ice racing with my SO in the passenger seat. I took the bottom one last night after a drive with the her; she had surgery a couple weeks ago and was finally feeling good enough to sit in the car and go for a drive. It's little things like that which make life feel good.

Beautiful weather, fantastic sunset, a car that makes you feel good, and a person you love by your side.

Sometimes things suck. But other times, things are really awesome.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Stevo12 said:


> Flyin' Miata is usually a good place to shop, or Good-Win racing. FM is based in Colorado, and Good-Win is in Los Angeles (or San Diego, can't remember) so they may be a tad more local to you in terms of shipping.
> 
> For brakes, figure out how you want to use the car (track/auto-x, cruiser, daily) and buy pads accordingly. Miatas are so easy on their brakes, that rotors don't make a huge difference, so I would just go with some from NAPA, which are usually about $20/pc. I used my car for autocross, so I ran a setup with more aggressive pads (one step up) on the rear to balance the brake bias a little bit. I did EBC reds (their ceramic performance pad) in the front, EBC yellows (their lighter duty race pad) in the rear.
> 
> Suspension, again - figure out your plans for them and buy accordingly. FM usually has good setups, and have a lot of information and experience on the subject. My first setup (E-Street) was using adjustible-dampening shocks (Tokico Illumina) that I bought through FM. Those are a pretty solid choice. They offer other options such as V-Maxx coilovers that are also a favorite in Miata circles. Other good suspension shops that specialize in Miatas are Fat Cat Motorsports and 949Racing, also based in California. Those are more hardcore choices if you're feeling like the starter choices aren't everything you were expecting.


Thanks, this is super helpful! 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

titleist1976 said:


> Moss Miata is based out of socal. So don't be a dummy like me and order stuff expedited shipping. :facepalm:
> 
> That blue is pretty too! Congrats!


I appreciate your help! We'll see how clean I can get it. 

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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Congrats VTECEater!
> 
> Hope it treats you well. That Laguna/tan combo is very rare. Cherish it
> 
> ...


Awesome post! I also like your name. Seems appropriate for me too. 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

Sake Bomb said:


> Nice car! I love the NA's. I love the feeling of walking outside and seeing my car and saying "damn that thing looks good" . I can't get enough of mine and can't wait for my upcoming leave from work so I can drive the hell out of it.



best looking of this generation I've seen. Simply perfect.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> These cars are a ton of fun and I can already tell my wallet is going to hate me.


Congrats :thumbup:

BTW, are 7" sealed beam H4 LED headlights common with NA owners these day? And if so, if there a preferred one among NA owners? When I had my NA, the Hella unit that accepts standard H4 bulbs were common with NA owners.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

What do you guys think of this one? Too much? Local to me and the cousin of a friend. 
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/permalink/449063995447646

Same but more info... 1994 Mazda Miata 1.8

https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/6148597901.html
_
1994 Miata. 91k miles. 1.8 liter, 5 spd. Red, black cloth interior, black top. No stories. It's a 23 year old car. Been stored in the garage most of it's life. It's not a trailer queen. Some dings/scuffs but all very minor. Body paint is still in great shape and shiny. The rear bumper and mirrors shine if you wax them, but they've started to dull out. Interior is all complete but shows 91k miles worth of wear. No rips or tears or spots that are worn through. Aftermarket roll bar is the only add on. Otherwise completely stock. Back window is plastic and cracked in half (see picture). Being stored in the garage I haven't worried about it. The top is in great shape otherwise. The car was backed into between the driver door and left rear quarter so both were replaced a number of years ago. Good paint match, you'd be hard pressed to tell. Tires and brakes are good. Runs good. Needs O2 sensor. I broke it off in the pipe trying to change it. I have the sensor, just need someone to torch it out. I replaced the fuel pump in the tank, the fuel filter, egr valve, cam angle sensor gasket, throttle position sensor, plugs, wires and valve cover gasket. I painted the valve cover while I had it off. Car is registered and inspected in VT through August of this year. Please respond to the craigslist email with your name and phone number and I'll call you back. No trades, no crap to sell me, all of that. I'm pretty firm on the price but might move a little for the one that shows up with cash. Look at what some of the junk is going for and you'll see I'm being pretty fair.
do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers
post id: 6148597901

posted: 2017-05-26 10:12am

updated: 2017-05-26 10:15am_


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Sporin said:


> What do you guys think of this one? Too much? Local to me and the cousin of a friend.
> https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/permalink/449063995447646
> 
> Same but more info... 1994 Mazda Miata 1.8



I dig it. But I'm not a fan of the rear wing. Probably drilled into the trunk right?  Yikes  It's a 1994 model so no OBDII. The rear window is trashed so it's a good excuse to upgrade to a no-zip glass top.


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

I'm a recent Miata convert. Just traded my 2016 Golf R for this little beauty. Oh baby is it fun! Shifter is excellent and the pedals are perfect for heel-toe driving. I can't believe how fun this car is, it's just an absolute blast.











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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

mx5er said:


> I dig it. But I'm not a fan of the rear wing. Probably drilled into the trunk right?  Yikes  It's a 1994 model so no OBDII. The rear window is trashed so it's a good excuse to upgrade to a no-zip glass top.


Thanks. Yeah, I don't love the wing either but if the price and condition is otherwise right, it may be too good to pass up. Talked to the wife about tonight and we are definitely going to call and try to take a look at it at least.

Is there a cheap fix for the window if the top is otherwise ok?

Should I be concerned about any of that work he's done? I assume it's all good and not an indicator of something bad having gone on, right? Or am I being too optimistic?

Am I crazy to think that if I cleaned it up that it would hold it's value pretty well for a few years? Just in case it's not something that works out long term for us? I know I'm hedging a bit but this would be our first Miata so I'm just thinking.

I have a great indy exhaust place nearby to get the O2 sensor replaced. I'd change out all the fluids, etc. normal used car run-through stuff. I've done lots of car reconditioning so I figure something this small would be pretty easy to pull the seats and give everything a really good shampoo and clean up. I've done it with big SUV's so this should be an easy job, so tiny. Clay and wax the outside, fix the top, and ready to roll!


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Thanks. Yeah, I don't love the wing either but if the price and condition is otherwise right, it may be too good to pass up. Talked to the wife about tonight and we are definitely going to call and try to take a look at it at least.
> 
> Is there a cheap fix for the window if the top is otherwise ok?
> 
> Should I be concerned about any of that work he's done? I assume it's all good and not an indicator of something bad having gone on, right? Or am I being too optimistic?


The rear wing is a OEM genuine dealer accessory. So it's not like a Pep Boys universal ghetto garbage. It's probably drilled into the rear trunk so yeah, it sucks. But if the OEM lip spoiler uses the same holes, then DO THAT!!!  I doubt you can find new old stock rear lip though. But there are aftermarket reproductions out there. 

And if the top if in good condition, the you can just replace the rear window: http://www.mossmiata.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=73399

Probably still needs to be installed by a pro. But still cheaper than replacing the entire top.

The damage to the rear quarter worries me. So by all chance, check out the repair in person. Bondo? Or part of the rear quarter panel was cut out and replaced? I would check inside the door jam where it meets the rear quarter panel. 

Also, check the drain holes. IIRC, there are two flanking each jacking points along the bottom pinch weld. You know what I'm talking about with the jacking points right? If the drains are blocked, then rusts starts to form. So check for bubbles along the bottom black portion of the lower textured rocker area. 

And check the trunk where the battery is. The NA (and NB?) came with a special lead acid battery with rubber vent tubes that let the gases vent out. The rubber tubes (2) attaches to the batter to a grommet on the trunk floor. So make sure the car has the correct replacement battery with the vent tubes. Or it has a dry type like the Optima.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

VRado6 said:


> I'm a recent Miata convert. Just traded my 2016 Golf R for this little beauty. Oh baby is it fun! Shifter is excellent and the pedals are perfect for heel-toe driving. I can't believe how fun this car is, it's just an absolute blast.


Damn that's nice :thumbup: Do Canadian spec RF have the black roof panel???










For some reason, U.S. model don't. I think if I got a RF, I would just Plastidip it.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Thanks. Yeah, I don't love the wing either but if the price and condition is otherwise right, it may be too good to pass up.


I think this is a dead ringer for the OEM lip spoiler: http://www.mossmiata.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=73832

Looks like you'll have to drill a couple of holes for this one too. But even if the existing holes doesn't match up with the holes needed to be drilled for the lip spoiler, I'm pretty sure the lip will cover up the existing holes. And besides, there's at least 3 holes drilled into the trunk panel already. What's two more?  

And you'll have to take the lip spoiler to the body shop to be painted. So while you're there, have them fill in or block the holes for the wing before the installation for the new lip spoiler.


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

VRado6 said:


> I'm a recent Miata convert. Just traded my 2016 Golf R for this little beauty. Oh baby is it fun! Shifter is excellent and the pedals are perfect for heel-toe driving. I can't believe how fun this car is, it's just an absolute blast.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have a NB miata and I gotta ask... why did you get rid of the R?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks guys! I'm seeing it an evening this week. He says he is FIRM on the price now that he just dropped it to $3500. Seems fair IF the condition is right, really need to check the accident repairs and such. :thumbup:


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

mx5er said:


> Damn that's nice :thumbup: Do Canadian spec RF have the black roof panel???
> 
> For some reason, U.S. model don't. I think if I got a RF, I would just Plastidip it.


Thanks! Mine doesn't have the black roof panel. I think you just get that on the launch edition cars and with the grand sport package which mine doesn't have. I'll probably get my vinyl guy at work to black it out at some point since I like the look of it too.



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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

jspirate said:


> I have a NB miata and I gotta ask... why did you get rid of the R?


A couple reasons... it's a couple hundred cheaper month-to-month than my R and I was looking to cut my expenses down a little bit. Secondly, I have a bad case of car ADD so I usually end up wanting something new every couple years or so. I really liked my R, but this is fun in such a different way. Yea it's way slower but it's so much fun to row through a couple gears, throw it through a few corners and not be at "I'm getting arrested and my car is being crushed into a cube speed". It's just a really satisfying car to drive. Plus I've never had a convertible before so I figured this would be fun for the summer. Oh.. and my girlfriend has an R, so technically I'm not really missing out 





























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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

VRado6 said:


> A couple reasons... it's a couple hundred cheaper month-to-month than my R and I was looking to cut my expenses down a little bit. Secondly, I have a bad case of car ADD so I usually end up wanting something new every couple years or so. I really liked my R, but this is fun in such a different way. Yea it's way slower but it's so much fun to row through a couple gears, throw it through a few corners and not be at "I'm getting arrested and my car is being crushed into a cube speed". It's just a really satisfying car to drive. Plus I've never had a convertible before so I figured this would be fun for the summer. Oh.. and my girlfriend has an R, so technically I'm not really missing out
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Fair enough. My CC is K04'd and while its not AWD, the TQ is always right there. If I had my CC's TQ and my Miata's go-kartness-rearwheel-drive-perfect-balance-and-steering in one car, I'd probably have to sell it to stay out of trouble 

Good choice of color!


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Sporin, $3500 honestly sounds like a great price for a 94 (last year for a real oil pressure gauge) 90K mile miata. I paid $4300 for mine and that's with 150K miles and a significant amount of rocker rot- thats with a hardtop though. Does this one have the torsion?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

88c900t said:


> Sporin, $3500 honestly sounds like a great price for a 94 (last year for a real oil pressure gauge) 90K mile miata. I paid $4300 for mine and that's with 150K miles and a significant amount of rocker rot- thats with a hardtop though. Does this one have the torsion?


Not sure. What's the best way to check if it has the torsion?


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Sporin said:


> Not sure. What's the best way to check if it has the torsion?


I guess either research if whatever trim that is was equipped, or test the turning radius and listen for chirping.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Or put the car on a lift, or just the rear tires off the ground and with the transmission in neutral, turn one of the tires with your hands. If the wheel on the other side turns in the opposite direction, no limited slip. If it turns in the same direction, the yep.


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## tvrbob (Jul 31, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Not sure. What's the best way to check if it has the torsion?


Twist it?

I suspect you are both referring to a TORSEN, the TORque SENsing limited slip differential.

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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Not sure. What's the best way to check if it has the torsion?


Unless it's been swapped out, a manual NA with power mirrors (which this car has; the manual mirrors have a different exterior shape) will always have a Torsen from factory.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

tvrbob said:


> Twist it?
> 
> I suspect you are both referring to a TORSEN, the TORque SENsing limited slip differential.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


yeah. I suspect it was an autocorrect fail. Damn Russian hackers


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks guys!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I joined Miatanet and Clubroadster, so much to read! Seeing that 94 on Wed. evening.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> Unless it's been swapped out, a manual NA with power mirrors (which this car has; the manual mirrors have a different exterior shape) will always have a Torsen from factory.


You are right, the owner confirmed it. 

Test driving today at 4:00! It's supposed to be 75 and sunny all day. ☀


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Another easy way to check is to get the VIN and either call or online chat with Mazda. They can tell you all the options

Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> You are right, the owner confirmed it.
> 
> Test driving today at 4:00! It's supposed to be 75 and sunny all day. ☀


Gargh! We're hitting 90º and the humidity is through the roof. It'll get hotter later this week, too.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Air and water do mix said:


> Gargh! We're hitting 90º and the humidity is through the roof. It'll get hotter later this week, too.


That's what the last 2 days were like (after 2 weeks of rain and cold btw). The next few days are supposed to be amazing, 75, sunny, low humidity. Perfection.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

A family friend is having me look over his NC for the next few days. He's been having P0455 come up repeatedly. After some initial research, this is a common issue, as I'm sure some of you know. At the moment, will just throw a new gas cap at it and see what happens. In the meantime, that means I'll be driving it for a few days to see if the code comes back. 

Initial driving impressions are good. I obviously haven't driven it at the limit, but in stock form has good steering and shifter feel. Brakes feel a wee bit spongy, not sure if its pad compound or old fluid. Only thing for me is getting used to the ergonomics and seating position. I'm about 6' tall and I've never really driven a roadster before. 

I hope to drive a buddy's '95 soon so I can add an NA to the list.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> That's what the last 2 days were like (after 2 weeks of rain and cold btw). The next few days are supposed to be amazing, 75, sunny, low humidity. Perfection.


Well that's just perfect roadster weather, isn't it?  :beer:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> 1994 Miata. 91k miles


I know you're coked up on this car and going to see it tonight, but thought I'd mention a few things.

It's due for a timing belt/waterpump service because of age. If the TB breaks, it's not an issue, but currently, it's outside of spec.
That radiator also looks like it's at end of life with how brown it is on top. They get REAL brittle at that age.
Paintwork - there really are so many cars available that I always recommend against painted/damaged cars.
At this age, the shocks are most likely toast. There aren't great replacement options until you get into buying coilovers.
The broken rear window can be removed and a new one installed, but you'll need to remove the entire top (not difficult). I'd recommend that sooner than later so you can inspect the rain rail underneath.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

New shoes are on...










New suspension is going on very soon.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

DD thank you, that is all great advice. I will be doing all that maintenance over time because I bought it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Perfect ones just don't exist around here, this is not roadster country. 

But the condition was better than I expected by a long shot. It's really in excellent shape other than that back window. Seats and top are perfect. AC, heat, CD player, headlight motors. Everything works. 

The repair was done extreme well. And it drove beautifully. Not a spot of rust, near new tires. For $3500 and it's local to me (i.e. I'm not driving to NY or Mass for one) it's the perfect first Miata for us.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm thrilled. My wife is thrilled. My son is positively over the moon and he's never had any interest in cars before.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

so i bought another one. 

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=MWl0RDN2NHVrZXptUzhISUIzcENOcHJLQXRfeUdn


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Since this thread keeps being updated, I need to share my 1st week impressions. 

I LOVE THIS CAR! 

It never fails to put a smile on your face. It's not a practical only car because the trunk is just so small but my goodness, it's such a joy to drive! 

Mine needs some normal repairs and new parts but it's still a blast to wind out that 1.8 liter (even more now with a MagnaFlow cat back ) 

I had a Robbins tan vinyl top installed today and now I'm sad because he told me to keep the top up for 4 weeks! Really? FOUR? 

Anyways, this car is a blast and I can't wait to drive it again. 










Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Man I want a nice-driving miata for <3k


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

VTECeateR said:


> Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


I love that blue with the tan top. :thumbup: What blue is that? Not the same as the blue I see on the NA's.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> DD thank you, that is all great advice. I will be doing all that maintenance over time because I bought it.


Hooray! I had to pop in and congratulate you here, too. 



VTECeateR said:


> I had a Robbins tan vinyl top installed today and now I'm sad because he told me to keep the top up for 4 weeks! Really? FOUR?


Four weeks? If it were mine and he told me that I'd have been pretty peeved that he didn't tell me that going in. Since it's the heat of the summer can you shorten the time because of that extreme heat?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Yeah, it's got to be a 'stretch into place/shape" thing, right?


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

I think I need a Miata


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Techun said:


> Man I want a nice-driving miata for <3k


First sub-$3K option I found locally looks like a decent car, at least worth a look. You should have similar luck in your local area.
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/6176174780.html



Sporin said:


> I love that blue with the tan top. :thumbup: What blue is that? Not the same as the blue I see on the NA's.


Looks like Laguna Blue, a fairly rare color from '94-'95.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

I got a little carried away a couple of weekends ago and had coolant spray all over the firewall and exhaust manifold. Oil pressure and temp stayed normal, oil isn't contaminated and it runs good so I'm certain I didn't blow a head gasket. I looked for a broken radiator hose but I couldn't find one, is there a hose under the exhaust manifold? Haven't really looked at it closely since then.

Where would be the best place to look for a back window, and should I have a dealer install it? I also think it could use a major refresh of the suspension (154K miles)-where do i start?



Techun said:


> Man I want a nice-driving miata for <3k


It's possible, but it will either be an early NA or have high miles at that price point. Anything that is a truly good deal tends to be gone within 24 hours.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Perfect ones just don't exist around here, this is not roadster country.
> 
> But the condition was better than I expected by a long shot. It's really in excellent shape other than that back window. Seats and top are perfect. AC, heat, CD player, headlight motors. Everything works.
> 
> The repair was done extreme well. And it drove beautifully. Not a spot of rust, near new tires. For $3500 and it's local to me (i.e. I'm not driving to NY or Mass for one) it's the perfect first Miata for us.


Congrats on the car! That sounds like it was a good buy. Looks just like my old '94, minus the leather seats and spoiler.



nyexx said:


> I think I need a Miata


Yes, yes you do.



88c900t said:


> I got a little carried away a couple of weekends ago and had coolant spray all over the firewall and exhaust manifold. Oil pressure and temp stayed normal, oil isn't contaminated and it runs good so I'm certain I didn't blow a head gasket. I looked for a broken radiator hose but I couldn't find one, is there a hose under the exhaust manifold? Haven't really looked at it closely since then.
> 
> Where would be the best place to look for a back window, and should I have a dealer install it? I also think it could use a major refresh of the suspension (154K miles)-where do i start?


There are a couple heater hoses by the firewall, one of them might have sprung a leak. At the same time, they might have sprung a leak because your cam angle sensor (CAS) o-ring might have sprung a leak, and that weakens the hoses located right below it. I'd do both, since the o-ring is cheap and easy to do, and removing the valve cover improves access to the heater hoses.

For a back window, find a marine shop or upholstery shop to sew a new one in. Dealer won't have the equipment to repair the top.

For suspension, a good set of shocks and bumpstops are a good purchase, and don't be afraid to spend a little money - it's worth it. A good set of shocks will be $5-600, and bumpstops another $100.



88c900t said:


> It's possible, but it will either be an early NA or have high miles at that price point. Anything that is a truly good deal tends to be gone within 24 hours.


Well-maintained Miatas won't get scary until well over 200k, so something in the 150k range will still have more than enough life left, and if it was a driver, a lot of the immediate wear parts will already been replaced.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Low miles, but I still think the asking price is laughable. $10,250. Why the extra $250 not just start at $10,000? :screwy:

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/6146765871.html





















For 6k less, still get a fairly clean NA that I wouldn't feel bad driving... 

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/6142190673.html










But alas... a '93 so no Torsen.


I like red and would love a hardtop though... 

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/6137007138.html


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Sporin said:


> DD thank you, that is all great advice. I will be doing all that maintenance over time because I bought it.


I didn't notice anyone mention it, but that appears to be a "style bar" rather than a real roll bar. It looks like it's just a hoop without any diagonal bracing. 

Style bars have a reputation for being more like mousetraps in a rollover, though I'm not sure how realistic that really is.

EDIT: After looking at the Hard Dog site, they do actually offer the Hard Bar without any bracing. If that's case, no need to worry. There are Chinese copies on eBay though, too, which I wouldn't trust.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

2.5 years after selling my NB, I'm (temporarily) back in a Miata!

My buddy is a mechanic and I left my Viper with him to get some work done. He lent me his beat-up NA Miata (not sure what year, I think it's early 90s with a 1.8L swapped in) as a loaner. The car is far from pristine, the seats look like they've been attacked by a pitbull, the interior door handles are missing, the paint is faded and peeling, but overall it's in decent shape mechanically. I've been driving it for the past 2 weeks (he's been waiting on parts for the Viper and ran into some logistical issues with a supplier) and I'm shocked at how much I LOVE this car! It's noticeably slower than my old NB, but it's so much fun to wind the engine out in every gear. The body rolls around a decent amount but it still handles great. The transmission seems a little worn, the gates are vague and you can't rush the 2-3 shift or else you'll miss 3rd. The car also has an issue where the rpms occasionally drop really low at idle and the car feels like it's about to stall (it never does). I'm shocked at how good the gas mileage is as well, it seems significantly better than the mileage in my NB

I've fallen in love with the car to the point where I'm thinking about buying it from my friend, assuming I have a place to park it (I only have 1 parking space right now but I'm moving in a couple months and could probably get another space). He said he only wants ~$1,500 for it. I figure I'll give him the $1,500 and spend maybe $1,000 more fixing it up and just plastidip the body and use it as a beater to keep wear and tear off the Viper. What do you guys think? Are the issues I mentioned (sloppy shifter, possibly worn suspension, idling issue) relatively straightforward/easy to fix?


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

DucSam said:


> I didn't notice anyone mention it, but that appears to be a "style bar" rather than a real roll bar. It looks like it's just a hoop without any diagonal bracing.
> 
> Style bars have a reputation for being more like mousetraps in a rollover, though I'm not sure how realistic that really is.
> 
> EDIT: After looking at the Hard Dog site, they do actually offer the Hard Bar without any bracing. If that's case, no need to worry. There are Chinese copies on eBay though, too, which I wouldn't trust.


FWIW, it was mentioned in Sporin's main thread: 



mrothwell said:


> Nice car!
> 
> I'd pull that roll bar though if I were you, since you presumably will not be driving with a helmet on at all times. Steel tube+un-helmeted head+rear end collision=crushed skull.


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## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

Not sure if I put this up yet, but there have been so many Miata posts in the last week that I couldn't resist. I've found my way into my 2nd Miata about a month ago, and I love it even more than my first! 1995, base, all stock, 74k miles. This summer is going to be wicked.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

For those wanting something special, my 92 SBY w/HT and 36K for miles will be listed on BaT next week...


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## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

*SBY awesomeness*


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

kaz02a4 said:


> Not sure if I put this up yet, but there have been so many Miata posts in the last week that I couldn't resist. I've found my way into my 2nd Miata about a month ago, and I love it even more than my first! 1995, base, all stock, 74k miles. This summer is going to be wicked.


Nice! Congratulations on the new ride... just in time for summer. :thumbup:



Phil Pugliese said:


> For those wanting something special, my 92 SBY w/HT and 36K for miles will be listed on BaT next week...


I should probably stop clicking on this thread. :laugh:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

thetopdog said:


> 2.5 years after selling my NB, I'm (temporarily) back in a Miata!
> 
> My buddy is a mechanic and I left my Viper with him to get some work done. He lent me his beat-up NA Miata (not sure what year, I think it's early 90s with a 1.8L swapped in) as a loaner. The car is far from pristine, the seats look like they've been attacked by a pitbull, the interior door handles are missing, the paint is faded and peeling, but overall it's in decent shape mechanically. I've been driving it for the past 2 weeks (he's been waiting on parts for the Viper and ran into some logistical issues with a supplier) and I'm shocked at how much I LOVE this car! It's noticeably slower than my old NB, but it's so much fun to wind the engine out in every gear. The body rolls around a decent amount but it still handles great. The transmission seems a little worn, the gates are vague and you can't rush the 2-3 shift or else you'll miss 3rd. The car also has an issue where the rpms occasionally drop really low at idle and the car feels like it's about to stall (it never does). I'm shocked at how good the gas mileage is as well, it seems significantly better than the mileage in my NB
> 
> I've fallen in love with the car to the point where I'm thinking about buying it from my friend, assuming I have a place to park it (I only have 1 parking space right now but I'm moving in a couple months and could probably get another space). He said he only wants ~$1,500 for it. I figure I'll give him the $1,500 and spend maybe $1,000 more fixing it up and just plastidip the body and use it as a beater to keep wear and tear off the Viper. What do you guys think? Are the issues I mentioned (sloppy shifter, possibly worn suspension, idling issue) relatively straightforward/easy to fix?


Yes, that is a great deal for a beater Miata.

Sloppy shifter is $100 in parts for a shifter rebuild.

Drooping idle can be fixed by either resetting the idle ECU (putting the car in diagnostics mode with a paper clip and turning the idle screw), cleaning the idle air control valve or getting a new IACV. New IACV is around $200 I think? One of the most expensive parts for the car :laugh:

Worn suspension can be solved with a good set of shocks/springs (figure about $800 for the cheapest "good" performance suspension) and another $150 worth of new bushings.

All in, about $1k. To be honest though (and you've owned an NB so you might know this) stuff really adds up with the old cars. Everything tends to just wear out from age and a $1500 can EASILY turn into a $3000 car.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

kaz02a4 said:


> Not sure if I put this up yet, but there have been so many Miata posts in the last week that I couldn't resist. I've found my way into my 2nd Miata about a month ago, and I love it even more than my first! 1995, base, all stock, 74k miles. This summer is going to be wicked.


Love those C1s. Looking to get a set with my next set of tires :thumbup:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Phil Pugliese said:


>





kaz02a4 said:


>


So much NA goodness :thumbup::thumbup:

The aftermarket and online community for these cars is STUNNING. I love it.

Did the math and my car (1994, 91k miles) it has done less than 4k miles per year, which explains why it's so clean still. Can't believe it's 23 years old. I love this era of car interiors, simple HVAC controls, etc. It hits the sweet spot of when I was MOST into cars (late 80's-early 90's). I've already refereed to this car as "our 1st Miata" because I guarantee it won't be our last. I told my son that if we really enjoy this for a few years, we can sell it and maybe buy an ND. He said, "No, you sell it to ME, and then you and mom get a new one."

He was telling some buddy's at school about it and got the "those cars are kinda' gay" from some jackass. He just laughed it off, it doesn't bother him a bit. :snowcool:

Car won't even be in our driveway until 4:00 today but the whole family is already smitten.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

What do you guys recommend for a code reader?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Also, any recommendations for keeping mice out of it? We've had at least 2 🐭 invade our Prius, thankfully not doing any damage, and with the Miata spending a lot of time sitting in the garage, I fear it might be an issue.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Phil Pugliese said:


> For those wanting something special, my 92 SBY w/HT and 36K for miles will be listed on BaT next week...


Sunburst Yellow is so so so so good.



Sporin said:


> I told my son that if we really enjoy this for a few years, we can sell it and maybe buy an ND. He said, "No, you sell it to ME, and then you and mom get a new one."
> 
> He was telling some buddy's at school about it and got the "those cars are kinda' gay" from some jackass. He just laughed it off, it doesn't bother him a bit. :snowcool:


Your son is awesome.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Ryukein said:


> Your son is awesome.


I like to think so.  We've raised him to be an individual and not let anyone tell him what to like or dislike. My mom got him these super hero tshirts (one batman, one superman) with little removable capes on the back. I thought they were pretty juvenile but you know how Nana's can be. Nope, he wears them to school. I asked him if anyone gives him crap for it and he said, "Not really." One kid asked him why he was wearing a cape and his response is, "Why _aren't_ you?"

He's 50% Geek (video games, D&D, etc.) and 50% Jock (runs XC, plays Basketball and Lacrosse) and thankfully, in our little town, that works for him.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> What do you guys recommend for a code reader?


No need for a code reader on a '94: https://www.miata.net/garage/faultcodes.html



Sporin said:


> Also, any recommendations for keeping mice out of it? We've had at least 2 🐭 invade our Prius, thankfully not doing any damage, and with the Miata spending a lot of time sitting in the garage, I fear it might be an issue.


I didn't have any storage issues in mine, but people recommend putting dryer sheets in all the main entry points.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> No need for a code reader on a '94: https://www.miata.net/garage/faultcodes.html
> 
> 
> 
> I didn't have any storage issues in mine, but people recommend putting dryer sheets in all the main entry points.


perfect, thank you!


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Spotted in Sioux Falls, SD:


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

They make ultrasonic noise generators that are supposed to keep mice away, but I'm not sure how well they work. It's logical, but I don't know if it's just a gimmick or not. 

My response to the kid who called Miatas gay? "You don't know anything about cars, do you?" That usually riles them up a bit. :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Air and water do mix said:


> They make ultrasonic noise generators that are supposed to keep mice away, but I'm not sure how well they work. It's logical, but I don't know if it's just a gimmick or not.
> 
> My response to the kid who called Miatas gay? "You don't know anything about cars, do you?" That usually riles them up a bit. :laugh:


:thumbup: Most of his friends just want me to give them rides when it arrives. I remember that age though {deep sigh}


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So much reading to do... "mice" https://forum.miata.net/vb/search.php?searchid=14525029


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Yes, that is a great deal for a beater Miata.
> 
> Sloppy shifter is $100 in parts for a shifter rebuild.
> 
> ...


Cool, thanks a lot for the detailed reply. 

And yeah, my NB cost me more in maintenance than I was expecting, but it was still well-worth it to keep the miles off of my more expensive-to-drive car. I'm figuring even if this thing costs me $3,000 I'll nearly recoup that difference within the first year in gas savings alone compared to the 10mpg I'm getting in my Viper :laugh: Not to mention that the Viper is just a complete pain in the a$$ to drive around town in traffic and tight parking lots (which is 90% of LA) because it's so low, wide and has a ridiculously large turning radius. I've been really enjoying hopping in my car and going to the Trader Joe's 1/2 a mile away (that has a really steep ramp to the underground parking lot making it a huge pain in the Viper), with the Viper I just walk :laugh:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

thetopdog said:


> Cool, thanks a lot for the detailed reply.
> 
> And yeah, my NB cost me more in maintenance than I was expecting, but it was still well-worth it to keep the miles off of my more expensive-to-drive car. I'm figuring even if this thing costs me $3,000 I'll nearly recoup that difference within the first year in gas savings alone compared to the 10mpg I'm getting in my Viper :laugh: Not to mention that the Viper is just a complete pain in the a$$ to drive around town in traffic and tight parking lots (which is 90% of LA) because it's so low, wide and has a ridiculously large turning radius. I've been really enjoying hopping in my car and going to the Trader Joe's 1/2 a mile away (that has a really steep ramp to the underground parking lot making it a huge pain in the Viper), with the Viper I just walk :laugh:


No problem. To be honest, a Miata will run even if it's poorly maintained. Maintenance just gives you peace of mind to take it anywhere, but if you're using it as a city commuter sort of thing you'll be fine. :laugh:


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Gonna whore out my car and its new wheels/tires a little bit. It rides better, handles really nicely, and is a LOT quieter on the highway. Can't wait to get the suspension on.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Ryukein said:


>


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Ryukein said:


> Gonna whore out my car





DubNMiatafan said:


> dana


Hnngh. Beat me by seconds to post that.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)




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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Love me some Scully :heart:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Speaking of redheads, I took a 3hr drive to a winery recently with my GF. She formerly characterized herself as "not a convertible girl", but this drive changed that.












It's been almost 2yrs since I completed the full nut & bolt restoration and engine conversion and have put ~10K miles on it and there are still times when I'm shocked at how well everything in this package works. I typically won't drive it when the temperature gets below 40* (mainly because of the tires), but in the mild weather, it's a semi-daily driver for me. Realistically, I drive it whenever because it's such a great driving experience. The lure of an SR20 turbo is always there because it seems like it's a simple upgrade away, but I'll stay with this 200HP NA for now.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Is that an SR20DE then or a KA?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Ryukein said:


> Gonna whore out my car and its new wheels/tires a little bit. It rides better, handles really nicely, and is a LOT quieter on the highway.


Love them! Details?


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Although I cant find the exact source of the leak without jackstands/a lift/enough planks, I can see a large quantity of coolant dripping from the engine oil pan area, and the puddle is back of the axle line. It comes out nearly as fast as I can pour it into the radiator, and there is no sign of coolant in the engine bay at all


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I think it's one of 3 things:

Cursed water plug (if it's a 1.6)
One of the two heater hoses

Not much else back there on Miata motors. Inlet and outlet are both on the front of the motor.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I think it's one of 3 things:
> 
> Cursed water plug (if it's a 1.6)
> One of the two heater hoses
> ...


It's a 1.8. 

Are'nt the heater hoses the 2 small hoses on the top side of the firewall, or are those the A/C hoses? Whatever it is it was coming out as soon as I added more 50/50 to the rad.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

88c900t said:


> It's a 1.8.
> 
> Are'nt the heater hoses the 2 small hoses on the top side of the firewall, or are those the A/C hoses? Whatever it is it was coming out as soon as I added more 50/50 to the rad.


Heater hoses are 2 rubber lines going in/out of the firewall on the driver's side. The A/C lines (not hoses) are aluminum hardlines going in/out of the firewall on the passenger side.

10:1 you have a busted heater hose, probably caused by a leaking CAS o-ring.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Ryukein said:


> Gonna whore out my car and its new wheels/tires a little bit. It rides better, handles really nicely, and is a LOT quieter on the highway. Can't wait to get the suspension on.


What a beaut!!

I just picked up a base '96 (stock 14" steelies and all), one owner car with 53k and no rust. Excited to get a good set of 16s and a better suspension myself.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Heading to the DMV today to get plates so I can drive it while the sun is out!

Gave mine a wash last night and while the wheels are in good shape, they aren't perfect, a bit of pitting. I'm going to have to get in there and really scrub them up. Might be a good excuse to upgrade to some pretty 15's or 16's in the future but that's pretty far down my "wants" list at the moment.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

my spec miata showed up today. 

very cool
much excite
wow


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> It's been almost 2yrs since I completed the full nut & bolt restoration and engine conversion


Looks awesome Dave! There aren't that many Nissan SR20 conversions out there. Did you do the fabrication yourself? Do you have a build thread?


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Dave your Miata is ****ing awesome.



Sporin said:


> Love them! Details?


Enkei Compe in 15x8 with Yokohama S.drive in 205/50R-15.



S4cabriofox said:


> What a beaut!!


Danke! It's not as beautiful up close and in person :laugh:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> Is that an SR20DE then or a KA?


No truck motors here. SR20de from an 2001 S15 Autech Silvia - basically, instead of the regular ~145HP this motor gets to 200HP with 11.7:1 compression, sodium filled valves, and race gas - all from the factory.




freedomgli said:


> Looks awesome Dave! There aren't that many Nissan SR20 conversions out there. Did you do the fabrication yourself? Do you have a build thread?


Thank you. No build thread, but yes we built everything. Literally a nut & bolt restoration where the majority of parts that went back on the car were brand new from Mazda (it pays to have a good friend working there in engineering), freshly powder coated or zinc plated. My friend that drove the project has a business doing full blown restorations on classic Datsuns using SR20 drivetrains so it was a "pretty simple 10yr project"



















There is ~1800HP in this picture and just two of the cars in this picture account for ~1000hp


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

NA people: do you unzip your rear windows frequently? I'm a little anxious about cracking it; PO put in a custom new window for $900 last year, I don't want to have to worry about spending another $500 (or learning to sew) to have a functional window down the road. How tender do I really need to be with the thing?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

S4cabriofox said:


> NA people: do you unzip your rear windows frequently? I'm a little anxious about cracking it; PO put in a custom new window for $900 last year, I don't want to have to worry about spending another $500 (or learning to sew) to have a functional window down the road. How tender do I really need to be with the thing?


Mine is trashed because the PO cracked it years ago in cold weather. I have a kit to "repair" it and once that's in, I'll be unzipping, ALWAYS.

IMG_7713 by David, on Flickr


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Mine is trashed because the PO cracked it years ago in cold weather. I have a kit to "repair" it and once that's in, I'll be unzipping, ALWAYS.


Unfortunately the zipper on mine is a little broken, so it's a huge PITA to zip up - basically need two people to do it, as the top has to be held slightly aft of the windshield (and not fully extended) for the zipper to find its stride. So I don't think I'll be able to hold myself to the same standard. But I'll try to be kind to the thing as much as I can...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

S4cabriofox said:


> Unfortunately the zipper on mine is a little broken, so it's a huge PITA to zip up - basically need two people to do it, as the top has to be held slightly aft of the windshield (and not fully extended) for the zipper to find its stride. So I don't think I'll be able to hold myself to the same standard. But I'll try to be kind to the thing as much as I can...


I usually leave mine zipped about 4-5" when I unzip it. It helps me get it back up easily with only getting one hand on the zipper. My wife likes it that way, too.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

S4cabriofox said:


> NA people: do you unzip your rear windows frequently? I'm a little anxious about cracking it; PO put in a custom new window for $900 last year, I don't want to have to worry about spending another $500 (or learning to sew) to have a functional window down the road. How tender do I really need to be with the thing?


Before unzipping the rear window, always unlatch first to relieve the tension in the top. And when putting the top up, put the top up, but don't latch. Carefully zip up the window then latch the top.


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

First mod today! Can you guess what it is?



















Added some more stick  Got a price that I just couldn't say no to.














Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Metallitubby (Aug 20, 2001)

VRado6 said:


> First mod today!


How are you liking it so far?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

S4cabriofox said:


> NA people: do you unzip your rear windows frequently? I'm a little anxious about cracking it; PO put in a custom new window for $900 last year, I don't want to have to worry about spending another $500 (or learning to sew) to have a functional window down the road. How tender do I really need to be with the thing?


On my 93 that we swapped a good top with nice window onto, that window is always unzipped and stuck in one of those Moss window envelopes each time the top goes down.

On the 90 that may very well have the original top, well, that zipper never worked since I first got the car, so it stays zipped up. I throw a towel in while dropping the top to keep the window from creasing.


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

Metallitubby said:


> How are you liking it so far?


Loving it! It puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. It's just so tossable! It really feels organic in how it drives and responds. You can feel every little detail of what the car is doing. Plus being my first convertible, I'm loving having the roof down as long as the sun is out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Metallitubby (Aug 20, 2001)

VRado6 said:


> Loving it!


I keep looking at a white one. I just wished that Mazda offered the white w/ the oxblood/red leather


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

First mod. Not loving it. Might go for a brushed aluminum S2k style one....


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

Metallitubby said:


> I keep looking at a white one. I just wished that Mazda offered the white w/ the oxblood/red leather


Oh, you mean like this one?

http://www.lamazda.ca/auto/new-2017...___edmonton_dealer-leduc-t9e_7a9-ab/17430825/



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

My boy's first ever ride in the Miata with his dad on Fathers Day


You don't see that many modern style homes in our area. But you see so much more of your surroundings with the top down. This one is a new build that I hadn't seen before.





It will do a single backfire during overrun on occasion, but none of that snap, crackle, pop. I will probably play around with my bottom row of my VE table a bit. Removing fuel will get rid of it completely. Adding fuel will make it sound like a car that's not tuned well!





Moderate acceleration first and second gear.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I usually leave mine zipped about 4-5" when I unzip it. It helps me get it back up easily with only getting one hand on the zipper. My wife likes it that way, too.





mx5er said:


> Before unzipping the rear window, always unlatch first to relieve the tension in the top. And when putting the top up, put the top up, but don't latch. Carefully zip up the window then latch the top.





Claff said:


> On my 93 that we swapped a good top with nice window onto, that window is always unzipped and stuck in one of those Moss window envelopes each time the top goes down.
> 
> On the 90 that may very well have the original top, well, that zipper never worked since I first got the car, so it stays zipped up. I throw a towel in while dropping the top to keep the window from creasing.


Thanks guys :thumbup: I'll unzip 95%, seems like the right way to go for the car.


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## Metallitubby (Aug 20, 2001)

VRado6 said:


> Oh, you mean like this one?
> 
> http://www.lamazda.ca/auto/new-2017...___edmonton_dealer-leduc-t9e_7a9-ab/17430825/


Yesssss


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

I have glass in my NA rear window. It's a total PIA to zip and unzip. The only time it's up is if I'm washing the car.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

I installed a used NB top in my '94. One of the best mods I did to the car, IMO. Yeah, I lost the flow-through capability, but I honestly didn't miss it that much. It significantly reduced the PITA factor, gave me a rear defroster, and allowed me to raise/lower the top from the driver seat. Couldn't recommend it enough.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Stevo12 said:


> I installed a used NB top in my '94. One of the best mods I did to the car, IMO. Yeah, I lost the flow-through capability, but I honestly didn't miss it that much. It significantly reduced the PITA factor, gave me a rear defroster, and allowed me to raise/lower the top from the driver seat. Couldn't recommend it enough.


It's a bolt-in to put a top from the NB into an NA? 

I had no idea. I knew that it was a (somewhat) heavily revised NA, but didn't realize that could be done. Do the latches and everything match up or do you have to make some minor modifications somewhere?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Air and water do mix said:


> It's a bolt-in to put a top from the NB into an NA?
> 
> I had no idea. I knew that it was a (somewhat) heavily revised NA, but didn't realize that could be done. Do the latches and everything match up or do you have to make some minor modifications somewhere?


Yup, it's more or less bolt-in. I had to fab up a defroster harness adapter, since the NA harness connectors are different from the NB, but other than that, I removed the top from the NB at a pick and pull (remember to get the updated NB rain rail brackets!) and bolted the whole thing in my NA. IMO, it's a lot easier than replacing a top on the same frame.

I think that the latches are the same, but I re-used the ones from my NA because they seemed to be in better condition. So if the NB latches are indeed not compatible - not sure because I did the top swap 5+ years ago - I do know that the NA latches will bolt up.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Stevo12 said:


> Yup, it's more or less bolt-in...


That's cool. Thanks for the info. I'll file it away in case I eventually get one, as I'd really like an NA. :beer:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Air and water do mix said:


> It's a bolt-in to put a top from the NB into an NA?
> 
> I had no idea. I knew that it was a (somewhat) heavily revised NA, but didn't realize that could be done. Do the latches and everything match up or do you have to make some minor modifications somewhere?





Stevo12 said:


> Yup, it's more or less bolt-in. I had to fab up a defroster harness adapter, since the NA harness connectors are different from the NB, but other than that, I removed the top from the NB at a pick and pull (remember to get the updated NB rain rail brackets!) and bolted the whole thing in my NA. IMO, it's a lot easier than replacing a top on the same frame.
> 
> I think that the latches are the same, but I re-used the ones from my NA because they seemed to be in better condition. So if the NB latches are indeed not compatible - not sure because I did the top swap 5+ years ago - I do know that the NA latches will bolt up.


^ Pretty much exactly what he said. I think the latches are different between NA/NB, but reuse the old ones. I've swapped the tops (on the frames) a couple of times, and it wasn't a bad job at all. Just be sure that you are getting a good top. Don't forget that original NB tops are _at best_ 12 years old, so hopefully pulling one from a car that's already had its top replaced. 


I think Planet Miata will sell you a new top on a used frame. They install the top for you on the frame, mail it to you, and you install the frame on your car.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Took a long drive today with lots of highway. Car was fine at 70mph, top down, windows up, the buffeting wasn't bad and I was rally enjoying it. 

Only one problem, it stalled out mysteriously on me, twice. Once when I really revved it getting on the highway, and once just randomly as I was accelerating through town. Totally different speeds, RPMs and situations.

Luckily I was able to coast to the side in both instances. The car restarted with no hesitation each time. After the first stall/restart I drove a long ways on both the highway and secondary roads.

This was his ad, which details some things he's already done.


> 1994 Miata. 91k miles. 1.8 liter, 5 spd. Red, black cloth interior, black top. No stories. It's a 23 year old car. Been stored in the garage most of it's life. It's not a trailer queen. Some dings/scuffs but all very minor. Body paint is still in great shape and shiny. The rear bumper and mirrors shine if you wax them, but they've started to dull out. Interior is all complete but shows 91k miles worth of wear. No rips or tears or spots that are worn through. Aftermarket roll bar is the only add on. Otherwise completely stock. Back window is plastic and cracked in half (see picture). Being stored in the garage I haven't worried about it. The top is in great shape otherwise. The car was backed into between the driver door and left rear quarter so both were replaced a number of years ago. Good paint match, you'd be hard pressed to tell. Tires and brakes are good. Runs good. *Needs O2 sensor. I broke it off in the pipe trying to change it. I have the sensor, just need someone to torch it out. I replaced the fuel pump in the tank, the fuel filter, egr valve, cam angle sensor gasket, throttle position sensor, plugs, wires and valve cover gasket. *I painted the valve cover while I had it off. Car is registered and inspected in VT through August of this year.


Any ideas on what to check first?


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Stevo12 said:


> I installed a used NB top in my '94. One of the best mods I did to the car, IMO. Yeah, I lost the flow-through capability, but I honestly didn't miss it that much. It significantly reduced the PITA factor, gave me a rear defroster, and allowed me to raise/lower the top from the driver seat. Couldn't recommend it enough.


I live in CA, so I leave it down all the time anyways. Even when parked. I would miss the passthrough. It's like a bikini top, sans the roll cage necessity. When it's hot, the tops up for shade, but I still get a nice breeze through the car.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Took a long drive today with lots of highway. Car was fine at 70mph, top down, windows up, the buffeting wasn't bad and I was rally enjoying it.
> 
> Only one problem, it stalled out mysteriously on me, twice. Once when I really revved it getting on the highway, and once just randomly as I was accelerating through town. Totally different speeds, RPMs and situations.
> 
> ...


Ignition switch maybe?

If it was a hard stall (like all of a sudden the car loses all power) I'd suspect the ignition switch.

Otherwise, if it was bucking/stalling I'd be looking at ignition components - plugs/wires (Miatas like to eat those every 30-40k), maybe the coil (although NA's seem to have better luck than the NB's in that regard).

They're pretty simple creatures so the failures are pretty telling as to which component is going bad.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> Ignition switch maybe?
> 
> If it was a hard stall (like all of a sudden the car loses all power) I'd suspect the ignition switch.
> 
> ...


Ignition switch was the first response on Miatanet, too. That's where I'll start! Thanks! :beer:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Phil Pugliese said:


> For those wanting something special, my 92 SBY w/HT and 36K for miles will be listed on BaT next week...


I just wanted to bump this because I saw it on BaT this morning. I want it, but I won't be bidding on it. 

The fender stripes, they are vinyl, correct?


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I just wanted to bump this because I saw it on BaT this morning. I want it, but I won't be bidding on it.
> 
> The fender stripes, they are vinyl, correct?


Sam 'em on a different car on facebook and I'm pretty sure they're vinyl :thumbup:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Took mine for a short romp tonight. Went over to the local ski area and did a few donuts in their dirt parking lot. 

Got it home and gave it a bath. 










Then I got a good coat of wax on it. 










It shined up really nicely, even the faded rear bumper. I'll get some more pics in the sunlight tomorrow.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Sporin said:


> Took mine for a short romp tonight. Went over to the local ski area and did a few donuts in their dirt parking lot.
> 
> Got it home and gave it a bath.
> 
> ...


 I'm so happy you're enjoying your NA.


I need to clean my engine compartment-any suggestions as to no hurt anything? I was going to spray some simple green and run water sparingly around the engine compartment while it's running. Anyone had any bad experiences doing this?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Took mine for a short romp tonight. Went over to the local ski area and did a few donuts in their dirt parking lot.


Ugh, stop making me miss my '94!



Sporin said:


>


Be careful with the plate mounted in that location. Stock location is supposed to be at bumper height, which looks goofy, but more importantly it doesn't block the radiator.

It's not necessarily certain death, but make sure you keep an eye on the coolant temps, just in case. Miatas don't like to be overheated.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

My recent activity on this thread has inspired me to post a "greatest hits" of my '94 C-package

When I bought it:










Cruise night:









After the first winter, I threw some NB 15's on, along with the used NB top:









Then I got some 6UL's, used them as my autocross tire. Added my first homebrew coilover setup as well, lowest height was about .5" lower than stock (downside of using Illuminas)

























Pulled daily duty for 4 years:









During subsequent years, I added another homebrew coilover setup (Bilstein based), R front lip, and Yonaka catback exhaust:

















Sold the NB's, threw some new tires on the stockers, and ran it like that until I sold it









Sold it to my wife's boss' husband last spring, who always wanted a red Miata. Its new owners have been enjoying it immensely, and I'm happy that it's bringing them joy, and they are showing it the love I wouldn't have been able to show it (new paint, and a few other refurbishments). I do miss it, but I'm a little off the convertible thing at the moment, and if I did it again, it would look vastly different - like an NB with motor work, or possibly a J-swap. Could be a possibility once I get done with the BMW thing...if I get done with the BMW thing...


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Stevo12 said:


> Ugh, stop making me miss my '94!


Stop clicking on the thread, then!  :beer: I still haven't gotten one, so you're ahead of me!

I've wanted one since they came out, and I worked at the dealer at the time. Number 0008 was the white prototype they sent around to familiarize the sales staff and mechanics. Partly because of that I want a white one.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Been thinking about the demographics of NA owners. From my time as a NA owner, I noticed that a good chunk of owners are the more mature types. Folks in the 40s, 50s and even the 60s. They're certainly not the stanced bro or the Fast N' the Furious types. The cars they own are usually garage queens with relatively low miles.

So now some of those folks are getting on in their years and I'm sure they'll be putting theirs on the market. OK, sure some will probably be passed onto younger family members. So will there be a "flood" of NA hitting the market in the coming years? And I don't think NA and even NBs are on the appreciating curve like Acura NSX or Honda S2000. 

This reminds me of a Miata event I attended around 1999 or 2000 at the Lar's museum in Boston. I met a older gentleman with a absolutely MINT Smurf blue 1.6L. So clean you can eat off the undercarriage and completely stock. I won't be surprised if the guy still have it and apart from the additional miles, it's probably in the same mint condition. So I'm talking about these guys. So we will see samples like this on the market in the near future?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Had to take mine out for another spin as the sun was setting. Good times. It was cool out so I had the top down but the heat cranked. 

Has anyone done aftermarket pedal pads? I'd like to find a slightly narrower clutch pedal. Currently my EEEE's catch it going to the dead pedal. I have to very deliberately tuck my sneaker sideways. It's ok, but every once in a while it catches. I never engage the clutch but I'd like to smooth it out. 

My mysterious stalling issue didn't happen on either ride tonight. Still planning to pull and rehab that ignition piece this weekend.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Alternately, I'll need to get some new, more streamlined, sneakers. My feet aren't nearly as wide now that I've lost so much weight. 

Maybe a good time to bring back my classic college-aged favorites.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Can relate! 7 EEEE here. It's like my feet are almost as wide as they are long. :laugh:

When I drive a '65 or older Bug with the high beam switch on the floor I sometimes bright everyone when slamming second gear.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

mx5er said:


> So we will see samples like this on the market in the near future?


Yes. Go look at BaT. ****'s insane.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Ryukein said:


> Yes. Go look at BaT. ****'s insane.


The supercharged Laguna Blue NA that sold recently was gorgeous.



Stevo12 said:


>


Nice place to store your autocross class numbers!


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Ryukein said:


> Yes. Go look at BaT. ****'s insane.


There's an old saying in the collector car industry, "You can never pay too much; you can only buy too soon." If I had the money there's a million cars I'd love to buy and I wouldn't care about paying too much for any of them. I'd be grateful that I was able to luck into buying it at all. Collector cars are inherently emotional purchases. And if you want something really nice, you've got to pay to play. There's another saying that goes, "If you don't like the price, you're free to go shop elsewhere." When talking about the best of the best, it is the sellers who have the advantage.


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## woodenSpoon (Aug 27, 2016)

https://youtu.be/56BBjdmiLh8


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## woodenSpoon (Aug 27, 2016)

mx5er said:


> Been thinking about the demographics of NA owners. From my time as a NA owner, I noticed that a good chunk of owners are the more mature types. Folks in the 40s, 50s and even the 60s. They're certainly not the stanced bro or the Fast N' the Furious types. The cars they own are usually garage queens with relatively low miles.
> 
> So now some of those folks are getting on in their years and I'm sure they'll be putting theirs on the market. OK, sure some will probably be passed onto younger family members. So will there be a "flood" of NA hitting the market in the coming years? And I don't think NA and even NBs are on the appreciating curve like Acura NSX or Honda S2000.
> 
> This reminds me of a Miata event I attended around 1999 or 2000 at the Lar's museum in Boston. I met a older gentleman with a absolutely MINT Smurf blue 1.6L. So clean you can eat off the undercarriage and completely stock. I won't be surprised if the guy still have it and apart from the additional miles, it's probably in the same mint condition. So I'm talking about these guys. So we will see samples like this on the market in the near future?


They all sold them and moved on long ago.
People who buy new cars tend to keep buying new cars.

Most NA are now stanced raped garbage


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

woodenSpoon said:


> They all sold them and moved on long ago.
> People who buy new cars tend to keep buying new cars.
> 
> Most NA are now stanced raped garbage


I'm following a bunch of Miata Instagram accounts now and the Stance thing is overwhelmingly dominant. I prefer a cleaner, improved-stock, look myself but then again, I curve the bill of my baseball hats..


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## Alex jb (Oct 8, 2015)

Sporin said:


> ... but then again, I curve the bill of my baseball hats..


That's funny!

That's the generational divide right there 

I did see a 60's beetle yesterday with some stretch to the tyres and mad rear camber,one of the few places it looks good IMO.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Hmm...

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/6184089096.html


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Discovered my CD player doesn't work last night. Looks like it's stupid-cheap t upgrade the stereo and speakers in this car though.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

mx5er said:


> Been thinking about the demographics of NA owners. From my time as a NA owner, I noticed that a good chunk of owners are the more mature types. Folks in the 40s, 50s and even the 60s. They're certainly not the stanced bro or the Fast N' the Furious types. The cars they own are usually garage queens with relatively low miles.
> 
> So now some of those folks are getting on in their years and I'm sure they'll be putting theirs on the market. OK, sure some will probably be passed onto younger family members. So will there be a "flood" of NA hitting the market in the coming years? And I don't think NA and even NBs are on the appreciating curve like Acura NSX or Honda S2000.
> 
> This reminds me of a Miata event I attended around 1999 or 2000 at the Lar's museum in Boston. I met a older gentleman with a absolutely MINT Smurf blue 1.6L. So clean you can eat off the undercarriage and completely stock. I won't be surprised if the guy still have it and apart from the additional miles, it's probably in the same mint condition. So I'm talking about these guys. So we will see samples like this on the market in the near future?


Just from the shallow research I did in looking for mine over the past month, the market seems pretty hot right now. People wanted $3K for their rusty 160K specimens. Anything clean with under 100K miles could be found in the $6K+ range. I get the impression that the market won't burst anytime soon as it becomes ever harder to find unmolested examples.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Discovered my CD player doesn't work last night. Looks like it's stupid-cheap t upgrade the stereo and speakers in this car though.


Actually, it's even easier. You can get Bluetooth amps now and you can cut the head unit altogether.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

mx5er said:


> Been thinking about the demographics of NA owners. From my time as a NA owner, I noticed that a good chunk of owners are the more mature types. Folks in the 40s, 50s and even the 60s. They're certainly not the stanced bro or the Fast N' the Furious types. The cars they own are usually garage queens with relatively low miles.
> 
> So now some of those folks are getting on in their years and I'm sure they'll be putting theirs on the market. OK, sure some will probably be passed onto younger family members. So will there be a "flood" of NA hitting the market in the coming years? And I don't think NA and even NBs are on the appreciating curve like Acura NSX or Honda S2000.
> 
> This reminds me of a Miata event I attended around 1999 or 2000 at the Lar's museum in Boston. I met a older gentleman with a absolutely MINT Smurf blue 1.6L. So clean you can eat off the undercarriage and completely stock. I won't be surprised if the guy still have it and apart from the additional miles, it's probably in the same mint condition. So I'm talking about these guys. So we will see samples like this on the market in the near future?



From what I've seen on the used market, I think the time to buy was at least 5 years ago, if not more. Since then, prices have gone up quite a bit and supply has gone down. I believe the "older demographics selling them" has, to some extent already happened, although some still have their NAs.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> I'm following a bunch of Miata Instagram accounts now and the Stance thing is overwhelmingly dominant. I prefer a cleaner, improved-stock, look myself but then again, I curve the bill of my baseball hats..





88c900t said:


> From what I've seen on the used market, I think the time to buy was at least 5 years ago, if not more. Since then, prices have gone up quite a bit and supply has gone down. I believe the "older demographics selling them" has, to some extent already happened, although some still have their NAs.


I bought my 1990 seven years ago. At the time it was (mostly) stock and it had 88k miles and it came with a minty, factory hard top. I paid $4,300 for the car then. Even now with 120k on it, I wouldn't let it go for that amount even without the hard top. I have it insured for a lot more. Clelan NAs are harder to find and I wouldn't hesitate to pay BaT prices for another if the need came to that. 



















About a year later, my dad bought his 1995 Miata (after having driven mine). It had ~25k miles on it (now closer to 50k). I think he paid about $7k for it, and there was a lot of interest in the car. Oddly, though, it had more wear on it than my car (stupid leather seats), but my dad has brought it up to snuff. 










While dad's car is more modified than mine (aftermarket leather seats, wood steering wheel, Velocity Red paint), his car is very clean. It's getting harder to find them in such condition.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Mrs. Sporin took the car to work today. Glad she's enjoying it because we need both of us to love it if I'm going to build it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'd like to improve my idle, it's a bit lumpy and the car really prefers I keep the revs over 3K to be smooth. I can't tell if the 1.8 just naturally prefers some revs, or if it's something I can improve.

Wondering what you guys have done for tune up/cleaning to effect that? I figure I'll start with cleaning the EGR really well, then maybe the whole intake.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

That could be semi-gunky injectors. I'd run a can of BG 44K through it with a fresh fuel filter and see where you are afterwards. I always like to change the fuel filter first, as 44K is able to pull gunk from the filter and run it through the injectors.

It cleans off the back of the valves and even takes some carbon off of the piston tops. I've gotten excellent results on several cars with it. :thumbup:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Wouldn't hurt to do fuel filter, but absolutely do plugs and wires, unless you have dates/mileage within the last 5 years and 30-40k miles of them being done. NGK BKR5E-11 plugs and NGK ZE21 wires. Do not go for any other wires, nor go for any fancy iridium plugs. Just plain simple copper NGK's, and NGK wires. Miatas eat them like candy due to wasted spark ignition system.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks guys, previous owner replaced the fuel pump in the tank, the fuel filter, egr valve, cam angle sensor gasket, throttle position sensor, plugs, wires and valve cover gasket. It needs an O2 sensor (have it, just need the old one torched out, it broke). I need to get that done asap to get the CEL turned off for State Inspection (hope that's it anyway).


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

woodenSpoon said:


> They all sold them and moved on long ago.
> People who buy new cars tend to keep buying new cars.


I visited my dad over the weekend. He bought a Sunburst yellow new in '92 and still has it. I went out for a ride and when I came back home I found him on his back on the garage floor putting a fresh coat of wax on the bottom of his front bumper. He's 82 years old.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Claff said:


> I visited my dad over the weekend. He bought a Sunburst yellow new in '92 and still has it. I went out for a ride and when I came back home I found him on his back on the garage floor putting a fresh coat of wax on the bottom of his front bumper. He's 82 years old.


Your dad gets two thumbs up. :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Yuppie Scum (Mar 23, 2014)

My mother in law is killing me. Apparently she bought a new s2k back in the day that she regrets since selling. I try telling her to go test drive the ND, but she is refusing and waiting for Honda to return to this segment. She keeps referencing these fake news sites from 2013 that say that Honda is going to release an S3000 "this fall." Argh.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sun finally came out so I've taken 2 pleasure drives today. One over to NH for some unnecessary errands. The other through some nice twisties on my side of the river. One of my favorite roads was just repaved. 

Wierd stall issue has not returned at all on the last 3 days of driving. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Wierd stall issue has not returned at all on the last 3 days of driving. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


My favorite kind of car problems are the ones that fix themselves. As an MG owner, I'm not at all surprised with cars that behave completely differently from one day to the next.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Sun finally came out so I've taken 2 pleasure drives today. One over to NH for some unnecessary errands. The other through some nice twisties on my side of the river. One of my favorite roads was just repaved.
> 
> Wierd stall issue has not returned at all on the last 3 days of driving. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> *pic


Did you do anything to it? If not I s it possible it was wet before and things have since dried out? 



Claff said:


> My favorite kind of car problems are the ones that fix themselves. As an MG owner, I'm not at all surprised with cars that behave completely differently from one day to the next.


The ghost of Joseph Lucas is still haunting old British cars. That will never change.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I've driven it every day since Monday. The stall happened 3 times on the same day but zero times on every other day. The one day we drove in the rain it never did it.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> I've driven it every day since Monday. The stall happened 3 times on the same day but zero times on every other day. The one day we drove in the rain it never did it.


Hmmmm... it's a lot less likely a water problem then, but if the rain was _before_ the stall it's still possible.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm still planning on pulling the ignition switch and seeing if it has issues.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> I'm still planning on pulling the ignition switch and seeing if it has issues.


For some reason Miatas eat wires and distributor. Whenever I had a running issue on my 92, I'd replace those if it had been anywhere near 20K miles since the last change.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Got to drive my buddy's NA earlier today. Even the little cruise around town was fun. I'm definitely sold on getting an NA now. 

Although I've had some seat time in a NC as well, but not enough between the two anywhere near the limit to say which is better. 

Either way the NA is more in my price range for a second car


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Diamond Dave said:


> For some reason Miatas eat wires and distributor. Whenever I had a running issue on my 92, I'd replace those if it had been anywhere near 20K miles since the last change.


If your Miata has a distributor, that's likely just the start of your problems.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Do you all have thoughts on third party lips/skirts? The $40-60 front and rear lips I'm seeing on eBay are mighty tempting, and I know I'll scrape them on stuff anyway.

In other news I bought one of these retro stickers today, which is especially fun because my car is missing a front badge. The seller is a true gent, he threw in a second one "for my tool box."


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

S4cabriofox said:


> Do you all have thoughts on third party lips/skirts? The $40-60 front and rear lips I'm seeing on eBay are mighty tempting, and I know I'll scrape them on stuff anyway.
> 
> In other news I bought one of these retro stickers today, which is especially fun because my car is missing a front badge. The seller is a true gent, he threw in a second one "for my tool box."


Hope you didn't put the second one on yet, as it's supposed to go on the driver's side, not the passenger side as pictured.

I put an eBay lip on my car. The curvature didn't match the front bumper 100% but I made it work. Not noticeable unless you're a pro, but then again my car wasn't a factory R-pkg. so it didn't matter. Definitely beat putting the factory piece on from a cost/use perspective.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> Hope you didn't put the second one on yet, as it's supposed to go on the driver's side, not the passenger side as pictured.
> 
> I put an eBay lip on my car. The curvature didn't match the front bumper 100% but I made it work. Not noticeable unless you're a pro, but then again my car wasn't a factory R-pkg. so it didn't matter. Definitely beat putting the factory piece on from a cost/use perspective.


I haven't put anything on! Planning on driver's side haha. That's not my car, mine is black.

Thanks, my thought as well... as long as it fits and it doesn't immediately fall apart, I'm happy to cheap out on a lip.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

S4cabriofox said:


> In other news I bought one of these retro stickers today, which is especially fun because my car is missing a front badge. The seller is a true gent, he threw in a second one "for my tool box."


You can still buy these stickers from Mazda!

Of course, they were $36 each last I checked.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

S4cabriofox said:


> Do you all have thoughts on third party lips/skirts? The $40-60 front and rear lips I'm seeing on eBay are mighty tempting, and I know I'll scrape them on stuff anyway.


I find the Garage Vary lips (and their knock-offs) to be too aggressive unless the car has other mods/stance to match.

My preference is the R-package lip. Aggressive and subtle at the same time. I have that on both our NAs.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> You can still buy these stickers from Mazda!
> 
> Of course, they were $36 each last I checked.


I pad $8.50 for two and they supposedly look OEM.



Claff said:


> I find the Garage Vary lips (and their knock-offs) to be too aggressive unless the car has other mods/stance to match.
> 
> My preference is the R-package lip. Aggressive and subtle at the same time. I have that on both our NAs.


What kind of cost would I realistically be looking at? I will be lowering the car a couple inches so the knockoff lips should be fair.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

S4cabriofox said:


> I pad $8.50 for two and they supposedly look OEM.
> 
> 
> What kind of cost would I realistically be looking at? I will be lowering the car a couple inches so the knockoff lips should be fair.


The Garage Vary lip? You can get the knock offs for under $50.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GV-Style-Fr...m3f3a57a8ab:m:mZKV5l8xeo6u7L5h6B646XQ&vxp=mtr


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> The Garage Vary lip? You can get the knock offs for under $50.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/GV-Style-Fr...m3f3a57a8ab:m:mZKV5l8xeo6u7L5h6B646XQ&vxp=mtr


Hmm, could be the pictures, but that looks pretty cheap/oversized. I'm probably gonna end up with one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-90-97-M...ash=item43ce431039:g:V~YAAOxyoahSUwAy&vxp=mtr


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

If anyone decides he or she needs a Mazdaspeed Miata, we're selling our 97% stock, 64K mile '05 in Black Mica. It's a fun car but time to let someone else enjoy it.

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/6198199623.html


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Smigelski said:


> You can still buy these stickers from Mazda!
> 
> Of course, they were $36 each last I checked.


If I didn't have a clear bra on my NC I would throw one of those on.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Claff said:


> If anyone decides he or she needs a Mazdaspeed Miata, we're selling our 97% stock, 64K mile '05 in Black Mica. It's a fun car but time to let someone else enjoy it.
> 
> https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/6198199623.html


Verrrry clean car sir. How do you like the FM exhaust?


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Claff said:


> If anyone decides he or she needs a Mazdaspeed Miata, we're selling our 97% stock, 64K mile '05 in Black Mica. It's a fun car but time to let someone else enjoy it.
> 
> https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/6198199623.html


Good lord that's gorgeous.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

S4cabriofox said:


> Verrrry clean car sir. How do you like the FM exhaust?


Love it. I'll confess, the exhaust and intercooler upgrades came with the car, but I'd have done both anyway if they didn't. FM exhausts (which I put on both my NAs) walk the line between understated and throaty perfectly. Sometimes puttering around town I think it could have been louder, but romping on it is where they shine.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

S4cabriofox said:


> Do you all have thoughts on third party lips/skirts? The $40-60 front and rear lips I'm seeing on eBay are mighty tempting, and I know I'll scrape them on stuff anyway.
> 
> In other news I bought one of these retro stickers today, which is especially fun because my car is missing a front badge. The seller is a true gent, he threw in a second one "for my tool box."


Sweet! Link to stickers? I want a few.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

So I bought this car thinking it would save me the time and money of building up my 4Runner. 

🤷🏻 Now all I want to do is mod the Miata. 

_Wishlist...

RoadsterSport3 cat back exhaust
http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/11-1004.html?gclid=CMTn9fus69QCFYxMDQodBosDDQ

Need a bit more sound!

15x8 wheels with 205/50/15 tires

New shocks and springs. Our roads suck so I'd like a minimal drop, an inch maybe?

Along with the wheel & tire combo I'm trying to get a nice, flush look. Not over-cambered or slammed. I want the edge of the tire "even" with the fender. 

New single-DIN stereo with Bluetooth, new door speakers. This seems pretty cheap via Crutchfield. _

I am for sure doing the timing belt and radiator over the winter. Also need to fix my trashed rear window. I have a kit, no idea how it will look though.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Sporin said:


> So I bought this car thinking it would save me the time and money of building up my 4Runner.
> 
> 🤷🏻 Now all I want to do is mod the Miata.


Yeah, I'm in the same boat...



Sporin said:


> Need a bit more sound!.


That's next up for me, too. Can't decide what system I want to go with, yet. I'm currently thinking full Racing Beat headers/exhaust...



Sporin said:


> 15x8 wheels with 205/50/15 tires
> 
> New shocks and springs. Our roads suck so I'd like a minimal drop, an inch maybe?
> 
> Along with the wheel & tire combo I'm trying to get a nice, flush look. Not over-cambered or slammed. I want the edge of the tire "even" with the fender.


I've got 15x8 wheels with 205/45 tires, and it's pretty much the look I think you're looking for. I adore it. It'll be even better when my 1" drop goes on!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thank you. 0 offset in the wheel, right?

Want a look near this...
https://instagram.com/p/BV3nLa1AE1B/


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Sporin said:


> Thank you. 0 offset in the wheel, right?


25mm offset on my wheels. I don't rub... Barely.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Got my battery clamp done. Needed a j-hook and a block to get it all snug. PO put in a wierd size but correct type and venting. 










Did my first small grocery shop... no where near my regular weekly shop.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Did my first small grocery shop... no where near my regular weekly shop.


Yeah, you might want to come to Indiana for your fireworks, dude.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Air and water do mix said:


> Yeah, you might want to come to Indiana for your fireworks, dude.


We're not really fireworks people  but my wife saw these giant sparklers and thought the boy would like them.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> We're not really fireworks people  but my wife saw these giant sparklers and thought the boy would like them.


I'm not either, and that's a good thing. It can get expensive, they last a short time and there are free shows everywhere!


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Sweet! Link to stickers? I want a few.


https://www.ebay.com/i/322562987796?chn=ps&dispItem=1

This guy seems legit. Haven't gotten my stickers yet but he said he sent me 2 for the price of 1 and they're supposed to get here Friday.


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Part of me is thinking of selling and buying another S2000. I love the Miata and the cheapness to mod, but I miss my AP1.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

My sticker came today and I finally took the bra off, got a good wash, and put it on today; here's some base, stock Miata porn.

As she sat for the last 21 years or so.









I expected it to be worse under here.









After wash.









I think the letters are supposed to separate from the sticky part, but they didn't seem to want to.









Can't really tell at a regular distance though.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Also, bought a 2010 PRHT with some go-fast bits already installed. That means 5 Miatas in the driveway. Someone please buy our MSM! And maybe our ratty '93 too.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

S4cabriofox said:


> I think the letters are supposed to separate from the sticky part, but they didn't seem to want to.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Did you get that from me on Ebay or Etsy?
The transfer paper is supposed to come off,you may be running into adhesion problems with too much wax under it.

PM me.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

vortexblue said:


> Did you get that from me on Ebay or Etsy?
> The transfer paper is supposed to come off,you may be running into adhesion problems with too much wax under it.
> 
> PM me.


Haha it came off when I tried later. Are you Chris?


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

S4cabriofox said:


> Haha it came off when I tried later. Are you Chris?


Indeed.
So you're all good? I actually just made a removable vinyl template to position the front logo in the OEM spot.
Wanna be a test mule?


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

time for my annual update on the 2.5 track toy

newly acquired DG race hardtop 















































Recently did a 2.5 swap in a friends car. 











The tuner flaked out on us, so we needed to tow his car home, but he brought the motor to my house on a tiny trailer, so we ended up with trailer inception. 












Track prepping another friends miata


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Sake Bomb said:


> Part of me is thinking of selling and buying another S2000. I love the Miata and the cheapness to mod, but I miss my AP1.


Don't sell!


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Brandontrek1 said:


> Don't sell!


I say that but every time I drive the damn thing it puts the biggest smile on my face :laugh:. 

Was that you selling the Clownshoe? I swore my wife showed me someone on ig selling one and I know she follows you.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Sake Bomb said:


> I say that but every time I drive the damn thing it puts the biggest smile on my face .
> 
> Was that you selling the Clownshoe? I swore my wife showed me someone on ig selling one and I know she follows you.


That is me! Sadly we need to downsize the fleet. Everytime I drive the Moupe I get the same smile. 

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Tried out the tonneau cover for the first time. Missing a snap but fits nicely. 










Ran some errands.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Brandontrek1 said:


> time for my annual update on the 2.5 track toy
> 
> newly acquired DG race hardtop
> 
> ...


Good stuff. That yellow looks really good. When I move on from my na6 I'm still debating if the next one will be an NC or a na8 or something else entirely. I'm very happy I ended up with a Miata vs the s2000 though.

My perfect car would be a k swapped Miata. Honda engine and Miata steering. 

Unfortunately the nb are the best cars to swap and I find them ugly


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

300_munkeys said:


> Good stuff. That yellow looks really good. When I move on from my na6 I'm still debating if the next one will be an NC or a na8 or something else entirely. I'm very happy I ended up with a Miata vs the s2000 though.
> 
> My perfect car would be a k swapped Miata. Honda engine and Miata steering.
> 
> Unfortunately the nb are the best cars to swap and I find them ugly


Built 2.5 will do 200whp. 

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Brandontrek1 said:


> Built 2.5 will do 200whp.
> 
> Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


Stock k24 will do 250+ whp pretty easily and the character of the motor is way preferable to the 2.5. once you have a fully built 2.5 with aggressive cams you've spent a good chunk of change and the value is gone.

Plus there have been a lot of people struggling to hit 200whp with the 2.5. 

Unfortunately a kswap into an NC hasn't been done yet again and would probably not make economic sense. But a donor na or nb for cheap plus $10k and you've got over 250 at the wheels off a car that weighs less than 2300 lbs. If you could swap a k motor into an NC I would go NC and do that when the motor gives out but I doubt it's happening anytime soon.

I still might get an NC, don't get me wrong. I find power is overrated for a track car anyway and my na has enough to keep me happy. But I'd rather a high strung, rev happy but comparably weaker engine than a way more powerful, grunting engine where I'm shifting at 5800 or something for example (not the 2.5, just generally).


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

300_munkeys said:


> Stock k24 will do 250+ whp pretty easily and the character of the motor is way preferable to the 2.5. once you have a fully built 2.5 with aggressive cams you've spent a good chunk of change and the value is gone.
> 
> Plus there have been a lot of people struggling to hit 200whp with the 2.5.
> 
> ...


Right now we are looking into the LFX swap with V8 Roadsters. Figure 300hp with no internal mods and 50+lbs

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

vortexblue said:


> Indeed.
> So you're all good? I actually just made a removable vinyl template to position the front logo in the OEM spot.
> Wanna be a test mule?


Absolutely!!


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Brandontrek1 said:


> Right now we are looking into the LFX swap with V8 Roadsters. Figure 300hp with no internal mods and 50+lbs
> 
> Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


Yeah that's the next logical step 

Keep us updated! What's the projected all in cost?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

This weekend I got a couple of thing done on my Miata. For one, I polished up the rear bumper and finish panel, which were starting to look faded and pink (again).

Starting Point:









Original on left, some progress on the right:









Bumper, finish panel, and tail lights complete:









It's still not perfect, but you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference from more than 3 feet away. I'm always scared of polishing off too much paint.

The next task was to swap out my Daisies with Direzza ZIIs and throw on my 6ULs with R1Rs.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Looks great! Details on the polishing process? My bumpers (and mirror surrounds) are awfully dull.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> The next task was to swap out my Daisies with Direzza ZIIs and through on my 6ULs with R1Rs.


Looks 10 years newer :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Looks great! Details on the polishing process? My bumpers (and mirror surrounds) are awfully dull.


I have a Porter Cable dual-action polisher with a few pads and a couple of different polishes. I don't break out the polisher often, but when I do, I take the conservative approach. You can always take more off, but you can't put more paint back on.

I used the orange pads a seen here:

http://www.autogeek.net/ccs-5-5inch-foam-buffing-pads.html

and I had Pinnacle XMT Fine Swirl Remover and the Ultra Fine Swirl Remover. I started with the Fine Swirl Remover (3 applications) and moved to the Ultra Fine (3-4 applications) on a separate pad. While I was at it, I polished up the tail lights and made them look amazing.

http://www.autogeek.net/xmt-ultra-fine-swirl.html

I bought my polisher/pads/polish _years_ ago when I first bought the Miata. I took of its pinstripes and polished the heck out of the car. There's still a lot of deeper scratches in the paint that you can see under fluorescent lights but, hey, the paint on the car is nearing 30 years old. The car still great. 




S4cabriofox said:


> Looks 10 years newer :thumbup:


:thumbup: It's something that I go back-and-forth with on my car. My car is 28 years old and still mostly stock looking. It's getting rare to see one that hasn't been modified to high-heaven. Keeping with that, I love the look of the stock Daisies on the car. It just makes the car look oh-so-original and right. But there is only one good choice for a performance 14" tire (ZII Star Specs), and they might not be around forever. The 15" aftermarket wheels look great, but they are decidedly not OEM-ish. At least there are a lot of good tires out there for them. But now the car looks less original and more like 'just another Miata' on the road. 

As a guy that likes to autocross/spiritedly drive cars as well as compete in car shows, it's a dilemma that I've been dealing with.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks for the polishing tips! I've put off getting a polisher forever, might have to finally do it. All 3 of my cars could use the full treatment.

I've been eyeing 15" wheels as well, I like the classic Minilite/Chaparrel/Panasport look. I'm afraid they will be too heavy in a 15x8 though.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

A couple years ago, a buddy brought out his polisher and we went through the whole process to buff/polish the paint on my '94. In total, the process took about 11-12 hours. It really did make the car shine, but it also exposed the thinness of the paint on the bumper, finish panel, and mirrors. The new owners are repainting the car, so I'm curious to know what it looks like now 

Here's an in-process photo to show condition before and after a pass:









I just bought a Porter Cable DA polisher to cut/buff the paint on my Mk2 GTI. It will be a re-learning process for sure.


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## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

Somebody say K swap?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> I've been eyeing 15" wheels as well, I like the classic Minilite/Chaparrel/Panasport look. I'm afraid they will be too heavy in a 15x8 though.


Quality sets are pricey but still light (12-13 lbs per wheel), it's the knockoffs that are heavy. It's all about the construction, really. Well-constructed wheels can still be light weight, even in big sizes; my 15x8 6UL's were 12 lbs/wheel, a tick heavier than the stock 14x6 hollow spoke wheels.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Does anyone know what this wheel is called? Presumably the stock, 14" from 94?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Does anyone know what this wheel is called? Presumably the stock, 14" from 94?


They are just called 'seven spokes.'

They came in solid spoke, hollow spoke (somewhat lighter), and I think even in semi-hollow spokes based on the year and trim. 

Read more here:
https://www.miata.net/garage/mx5wheels/


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thank you!

Checked the numbers and mine are the solid spokes.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> :thumbup: It's something that I go back-and-forth with on my car. My car is 28 years old and still mostly stock looking. It's getting rare to see one that hasn't been modified to high-heaven. Keeping with that, I love the look of the stock Daisies on the car. It just makes the car look oh-so-original and right. But there is only one good choice for a performance 14" tire (ZII Star Specs), and they might not be around forever. The 15" aftermarket wheels look great, but they are decidedly not OEM-ish. At least there are a lot of good tires out there for them. But now the car looks less original and more like 'just another Miata' on the road.
> 
> As a guy that likes to autocross/spiritedly drive cars as well as compete in car shows, it's a dilemma that I've been dealing with.


We are going through the same thing :laugh: You don't see a lot of unmolested clean NAs and I will feel a smidge of guilt as I mod (ruin) mine. There's a charm to the steelies!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I love the clean, stock look as well. I really want to get rid of my wing and roll bar.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> I love the clean, stock look as well. I really want to get rid of my wing and roll bar.


I'd get rid of that style bar. It's not really a roll bar. There's nothing to prevent it from bending over and 'mouse trapping' you in the event of a roll-over. It's easy enough to get rid of and right now the car is more dangerous because of it. 

I forgot that my car had one of those when I bought it. I'll have to dig out some old picks when I get home.

EDIT: The bar thing was covered a couple of pages back.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

zellers88 said:


> Somebody say K swap?


Awesome! any more info? How has the car been? Anything you wish you knew going in?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> I'd get rid of that style bar. It's not really a roll bar. There's nothing to prevent it from bending over and 'mouse trapping' you in the event of a roll-over. It's easy enough to get rid of and right now the car is more dangerous because of it.
> 
> I forgot that my car had one of those when I bought it. I'll have to dig out some old picks when I get home.
> 
> EDIT: The bar thing was covered a couple of pages back.


Yeah, it's the simple Harddog bar, and I plan to remove it. I'd love to get a repaint and have that wing shaved off at the same time. I've got lots of little knicks and scrapes plus the faded plastic parts. A fresh paint would make it look mint.

Just downloaded the PDF instructions so I can pull it out. Need to wait until we are getting a week of rain again though.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Yeah, it's the simple Harddog bar, and I plan to remove it. I'd love to get a repaint and have that wing shaved off at the same time. I've got lots of little knicks and scrapes plus the faded plastic parts. A fresh paint would make it look mint.


At the same time, take the badges off the back panel and remove the one from the bumper. Get the holes filled in. That will make the car look a lot smoother :thumbup:.

(It's not particularly OEM, but I think would make the car look better.)


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## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

300_munkeys said:


> Awesome! any more info? How has the car been? Anything you wish you knew going in?


Car has been awesome. Already had one track day on the new motor and another one coming up later this month. The Kmiata kit is very thorough and very well done. I did all of the work by myself, took exactly one month from pulling out the old motor to starting up the new one. Completed it around February of this year and have put a few thousand miles on it since then. The only big issue I've had so far is the exhaust and that's more my fault than anything else I'd say.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm already referring to this as our "first Miata" because I feel like we'll definitely have more.  Really want to test drive an ND still.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

Been a while since I posted here. Bought #5 recently. Only ever owned two at a time though.

#3, still have:










#4 which had a rough but shockingly reliable 1.5 years with me:




























And #5 which started like this:










And is now this, under $3k in the whole vehicle. Black interior swap in progress as I find parts because I just hate tan.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Roadkilled78 said:


>











:laugh:


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

I've been too busy driving mine to update my thread. Might autocross it tomorrow with the local Miata club!


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Saw a Miata _exactly_ like mine (1996 Montego blue Mica) at Iola swap meet, only better. No rust (granted the FL fender was creased), intact top and window (non zip), 91000 miles, and it had a rollbar and a performance cam. $3900 asking. Looked like a nice deal. 

There was also a minty looking red 1.6 with a hardtop for $6.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

I just picked up my 9th Miata...01 BRG. At what point does it become a sickness>


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Found this guy on Insta, decals and designs. Someone on here? https://spinnywhoosh.com/collections/car-vinyl-decals/mazda


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I dig this


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Phil Pugliese said:


> I just picked up my 9th Miata...01 BRG. At what point does it become a sickness>


Probably six ago :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Took my buddy Michael for a ride. He's tall. 

I'm stretching way up to get my face over the top, he's sitting (almost) normally.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Phil Pugliese said:


> I just picked up my 9th Miata...01 BRG. At what point does it become a sickness>


We've only had seven, but we have five in the driveway right now. That's a problem.


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## Roadkilled78 (Aug 6, 2008)

DubNMiatafan said:


> :laugh:


On that note...I did the VC gasket this weekend. Sorry, adding boost had priority  but wow the previous owner really borked that up:












Claff said:


> We've only had seven, but we have five in the driveway right now. That's a problem.


Geez, what did the other two do to get evicted from Claffie's Forever Home For Miatas?


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> I'm already referring to this as our "first Miata" because I feel like we'll definitely have more.  Really want to test drive an ND still.


:laugh:

I get that. I totally get that. :beer:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Roadkilled78 said:


> Geez, what did the other two do to get evicted from Claffie's Forever Home For Miatas?


One got crushed by a Pontiac, otherwise that one would likely still be there. The other one got driven something like 300 miles in a year, and was sold to a friend. Even Claffie runs out of driveway space at some point. 

I'm only on Miata number two, but I've spend more on it on maintenance than I originally bought it for.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smig got it right. But I will elaborate.

#1 was crashed. I only had it eight months but we were on our way to a long, beautiful relationship. Although it was a nothing-special '96.









#2 was the '99 Sport that I wouldn't mind having back. But it was a garage queen, and the victim of an overcrowded driveway. If I wanted to take that car out, I'd have to move other stuff out of the way and half the time I wasn't motivated enough to shuffle around all that furniture. It was a great car, spotless inside and out. I wasn't driving it, a buddy was ready to get back in a Miata, he asked me for a price, I gave him my optimistic number and he said OK. He enjoyed it and drove it so I was happy.









I figured out around the time the 99 was sold that my parking situation worked very well with seven vehicles. The truck stays on the side of the road on one side of the driveway. After I had the driveway widened, I could keep four small cars on the driveway expansion. One stayed in the garage. And the Fit could go either on the side of the road on the other side of the driveway, or in the driveway itself. Assuming the Fit wasn't in the driveway, everything was available without moving anything else out of the way. The eighth car complicates things. It gets the driveway spot in front of the garage door, trapping not only the car in the garage but the two parked on the side closest to the garage.

We're at eight now and that's too many. Fortunately, I think I found a buyer for the MSM over the weekend, and I'm going to see if I can convince the wife to consider selling our ratty '93 next. It's not worth anything but it's kinda like the '99 was - not driven, taking up space and costing insurance/registration money. Someone can take that car and enjoy some cheap fun, and isn't that what these cars are for in the first place?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Smig got it right. But I will elaborate.



I always really liked the '99 for how stock it was; I did like (most of) what the next owner did with it:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

This nostalgia got me thinking of my old '06. I sold it to a member of the local club back in 2010 and he still has it. He doesn't post about it much on FB, but he daily drives it and takes care of it. I've seen it once since I've sold it, but it was at night. 

I know he's replaced the sway bars (one snapped), and he refreshed the suspension. It was involved in a fender-bender, but fixed properly. 




















Right after he bought it, he was autocrossing it:










That's enough FB stalking for the day.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Claff said:


> Smig got it right. But I will elaborate.
> 
> #1 was crashed. I only had it eight months but we were on our way to a long, beautiful relationship. Although it was a nothing-special '96.
> 
> ...


How ratty is the 93?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My left knee has occasional patella tendonitis... and it's tweaked right now. We've driven just automatics for so long that I forgot that was a driving-debilitating thing. Took the day off from the Miata yesterday. 

Going to take it for a few errands this afternoon and see how it goes. 

Getting old sucks btw.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Sporin said:


> My left knee has occasional patella tendonitis... and it's tweaked right now. We've driven just automatics for so long that I forgot that was a driving-debilitating thing. Took the day off from the Miata yesterday.
> 
> Going to take it for a few errands this afternoon and see how it goes.
> 
> Getting old sucks btw.


I also have a left knee issue, but I've found that as long as I don't put an excessive amount of weight on it while it is bent (in other words, get in or out of a low-slung sports car), it's not a huge deal.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

Sporin said:


> My left knee has occasional patella tendonitis... and it's tweaked right now. We've driven just automatics for so long that I forgot that was a driving-debilitating thing. Took the day off from the Miata yesterday.
> 
> Going to take it for a few errands this afternoon and see how it goes.
> 
> Getting old sucks btw.


Learn to push the clutch in by moving your entire leg. I've had 2 surgeries on my left patellar tendon. 3 days after the first surgery I drove from Orange County to Hollywood in my NB to pick up a girl with my left leg locked in a brace. Once I got used to using my entire leg to push the clutch in it wasn't that bad. The things us men do while in the pursuit of women :laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Techun said:


> How ratty is the 93?


It's actually a halfway decent car. Rusty on the drivers side rocker panel but otherwise pretty clean. Its biggest problem is that it was painted by me and my dad in his garage back in 2011 and it hasn't aged well. It is pretty dull unless freshly polished and when it gets dull, you can see the shadows from all the numbers and decals it wore as a semi-serious autocross car.

On the other hand, it's a decent little car. Started as a complete base model (no A/C, no P/S, steel wheels). It's got revalved Bilstein coilovers and a big front sway bar. Racing Beat intake and header, FM high-flow cat and exhaust. Mechanically, it could use a clutch (it chatters when it gets warm) but not much else that I can think of off the top of my head.

The problem will be prying it away from the wife. When she found it, it was looking pretty sad in a junky used car lot just out of town. She sees it as a rescue project like people view rescued pets. But cold hard cash might convince her to let someone else enjoy it since we aren't exercising it very much.

Some pics

Day it came home in 2009









White paint decided it didn't want to be attached to the car after that









Paint time a.k.a. amateur hour









Stripes make everything faster









Sticker overload









2013 SCCA Solo National championships









Retired and naked, but still shiny









Stickers never really go away


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## badsmell (Aug 15, 2016)

just asked this in the S2k thread, and would be curious to see what the miata dudes might think.

If you the choice between a new ND miata, and an S2k, which would you go with and why?


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

thetopdog said:


> Learn to push the clutch in by moving your entire leg. I've had 2 surgeries on my left patellar tendon. 3 days after the first surgery I drove from Orange County to Hollywood in my NB to pick up a girl with my left leg locked in a brace. Once I got used to using my entire leg to push the clutch in it wasn't that bad. The things us men do while in the pursuit of women :laugh:


Fun cars and fun women are worth all the leg pain in the world. 

Until it kills us. :laugh:


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

badsmell said:


> just asked this in the S2k thread, and would be curious to see what the miata dudes might think.
> 
> If you the choice between a new ND miata, and an S2k, which would you go with and why?


S2K long term cost will be a tiny fraction of a new ND's cost due to new car depreciation, so it's not a fair comparison unless you're keeping the car for eternity. 

Ignoring cost, I'd get the ND. Otherwise I'd get an AP1 and a shorter final drive gear set.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

badsmell said:


> If you the choice between a new ND miata, and an S2k, which would you go with and why?


I would always have the inevitable collectibility of the S2000 in the back of my mind to really have any fun with it. I doubt NDs will ever be appreciating in value in my lifetime so I'd treat it like Doritos: do whatever you want to it, they'll make more and they'll just keep getting cheaper. So ND wins hands down.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Driving turned out fine. No extra discomfort. Drove it an hour each way to a dinner thing I had tonight. Patella tendon be damned, Miata-time.


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## 1.8tCrayon (May 13, 2011)

So I am not a member of any miata car clubs or forums, but I figured this would be the best place to ask that gets traffic. The video below is of a 2006 miata my buddy has. It's got 80k miles on it but it sounds a bit knocky. I have read the VVT cam can make noise or it could possibly be the chain tensioner. Does anyone have more definitive idea as to what it is? There could potentially be an opportunity for me to buy it if the work that needs to be done is serious enough. So it is kind of relevant I suppose.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Claff, if you end up selling the '93, I may be interested. My GTI was totaled last week, and I'm seriously considering just picking up another NA as a replacement. I actually saw your Mazdaspeed on Craigslist and was quite tempted by that for a second as well haha.

I may split the difference and find an NC, but it certainly is tempting.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Found this guy on Insta, decals and designs. Someone on here? https://spinnywhoosh.com/collections/car-vinyl-decals/mazda


He is local in my area and does go to a few autox events, quite a bit of people have his designs. I am planning on buying numbers off him one of these days.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Did my longest highway drive in the 94 last night, about an hour. Surprisingly quiet with the top up, tons of headroom, this makes just as nice a coupe as it does a roadster. Might have to pony up for a hardtop at some point.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

1.8tCrayon said:


> So I am not a member of any miata car clubs or forums, but I figured this would be the best place to ask that gets traffic. The video below is of a 2006 miata my buddy has. It's got 80k miles on it but it sounds a bit knocky. I have read the VVT cam can make noise or it could possibly be the chain tensioner. Does anyone have more definitive idea as to what it is? There could potentially be an opportunity for me to buy it if the work that needs to be done is serious enough. So it is kind of relevant I suppose.



Sounds like it is ready to have a 2.5 swapped into it.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Brandontrek1 said:


> Sounds like it is ready to have a 2.5 swapped into it.


which is cool, but also kind of a horrible thought at only 80k miles.


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## 1.8tCrayon (May 13, 2011)

Brandontrek1 said:


> Sounds like it is ready to have a 2.5 swapped into it.


I guess good things can come out of Mazda-Ford relationships. If the engine is shot, I know for sure he is going to want to offload it. Just have to decide if his asking price would be worth it since he'll want his money back out of it. '06, Copper Red, 88k miles, 6 speed, black cloth interior, black top (that has some hole fixes), car cover, 3 sets of wheels (winter set, summer set and original wheels without tires). He bought it for $3500 in this condition expecting to quick fix and flip it. 



dunhamjr said:


> which is cool, but also kind of a horrible thought at only 80k miles.


No kidding. Seems rather common when looking into too.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

1.8tCrayon said:


> I guess good things can come out of Mazda-Ford relationships. If the engine is shot, I know for sure he is going to want to offload it. Just have to decide if his asking price would be worth it since he'll want his money back out of it. '06, Copper Red, 88k miles, 6 speed, black cloth interior, black top (that has some hole fixes), car cover, 3 sets of wheels (winter set, summer set and original wheels without tires). He bought it for $3500 in this condition expecting to quick fix and flip it.
> 
> 
> 
> No kidding. Seems rather common when looking into too.



Total cost for the swap(including the motor) can be done for $500ish, now add a proper header and you are at $900-$1000. At $3500 for the car plus the swap he might be able to to make it work.


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## 1.8tCrayon (May 13, 2011)

Brandontrek1 said:


> Total cost for the swap(including the motor) can be done for $500ish, now add a proper header and you are at $900-$1000. At $3500 for the car plus the swap he might be able to to make it work.


With the engine being shot, I should be able to pick it up for $3500. He doesn't have time to deal with a swap. It's just whether it's worth it to me which sounds do-able. Insert impending wedding coming up, that might be a hard approval for the missus.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

The early NCs are known for that, unfortunately.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Hogan said:


> Claff, if you end up selling the '93, I may be interested. My GTI was totaled last week, and I'm seriously considering just picking up another NA as a replacement. I actually saw your Mazdaspeed on Craigslist and was quite tempted by that for a second as well haha.


The guy who (I think/I hope) is buying the MSM says he has a friend who might be interested in the '93, which I figured would be great, get two parking places freed up and two fewer insurance bills. Bounced the idea off the wife over dinner and she says "It's not for sale."

I'll move it to the end of the driveway so it'll be the easiest one to jump in and go, and we'll see if she decides to take it to work and back over the next few weeks. If it still hasn't really been used in that time, I'll suggest the selling thing again. It needs to get in the hands of someone who will enjoy it rather than sitting. Though hot weather and its lack of A/C might make for a viable excuse for not much drive time looking at the forecast for the next week or so.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My car goes into the shop tomorrow, finally, to have the old O2 sensor burned out and the new one installed. Hopefully that clears the check engine light and they can inspect it. 

I'm having them change out the rear diff oil and the gearbox oil at the same time so I still have it in the air.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Wife realized the other day that we have headrest speakers, I didn't know that, they aren't very loud. Are there good upgrades? I have been planning to do a new stereo and door speakers already. (for next summer)


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

So I've had the car for roughly a month now, like Sporin and man, I am just in love with this car. 

As many of you know, I am a self-proclaimed Dubber but I totally get why there's such a rabid Miata fanbase. 

I'm actually pondering starting to make some vlogs about this car, cars and detailing in general because I just have so much good news to share about this car. 

And I still need to change the belts, CAS O ring and valve cover gasket but I just want to drive the thing! 

Yesterday my wife and I were installing a new Wheelskins cover and leather boots. I think I'm ready to re-cover the tan seats myself as well. 

Love love LOVE this little car! 










Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Love the wheelskin, I want to do that to mine as well to improve the grip and thickness (that sounds dirty).

Nice onesie btw.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

I put in a set of Polks in each head rest, and another set in the doors (not the same P/N). All driven by the head unit (Alpine). I have to say I was unimpressed with the sound quality but it beat having blown speakers, that's for sure.

Here are the Polks that I put in the head rest. IIRC, the factory speakers have a specific connector on them, so you need to do some re-wiring. Not hard to do. The tight leather on the back didn't hide my wiring, either, but I got used to it after a while.










Pardon the crappy install pics. I removed the seats to do the install since I had to access the factory wiring underneath anyway.










I had to feed the wires down with a coat hanger and have them exit under the seat, where they connect to the factory wiring.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> And I still need to change the belts, CAS O ring and valve cover gasket but I just want to drive the thing!


You might consider doing the "Cursed Water plug" and a coolant re-route while you're back there.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Sporin said:


> Wife realized the other day that we have headrest speakers, I didn't know that, they aren't very loud. Are there good upgrades? I have been planning to do a new stereo and door speakers already. (for next summer)


I'd like to know as well. All my speakers sound like poop, and I'd love double din recommendations that include Android Auto 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## adrew (Aug 15, 2003)

I have alerts for these on Slickdeals. I don't know of any that are wireless yet but saw that Alpine has one coming out that does wireless CarPlay.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/NEX/AVH-2330NEX
https://www.sony.com/electronics/in-car-receivers-players/xav-ax100


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Shop just called, fresh Redline Synthetics in the gearbox and rear end, but they couldn't get the old O2 sensor out. They put a 1 year "provisional" sticker on it anyway. He said not to worry about it. Suggested I just wait and have the pipe replaced at some point because it's thin enough that welding in a new bung probably wouldn't work. Since I'm hoping to do a full exhaust next summer anyway, we'll address it then.

It stinks to have that CEL shining at me all the time though. 

Thanks for all the headrest speaker info. I'll probably look to replace mine when I do the others. Again, that's a next year (or over the winter) thing. Just want to drive it and enjoy it as-is for now.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Sporin said:


> It stinks to have that CEL shining at me all the time though.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Shop just called, fresh Redline Synthetics in the gearbox and rear end, but they couldn't get the old O2 sensor out. They put a 1 year "provisional" sticker on it anyway. He said not to worry about it. Suggested I just wait and have the pipe replaced at some point because it's thin enough that welding in a new bung probably wouldn't work. Since I'm hoping to do a full exhaust next summer anyway, we'll address it then.
> 
> It stinks to have that CEL shining at me all the time though.
> 
> Thanks for all the headrest speaker info. I'll probably look to replace mine when I do the others. Again, that's a next year (or over the winter) thing. Just want to drive it and enjoy it as-is for now.


Since the O2 bung is integral to the header, you're better off sourcing a used replacement header. They're plentiful and cheap.

OR (wink wink nudge nudge)

Take it as an opportunity to get yourself a Flyin' Miata header - or Raceland if you want to be more fiscally-conservative (FM is the better product). They're easy enough to install yourself in a matter of a couple hours.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> Since the O2 bung is integral to the header, you're better off sourcing a used replacement header. They're plentiful and cheap.
> 
> OR (wink wink nudge nudge)
> 
> Take it as an opportunity to get yourself a Flyin' Miata header - or Raceland if you want to be more fiscally-conservative (FM is the better product). They're easy enough to install yourself in a matter of a couple hours.


I'd like to do a full header and full exhaust next summer. :biggrinsanta:


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

I wish I could even get my seats unbolted. I'm not what else to do to try since it's such a confined space. I hit it with liquid wrench and breaker bars. I don't want to accidentally break the head of the bolt off. That sounds a little dangerous. :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Claff said:


>


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Took the MSM to its new home today. We got eight years and change of use out of it and while I wouldn't have minded having the car around, I'm much happier to have a few bucks in my pocket and a parking place freed up.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

So I've got the Garage Star hardtop brackets installed on my NA (as well as security bolts). Last week, I noticed that the lower bolt on the driver's side bracket was coming loose, and thus creating an INSANE rattle. My many attempts to keep it tight and secure have been in vain. The bolt isn't stripped, so that's not the issue. I think that the plastic cap piece might be the culprit, but I'm not sure. It is wiggling around for sure, the one on the passenger side is nice and snug. I'll have to take the whole bracket off and look at that plastic piece + where the bolt is screwing into behind it... I just don't have the right screwdriver


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

^ I might have to get that 

I can deal with rattling, my car is full of rattles. But I can't deal with one that is right next to my ear :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Found a curvy road to explore today, turned out to be half dirt but it was smooth and I got to really goose it a bit through the sharp, uphill curves. Fun. 

I need to find a little tray to Velcro into my armrest box for change. Anyone found anything clever for there? Probably need to line it with felt to minimize jingling.

Mounted my iphone holder reusing some of the screw holes already in my tombstone.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> So I've had the car for roughly a month now, like Sporin and man, I am just in love with this car.
> 
> As many of you know, I am a self-proclaimed Dubber but I totally get why there's such a rabid Miata fanbase.
> 
> ...


I've had mine a month too and can't stop driving it. I find myself avoiding highways to take the long way with it whenever I can. I've only put 600mi on it so far, many more to come.


----------



## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Ryukein said:


> So I've got the Garage Star hardtop brackets installed on my NA (as well as security bolts). Last week, I noticed that the lower bolt on the driver's side bracket was coming loose, and thus creating an INSANE rattle. My many attempts to keep it tight and secure have been in vain. The bolt isn't stripped, so that's not the issue. I think that the plastic cap piece might be the culprit, but I'm not sure. It is wiggling around for sure, the one on the passenger side is nice and snug. I'll have to take the whole bracket off and look at that plastic piece + where the bolt is screwing into behind it... I just don't have the right screwdriver


I went over to the GarageStar shop to pick mine up. I need to go back and get the rails for under the car, but if I can't even get the seats unbolted, it's worthless to do. 

I think you can just remove that piece of plastic cap and store it with your latches. That should stop the rattle.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

S4cabriofox said:


> I've had mine a month too and can't stop driving it. I find myself avoiding highways to take the long way with it whenever I can. I've only put 600mi on it so far, many more to come.


So true. I am so blown away by how satisfying this car is to drive. 

Just bought new tires for the stock 14s, I like it a lot more. Those other wheels were cool and all, but not my thing.










Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

It's way too hot to store M&M's and Reece's in the garage. :laugh: Looks good!


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Autocrossing the NA for the first time this Sunday! Can't wait to whip around some cones.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Found a curvy road to explore today, turned out to be half dirt but it was smooth and I got to really goose it a bit through the sharp, uphill curves. Fun.
> 
> I need to find a little tray to Velcro into my armrest box for change. Anyone found anything clever for there? Probably need to line it with felt to minimize jingling.


I have this. It works really well and looks OEM.

http://www.mossmiata.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=74814










It's more expensive than I remember it being. In 2010 it was $32.95. It's still worth it to me.


----------



## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

Installed my Progress springs today! I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. It sits how it should have from the factory, it has less body roll and it rides like stock. Makes me love this car even more!





























Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Just as I started getting serious, the craigslist listings have slowed to a crawl. Pretty set on a decent NA, I feel like I deserve to experience popup headlights before they're gone forever.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

How about a 1995 with 22k miles on it in Pittsburgh? It's $6,900.

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata-miles/6227211971.html

My dad paid about that for a '95 with 24k on it 6 years ago.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

You need an NC


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> How about a 1995 with 22k miles on it in Pittsburgh? It's $6,900.
> 
> https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata-miles/6227211971.html
> 
> My dad paid about that for a '95 with 24k on it 6 years ago.


On Chicago CL this person would be calling it a collectible and asking $9K+.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sat down with a blue scrubbie pad and some soapy water and went to town on my alloys today. Big difference but still not perfectly clean. 

Sorry no pictures.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I put my '90 on the dyno this weekend. Anyone want to guess on its max HP figure?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> I put my '90 on the dyno this weekend. Anyone want to guess on its max HP figure?


Original 1.6 motor? On a hot day? With simple bolt-ons like exhaust and a timing bump to 14*? I'd guess 89hp to the rear wheels, 95hp corrected.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> Original 1.6 motor? On a hot day? With simple bolt-ons like exhaust and a timing bump to 14*? I'd guess 89hp to the rear wheels, 95hp corrected.


Timing bumped to 16º, I believe. A high flow cat and a FM cat-back exhaust. 120k miles. It was a hot day 93º F, but the rain cool it off into the 70s some time around the dyno run.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Claff said:


> Took the MSM to its new home today. We got eight years and change of use out of it and while I wouldn't have minded having the car around, I'm much happier to have a few bucks in my pocket and a parking place freed up.


Glad it found a new home. I saw it on CL and was tempted. A friend who helped me tune my car has a mildly built MSM (basically the FM Little Enchilada and a Megasquirt MS3) that's a total hoot to drive. But I think my wife would kill me if I got another Miata right now. The plan is to one day get a 4 seat convertible like a BMW M3 that we can enjoy together more often as a family. 

A friend presented me with a last minute opportunity to trailer my Miata back to my dad. It's a father/son project and I've had it since Thanksgiving 2016 so I could work on tuning the aftermarket standalone ECU. I was originally going to drive the car to my dad sometime in August and I had a bunch of projects planned for the next few weekends. But instead I decided it was better to get the car to him sooner rather than later so that he might enjoy the car more before the seasons change and the car once again goes into hibernation for the long winter. So I took Friday off work to do some last minute tasks to get the car ready for transit back to upstate NY.


I'm not sure who is going to miss the car more, me or my kid.


So long buddy. I left the car in the driveway and went out on a date night with my wife. My friend picked up the car while we were out to dinner. So this is my last memory of the car for now. Probably won't have any build thread updates for a while. Maybe next spring I'll get up to my dad's and work on the long to do list.


My friend sent me this pic to let me know he got the car loaded up AOK. On Saturday I received confirmation from my dad that the car arrived safe and sound. His plan is to get the car inspected and then just enjoy it for the rest of the summer and fall touring around the Finger Lakes region.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> So long buddy. I left the car in the driveway and went out on a date night with my wife. My friend picked up the car while we were out to dinner. So this is my last memory of the car for now. Probably won't have any build thread updates for a while. Maybe next spring I'll get up to my dad's and work on the long to do list.


Don't know if I could make the same sacrifice in your shoes  Super clean car. Looking forward to seeing whatever you do to it next year.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I put my '90 on the dyno this weekend. Anyone want to guess on its max HP figure?


103 HP!


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> 103 HP!


That's pretty decent for a 1.6!


----------



## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> 103 HP!


Wow, can your tires handle all that power??


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

finally got the spec miata out on a track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7ifiry8lRQ


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> That's pretty decent for a 1.6!


That it is! I'm surprised the car put down that much power.



S4cabriofox said:


> Wow, can your tires handle all that power??


Sometimes, yeah, it is. Luckily I autocross, so I have been trained to handle the car in performance environments.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

finally started moving from photobucket to imagur:


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

^ that's a move up from autox :thumbup:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

worth_fixing said:


> ^ that's a move up from autox :thumbup:


only in cost. :beer:


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> only in cost. :beer:


And in seat time. :beer:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

vortexblue said:


> And in seat time. :beer:


if you want cheap seat time, HPDE is your droid. 

but i got/get kinda bored doing HPDEs. just hot lapping, burning tires/brakes for no real point. and after you do it on the same track for a while, there isn't much interesting anymore, so much space, so much practice on the same set of corners, it just kinda blahs pretty quick. 

autocross on the other hand is the sport of being 99% or 100% as fast as you can go, on basically your second or third lap on a course you've never seen before. 110% intensity, hyper focus on car control and execution. that is super fun. the course is different and interesting each time because you have such flexibility in design. moving a cone 3 feet can vastly effect the nature of a course and what you need to do to drive it fast. 

but after doing a lot of HPDEs, and as i said, kinda getting bored of them, i decided to step up to full road racing. its far more interesting than HPDE, because every corner is different again. the line changes as you attack the guy in front of you, and defend from the guy behind you. every lap is a little bit different becuase your goal in each corner is different each time around. am i attacking? am i defending? what is happening 2 cars ahead, can i get a tow around if i work together with the guy in front of me, or are we battling? is the guy behind me going to help me draft on this straight, or pop out and try to out-brake me? 

autocross is the sport of hyper focus on car control and getting and keeping the car to the limit the entire run. road racing is the sport of total situational awareness. the car control is instinctual, not planned. everything around you must be managed, your focus is not on driving the car, its on what is happening around you. only a fool would mock autocross compared to road racing, everything learned in autocross will help you be a better road racer (and vice versa).


----------



## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

I didn't mock autoX.

I mocked your silly dig at his SpecMiata effort.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> finally started moving from photobucket to imagur:





cockerpunk said:


> only in cost. :beer:





cockerpunk said:


> if you want cheap seat time, HPDE is your droid.
> 
> but i got/get kinda bored doing HPDEs. just hot lapping, burning tires/brakes for no real point. and after you do it on the same track for a while, there isn't much interesting anymore, so much space, so much practice on the same set of corners, it just kinda blahs pretty quick.
> 
> ...





vortexblue said:


> I didn't mock autoX.
> 
> I mocked your silly dig at his SpecMiata effort.


you figured out all three comments were made by me right? 

k


----------



## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

New tire day! Tire Rack has these on clearance. $92 a piece.


----------



## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

titleist1976 said:


> New tire day! Tire rack has these on clearance. $92 a piece.


I thought you were referring to RPFs and got too excited...


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

S4cabriofox said:


> I thought you were referring to RPFs and got too excited...


Sorry... I did say "new TIRE day", not "new WHEEL day." Though I'd like a set for my Mini, too. Or some NM wheels. hmmmmm...


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## roberttatefan (Mar 18, 2009)

titleist1976 said:


> New tire day! Tire Rack has these on clearance. $92 a piece.


Details?


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

roberttatefan said:


> Details?


Yokohama Advan Neova 205/50/15. Great tires.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

titleist1976 said:


> Sorry... I did say "new TIRE day", not "new WHEEL day." Though I'd like a set for my Mini, too. Or some NM wheels. hmmmmm...


Hey, didn't notice we had the same cars. My Clubman is auto though, don't shoot me. It's Manic Stage 1, feels like a torque monster compared to the Miata.

And yeah, I didn't register it fully before seeing "SALE FOR $92" and seeing the picture.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

S4cabriofox said:


> Hey, didn't notice we had the same cars. My Clubman is auto though, don't shoot me. It's Manic Stage 1, feels like a torque monster compared to the Miata.
> .


I never noticed that either! 

I've been meaning to get the Manic tune, but I've yet to drive to LA to get it done. I installed a Forge inner cooler a while back and a Remus exhaust last month... it makes sounds like it's the business. Now it just need the tune to make it go. I just smogged it and can't remember if I even put the JB back on. That's how little it does, never noticed. Even without it, it's definitely faster than the Miata. But the Miata is just so much fun to screw around in. :laugh:


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> you figured out all three comments were made by me right?
> 
> k


Naah,
I didn't read that. I was just white-knighting.

Sorry for the drama. :beer:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Wife got the seatbelt (fabric part) jammed in the door while I was gone. Couldn't get it open so she just climbed in and out. 

Today I managed to pull some of the strap out. Then sat my butt in the passenger seat and pushed the door with my feet.


----------



## oidoglr (Jan 26, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> you figured out all three comments were made by me right?
> 
> k


BTW, is this your 944: https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/cto/d/1986-porsche-944-turbo/6193785881.html

All of your old images are down around the vortex, so I couldn't verify by stalking back in time through your posts. :laugh:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Replaced the hoses, fixed a small leak and cleaned the hell out of the engine bay. 

Hasn't been on the road for a week. It felt like an eternity. 




















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Swapping from a 12EEEE to an 11.5M has corrected my issue with the inside of my sneaker catching the clutch when going back to the dead pedal. Shoe size change was necessitated by my big weight loss so it's a win-win. 










Tried to go back to my favorite sneaker from the 90's, the Adidas Samba Classic, but it was too cramped in the toes and had no support. My old feet just love New Balance though.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

I can totally relate. 

The best fit for me is New Balance also. I've never been that heavy to where my shoe size changed, I just have mutant feet. I wear 7 1/2 EEEE! It's a bit tight with the narrow pedals in a Beetle, but I can make it work. On pre '65 models if I'm shifting really hard I'll usually hit the high beams since the floor mounted switch is left of the clutch pedal! :laugh:


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Just picked up my new daily! This is my 6th Miata, and 1st NB. It's a 2001 NB2, super clean, all stock for now, and I couldn't be happier with it. The difference between the NB and NA as far as daily driveability goes is already extremely apparent, the difference in NVH alone is huge. I'm really happy with my decision to go with the NB this time around, and I can't wait to see what all I do to this thing.

At the moment, it really needs absolutely nothing. Clutch and cooling system are new, timing belt was done less than 20k ago, all the clutch hydraulics look very new, suspension feels good as new, etc. So I'll probably start with some things like sway bars and a roll bar and such, and when I get a little more use out of the shocks that are in it now, I'll look to upgrading that.


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

This is from the "Miatas on the lawn" event from a few weeks up here in the Boston area. Was held at the "Larz Automotive Museum". Had 180 Miatas show up.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Hogan said:


> Just picked up my new daily!


Nice car! Sure they can be modified but it is refreshing to drive a completely stock and well sorted example. They really are great cars right from the factory. I sometimes miss the old days before my car had a roll bar and some other mods that change the character of the car.



tngdesi said:


> This is from the "Miatas on the lawn" event from a few weeks up here in the Boston area. Was held at the "Larz Automotive Museum". Had 180 Miatas show up.


Looks like a good time! Thanks for sharing.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Miata Day was always my favorite show to be at when I worked at the Larz Anderson, everyone that comes is so ****ing nice and enthusiastic.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

tngdesi said:


> This is from the "Miatas on the lawn" event from a few weeks up here in the Boston area. Was held at the "Larz Automotive Museum". Had 180 Miatas show up.


Would have LOVED to have gone to this but, unfortunately, I only heard about it day-of and I was already involved in something else. Looking forward to getting together with some New England Miatas some time soon!


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Hogan said:


> Just picked up my new daily! This is my 6th Miata, and 1st NB. It's a 2001 NB2, super clean, all stock for now, and I couldn't be happier with it. The difference between the NB and NA as far as daily driveability goes is already extremely apparent, the difference in NVH alone is huge. I'm really happy with my decision to go with the NB this time around, and I can't wait to see what all I do to this thing.
> 
> At the moment, it really needs absolutely nothing. Clutch and cooling system are new, timing belt was done less than 20k ago, all the clutch hydraulics look very new, suspension feels good as new, etc. So I'll probably start with some things like sway bars and a roll bar and such, and when I get a little more use out of the shocks that are in it now, I'll look to upgrading that.


I am glad being back in an NB after my last two NA's, too. 5 NA's then NB then 2 NA's then now an NB2.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

freedomgli said:


> Nice car! Sure they can be modified but it is refreshing to drive a completely stock and well sorted example. They really are great cars right from the factory. I sometimes miss the old days before my car had a roll bar and some other mods that change the character of the car.


Thanks! Yeah, I had a bunch of big plans for modifying the car from the get go, but honestly, I wasn't really expecting to find such a nice example. I may do a few little things here and there, but I'm really happy with where it is right now, I'm not in any hurry to mess with it. Definitely first on the list is an aftermarket headunit so I can hook my phone up to the stereo, but that's the only thing that I consider to be a pressing upgrade, everything else is just about perfect as it sits.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

titleist1976 said:


> I never noticed that either!
> 
> I've been meaning to get the Manic tune, but I've yet to drive to LA to get it done. I installed a Forge inner cooler a while back and a Remus exhaust last month... it makes sounds like it's the business. Now it just need the tune to make it go. I just smogged it and can't remember if I even put the JB back on. That's how little it does, never noticed. Even without it, it's definitely faster than the Miata. But the Miata is just so much fun to screw around in. :laugh:


The Manic is fantastic for a basic tune, I highly recommend. I just sent my ECU in to them because I had a car to borrow while it was dead. I doubt I'll do much more to the Mini since I have the Miata to tinker on now, but an exhaust is always intriguing, particularly if I want a stage 2 eventually. Does your NA have any significant mods?



Hogan said:


> Just picked up my new daily! This is my 6th Miata, and 1st NB. It's a 2001 NB2, super clean, all stock for now, and I couldn't be happier with it. The difference between the NB and NA as far as daily driveability goes is already extremely apparent, the difference in NVH alone is huge. I'm really happy with my decision to go with the NB this time around, and I can't wait to see what all I do to this thing.
> 
> At the moment, it really needs absolutely nothing. Clutch and cooling system are new, timing belt was done less than 20k ago, all the clutch hydraulics look very new, suspension feels good as new, etc. So I'll probably start with some things like sway bars and a roll bar and such, and when I get a little more use out of the shocks that are in it now, I'll look to upgrading that.


Looks awesome sir!

Unrelated, my friends helped me install BC Racing BR coilovers on my NA over the weekend. It needs an alignment so I'm going to replace the steelies ASAP, but it feels awesome as is, and it's riding pretty damn low now. 

I am definitely seeking suggestions for 15x7 and 15x8s that would look good on a black Miata. Open to silver, gray or bronze/gold wheels. If anybody is selling, hit me up. :laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

VTECeateR said:


> Replaced the hoses, fixed a small leak and cleaned the hell out of the engine bay.
> 
> Hasn't been on the road for a week. It felt like an eternity.


Try 2 months :banghead:

Yours looks very clean :thumbup:

No pics because I haven't switched to imgur yet. 




Hogan said:


> Just picked up my new daily! This is my 6th Miata, and 1st NB. It's a 2001 NB2, super clean, all stock for now, and I couldn't be happier with it. The difference between the NB and NA as far as daily driveability goes is already extremely apparent, the difference in NVH alone is huge. I'm really happy with my decision to go with the NB this time around, and I can't wait to see what all I do to this thing.


Nice. I was also looking at NBs, but I prefered the NA styling inside and out, especially the pop ups. What are the differences with how it rides/drives? As I understand it, the powertrains are identical..


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

S4cabriofox said:


> The Manic is fantastic for a basic tune, I highly recommend. I just sent my ECU in to them because I had a car to borrow while it was dead. I doubt I'll do much more to the Mini since I have the Miata to tinker on now, but an exhaust is always intriguing, particularly if I want a stage 2 eventually. Does your NA have any significant mods?


Just the FM sways, suspension, and alignment. Everything else is OEM, other than some Garage Star brackets for my hardtop. I'm good with it. I need to track down a clicking on the left rear corner when going over curbs and speed bumps. I'm afraid there is something loose, that I should probably find sooner than later.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Went to a BBQ with some friends last weekend. The black 94 Miata is a friend that's owned it since 98 and he was an avid autocross for many years. I let him drive my Miata and he's ready for SR20 power


64 Datsun Roadster SR20, 65 Datsun Roadster SR20, 91 Miata SR20, 94 Miata BP8


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

First road trip in the Miata this last weekend. Took it up through Banff and Lake Louise and it handled like a champ! Easily the most enjoyable mountain drive I've done in a long time.











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)




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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Dug this out of my closet. It's a 1/24 scale Tamiya kit. Sorry for the lousy pic 



















For some reason I decided to try automotive spray paint. First a primer coat then the base. Then wet sanded and hand polish. I also have another sealed unopened kit and a can of Tamiya BRG spray paint. One day I will make a '91 BRG SE.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Planning my first long road trip. Most I've done so far is about an hour each way. This will be all the way up to visit my friend near the Canadian border. It's a 2 hour highway slog, or about 3.5 if I go all back roads.

I could cut west a couple of different ways, then meet up with Route 7 and go north. 

Or head up Route 12 to 15 through Randolph, Montpelier, and Morristown... that looks curvier on the map, and will most likely be a nicer ride. 

Hope the weather is decent.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Phil Pugliese said:


> I am glad being back in an NB after my last two NA's, too. 5 NA's then NB then 2 NA's then now an NB2.


Excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between NB and NB2? Did they have a refresh or something during that generation?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

If anyone doing road trips wants some awesome luggage for his or her Miata, I can't recommend this place enough:

http://shop.geris-bazaar.com

Geri custom-makes nylon bags that are fit for the trunk of your specific Miata (and Z4s and S2000s). I had a set for my NC and I have a set for my NA. They are great, function bags, but they aren't the most 'premium' looking. I think GoMiata makes similar bags, but they stole their designs from Geri. 










When my wife and I went to Myrtle Beach, here's the stuff I had on the way home (including the bags):










And here's everything in the trunk:










Geri is a nice woman who owns a 2002 Miata and come out to Miata events and supports the community. She lives in either North Carolina or South Carolina.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> Excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between NB and NB2? Did they have a refresh or something during that generation?


1999 and 2000 were the NB1s. Later were NB2s. There's some minor differences. The most noticeable are the tail lights (NB1 had the fried-egg look) and the grilles/front bumper. The NB1 had an oval grille opening and the NB2 was trapezoidal. I think there are some interior differences as well, and also the later cars got VVT.

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=601641

NB1 on left NB 2 on right:










More pics:
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=615799


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

fR3ZNO said:


> Excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between NB and NB2? Did they have a refresh or something during that generation?


New front end and also the VVT motor with a slight increase in power...that requires premium. 

99-00









01-05


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Thanks for the info guys. :beer: Never noticed the differences between the two. Easier to see when they're side by side.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> Excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between NB and NB2? Did they have a refresh or something during that generation?


Yeppers. Exterior styling gets a refresh plus the mechanicals. I recall the engine gets coil-on-plug ignition(wasted spark?) and exhaust(only?) camshaft phasing. Premium fuel requirement. Optional 17" wheels. Extra speakers in the wind blocker.

Also the seats gets a taller seat back. Looks like you're transporting a pair of surf boards.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

That luggage looks great, thanks for the tip. :thumbup:

I'm trying to put together a small tool set to take with me, wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, jumper cables, etc. Any must-haves?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

mx5er said:


> Yeppers. Exterior styling gets a refresh plus the mechanicals. I recall the engine gets coil-on-plug ignition(wasted spark?) and exhaust(only?) camshaft phasing. Premium fuel requirement. Optional 17" wheels. Extra speakers in the wind blocker.
> 
> Also the seats gets a taller seat back. Looks like you're transporting a pair of surf boards.


NB1's have wasted spark (just like 1.8 NA's) and the NB2's have coil-on-plug. VVT was on the intake rather than the exhaust side.


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

mx5er said:


> Yeppers. Exterior styling gets a refresh plus the mechanicals. I recall the engine gets coil-on-plug ignition(wasted spark?) and exhaust(only?) camshaft phasing. Premium fuel requirement. Optional 17" wheels. Extra speakers in the wind blocker.
> 
> Also the seats gets a taller seat back. Looks like you're transporting a pair of surf boards.


Kind-of COP, only two coils so there are still two spark plug wires.

Intake camshaft VVT

Extra speakers were added to the wind blocker in 2004, I believe.

Extra chassis bracing as well, negating the need for the Flyin Miata Butterfly Brace.

Edit: Projector headlights, too


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Way too cheap, but seems legit (it was in a Miata facebook group)

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/d/1994-mazda-miata-mx5-18l/6258649290.html


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Way too cheap, but seems legit (it was in a Miata facebook group)
> 
> https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/d/1994-mazda-miata-mx5-18l/6258649290.html


Damn - I may have to look at this one over the weekend. Looks like a great car for the price...


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## Ducky 2.0T (Jun 4, 2001)

First time, long time... I'm sure it's been covered here, but would you look for a MSM or NC for your miata cherry?

Looking for a low mile, sunny day, twister. 

MSM selection will be much more difficult and some want a premium. Thoughts on this one?
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/707250266/overview/


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

IMO you need to go drive both. It wasn't an msm, but I drove an NB then an NC. The fit and comfort of the NB just wasn't good for me. The NC is great. And is essentially my daily. NC is supposed to be as fast as the msm, and some people don't like the msm 6 speed gearing.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Put a few hundred miles on mine this weekend. 

Windsor VT to Saint Albans, all back roads. Saint Albans to Windsor via Fairlee VT. About 75/25 backroads to highway with some dirt roads as well. 

Great weather and the car never missed a beat. 

A few pics: https://imgur.com/gallery/Jy1JS


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Ducky 2.0T said:


> First time, long time... I'm sure it's been covered here, but would you look for a MSM or NC for your miata cherry?
> 
> Looking for a low mile, sunny day, twister.
> 
> ...


We just sold our MSM and replaced it with a second NC. The MSM is a good car, we enjoyed ours for eight or nine years, but no way would I choose one for a daily driver over a NC. The interior got a lot nicer and the soft top was a huge improvement as well.


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## Ducky 2.0T (Jun 4, 2001)

dunhamjr said:


> IMO you need to go drive both. It wasn't an msm, but I drove an NB then an NC. The fit and comfort of the NB just wasn't good for me. The NC is great. And is essentially my daily. NC is supposed to be as fast as the msm, and some people don't like the msm 6 speed gearing.


I've seen that as well. The gearing for the MSM is tough for auto-x.

Not too many MSM's around. NC is the easier choice with much more inventory.


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

Kinda a crappy picture, but had a blast taking this thing up GMR last weekend. Never gets old driving it. It's been on the backburner since I picked up my Lightning. Any prht guys have suggestions for a rollbar?


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Ducky 2.0T said:


> First time, long time... I'm sure it's been covered here, but would you look for a MSM or NC for your miata cherry?
> 
> Looking for a low mile, sunny day, twister.
> 
> ...


Not sure why the love for the MSM in North America, in these dangerous lands, the NB SE (our MSM) is widely considered "meh" due to the small turbo size and lack-luster tuning in stock form. Mind you, they still commend a premium, of course. 

I test-drove both NBs and NCs and ended up with the latter. Easier to live with day to day, bit more space, far from being the porker some would have you believe. One of the main things for me was the single latch for roof operation... No stretching across the car for the passenger side latch, the roof is down in about 3 seconds and back up in <10, if I'm fumbling. Minor thing, but does make life easier.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

I found these NB stars on CL yesterday for too cheap to pass up as I needed at least one new wheel and tire. These should carry me through fall (literally). Potato pics for clicks.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

strapontin said:


> Not sure why the love for the MSM in North America


A friend of mine has a MSM with FM Little Enchilada package, Megasquirt 3 ECU and FM Exhaust. It's a very fun car. Is it better than a base NA or NB with an aftermarket turbo kit? That's debatable. Everybody has different priorities and places a different value on different things. I have another friend who has a NA that he turbocharged and it has like 270hp at the wheels. It's sometimes scary to drive and has had it's fair share of reliability issues despite following the MT.net zeitgeist. Scary can be fun. But my other friend's MSM is the one I'd rather have in my driveway as it is a better balanced package despite having lower power output.


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## Sake Bomb (Jan 21, 2013)

S4cabriofox said:


> I found these NB stars on CL yesterday for too cheap to pass up as I needed at least one new wheel and tire. These should carry me through fall (literally). Potato pics for clicks.


Those are probably my favorite oem Miata wheel. They look so right on na's.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

freedomgli said:


> A friend of mine has a MSM *with FM Little Enchilada package, Megasquirt 3 ECU and FM Exhaust*. It's a very fun car.


That's the thing. They need upgrades to liven them up a bit. Otherwise it seems like the stock MSM package is a whole lot of meh. ECU tuning choked them out of the box.

Agreed on some turbo cars being scary. Tried out a turbo NB with 250whp. Scary describes it well. Love my supercharged NC with about 220-230whp. Power delivery is linear and more fun day to day, even if it doesn't pull the numbers turbo cars can do.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

strapontin said:


> That's the thing. They need upgrades to liven them up a bit. Otherwise it seems like the stock MSM package is a whole lot of meh. ECU tuning choked them out of the box.
> 
> Agreed on some turbo cars being scary. Tried out a turbo NB with 250whp. Scary describes it well. Love my supercharged NC with about 220-230whp. Power delivery is linear and more fun day to day, even if it doesn't pull the numbers turbo cars can do.


Some other things the MSM has over the base cars: standard ABS, 6 speed, and better paint colors. ABS is extremely rare on an NB besides MSMs.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sake Bomb said:


> Those are probably my favorite oem Miata wheel. They look so right on na's.


Thanks man! I agree, I'm happier with it than I could've expected. It gives the car a little baby Vette/Ferrari look. I feel like an impostor with a car that looks this sporty but does 0-60 in 8.5sec.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sake Bomb said:


> Any prht guys have suggestions for a rollbar?


What are your goals? You've basically got the Hard Dog M3 Hard Bar from Bethania Garage. Unfortunately, the mechanics of the power top mean that this bar is no taller than the factory hoops. It's stronger, but helmet clearance will not be increased over stock. Not sure whether the Hard Dog Transformer bar will fit the PRHT or not. It's a PITA to convert back and forth between street and track mode but it might be a viable option for you.

Given your Southern California location, it couldn't hurt to give Moti at Blackbird Fabworx a call to see if he'd be willing to make you a custom roll bar. He's located in Canoga Park. Moti already has one for the soft top NC, but to my knowledge, he has not yet developed one for the PRHT. 

Otherwise, you're looking at a custom roll bar. I know VAC Motorsports made one for this guy, but they're not a production item you can buy off the shelf.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

My E Street NB at a local event. I've gone the CSP route on my old NA and started an STS build not too long ago. I'm really enjoying removing a lot of the setup variables and jusy focusing on fixing my bad drivig habits. Also, way cheaper to be competitive. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I've had a lot of moments where I was fighting my STS car where I'd see the ES guys throwing around their NBs and thinking "that looks like fun, and simple, too."

Then I remember that I sold my garage queen 99 Sport some years ago; that would have been a perfect starting point.

On the other hand, every time I've driven a street class Miata - and I think I've tried all four generations - I've brought it back hating it. Too roly-poly for me. And I don't think I could live with a stock ride height car in my driveway.

Still looks like fun, though.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

Believe me, I'd like a modified Miata as well. Something along the lines of Brian Wells' old STS car that I co drove. I think if the local ES competition wasn't fun I'd probably be in STR right now. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

A blogger friend from the Bay area dropped by during his family road trip and wrote up a post about our BBQ a few weeks back and included a video of a mountain run in the Miata.

Z Car blog Oregon BBQ


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Sake Bomb said:


> Those are probably my favorite oem Miata wheel. They look so right on na's.


Agreed, looks better on the NA than NB.


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## unplugged92 (Jul 13, 2012)

My 1997 turbocharged track toy








[/url]miatacupchallenge1 by Rajan Thiru, on Flickr[/IMG]

miatacupchallenge2 by Rajan Thiru, on Flickr


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

unplugged92 said:


> My 1997 turbocharged track toy
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love the green


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

cool pic of my spec from last weekends track night:


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

What oil do y'all recommend for a daily-driven NA? Stock motor, no ticking issues or anything.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Ryukein said:


> What oil do y'all recommend for a daily-driven NA? Stock motor, no ticking issues or anything.


For a daily driver I get whatever dinosaur oil is on sale at Pep Boys (5 quarts and a filter for $21.99). I think I use 10W30 for the 1.6s, maybe 5W30. Haven't blown one up yet!


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Ryukein said:


> What oil do y'all recommend for a daily-driven NA? Stock motor, no ticking issues or anything.


not sure if its a popular opinion but...
for me, especially on a daily driver, pretty much anything, just get whatever oil spec your car needs, the brand you like, or are willing to pay for.
honestly, unless the car specs ask for special oil specs (ie VW/audi), i put all kinds of crap in these things.

i havent done my miata yet as i trust the PO and he changed the oil just before i bought it. and honestly. i have no idea what he filled with.
i put valvoline 0-20 in my mazda6, it was on sale.
i used up some left over shell rotella in my Sienna... which might be why my mileage is down a little haha .. its 15-40
the saab got some valvoline 5-30 i found on sale.

i have used 'green oil' in the sienna, saab, and audi.
i will sometimes use mobile1, but mostly because they make the newer VW oil specs and are fairly easy to find locally. and/or i find it on sale/rebate.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Ryukein said:


> What oil do y'all recommend for a daily-driven NA? Stock motor, no ticking issues or anything.


See below. I ran 5W-30 for a while, then switched to Rotella 5W-40.



dunhamjr said:


> not sure if its a popular opinion but...
> for me, especially on a daily driver, pretty much anything, just get whatever oil spec your car needs, the brand you like, or are willing to pay for.


I agree on newer cars, but when it comes to the Miata, the owners manual that was in my '94 spec'd 5W-20. That was way too thin for the lifters, and I got clatter almost any time I got on the highway.

5W-30 worked for me for a while, and then I started getting clatter when the oil would get to about 4,000 miles. Some oils gave up sooner. I then switched to Rotella 5W-40, because 1) it's relatively inexpensive, and 2) it preserves the cold viscosity spec'd by Mazda, but bumps up the warm viscosity to battle the lifter clatter issue. No amount of thrashing or highway brought back the clatter, so that's what I stuck with until I sold the car.


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

Had a great drive few days around parts of New Hampshire.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

tngdesi said:


> Had a great drive few days around parts of New Hampshire.


Great spec, clean car. Wish I could take mine through the hills of NH.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

So I've finally found out the BAD part about finally owning a NA Miata...










...and that is that now I REALLY REALLY want an ND...


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

VTECeateR said:


> So I've finally found out the BAD part about finally owning a NA Miata...
> 
> ...and that is that now I REALLY REALLY want an ND...


I'm in the same boat :laugh:


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

tngdesi said:


> Had a great drive few days around parts of New Hampshire.


perfect spec NB


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Another reason I LOVE my Miata...even though I couldn't take my Miata because of what I THOUGHT was a wheel bearing issue that turned out to be a loose wheel nut the local group I'm in welcomed the 300hp GTI with open arms.

We went on a fabulous drive around Napa and I remembered why it's such a great place to be an enthusiast. 

I may have had the fastest car there, but I know they had more fun. I seriously can't stress how fun a Miata is.

Here are some pics from the drive:

IMG_20170819_095750 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_095814 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_095845 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_095912 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_095929 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_100047 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_101101 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_104933 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20170819_110335 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr
Fish out of water!

IMG_20170819_115425 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr
Yes, I still really like my GTI. I love my family. However, having a wife and 10-year-old kid, I kind of need a 4-seater. And it's a hell of a car. But it's no Miata...


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

Brandontrek1 said:


> perfect spec NB


x2

if i could spec an NB, that would be it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'd love a BRG/tan Miata to compliment my red one. Then I could go nuts modding Little Red while I keep the BRG mint. 

They made that color in the NA, right?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> I'd love a BRG/tan Miata to compliment my red one. Then I could go nuts modding Little Red while I keep the BRG mint.
> 
> They made that color in the NA, right?


Yes, for the 1991 model year only, and I think some 1994 Canadian cars as well.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Sporin said:


> I'd love a BRG/tan Miata to compliment my red one. Then I could go nuts modding Little Red while I keep the BRG mint.
> 
> They made that color in the NA, right?


Ohhhhh yeaaahhhhhh :thumbup:

1991 Special Edition, BRG over Tan. Only year for this color combo in the US on the NA. The NBs had a special edition like this as well.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

I'd miss the flip up headlights but could get into the NB 2001 BRG special edition. 

The NB, essentially in that color, has a real classic Jag vibe.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I'd miss the flip up headlights but could get into the NB 2001 BRG special edition.
> 
> The NB, essentially in that color, has a real classic Jag vibe.


I just went from a 92 Sunburst to a 01 BRG...I don't miss the barn doors one bit. The NB2 is a huge leap from a NA6 with little loss in Miata-ness

NA Miata: A college girl with a playful curiocity about sex
NB Miata: A woman with an insatiable appetite for sex.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I want both!


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I want both!


Miata's are cheap enough...you can have both!


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

Brandontrek1 said:


> perfect spec NB



I shopped the used Miata market for over 6 months looking for this spec. I finally found this 2001 SE in Florida. Bought the car from a 76 yr old man that took decent care of the car mechanically. Some light scrapes and dings here and there, but all fixable. Drove the car from Florida to New Hampshire to bring it home. Never seen snow, pretty much zero rust and it only had 36k miles on it.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

So the new Miata isn't quite going so well haha.

I had the coolant line that goes from the back of the head to the oil cooler split on me on Friday night and the car overheated before I even had a chance to pull it over. It didn't overheat for long, but it stalled out, possibly from all the coolant spraying everyone and getting on the plugs and such.

I replaced the line, and it's been driving a bit funny since then. Occasionally it'll have a rough start, which I guess makes sense cause it drenched the starter. But today when I was driving to work, it died in traffic twice and took about 30 seconds before it would start back up. It's also idling a little rougher, which is a bit of a concern as well.

I'm not seeing any excess smoke, and it doesn't look like any oil or coolant are mixing, the levels for both are still fine, and there is no bubbling in the radiator when the car is running, so I don't think it's the head gasket. At least, the symptoms are pointing towards something else, and I'm really hoping it isn't.

The plugs, wires, and coils are all brand new with less than 1000 miles on them. 

I don't think it's the cat, though I suppose there's a chance it could be?

Who knows, kinda frustrating with a car that I've only had for 3 weeks, but I suppose it happens. I'll track it down. Otherwise, I'm loving it, I still say this is the best Miata I've had by a large margin.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

That sucks. I'm guessing you had/have the dreaded CAS o-ring leak, which leaked onto your heater hose.

As far as the running issues go, did you check to see if coolant got under the plug wire boots? 

At worse, it could be a head gasket. Miatas don't take well to overheating, so the head could be slightly warped.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Stevo12 said:


> That sucks. I'm guessing you had/have the dreaded CAS o-ring leak, which leaked onto your heater hose.
> 
> As far as the running issues go, did you check to see if coolant got under the plug wire boots?
> 
> At worse, it could be a head gasket. Miatas don't take well to overheating, so the head could be slightly warped.


Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I pulled a couple of the boots and they look dry. I'm going to pull all the boots and plugs when I get home from work tonight and see what I'm working with.

I'm figuring a head gasket/warped head is the worst case scenario. I've done all the rudimentary tests for that and everything still seems to be ok, but it's still a possibility. I guess I'll see where I'm at when I pull the plugs and all the boots. I've also got a CEL that I haven't had a chance to have checked out, so that will hopefully give me some more direction.

Honestly, it's behaving like a vacuum leak, but I haven't been able to track one down, and it seems odd for an overheating issue to cause a vacuum leak, unless of course it melted a vacuum line, or the coolant spraying everywhere blew one off.

Fingers are seriously crossed that it's just a vacuum leak though.

And I've got an NB2, so no pesky leaking CAS o ring for me, thankfully. But it did seem a bit oily, and at the very least, completely worn out. The entire cooling system had been replaced recently, I'm guessing they just forgot about that hose, it's kind of easy to overlook. And as I can attest to, an absolute pain in the ass to get to. That said, there's a good chance I could have knocked a vacuum line that I didn't notice when I was swapping out the coolant hose.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

My stupid radiator is leaking again, this is the second one to go bad on me. 

Do I just splurge on a full aluminum Mishimoto and be done with radiator replacements? It seems like overkill for a stock 1.6 but I'm so tired of these plastic capped ones leaking.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Hogan said:


> Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I pulled a couple of the boots and they look dry. I'm going to pull all the boots and plugs when I get home from work tonight and see what I'm working with.
> 
> I'm figuring a head gasket/warped head is the worst case scenario. I've done all the rudimentary tests for that and everything still seems to be ok, but it's still a possibility. I guess I'll see where I'm at when I pull the plugs and all the boots. I've also got a CEL that I haven't had a chance to have checked out, so that will hopefully give me some more direction.
> 
> ...


How's performance otherwise, like when you're accelerating? Hopefully it's just a vacuum leak :beer:



Roketdriver said:


> My stupid radiator is leaking again, this is the second one to go bad on me.
> 
> Do I just splurge on a full aluminum Mishimoto and be done with radiator replacements? It seems like overkill for a stock 1.6 but I'm so tired of these plastic capped ones leaking.


Depends. What brand did you use last time, how much was it, and how much are the Mishimoto replacements?

Personally, I went with a Mishimoto when replacing the cooling system on my E36 because the OE replacements from Behr are known to fail prematurely. However on the Miata side, the M.net guys swear by Koyo replacements that are available on Amazon pretty cheap, so my inclination would be to stick to that, unless your failed replacement was also a Koyo. FWIW, the WRX swore by those Koyos as well, and I ended up using one on my WRX. Didn't own it long enough to see how good it turned out in the long run, but it seemed to work great in the short term, and it was cheap.


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## Ducky 2.0T (Jun 4, 2001)

If you were to pick an NC, would you get a club or GT? Do the GT's have LSD? 

If I don't plan to do a lot of highway driving and I will be garage kept, is the PRHT worth it?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Ducky 2.0T said:


> If you were to pick an NC, would you get a club or GT? Do the GT's have LSD?
> 
> If I don't plan to do a lot of highway driving and I will be garage kept, is the PRHT worth it?



The GT could have an LSD. It would have needed the suspension package to get it, though. 

Personally, my ideal NC would be a Club PRHT, but I've already had a soft top NC and an NA.

The PRHT might not be worth it for you. The NC's soft top goes up and down _very_ quickly. Around 2 seconds down and maybe 4 seconds up. I don't think you'd see a lot of benefit for the extra cost of a PRHT.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Stevo12 said:


> Depends. What brand did you use last time, how much was it, and how much are the Mishimoto replacements?


I had a Koyo from Amazon go bad, followed by an ADPI/Pro from Rockauto. They were both around $60. The Mishimoto will be $250 if I bite that bullet. 

I'm not losing tons of coolant yet, but I can smell it when I drive so I know it's only a matter of time before the trickle turns into a hemorrhage.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Stevo12 said:


> How's performance otherwise, like when you're accelerating? Hopefully it's just a vacuum leak :beer:


Once I get above 2.5-3k RPMs it feels 100%. But below that it kinda falls flat on it's face. It misses and stumbles at idle, and bogs down at lower RPMs like the coils are failing or something. In fact, when it stalls out, it happens when I go to start off and start it off slow at a lower RPM, it'll just kinda sit there and wont accelerate unless it stalls out.

Another thing I'm considering, is possibly a short in the coolant temp sensor, the oil cooler line basically exploded right by the sensor, and it came back with a P0117 code, which is the code for the temp sensor. So I'm thinking it could be malfunctioning, and not recognizing the temperature, causing the fuel mixture to run too rich. A new one is only $25, so I figure it's worth a shot. After that, I'll do a compression test tomorrow, as well. But since I may as well give the sensor a shot while I'm at it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I haven't seen many ND's on the road (no dealer in town and very few Miatas in general) but I finally saw a red one yesterday. It looked GREAT in that color (the only other one in the area is white, also nice). I haven't really liked that garnet red in pictures but in person it's a stunner. I tend to prefer real reds (like my NA) not off-reds.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Random Miata thoughts....

At least when your midlife crisis car is a Miata, no one can accuse you of overcompensating. 

The problem with owning* a* Miata is you want MORE Miatas.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

Sporin said:


> Random Miata thoughts....
> 
> At least when your midlife crisis car is a Miata, no one can accuse you of overcompensating.
> 
> The problem with owning* a* Miata is you want MORE Miatas.


the over compensating thing is ****ing stupid, as is the girl car thing, and the hairdresser thing.

drive what you want.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Dravenport said:


> the over compensating thing is ****ing stupid, as is the girl car thing, and the hairdresser thing.
> 
> drive what you want.


It was a light hearted remark, I've always driven what I want. 










:laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I've been doing a lot of wheel size/fitment/style research lately. I love the Panasport type look. Just found this car set up just about perfect to waht I want. 15x7 wheels, 205-50 tire (I think). Not sure about drop but it's not too low, which is my preference. Love that lip but I'd tear that of quick up here so I'd skip it. It's even the same color as my car. :thumbup:


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

Sporin said:


> It was a light hearted remark, I've always driven what I want.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


that kind of bs gets posted a lot on here and i think its toxic


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

I wouldn't worry about the lip, TBH. It still sits higher than the pinch welds and frame rails, so if you clear those you'll clear the lip. I never had a problem scraping the lip on steep entries, but the car would high center on the lip going into my garage, so I had boards to help clear it. The lip didn't even come close to scraping on approach to the 2x6's I'd use to get into the garage, nor would they scrape on the Rhino Ramps I use to do oil changes.

Replica R-package lips are cheap on eBay (IIRC they're <$60 shipped) so even if you trash one, it's not like they're particularly expensive. But like I said, the lip isn't the lowest part on the car.

Here's my car at its lowest, looks low doesn't it? IIRC it was about 4" clearance from the ground to the pinch welds, and I dailied it like that no problem. Granted I don't have the roads like you do (I'm familiar with your area of the state) but there are plenty of other obstacles that could have given me pause, but they weren't an issue, and pinch weld/frame clearance was more an issue than lip clearance.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Dravenport said:


> that kind of bs gets posted a lot on here and i think its toxic


So I shouldn't take videos of myself riding around in my Miata while wearing a Hawaiian shirt, listening to Weird Al, and with my miniature golden doodle in the passenger seat? Because I've totally done that.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> So I shouldn't take videos of myself riding around in my Miata while wearing a Hawaiian shirt, listening to Weird Al, and with my miniature golden doodle in the passenger seat? Because I've totally done that.


What's wrong with that? It implies no particular lifestyle that comes to mind..

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> So I shouldn't take videos of myself riding around in my Miata while wearing a Hawaiian shirt, listening to Weird Al, and with my miniature golden doodle in the passenger seat? Because I've totally done that.


No dogs any more*, but I'd totally jam on Weird Al and have no issues whatsoever with Hawaiian shirts. I don't currently have any, but I'd wear 'em.


*Our old dog was a pom. She was a great dog on every level except home protection. :laugh: I miss her.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Dravenport said:


> that kind of bs gets posted a lot on here and i think its toxic


Fair enough, but I meant my post as a counter to that crap so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 



Smigelski said:


> So I shouldn't take videos of myself riding around in my Miata while wearing a Hawaiian shirt, listening to Weird Al, and with my miniature golden doodle in the passenger seat? Because I've totally done that.


I happily drive around town with the Elton John cranked (Tiny Dancer is an all time great) and I give zero effs what anyone thinks of me.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

A story told to me by my now-car obsessed 14 year old,,,,

He son and his buddies were walking downtown yesterday for lunch at the pizza place (last day before school started). They were standing at the light when a red mustang pulled up and my son turned to his buddy and said "Sweet Mustang." He said he didn't realize the driver's window was down but the guy heard him and said "Mid life crisis!" gave a smile and drove away. My son's buddy asks him "Is your dad's car a mid life crisis?" to which he responded... "No, it's his 'I didn't die' car."


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sporin said:


> A story told to me by my now-car obsessed 14 year old,,,,
> 
> He son and his buddies were walking downtown yesterday for lunch at the pizza place (last day before school started). They were standing at the light when a red mustang pulled up and my son turned to his buddy and said "Sweet Mustang." He said he didn't realize the driver's window was down but the guy heard him and said "Mid life crisis!" gave a smile and drove away. My son's buddy asks him "Is your dad's car a mid life crisis?" to which he responded... "No, it's his 'I didn't die' car."


That's a tear jerker for sure. :heart:


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Sporin said:


> Random Miata thoughts....
> 
> At least when your midlife crisis car is a Miata, no one can accuse you of overcompensating.
> 
> The problem with owning* a* Miata is you want MORE Miatas.


haha

someone actually said that (midlife crisis thing) the other day.
i laughed a little.

really the justification is simple really.
yeah i am almost 42. so def mid-life at least.

but honestly i am just at a point that i can honestly drive whatever type of car i want.
we have a sensible midsize family sedan in the mazda6.
we have a family hauler in the sienna.

i no longer NEED to have backseats in the 3rd car. i dont really need 4 doors. i dont need yet another wagon.
so my NC is a first step in driving whatever i want.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

dunhamjr said:


> haha
> 
> someone actually said that (midlife crisis thing) the other day.
> i laughed a little.
> ...


Yup, exactly the same here. Our single child is a 14 year old so he can sit safely in the front seat and he's about to start driving so a 3rd set of wheels will be useful. Basically, our little kid duties are done and there's space for a little fun. It helps that a Miata is so damn cheap.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Dravenport said:


> that kind of bs gets posted a lot on here and i think its toxic


Not really at all though? Pretty much everyone on here loves miatas...

I crank up Scissor Sisters while driving around town top down. Beat that. 

And it's been called my mid-life crisis car by school moms. Which is a shame because that means I'll die early... It's our second car, we have 3 kids, a Landcruiser 100 as the main family vehicle. Can't fit 3 car seats across in a small-ish car anyway, so why not have something sweet that can still carry one kid...

Wife wanted me to sell it to get something more practical, but has since started driving it and isn't so sure anymore... I've made some numbers mumbo jumbo to show that selling and getting another car didn't make much sense financially anyway. 

Things I'd still like to do: 

Cobalt short shifter with shifter extension
Headers and Helmholtz mid-pipe, re-tune the ECUtek
Gold RPF1s with sticky rubber
Maybe some Ohlins?
Find some cloth seats (black leather sucks in summer)
Maybe fix the peeling clear coat?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Yeah, I've heard all the cracks, but they were good natured and I can take a joke. Everyone loves the car and wants a ride. 

Hard to beat a Miata for smiles-per-dollar.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Now that I have the Si as my daily driver, I'm finally able to retire the Miata from daily duty and let it live the life it deserves as a spare car/fun car/track toy. I just finished swapping the pilot bearing in it (hadn't driven it for two weeks) and I took it for a late night drive.

I forgot how loud, buzzy, raspy, rattly, smelly, and obnoxious it is.

I love this goddamn car.

Here's a picture of her with her stable mate.


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## Ducky 2.0T (Jun 4, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Personally, my ideal NC would be a Club PRHT, but I've already had a soft top NC and an NA.
> 
> The PRHT might not be worth it for you. The NC's soft top goes up and down _very_ quickly. Around 2 seconds down and maybe 4 seconds up. I don't think you'd see a lot of benefit for the extra cost of a PRHT.


Same for me.. if I get the PHRT, it would be on a white club.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sometimes I leave a couple minutes early in the morning just so I can drive the Miata the 3 minutes to the train station. I think today is one of those days.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

I have had more than my share of Miatas and one thing I have come to realize is that these cars do not come alive until they have a few miles on them. All of my favorite MIatas were the ones that had around 100K or more miles on them. Don't get me wrong, I have had some nice 30-50K mile Miata's, 92C, 92 SBY, 96M, 96R, 99 10AE-1AB but it was my 120K 90 B (first Miata) 113K mile 92 SBY, 93K mile 01 BRG that fit like that old pair of jeans, broken in and comfortable, threads showing, a little loose in the right areas, maybe a tear here or there.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sept. 1 and Fall has officially slammed in here in mid-east Vermont. Bright and sunny but 59 degrees and windy. Son has a soccer scrimmage about a half hour away this evening so we'll bundle up, crank the heat, and take the Miata.  (he takes the bus with the team)

Found storage for my car this winter in a friends garage a few towns away. Any tips for winter storage?

EDIT: https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=351533


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

It's 111 degrees here. Mine is still in storage until fall breaks, when it'll be 80 degrees. :laugh:


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Sept. 1 and Fall has officially slammed in here in mid-east Vermont. Bright and sunny but 59 degrees and windy. Son has a soccer scrimmage about a half hour away this evening so we'll bundle up, crank the heat, and take the Miata.  (he takes the bus with the team)
> 
> Found storage for my car this winter in a friends garage a few towns away. Any tips for winter storage?
> 
> EDIT: https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=351533


In case that that thread is TLDR, you need: a trickle charger, a full tank of gas, antifreeze in the coolant system (because summer racecar runs only water), and do not set the parking brake (because every time i set the parking brake for long times i get frozen rear calipers).


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

corrado-correr said:


> In case that that thread is TLDR, you need: a trickle charger, a full tank of gas, antifreeze in the coolant system (because summer racecar runs only water), and do not set the parking brake (because every time i set the parking brake for long times i get frozen rear calipers).


And try to start/move it at least once a month or so. You want to not only stir up the engine oil, but also the trans/diff as well as use the brakes to move everything - including the brake fluid. :beer:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Air and water do mix said:


> And try to start/move it at least once a month or so. You want to not only stir up the engine oil, but also the trans/diff as well as use the brakes to move everything - including the brake fluid. :beer:


But only if you start/move it long enough for the engine/trans to get up to full operating temp for a while.

No good to just start it and let it idle. :thumbup:

Otherwise, let it sit for the duration of winter and on the first start in the spring let it warm up for a while.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Otherwise, let it sit for the duration of winter and on the first start in the spring let it warm up for a while.


Yeah, this.

I was similarly worried my first winter, but subsequent winters I didn't touch it from when I parked it in November, to when I started it back up in March/April, and went straight to daily duty. It never skipped a beat.

One winter, I stored it outside. The battery did freeze, output was zero volts. I brought it inside, let it thaw, and kept it on a maintainer for the rest of the winter and it was fine after that. At minimum put it on a maintainer, but I took the extra precaution and put it on a maintainer in my basement, since it was a little warmer than my garage. If your storage is uninsulated, it might be a good idea to pull the battery.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sounds like the AGM battery can't freeze and will barely discharge (disconnected) from Nov 1 – May 1. 

Car will be in a garage a few towns away so it's gonna sit all that time. Frequent visits and drives won't be practical. 

I've now read 4 or 5 long threads on this. Some good tips to keep mice out, but other than that it seems like most people WAY over think, and over due, storage specifics, needlessly.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Our first colder-weather drive tonight. 



















Heater creates a nice bubble of warmth, just gotta keep your hands below the door tops.  Gloves next time, and maybe earmuffs.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

If you wanna do some fabbing, get a piece of plexiglass and cut it to fit the opening of the rollbar. Drill holes and secure with zipties.

Boom, instant see through windblocker. Helps a TON with keeping the wind out and the heat it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

DubNMiatafan said:


> If you wanna do some fabbing, get a piece of plexiglass and cut it to fit the opening of the rollbar. Drill holes and secure with zipties.
> 
> Boom, instant see through windblocker. Helps a TON with keeping the wind out and the heat it.


That is a GREAT idea, I think I'll do that.


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## Boggus (Jul 16, 2000)

I have a 06 with 45k miles on it, 6spd - if someone is looking for a Miata!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The more I look at used Miatas the more convinced I am that I got a STEAL of a deal on my 94. 

Sun finally came out after a few days of rain, probably take a drive tonight.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sporin said:


> The more I look at used Miatas the more convinced I am that I got a STEAL of a deal on my 94.


Case in point, there's a Miata just like this https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-mazda-mx-5-miata-10/ for sale in my town. Same year, twice the mileage, and prettyf beat. Lots of paint peeling, cosmetically really tired in and out. No idea on mechanical condition. They are asking $5500. :screwy:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

whoa https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-mazda-mx-5-miata-5/









I haven't seen that color combo before, that's gorgeous.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

^ The '93 LE is my favorite special edition Miata. Too bad they're all 1.6s


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I gotta up my research game.

*Your Guide To Every Special Edition Mazda Miata Ever Sold In America*

http://jalopnik.com/your-guide-to-every-special-edition-mazda-miata-ever-so-1675339097


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Need some advice from you guys. Usually TCL steers me right, even if I don't pay attention the first time!

I currently have an NA6 miata which is fully ready for track use. Half cage, hard top (soft top gone), fixed seats, harnesses, quick release steering wheel, extra set of wheels with r-comps, etc. The suspension is set up with ssm parts and the car is well set up, and it also has a spec miata exhaust. 

I've had 8 track days in the car, and 4 more scheduled before winter. The whole purpose of buying this car was to allow me to learn and become a better driver, which I think it accomplishes very well. However I'm getting to the point were the extreme lack of power is frustrating and also even detrimental to my learning. When the throttle is basically just on/off, it's hard to learn how and when to apply power or to throttle steer since there's so little "go." 

I have a few options at this point - 

Option 1) Sell this car, hopefully recouping most of what I paid for it. The car is very clean and only about 70k original miles on it. After selling, I would either 

a) get an NC miata and start building that up, or 
b) go back to my s2000 and track that. 
c) maybe just go na8 or nb which is already track ready

Option 2) Get headers, intake, and megasquirt and hopefully add about 20whp+ Keep tracking this car another year at least. I have a baby on the way so next year I probably won't be able to do more than 2-3 weekends at the track max. If I'm lucky.

I really do love this car but it definitely needs a power bump. Also there is no ac or radio which is ok, but when I'm driving to and from the track it's kind of annoying. I'll likely buy a harbor freight trailer for future use no matter what car I end up in but part of me also feels this car isn't really that safe to drive on the street since it only has harnesses and no more stock 3 point. I also would like a car with a working top so I can drive it on the weekends more often with the top down. 

What do you guys think? Anyone go from NA to NC or s2000? I know the steering feel and fun of throwing the car in the corners will be reduced somewhat, especially with the s2k, but the power boost and more comfort on the road should hopefully make up for that whether NC or s2k.


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

My NA is hiding in the back of the garage patiently waiting for Irma to go away


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

300_munkeys said:


> Need some advice from you guys. Usually TCL steers me right, even if I don't pay attention the first time!


I don't know if any naturally aspirated Miata is going to scratch that speed itch for you. Is the S2000 appreciably faster?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Sporin said:


> I don't know if any naturally aspirated Miata is going to scratch that speed itch for you. Is the S2000 appreciably faster?


It is, but don't get me wrong - I don't need something super fast. But the na6 with probably 90 rwhp just doesn't cut it. It needs a bit more punch so that there's actually a difference between 50% throttle and 100% throttle.

I'm wondering if headers and megasquirt will be enough for me. I'm not interested in forced induction at all.


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

300_munkeys said:


> Need some advice from you guys. Usually TCL steers me right, even if I don't pay attention the first time!
> 
> I currently have an NA6 miata which is fully ready for track use. Half cage, hard top (soft top gone), fixed seats, harnesses, quick release steering wheel, extra set of wheels with r-comps, etc. The suspension is set up with ssm parts and the car is well set up, and it also has a spec miata exhaust.
> 
> ...


I'm not an expert, but enjoyed my NA, and moved to a NC...stock, the early NCs need suspension, but the chassis is very capable. 2L offers good torque. Many have swapped to a 2.5L, as an affordable upgrade. 
It's a great car, all around.

Paraphrasing others: The NA is a better Miata, but the NC is a better sports car.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

300_munkeys said:


> Need some advice from you guys. Usually TCL steers me right, even if I don't pay attention the first time!
> 
> I currently have an NA6 miata which is fully ready for track use. Half cage, hard top (soft top gone), fixed seats, harnesses, quick release steering wheel, extra set of wheels with r-comps, etc. The suspension is set up with ssm parts and the car is well set up, and it also has a spec miata exhaust.
> 
> ...


To quote Bob Hall, the Miata's illegitimate father, "if you can't go fast with 90 horsepower, 900 won't help you".


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I gotta up my research game.
> 
> *Your Guide To Every Special Edition Mazda Miata Ever Sold In America*
> 
> http://jalopnik.com/your-guide-to-every-special-edition-mazda-miata-ever-so-1675339097


I have had 7 on the list... 2 Sunbursts, 92C, 96M, 96R, 10AE-1AB* and now a 10 BRG.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

I figured out my coolant leak. I had a loose hose clamp :banghead:

I'm getting excited for fall drives and changing leaves. Does anyone know of some good driving roads within a 2-3 hour radius of Chicago?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

300_munkeys said:


> The whole purpose of buying this car was to allow me to learn and become a better driver,
> When the throttle is basically just on/off, it's hard to learn how and when to apply power or to throttle steer since there's so little "go."
> I really do love this car but it definitely needs a power bump.
> Also there is no ac or radio
> ...


You've got a ton of converging concepts happening here. To put it bluntly, there isn't a better "training" car than the Miata and the fact that it's "slow" is part of that reason. If you want a faster car, just get one.

If you want a more powerful car, that you can drive on the track that has AC and a working top and regular seatbelts, you're shoping in a category significantly above the Miata.

An S2000 has much higher consumable costs. Some argue the power increase.
A Boxster isn't out of the danger zone with consumables nor maintenance price costs
A ND Miata would probably accomplish all of your goals and still allow you to run it on the track for relatively low costs.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Sounds like the AGM battery can't freeze and will barely discharge (disconnected) from Nov 1 – May 1. .


Cold weather will be hard on any battery without a trickle charger to keep it "warmed".


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

When I started building my Miata 13yrs ago, I was just a "younger" married guy that wanted to make a fast Miata. Then life, career, mortgage, kids got in the way to slow that clock down. So while I did just get carded for buying alcohol at the grocery store over the Holiday weekend, I'm deep into my 40's. Then add the divorce and a young GF to the mix, it's starting to look more like a mid-life crisis. Now how in the hell did that happen?!


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> When I started building my Miata 13yrs ago, I was just a "younger" married guy that wanted to make a fast Miata. Then life, career, mortgage, kids got in the way to slow that clock down. So while I did just get carded for buying alcohol at the grocery store over the Holiday weekend, I'm deep into my 40's. Then add the divorce and a young GF to the mix, it's starting to look more like a mid-life crisis. Now how in the hell did that happen?!


Is she flashing a peace sign? what is she, 12? :laugh:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Check it... Got a new keychain!










Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Diamond Dave said:


> You've got a ton of converging concepts happening here. To put it bluntly, there isn't a better "training" car than the Miata and the fact that it's "slow" is part of that reason. If you want a faster car, just get one.
> 
> If you want a more powerful car, that you can drive on the track that has AC and a working top and regular seatbelts, you're shoping in a category significantly above the Miata.
> 
> ...


Thanks. That's why I thought the NC was a good compromise. Still light (right around 2500 before taking any weight loss measures), not very fast but peppy enough, and more comfortable and a bit bigger too.

Driving the na 4-5 hours isn't terrible, but it can get a little scary considering cars around you very often can't see you. 

The other option is to buy a trailer but then I have space issues. Kind of dumb to me to have a trailer sitting outside all year when I only use it a handful of weekends.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> I'm wondering if headers and megasquirt will be enough for me. I'm not interested in forced induction at all.


A relatively stock Miata is a momentum car. Certainly adjusting your throttle inputs while at the limit will change your line, but you're not going to be steering with your right foot like Jeremy Clarkson without significantly more power. Headers and MS3 will certainly liven up the NA6 but it isn't going to deliver an earth shattering difference in power delivery and I don't think it will scratch your itch for more power.

If you're really keen to stay naturally aspirated then what you probably want is your NA6 chassis with a 2001-05 VVT motor swap, square top intake manifold, MS3 Pro tuned to run E85, complete Racing Beat exhaust from head to tip. Don't open up the motor and don't rev it beyond stock and it should last a very long time delivering ~ 150-160rwhp, less on regular 91 octane. That's still better than most JRSC supercharger setups on a stock 1.8BP, better than a standard Greddy turbo setup on a stock 1.6B6. If you want more power than this in a Miata and you want to stay naturally aspirated, then you're best off doing a Honda K24 swap. Trust me. Unless racing rules require you stick with the Mazda engine, then it's really most cost effective to do a Kswap if what you want is >180rwhp naturally aspirated in a Miata chassis.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> Need some advice from you guys. Usually TCL steers me right, even if I don't pay attention the first time!
> 
> I currently have an NA6 miata which is fully ready for track use. Half cage, hard top (soft top gone), fixed seats, harnesses, quick release steering wheel, extra set of wheels with r-comps, etc. The suspension is set up with ssm parts and the car is well set up, and it also has a spec miata exhaust.
> 
> ...


What track is your "home" track? Can you find what the Spec Miata guys are running there? It is my opinion that until you get close to those times you haven't learned nearly enough. Can you share your lap times in comparison with Spec Miata times? 

I first started tracking in a '80 911, 180 hp and 2600 lbs. I'd get my ass handed to me by minivans on the street. On the track I was able to make up some ground in the corners but man I was a sitting duck. It was slow, actually I was slow. The car had potential but I didn't know how to drive it. The instructor would yell at me to gas it, I kept explaining that it was already floored and had been almost the entire corner. I thought the answer was more power, that coupled with running costs made me move on from the aircooled 911 scene.

Why is that story relevant? The car I moved on to is a '91 Miata that I'm trying to keep on the track. It has a rollbar, R comps, Xidas, fixed seats, harnesses, some weight reduction, and a tiny little turbo under the hood. It's got power, 220 whp to ballpark it. On track I've dialed it down to 7 psi which maybe is 160 whp. It moves and surprises A LOT of people. The most recent change has been from street tires to R comps, dropped 10 seconds off a 1:40 track just with that simple change and more experience. So far the car has been dead reliable after some cooling upgrades.

My point here is that there isn't a more capable platform to learn on than the Miata. It takes a long time to get a car setup right and after 10 track sessions you're well into your learning curve. Don't change your car now or most of that will be for nothing. It's also hard to find a nicely built car, if yours truly is I wouldn't give it up. If you feel you need more oomph get a VVT motor and dump it into the NA. I know that wasn't one of your options but at 140-150 whp it should make you happy enough.

At the power levels I'm running I have no problem keeping with with Cayman S's, e46 M3s, c5 / c6 base vettes, and a whole bunch of poorly driven cars (one GT3 refused to let me pass, then he spun, and it was an instructor's car too). It's more than enough to keep you entertained and your butthole puckered.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

sicklyscott said:


> What track is your "home" track? Can you find what the Spec Miata guys are running there? It is my opinion that until you get close to those times you haven't learned nearly enough. Can you share your lap times in comparison with Spec Miata times?
> 
> I first started tracking in a '80 911, 180 hp and 2600 lbs. I'd get my ass handed to me by minivans on the street. On the track I was able to make up some ground in the corners but man I was a sitting duck. It was slow, actually I was slow. The car had potential but I didn't know how to drive it. The instructor would yell at me to gas it, I kept explaining that it was already floored and had been almost the entire corner. I thought the answer was more power, that coupled with running costs made me move on from the aircooled 911 scene.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the advice and for taking the time to read my post. 

All things considered, I think you're right. In a perfect world I would keep the miata as just a track car, tow it to the track, and have a 3rd car for fun weekend drives or nights out. For a track only car I don't think there is a better option than this car and I love it. In fact, every time I think about moving on, and then have a track day, I realize how great the car is. 

I do have a set of r-comps which I haven't tried out yet. A few instructors told me to keep learning before switching over since the street tires are more progressive. Maybe it's time to take that step? 

My home track is summit point, but I've only been there (and shenandoah circuit) once each. I've been to VIR full four times, twice with this car. Spec miata times aren't totally comparable because those cars are on r-comps, built engines, etc. But anyway, on VIR full I'm prob 15 seconds off their lap records for a spec miata and 10+ seconds off a good lap time. On a tighter track like shenandoah, I'm more like 5 seconds off so the power disadvantage is definitely hurting. On VIR full my best lap was a 2:35.x and I consistently had ~2:38.x laps on street tires. On shenandoah my best lap was 1:51.6 and lap record in a spec miata that I've found is 1:44.7. 

I still have a TON to learn, don't get me wrong. But this car is ridiculously slow. Your very slow porsche was moving about 14.5 lbs for each horsepower, assuming the number you gave is crank hp. Assuming my car also still makes factory power, it has to move 18 lbs per horsepower. The car is REALLY slow. Spec miata cars and 1.8s are noticeable faster than mine. Spec e30s can almost fly by me. 

Ok, I'm exaggerating a little. But even though I can carry more speed through a corner than a lot of other cars/drivers, as soon as they can get on the power they can quickly catch up and pass on a faster track. No big deal in terms of ego and letting people pass, but I want a bit more oomph so I don't have to constantly have my hand out the window! Everyone assumes I want 500hp or something I just want a bit more to make it competitive. 

That's why I was thinking of just doing the header, intake and megasquirt. Assuming I can gain around 20 hp, that would put me closer to same power range as spec miatas and almost to where spec e30s are, and closer to where your porsche was at (still less though, btw). 

People think I want a rocket, but I just don't want to be so slow that I lose confidence and spend half my time looking in my mirror for people to let past. I just want something that can keep up a bit better. In a few years I might want something actually fast to track but I'm in no rush. I think this car is more fun to eke out as much as possible. But I had the same issue - instructor yelling at me to gas it and unwind the wheel and I have to keep telling him the car is floored! 

I think the perfect long term track car for me, after several years, would be a k-swap miata. Best of both worlds - mazda steering feel and nimble car, plus that wonderful v-tec engine. But I'm in no rush and don't want a much faster car. Just something that doesn't feel like I'm moving backwards on the straights  

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> A relatively stock Miata is a momentum car. Certainly adjusting your throttle inputs while at the limit will change your line, but you're not going to be steering with your right foot like Jeremy Clarkson without significantly more power. Headers and MS3 will certainly liven up the NA6 but it isn't going to deliver an earth shattering difference in power delivery and I don't think it will scratch your itch for more power.
> 
> If you're really keen to stay naturally aspirated then what you probably want is your NA6 chassis with a 2001-05 VVT motor swap, square top intake manifold, MS3 Pro tuned to run E85, complete Racing Beat exhaust from head to tip. Don't open up the motor and don't rev it beyond stock and it should last a very long time delivering ~ 150-160rwhp, less on regular 91 octane. That's still better than most JRSC supercharger setups on a stock 1.8BP, better than a standard Greddy turbo setup on a stock 1.6B6. If you want more power than this in a Miata and you want to stay naturally aspirated, then you're best off doing a Honda K24 swap. Trust me. Unless racing rules require you stick with the Mazda engine, then it's really most cost effective to do a Kswap if what you want is >180rwhp naturally aspirated in a Miata chassis.


I think long term a k-swap would be my perfect car. But for now this car should hold me over. Might be time to run the r-comps and see how that feels.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I think my NA would be perfect with about 160hp at the wheels. eace:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

ouch:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Phil Pugliese said:


> I have had 7 on the list... 2 Sunbursts, 92C, 96M, 96R, 10AE-1AB* and now a 10 BRG.


That black with red interior is gorgeous, might be my favorite special edition. I love the BRG's but what I really love is a real emerald green.

I have considered wrapping my red 94 since it's got some cosmetic flaws but it's a cheap car that I don't want to fret about scratching up so not worth a full repaint to me.

_IF_ I wrapped mine, I'd go for an emerald green like Steven Mechetti's. Love it.

https://www.instagram.com/timeattackphotography/


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sporin said:


> I think my NA would be perfect with about 160hp at the wheels. eace:


That's how I feel. Probably going to go FI next year, but I have a lot to research.


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

cockerpunk said:


> ouch:


I wonder how that happened. Did you have a camshaft with increased lift?


----------



## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks so much for the advice and for taking the time to read my post.
> 
> I do have a set of r-comps which I haven't tried out yet. A few instructors told me to keep learning before switching over since the street tires are more progressive. Maybe it's time to take that step?
> 
> ...


Cut your response done to relevant points....

What street tires are you running? I had a set of 3 year old RS-3s that were probably well past their useful life. They didn't provide any auditory feedback, no screeching, no chatter, nothing. They also tended to slide a lot but oddly didn't chunk. They acted like they were hardened but at temp they "looked" fine. I switched to NT01 which are one of the more forgiving tires. Believe it or not they provided much more feedback in terms of noise and feel. They were a much easier tire to drive. My typical track is Thunderbolt at NJMP, there's a very sharp right hander where I was trying to be more aggressive with on each lap. I turned the wheel and was completely on track to miss the apex so I yanked it some more and OMG it just turned. SO much more grip. 

The mods you said are fairly common and easy to reverse or resell. It's worth giving it a shot but I think +20 whp is optimistic. In the case of the 1.6, besides FI there's not a whole lot more you can do for more power. At least not cheaply. I've owned 2, both stock at one point and both ended up getting turbos strapped on to them.

Regardless of your direction give the R comps a try. If for nothing else a good comparison. They certainly won't help you keep up with people on the straights (especially at VIR!) but you'll scare them enough in the corners to get out of your way.

I'm going to be at VIR the first weekend of November. Are you signed up for that event?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

sicklyscott said:


> Cut your response done to relevant points....
> 
> What street tires are you running? I had a set of 3 year old RS-3s that were probably well past their useful life. They didn't provide any auditory feedback, no screeching, no chatter, nothing. They also tended to slide a lot but oddly didn't chunk. They acted like they were hardened but at temp they "looked" fine. I switched to NT01 which are one of the more forgiving tires. Believe it or not they provided much more feedback in terms of noise and feel. They were a much easier tire to drive. My typical track is Thunderbolt at NJMP, there's a very sharp right hander where I was trying to be more aggressive with on each lap. I turned the wheel and was completely on track to miss the apex so I yanked it some more and OMG it just turned. SO much more grip.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I have direzza star specs which still have usable life. They seem to be a good overall tire but I'll be replacing them after this year most likely. Not sure what I'll go to next but rs-3 are definitely in the running.

I'm going to vir for trackdaze's Thursday Friday event - full on Thursday, Grand on Friday. If you're going to the same event let me know! I've never done Grand before so I'm excited for that. Great configuration for a miata too


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> I wonder how that happened. Did you have a camshaft with increased lift?


overreved and dropped a valve.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> I'm going to vir for trackdaze's Thursday Friday event - full on Thursday, Grand on Friday. If you're going to the same event let me know! I've never done Grand before so I'm excited for that. Great configuration for a miata too


I'm going for an Audi Club event Saturday and Sunday, will be there at some point on Friday. I'm a tower now so ETA is always up in the air.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> People think I want a rocket, but I just don't want to be so slow that I lose confidence and spend half my time looking in my mirror for people to let past.


Speed is all relative. Now you know how Porsche 911 RSR drivers feel at the 24 Hours of Le Mans watching their rear view mirrors the whole time to avoid getting run over by the much faster prototypes. HPDE is tricky because you'll always have a mix of vehicle and driver capabilities on track in any given run group. Traffic can be a pain whether passing or being passed depending on the track, crowding, rules for passing, etc. Maybe try harder to distance yourself from others so you can get more clean laps so you're not feeling like a moving chicane the whole session?

Also, a pro-built 1.6 Spec Miata isn't significantly faster than your car because it has significantly more power. Most of the advantage is because the pro driver is a significantly faster driver than you are. So get those sticky tires and work on your technique!


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

sicklyscott said:


> I'm going for an Audi Club event Saturday and Sunday, will be there at some point on Friday. I'm a tower now so ETA is always up in the air.


LMK if you arrive early on Friday. It would be nice to meet a fellow TCLer  



freedomgli said:


> Speed is all relative. Now you know how Porsche 911 RSR drivers feel at the 24 Hours of Le Mans watching their rear view mirrors the whole time to avoid getting run over by the much faster prototypes. HPDE is tricky because you'll always have a mix of vehicle and driver capabilities on track in any given run group. Traffic can be a pain whether passing or being passed depending on the track, crowding, rules for passing, etc. Maybe try harder to distance yourself from others so you can get more clean laps so you're not feeling like a moving chicane the whole session?
> 
> Also, a pro-built 1.6 Spec Miata isn't significantly faster than your car because it has significantly more power. Most of the advantage is because the pro driver is a significantly faster driver than you are. So get those sticky tires and work on your technique!


Ha. Yeah, nowadays at HPDEs it's pretty insane. I'm not sure I would ever be willing to instruct considering half the field generally has 400+ hp at their disposal. It's pretty insane how accessible mind-blowingly fast cars are nowadays.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Ha. Yeah, nowadays at HPDEs it's pretty insane. I'm not sure I would ever be willing to instruct considering half the field generally has 400+ hp at their disposal. It's pretty insane how accessible mind-blowingly fast cars are nowadays.


can confirm, current HPDE instructor, racing license holder ... and i've never driven a car with more than 430hp. 

its terrifying how much power is other for just anyone to use at any time, and how little control most folks truly have.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> can confirm, current HPDE instructor, racing license holder ... and i've never driven a car with more than 430hp.
> 
> its terrifying how much power is other for just anyone to use at any time, and how little control most folks truly have.


Yup, with all the corvettes, m3s and m4s, porsches, camaros, mustangs, etc out there I imagine it's a different world than it was just 10 years ago even.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> It would be nice to meet a fellow TCLer


It's overrated. Cockerpunk met me (and beat me grrrr) in Nebraska last week.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

cockerpunk said:


> can confirm, current HPDE instructor, racing license holder ... and i've never driven a car with more than 430hp.
> 
> its terrifying how much power is other for just anyone to use at any time, and how little control most folks truly have.


This is true. In stock car racing, my local track started using crate engines 10 years ago. 400hp was enough for the small track (3/8ths), since it had no grip. The big track (5/8ths) needed HP. More than a few car owners/crew chiefs mentioned how my b-i-l could drive a car and make up 20+hp just in his driving. He set the track record in a 9:1 chevy V8 that was so old/past maintenance it measured <8.9:1 (rule max was 9.5:1) built by Katech (back when they were really, really good). He won back-to-back races driving the 9:1 and then a ~550hp 13:1 V8 that burned a hole in cyl 3.

I knew a guy who had a drag Camaro with a turbo'd SBC that pushed over 1000hp. Couldn't drive it down the strip, so he pulled the turbos and got the hp to a more "manageable" level of 900 or so.

HP is only useful if you can get it to the ground. And if it doesn't f**k up the suspension.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> It's overrated. Cockerpunk met me (and beat me grrrr) in Nebraska last week.



Meeting Claff is definitely a let down IRL.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> It's overrated. Cockerpunk met me (and beat me grrrr) in Nebraska last week.


haha, it was pretty cool, recognized you from your "greatest hits" videos. :beer:

i'll have to go back to nationals, its just so cheap, and so wild. doesn't even matter where you end up the standings, its just a crazy place to be. 



Smigelski said:


> Meeting Claff is definitely a let down IRL.


i mean, your words .... your words.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally got my post-yard sale leftovers out of the garage so the Miata can go back in. 

Took it for a nice drive then gave it a good bath. Car was filthy from sitting out for the last month. 

Tried to change my oil but couldn't for the life of me figure out how I'd get the filter off and on. Tried from the top. Tried through the wheel well. Nope nope. I guess I could pull off that big under tray but I didn't feel like tackling 20 corroded bolts so I just said eff it. 

I'll have my mechanic change it before it goes into storage for the winter. 

Did a little bodywork. 

https://instagram.com/p/BZHTEuTB20q/

Guess I won't attempt to wrap it myself.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Tried to change my oil but couldn't for the life of me figure out how I'd get the filter off and on. Tried from the top. Tried through the wheel well. Nope nope. I guess I could pull off that big under tray but I didn't feel like tackling 20 corroded bolts so I just said eff it.


Through the wheel well works for me. If the vertical aluminum brace on the intake manifold gets in the way, it comes off with three bolts.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'll have to try again. I have range of motion issues with my shoulders, particularly if I'm reaching out to the side of my body. This was definitely a factor from the wheel well. I couldn't get my arm down from the top, just not enough space even though shoulders weren't an issue.

I wonder if I could cut a "hatch" in the under tray and reach it from there?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Tried to change my oil but couldn't for the life of me figure out how I'd get the filter off and on. Tried from the top. Tried through the wheel well. Nope nope. I guess I could pull off that big under tray but I didn't feel like_ tackling 20 corroded bolts_ so I just said eff it.


If your forearms are the size of a loaf of bread, you'll have to take the wheel off and go through the side. with my lightweight build, I just reach down between the intake and the strut tower. Incidentally, the reason I only purchase West Coast cars is so that I won't have to deal with horribly corroded hardware EVERY time I need to do something.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

freedomgli said:


> If you want more power than this in a Miata and you want to stay naturally aspirated, then you're best off doing a Honda K24 swap.



I can confirm that ~170-ish RWHP is very fun in an NA. The Nissan SR20 in my Miata is probably in that range and it is everything I'd ever hoped. The K24 is a pretty solid conversion because it uses the PPF, BUT there isn't a way around the pure cost of them though. It costs a lot of money to put the wrong engine into a car and have everything work like it's supposed to. Coming from someone that spent the time and money and built the car without a kit, there is no time that a hybrid engine conversion is less expensive than a simple turbo setup.


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## VT1.8T (Jul 28, 2003)

Saw this one checking CL this morning. I know nothing about Miata's but this once looks decent for the price

https://vermont.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miata/6290773877.html


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

VT1.8T said:


> Saw this one checking CL this morning. I know nothing about Miata's but this once looks decent for the price
> 
> https://vermont.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miata/6290773877.html


That seemed so cheap that I analyzed the pics for clues that it was a scam  but it looks legit. That seems like a really great deal unless there is something ugly undisclosed.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

VT1.8T said:


> Saw this one checking CL this morning. I know nothing about Miata's but this once looks decent for the price
> 
> https://vermont.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miata/6290773877.html


Buy that


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Sporin said:


> I wonder if I could cut a "hatch" in the under tray and reach it from there?


I have a feeling that you'd have to cut an access door in the subframe for the ultimate access to the oil filter. The tray has never been the limiting factor for me.


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## VT1.8T (Jul 28, 2003)

S4cabriofox said:


> Buy that


I'm having a hard time not


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## mad8vskillz (Aug 20, 2001)

saw a ridiculous "miata" at an autox this weekend. 
exocet with ls swap... it was... fast.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

300_munkeys said:


> People think I want a rocket, but I just don't want to be so slow that I lose confidence and spend half my time looking in my mirror for people to let past.




This is where I am at with my NC. I 2.5 swapped it, stripped it, did some aero things and it is running on 235 NT01's. At Sebring I was able to take down a couple of stock Caymans(S models).

If we weren't buying a house right now, I would be in the planning stages for a LFX swap into my car. I just want enough power to pass a Mustang in the straight(they never let us pass, always drag race us down to the next turn and hold us up).


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

"Great Britain used up all their good metal fighting Nazis. "


----------



## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

stumbled onto that video yesterday, his other videos are entertaining too.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Brandontrek1 said:


> If we weren't buying a house right now, I would be in the planning stages for a LFX swap into my car. I just want enough power to pass a Mustang in the straight(they never let us pass, always drag race us down to the next turn and hold us up).


If you ever get that done you'll want a "Powered by Chevy" or "LS Miata" or some such on the back of the car, just to rub it in a little more. :laugh: :beer:


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## VT1.8T (Jul 28, 2003)

VT1.8T said:


> I'm having a hard time not


When I asked my wife if she would drive a Miata, in hopes of buying the one I posted above, her response was that Miata's evoke the image of an overweight older woman in leopard print tights with a tiny dog in her lap. :laugh: She likes our E30 much more.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Wifey took ours to work today because it's gorgeous out. Gotta get the significant other on board, makes the hobby a lot easier.


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## VT1.8T (Jul 28, 2003)

Sporin said:


> Wifey took ours to work today because it's gorgeous out. Gotta get the significant other on board, makes the hobby a lot easier.


She likes cars, she just couldn't stomach selling the E30 convertible for a miata. It is beautiful in VT today, the kids will be stoked when I pick them up from school in the convertible. Something my wife pointed out we couldn't do in a 2-seater.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

VT1.8T said:


> She likes cars, she just couldn't stomach selling the E30 convertible for a miata. It is beautiful in VT today, the kids will be stoked when I pick them up from school in the convertible. Something my wife pointed out we couldn't do in a 2-seater.


I totally get that. Shortly after we got the Miata, my wife asked what was "the 4 seat Miata?" Mostly it's only 2 of us in the car, but when we are all together (us and our 14 year old) we are forced out of the convertible.

I assume a 3 series 'vert of some sort.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i might have the spec miata back together tonight.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Flippy. https://instagram.com/p/BZZG52mBleO/


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## Benjamin. (Nov 13, 2001)

Well, this happened this week. 

$2500 - '90 w/ 195k on it, but extremely well cared for over the last 7 years with massive amounts of maintenance. Bodywork is about 4 years old and holding up well. My 4th Miata so far, and I'm hoping this one is a keeper. New Robbins top in April, Kosei K-1s which happen to be my favorite wheel on a Miata, bluetooth head unit w/ recent new headrest speakers (my first time having headrest speakers), etc...

I'll have to ditch the Hard Dog Hard Bar that's installed, as I'm 6'4" and it will mean certain death in a good rear-end collision.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

For guys with track/street tires, what do you recommend? I have star specs and thinking of trying something else even though I've been happy with them. However I flat spotted one of them bad and need new tires this week.

Either star specs or go to hankook rs4 most likely.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

300_munkeys said:


> For guys with track/street tires, what do you recommend? I have star specs and thinking of trying something else even though I've been happy with them. However I flat spotted one of them bad and need new tires this week.
> 
> Either star specs or go to hankook rs4 most likely.


The new Falken is supposed to be perfect for that. RT615K+ in 205/50/15. Cheap, too.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> For guys with track/street tires, what do you recommend? I have star specs and thinking of trying something else even though I've been happy with them. However I flat spotted one of them bad and need new tires this week.
> 
> Either star specs or go to hankook rs4 most likely.


I'd stick with the Star Specs as they seem to handle great and wear really well. If you want more sticky, the RE-71R seems to be the tire choice of autocrossers.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Benjamin. said:


> Well, this happened this week.
> 
> $2500 - '90 w/ 195k on it, but extremely well cared for over the last 7 years with massive amounts of maintenance. Bodywork is about 4 years old and holding up well. My 4th Miata so far, and I'm hoping this one is a keeper.


Welcome back!


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## Benjamin. (Nov 13, 2001)

S4cabriofox said:


> Welcome back!


Thanks! Pic link corrected.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Air and water do mix said:


> If you ever get that done you'll want a "Powered by Chevy" or "LS Miata" or some such on the back of the car, just to rub it in a little more. :laugh: :beer:


Why put on a badge when the exhaust note will already say what needs to be said?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

I just posted in the 2017 Japanese Classic Car Show thread about a huge roadtrip I took driving from Portland to LA and back in my Miata, but here is the Miata-centric version.


Here's my recap. I drove my Nissan SR20 powered Miata on a 2,700 mile roadtrip from Portland to JCCS and back. 










Mazda was the featured marque this year so they invited 8 NA Miatas. JCCS registration is interesting. they process the registrations until about 2wks before the event and then they choose the best selection of cars that are both high quality & interesting. I registered for the event in July and found out about 10days prior that I was accepted.



Here's the car on Wednesday September 20, freshly washed, about 20mins prior to leaving Portland for my first leg to stay the night in Willows and meet up with my friend Eric, that was towing his DR30 Skyline. We needed to be in San Jose by Thursday afternoon so my friend Eric could get a photo shoot and I coiuld get the Miata on dyno time with my friends at ZCar Garage.











I ended up driving the first hour of the trip in a torrential downpour. It was so bad I was hyrdoplaning even at low speeds.

Just so we're on the same page, I drove the Miata on this 2,700mi roundtrip this trip from a Lotus Elise seat.










Now that In N Out is in Medford, OR, it makes it much easier for me to eat like a teenager. Probably ate at 5 different In N Outs on this trip.











How many gallons does a Miata tank hold again? Oh, right. It's a 10Gal tank. This station was across the street from our hotel.










Made it to San Jose early and had some time to kill before getting the Miata set to dyno. It's got a club sport type S15 SR20 engine tuned by Nissan's inhouse tuning branch, Autech that's supposed to be good for NA 200HP instead of the standard 145HP variant. I've been driving the car on a semi-daily level and it's performed fantastic with great HP delivery. But I knew it wasn't near 200HP. The ZCar dyno (affectionately known as the Ego Crusher) told the truth - only 146RWHP. Luckily, Rob was able to make a few tweaks and he found another 30RWHP. Needless to say, the car is very exciting to drive now. Another bonus is that I immediately gained about 5MPG. Now I'm regularly returning 28MPG+ while driving 75MPH and absolutely flogging on the engine (Nissan 6spd into 4.3 Torsen LSD).











We left before 6 on Friday morning



















We left Eric driving the trailer and took the Miata and his 550RWHP Skyline to LA. It was a very quick trip over the Grapevine and we made it to LA around lunch so ZCar Garage could set up their vendor tent at JCCS and I could stage the Miata on the grounds. Although it would mean my Miata was parked for good while I was down there, I didn't have to get up before 6AM to start the general loading.



















It also allowed me to scope out the vendors and other cars during pre-setup.

Mazda's heritage display












Miata Alley



























I didn't even know Mazdaspeed made this exclusive HT for the JDM market with the cool low pressure vent.


















Hanging with the ZCar Garage crew just before I left for Lompoc to see my Dad. Apparently no one else got the yellow Pirelli shirt memo










Tuesday morning just before my 9.5hr drive home to Portland. 











JCCS is a great event. It's my 2nd time attending and 1st time in the show; probably the last time too since Miatas don't meet the "pre-1986" requirement. They do a really good job of choosing cars that are interesting or well kept. This show is almost like a JDM-only Cars & Coffee event taken to the next level. The atmosphere is relaxed and the location is beautiful. It's nice to have the Manufacturer representation when they bring out their cool, unobtanium cars. It would have been a fun event to bring my GF due to the location and the sights and the variety, but I wasn't sure she was ready for a 2,700mi trip in a loud Miata.


there are a few more photos on my IG @diamond_dave


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sounds like a fantastic trip. It's great to see quality Japanese cars all together. That's amazing you've now got an extra 30hp. How'd he manage than? Ignition tuning?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Got a set of new pedal pads from this guy https://www.facebook.com/groups/mia...96928220354982/?sale_post_id=1396928220354982

They look great, we'll see how they go on tomorrow.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> I just posted in the 2017 Japanese Classic Car Show thread about a huge roadtrip I took driving from Portland to LA and back in my Miata, but here is the Miata-centric version.


Gorgeous roadster and cool story :thumbup: :thumbup: How were you feeling after such a long trip? No hiccups from the car I assume? Gas tank size would be my biggest hesitation when it comes to long road trips with one of these things.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Sporin said:


> Got a set of new pedal pads from this guy https://www.facebook.com/groups/mia...96928220354982/?sale_post_id=1396928220354982
> 
> They look great, we'll see how they go on tomorrow.


Looks like a winter tread. Is there a summer design too?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

S4cabriofox said:


> Gorgeous roadster and cool story :thumbup: :thumbup: How were you feeling after such a long trip? No hiccups from the car I assume? Gas tank size would be my biggest hesitation when it comes to long road trips with one of these things.


Thank you. I was a little concerned with how I'd feel from the Tein coilovers and the Lotus Elise seat, but honestly, the experience was fantastic. The car has such a synergy that it doesn't bring on fatigue like you'd think. I had one issue with an alternator adjustment screw that came loose and fixed that in about 20mins while we got breakfast at a Burger King. 

No reason to hesitate on taking a long trip with the mileage stock Miatas get. At the moment I'm able to pull 28MPG X 10Gal = 280mi. If you have issues finding a gas station in that range, I suppose that's a valid concern. Otherwise, I'm ready for a break around the 3hr mark anyway.




freedomgli said:


> Sounds like a fantastic trip. It's great to see quality Japanese cars all together. That's amazing you've now got an extra 30hp. How'd he manage than? Ignition tuning?


Yes, mainly timing. We'll go back for some more ponies with a new Nistune ECU, cams, and fuel pressure adjustments. We should be able to safely get close to 200HP.

Not that the Miata is in the same league as these cars, but look at some comparable NA enthusiast cars and the HP:weight story starts to make more sense. 


SR20 Miata = 2100lbs @ 180hp = 11.6lbs/hp
E30 M3 = 2600lbs at 200hp = 13lbs/hp
Honda S2000 = 2800lbs at 240hp = 11.6lbs/hp
Lotus Elise = 2000lbs at 189hp = 10.58


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Took the Miata for a drive to see if I could find a good foliage view. Great view, but the leaves are really late in changing, or just going brown on the trees then dropping this year so far.










Took the long way on a favorite curvy road for my errands but hit paving traffic. Sat behind this nice yellow Solstice for a while.










Overall, yesterday was a great roadster day.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Hitting tail of the dragon next friday. Family has a place in elijay. Pics to come.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Any good sources for cheap steelie 14s? Going to make sure I put my ice tires to use, should be unstoppable now:laugh:

I actually like the factory steelies, they look nice.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

got the spec miata back on track. first time driving that car in the wet, and first time on hoosier h20s, and first time on an engine i rebuilt myself .... 



















embarrassed some pretty powerful cars:


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Can you do this?


----------



## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

I hit a snag with my '91. The Greddy turbo setup is official broken. The DP flange warped, turbo has significant shaft play and the manifold has a bit old crack in it (plus I think that's warped too as it won't come off the head). The sad part in all this was I thought the studs just needed to be tightened on the DP, after all that fiddling I'm most likely going to miss my VIR weekend in November.

A couple of things to get out in the open, I love having a Miata but I hate having so much money tied up in one. I wasn't using my head when I purchased it. The car came from an older gentlemen that bought the car new and modified it to basically where it is today. That includes the Greddy turbo kit which was upgraded and running 12 psi, 1.8 Torsen, piggy-back engine management, AGX and Ground Control coils, and the list goes on. The "not thinking" part is I bought it for a premium because it was "done" but with this Greddy kit gone I've basically removed / replaced all the parts that made it "done" except the brakes. I'm figuring with all the safety equipment, new tires, suspension, radiator, intercooler, oil cooler, I'm into it for somewhere around $13k. With this investment it'll be closer to 20k by the time I'm done. A lot of money for a small car.

So here's the meat of all this rambling. I need the car to be a reliable track toy. I have gotten into HPDE events and need to continue my learning. I am also going to be taking delivery of my father's 1965 Olds Cutlass that I grew up in and I'd rather spend my time tinkering with that than the track toy. The Miata has 140k miles on it, engine seems healthy (comp test comes back good) but the mileage can't be ignored. 

Here are my list of requirements:

- Must be reliable!
- Power output should be in the 220 whp and 200 wtq range (plus or minus in there)
- Does not need AC or PS
- Must be "trackable". I don't want any long spool times or crazy surges of power if I can avoid it.
- Money isn't specifically a constraint but it needs to make sense. A 20k+ LS swap is not in the picture.
- If I go FI on the 1.6 I'd like the components to be able to port over to the 1.8 for the most part.

Here are the options I'm toying with:

Option 1: 
Flyin' Miata FMII kit with Hydra ECU on the old 1.6l
About a $5k investment, should hit the power targets fine
Seems to be reliable
I could swap everything over to a 1.8 later on except the manifold and dp (not a lot of expense in the big picture)
Downside is I'm dealing again with a turbo and all its associated issues (heat, oil delivery, etc.)

Option 2:
Track Dog Racing Rotrex kit on the old 1.6l
About the same $5k investment, will hit the whp numbers but will be short on tq by 30 ft lbs
Power delivery would make it easier to drive potentially
Does not come with a standalone engine management unit
It will be the smaller c30-74 but most things can port to a 1.8. A good build on the 1.8 will reach the 200 wtq and "almost" 300 whp
Downside is low on tq, worried around town driving will be boring and corner exit won't be as great.

Option 3:
K24 swap!!!!
Probably close to $10k, will hit the power numbers and do it reliably
Power delivery will be great and would make it easy to drive
Lots of headroom for more power, probably too much power
A ton of work to do, makes me tired even thinking about it

Besides telling me I'm dumb for investing this much into my Miata, I'd like to hear your opinions.

Here she is after spending way too much time wrapping her:


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## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

sicklyscott said:


> *story about Greddy turbo setup failing*
> 
> -Turbo option
> -Supercharger option
> -K24 swap


You're making me think about doing bad things to my car. Seriously bad things to my car. My vote is for the swap. Gah. K24 goodness...


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally took my friend’s son for a ride. Paranoid about the airbag, so we just drove around town. Wish you could Key it off.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

On another note, are these 2 bolts the only ones holding on the wing? At the far left and right edges of the trunk? 

Is the center post just some sticky tape?

Would love to replace with a small, CF duckbill. I feel like I can find one that would cover those holes.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

sicklyscott said:


>


Wish I knew enough to help you with your technical question. Personally, I'd love about another 50 or 60 hp in mine and I'd be happy, but it's not a track car.

Really want to know what trunk spoiler that is though. :beer:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

sicklyscott said:


> I hit a snag with my '91, etc etc.


Sorry to hear about the turbo. The setup sounds very old-school, which is a complement. It was built with what was the way to do it ~15 years ago, and it sounds like it's just flat-out worn out. Can't complain about that.

As to your query, the car sounds like the perfect candidate for a Honda J-series swap. Reliable hp/tq, there is a vendor (Minitec IIRC) who makes a complete mechanical adapter kit to bolt the engine in the car and to the Miata transmission, you just need to source the motor and wiring. Much more cost-effective than a K-swap, since donor cars are such unlikely candidates such as Honda Odysseys, old Acura TL's and such; cars whose motors aren't what put them in the junkyard to begin with.

BTW I love the way the car looks!


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Diamond Dave said:


> Not that the Miata is in the same league as these cars, but look at some comparable NA enthusiast cars and the HP:weight story starts to make more sense.
> 
> 
> SR20 Miata = 2100lbs @ 180hp = 11.6lbs/hp
> ...


Uh. No wonder the supercharged NC is fun: 2540 lbs (2500 + 40 lbs SC) @ 240 hp (225 rwhp -> about 240 crank?) = 10.58 lbs/hp... 

Not bad.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

sicklyscott said:


> So here's the meat of all this rambling. I need the car to be a reliable track toy. I have gotten into HPDE events and need to continue my learning. I am also going to be taking delivery of my father's 1965 Olds Cutlass that I grew up in and I'd rather spend my time tinkering with that than the track toy. The Miata has 140k miles on it, engine seems healthy (comp test comes back good) but the mileage can't be ignored.
> 
> Besides telling me I'm dumb for investing this much into my Miata, I'd like to hear your opinions.


It's a good looking car for sure. 

The most reliable track toy is a stock Miata. Possibly the most unreliable track toy is a turbo Miata.

You didn't mention if you were the one doing the work or not and that's a major component of your questions. Most people just don't have the money to do a properly robust forced induction setup let alone do a hybrid engine conversion. You just don't get a K24 installed and reliable for $10K. In fact, one of the local Portland guys that is very active on Miataturbo.net recently finished a highly competent turbo build, pulled something like 300WHP and the engine blew up when he arrived at Laguna Seca. Lots of heartache stories there and it's widely known that turbo Miatas have reliability issues on the track.


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

Does anyone in TCL own a LFX powered Miata....I want to see videos, pictures, dynos


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Diamond Dave said:


> It's a good looking car for sure.
> 
> The most reliable track toy is a stock Miata. Possibly the most unreliable track toy is a turbo Miata.
> 
> You didn't mention if you were the one doing the work or not and that's a major component of your questions. Most people just don't have the money to do a properly robust forced induction setup let alone do a hybrid engine conversion. You just don't get a K24 installed and reliable for $10K. In fact, one of the local Portland guys that is very active on Miataturbo.net recently finished a highly competent turbo build, pulled something like 300WHP and the engine blew up when he arrived at Laguna Seca. Lots of heartache stories there and it's widely known that turbo Miatas have reliability issues on the track.


yeah, track days and turbos don't go together.


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Calcvictim said:


> Does anyone in TCL own a LFX powered Miata....I want to see videos, pictures, dynos


The only one I've been following just got on the road(track) recently. Very high attention to detail build.


> SO... first shakedown weekend with the car… fastest Mazda at Mazfest, 1st place Limited RWD and Top Time overall at Redline Time Attack, and a new Miata Lap Record.


https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-p...p-singular-motorsports-good-win-racing-85075/





























https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIMjUkDrvsw


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

I saw that one......want more


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Calcvictim said:


> I saw that one......want more


There's an LFXocet in progress on MT as well.










https://www.miataturbo.net/build-th...ly-california-legal-lfxocet-swap-build-92817/


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

sicklyscott said:


> - Must be reliable!
> - Power output should be in the 220 whp and 200 wtq range (plus or minus in there)




Had similar dilemma deciding what I wanted to do about a reliable (both road and track) miata with power. Came to the same conclusions regarding Rotrex and K swap. K swap.. I love the idea of it but I just didn't want to spend the time with the car down.. nor the cost which I think is gonna be closer to $20k to be complete.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

I'm now headed down the path of the Track Dog Racing Rotrex kit for the 1.6. Almost fully transferable to a 1.8 when the 1.6 finally gives up the ghost (if it ever does!). 

I am opting to modify their original package offering, going for a 6 rib belt setup, bigger injectors and most importantly Megasquirt instead of their power card setup. When it's all tuned I'm hoping for 170 wtq and 220 whp (optimistic probably). I'm thinking about starting a build thread here as I want to do this right and document the joys of owning this car. Should have started a year ago (seat install, suspension install, full DIY wrap job, etc.).


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

Track Dogs kit seems pretty well sorted. I think that's the direction I'd go as well if I (when I) get another miata.


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

DucSam said:


> There's an LFXocet in progress on MT as well.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We don’t have a local Mazda dealership so today I was down in New Hampshire bringing my sister to the airport and stopped at Grappone on the way home. They have a bunch of Miatas hardtop and soft top.

I was most impressed by that white color that isn’t really white but it’s kind of gray depending on how you look at it. Very interesting. The soul red is also great. The medium blue is an odd color for this car. I think it would look amazing in a really great yellow.

Everything was locked, I was just looking around the lot and no salesman bothered me so I didn’t get inside one.

The white-ish one had the red Brembos, which looked great.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

What to do when you can't talk, work or do really anything stressful after minor dental work?

Miata
Is
Always
The
Answer









Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

VTECeateR said:


> Miata Pics



Beautiful! 
I originally asked if pics were with the pixel, but then saw you have a photo page set up so I assume it was with a real camera  But how do you like the phone? 

Sorry for the OT...


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

300_munkeys said:


> were those pictures taken with the pixel 2? If so, very impressive. How do you like the phone?
> 
> Sorry for the OT...


No, it's fine! And yes, Pixel 2. It's a great time we live in. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

VTECeateR said:


> No, it's fine! And yes, Pixel 2. It's a great time we live in.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Those pictures are very impressive. I think you just sold me on getting the phone. I wish the regular size one had a bigger battery  I think I have to go xl just for that.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

300_munkeys said:


> Those pictures are very impressive. I think you just sold me on getting the phone. I wish the regular size one had a bigger battery  I think I have to go xl just for that.


The bigger phone requires that battery because of that huge screen. Not worth $200 more to me. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Picking up 15x7 RPFs on lightly used Potenzas for a steal this weekend. Can't wait to post pics.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

S4cabriofox said:


> Picking up 15x7 RPFs on lightly used Potenzas for a steal this weekend. Can't wait to post pics.


I knew I'd regret selling my 15x8 6ULs with ZII's earlier this year. But at the time, I'd converted my Mk2 GTI to 5x100 for bigger brakes, and I had no other 4x100 cars. Lo and behold, I picked up another Mk2, which I am contemplating keeping 4x100 due to better lightweight 15" wheel selection, thus I've been scouring Craigslist looking for used Miata tire/wheel setups. I'm guessing the Potenzas are RE-71R's? If so that's a killer combo (and color me green) :thumbup:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

As I move deeper into NC ownership I'm finding myself taking inventory of NA stuff and frankly I'm shocked at the pile of wheels I have for these cars. I've already disposed of one set of Kosei K1 and there are still way too many. We're down to three 4x100 cars here, and one can't really use aftermarket wheels (the Fit takes 15x6 +55 so aftermarket 15x7s typically don't have enough offset and will rub). I've settled on keeping 6UL nickel on my '90 and K1 on the wife's '93, so everything else should go:

SSR Type C 15x7.5
6UL nickel 15x7.5
RPF1 15x7
Kosei K1TS 15x7

The 7.5 wheels should go fairly quickly and easily. I'm not looking forward to the Craigslist nightmares that will happen with the others, especially since the RPF1s are a bit on the ugly side and none of them have very good tires on them.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Claff said:


> As I move deeper into NC ownership I'm finding myself taking inventory of NA stuff and frankly I'm shocked at the pile of wheels I have for these cars. I've already disposed of one set of Kosei K1 and there are still way too many. We're down to three 4x100 cars here, and one can't really use aftermarket wheels (the Fit takes 15x6 +55 so aftermarket 15x7s typically don't have enough offset and will rub). I've settled on keeping 6UL nickel on my '90 and K1 on the wife's '93, so everything else should go:
> 
> SSR Type C 15x7.5
> 6UL nickel 15x7.5
> ...


OMFG. Your wheel list is like the greatest hits list of what I would have liked to run on my Miata, and what I'd like to run on the GTI. Good choices :thumbup:


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> I knew I'd regret selling my 15x8 6ULs with ZII's earlier this year. But at the time, I'd converted my Mk2 GTI to 5x100 for bigger brakes, and I had no other 4x100 cars. Lo and behold, I picked up another Mk2, which I am contemplating keeping 4x100 due to better lightweight 15" wheel selection, thus I've been scouring Craigslist looking for used Miata tire/wheel setups. I'm guessing the Potenzas are RE-71R's? If so that's a killer combo (and color me green) :thumbup:


They are 71Rs  I'm psyched to get the car on tires it deserves, not the crappy all seasons that my $300 Craigslist wheels came on.

What wheels are you looking at for the Mk2?

@Claff, 16" Type Cs would look nasty on an NC. You should just trade up.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

S4cabriofox said:


> @Claff, 16" Type Cs would look nasty on an NC. You should just trade up.


NCs are taken care of wheel-wise. Three sets of RPF1 (silver, black, and SBC) and one set of PF01, all 17x9. One thing I noticed is that NC wheels take up a lot more space than NA/NB wheels.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

S4cabriofox said:


> They are 71Rs  I'm psyched to get the car on tires it deserves, not the crappy all seasons that my $300 Craigslist wheels came on.
> 
> What wheels are you looking at for the Mk2?


Flippin' awesome!

If I keep it 4x100, I'd love any of the wheels on Claff's list - probably in the order of 6UL, SSR, K1, RPF. Right now, the car has a set of Rota GT3's, which actually look pretty bitchin' (they're gold with a polished lip, on a red Mk2 GTI) with 195/50-15's on them, so I'm guessing they're 15x7. I looked around for the weight, and it looks like they weight 15 lbs/wheel. Not great, but not bad either. My 15x8 6UL's were 12 lbs/wheel. IIRC that's about the range (12-13 lbs/wheel) of any of Claff's wheel, with the RPF's coming in around 10-11/wheel. I just want something strong and light.

If I decide to go 5x100, it's a whole different ball game. Not much in the realm of 15" lightweight wheels, and I have a set of heavy 15x7's that came of a Mk3 donor car (IIRC they're 20 lbs/wheel). 16's are a little easier to find, but tires are much more expensive. 17's are still easier to find, thanks to the WRX/BRZ crowd, but 17's are ridiculous on a Mk2.

Replacement tires on the Rotas are $120/tire for RE-71R's, so I think I may pull the trigger on a set come spring time, regardless of what wheel I have. I've run them on my M3 for autocross/HPDE, and our endurance team has run them for a few events. Awesome amounts of grip, short lifespan on heavy-ish cars, so I'm hoping that a light car like the Miata/Mk2 will be easier on the tires.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Claff said:


> NCs are taken care of wheel-wise. Three sets of RPF1 (silver, black, and SBC) and one set of PF01, all 17x9. One thing I noticed is that NC wheels take up a lot more space than NA/NB wheels.


I noticed that with the M3 wheels and tires, and in terms of pricing too. Part of my retreat to Mk2-dom is that it has Miata-like consumable sizes and pricing.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

After a summer of dealing with 17x9 wearing 255-40-17, I swapped tires around on my '90. I felt like I could stack four of those little 6ULs into one pile and pick them all up at once to bring them from the shed to the driveway.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Claff said:


> NCs are taken care of wheel-wise. Three sets of RPF1 (silver, black, and SBC) and one set of PF01, all 17x9. One thing I noticed is that NC wheels take up a lot more space than NA/NB wheels.


Sort of like everything about the NC?  Jokes aside, I want one a lot more than I used to since learning more about Miatas in general. I haven't driven one but I figure the NC is probably the best all-around platform for a mix of daily/track usage. If I could only have one car and made it a Miata, it would be hard to justify an ND over a depreciated NC.



Stevo12 said:


> Flippin' awesome!
> 
> If I keep it 4x100, I'd love any of the wheels on Claff's list - probably in the order of 6UL, SSR, K1, RPF. Right now, the car has a set of Rota GT3's, which actually look pretty bitchin' (they're gold with a polished lip, on a red Mk2 GTI) with 195/50-15's on them, so I'm guessing they're 15x7. I looked around for the weight, and it looks like they weight 15 lbs/wheel. Not great, but not bad either. My 15x8 6UL's were 12 lbs/wheel. IIRC that's about the range (12-13 lbs/wheel) of any of Claff's wheel, with the RPF's coming in around 10-11/wheel. I just want something strong and light.
> 
> ...


I'm currently running the 16x6.5 5-spokes that run about 16lbs per corner. I'm suspicious of people who say I'll really notice the difference when I put the RPFs on, but I'm sure I'll at least get a nice placebo effect.

In for updates on whatever you decide to get for your fwd Miata.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Thoughts on this ad? He just came down $500. https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miata-mx-5/6350126295.html

I haven't driven any miatas, but I was really hoping to find a nice looking 94-97 but the idea of a supercharged one is appealing obviously. This would would a purely second car, this FiST is staying. 

Any input on what you can see about that car, or the supercharger would be appreciated.


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Techun said:


> Thoughts on this ad? He just came down $500. https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miata-mx-5/6350126295.html
> 
> I haven't driven any miatas, but I was really hoping to find a nice looking 94-97 but the idea of a supercharged one is appealing obviously. This would would a purely second car, this FiST is staying.
> 
> Any input on what you can see about that car, or the supercharger would be appreciated.


I'd stay away. The 99-00 are generally said to have the worst seats, styling is subjective. The mods they've got installed are all pretty bottom shelf items. The Powercard "Engine Management" is a very primitive piggyback bandaid that I wouldn't feel comfortable running.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I’ve really warmed up to the RF.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Techun said:


> Thoughts on this ad? He just came down $500. https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miata-mx-5/6350126295.html
> 
> I haven't driven any miatas, but I was really hoping to find a nice looking 94-97 but the idea of a supercharged one is appealing obviously. This would would a purely second car, this FiST is staying.
> 
> Any input on what you can see about that car, or the supercharger would be appreciated.


Hard pass. Rough cosmetic shape, mousetrap "roll bar", ugly wheels, questionable engine management. You are better off buying a $3k Miata and spending another $3k to do forced induction right.

I bought my mazdaspeed miata for not all that much more than that.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

Sporin said:


> I’ve really warmed up to the RF.


the RF is gorgeous


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Nealric said:


> Hard pass. Rough cosmetic shape, mousetrap "roll bar", ugly wheels, questionable engine management. You are better off buying a $3k Miata and spending another $3k to do forced induction right.
> 
> I bought my mazdaspeed miata for not all that much more than that.


Eh, I'm not so much in the 'hard pass' category as I am in the 'proceed with caution.'

First up, even without considering the mods, the price is fair for an NB with 111K. A 99-00 is more preferable to mod, as you don't have to worry about VVT timing if you go with standalone management. The 99-00's are also lighter than the 01-05's, and are slightly lighter than an NA8.

It might have some semblance of history dating back to '05 (would need to know if it's seller here-say, or if it's backed up by records). Some of the mods (intake, exhaust) are pretty reputable parts, so those are a bonus.

However, there are a few big (but in my opinion, easily-rectifiable) knocks against it, which is why I say, proceed with caution. They are legitimate, not nit-picky items that might give you leverage in negotiating a substantial price decrease:


I agree about the engine management being a half-azzed approach, but the hardware is more important IMO and if it's in good shape, management and a custom tune is easy to do.
The steering wheel and stubby antenna identify this as a base car, which means it is likely it doesn't have a Torsen LSD. Easy to retrofit one, though. 5-speed is preferable to the 6-speed that was installed on higher-end models due to the gear spacing.
The bumpers (particularly the front) look horrendous. Thankfully, Miata bumper covers are cheap and would be easy to paint.
KYB AGX shocks aren't the best, but again, something that's easily rectified with a use set of Bilsteins and Hard-S springs from another NB (and easily found/cheap as well)
Cheap tires/wheels - again, easy to fix

Also, the seller is either lying or is unaware that this is NOT a 10AE-edition Miata. Those have a specific color scheme and badging, none of which is present on this car. In fact, it's easy to see that it's a base car due to the steering wheel design and antenna, as I mentioned.

I would say it depends on what you're looking for in a Miata. If you're looking for something on which to build your own project, this isn't a bad starting point from a hardware perspective. Definitely use those findings as leverage - the seller of my Mk2 wasn't aware that it was a swap car with all sorts of backdated wiring. It was easy to point those out and gave me leverage to knock a substantial amount off his asking price.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

> I agree about the engine management being a half-azzed approach, but the hardware is more important IMO and if it's in good shape, management and a custom tune is easy to do.


Problem is that bad engine management means the engine has likely lead a hard life. I would want to do a leak down test to check the health of the motor. You can buy a basic used supercharger kit pretty cheap- the issue is creating a full package. 

I paid $7k for an MSM in much better shape and fewer miles. You couldn't get this car to the same place as a stock MSM without spending $3-4k at least (and that's ignoring cosmetics).


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Claff said:


> As I move deeper into NC ownership I'm finding myself taking inventory of NA stuff and frankly I'm shocked at the pile of wheels I have for these cars. I've already disposed of one set of Kosei K1 and there are still way too many. We're down to three 4x100 cars here, and one can't really use aftermarket wheels (the Fit takes 15x6 +55 so aftermarket 15x7s typically don't have enough offset and will rub). I've settled on keeping 6UL nickel on my '90 and K1 on the wife's '93, so everything else should go:
> 
> SSR Type C 15x7.5
> 6UL nickel 15x7.5
> ...


oh man you have the type c's in 15x7.5, I've been wanting them, but I'd have to sell my 15x7s


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Nealric said:


> Problem is that bad engine management means the engine has likely lead a hard life. I would want to do a leak down test to check the health of the motor. You can buy a basic used supercharger kit pretty cheap- the issue is creating a full package.
> 
> I paid $7k for an MSM in much better shape and fewer miles. You couldn't get this car to the same place as a stock MSM without spending $3-4k at least (and that's ignoring cosmetics).


Exactly what I was thinking. The car has too many indicators that tell me everything was done cheaply rather than properly, especially at that price. 

Like you, I paid $7000 for an NB2 with way fewer miles. (I've got another $5k into the turbo setup, but that's a whole other conversation :laugh


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Took her out for one last blast around town in the 45° weather. ❄

Taped up the back window, picked up some mothballs and steel wool, and put the car cover in the trunk. 

I’m putting it to bed in a friend’s garage tomorrow.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Aw614 said:


> oh man you have the type c's in 15x7.5, I've been wanting them, but I'd have to sell my 15x7s


They're not pretty, they're green, but they're still unobtanium. If I didn't have concerns about their not really built to take real-world punishment, I'd hang on to them.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Hey guys! So I think I'm ready to sell my NA6 90% track car and go to an NA8 or NB. I can sell the NA6 for about $500 less than I bought it for from the original owner (he wants it back, and it needs 2 new tires, new brakes, and the windshield is cracked so it offsets that $500). 

The car has a custom half cage, seats, etc. But if I kept it I'd likely get 1.8 brakes put in, and a new driver's seat and maybe a torsen too. Instead of that, since I have a buyer, I figure I'll sell it now and get a different car with all those things already. 

This one came up on the miata.net forums: https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=655308

He's asking $7k and it comes with extra wheels and a tire trailer. 

If I bought it, I would need to put in a new roll bar with bracing, a new driver's seat and mount, and buy a hard top (~$2000 investment give or take). The hard top can wait. I'm not a big fan of BRG, but I figure if this is a decent deal to go for it. I think $7k is still too high, and maybe closer to $6k is more reasonable. The mods he has put on appear to be quality. 

Again, this is for a car where over 90% of the time it is driven to and from and on the track. 

What say you guys? 










Ad text: 



> Hello all! Up for sale is this 2000 British Racing Green Miata, modified to be an absolute dream on track. Unfortunately, I just don't have time for as many track days as I'd like, so it isn't getting the use it should. Hopefully it can find a worthy home! I have a full maintenance history since purchasing the car in 2013 that I can provide, as well as any additional desired photos/information.
> 
> Some details:
> -This was a FL/GA/SC car until last year, so has zero rust and has never been driven in snow or salt (anything that looks like rust in the pictures is just dirt). Currently located in Pittsburgh, PA.
> ...


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Hey guys! So I think I'm ready to sell my NA6 90% track car and go to an NA8 or NB. I can sell the NA6 for about $500 less than I bought it for from the original owner (he wants it back, and it needs 2 new tires, new brakes, and the windshield is cracked so it offsets that $500).
> 
> The car has a custom half cage, seats, etc. But if I kept it I'd likely get 1.8 brakes put in, and a new driver's seat and maybe a torsen too. Instead of that, since I have a buyer, I figure I'll sell it now and get a different car with all those things already.
> 
> ...


Well, looks like car is going to sell for $6850. Oh well. Good thing I'm not in a rush, and probably won't be at the track for 4+ months so I have time to keep looking.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

just quoted myself up some bolted tires for the winter miata for ice-autocross .... about 600 all in. 

not bad. should be a fun Christmas present


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> Well, looks like car is going to sell for $6850. Oh well. Good thing I'm not in a rush, and probably won't be at the track for 4+ months so I have time to keep looking.


Good parts but I don't think that's a remarkable deal by any stretch.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

sicklyscott said:


> Good parts but I don't think that's a remarkable deal by any stretch.


Thanks. It's hard to tell nowadays.

The problem is I don't want a full racecar, because I want to drive to and from the track still. But then I also don't want someone that modded the car on a shoestring budget and put only cheap parts on there. I'm finding both ends of the spectrum.

I think my budget is around $10k all in, including a trailer and extra set of wheels. I'm debating whether I should keep looking for a built up car or find a relatively clean car and get it built myself. The latter will be more expensive, but at least I'll know it's done right.

What do you guys think?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> just quoted myself up some bolted tires for the winter miata for ice-autocross .... about 600 all in.
> 
> not bad. should be a fun Christmas present


That looks like it would be tons of fun. What's the grip like on ice with tires like those? How does the car handle?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> That looks like it would be tons of fun. What's the grip like on ice with tires like those? How does the car handle?


i dont know, but datalogging shows on the ice you can approach 1.2G .... so like a good street tired car. 

this is the kind of stuff to do with them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHmYBMs5Ncs

i've only done ice racing on normal winter tires, so thats only like .3-.4G type stuff. still fun, not as mad max though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ax95JeGtw

"handling" on ice has far more to do with skill than it does car setup on ice.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks. It's hard to tell nowadays.
> 
> The problem is I don't want a full racecar, because I want to drive to and from the track still. But then I also don't want someone that modded the car on a shoestring budget and put only cheap parts on there. I'm finding both ends of the spectrum.
> 
> ...


I would look for a deal for a bit longer, but if you're willing to throw $10K into it then you might as well enjoy the peace of mind of picking out what you want. Especially if you're willing to have an NA, you could easily find a clean one for $4K.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

S4cabriofox said:


> I would look for a deal for a bit longer, but if you're willing to throw $10K into it then you might as well enjoy the peace of mind of picking out what you want. Especially if you're willing to have an NA, you could easily find a clean one for $4K.


Thanks. I'm also thinking of just keeping my current car another season. Needs a new brake master cylinder, and I'll prob get a Halo seat for driver's side, and a harbor freight trailer for wheels/tools.

I think it's also a better way to measure my progress since I'm still fairly new to this. And also a good way to see how much benefit r compounds get me.

It's also registered as an antique, so no annual fee or inspections which is great. And insurance is just a couple hundred bucks a year.

Any recommendations on a comfortable Halo seat for an na with planted seat brackets? Will be driven to/from/on the track.

Sparco ergo with removable harness would be great but might be hard to fit.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

personally, having made the jump to trailering my track car ... im happy i did. slowly the stress of "how am i going to get home when i break something" was building. having a truck and trailer is a huge de-stressor for me. 

and for 10 grand, i'd just buy a spec miata so you can compare how good you are to everyone else. look up the qualifying and record lap times for spec miata, and compare times to them. they are fun, cheap and when you want to make the jump to wheel to wheel racing, you are already there. 

10 grand also buys you a hell of a good towing rig.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> personally, having made the jump to trailering my track car ... im happy i did. slowly the stress of "how am i going to get home when i break something" was building. having a truck and trailer is a huge de-stressor for me.
> 
> and for 10 grand, i'd just buy a spec miata so you can compare how good you are to everyone else. look up the qualifying and record lap times for spec miata, and compare times to them. they are fun, cheap and when you want to make the jump to wheel to wheel racing, you are already there.
> 
> 10 grand also buys you a hell of a good towing rig.


like for example when your front wheel bearing/hub fails .... because they all do on miatas:


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks. It's hard to tell nowadays.
> 
> The problem is I don't want a full racecar, because I want to drive to and from the track still. But then I also don't want someone that modded the car on a shoestring budget and put only cheap parts on there. I'm finding both ends of the spectrum.
> 
> ...


Here's my advise after just going through this ($20k later :banghead: ).

Decide what you want. I mean REALLY decide what you want. Street car for the track? Track car that can be tolerable on the street? Do you have friends you want to keep up with? Are you doing DE to learn? Will you ever want to do timed events or competition? If DE, do you mind getting passed on the straights by 99% of the cars on the track?

I have a group of friends I go to DE with. 2 have e46 M3s, 1 a S4, and 1 a F80 M3. I want to keep up with them. That means a Miata that is a lot faster than stock. That also means lots of aftermarket parts and the chance for them to go *poof*. 

I completely agree with learning to drive a slow car fast but at my age I don't care to waste my track time in a slow car. I'm not going to become some hardcore competitive racer, don't have the money, time or talent for that. 

So now that I've ranted a bit my thought is this. Buy something you have fun on the street with that you can take to the track. Find yourself a good 99+ car and add on some seats, harnesses, and 949 big grip kit. Rent a U-haul trailer for track events at $50 / day. That's your $10k. 

Send me a message if you want to talk further. As I said I was just through all this and have learned quite a bit. 

And because I like to whore, here's my money pit in it's current stage:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> personally, having made the jump to trailering my track car ... im happy i did. slowly the stress of "how am i going to get home when i break something" was building. having a truck and trailer is a huge de-stressor for me.
> 
> and for 10 grand, i'd just buy a spec miata so you can compare how good you are to everyone else. look up the qualifying and record lap times for spec miata, and compare times to them. they are fun, cheap and when you want to make the jump to wheel to wheel racing, you are already there.
> 
> 10 grand also buys you a hell of a good towing rig.


All roads seem to lead to towing. I do think I'll get there, but with a second kid due in a few weeks, I'm just not sure how often I'll be able to go to the track the next year or two. I don't have a good towing vehicle available, and I'm definitely not ready to get rid of my daily for a tow capable car. Down the line I will either use my wife's car to tow or get a cheap truck to tow, but for now I'm not ready. Also I don't know where I'd keep the trailer. Seems like it would be quite the eyesore especially if I'm only using it a few times a year. 

I wish there was a cheap rental option I could use when I needed it, but Uhaull is I think $60 a day or something like that which adds up quick. I would need 3 days at least for a track weekend - rent Friday, return Monday. I may go down that route a couple of times next year just to test. 

My wife has a q5 which is rated to tow 3500 lbs...I don't think that's quite enough for a miata, even NA, plus a set of wheels and some tools :/ I may ask someone else though and borrow their car to experiment. 

edit: just realized my sister's grand cherokee trailhawk is rated to tow 6200 lbs. And her husband can drive a stick so I can switch cars with them. hmmm. Probably what I'll do next year.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

sicklyscott said:


> Here's my advise after just going through this ($20k later :banghead: ).
> 
> Decide what you want. I mean REALLY decide what you want. Street car for the track? Track car that can be tolerable on the street? Do you have friends you want to keep up with? Are you doing DE to learn? Will you ever want to do timed events or competition? If DE, do you mind getting passed on the straights by 99% of the cars on the track?
> 
> ...


Thanks man! I've seen some of your thread  Car looks great!

My friends that I go to the track with have an NA6 and an e30. Others have marginally faster cars. So I'm not worried about that part. I don't care about giving point bys. I'm mostly doing this for myself to acquire and master a new skill, and I feel like miatas are the best tool for the job. 

So I do want a street car for the track. Something like the one I had posted earlier is probably a good option. But then my current car has the spec suspension on it, seats, harnesses, etc. Biggest issue really is getting to and from the track. I may tow it a couple of times next year to see how it goes and decide if I want to buy my own trailer. 

I just want something a bit more comfortable and safer for potentially 5 hour drives to VIR. But again, since I'm still learning (this was my first season doing this and I got in 12 days, I had 4 days last year in my old car - mk6 Golf R) my na6 might still be the best tool for another season. I rarely drive it on the street because it's not that comfortable and it's no longer a convertible. 

I may actually buy an NC "for my wife" to learn how to drive stick on and to have for weekend drives. The NC prices have really come down, even since a year ago. I see many more for around $6k. Then in the future I could build up the NC as my next track car with a 2.5 swap :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

https://instagram.com/p/BbhW74lFobW/


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

6 months in an I am still loving this thing. Will need hardtop locks soon so I can get that installed without fear. 

Hoping to get new brakes, suspension and roll bar so I can finally track this car next year.

Love going on adventures with this car.










Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

VTECeateR said:


> 6 months in an I am still loving this thing. Will need hardtop locks soon so I can get that installed without fear.
> 
> Hoping to get new brakes, suspension and roll bar so I can finally track this car next year.
> 
> ...


Nice pics once again! 

Since you plan on tracking the car, get the interior connection kit for the hard top which bolts it in instead of getting hard top locks imo. You'll need it to track the car anyway.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> All roads seem to lead to towing. I do think I'll get there, but with a second kid due in a few weeks, I'm just not sure how often I'll be able to go to the track the next year or two. I don't have a good towing vehicle available, and I'm definitely not ready to get rid of my daily for a tow capable car. Down the line I will either use my wife's car to tow or get a cheap truck to tow, but for now I'm not ready. Also I don't know where I'd keep the trailer. Seems like it would be quite the eyesore especially if I'm only using it a few times a year.
> 
> I wish there was a cheap rental option I could use when I needed it, but Uhaull is I think $60 a day or something like that which adds up quick. I would need 3 days at least for a track weekend - rent Friday, return Monday. I may go down that route a couple of times next year just to test.
> 
> ...


I'm taking the plunge into towing my car to the track. When I had my Miata, I'd drive to autocross events, but then hesitated to have a rollbar in my street-driven Miata. So I sold it to get a hardtop, and ended up with my M3 with the expectation to do HPDE. But I didn't get the car ready enough where I was confident taking it to the track until July/August, because daily driving it either exposed issues (like brakes, wheel hubs) leading to repairs being done instead going to the track, or the fear of not being able to get home if a failure occurred. The closest track to me is 40-50 miles away, and while I have a AAA, that's a dicey call to make because they might not tow it.

That's when I got the idea to turn my black Mk2 into a track car, since I had all the parts, I just needed to put it together. Plus, on a heavy UHaul trailer (IIRC they're close to 2K lbs dry and very nose heavy), it's a lot easier on my Frontier than the M3 was, which with the trailer is pretty close to the truck's 6,000-lb limit. It doesn't feel unsafe, but the tongue weight is more than ideal (the truck squats a bit) and the surge brakes are insufficient to take up the increased needs of the 5,000+ lb load.

With the truck, I can bring a few spares (tires, parts) and more tools than if I had driven the M3, and certainly if I had kept the Miata and drove that to the track. Just think of it as a little cushion of insurance having a tow setup.

I'll be renting UHauls next year for events, even though the tongue weight and brake setups are less ideal for my truck - I could definitely use a weight-distributing hitch and electric brakes. If it proves to be a bother, and if I can strike the right bargain, I'd like to get an open 17' trailer, which weighs about 500-lbs less. With the Mk2 (which is 2300-2500 depending if I end up putting in the VR6), that will put the total weight around 4,000 lbs and be a lot easier to manage.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> I'm taking the plunge into towing my car to the track. When I had my Miata, I'd drive to autocross events, but then hesitated to have a rollbar in my street-driven Miata. So I sold it to get a hardtop, and ended up with my M3 with the expectation to do HPDE. But I didn't get the car ready enough where I was confident taking it to the track until July/August, because daily driving it either exposed issues (like brakes, wheel hubs) leading to repairs being done instead going to the track, or the fear of not being able to get home if a failure occurred. The closest track to me is 40-50 miles away, and while I have a AAA, that's a dicey call to make because they might not tow it.
> 
> That's when I got the idea to turn my black Mk2 into a track car, since I had all the parts, I just needed to put it together. Plus, on a heavy UHaul trailer (IIRC they're close to 2K lbs dry and very nose heavy), it's a lot easier on my Frontier than the M3 was, which with the trailer is pretty close to the truck's 6,000-lb limit. It doesn't feel unsafe, but the tongue weight is more than ideal (the truck squats a bit) and the surge brakes are insufficient to take up the increased needs of the 5,000+ lb load.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input. Here are the factors holding me back from trailering:

1) Spending the money on a trailer which will only be used a few times a year. Say 4-8 weekends a year. So a max of 16 days? Doesn't make sense to me. 

2) Storage of the trailer: It's an eyesore. We technically have plenty of space, but keeping it sitting outside in the driveway is pretty damn ugly IMO. Renting a space doesn't make sense. 

3) Like you, the closest tracks are 50+ miles a away. VIR is >200 mi. I think the close tracks are close enough where if something happens, I can figure out a way to manage it. At VIR it would be harder. 

The u-haul option I think is my best bet for next year, to experiment how it goes. I will probably trailer the car to VIR and use that as a gauge. Using u-haul for every weekend would be $200 extra per weekend, so estimating an average of 6 times a year that would be $1,200. Not that bad compared to purchase, since there are no extra registration fees or taxes or maintenance costs. However I don't have an asset I can sell later on, either. Plus of course the time of going to U-haul to pick it up and then drop it off. 

Luckily my car is more like 2100 lbs, so not as big a deal. If I go to VIR 3 or 3 times next year, that would only be an additional $400-600, which is probably better than spending thousands on a trailer which I may not use too often. 

And I may just get the little trailer to tow behind the miata for the closer tracks.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

FWIW trailers (and trucks for the matter) don't depreciate very much at all. Their overall cost of ownership is very low as a result.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

love having the truck and trailer. if your going to track a car, i really feel a lot better with a truck and trailer than going it alone. 

plus, almost any car that is reasonably good on the track, is not very street able. yes, im talking about real tires, real safety features, etc etc not "my m3 can track AND daily drive" silliness.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

I agree with the trailer storage being an eyesore. Even though I'm not in a particularly glamorous neighborhood (typical postwar neighborhood full of identical Cape Cod houses), I do not want to look at it in the driveway every day, nor do I want it taking up that real estate. I could stash it beside the house, since it's out of the sight/out of mind, but I'm afraid gaining access to it every month or so will decimate the lawn that I've worked hard to restore over the last few years (first world problems, but you should see what it used to be!). It would totally be a non-issue if I had a more rural house with a clearing in which to stash the trailer; but I'm working with the reality of my current house at the moment.

On value, you'd end up coming up quite a bit ahead on the purchase of a trailer, especially since they don't lose much value. Assuming you don't buy a basket case of a trailer, or brand new, it'll be worth pretty much what you paid for it when you're done. And about new trailers, if you stick to the basic flatbeds, you won't lose much either - by looking at my local market, a used name-brand trailer like Big Tex only loses $500 after 5-6 years. I've been eyeing new Econo-Trailers, which I can get for $2400 new, delivered to family in PA. I see used ones pop up in my area that are 5-10 years old going for $1800-2000.

The UHauls in my area are hit or miss. I'm mentioned my issues with their surge brakes - I'm attributing that to the fact that I've had to do brakes after 36,000 miles, a lot of which are highway - but also the trailers I've gotten are of iffy quality. Since I almost predominantly rent "in-town" (pickup and drop-off same location) I get the beat-up old AT trailers. I even asked the associate last month when I went and picked up my Mk2, why out of the 5 trailers they had in their yard are they giving me the crappy one. She responded because the nice ones are reserved for 1-way trips (which of course are more expensive). 










Some of the issues I've had were: no safety chain for the vehicle on the trailer; the removable fenders (on the left) behind held together with miscellany such as a removable chain link, a nut that had been "sent" (crossthreaded) onto a non-matching bolt; and (not kidding here) a piece of Romex; and another one where a couple of the tires were bald (thankfully I was renting on a clear day) and it was clear that recently they were all bad but they only replaced 2 of them. 

Like I said, I'll continue using them because of their low buy-in, but ultimately I'd rather pay the money up front for a trailer which I control, and then get most of it back when I'm done. It would also be nice if I can store some of my equipment and tools on the trailer (like adding a tool box and/or tire rack) but that would just be icing. I'd rather the control of my own trailer.

Anyway I've drifted off the topic of Yatas, here are a couple pics of my old car:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks guys for all the input! I agree buying the trailer is a better financial decision. Money towards rental is money gone.

The real biggest issue is storage space. I think eventually I'll end up buying a trailer but not this year. And I won't be trailering to every event so it shouldn't be too much money.

Truth be told we're having a second kid in a month so if I get even 4 events at the track next year I'll be happy!

Also sorry for the ot conversation. Back on topic.

With some friends at the track and an action shot:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

A friend of mine who lives in NoVA just got a trailer. He was debating it for quite a long time since he can't store one on his property, and his best option for storage was going to be something like $150 a month.

I park mine on the side of the road, usually still hooked to the truck, during race season and then store it alongside the garage for the winter. We made sure we weren't in a HOA neighborhood before buying the house.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> A friend of mine who lives in NoVA just got a trailer. He was debating it for quite a long time since he can't store one on his property, and his best option for storage was going to be something like $150 a month.
> 
> I park mine on the side of the road, usually still hooked to the truck, during race season and then store it alongside the garage for the winter. We made sure we weren't in a HOA neighborhood before buying the house.


There's no way I would justify that unless I am using it super frequently, like every 3 weeks or so. Otherwise just rent. 

If he wants to rent his trailer occasionally to offset his costs lmk


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

*RIP SR20 Miata*

It's been fun dudes, but the ride is over. I'm happy to be alive, let alone walking away from the wreckage with only a mild concussion. I was headed to Astoria for lunch when the car got light on water runoff and hydroplaned at about 55MPH backwards into a ditch. I know there is a word for describing how lucky I feel yet how disappointed I am to lose the car. It truly gave its life for mine. I've got a lot to think this thanksgiving in what it means to be thankful.






































The passenger rear wheel took the first impact. Still not sure if the car rolled or went end over end but every panel is damaged except the doors (which both open and close perfectly). That Lotus Elise seat saved my life though. When I was headed backwards toward the ditch, I had a brief moment to relax, face forward and put my head against the headrest before the explosion. The stock Miata seat barely comes above my spine, so I can only guess how badly my head would have snapped back.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

^^ wow...that's tragic. 

Glad you're ok! Sad you lost the NA.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Oh no Dave! I'm glad you're okay, and it really is a testament to how well these cars are built, despite the fearmongering of the brodozer crowd. Hopefully the drivetrain is savable, and gets transplanted into something awesome, Miata or not. I always enjoyed seeing your car pop up on this forum or another, and always wished I'd been local to see this car in person - it was truly one of a kind.

Cars are replaceable, humans are not. Hopefully there aren't any physical aftereffects of the crash!

:beer:


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Dave I am so sorry 
That was by far the best and cleanest NA owned by a Vortex member. I know how long it took you to build it and saw it in person. 
Hope you have the enthusiasm to transplant the SR into another Miata. The workmanship on that car was impeccable.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

sorry man

rip :beer:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Glad you are ok, ♦Dave!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

My car is pranking drivers looking for parking (in a soon-to-be-filled lot) this morning.


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## benjaminobscene (Aug 24, 2008)

wow, Dave. glad you're ok!


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Need some advice - I'm looking for a second miata to drive for fun for the next year, and reserve the track car for track duty. Wife will also practice learning stick on this car and use it on occasion hopefully. Eventually, this car will be built into a track car when I sell my na6. 

I wasn't in a rush, but this popped up locally and seems like a very good deal: https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/d/mazda-mx-5-miata-10th/6407749683.html

'99 10th Anniversary Edition, 109k miles, water pump and belts done at 94k miles. It was in an accident previously but has been repaired. 

Price seems a little low for this area, especially since it has a hard top included. The guy has only owned it for 6 months. 

What do you guys think?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> Need some advice - I'm looking for a second miata to drive for fun for the next year, and reserve the track car for track duty. Wife will also practice learning stick on this car and use it on occasion hopefully. Eventually, this car will be built into a track car when I sell my na6.
> 
> I wasn't in a rush, but this popped up locally and seems like a very good deal: https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/d/mazda-mx-5-miata-10th/6407749683.html
> 
> ...


I think it's a good price, but not a _great_ price. The soft top is the wrong color, and I think it's going to present worse in person than it looks in the pictures. The back of the hard top looks rough as does the front lower lip spoiler. Terrible tail lights, too.

But all that being said, it does look like a good deal for the car as it is. It's worth checking out.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Need some advice - I'm looking for a second miata to drive for fun for the next year, and reserve the track car for track duty. Wife will also practice learning stick on this car and use it on occasion hopefully. Eventually, this car will be built into a track car when I sell my na6.
> 
> I wasn't in a rush, but this popped up locally and seems like a very good deal: https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/d/mazda-mx-5-miata-10th/6407749683.html
> 
> ...


Some thoughts:

-That front end doesn't look right. I know it's missing the badge, but it looks like the bumper/headlights/hood are misaligned. I'm not a trained body guy, but it seems obvious to me that the car was smacked in front

-10AE should have a blue top. While it's not unexpected for a Miata of that vintage to have had the top replaced at least once, I just wanted to point out that whoever did so didn't replace it with the right color. I wonder what brand that replacement top is (Robbins is usually the go-to) or if Robbins even makes a replacement blue top.

-The taillights are hideous

-Orange peel around the 10AE badge - bad choice of filter, or shoddy accident damage? Tough to tell not in-person. I'd be cautious of any other repairs.

-While the low mileage isn't bad, IMO mileage is less of a concern on a Miata if it's been maintained - i.e. buying something with higher mileage but longer prior ownership (with records of course) is usually a better bought Miata than someone who's selling it after such a short ownership period, with some iffy history.

Bottom line, I'd be very cautious. It's an okay price for the car because it comes with some skeletons. As long as you aren't expecting to have instant equity in it, then it's not a bad buy. But I think you can do better for the money.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I think it's a good price, but not a _great_ price. The soft top is the wrong color, and I think it's going to present worse in person than it looks in the pictures. The back of the hard top looks rough as does the front lower lip spoiler. Terrible tail lights, too.
> 
> But all that being said, it does look like a good deal for the car as it is. It's worth checking out.


Thanks. Yeah the hard top does look rough and I hate those lights. The soft top will be removed eventually, though I agree it looks horrible and I can't understand why not put the black one instead. 

If it's been well maintained, $4000-4500 with a color matched oem hard top is pretty cheap around here. That way I can build the car myself, using quality parts, instead of relying on someone else's build. 

I'm not in a rush, although I do like the color of the special edition a lot. 

Thanks for the input. Hopefully I'll get to check it out some time this week.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Some thoughts:
> 
> -That front end doesn't look right. I know it's missing the badge, but it looks like the bumper/headlights/hood are misaligned. I'm not a trained body guy, but it seems obvious to me that the car was smacked in front
> 
> ...


Thanks! He did mention an accident on front end and damage to driver's side. 

My biggest concern is that he could easily ask for more money, and he has only had this car for 6 months. Makes me wonder if something else is hiding from me. If it's just panel gaps I can deal with that - the car would eventually be a track car so cosmetic stuff isn't a big deal. But if the frame is bent or if there are other issues hiding it would make me pause.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks! He did mention an accident on front end and damage to driver's side.
> 
> My biggest concern is that he could easily ask for more money, and he has only had this car for 6 months. Makes me wonder if something else is hiding from me. If it's just panel gaps I can deal with that - the car would eventually be a track car so cosmetic stuff isn't a big deal. But if the frame is bent or if there are other issues hiding it would make me pause.


I'm not sure if he can ask for more money. Unless I'm seriously misjudging the market, good driver-quality 10AE with similar mileage and maintenance history is not likely to be that much more than $6k. The high-dollar 10AE's I've seen in the $8k range are all 50k-mile (if that) garage queens from long-time owners with the full collector items (gift set and proper replacement parts/colors) included. It's hard to peak $10k in any NB these days, because driver NC's have now dipped below that.

Also, it bothers me that the car looks like it does and the title is still clean, so I'm guessing either it was 1) not a bad accident and was repaired very poorly, or 2) it was a pretty bad accident, not reported through insurance, and was still repaired pretty poorly.

I agree with Smigelski that the car will present a lot worse in person than it does in pictures - which isn't that great to begin with.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> I'm not sure if he can ask for more money. Unless I'm seriously misjudging the market, good driver-quality 10AE with similar mileage and maintenance history is not likely to be that much more than $6k. The high-dollar 10AE's I've seen in the $8k range are all 50k-mile (if that) garage queens from long-time owners with the full collector items (gift set and proper replacement parts/colors) included. It's hard to peak $10k in any NB these days, because driver NC's have now dipped below that.
> 
> Also, it bothers me that the car looks like it does and the title is still clean, so I'm guessing either it was 1) not a bad accident and was repaired very poorly, or 2) it was a pretty bad accident, not reported through insurance, and was still repaired pretty poorly.
> 
> I agree with Smigelski that the car will present a lot worse in person than it does in pictures - which isn't that great to begin with.


Yeah when I say more money, I was thinking $6k. Or $5.5k. 

Asking $4500 seems like he wants a quick sale.

You may be right that it was a poor repair


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Asking $4500 seems like he wants a quick sale.


$4500 is a "I want to get out from under this without taking much of a loss" price.

$3500 would be a quick sale.

A quick search on DC craigslist showed appallingly-low pricing on some decent-showing NB's and even some low-miles NA's (again, decent-showing) WITH hardtops. Driver NC values are also lower than I expected.

So maybe I'm misjudging the market on the high side, which means the sale price of that 10AE might be even lower.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> $4500 is a "I want to get out from under this without taking much of a loss" price.
> 
> $3500 would be a quick sale.
> 
> ...


Thanks! My initial goal was to go for an NC, and if I can swing it, even NC2. Their pricing does seem to be dropping rapidly, especially compared to where it was this time last year. I almost bought an NC (2007 GT) for $6k and it needed a bit of work. Now it seems like you can find plenty in that price rage. 

My sole reasoning for NB vs NC would be so I can better compare my lap times to spec times and just track progress with a well defined benchmark. Also cheaper parts and more knowledge out there. But otherwise I like the NC better in every way, except weight (which is really not that much more contrary to internet opinions).


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> My car is pranking drivers looking for parking (in a soon-to-be-filled lot) this morning.


I would highly recommend not doing this, because have you seen how some people drive in parking lots? Especially in perhaps a more frantic Christmas shopping mode, people that are not expecting a car to be there may whip into what looks like the last empty space left, and it seems high risk for you. This happens with motorcycles, and I never understand why some riders park deep into a space instead of keeping the bike visible out toward the front. Aloof people will turn right in and have an "oh ****" moment with your pride and joy on the line.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Harpoon said:


> I would highly recommend not doing this, because have you seen how some people drive in parking lots? Especially in perhaps a more frantic Christmas shopping mode, people that are not expecting a car to be there may whip into what looks like the last empty space left, and it seems high risk for you. This happens with motorcycles, and I never understand why some riders park deep into a space instead of keeping the bike visible out toward the front. Aloof people will turn right in and have an "oh ****" moment with your pride and joy on the line.


Typically I wouldn't do it, but this is in my (gated) work parking lot, so it a safer than the average mall lot.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Stevo12 said:


> A quick search on DC craigslist showed appallingly-low pricing on some decent-showing NB's and even some low-miles NA's (again, decent-showing) WITH hardtops. Driver NC values are also lower than I expected.


It's December. Ain't nobody looking for a Miata this time of year, unless they are looking for a killer deal. :laugh:


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

titleist1976 said:


> It's December. Ain't nobody looking for a Miata this time of year, unless they are looking for a killer deal. :laugh:


guise...https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/96-miata/6378028846.html


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

titleist1976 said:


> It's December. Ain't nobody looking for a Miata this time of year, unless they are looking for a killer deal. :laugh:


I'm trying!


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

I've been itching to do some actual track days and have been waffling on what route to take. 

One option is to prep my 17 Fiesta ST for HPDE track duty but that doesn't sit well with me depending on the day due to it being financed. My 4Runner and the Fiesta share daily so between that and it being financed I'm going with a NO on 3-4 HPDEs next year with that car. The ST also requires significant brake and cooling upgrades to tolerate more than 3-4 laps and can have trouble keeping oil temps down. All problems that can be remedied but it goes a bit further than I'm willing to take something also serving daily duty. 

I've considered Miatas, Boxsters, 996, E36/46M, and S2000s but keep coming back to getting something cheaper. I'm thinking an NB might be the ticket after having an NA a few years back. 

Even clean lower mileage examples are affordable. Any thoughts on the one below?

https://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miatamiles/6409369059.html


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

^^^^ If it checks out and has records.. seems ok!




but I can't say I get not tracking a car that is financed. you take the track day insurance. I tracked my 997 which is financed. and would do it again. I mean.. you have the thing insured so it being financed comes into play where?



edit; I've bought two NB. I went out of my way to make sure both were southern cars. since both NA and NB have rust problems. not sure about NC and later. just something to be aware of for a car located in PA


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

SourKrout said:


> I've been itching to do some actual track days and have been waffling on what route to take.
> 
> One option is to prep my 17 Fiesta ST for HPDE track duty but that doesn't sit well with me depending on the day due to it being financed. My 4Runner and the Fiesta share daily so between that and it being financed I'm going with a NO on 3-4 HPDEs next year with that car. The ST also requires significant brake and cooling upgrades to tolerate more than 3-4 laps and can have trouble keeping oil temps down. All problems that can be remedied but it goes a bit further than I'm willing to take something also serving daily duty.
> 
> ...


Having gone through a similar decision making process recently, I say buy a car with as much prep already done as possible - especially if budget is a factor. I took a circuitous route, and bought and sold an s2000 but ultimately ended up with an na6 miata which was ready to go out of the box. 

Here is my long thread detailing my journey: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...oy!-Convertible-RWD-Manual-NC-Miata-What-else 

What I've learned is just buy the best prepped miata you can and call it a day. If you get it for a decent deal you will be able to sell it later on for the same price anyway and get whatever car you want. 

All the other cars you've mentioned are marginally better in certain areas, but overall miata is the way to go. The only reason I would go with a different car is to get a roof instead of having to immediately get a hard top and roll bar. So 996 or ex6 m3 or something like that. 

I was specifically looking for a convertible, which ironically I don't really have anymore since my track miata has a hard top bolted in. I've taken off the top once but really it's more trouble than it's worth to do it on a regular basis.


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

SourKrout said:


> Even clean lower mileage examples are affordable. Any thoughts on the one below?
> 
> https://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-mazda-miatamiles/6409369059.html


That one does look nice and clean, but it appears to be a base model, so no Torsen differential or other sporty options. Since you've had a Miata before, I assume you know that's not a real roll bar installed.

I'll second the recommendation to find something more track-ready, it will be way cheaper than building up from stock.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Speaking of trying to sell Miatas in December... If anyone is interested in a cosmetically ****ty but mechanically great NA R-Package with a hardtop and no rust... PM me :laugh:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

SourKrout said:


> I've been itching to do some actual track days and have been waffling on what route to take.
> 
> One option is to prep my 17 Fiesta ST for HPDE track duty but that doesn't sit well with me depending on the day due to it being financed. My 4Runner and the Fiesta share daily so between that and it being financed I'm going with a NO on 3-4 HPDEs next year with that car. The ST also requires significant brake and cooling upgrades to tolerate more than 3-4 laps and can have trouble keeping oil temps down. All problems that can be remedied but it goes a bit further than I'm willing to take something also serving daily duty.
> 
> ...


Thing about most of the cars on your list and HPDE's is some tracks require additional rollover protection for convertibles. Often, those that do have requirements will not allow the factory fixed/deployable bars found on more modern convertibles.

That is the main reason why I sold my Miata - I didn't want a roll bar in my street driven Miata, as I'm cautious of the increased risk of head injury due to a roll bar, in a street accident where I'm not wearing a helmet. Small chance, but in a car I'm driving 100 miles day, and also one that my wife loved to drive as well, I wasn't going to take that chance.

So I bought an E36 M3 for dual duty, and now I have a Mk2 GTI to take to the track. Ironic how the tin can roof of my GTI is acceptable for rollover protection but the factory protection in a more modern convertible isn't. Luckily I've got a cage in the GTI (well, it came with one already...). The M3 is a great car to take to the track - even with 200K+, it handled the 1 HPDE I did this year with ease. I just like it a lot as a street car at the moment that I'd rather daily it now, and turn it into a race car later.

All of that said, an NA/NB would make a great cheap track car. Consumables (brakes, tires) are cheap and there are a million performance vendors for suspension, wheels, safety, etc.

The one you posted looks pretty clean and decently priced. I actually prefer the '99-'00 ones due to the non-VVT layout, since it's debatable as to how much of a power advantage it actually carries. Even though mine was an NA, the NB has slightly improved suspension geometry. You can retrofit NB shocks onto an NA for better travel, but that's only part of the gain. NA's are also getting more collectable, which means high buy-in, and NB values are still on the downward slope, meaning from a performance/$ perspective, the NB is the better buy.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

Fined said:


> ^^^^ If it checks out and has records.. seems ok!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thought so too, I was mostly curious what the group thought of that car for the price, not necessarily that it was a car I'm considering purchasing. 

Its not totally off the table but even if track day insurance isn't needed I'd have a car that has the potential for premature engine failure unless obvious aftermarket modifications are used (radiator, oil cooler, brake ducts and/or Wilwood/Brembo upgrade) that would make it increasingly difficult to make a warranty claim should the engine pop. The cost of replacing the engine out of pocket puts you square in Miata territory which we all know is a great novice track car with readily available and affordable parts. 

That is one of a few reasons, others being I don't necessarily want to modify the Fiesta to the point where its an effective track tool but miserable on the street.


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Stevo12 said:


> The one you posted looks pretty clean and decently priced. I actually prefer the '99-'00 ones due to the non-VVT layout, since it's debatable as to how much of a power advantage it actually carries.


I haven't seen any debates as to the VVT advantage. Swapping in a VVT motor is generally seen as the easiest way to get N/A power in a non-VVT Miata.


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## SourKrout (Oct 17, 2008)

DucSam said:


> I haven't seen any debates as to the VVT advantage. Swapping in a VVT motor is generally seen as the easiest way to get N/A power in a non-VVT Miata.


Don't 99-00 heads have larger ports that are desired for people doing modified N/A engines? 

Its surprising how cheap early NCs have gotten if they're a little shabby although I'm not familiar with how these are on the track. Either way, adding a Harddog or equivalent is fine by me, I'm no stranger to setting an NA/NB up, its just been a few years. My 96 NA did really well in STS/STR and I still kick myself for selling it as it 4 years ago. 

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/ctd/d/2006-mazda-mx-5-miata-sport-5/6409777487.html


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

DucSam said:


> I haven't seen any debates as to the VVT advantage. Swapping in a VVT motor is generally seen as the easiest way to get N/A power in a non-VVT Miata.


Stock-for-stock there's not that much of an advantage. It takes a piggyback or PnP ECU to take full advantage of the capabilities of that motor.

I agree there's no easy power to get out of an N/A non-VVT Miata because the port shape/sizing on the B-engine is terrible for high flow rates. Which is why people seeking more N/A power usually go the route of a K-swap or something like Dave's SR20 (RIP). Me personally, my favorite is a J-series swapped Miata, but I have an affinity for 6-cylinder small cars.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

SourKrout said:


> Don't 99-00 heads have larger ports that are desired for people doing modified N/A engines?
> 
> Its surprising how cheap early NCs have gotten if they're a little shabby although I'm not familiar with how these are on the track. Either way, adding a Harddog or equivalent is fine by me, I'm no stranger to setting an NA/NB up, its just been a few years. My 96 NA did really well in STS/STR and I still kick myself for selling it as it 4 years ago.
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/ctd/d/2006-mazda-mx-5-miata-sport-5/6409777487.html


NC's have gotten shockingly cheap. On track I imagine they're like a SWB RX-8, with which it shares some suspension parts with. 99-00's are about as good as it gets for non-VVT 1.8's - even better if you run the Euro square top manifold. But as DucSam pointed out, with the relatively low price of a VVT motor, transplanting one of those, augmented with aftermarket management gives you the best of both worlds. The square top manifold is not cheap.

Likewise, I'm a little stuck on the olden days and always told myself I'd do a '99-00 build if I had to do it all over again. My perfect Miata isn't one that has a B-engine in it to begin with, so really I wouldn't kick a clean '01+ out of bed. But for me personally, I don't see an advantage to the VVT motor stock-for-stock. There was even a class-action settlement (or maybe it was just a goodwill program, I don't remember) where Mazda compensated owners of '01+ cars because it was shown that the stock VVT motor didn't produce the gains they said it did.


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Stevo12 said:


> 99-00's are about as good as it gets for non-VVT 1.8's - even better if you run the Euro square top manifold. But as DucSam pointed out, with the relatively low price of a VVT motor, transplanting one of those, augmented with aftermarket management gives you the best of both worlds. The square top manifold is not cheap.


The new intake manifold from Skunk2 has been shown to flow nearly the same as the squaretop manifold without the hassle of buying a used/imported part.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

DucSam said:


> The new intake manifold from Skunk2 has been shown to flow nearly the same as the squaretop manifold without the hassle of buying a used/imported part.


Like I said, I'm stuck in the olden days. Thanks :beer:


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## DucSam (Aug 6, 2013)

Stevo12 said:


> Stock-for-stock there's not that much of an advantage. It takes a piggyback or PnP ECU to take full advantage of the capabilities of that motor.


I'll give you that, but who does a motor swap with intentions to keep it stock? :laugh: VVT tuning isn't a mystery in Miatas anymore.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

DucSam said:


> I'll give you that, but who does a motor swap with intentions to keep it stock? :laugh: VVT tuning isn't a mystery in Miatas anymore.


Fair point, but to counter who does an engine swap to gain a measly 15 WHP :laugh:

(my guess is only CSP autocrossers)


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata-race-car/6398094637.html


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Aside from the wheels and “cold” air intake, which are easy enough to remove. I would actually consider this one: 
lowered 1997 mazda miata
https://s...to/d/lowered-1997-mazda-miata/6381485661.html

Has 1.8 and Torsen, the main two things I’ve been looking for. 

Body isn’t too bad, but that’s fine since I’d want one to actually use and have fun.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

2018 Updates...



> New for 2018:
> 
> 
> The 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata soft top offers a variety of new color choices, with an available Dark Cherry soft top; Auburn Nappa leather interior; and Soul Red Crystal and Machine Gray Metallic premium exterior paint options
> ...


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Red top is sex.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

i love it.
wish it could get matching leather seats.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

3K-Mile 1990 Mazda Miata
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-mazda-mx-5-miata-24/


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## Cr4shT3st (Jan 23, 2009)

even though it doesn't yet feel like winter here in WI - here's a Wisconsin Miata owner during ice trial in 2010. He brought the hardtop but took it off and left it on the ice to enjoy the weather.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

First Miata Christmas. 8 ball shift knob. All metal, very heavy.


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## johntesi (Jan 18, 2009)

Am I missing something or is this a screaming deal that I should maybe go buy as a Christmas present to myself? Are Miatas really just that cheap and that cool?? :laugh:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/d/1993-mazda-mx-5-miata/6437477562.html


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

johntesi said:


> Am I missing something or is this a screaming deal that I should maybe go buy as a Christmas present to myself? Are Miatas really just that cheap and that cool?? :laugh:
> 
> https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/d/1993-mazda-mx-5-miata/6437477562.html


Seems like a really clean car IF the low low mileage is worth a premium to you. Personally, I don't think low miles is that important in an NA.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Sporin said:


> First Miata Christmas. 8 ball shift knob. All metal, very heavy.


Are you going to wear a glove during the summertime? :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

titleist1976 said:


> Are you going to wear a glove during the summertime? :laugh:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> First Miata Christmas. 8 ball shift knob. All metal, very heavy.


But it isn't an "8 ball" nor is it 8-ball sized? It's merely a sphere. Personally, I didn't like my last one. ice cube in winter and lava hot in the summer.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

It was a gift, and I dig it. If it stinks I’ll put the stock one back on. 

I also got a kit to leather wrap the wheel.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Miata is always the answer.

3rd in Rear wheel drive, 5th place 2wd. 




























and i love this picture because the car is nicely loaded up, but still drifting. perfect. 










next weekend the real ice racing season starts, and this time i am bringing the real fun:










#thereisnooffseason


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Been a while since an update, picked up an NB track project to keep the wife busy. 100k miles, clean history and zero rust. South FL car all of its life. Needed head gasket, alternator and some small odds and ends.


















The result of not taking care of your ****ty MAACO respray:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Would you get that big stone guard on the front of the trailer if you had to do it over again? Mulling over adding that and a tire rack to my trailer but wonder if it'll adversely affect access to the front of the car and completely kill my towing gas mileage.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> Miata is always the answer.
> 
> 3rd in Rear wheel drive, 5th place 2wd.
> 
> #thereisnooffseason


What is the name of this event? Looks like a blast.


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

fR3ZNO said:


> What is the name of this event? Looks like a blast.


that's actually cockerpunks daily commute


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Dravenport said:


> that's actually cockerpunks daily commute


Minnesota, amirite 

:laugh:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

fR3ZNO said:


> What is the name of this event? Looks like a blast.





Dravenport said:


> that's actually cockerpunks daily commute


CWSCC run event, called "just get out and drive"

also shockingly similar to my daily commute in that car. anyone who has driven a miata daily in the winter knows, the car slides around a lot, thats what it does.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

I've been wanting to do this since I got the car last June but priorities took over (general maintenance, new top, tires, life).

Installing Flying Miata Koni Stage 1 suspension! 
Dampers, springs and bump stops. 

I can't wait to drive it. 105k on the original dampers, it should feel like a new car!

The Blue Golf happens to have an Audi A8 V8 engine. 









Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

The drive home was delightful. Top down, little misty rain, Forza Horizon 3 music playing.












Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Great pics. Love the blue.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I like where the ND ended up but this is interesting...

http://andoniscars.blogspot.pe/2017/08/all-were-better-nd-mazda-mx-5-miata.html?m=1


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## Turbo II (Jun 9, 2017)

Sporin said:


> I like where the ND ended up but this is interesting...
> 
> http://andoniscars.blogspot.pe/2017/08/all-were-better-nd-mazda-mx-5-miata.html?m=1


I like how at one point it was almost identical to NA in shape:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

As a red NA owner, that’s my favorite as well. Mazda was serious about downsizing and returning to it’s NA roots.


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## Turbo II (Jun 9, 2017)

I'm glad they did, NC was getting waay to big for the car that was supposed to be a small fun roadster.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Turbo II said:


> I'm glad they did, NC was getting waay to big for the car that was supposed to be a small fun roadster.


Two inches in wheelbase
Two inches in overall length
1.8 inches in width

That translates into "waay to (sic) big?"

I'll grant you that there is as much as a 400 lb weight difference (stripped '90 vs loaded PRHT NC), but that's more than made up for with increases in horsepower and TORQUE, and room for more rubber.

If I had a gun to my head and was forced to give up either the '90 I've had for ten years or the PRHT NC I got last summer, I'd let the '90 go. Seriously. Fortunately, I don't have to make that choice.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

I'm picking up an NA to use as a beater/daily driver. The paint is rough but the car is in great shape otherwise. I'm thinking about plastidipping the car, I don't really care if it looks pristine, I just want the body to all be one color. Any guides to plastidipping out there you guys could point me to?


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Claff said:


> Two inches in wheelbase
> Two inches in overall length
> 1.8 inches in width
> 
> ...


Wheelbase length is the huge one that people don't think about. In my racing experience, a car that had a shorter wheelbase handled better on tighter turns.

Also, if the 400lb weight difference is true, and representative of the difference between the two, that is a huge difference.

NC: 158bhp/139lbsft or 126bhp/123lbsft
NA: 115bhp(1.6)/100lbsft - 133bhp(1.8)/122lbsft. 

Yeah, that's not nearly enough HP (and negligible torque) to make up for 400lbs. 37%-18% increase in HP vs. 18% weight gain. In comparison, in one class of racecar, we had a 5.5% weight penalty (2750 vs. 2900) for a HP difference of 44% (400hp vs 575hp) and it made it pretty even.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

thetopdog said:


> I'm picking up an NA to use as a beater/daily driver. The paint is rough but the car is in great shape otherwise. I'm thinking about plastidipping the car, I don't really care if it looks pristine, I just want the body to all be one color. Any guides to plastidipping out there you guys could point me to?


Youtube it. Tons there. I think there's also tons of videos on dipyourcar.com 

I was in that boat a year ago, ended up wrapping the car in vinyl. I thought it was a less messy and more fun process than spraying a car. Not to mention I liked the vinyl colors better.


----------



## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

GreenandChrome said:


> Wheelbase length is the huge one that people don't think about. In my racing experience, a car that had a shorter wheelbase handled better on tighter turns.
> 
> Also, if the 400lb weight difference is true, and representative of the difference between the two, that is a huge difference.
> 
> ...


I mean, the NC is still quite a bit quicker than any stock NA, so...

People do too much to hate on the NC. My only real qualm with it is the bubbly blobfish face (mostly fixed by the end of the run) and the econobox interior that would look more at home in a 3.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I don't have any real problem with the later cars, it's not like they grew massively.

I'm enamored with the NA because flip up headlights, period. i'd love to have an ND _next to it_ in the garage for the extra power, creature comforts, and better top.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

sicklyscott said:


> Youtube it. Tons there. I think there's also tons of videos on dipyourcar.com
> 
> I was in that boat a year ago, ended up wrapping the car in vinyl. I thought it was a less messy and more fun process than spraying a car. Not to mention I liked the vinyl colors better.


Thanks! I actually ended up watching a couple dipyourcar.com videos on Youtube last night

What was your cost and time invested in the wrap? I only paid $2,000 for the car and the entire purpose of it is to be a beater so I'm not trying to spend too much time/effort on the dip/wrap, but if I can get much better results with a wrap for similar cost then that might be the way to go. I feel that with my limited (i.e. non-existent) skills, Plastidip might be easier


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

thetopdog said:


> Thanks! I actually ended up watching a couple dipyourcar.com videos on Youtube last night
> 
> What was your cost and time invested in the wrap? I only paid $2,000 for the car and the entire purpose of it is to be a beater so I'm not trying to spend too much time/effort on the dip/wrap, but if I can get much better results with a wrap for similar cost then that might be the way to go. I feel that with my limited (i.e. non-existent) skills, Plastidip might be easier


I dipped my car in my garage last year with the DYC sprayer. The dip alone was about $400(I did a white base(3 coats), yellow PDS(4 coats), 3 pearl coats and 3 DYC topcoat layers). You want a lot of layers for easy peel later on down the line. Mine has held up well, but it is time for a respray. Be careful of filling with gas as it can ruin that area of the PDS. Avoid the DYC topcoat unless you are a pro(it is very hard to spray well and will turn out foggy or orange peel like mine). 

Tips:
- Make a little plastic sheet paint booth with a filter and exhaust fan
- Cover the floor in paper
- Let the car dry for AT LEAST 48 hours after washing
- Practice before hand on the hood removed from the car


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

Brandontrek1 said:


> I dipped my car in my garage last year with the DYC sprayer. The dip alone was about $400(I did a white base(3 coats), yellow PDS(4 coats), 3 pearl coats and 3 DYC topcoat layers). You want a lot of layers for easy peel later on down the line. Mine has held up well, but it is time for a respray. Be careful of filling with gas as it can ruin that area of the PDS. Avoid the DYC topcoat unless you are a pro(it is very hard to spray well and will turn out foggy or orange peel like mine).
> 
> Tips:
> - Make a little plastic sheet paint booth with a filter and exhaust fan
> ...


Thanks a lot for the feedback. The car needs a respray after less than a year? Is that normal or was it due to unforeseen complications? I was under the impression that this should last for at least a few years

Also, any pics you could share? I'd love to see how the car came out


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

thetopdog said:


> Thanks a lot for the feedback. The car needs a respray after less than a year? Is that normal or was it due to unforeseen complications? I was under the impression that this should last for at least a few years
> 
> Also, any pics you could share? I'd love to see how the car came out


It is a track car and gets beat on pretty hard, so there are some scuffs from contact with the wall and cones. I didn't let the car dry long enough, so some of the areas around the weather stripping started to lift after it was dipped. I also had a fuel can neck break so the area around the gas door is all messed up. 

These are the best pics I could find in a pinch.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

Thanks again, I think that looks great, much better than I was expecting


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I miss my car so I've been spending way too much time planning summer mods...

First up is to get it over to my great local custom exhaust shop to finally get the new O2 sensor in. I'd also like to put on a slightly louder muffler.

Next up, at 92k miles, I think it's due for a slight suspension refresh. I really don't want to lower it at all so I'm thinking just 4 new KYB GR-2? KYB AGX? and fresh bump stops. Does that sound right? Our roads are **** up here so I really don't want to make the ride harsh.

Still fantasizing about replacing my 14's with a nice set of 15x8 +25 with sticky 205/50/15 rubber. Probably a pipe dream. Might just settle for some really good, stock sized rubber but the choices seem to be pretty limited in 185/60-14.

I really need to do a simple audio upgrade as well. Radio barely works, tape adapter to my ipod stinks, CD player is broken. With only 4 speakers in the car I suspect this should be a simple upgrade.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> I miss my car so I've been spending way too much time planning summer mods...
> 
> First up is to get it over to my great local custom exhaust shop to finally get the new O2 sensor in. I'd also like to put on a slightly louder muffler.
> 
> ...


Watch out, it's addicting :laugh:

New shocks and bump stops are the way to go. My first suspension mod was a set of Tokico Illumina shocks with the stock springs - I was running in E-Stock autocross at the time, so I had to run stock springs. FatCat Motorsports were the go-to for me, and a lot of other Miata guys. Got lucky and found a pair of BNIB bump stops for cheap, but even from FCM they're worth the money. 

The Illuminas are adjustable shocks that don't make the ride too harsh - it easily handled the crappy roads up in VT/NH. Don't waste your time on GR-2's and AGX's, they're not any better than stock for ride control and will not last as long. I'm not sure if they're still available - they were a favorite of Flyin' Miata for a lot of years - but that or a set of Koni Sports (also adjustable) would be my pick.

15x8 +25 is an aggressive fitment for a Miata - IIRC you'll be looking to roll at least the front fenders, maybe even the rears too. I had a set of 949Racing 6UL's that were 15x8 +36 and they are a perfect fit. I regret selling them last year because I now have a 4x100 car again (the Mk2 GTI) and they are light for their size - 12 lbs. They look killer on a red Miata:


















The tires I had on those were Dunlop Z2's, have since been replaced by the Z2 Star Spec. Pretty decently sticky 200 TW tire but they're around $150/tire now. They used to be $120/tire, and some less-sticky options like the DZ102 (still a summer tire) are significantly less than that (~70-80/tire). Still, the Star Spec's provide a lot of the grip that the king Bridgestone RE71R's do, but are not nearly as quick-wearing as the Bridgestones, so they're still a pretty good deal as far as 200 TW's go. But the emphasis in racing that has been placed on 200 TW tires in recent years has really bumped up the prices.

For exhaust, whatever you do, get a resonated system. Miatas sound crappy when the resonator is removed. I really liked the Yonaka Motorsports cat-back that I installed a few years in. It wasn't any louder than stock at idle, and had a nice growl to it when you got on it. I really liked how cheap and well constructed it was too - comparable systems like Flyin' Miata and Racing Beat are around $400, the system I bought was under $250 shipped. I installed a FM system on a friend's car around the same time, and the fit/finish was very similar. The tip isn't obnoxious either; the above pic shows the stock system still installed, below is the Yonaka system:


















Radio was one of my first things to address when I bought the car. I installed an Alpine head unit and replaced the door and headrest speakers with Polks - the audio quality was okay, but I think it's because I was driving 2 speakers for each rear channel, and I didn't have an external amplifier. It wasn't easy to install the head rest speakers, as I had to remove the seats, re-wire them (Miata speakers use a bespoke connector), and cut some of the padding out for the Polks, but it was doable. There is a plug and play option for the speakers that I'd probably do if I had to do it again. The head unit was a straightforward single-DIN swap.










Re-living this stuff, I kinda miss my car


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

GREAT INFO!! thank you! 

I'm not wedded to that wheel and tire size, I'm happy to go skinnier but I want to push out to the lip as much as possible without rolling any metal.

What size tire is on your 15x8 +36 's? Are you lowered at all? Would I be better off to go with a slightly skinnier wheel and tire?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> GREAT INFO!! thank you!
> 
> I'm not wedded to that wheel and tire size, I'm happy to go skinnier but I want to push out to the lip as much as possible without rolling any metal.
> 
> What size tire is on your 15x8 +36 's? Are you lowered at all? Would I be better off to go with a slightly skinnier wheel and tire?


Tire size as 205/50-15. Some tires will measure wider than others in that same size. The Z2's fit very square on the 6UL's, but they tend to run a little wide. A friend has 205/50-15's (can't remember what tire, RE71's I think) on 15x8 Kosei's that have the tiniest bit of stretch on them. Likewise, look at the 3rd photo, which shows 15x6 wheels from an NB Miata, but I *also* ran 205/50-15's on those. Those tires on them (Dunlop DZ101's) were supposed to run a bit narrow which is why I was able to get away with a pretty square fitment (slight shoulder, but not pinched like a 225). Same size tire, similar fitments, 2-inch rim differences. That's why it's hard to pinpoint specific rim/tire fitments going by the standardized numbers alone.

The pictures show various stages of my suspension setups that I used on the car over the years. The first two are when I was on the Illuminas, but had different springs from stock; higher rate, but kept stock ride height. It was kind of a bastardized setup until I put together a homebrew Bilstein adjustable coilover setup, which is seen in the lower 2 photos. Those were MSM Bilsteins, 650/450 lb springs (front/rear), lowered ride height by about an inch.

As far as recommendations, if this is a pleasure car, a set of 15x7's with 195/50-15's will still provide plenty of playful behavior and excellent steering feedback, while maintaining a good ride if you don't go with a 200 TW tire. Chasing 10ths on the autocross course is where the 15x8's and 205's come into play, but they're the more expensive option because they are desirable to so many racers. The 205's I had on the 15x6's were a little mushy, and going to a 195/50 would have tightened things up; I would have done that had I kept those wheels, but I ended up putting the all-seasons and reverting to the stock 14's you see in that last pic. The 6UL's with the 205's were pretty stiff, but most 200 TW tires will be stiff regardless - not good from a ride perspective. Plus, you'll have to be careful once the temperatures dip below 50. There are a decent selection of summer tires that are a step down in grip (BFG Comp 2's, Dunlop DZ102, etc.) from a 200 TW, but are a much more liveable in a street car, will not wear out quickly on a light car like the Miata, and cost significantly less. Those are my 2 cents, or rather 2 dollars, of advice.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i've never been thrilled with the brake pedal in my white junker miata. my spec miata has an awesome brake pedal, so do most miatas i've driven. 

i had, after 2 years, of bleeding and messing around with new fluid, lines, and rebuilding all the calipers, gotten a brake petal that while not awesome, at least was good enough to heel-toe properly.

then my brake master started leaking from the reservoir o-rings, and in trying to replace them, i broke the reservoir so i put in a new master last night. bench bleed the master, bleed the lines for like an hour, and it has plenty of brake, it will lock the front tires on dry pavement, but its too far down in the pedal travel. 

and im back to having a crappy brake petal. it has the braking force, just too far down in the travel. the ONLY thing i changed is the master and the fluid (same brand, just newer)

setup:

stoptech 309 pads
SS brake lines
Rebuilt calipers
new master
same, blank, OEM rotors

and in trying to solve this last time, i bent the gas pedal as far back as it would go already. so that fix is already there. 

Im thinking there still has to be some air in the system, im thinking ill drive it around for a few days, and then bleed it again on satruday. 

any ideas?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

cockerpunk said:


> i've never been thrilled with the brake pedal in my white junker miata. my spec miata has an awesome brake pedal, so do most miatas i've driven.
> 
> i had, after 2 years, of bleeding and messing around with new fluid, lines, and rebuilding all the calipers, gotten a brake petal that while not awesome, at least was good enough to heel-toe properly.
> 
> ...


Seems like the booster isn't providing enough assistance, which is why you're having press farther down in the pedal to get any meaningful braking force. While it's not a common failure, it doesn't seem unreasonable that the booster might just be flat-out tired.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Seems like the booster isn't providing enough assistance, which is why you're having press farther down in the pedal to get any meaningful braking force. While it's not a common failure, it doesn't seem unreasonable that the booster might just be flat-out tired.


maybe, but i didn't change anything about the booster when i did the master last night, and the petal got significantly worse.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

cockerpunk said:


> maybe, but i didn't change anything about the booster when i did the master last night, and the petal got significantly worse.


Okay, so it's worse than it was before? I didn't get that because in your description, it sounded like the pedal feel remained the same as it was before the o-ring leak, and still crappy.

If I'm understanding it correctly:

Feels crappy -> o-ring leak -> replace master -> feels crappIER

If so, then you could still have some air in the lines or in the master itself. I hate bench bleeding masters because it's pain in the balls. Was the master a new-manufacture or re-man unit?

I still think it could be a weak booster because you said the feel has always been crappy ever since you've had the car. It could be the new master or re-man calipers that contribute in part to your crappy pedal feel, but I've never come across it in a Miata. I have come across boosters that are just worn out after a number of years; either they start leaking internally, or get corroded by brake fluid leaks.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> a set of 15x7's with 195/50-15's .


That sounds about perfect! Thank you.

This looks pretty good. http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/61-1400.html


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

thetopdog said:


> Thanks! I actually ended up watching a couple dipyourcar.com videos on Youtube last night
> 
> What was your cost and time invested in the wrap? I only paid $2,000 for the car and the entire purpose of it is to be a beater so I'm not trying to spend too much time/effort on the dip/wrap, but if I can get much better results with a wrap for similar cost then that might be the way to go. I feel that with my limited (i.e. non-existent) skills, Plastidip might be easier


I used Avery Dennison SW900 Gloss Dark Grey. Rolls come in 5 ft by x ft. I bought a 75 ft roll thinking i'd F up a couple times and would need the extra. In the end I did the rear bumper and the trunk lid twice and probably still have enough for another Miata. The roll cost $500 and the tools to do the job (magnets, squeegee, blades) cost maybe another $50?

Hour wise it's roughly 1.5 hrs a panel. This includes dissasembly of the doors to remove the handles, taking off the bumpers to wrap behind them better, taillight removal, etc. Figure all in it took 15 hours of time from start to finish. I am planning on doing it over again in the next year or so, it'll probably take me no more than 10 hours since I know how to work with the material better.

I enjoyed the process so much I'm thinking about doing my JGC SRT8 this summer. I dont think I'd have as much fun learning to spray dip, mask everything off, do the cleanup, and even dealing with mess ups. Vinyl is easier to fix, peel it off and reapply to that panel.

Mid-reassembly.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Stevo12 said:


> Tire size as 205/50-15. Some tires will measure wider than others in that same size. The Z2's fit very square on the 6UL's, but they tend to run a little wide. A friend has 205/50-15's (can't remember what tire, RE71's I think) on 15x8 Kosei's that have the tiniest bit of stretch on them. Likewise, look at the 3rd photo, which shows 15x6 wheels from an NB Miata, but I *also* ran 205/50-15's on those. Those tires on them (Dunlop DZ101's) were supposed to run a bit narrow which is why I was able to get away with a pretty square fitment (slight shoulder, but not pinched like a 225). Same size tire, similar fitments, 2-inch rim differences. That's why it's hard to pinpoint specific rim/tire fitments going by the standardized numbers alone.
> 
> The pictures show various stages of my suspension setups that I used on the car over the years. The first two are when I was on the Illuminas, but had different springs from stock; higher rate, but kept stock ride height. It was kind of a bastardized setup until I put together a homebrew Bilstein adjustable coilover setup, which is seen in the lower 2 photos. Those were MSM Bilsteins, 650/450 lb springs (front/rear), lowered ride height by about an inch.
> 
> As far as recommendations, if this is a pleasure car, a set of 15x7's with 195/50-15's will still provide plenty of playful behavior and excellent steering feedback, while maintaining a good ride if you don't go with a 200 TW tire. Chasing 10ths on the autocross course is where the 15x8's and 205's come into play, but they're the more expensive option because they are desirable to so many racers. The 205's I had on the 15x6's were a little mushy, and going to a 195/50 would have tightened things up; I would have done that had I kept those wheels, but I ended up putting the all-seasons and reverting to the stock 14's you see in that last pic. The 6UL's with the 205's were pretty stiff, but most 200 TW tires will be stiff regardless - not good from a ride perspective. Plus, you'll have to be careful once the temperatures dip below 50. There are a decent selection of summer tires that are a step down in grip (BFG Comp 2's, Dunlop DZ102, etc.) from a 200 TW, but are a much more liveable in a street car, will not wear out quickly on a light car like the Miata, and cost significantly less. Those are my 2 cents, or rather 2 dollars, of advice.


continental also has the extreme contact sport in 205/50/15 which should be something inbetween the bfg comp2/dunlop dz102/yoko s drive tires. 

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...eModel=ExtremeContact+Sport&partnum=055WR5ECS


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Okay, so it's worse than it was before? I didn't get that because in your description, it sounded like the pedal feel remained the same as it was before the o-ring leak, and still crappy.
> 
> If I'm understanding it correctly:
> 
> ...


it was "fine" before, after years of dinking around with it. 

the the oring on the reservoir started leaking - brake petal force was fine, the master itself wasn't bad, the reservoir oring was. 

replace master, its worse. new unit.

rebuilt the calipers myself.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

sicklyscott said:


>


You've reminded me that I also hope to replace my OEM wing with a cf tail something like yours. :thumbup:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

cockerpunk said:


> it was "fine" before, after years of dinking around with it.
> 
> the the oring on the reservoir started leaking - brake petal force was fine, the master itself wasn't bad, the reservoir oring was.
> 
> ...


Dunno man. Guess I'd start with the cheap stuff first - bleed, bleed again, bleed some more. It wouldn't hurt to crack the lines at the master cylinder and bleed the air out there; an air pocket may have risen and gotten stuck at the line/master connection.

If you're confident that you've gotten all the air out, then I'd look at the booster, because I see that as the common link in all of this.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Dunno man. Guess I'd start with the cheap stuff first - bleed, bleed again, bleed some more. It wouldn't hurt to crack the lines at the master cylinder and bleed the air out there; an air pocket may have risen and gotten stuck at the line/master connection.
> 
> If you're confident that you've gotten all the air out, then I'd look at the booster, because I see that as the common link in all of this.


id settle for the same "fine" break pedal i had before the master swap. 

i think its air, ill bleed it again this weekend.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm definitely due for a good brake bleed, that's on the list for Spring as well. new fluid with a good bleeed. Car stops fine but I'd like some more bite.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

sicklyscott said:


> I used Avery Dennison SW900 Gloss Dark Grey. Rolls come in 5 ft by x ft. I bought a 75 ft roll thinking i'd F up a couple times and would need the extra. In the end I did the rear bumper and the trunk lid twice and probably still have enough for another Miata. The roll cost $500 and the tools to do the job (magnets, squeegee, blades) cost maybe another $50?
> 
> Hour wise it's roughly 1.5 hrs a panel. This includes dissasembly of the doors to remove the handles, taking off the bumpers to wrap behind them better, taillight removal, etc. Figure all in it took 15 hours of time from start to finish. I am planning on doing it over again in the next year or so, it'll probably take me no more than 10 hours since I know how to work with the material better.
> 
> ...


That's pretty cool, thanks for the feedback. Your wrap looks great, but I think the dip would be much easier. My buddy I'm buying the Miata from owns a repair shop and he and his girlfriend have offered to mask the car off for me, so all I have to do is buy the dip and spray. I'm sure it won't look anywhere near as good as yours, but I'm not the most patient person in the world when it comes to stuff like this so the idea of having someone else mask the car and all I have to do is spray is very appealing to me :laugh:


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

sicklyscott said:


> I used Avery Dennison SW900 Gloss Dark Grey...


:heart:

I'm not going to try to wrap a Beetle (it's not the shape, it's those damn rain gutters and door hinges!) but I'd give a Miata a shot. We do some vehicle graphics here at my shop, but wraps is something we don't really specialize in. Trying something like this would be good for our skill set, and it could be great for when my kids are getting their first cars together in a few years.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

thetopdog said:


> That's pretty cool, thanks for the feedback. Your wrap looks great, but I think the dip would be much easier. My buddy I'm buying the Miata from owns a repair shop and he and his girlfriend have offered to mask the car off for me, so all I have to do is buy the dip and spray. I'm sure it won't look anywhere near as good as yours, but I'm not the most patient person in the world when it comes to stuff like this so the idea of having someone else mask the car and all I have to do is spray is very appealing to me :laugh:


For what it's worth, I was rather disappointed with dipping my car. I've yet to see a dip job that looks as good as a good wrap.


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

Nealric said:


> For what it's worth, I was rather disappointed with dipping my car. I've yet to see a dip job that looks as good as a good wrap.


Do you have any pics? As long as the dip doesn't look terrible I'll be fine with it. I mostly just want the car to all be one color. Right now one of the doors and one of the bumpers is a different color from the rest of the body. 

I'm only paying $2,000 for a car in excellent mechanical shape (my mechanic friend totally rebuilt the engine and transmission) for something that I just want to use as a beater so I can have something to take to the store, park on the street, etc., then sell for close to what I paid for it, so I'm not trying to spend too much time or money making it look perfect. "Good enough" is good enough for me


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Miata accounts on Instagram are the only thing soothing the winter blues right now.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The ND RF looks so good in black. 

This guy’s, especially. 

https://www.instagram.com/nd_rf


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## Sledge (May 15, 2005)

Sporin said:


> The ND RF looks so good in black.
> 
> This guy’s, especially.
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/nd_rf


Do those tires come with the giant logos or did he apply one of those tire decals?

EDIT: I think he used this -> https://www.tirestickers.com/shop/toyo-tires-r888r/


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

im sure there will be more pics from this event, but these are just the cell phone pics from a friend:














































my full review of drivign studs on ice .... its like driving a 700 hp miata on dry pavement. its ****ing incredible. the car can pull 1g lateral without issue, but then will wheel spin like it has insane power, so its just a toy on ice. whatever slip angle you want, whatever understeer, oversteer or even braking you want, you got it. without actually door to door racing, i'd say a small roadster on studs on ice is the most fun i've ever had driving. and i've autocorssed for 7 years, HPDE for 3, and ice autocrossed on winters for 3. ice work on studs beats them all.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sledge said:


> Do those tires come with the giant logos or did he apply one of those tire decals?
> 
> EDIT: I think he used this -> https://www.tirestickers.com/shop/toyo-tires-r888r/


Yeah, it's a sticker thing. That style doesn't always work but I like it on his setup.


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## johntesi (Jan 18, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Miata accounts on Instagram are the only thing soothing the winter blues right now.


Any favorites? I'm trying to get a crash-course in cheap/fun Miatas without spending all day on the internet. The ideal would be something cosmetically ratty and mechanically glorious. Mostly looking for NAs and NBs owned by people with dogs. :laugh: :beer:


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## badsmell (Aug 15, 2016)

Sporin said:


> The ND RF looks so good in black.
> 
> This guy’s, especially.
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/nd_rf


great looking car. he was trying to sell it for $35k though before he decided not to sell :laugh:

call me crazy but i just don't see any other car as damn good looking as the RF does that cost under 100 grand. And almost nothing left out there with that same body style.

the RF looks great in pictures and even more amazing in person. Just wish it had a bit more power.


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## geofftii2002 (Nov 6, 2001)

I have a Silverstone 1990 available with 3K miles on it. It could be yours!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

badsmell said:


> great looking car. he was trying to sell it for $35k though before he decided not to sell :laugh:
> 
> call me crazy but i just don't see any other car as damn good looking as the RF does that cost under 100 grand. And almost nothing left out there with that same body style.
> 
> the RF looks great in pictures and even more amazing in person. Just wish it had a bit more power.


Yeah, the RF is a gorgeous car, but I couldn't give up the full roof, especially when tests show the RF isn't really any quieter (though I'm sure it's tighter and warmer).

I subscribe to a bunch of Miata instagram accounts, most of which I find through regrams. Start with these and build out from there....

https://www.instagram.com/topmiata/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/miatacrew/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/miatamerch/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/miatagang/?hl=en

They regram a lot of accounts and once you start foillowing those, IG will recommend more to follow. It's quite the rabbit hole. I've done similar for Land Rovers, Toyota 4x4's, Overlanding, and just enough booty girls to make me have to be careful who's looking over my shoulder.


----------



## Turbo II (Jun 9, 2017)

geofftii2002 said:


> I have a Silverstone 1990 available with 3K miles on it. It could be yours!


What's the tradeoff?


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The black ND looks pretty badass, but it makes me realize how few black regular ND's I see. I think every test and compare has featured either one of the whites or the very popular Soul Red.


----------



## geofftii2002 (Nov 6, 2001)

Turbo II said:


> What's the tradeoff?


You give us money, we give you car.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I've now spent way too much time on the ND forums. :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Have any of you guys done the frame rail stiffeners? What did you think?

I figure it's at least good protection for jacking and for traveling over crap roads being so low.

http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread...h-crushed-quot-Frame-Rails-quot-on-your-Miata


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Have any of you guys done the frame rail stiffeners? What did you think?
> 
> I figure it's at least good protection for jacking and for traveling over crap roads being so low.
> 
> http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread...h-crushed-quot-Frame-Rails-quot-on-your-Miata


They make a huge difference in hadeling and really allow the suspension to do it's job. It made nerding out over alignment specs a lot more enjoyable for us as the actual of an adjustment more closely match the theoretical effect (example: adding tow). Never mind that the now I can jack up the car almost anywhere along the frame - which almost makes it worth it.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> Have any of you guys done the frame rail stiffeners? What did you think?
> 
> I figure it's at least good protection for jacking and for traveling over crap roads being so low.


I have FM frame rails on my car. They weren't a mind blowing improvement IMO, just another slight incremental improvement. I also have a Hard Dog Sport Single Diagonal roll bar, Racing Beat front subframe brace, FM Skip Canon rear subframe brace and Garage Star Delrin door bushings. The car still feels "antique" in terms of chassis rigidity and NVH. So I will say that every little bit helps but there's no magic cure.

One day if I ever completely disassemble my car for a complete rotisserie restoration, I'm going to install the OEM NB sheet metal reinforcement panels, seam weld as much of the chassis as I can, and add a few more reinforcements like the Paco Motorsports front fender braces, Ken Auto DOSUKOI rear frame end bar or Nielex rear end truss bar, Nielex steering rack brace, Nielex rear bulkhead truss bar, Ken Auto body rigidity washer or Spoon Sports Rigid Collar Kit, Okuyama Carbing front 3-point shock tower brace, Okuyama Carbing rear shock tower brace, Okuyama Carbing transmission brace Type Single or Type Triangle provided it's compatible with the FM Butterfly brace center section (which will get a custom front lip/slid plate to avoid getting hung up on low-clearance road hazards like exposed manhole covers). I'm still undecided whether to go with the full V8R tubular subframe kit and tubular control arms or CNC billet aluminum control arms along with Keisler Automation CNC billet aluminum drop spindles. If I keep my standard uprights/spindles then I'll probably do the Nielex front knuckle reinforcement so long as they don't get in the way of the Singular Motosports 2.5" air ducts for cooling the front brakes and wheel bearings. There's a few other goodies you could add if you really wanted to go crazy, and this is before even considering a full welded roll cage, which is impractical for a street car IMO.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

corrado-correr said:


> They make a huge difference in hadeling and really allow the suspension to do it's job. It made nerding out over alignment specs a lot more enjoyable for us as the actual of an adjustment more closely match the theoretical effect (example: adding tow). Never mind that the now I can jack up the car almost anywhere along the frame - which almost makes it worth it.


That's kind of what I was thinking, I'm putting it on the list for this summer.

freedomgli, what a list! :thumbup:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> freedomgli, what a list! :thumbup:


It's fun to dream! Half of that stuff I listed probably just adds weight to the car with negligible improvement in performance or feel. But part of the fun of tuning a car is experimenting and seeing what works and what doesn't.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

freedomgli said:


> It's fun to dream! Half of that stuff I listed probably just adds weight to the car with negligible improvement in performance or feel. But part of the fun of tuning a car is experimenting and seeing what works and what doesn't.


I do so much dreaming, I get it.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6465771641.html

Those seats don’t look to me... also NA’s weren’t available with tan tops?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

fR3ZNO said:


> https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6465771641.html
> 
> Those seats don’t look to me... also NA’s weren’t available with tan tops?


I’d say most NA Miatas are on their 2nd or 3rd soft top by now. Virtually all replacement tops are aftermarket and available in a wide variety of colors and materials, with tan vinyl being one of the more popular. Those aftermarket seat covers with the tan piping, embroidered Miata logo and headrest speakers scream old man. As far as previous owners go I’ll take old man over teenager wannabe drifter any day. With some leather dye you could easily get rid of the contrasting tan piping and embroidery if that’s not your style. Dyed black and you’d hardly notice the logo.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

fR3ZNO said:


> https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6465771641.html
> 
> Those seats don’t look to me... also NA’s weren’t available with tan tops?


That car looks like a bastard child.

Freedomgli is right in that they were available with tan tops from the factory, but only on C-package/Leather pkg cars and M-editions, which had matching tan leather seats. Mine was a 94 C-package.

But that car definitely started life as a base model, because there are many cues that point to that fact...the manual mirrors are a dead giveaway, as only base cars came with manual mirrors; most packages except for maybe one came with power mirrors. The door cards were also manual at one point, and the power window switches in the center console are not OE Mazda - my bet is someone converted them using an aftermarket kit, and put plugs in the doors where the winders were. As mentioned, the seats have definitely been reupholstered.

As such, the car probably doesn't have an LSD. It would have to be an R-package to get manual mirrors and LSD, and those were exceedingly rare by 1996. Ditto with the tan top - since this was not a Leather pkg. car, it shouldn't have had a tan top, and it should have tan lower dash panels.


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## rick8018 (Jan 3, 2001)

I've started looking at 2016/17 MX-5 GT's and have found several within 250 miles with very low miles (100-5000) in the $21-23000 range. Seems almost too good to be true. Is this just normal depreciation taking its toll? Lots of buyers remorse?


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

rick8018 said:


> I've started looking at 2016/17 MX-5 GT's and have found several within 250 miles with very low miles (100-5000) in the $21-23000 range. Seems almost too good to be true. Is this just normal depreciation taking its toll? Lots of buyers remorse?



Probably a strong mix of both. I bought my MX-5 new in April of '16, for invoice, and would lose my shirt if I tried to sell it now. Good thing I don't want to. :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I’m sure a lot of Miatas are an emotional purchase, made in the sunshine of summer when a non-enthusiast might think it would be just fine as an alternative daily driver.

They probably seem less fun when the weather gets cold and folks move on to other things. 

One other thing to consider is that as special as these cars are two enthusiasts, they really aren’t anything that is going to appreciate. This is all great for us to buy used cars.

I’d love to have an ND next to my NA. The greater refinement, better top, and new-car reliability would make it into something I could drive almost year-round. Then I could turn my NA into a summer track toy


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## rick8018 (Jan 3, 2001)

Is it true that the top on GT models is thicker/better insulated than base/club?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

rick8018 said:


> Is it true that the top on GT models is thicker/better insulated than base/club?


I haven’t heard that. 

I have listened to a few reviews that said the RF wasn’t noticeably quieter than the full soft top.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

rick8018 said:


> Is it true that the top on GT models is thicker/better insulated than base/club?


It has a headliner on the back half of the top. I've never driven one so I can't compare. I can't imagine that a thin piece of fabric would make any real difference. The car is loud. Always has been and always will be.


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## rick8018 (Jan 3, 2001)

If this happens the MX5 will be a replacement for my motorcycle. It will be our third car. More practical and weather capable than the Yamaha. More fun than the LEAF/Spark. I'm not overly concerned about wind/road noise but would like to hear the radio.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I wanted a motorcycle. Wife forbid it.  I got the NA instead and I’m so happy I did. 

Really warm here today. I wish my Miata was in my garage instead of in storage a half an hour away.


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Really warm here today. I wish my Miata was in my garage instead of in storage a half an hour away.


I plan on driving mine on Monday, can't wait!


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## FlashRedGLS1.8T (Apr 17, 2001)

Sporin said:


> I’m sure a lot of Miatas are an emotional purchase, made in the sunshine of summer when a non-enthusiast might think it would be just fine as an alternative daily driver.
> 
> They probably seem less fun when the weather gets cold and folks move on to other things.


While I'm sure that is true I drove my Miata daily all last winter and it was pretty flawless. Perfect, no. With a good set of tires and proper maintenance, it did very well. 

All cars are less fun in the cold, sans doing donuts in a snow covered parking lot.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

rick8018 said:


> If this happens the MX5 will be a replacement for my motorcycle. It will be our third car. More practical and weather capable than the Yamaha. More fun than the LEAF/Spark. I'm not overly concerned about wind/road noise but would like to hear the radio.


It should not be an issue. Good luck with your search.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

FlashRedGLS1.8T said:


> While I'm sure that is true I drove my Miata daily all last winter and it was pretty flawless. Perfect, no. With a good set of tires and proper maintenance, it did very well.
> 
> All cars are less fun in the cold, sans doing donuts in a snow covered parking lot.


No, what I meant was... someone goes in on a nice spring day to buy a Mazda3, gets all gushy about the Miata at the same price and convinces themselves to buy it instead. 

Then they realize they actually DO need a backseat. And then they realize they hate how cramped it is now that it’s not summer anymore and they never put the top down. So they trade it in on the car they should have bought in the first place. 

You’ve got to really want a Miata to own and drive one, especially in cold weather. 

I’D do it. YOU’D do it. Not everyone would do it and I bet plenty of people mistakenly think they can do it.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> No, what I meant was...


So it’s something _else_ they have in common with Jeeps!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Can you Miata Gurus tell me what the origin of the sleepy eye mod is?

Where? How? Why? Did it become a thing?

Seems really popular but totally not to my tastes.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Can you Miata Gurus tell me what the origin of the sleepy eye mod is?
> 
> Where? How? Why? Did it become a thing?


the Miata "sleepy Eyes" are actually far dumber than the picture you posted. The picture you posted isn't Sleepy Eyes; it's just a conversion to smaller diameter lights and as a result the lights don't need to flip up as far. 

Sleepy Eyes are stupid because the headlight is barely pointing past the bumper. 

Why? because the Miata looks a bit too much like a hairdresser's car with the pop-ups. This potentially "toughens" the look up.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Sporin said:


> No, what I meant was... someone goes in on a nice spring day to buy a Mazda3, gets all gushy about the Miata at the same price and convinces themselves to buy it instead.


Get one of each. Problem solved!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

fR3ZNO said:


> https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6465771641.html
> 
> Those seats don’t look to me... also NA’s weren’t available with tan tops?


With the exception of the US 1991 BRG, every NA Miata with Tan leather got a tan top. No black interior Miata got a tan top. The 93LE was the only other NA to have mismatched leather with top combinations.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

While the NB and NC do nothing for me, I'm slightly obsessed with NDs lately. :heart: I really love the styling of these, so swoopy.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> the Miata "sleepy Eyes" are actually far dumber than the picture you posted. The picture you posted isn't Sleepy Eyes; it's just a conversion to smaller diameter lights and as a result the lights don't need to flip up as far.
> 
> Sleepy Eyes are stupid because the headlight is barely pointing past the bumper.
> 
> Why? because the Miata looks a bit too much like a hairdresser's car with the pop-ups. This potentially "toughens" the look up.


That was a bad picture. I was thinking of the ones where people swap in the rectangular lamps.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Diamond Dave said:


> Why? because the Miata looks a bit too much like a hairdresser's car with the pop-ups. This potentially "toughens" the look up.


_That’s_ why they do it? That never even crossed my mind. 

Give me what works best. Every time.


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## VRhooptie (Jul 24, 2009)

I'm coming back to the states in a month or so and I'll need a car. I'm really considering a Miata this time around. Seeing all these cars really makes it tough for me. I drove a friend's NA and I fell in love with it. I'd love an NC2 for the daily aspect of it but my budget is more NC1(ehhhh). Not sure if I have the time/space to tinker with an NA while I'm moving about the country to do internships. BTW, NB is a no go for me. Almost bought one in the UK but in hindsight the looks just don't make me giddy. The goal is to daily it for a year until I get some funds aka better job and then turn it into a DE/autocross car.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Trying to figure out if these are power mirrors are not, they look bulky. Since it's a '97 then that would be a dead giveaway for Torsen LSD, no? 

https://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/d/1997-mazda-miata-18-liter-5/6457122941.html


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Belj5cmFXPr/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeiYeBVFuMo/

miata is always the answer


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Talk to me about bump stops! Something I should replace/upgrade when I put in new shocks this spring?

http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazd...ZEpnQ-lsbZZ5efaNMlFNLr8g6nzw-VhRoCMskQAvD_BwE


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

fR3ZNO said:


> Trying to figure out if these are power mirrors are not, they look bulky. Since it's a '97 then that would be a dead giveaway for Torsen LSD, no?
> 
> https://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf
> 
> https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/d/1997-mazda-miata-18-liter-5/6457122941.html


Hard to tell, but it looks like power mirrors. But because it's a 1997, in this case the power antenna is the dead giveaway (I'll explain below). This would put it as a PEP car. Assuming all factory equipment is still there, it should have a Torsen.

The reason that the 1997 is significant, is that there were 2 models that had the usual telltale equipment (power mirrors and windows) but did NOT have a Torsen. The only exterior identification those cars did not have that the other Torsen cars did, was the antenna - both have a standard mast antenna, whereas all cars with the Torsen, except the R, had power antennas.

The models were the Touring and the STO ("Stuff Taken Off"). The main difference between those two, is that Tourings had the usual 14" alloys (like the car pictured has) and the STO has the same 15" wheels as the '96M had.



Sporin said:


> Talk to me about bump stops! Something I should replace/upgrade when I put in new shocks this spring?


Yes!

Miatas with stock springs rely heavily on the bumpstops when negotiating corners. It's why they have a lot of body roll, but good control at the limit. And FCM knows their isht, so you can be assured of a quality product.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> With the exception of the US 1991 BRG, every NA Miata with Tan leather got a tan top. No black interior Miata got a tan top. The 93LE was the only other NA to have mismatched leather with top combinations.


This is technically true as the Miata name was only used (intermittently) in the US and Canada to market the Mazda MX-5 Miata. In Europe and Japan it's a different story. 

https://www.mx5international.com/ressources/ssp


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> Yes!
> 
> Miatas with stock springs rely heavily on the bumpstops when negotiating corners. It's why they have a lot of body roll, but good control at the limit. And FCM knows their isht, so you can be assured of a quality product.


Thank you! I'll plan to do these as well as the shocks. Those Koni Yellow shocks look really pricey though ($150 each!), not sure I need anything like that. I think I'll go with KYB GR-2's.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Stevo12 said:


> Hard to tell, but it looks like power mirrors. But because it's a 1997, in this case the power antenna is the dead giveaway (I'll explain below). This would put it as a PEP car. Assuming all factory equipment is still there, it should have a Torsen.
> 
> The reason that the 1997 is significant, is that there were 2 models that had the usual telltale equipment (power mirrors and windows) but did NOT have a Torsen. The only exterior identification those cars did not have that the other Torsen cars did, was the antenna - both have a standard mast antenna, whereas all cars with the Torsen, except the R, had power antennas.
> 
> The models were the Touring and the STO ("Stuff Taken Off"). The main difference between those two, is that Tourings had the usual 14" alloys (like the car pictured has) and the STO has the same 15" wheels as the '96M had.


Thanks for the info and explanation! I may seriously look at this! 

All the extensive engine work makes me a little nervous, but for $1800 obo, not too big of a deal.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

more winter meanderings....

I'm also debating my headlight upgrade. Cibie's plus bulbs winds up being about $150 for lights and bulbs.

Or do I go with the great quality Truck-lite's at around $300 for the pair?

I know the Truck-lites are a big upgrade in candle power. Will the Cibie's be enough of a change to make it worth it? I don't even drive at night much since it's only a summer car and the summer days are so long. I'm not sure it's worth it to me at double the cost.

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=464429&highlight=Truck-Lite&page=2


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

so then i posted in the ice race FB group that local to me "do you accept an SCCA legal cage and logbook" 

i might have a problem


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> more winter meanderings....
> 
> I'm also debating my headlight upgrade. Cibie's plus bulbs winds up being about $150 for lights and bulbs.
> 
> ...


Personally I love the Cibiés. I've owned a couple or three sets and don't personally want or need anything more. Are some other ones better? Probably, but for _my_ usage it would make no difference whatsoever.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Air and water do mix said:


> Personally I love the Cibiés. I've owned a couple or three sets and don't personally want or need anything more. Are some other ones better? Probably, but for _my_ usage it would make no difference whatsoever.


:thumbup::beer: Yeah, I really feel like that will be enough improvement for me for my limited use.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> more winter meanderings....
> 
> I'm also debating my headlight upgrade. Cibie's plus bulbs winds up being about $150 for lights and bulbs.
> 
> ...


What I did on my car was install Hella H4's from Bus Depot (http://www.busdepot.com/0301600118) which are a drop-in conversion for anything with a 7" sealed beam, which is what the Miata has. I was pretty satisfied with the lighting upgrade, and they only cost $80, plus the cost of bulbs. Then, you can run whatever bulbs you desire. I'd recommend taking a look at those.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I need some advice from you guys. My last track day the brakes had severe issues. Partially it was old fluid but I replaced that and still had problems with brake feel and a soft pedal. My pads and rotors need to be replaced also.

However when bleeding the back brakes I had some issues with the adjuster screw not staying in place - i.e. you tighten it and then it loosens back up.

So I was thinking of getting new rear brakes at a minimum too, as well as a new master cylinder and maybe fm master cylinder brace. Overkill? I will likely sell this car after this season and go na8 or NB. 

My other question is brake pad recommendations for na6. I've flat spotted a couple of tires already but I'll be running r comps this year so hoping that helps. I had hawk blues and I forgot the other ones.

Thanks!


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## VadGTI (Feb 24, 2000)

Sporin said:


> That was a bad picture. I was thinking of the ones where people swap in the rectangular lamps.


I don't think these are sleepy eyes either. If I remember correctly, these are some rare JDM tuner shop headlights worth lots of money these days.

My Miata had those double round low pro headlights. They were name-brand (can't remember which now) but kinda sucked.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> :thumbup::beer: Yeah, I really feel like that will be enough improvement for me for my limited use.


They’re certainly a massive improvement over sealed beams, that’s for sure! :laugh:


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

300_munkeys said:


> I need some advice from you guys. My last track day the brakes had severe issues. Partially it was old fluid but I replaced that and still had problems with brake feel and a soft pedal. My pads and rotors need to be replaced also...


Actual racers will need to chime-in, but what kind/brand of brake fluid are you running? They’re not all the same and some will boil under track conditions.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> Actual racers will need to chime-in, but what kind/brand of brake fluid are you running? They’re not all the same and some will boil under track conditions.


Thanks. Part of my issue was I didn't flush or bleed my brakes between track days and the car sat for a while and absorbed some water/had air bubbles in the lines. But I don't think that was the whole issue because after bleeding the brakes and readjusting, brakes still had some pedal feel problems. 

That's why I think it's either adjuster screw or master cylinder.

Oh and brake fluid is high temp, ate blue. Good fluid but has to be bled more often than what I was doing.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Check the brake hoses too. They get old and can swell under pressure, giving a soft pedal. I’d recommend braided stainless hoses of good quality, as they’re much more resistant to that and give a firmer pedal than even _new_ rubber lines, never mind old ones! 

When rubber lines are _really_ old the rubber swells to the point that they constrict when relaxed, acting like a check valve and keeping the pads engaged. You certainly aren’t there yet, as you’d smoke the brakes _quickly_ under race conditions!

Ate Blue is what I would’ve recommended, but I’m no racer and there may be something better for that. I don’t really know.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Air and water do mix said:


> Ate Blue is what I would’ve recommended, but I’m no racer and there may be something better for that. I don’t really know.


It's also no longer available


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> Check the brake hoses too. They get old and can swell under pressure, giving a soft pedal. I’d recommend braided stainless hoses of good quality, as they’re much more resistant to that and give a firmer pedal than even _new_ rubber lines, never mind old ones!
> 
> When rubber lines are _really_ old the rubber swells to the point that they constrict when relaxed, acting like a check valve and keeping the pads engaged. You certainly aren’t there yet, as you’d smoke the brakes _quickly_ under race conditions!
> 
> Ate Blue is what I would’ve recommended, but I’m no racer and there may be something better for that. I don’t really know.


Thanks man. I will double check but I'm almost positive previous owner already put in stainless lines.


Stevo12 said:


> It's also no longer available


It's not blue anymore but you can get basically the same fluid. It's just not blue.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> Actual racers will need to chime-in, but what kind/brand of brake fluid are you running? They’re not all the same and some will boil under track conditions.


i use ATE type 200 in my spec miata.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

cockerpunk said:


> i use ATE type 200 in my spec miata.


I'm going to do a full bleed/flush this spring, is this what I should use? Street driven.


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## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

Curious about the fluid choice as well. I've always been told that "whatever is fresh" is the way to go. But this year I'm tracking the car, so a high-temp fluid is on the list. ATE 200 might be a good bet, especially if it's being run on a spec Miata.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

If you're going to do any sort of track driving, better to be safe than sorry with brake fluid. It's one of the things you absolutely need to rely on.

On a street driven-only car? Whatever's fresh and on hand is probably better than what's in the car, so that's what I'd recommend. No need to go overboard with race-spec stuff, because it won't last any longer than normal DOT 3.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

kaz02a4 said:


> Curious about the fluid choice as well. I've always been told that "whatever is fresh" is the way to go. But this year I'm tracking the car, so a high-temp fluid is on the list. ATE 200 might be a good bet, especially if it's being run on a spec Miata.


I like Motul RBF600. More expensive than ATE, but boiling point is a decent bit higher (especially when wet).


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> I'm going to do a full bleed/flush this spring, is this what I should use? Street driven.


Yes. ATE Type 200 is a Miata fan favorite for people who like to drive aggressively on the street and autocross. It used to be ideal when they still sold ATE Super Blue because you could alternate fluids between brake jobs and the different colors made it really easy to tell when all the old fluid was out. But the blue color is not DOT compliant so they had to discontinue it in the USA even if it was listed for off-road use only. Otherwise, if you want to save money you can use typical auto store brake fluid like Prestone or Valvoline. If it's just a street car and you're not really heating up your brakes on the regular, then it's more important to just have fresh, clean, dry fluid rather than worry about the specifics of boiling points, etc.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Valvoline synthetic from the parts store is actually pretty good.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Nealric said:


> I like Motul RBF600. More expensive than ATE, but boiling point is a decent bit higher (especially when wet).


Seconded.
I've used this for years; good stuff.

:beer:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

:bs::facepalm:

https://www.facebook.com/auto****posting/posts/1146276472174731



> Auto 💩posting added 10 new photos.
> 7 hrs ·
> 
> I want you to stop for a minute. Consider spending the equivalent of ~$50,000aud (30k usd) on a brand new MX-5 and then doing plastidip graphics and ****ing COLOURING IN YOUR INTERIOR ACCENTS WITH A TEXTA
> ...


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

I was expecting his pants to be that color too

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I'm thinking of selling my 1990 Miata in needs-nothing condition and getting myself a new ND. Am I nuts?



















For an ND Club. Maybe RF; maybe not.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Your NA is gorgeous so I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling it.

If I were daily driving, and could afford it, I'd go with the ND. I deeply covet an ND.

If it's just a fun weekend car, I'd have a hard time justifying the upgrade.

That's me personally though, I'm kind of cheap.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I'm thinking of selling my 1990 Miata in needs-nothing condition and getting myself a new ND. Am I nuts?
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Sporin said:


> Your NA is gorgeous so I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling it.
> 
> If I were daily driving, and could afford it, I'd go with the ND. I deeply covet an ND.
> 
> ...


The NA isn't a daily driver, though I do try to take it out as often as I can (122k miles). I'm just starting to find it frustrating keeping the NA in the condition it deserves. The ND wouldn't be a daily either (I have the Golf R for that). I do like Machine Grey a lot on the RF. Either soft top or RF, I'd want a 2017 to avoid the in-wheel TPMS sensors on the 2018's and I'd lower the ND almost immediately. Probably on something like FM's Fox coil overs.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

NA or ND?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Smigelski said:


> I'm thinking of selling my 1990 Miata in needs-nothing condition and getting myself a new ND. Am I nuts?


I'm all for moving on if you're at the point where you're "over" a particular car, and can get what you want out of it, and then turning around and getting something you DO want. While I miss my '94, I am still enjoying the M3 I bought to replace it, and I know I'll be back in a Miata in one way or another sometime in the future.

Go for it :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I happened to find an ND on miata.net that I find particularly gorgeous. Machine Grey RF, lowered, and 6UL wheels. 






























I like everything about it. If it were going to be a soft top, it'd probably be Soul Red. (I know Machine Grey is available in the soft top for 2018.)


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> I'm all for moving on if you're at the point where you're "over" a particular car, and can get what you want out of it, and then turning around and getting something you DO want. While I miss my '94, I am still enjoying the M3 I bought to replace it, and I know I'll be back in a Miata in one way or another sometime in the future.
> 
> Go for it :thumbup:


For sure. from everything I've read, the ND is very much the modern NA. Same(±) size, weight and handling. More refined, more power, and modern reliability, amenities, top, etc. I'd be thrilled to own one, but I'd probably keep my NA a well.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> I'm thinking of selling my 1990 Miata in needs-nothing condition and getting myself a new ND. Am I nuts?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Get a used one. They drop nearly $10k in their first year.


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## mutcth (Mar 11, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> I happened to find an ND on miata.net that I find particularly gorgeous. Machine Grey RF, lowered, and 6UL wheels.


Wow. That is a stunning car. I just have never found any ND seats (including CR's tested Club, a Grand Touring soft top, and a Grand Touring RF) to be comfortable enough for me. They sit too low, and there isn't enough bottom cushion support. Also, after living with my 17 CX-5 for 8 months, I really am growing to loathe Mazda Connect's quirks. 

Someday I'll crack open my wallet (or, more to the point, convince my wife) to get a NC2 PRHT...

Tom


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## adrew (Aug 15, 2003)

mutcth said:


> Wow. That is a stunning car. I just have never found any ND seats (including CR's tested Club, a Grand Touring soft top, and a Grand Touring RF) to be comfortable enough for me. They sit too low, and there isn't enough bottom cushion support. Also, after living with my 17 CX-5 for 8 months, I really am growing to loathe Mazda Connect's quirks.
> 
> Someday I'll crack open my wallet (or, more to the point, convince my wife) to get a NC2 PRHT...
> 
> Tom


Recaros are newly optional this year


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I took my wife to the Baltimore Auto show this weekend. It turns out she fell in love with the white Club soft top they had there, but she didn't care for the Grand Touring RF they also had. I noted that the RF cuts down on headroom compared to the soft top, and the Grand Touring's giant rear view mirror really gets in the way of my outward vision. 

Apparently, there's no seat-height adjustment in the ND. What they do is when the seat slides back, it also lowers in height. That sounds fine, but I have shorter legs and a longer torso for my height.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

This seems decent, except for the paint. I think I could handle wrapping or dipping the trunk lid, but it looks like all of the clear is failing. :/ Really just trying to find a decent $3k Miata.

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1996-mazda-miata-18l/6496040339.html


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

I finally listed mine... Probably wrote way too much, but oh well https://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/d/1994-mazda-mx-5-na-miata/6475401954.html

I'm hoping it'll get sold before the weather gets better, otherwise I might want to keep it :laugh:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Ryukein said:


> I finally listed mine... Probably wrote way too much, but oh well https://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/d/1994-mazda-mx-5-na-miata/6475401954.html
> 
> I'm hoping it'll get sold before the weather gets better, otherwise I might want to keep it :laugh:


Not a bad price considering what the car comes with (assuming $4500 includes the 3 sets of wheels/tires)

I'm curious as to how/why you added power steering when you changed the motor. I'm assuming you changed out the rack along with keeping the PS pump on the replacement engine, but since it was done relatively recently you should still have the manual rack, right? R-package enthusiasts will probably want that to put back in the car. Good on you to keep the original Bilsteins, which can be rebuilt - because honestly Koni STR.T's are a downgrade for an R-package. I can understand why you went that way since it's a daily, but again it'll be something that someone specifically shopping an R-package will give you fits about.

GLWS :thumbup:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Techun said:


> This seems decent, except for the paint. I think I could handle wrapping or dipping the trunk lid, but it looks like all of the clear is failing. :/ Really just trying to find a decent $3k Miata.
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1996-mazda-miata-18l/6496040339.html


"I figured I'd put it out there because I'm enjoying my automatic Jetta too much"

Said nobody EVAR


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Techun said:


> This seems decent, except for the paint. I think I could handle wrapping or dipping the trunk lid, but it looks like all of the clear is failing. :/ Really just trying to find a decent $3k Miata.
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1996-mazda-miata-18l/6496040339.html


That doesn't look awful for the price. I think cosmetics will always be an issue in that $3500 range.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The more Miata ads I see now, the more I'm convinced I got a STEAL on mine last summer. :beer:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

couple of nice postables from last event:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> The more Miata ads I see now, the more I'm convinced I got a STEAL on mine last summer. :beer:


I've said it before that summer isn't necessarily the worst time to buy a Miata. Arguably, the condition of the examples on market is far better during the spring/summer, especially given the marginal uptick in price. You'll find a lot of turn-key (or close to it) examples that will cost you about the same as a specimen that needs the typical couple hundred in little fixes and maintenance catch-up.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Claff said:


> "I figured I'd put it out there because I'm enjoying my automatic Jetta too much"
> 
> Said nobody EVAR


I know right


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Finishing up the new top. Picked up from auto tops direct. Good deal 335 with rain rail. Zippered window. Nice material and easy enough to install. 

Only advice for those who never have done this is take the frame off. The b pillar retainer clips and fabric I feel are impossible to remove and attach. Also rivets are 5/32 size if you want to stay oem or you can drill to 3/16 as I did. A lot of bad info out there. Kens miata top install on miata net is probably the best write up. 

Oh picked up new tension wires. Mine were both broken. Really disintegrated at the front tab. 

Ill take some fresh pics when she is all clean. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So my car came with the single hoop Hard Dog roll bar. Are these really a "mousetrap" risk in an accident or is that just the stlye bars?










It's very helpful for getting in and out, and I really don't want to tear the whole car apart to take it out.

Should I just get proper padding for it (link below) and be done? or am I really risking my damn life with it?

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=2397



> Dual Durometer SFI 45.1 Roll Bar Padding
> 
> You need SFI 45.1-rated roll bar padding to conform to the rules, but you want something softer so minor bumps don't hurt quite as much? This new two-step padding is the answer!
> 
> ...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Should I just get proper padding for it (link below) and be done? or am I really risking my damn life with it?


FWIW I had a roll bar in my '90 and added the padding. Frankly the padding didn't feel like it would make a huge difference.

I wound up removing the bar from my car. In a roadgoing car, I'd rather live with the unprotected rollover risk than the much more likely head-striking-roll-bar-in-rear-end-accident risk. I haven't rolled a car yet, but I've been rear-ended.

The only reason I'd put a roll bar in a Miata is if I were going to run track days where they're required.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I may have to figure out how to pull it out then.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

If there's no triangulation of the roll bar, it's pretty pointless for any rollover. 

Proper padding is designed for helmets and forceful impacts, not daily driving accidents. I've never felt the two-layer padding, though, so the outer layer may be softer like bike padding of old.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> I'm thinking of selling my 1990 Miata in needs-nothing condition and getting myself a new ND. Am I nuts?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


After spending a couple of days in an ND..we put our 92 SBY on BaT...didn't get a ND...got a 01 BRG...ND will be next..once they drop to the 10K range. Looks like a car for BaT, that is where you will get the most for it...it is all that and a bag of chips.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Claff said:


> In a roadgoing car, I'd rather live with the unprotected rollover risk than the much more likely head-striking-roll-bar-in-rear-end-accident risk. I haven't rolled a car yet, but I've been rear-ended.
> 
> The only reason I'd put a roll bar in a Miata is if I were going to run track days where they're required.


This is precisely why I gave up my '94. I wanted to do track days, but the Miata was also the car I commuted in, and that my wife drove every so often (she loved it). So there was no way I was going to chance it - sold it, and got a succession of hardtops (WRX -> M3) and now I have a caged Mk2 GTI that's never going to be a street car (even though it's reg'd/insured for the time being). Next Miata I'm getting is going to be another street car, and it's gonna be for her.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I do wonder if I am going to be missing parts (seat belt anchors?) when the bar is gone though. I know the plastic trim pieces that go in that area are gone. 

I'm joining a local(ish) Miata club this spring so hopefully someone there can help me sort it all out.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Yesterday I test drove an Arctic White 2017 Club soft top. It had AKE, but no other options. I liked it a lot. It was a cold, wet day, so I didn't push it too hard on the back roads, but everything about the car felt _right_. I felt connected to it. It wasn't as loud on the highway as I was lead to believe. Definitely tolerable over long trips for me. The infotainment is stupid ], but I guess it's tolerable.

I really like the white soft top, and I'm heavily leaning in that direction. I'm also considering holding out for a 2018 Club on which I can get the Recaro seats. The down side is that the car will be more expensive because of the $4400 package and the loss of discounts on the 2017s. Worth it?

2017 Club Soft top
+ I can get it for $26.4k (MSRP ~$30k) with $1000 incentive and $500 owner loyalty
+ No in-wheel TPMS
+/- Available now
- No Recaro seats, so not really as 'special', in my mind
- I feel that the base seats have a very cheap material, but the specific car I drive didn't seat _that_ bad. But maybe because it had 8 miles on it and other NDs I have seen had lots of miles and butt encounters?

2018 Club Soft top
+ BBS/ Brembo/ Recaro package. I love those seats and my autocross buddies will be jealous. 
+ Beyond the issues of 2016 and 2017 (transmission issues, top issues, etc)
+ AKE Standard
+ Heated seats (either base or Recaros)
+ Revised Steering Rack (Maybe off of the RF?)
- MSRP of $33k minus whatever discounts they have at the time (or S-Plan pricing), and $500 Owner Loyalty
- Dealer says cars with the seat package will start arriving in early April


Thoughts? I'd typically always way for something I _really_ want, even if it is more money, but the price difference here is going to be large. One thing that I'd be giving up with my NA is that 'specialness' that newer cars don't really have. It's old, it's in great shape, and it's something you don't see every day. I feel like the Recaro seats will give me back some of that specialness because Recaro-cars will be few and far between and will be visible a lot since the top will be down most of the time. 





Phil Pugliese said:


> After spending a couple of days in an ND..we put our 92 SBY on BaT...didn't get a ND...got a 01 BRG...ND will be next..once they drop to the 10K range. Looks like a car for BaT, that is where you will get the most for it...it is all that and a bag of chips.


I hadn't really thought of putting my car on BaT. It's worth a shot, I guess. I think it's $99 to get it listed. I'm going to read into it a bit more. Thanks for the tip.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

I'd say buy the 2017 and find a set of Recaro take-offs - there are bound to be people who will replace the Recaros with different ones. A $7k price swing is nothing to sneeze at, and the only things you listed about the '17 that you didn't like are concerning the seats.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> I'd say buy the 2017 and find a set of Recaro take-offs - there are bound to be people who will replace the Recaros with different ones. A $7k price swing is nothing to sneeze at, and the only things you listed about the '17 that you didn't like are concerning the seats.


I did some basic maths (based on S-Plan Pricing being ~invoice pricing), and the 2018 with the Recaros would be around $5.3 more than the 2017 that I have access to. That put's it about $900 over the cost of the Recaro package itself ($4470). That's still a ton of money, but it's still cheaper than buying new Recaros from a dealer ($3,700 and $3,300, from what I've read (or at least I remember reading)).

Take-offs are a good idea, but who knows when they would become available. At least a year, I'd say. My thought process:

No one is going to buy the Recaros with the intention of replacing them anyway. So it wouldn't be until the second owner that would maybe replace them. And even if the second owner does, then they'll be few and far between and probably in high demand. 

I thought of aftermarket Recaros, too. Bu the factory ones have air bags, headrest speakers, and the headrests are the same shape as the roll hoops.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> I may have to figure out how to pull it out then.


Good. I have a very hard head, but not compared to a chunk of steel, padded or not. :beer:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Smigelski said:


> I did some basic maths (based on S-Plan Pricing being ~invoice pricing), and the 2018 with the Recaros would be around $5.3 more than the 2017 that I have access to. That put's it about $900 over the cost of the Recaro package itself ($4470). That's still a ton of money, but it's still cheaper than buying new Recaros from a dealer ($3,700 and $3,300, from what I've read (or at least I remember reading)).
> 
> Take-offs are a good idea, but who knows when they would become available. At least a year, I'd say. My thought process:
> 
> *No one is going to buy the Recaros with the intention of replacing them anyway. So it wouldn't be until the second owner that would maybe replace them. And even if the second owner does, then they'll be few and far between and probably in high demand.*


You're probably right on the time frame of availability - might be 6 months or so before some take-offs become available - but it might give you some time to break in the current seats to see whether or not you like them vs. immediately springing for the Recaros.

You'd be surprised - racers will take whatever they can get their hands on, so if it means picking a car up with the Recaros just to take them off, then so be it. 

I could be totally off-base, but I think it might actually make more sense for them to do that - get a new/used ND with Recaros - because the Recaros have resale potential, whereas they might get stuck with holding onto the stock seats since they would have (presumably) very little to no resale potential. Just food for thought.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I know it's the most TCL thing ever to say, but I can't wait to buy a used ND. 

I figure my NA will easily last me many more years, so maybe after the kid gets out of college I can spend $10k on a toy instead of $3.5k like I did on my NA.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Anyone looking in Florida? This looks like a steal. I paid that for mine _without_ a hardtop but otherwise about identical.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/485...82708541750393/?sale_post_id=1782708541750393


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## mouseOfMars (Jul 30, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> No one is going to buy the Recaros with the intention of replacing them anyway. So it wouldn't be until the second owner that would maybe replace them.



Maybe pick up a set from a wrecked fiat 124?

I believe the same seats were available on the Fiat since its launch....


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Went to drive the Miata today and the parking brake didn't disengage. Doesn't feel different at the handle, something's stuck at the caliper.

Anyone had this happen before and what's the fix?

I only drive about 1/2 mile mostly at 15mph but the rotor was faintly glowing when I parked (brake was still *down* but never came unstuck)
1994 1.8.










Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

VTECeateR said:


> Went to drive the Miata today and the parking brake didn't disengage. Doesn't feel different at the handle, something's stuck at the caliper.
> 
> Anyone had this happen before and what's the fix?


This has happened to mine, but it might be due to the fact mine is a crusty Midwest car. 

I would get rolling in first, slam on the brakes, roll in reverse, slam on the brakes, etc. Did it a few times and it eventually freed up. Now I park on level surfaces and leave it in gear. I'm going to rebuild my calipers at some point which will hopefully be the remedy.


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## phatrabbitzz2 (Nov 22, 2003)

VTECeateR said:


> Went to drive the Miata today and the parking brake didn't disengage. Doesn't feel different at the handle, something's stuck at the caliper.
> 
> Anyone had this happen before and what's the fix?


You can try spraying some lube on the spring and pivot, but you're probably better off just replacing the caliper. I got one from Napa but it was bad, which they replaced, second one was good. But I did end up doing double the work...


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

phatrabbitzz2 said:


> You can try spraying some lube on the spring and pivot, but you're probably better off just replacing the caliper. I got one from Napa but it was bad, which they replaced, second one was good. But I did end up doing double the work...


Can I replace just one?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## phatrabbitzz2 (Nov 22, 2003)

VTECeateR said:


> Can I replace just one?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Yes, just replace the one that's sticking.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

pretty sure mazda and mazda motorsports sells OEM calipers for reasonable amount. ESR also sell racing ones for 100 bucks. super cheap.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> pretty sure mazda and mazda motorsports sells OEM calipers for reasonable amount. *ESR also sell racing ones for 100 bucks. super cheap*.


Link? I don't know what ESR is.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I think it's a reasonably common issue with the adjustment on the earlier miatas. I have the same issue on my 91.

I'm also looking for new rear brakes. I'll check out Mazda and ESR if I can find it. Any other recommendations welcome.

I know advance Auto or one of those car shops will give you a big refund for bringing the core. Most online vendors also but it's easier in person without having to ship.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Got home, removed wheel and after a slight tap with a screwdriver, all was good. Sprayed some silicone lubricant and played with the hand brake 20 or so times. Test drive was successful. That being said, it's parked in gear with no brake.

I'll show it to my mechanic next week and see what he says.

Thanks again.









Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Link? I don't know what ESR is.


east street racing. 

i believe the mazda book price on calipers is ~85 bucks.

they are also crazy easy to rebuild yourself. i had a seized one, i drilled out the back of the pin, pounded the pin out, sanded it all down, greased it back up, and put it back on. i threaded and put a bolt into the drilled hole. rebuild kits are like 5 bucks too.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Grumble Grumble Grumble.

From the Mazda sales manager of the dealership I've been talking to:

Good Morning Nicholas,

At this time the only way to get the Brembo/BBS Package and Recaros is with the Red Roof Package. If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to contact me.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> Grumble Grumble Grumble.
> 
> From the Mazda sales manager of the dealership I've been talking to:
> 
> ...


Red Roof Package.

i definitely have not been paying enough attention to ND specs.

if this is what you are talking about... i dont think i hate it.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

dunhamjr said:


> Red Roof Package.
> 
> i definitely have not been paying enough attention to ND specs.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> Grumble Grumble Grumble.
> 
> From the Mazda sales manager of the dealership I've been talking to:
> 
> ...


That sales manager is wrong, the Brembo/BBS/Recaro package doesn't force you to get the red top.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Ryukein said:


> That sales manager is wrong, the Brembo/BBS/Recaro package doesn't force you to get the red top.


Maybe it depends on region? Either way, I haven't been able to find a Recaro car without the red roof on a nationwide search of Autotrader or Cars.com. A bunch of the 2018s don't have pictures, yet, though.


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## Ryukein (Dec 10, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> Maybe it depends on region? Either way, I haven't been able to find a Recaro car without the red roof on a nationwide search of Autotrader or Cars.com. A bunch of the 2018s don't have pictures, yet, though.


Hmmm, maybe, or maybe that's just all that's being sent to dealers at first.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

the online build tool doesnt seem to have a way to select the Recaro package.

i wonder what colors the red roof will be available on. you know?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

dunhamjr said:


> the online build tool doesnt seem to have a way to select the Recaro package.
> 
> i wonder what colors the red roof will be available on. you know?


According to that leaked (possibly fake) notice about there only being 1800 2018 Miatas for North America:

Club: Black, Grey, Ceramic

GT: White, Black, Grey, Ceramic

I've seen a few GT's at the local dealership in Snowflake White with the red roof. None with the black roof.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> According to that leaked (possibly fake) notice about there only being 1800 2018 Miatas for North America


what the ****?


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## mouseOfMars (Jul 30, 2002)

Ryukein said:


> That sales manager is wrong, the Brembo/BBS/Recaro package doesn't force you to get the red top.


according to some internet rumor over on forum.miata.net : (fake news?)

Seems like Recaro w/ Black top will be produced in very limited numbers for 2018 due to an early 2019 MY introduction...

but Ryukein you probably have better intel!



https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=638954&page=82


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

wow, ND2 would really **** up classing.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I sent an email to Mazda UDSA and this is the response:



> Dear Mr. Smigelski,
> 
> Thank you for being a part of the Mazda family Mr. Yanchik, we’re happy to hear from you!
> 
> ...



I also contacted my dealership again about what colors are available on the 2018 Club, Manual, with the BBS/Brembo/Recaro package and this is the response I got:



> Mr Smigelski,
> 
> 
> The available colors with that package are... Ceramic, Machine Gray, Arctic White, Soul Red Crystal, Jet Black Mica
> ...


So it looks like you can get Soul Red with the red top. That's going to look horrid. Also, it looks like Arctic White is being held over for the 2018 Clubs while Snowflake white is going on the GTs. 




cockerpunk said:


> wow, ND2 would really **** up classing.


Why are you saying that? There's nothing specifically different about the 2018s that would screw up autocross classing. And there's no info out there about the 2019 Miatas.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Thread title should read: "Will You Ever Be Forced Into A Miata"


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sounds like the Recaro’s are an interesting fit. I think I’d be too wide. 

My new 2018 Club Recaro/Brembo/BBS
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...a.net/vb/showthread.php?t=663051&share_type=t


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

LT1M21Stingray said:


> Thread title should read: "Will You Ever Be Forced Into A Miata"


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

What do you guys think of this? I like it to replace my wing that I hate...










I'd probably get the cheapest one and wrap it in CF-look vinyl.

https://www.carbonmiata.com/shop/mazda-mx-5/trunk-spoiler/

Looks like it uses the same 2 mounting holes as my current spoiler does.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

can inform you that even on studs, 14 inches of snow on a lake is too much for a miata to handle.

it also happens to be more than almost anything else can handle too, including audis, subarus and evos. even several of our trucks got stuck.

i am impressed with the bumper covers though, made some really nice miata shaped imprints slamming into snow banks at 30mph and it never broke, even the bottom of the "mouth" which is essentially unsupported.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Why are you saying that? There's nothing specifically different about the 2018s that would screw up autocross classing. And there's no info out there about the 2019 Miatas.


if the 2019 is any quicker it will rule out all ND1s in CS, or force SCCA to re-class (and possibly kill) the ND2 (into BS).


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> if the 2019 is any quicker it will rule out all ND1s in CS, or force SCCA to re-class (and possibly kill) the ND2 (into BS).


Personally, I think the ND should probably go to BS anyway. The ND's dominance in CS has pushed the PAX index for that class to 0.805. The index for BS is remarkably close at 0.808.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> What do you guys think of this? I like it to replace my wing that I hate...
> 
> https://www.carbonmiata.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/image2.jpg



That looks like a carbon trunk lid + a lip spoiler since NA trunks are flat across the top.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Personally, I think the ND should probably go to BS anyway. The ND's dominance in CS has pushed the PAX index for that class to 0.805. The index for BS is remarkably close at 0.808.


maybe when BS was AP2 protected class, but now that its C5, cayman, RS etc the ND would get killed. BS will get faster too with the new proposal of the 1LE and m3 etc etc

two different speed NDs will really screw with what SCCA is trying to do with street class right now.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> That looks like a carbon trunk lid + a lip spoiler since NA trunks are flat across the top.


Yeah, it's the Carbon Miata trunk spoiler










https://www.carbonmiata.com/shop/mazda-mx-5/trunk-spoiler/


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

I'm as happy as a kid on Christmas.









Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Love it!

I've been looking at the Direzza DZ102 in the same size.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Sporin said:


> Love it!
> 
> I've been looking at the Direzza DZ102 in the same size.


So eeeeeeeeeet!

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Love it!
> 
> I've been looking at the Direzza DZ102 in the same size.


DZ102's are a good choice. Won't have nearly as much grip as the Star Specs, but will ride better and you'll get decent life out of them. I had the previous generation (DZ101's) on my Miata and I got 30k+ out of them. While I still had a bunch of tread life left, they were starting to age out, and I ended up getting a flat on one of them (nail) which forced my hand to get a new set of 4.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> DZ102's are a good choice. Won't have nearly as much grip as the Star Specs, but will ride better and you'll get decent life out of them. I had the previous generation (DZ101's) on my Miata and I got 30k+ out of them. While I still had a bunch of tread life left, they were starting to age out, and I ended up getting a flat on one of them (nail) which forced my hand to get a new set of 4.


Yeah, for the 5k or so miles per summer I'm going to be putting on the car they seem like a good compromise.

I'm not racing, and our roads are such crap up here, I think the Star Specs would be overkill for me.

This summer I'm going to focus on 2 things...

1. Updates (new radiator, full brake bleed, O2 sensor fix)

2. Stiffening and Grip (Frame rails, better antiroll bars maybe? and hopefully 15" wheels and stickier tires)

I'd love to do a full exhaust as well but we'll see how the fun budget goes.


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## TigerinColorado (Jul 16, 2007)

I feel fortunate to have spent part of the last few months driving a family members NA 5MT that they picked up spur of the moment for $1.5k via roadside For Sale sign.  It has rekindled my passion for driving. Thank you to the Miata! I've also enjoyed teaching my younger family members how to drive "stick shifts". So proud that they have a sincere interest. eace:



Now seriously shopping for a Fiata!  Gotta have the Recaro seats. Mmmmmmm turbo...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I remember how excited I was to get my first set of 6ULs


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> Personally, I think the ND should probably go to BS anyway. The ND's dominance in CS has pushed the PAX index for that class to 0.805. The index for BS is remarkably close at 0.808.


If they bounce the NDs from CS, what will be left to run CS? A half-dozen RX8s and the two BRZFRSes that didn't go to SSC?


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## theprf (Sep 21, 2007)

While I don't own a Miata (because I don't fit in a Miata with the top up) I wholeheartedly appreciate that Mazda saw fit to use 205-50/15 tires, as the popularity of early Miatas that take that size that has assured a ready supply of fantastic tires for my cars that also take that size.
I can confirm that the DZ-102's are a great tire, and the Star Spec is even better - surprisingly good in the rain, even with my non-Miata.
Carry on!


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

What do you think? I'm going to haul all my hairdresser supplies in style now! 

949Racing 15x8 6UL in Bronze.

Dunlop Direzza Star Spec IIs

Shot on Pixel.









Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The bronze looks great with that blue


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Thanks. I agree.

First time the hard top has been on since July. Just more surface that needs paint 









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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Power bump coming for the 2019 ND?




> *Mazda Might Give the MX-5 Miata 26 More Horsepower For 2019*
> 
> Regulatory documents suggest the 2019 MX-5 Miata will go from 155 horsepower to 181, a huge power increase for the lightweight sports car.
> By Bozi Tatarevic
> ...


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Very productive weekend. New water pump, timing belt, valve cover and CAS O ring...all the things that were failing (timing belt was due in 10k)









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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Looks great. Love that blue. I have mariner. 
Managed to put a new top from autotops direct last week. Great quality. Pia to put on. 

Have the cas oring sitting there to install. Also my window guide on the driver window desintigrated. So pulled the glass and waiting for the replacement. 

Though managed to wash her up and take a short drive yesterday. Need to snag some pics.

Here is from the install.



















Litterally strained my lat pulling it down to clamp the last couple of millimeters. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

VTECeateR said:


> Very productive weekend. New water pump, timing belt, valve cover and CAS O ring...all the things that were failing


Just did the cas o ring with valve cover on. Thought it was lined up going back in. Nooo. 3 hrs and no avail. Next day, telescoping mirror and 10 min later. Fit right in.

For those of you who do it, use a sharp edge to mark the tangs position, a mirror helps, and know that it will only go in one way so if its not right, readjust. 

All of that and notice my brake master cylinder is leaking. ordered. Next project. Picked up some chemical guy products. Looking fwd to bringing the shine back. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

and with the completion of the whole seat thing ... i believe the race car is ready for the season:










i hate mounting seats. was never happy with last summers arrangement, and i needed new belts anyway ...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

KICKINGTI said:


> Litterally strained my lat pulling it down to clamp the last couple of millimeters.


I haven't put the top up on my '90 since last September. The first time it goes up is going to be a serious struggle unless it's 90 degrees out.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> What do you think? I'm going to haul all my hairdresser supplies in style now!
> 
> Shot on Pixel.


It looks great. I don't think I'd want that look for my car, but I enjoy seeing it on yours (if that makes any sense).



Sporin said:


> Power bump coming for the 2019 ND?


I'm looking forward to it. There was also an independent source that tweeted about him talking to Mazda about a power bump (though no numbers were given) and a guy in miata.net that has an inside source at Mazda that confirmed the same thing. 

I'm also hoping for CarPlay/Android with the mid cycle refresh. 

I'm' actually going to the dealership tonight. They have a couple 2018 Clubs with the Recaro seats I want to try out.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Now that I’m officially a Mazduh dillerman... the wants for a Miata are increasing. 

This does not bode well for long term MINI ownership.

I’ll keep everyone updated on the rumored ND power bump and infotainment changes.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

To all modified NA Miata owners whoi drove a stock ND:

What are the main reasons you would jump ship and take on a $25K-$35K car note?

Thinking about unloading a few cars this spring in favor of something more modern, one of them being my beloved Turbo NA.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

EuroAtomic said:


> To all modified NA Miata owners whoi drove a stock ND:
> 
> What are the main reasons you would jump ship and take on a $25K-$35K car note?
> 
> Thinking about unloading a few cars this spring in favor of something more modern, one of them being my beloved Turbo NA.


Modern comforts and chassis tuning with the driving experience that resembles an Na in spirit. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

EuroAtomic said:


> To all modified NA Miata owners whoi drove a stock ND:
> 
> What are the main reasons you would jump ship and take on a $25K-$35K car note?
> 
> Thinking about unloading a few cars this spring in favor of something more modern, one of them being my beloved Turbo NA.


I'm thinking of doing the same thing, though my car is far from being turboed. I kind of want to replace the NA with an ND for a few reasons.

1) Trying to keep the NA as nice as it deserves to be kept is becoming a bit tiresome than I want.
1a) After 8 years of ownership, I think I'm starting to be in the mood for something different. 
2) The ND is more comfortable, etc.
3) The ND as close to a new NA as you can get, and it's closer than anything has been in a long time. 


I want to keep the NA for a few reasons, too.

1) The NA is 28 years old and is really cool for an old car, and it makes it a bit special.
2) I've poured more money into the NA than I'll ever be able to get out of it.
3) I still really like it. It's great to drive and needs nothing. 
4) If I sell it, I won't be able to brag about its 103hp dyno chart. :laugh:


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> I'm thinking of doing the same thing, though my car is far from being turboed. I kind of want to replace the NA with an ND for a few reasons.
> 
> 1) Trying to keep the NA as nice as it deserves to be kept is becoming a bit tiresome than I want.
> 1a) After 8 years of ownership, I think I'm starting to be in the mood for something different.
> ...



Great break down! Thank you!

If I may add one more reason to owning an NA is classic car insurance which costs $100-120 per year in NJ. Compared to $800-900 per year for a new ND. 
I definitely hear you on the comfort part. One day I was driving my 94 bouncing/shuddering up and down on uneven pavement and told my self: "This crap is getting old."
I had 5 NA Miata's and they have always been a great car to come back to after owning something different. To be honest, Turbo Miatas are fun but loose the charm of NA a bit.
NA just feels like an old pair of jeans. Buy a sorted one, drive for a few years, sell it and buy another one down the road if you miss it without loosing much money. 

I feel that ND purchase will be more of a commitment, both financially and emotionally. As if it will have to be really THAT GOOD to make you never regret selling your NA. 

I will definitely follow your ND thread closely if you buy one :beer:


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

What ckassic insurance are you guys using and what mil r age restrictions exist if any? 

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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

KICKINGTI said:


> What ckassic insurance are you guys using and what mil r age restrictions exist if any?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


American Collectors or Hagerty. Main restriction for me is that vehicles have to be at least 15 years old garaged and driven under 5K miles.

My cars more than qualify since they see less than 2K miles per year at most and sit in the garage on a trickle charger. I had a 1971 Mercedes 250C once that cost me $86 a year to insure :laugh:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

EuroAtomic said:


> Great break down! Thank you!
> 
> If I may add one more reason to owning an NA is classic car insurance which costs $100-120 per year in NJ. Compared to $800-900 per year for a new ND.
> I definitely hear you on the comfort part. One day I was driving my 94 bouncing/shuddering up and down on uneven pavement and told my self: "This crap is getting old."
> ...




Yeah, I know my insurance is going to skyrocket because I have classic insurance on the NA. Mine is about $300/ year, but only because I have the agreed value for the car set high. 

I drove the car to work yesterday morning (30 some degrees F) and the car squeaked and rattled and bumped. I thought to myself "Yep, time for something newer I can drive more often." 

Then I drove it from work to a Miata club meeting in the afternoon, and the car was just *perfect*. I loved it and thought "Why would I ever sell this?"




KICKINGTI said:


> What ckassic insurance are you guys using and what mil r age restrictions exist if any?


I use American Collectors (affiliated with GEICO). I have an Agreed Value Policy with either the 5000-mile or 7500-mile limits. I can't remember. 

I don't think they have specific age requirements for the car, but it should be 'collectible.' They had me send in pictures of my NA when I got the insurance.

https://americancollectors.com/plans/collector-vehicles/policy-features/


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## TigerinColorado (Jul 16, 2007)

Everyone does. Pops picked up a For Sale by side of road (!) NA 5MT Miata for $1,5k last year. It is a capable daily driver, but needs some aesthetic TLC by TCL standards. Fun to drive!

He came home again with an R model this time. Purchased online from an original owner. No TLC needed.

Fun times to be had. :heart:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I just have it on my regular car insurance policy, I think it added $14/month for full coverage alongside the Prius and 4Runner.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Miata itch is getting itchy.

Taking a look at a clean local 2006 NC1 Sunday.

Anyone want a super clean 2006 R53? :laugh:


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Zillon said:


> Miata itch is getting itchy.
> 
> Taking a look at a clean local 2006 NC1 Sunday.
> 
> Anyone want a super clean 2006 R53? :laugh:


Just remember that your first Miata has to be red! I see some red NC's on NJ craigslist


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

EuroAtomic said:


> Just remember that your first Miata has to be red! I see some red NC's on NJ craigslist


Ha! It's red, actually.

72k miles, clean, garage kept, and I happen to know the owner.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Zillon said:


> Miata itch is getting itchy.
> 
> Taking a look at a clean local 2006 NC1 Sunday.
> 
> Anyone want a super clean 2006 R53? :laugh:


My 01 BRG is under it's blanket still from it's winter hibernation. With almost 2' of snow at our house yesterday, it will be a bit before it comes out.


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## lil mike (Feb 7, 2004)

Do I need a Miata? I've come across 1997 Miata with 85k miles for $2,500 (pics attached). I'm not really familar with Miatas in general, so I'm wondering what I need to look for in the car when I go see it tomorrow morning. I know there is a hole in the top (that's not too concerning), and from the picture a bit of clear is peeling. Are there any specific items I need to watch out for or worry about with this model and year?

Thanks so much!


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

lil mike said:


> Do I need a Miata? I've come across 1997 Miata with 85k miles for $2,500 (pics attached). I'm not really familar with Miatas in general, so I'm wondering what I need to look for in the car when I go see it tomorrow morning. I know there is a hole in the top (that's not too concerning), and from the picture a bit of clear is peeling. Are there any specific items I need to watch out for or worry about with this model and year?


I've told other forum members shopping around and imformed them to check the battery area in the trunk for corrosion. Then check to see if the correct type of battery was installed with the vent tubes. If a dry type was installed like an Optima that doesn't require ventilation, then nevermind :wave: .

Regarding the top, I'm sure there are many replacement glass top that doesn't require unzipping the rear window. I've owned a NA with the stock top with the plastic rear window for 8 years and the whole unzipping and polishing the rear window gets really tiring after a month.

And from your pics, it doesn't look like it's a base madel. So chances are it has the desirable Torsen limited slip rear differential with all the underside chassis braces. Also, check the lower rocker areas for corrosion. There are drain holes next to the jack points along the pinch welds that gets clogged easily. 

And I would pull that aftermarket stereo to see if the factory side of the wiring harness was cut.


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## lil mike (Feb 7, 2004)

Brilliant! That's exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

lil mike said:


> Brilliant! That's exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!


Almost forgot, start the engine cold. Then with the hood open, listen carefully for a ticking sound. The NA engines has hydraulic tappets that are known to tick. It could just mean the wrong grade of oil or at the worse, a clogged tappets. I understand that refilling the crankcase with a quart of ATF fluid with the rest regular motor oil then running the engine for a while should clear the tappets. Then drain it all and do a regular oil service. 

Good luck. :wave:


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

Had a wonderful warm day today to bring out the Miata and give it a good wash. Tore up some backroads right after. I adore this car.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

A few months I picked up film photography. I've started taking "period correct" pictures of my NA. Just wanted to share.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

ouch, killed the clutch on the white car. 

she needs some serious after-care


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## lil mike (Feb 7, 2004)

That I can handle. Thank you again!


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Sorry for the blurry photos, track photographer got a new camera and is still dialing it in. I finally got both of my buddies who have marble white NC's out to the track.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

On a used purchase, check for rust in the rockers, that seems to be the biggest go/no-go I read about on the Miata forums. Given that good NA's are generally pretty cheap, I'd say buy the nicest one you can find and afford. Saving $1000 on purchase price could easily cost you twice that if you buy a clunker. A stock, unmolested car is worth the extra imo.

https://www.miata.net/garage/garagebuying.html

Still waiting on warm weather here. I have the first meeting of a local Miata club in central NH on Saturday and I'd hoped to have my car out of storage for it but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. :banghead:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Currently in talks for an 09 NC2. 

R53 should be sold on Saturday. Oh bwoy.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Zillon said:


> Currently in talks for an 09 NC2.
> 
> R53 should be sold on Saturday. Oh bwoy.


Time for some liquid gold!

Now I just gotta sell the R53 this weekend and figure out how I’m picking this up.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I love it!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a yellow NC.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> I love it!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a yellow NC.


Competition Yellow. Only 318 produced in this color, I’ve been quietly searching over the past couple years and there’s rarely one on the market. 

Looks like next Tuesday or Wednesday might be the ticket.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Zillon said:


> Competition Yellow. Only 308 made in 2009, I’ve been quietly searching over the past couple years and there’s rarely one on the market.
> 
> Looks like next Tuesday or Wednesday might be the ticket.


Nice! Looks a little orangy in most pictures, which I love. :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's a car from a guy I know in Florida. He even wears yellow clothes at Miata get togethers.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

The yellow on that NC (the other one, not the one above this post):laugh: looks fantastic. Really helps it 'pop'. This past summer, I always saw a red one on my drive home from work. That's also a great color for a NC.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> Here's a car from a guy I know in Florida. He even wears yellow clothes at Miata get togethers.












Too much.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

If anyone was ever curious about the mechanics behind the RF top:


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Wow, that looks....complicated. Cool to see, but I'll take mine with a manual soft top, thanks :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Wow, that looks....complicated. Cool to see, but I'll take mine with a manual soft top, thanks :thumbup:


It looks a lot like the PRHT in the NC. It's really not all that complicated. At a Miata get-together we had a guy go through his PRHT and show everyone what it takes to remove/replace motors, etc and what to do if they fail. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be and made me want a PRHT even more.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> It looks a lot like the PRHT in the NC. It's really not all that complicated. At a Miata get-together we had a guy go through his PRHT and show everyone what it takes to remove/replace motors, etc and what to do if they fail. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be and made me want a PRHT even more.


Interesting! Yes, I suppose I forgot about the PRHT.

A lot of what I love about the Miata is its simplicity, so either the PRHT or the RF likely wouldn't be for me anyway. But it is pretty cool :thumbup:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Car is ready for Radwood. It's running better than ever since I've owned it.

Also, this little bee decided to try and pollinate my jelly bean. 

My buddy just removed about 20 dings and creases and other than the paint it's visually flawless. I'm so happy.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

i don't know why i keep torturing myself looking at this thread whenever it pops up. 

i really want a miata.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

I'm noticing that there's a whole lotta 7" LED H4 replacement headlights for the Jeep Wrangler. Are those headlights popular with the NA owners?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*



mx5er said:


> I'm noticing that there's a whole lotta 7" LED H4 replacement headlights for the Jeep Wrangler. Are those headlights popular with the NA owners?


Some. Cost is still an issue though. 

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=464429

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=646129


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Some. Cost is still an issue though.


It looks like the prices are all over the place: https://www.extremeterrain.com/wrangler-jeep-jk-headlights.html#shop-by1

And this looks very reasonable: https://www.extremeterrain.com/axial-led-halo-headlights-w-angel-eye-drl-turn-signals-9717.html

And: https://www.extremeterrain.com/kc-hilites-7-gravity-led-headlights-0717-jk.html


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I got these on my na and they are incredible: http://www.automobilemag.com/news/gear-testing-sylvanias-zevo-led-headlights/amp/

Highly recommended.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Joined a Miata club, first meeting today, but most folks still have their cars put away. 

Schwag 



















I was probably the youngest person there. Lots of retired couples. Really nice folks. 

Lots of NC PHT owners.


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## KizashiAGP (Jun 29, 2016)

Sporin said:


>


If I had an MX-5, I guarantee it will look like this.
I really want to get a Miata with a solid engine and body but busted suspension and do a suspension overhaul on it. *shrug*


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Any track guys running extended lower ball joints? Thinking of getting a set. Wondering if it's worth it.

Also wondering if it's worth upgrading my na6 vlsd to a 186k miles 4.1 torsen unit for $450. Is it worth it?

My car is a 91 with 70k miles.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

You should definitely do the Torsen.

I happened to be on the lookout for a decent VSLD.

The above two sentences are completely unrelated.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> You should definitely do the Torsen.
> 
> I happened to be on the lookout for a decent VSLD.
> 
> The above two sentences are completely unrelated.


You want mine? If this goes through I'll have it available.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> Joined a Miata club, first meeting today


Congrats. New blood is a good thing. I rather like that yellow NA. It looks like an aftermarket paint job. Even after seeing thousands of different flavor of aftermarket modified NAs, I still get a kick out of seeing well-preserved cars on their original Daisy 14" alloy wheels. The basic look is just so right.



Sporin said:


> I was probably the youngest person there. Lots of retired couples.


The same can probably be said about almost every Miata club across the world. Most are "wine and cheese" clubs for retired folks.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> Any track guys running extended lower ball joints? Thinking of getting a set. Wondering if it's worth it.


Well that depends. There are people tracking their Miatas in all states of tune, from completely stock to wild silhouette racers that just sorta happen to look like a Miata if you squint. Your current alignment will dictate whether you can benefit from the ability to add more camber. Are you camber limited at your current ride height? Would another 1° to 2° of negative camber result in a car that's more fun to drive, faster, or safer? 




300_munkeys said:


> Also wondering if it's worth upgrading my na6 vlsd to a 186k miles 4.1 torsen unit for $450. Is it worth it?


Every NA6 diff is living on borrowed time so you might as well start planning to replace it with the larger Torsen LSD. Not sure I'd want to start with a unit that has 186k miles on since it could probably benefit from an overhaul (see http://bofiracing.co.uk/blog/rebuilding-a-type-1-4-3-torsen/). The taller gearing will take some of the pep out of your car's step since the 1.6 has such a modest power output to begin with. But you might actually prefer it depending on your specific needs/wants. If it saves you a 2-3 upshift on a fast auto-x course, you might like it. Personally, I'd rather have a 4.3, 4.44 or 4.778. And this is coming from someone with a NA6 chassis with a BP4W swap and a 4.1 Torsen.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

freedomgli said:


> Congrats. New blood is a good thing. I rather like that yellow NA. It looks like an aftermarket paint job. Even after seeing thousands of different flavor of aftermarket modified NAs, I still get a kick out of seeing well-preserved cars on their original Daisy 14" alloy wheels. The basic look is just so right.
> 
> 
> The same can probably be said about almost every Miata club across the world. Most are "wine and cheese" clubs for retired folks.


So the "yellow" NA is more of a light neon green in person and very much a custom color. This is the owner's "winter" Miata and he has another for summer. Not a bad idea if you live up here and want to live the roadster life year round.

Club-wise, it sounds like this club is about right for me. There is a Miata club in Mass. that does a lot of actual racing, runs autoX, etc. 

There was another club in NH before this one that did mostly get together, no rides or racing of any kind. Folks in the current club said it was mostly everyone driving to a restaurant separately, eating, then going home. 

So they started this one in 2000(?) with the goal of doing a lot of different things. They do 2 big tech days, they plan 6-10 runs and meetups including attending, as a Club, a few large car shows including Matias at the Museum.

There were a few folks not much older than me, and I didn't feel out of place. But it's definitely an older crowd then I got in my 4x4 days.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Any track guys running extended lower ball joints? Thinking of getting a set. Wondering if it's worth it.


racers run what the rules let them. SCCA does not allow them in spec miata, NASA does.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Claff said:


> I happened to be on the lookout for a decent VSLD.


Why is that? They aren't rebuildable and most of them are toast by now. The one in my former Sunburst would only mostly work in very low load situations.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Diamond Dave said:


> Why is that? They aren't rebuildable and most of them are toast by now. The one in my former Sunburst would only mostly work in very low load situations.


VLSDs don't wear out.

VLSDs just don't have that much lock up, maybe 20% ... tops


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> VLSDs don't wear out.
> 
> VLSDs just don't have that much lock up, maybe 20% ... tops


Interesting. I've heard the vlsd basically stops working and ends up as an open diff.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

The VLSD in my '90 is not very LSDey these days. I'd like to put in a different one to see if the car will behave again. I'd like to keep it STS legal just in case, otherwise I'd be going with a Torsen as well.

Having said that, it's very low on the priority li$t. I'm really enjoying STR with the NC even if Cockerpunk beats me with a AP1.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Interesting. I've heard the vlsd basically stops working and ends up as an open diff.


my 91 is still quite LSDy ... just have to be a on surface that actually shows the low lock up, like ice and snow. the difference on pavement is much less, but on ice and snow, that 10-20% lockup is a life saver.



Claff said:


> I'm really enjoying STR with the NC even if Cockerpunk beats me with a AP1.












 pretty sure ill be back for round 2 this year in the same car.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I'm really enjoying STR with the NC even if Cockerpunk beats me with a AP1.


The only winning move is not to play.

(Or take the lug nuts off his car. Either or.)




This weekend I'm taking the hard top off my car.


----------



## Turbo II (Jun 9, 2017)

Stupid question, but did all NAs have chrome door openers?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Turbo II said:


> Stupid question, but did all NAs have chrome door openers?


Yes.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Turbo II said:


> Stupid question, but did all NAs have chrome door openers?


Yes.

Handle, Outside, Left p/n NA01-59-410D
Handle, Outside, Right p/n NA01-58-410D


----------



## Turbo II (Jun 9, 2017)

Smigelski said:


> Yes.





freedomgli said:


> Yes.
> 
> Handle, Outside, Left p/n NA01-59-410D
> Handle, Outside, Right p/n NA01-58-410D


Thanks guys, that question was always somewhere in the back of my head . Now that's a professional answer with parts number even .


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Turbo II said:


> Thanks guys, that question was always somewhere in the back of my head . Now that's a professional answer with parts number even .


I never needed the part numbers myself. Whatever I needed I just took off of one of Claff's cars. He's never noticed.


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## Turbo II (Jun 9, 2017)

Smigelski said:


> I never needed the part numbers myself. Whatever I needed I just took off of one of Claff's cars. He's never noticed.


That's the right way to go about it .


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Another question for the guys here that know way more than me: 

When I bought my car (1991) it was in the middle of being set up for ssm. So it has the spec suspension and the spec exhaust. I think it's the mazdacomp one. 

It's too loud and really would prefer to quiet it down a bit. What's the simplest and cheapest way of doing that, while hopefully not sacrificing power? 

I have the full stock oem exhaust too. 

Should I change the muffler? Should I weld back in the oem cat? Should I buy an aftermarket, high flow cat? 

Basically looking for the best way to optimize making the exhaust quieter without spending a bunch of money on a new exhaust or giving up a few precious ponies.


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Another question for the guys here that know way more than me:
> 
> When I bought my car (1991) it was in the middle of being set up for ssm. So it has the spec suspension and the spec exhaust. I think it's the mazdacomp one.
> 
> ...


Based on what I remember, the Spec Miata exhaust is less about adding power than it is about reducing weight. Any full exhaust system will add back about 20-30 lbs. Thankfully, it's low, but most of the weight is added back into the tail of the car.

The exhaust flow through the head ports is pretty poor in the stock motor, so the minimal gains to be had in the exhaust system will be seen in replacing the header. A high flow cat isn't a bad idea.

I don't recall there being a real HP difference between a resonated and non-resonated mid-section. Non-resonated sounds like garbage.

I'm a fan of the Yonaka Motorsports cat back that I installed on my car years ago - for a while it was under $250 shipped. Similar quality to the higher-dollar Racing Beat or Flyin Miata exhausts, and IIRC it's 2.5" vs. 2.25". Again, I don't think it makes a difference HP-wise, but it makes a nice growl, doesn't sound like a**, and will not likely be a significant factor in holding back HP. Like I said, most of the gains will be through the header and the cat.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Based on what I remember, the Spec Miata exhaust is less about adding power than it is about reducing weight. Any full exhaust system will add back about 20-30 lbs. Thankfully, it's low, but most of the weight is added back into the tail of the car.
> 
> The exhaust flow through the head ports is pretty poor in the stock motor, so the minimal gains to be had in the exhaust system will be seen in replacing the header. A high flow cat isn't a bad idea.
> 
> ...


Well I assume it should produce more power than the oem exhaust because it flows more freely. Here is a decent side by side picture, which appears to be the (I think bosal) sm exhaust and the oem exhaust: 










The spec exhaust is not resonated and it's loud, even though I still have carpets installed. I want to take the carpets out too so it will be worse. I have to have headphones in to drive to the track. While eventually I want to tow, even for now I'd rather the car be quieter. 

I'm not sure the OD on the spec exhaust but maybe I could just buy a cheap high flow cat and have a local shop weld it in. Shouldn't be too expensive.

Here is another picture:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Well I assume it should produce more power than the oem exhaust because it flows more freely. Here is a decent side by side picture, which appears to be the (I think bosal) sm exhaust and the oem exhaust:
> 
> The spec exhaust is not resonated and it's loud, even though I still have carpets installed. I want to take the carpets out too so it will be worse. I have to have headphones in to drive to the track. While eventually I want to tow, even for now I'd rather the car be quieter.
> 
> I'm not sure the OD on the spec exhaust but maybe I could just buy a cheap high flow cat and have a local shop weld it in. Shouldn't be too expensive.


I should have clarified - there are gains versus the stock system. But the SM exhaust that I had in mind (see below) does not add much more (if any) HP versus a full catback like the Racing Beat/Flyin Miata/Yonaka systems I mentioned earlier. It is designed primarily to reduce weight. Because of the exhaust ports in the head, the point at which the exhaust tubing diameter ceases to become the dominant restriction, is rather low on Miatas.

The spec exhaust that I had in mind was the Springfield one, which is just a pipe, resonator, and a dump before the rear differential. Weighs something like 15 lbs. I'm not a SM racer, so I don't know what percentage of guys are using the Bosal exhaust, versus the Springfield one. The Miatas I've noticed on the HPDE circuit (and the few that run AER) run mostly the Springfield-style. It's loud AF, so that's why I jumped to the conclusion of the Springfield.

Now that I see what you're running, it might be more cost-effective for you to run a HF cat and/or a resonator in the system. Any exhaust shop should be able to sort you out. Alternatively, you could try a new suitcase muffler as well, I'm wondering if the Bosal is mostly a pass-thru with minimal sound deadening.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Another question for the guys here that know way more than me:
> 
> When I bought my car (1991) it was in the middle of being set up for ssm. So it has the spec suspension and the spec exhaust. I think it's the mazdacomp one.
> 
> ...


dump both the spec miata suspension and the spec exhaust, both are junk.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> dump both the spec miata suspension and the spec exhaust, both are junk.


No argument there. I just don't think there's much value in either exhaust though. Maybe the spec exhaust but it's not that expensive in the first place.

I called a local shop and they said to bring the car by theyll see if putting in a cat or just a resonator would do.

I might try to sell the oem or otherwise scrap it and get a few bucks.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> No argument there. I just don't think there's much value in either exhaust though. Maybe the spec exhaust but it's not that expensive in the first place.
> 
> I called a local shop and they said to bring the car by theyll see if putting in a cat or just a resonator would do.
> 
> I might try to sell the oem or otherwise scrap it and get a few bucks.


yeah, with a a new springfeild dyno exhaust being as cheap as it is, hard to imagine making any money on it. spec miata exhausts are HATEFULLY loud.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

It happened!










Full trip recap: https://goo.gl/NJ8xzX


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Zillon said:


> It happened!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Congrats!


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Congrats! Looks like you bought it from a pretty well heeled seller. 
That's awesome!
I'll be on the lookout for a manly man in a yellow NC on highways in NJ. If you see a loud blue R53 vert, wave :laugh:


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## g34343greg (Jan 9, 2014)

Zillon said:


> It happened!


congrats! pretty car. 
It came from Pittsburgh? i tend to watch Miatas for sale and don't recall seeing this one. how did you find it?


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> Congrats!


Danke!

Now, time to learn a whole new car and get some wheels and tires flipped around.

I've got a P0138 code to diagnose (car has a GWR header, HH midpipe, and RSII exhaust) so I'm hoping it's just the cold wet weather that triggered it.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

g34343greg said:


> congrats! pretty car.
> It came from Pittsburgh? i tend to watch Miatas for sale and don't recall seeing this one. how did you find it?


Autotrader. Popped up about a week ago and I jumped on it.

I've been casually watching for Competition Yellow cars, and what better time to make a move than when I'm working at a Mazda store.


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## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

So happy. :thumbup:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Zillon said:


> It happened!
> 
> Full trip recap: https://goo.gl/NJ8xzX


Congrats! I enjoyed the recap and the car looks great. Enjoy! 

I was looking for an NC about 18 months ago and it was hard to find them for a decent price. It seems the pricing has really come down now, especially for higher mileage ones. I think we'll start seeing more and more of them on the track over the next couple of years.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Congratulations!


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## Dravenport (Dec 20, 2010)

good trip write up! :thumbup:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

300_munkeys said:


> Congrats! I enjoyed the recap and the car looks great. Enjoy!
> 
> I was looking for an NC about 18 months ago and it was hard to find them for a decent price. It seems the pricing has really come down now, especially for higher mileage ones. I think we'll start seeing more and more of them on the track over the next couple of years.


I managed to work a particularly good deal on this one.

The car has a great setup on it, pretty much exactly what I had planned on doing to an NC if I bought one. Plus, exact color I wanted, garage kept, and clean.



> Suspension:
> Bilstein Sport Dampers
> Progress Technologies springs
> Progress Technologies 28.5mm hollow front sway bar
> ...


I bought the car for $12600, with 41k miles, with all of that installed and less than 5k miles on it.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Zillon said:


> I managed to work a particularly good deal on this one.
> 
> The car has a great setup on it, pretty much exactly what I had planned on doing to an NC if I bought one. Plus, exact color I wanted, garage kept, and clean.
> 
> ...


That's a fantastic deal! Congrats. Yes I think if i end up back at an NC for track use I'll prob hold out until nc2 cars are readily available under 10k. Seems like it's getting close considering the price you got yours for.

Although the more time I spend on track the more I wonder why I would need anything besides my little 1.6


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## TigerinColorado (Jul 16, 2007)

Awesome find. Congrats. :beer:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Thanks for the happy wishes and congratulations. Glad to finally cross this bucket list item off the list. :thumbup:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

man, after driving the truck and the 951 for the last week because of the clutch dying on my miata, i am so happy to be back in the miata for daily driving. its cartoonish how much i missed driving the white car.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Zillon said:


> I managed to work a particularly good deal on this one...
> 
> *list of mods



NICE!! 

Congrats on that one, Zillion. :beer:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Took the Miata to Radwood at Sonoma Raceway, had the best time. My friend flew down from Portland and took out over 20 dings and dents, the car is looking NICE.









Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> Took the Miata to Radwood at Sonoma Raceway, had the best time. My friend flew down from Portland and took out over 20 dings and dents, the car is looking NICE.


LBT is a great combo. I casually search for those in my quest to replace my orange SR20 Miata.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Air and water do mix said:


> NICE!!
> 
> Congrats on that one, Zillion. :beer:


Danke!

Looks like the MINI will be a quick sale, too - meeting Saturday for a deposit and check handover.

Delivery sometime next week. Sounds like she'll be going to a good home.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Finally got some time to start removing the previous owners’ funk from the car. 

The carpets were filthy by my standards, sand everywhere, dust everywhere, one clogged rain tray drain, and I just had to start somewhere. 





































Now I’ve just gotta give it a bath on the outside.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

So, I discovered that the car had been painted in another spot. A bit irritating, but it is what it is. Color matches, I won't disclose where the repair was, so I'll let it be, and see if I can mitigate the orange peel with some correction. I just have a low tolerance for ****ty paintwork having worked in an automotive repair facility.









I also spent some time on Easter Sunday removing road paint from the sides of the car while I waited for the wife to finish editing photos for a job she did. Which led me to realize that one of the previous owners must have been a serial road stripe runner; there's so much f***ing paint all up in the fenderwells and under the sideskirts. I'm gonna need to get real cereal with some elbow grease, paint thinner, and a lot of rags this spring. 

And afterwards I dropped the top, put some miles on the car, and drove solo to see family since the wife wanted to take the doge. So, she drove her car, I drove my gay little hairdresser car, and all was right in the world. Discovered the LF endlink was loose where it attached to the sway bar, but only barely. Just enough to cause it to shift under load and make a knocking noise.

On the way home, I stopped and took some photos.

Have bath, will travel.









Good day was good.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Looks fantastic!!!! I'm generally not big on yellow but it looks great on the NC.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Wanted to give a brief update on my spec exhaust: Got a resonator welded in, sounds much better! Still has an aggressive growl, and probably a bit too loud still, but much, much better than before. 

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Took my NC to the SCCA Match Tour autocross at ZMax Dragway last weekend, but got a last-minute invite to run a STR ND instead. Car is 100% prep, nationally competitive, and fresh off its fourth transmission replacement.

The car is fast but not OMG fast compared to my NC. Weight difference is noticeable as is HP and torque, but nothing life-changing. I never got totally comfortable in it, wimping out in slaloms, and I was only 8th out of 15 in class.

The car's exhaust lost some hardware before my last Sunday morning run, so I wound up in a second ND for that final run. I don't know how that car was set up differently than the first one, but I was far more comfortable in it. It was so comfortable that, as I approached the finish, I figured it wasn't going to put up nearly as good times as the first car did. Turns out I was only a half-second off my best time, and I could probably make that up with another shot or two in the second car.

I left this experience wanting a STR ND but not needing one. As a guy who runs mid-pack, I don't need to be in the latest and greatest car to enjoy myself. The NC is still relatively new to me and it's got the right mix of playfulness/grip to keep me smiling on course, with the bonus of it not being completely uncompetitive.

Staring down the increased HP of the 2019, the 16-18 NDs may wind up being in the same boat as our NC - good cars but not capable of running with teh new hotness. They might be fine or they might be the next NC. Attractively-priced already-built NDs are starting to pop up in the resale market: the wife is burning to write a check for a full-prep-with-spares '16 (top 20 at last year's Nationals) that's going for $25K. I'm not willing to make a five-figure bet that a '16 is still going be able to run up front after some '19s get built. And if we're going to have a car that isn't going to be able to win, well, we can do that for free with the car we already have.

Hopefully I can keep her from spending silly money on another car before we get a chance to see how the class is going to shake out a year or two down the road.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Claff said:


> Took my NC to the SCCA Match Tour autocross at ZMax Dragway last weekend, but got a last-minute invite to run a STR ND instead. Car is 100% prep, nationally competitive, and *fresh off its fourth transmission replacement.*


Good god, man. Those things are giving VW 020's a run for their money in the "high rate of failure behind aggressively-medium power" department


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Yeah I'm a little put off by the multiple trans failures in this particular car, especially since, at some point, it received the latest and greatest everything's fixed no more worries version.

On the plus side, Mazda has really had the owner's back. Obviously every transmission replacement has been under warranty, and as this most recent one happened some distance from home (car broke in south Georgia, nearest dealer was in Tallahassee FL), Mazda covered airfare for the owner to get home to Boston and airfare back to FL to retrieve the car. He drives the car to events towing a tire trailer.

One of my biggest concerns, seeing that transmission failures are still happening to supposedly new-and-improved units, is whether Mazda will cover transmission replacements for owners who are not the original purchasers of the cars. I can't think of any case where a second owner has had a failure, though not many full-prep STR cars have changed hands yet. This will likely change once the '19s come out.

On the plus side, of the three Parsimonious Racing drivers, two of us are convinced to not jump on the ND bandwagon for the time being. The problem is that the one who would love to have the ND right now is the one with the checkbook.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

300_munkeys said:


> Looks fantastic!!!! I'm generally not big on yellow but it looks great on the NC.


That would be orange. Yes, it's an orange that is more yellow than red, but that's definitely orange. 




Claff said:


> Yeah I'm a little put off by the multiple trans failures in this particular car, especially since, at some point, it received the latest and greatest everything's fixed no more worries version.
> 
> ...
> 
> On the plus side, of the three Parsimonious Racing drivers, two of us are convinced to not jump on the ND bandwagon for the time being. The problem is that the one who would love to have the ND right now is the one with the checkbook.


I didn't realize that tuned ones were having so many transmission problems. How are street driven stockers (with perhaps occasional autocross days) holding up? I'd imagine they're fine, but since you're in-the-know... 

Also, a wife wanting a hot-rodded Miata and being willing to pay for it is a good problem to have!


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> Staring down the increased HP of the 2019, the 16-18 NDs may wind up being in the same boat as our NC - good cars but not capable of running with teh new hotness. They might be fine or they might be the next NC. Attractively-priced already-built NDs are starting to pop up in the resale market: the wife is burning to write a check for a full-prep-with-spares '16 (top 20 at last year's Nationals) that's going for $25K. I'm not willing to make a five-figure bet that a '16 is still going be able to run up front after some '19s get built. And if we're going to have a car that isn't going to be able to win, well, we can do that for free with the car we already have.
> 
> Hopefully I can keep her from spending silly money on another car before we get a chance to see how the class is going to shake out a year or two down the road.


personally i don't see SCCA classing the 19+ in STR, way way way too fast. still way too fast for STU too. 

similar boat with the AP1. the car next we get will be top notch competitive, likely not in STR, but very likely a miata. my shopping list includes:

ND for STR (depending on politics)
ND for CS (depending on power bump and politics)
NA6 for STS
FRC for BS
C5 Z06 for SSR/AS
twin for SSC
twin for STX

honestly, another NA6 for STS would be awesome. it would also be my third 1.6, which is great from a wheels/tires/spares/labor perspective. hell, i have a spare for almost every single moving part in a 1.6 miata ....


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Air and water do mix said:


> That would be orange. Yes, it's an orange that is more yellow than red, but that's definitely orange.












Technically, it's yellow per the color name of Competition Yellow.

More commonly known as School Bus Yellow.


----------



## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Zillon said:


> Technically, it's yellow per the color name of Competition Yellow.
> 
> More commonly known as School Bus Yellow.


:laugh: :beer:

They can call it whatever they wish, including greenish purple, but that doesn't make it correct. Unless there's some issue with the pic there's waaaaay too much red in there for it to really be _yellow_. It looks like a mixture of ketchup (catsup?) and mustard, but heavier on the mustard. 

Source: Fine arts major and I've been a printer for 20+ years. :beer:



Edit: This pic looks more yellow than the others, so there's that. :beer: :beer:


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## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

to me the color looks like a very ripe mango


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Sometime within the next month or two, my 1996 Montego blue Mica with special option package will be put up for sale. Although I forecast no issues selling a running, stock NA miata at this time of year, I'll post it up here anyway.




Air and water do mix said:


> :laugh: :beer:
> 
> They can call it whatever they wish, including greenish purple, but that doesn't make it correct. Unless there's some issue with the pic there's waaaaay too much red in there for it to really be _yellow_. It looks like a mixture of* ketchup (catsup?)* and mustard, but heavier on the mustard.
> 
> Source: Fine arts major and I've been a printer for 20+ years. :beer:


----------



## KizashiAGP (Jun 29, 2016)

Zillon said:


>


What are the size/width specs on these wheels?


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Air and water do mix said:


> :laugh: :beer:
> 
> They can call it whatever they wish, including greenish purple, but that doesn't make it correct. Unless there's some issue with the pic there's waaaaay too much red in there for it to really be _yellow_. It looks like a mixture of ketchup (catsup?) and mustard, but heavier on the mustard.
> 
> Source: Fine arts major and I've been a printer for 20+ years. :beer:


Well yeah, if we're going off of actual color, it is more orange. But, that's why I like it.

I don't like colors like Sunburst yellow as much, which was the yellow on the NA Miata. The orangey-hue adds some depth to the color.

Also, I was a digital photography major and ran the digital print lab in college. So I get where you're coming from.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

KizashiAGP said:


> What are the size/width specs on these wheels?


17x7 +55 5x114.3


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

danny_16v said:


> to me the color looks like a very ripe mango


Making me drool here. Love me some mango.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

88c900t said:


> Sometime within the next month or two, my 1996 Montego blue Mica with special option package will be put up for sale. Although I forecast no issues selling a running, stock NA miata at this time of year, I'll post it up here anyway.


Nice! I probably shouldn't ask how much. :laugh: 




88c900t said:


>


I _knew_ someone would pick up on that!  




Zillon said:


> Well yeah, if we're going off of actual color, it is more orange. But, that's why I like it.
> 
> I don't like colors like Sunburst yellow as much, which was the yellow on the NA Miata. The orangey-hue adds some depth to the color.
> 
> Also, I was a digital photography major and ran the digital print lab in college. So I get where you're coming from.


Oh, I like it too and agree completely. Let's hear it for real color!!  :beer:

Also, I like the Sunburst yellow too. Not quite as much as this color (as it is richer/has depth like you say), but I like it quite a bit.


----------



## KizashiAGP (Jun 29, 2016)

Zillon said:


> 17x7 +55 5x114.3


Thanks. Mazda did a great job with this wheel design, simple, but looks stunning especially in person.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

KizashiAGP said:


> Thanks. Mazda did a great job with this wheel design, simple, but looks stunning especially in person.


Don't disagree. I love the stock wheels.

Just wish they were wider and had more offset.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Zillon said:


> I don't like colors like Sunburst yellow as much, which was the yellow on the NA Miata. The orangey-hue adds some depth to the color.


Interesting, I had a Sunburst and found that the hue Mazda chose was singularly perfect as a yellow should be. Finding a great looking orange color, on the other hand, is very difficult. In looking through stacks of paint code books to choose the orange I painted my other Miata, so many of them were just dull or dark.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> honestly, another NA6 for STS would be awesome. it would also be my third 1.6, which is great from a wheels/tires/spares/labor perspective. hell, i have a spare for almost every single moving part in a 1.6 miata ....


I really enjoyed STS. I'd probably still be in it if my diff stopped diffing and I was staring down the prospect of trying to find another functioning VLSD.

My competitive priority is different since I'm older. I want a fun car that's not hopelessly outclassed. I think I get more satisfaction running not-last in a PRHT NC than I would running in the top half with a ND. If nothing else, having the wrong car covers the fact that I'm not a great driver. I'd hate to drop $25K on a ND and still run 47th at Nationals.


----------



## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

Zillon said:


>


Shoulda parked it between 5 and 7


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> I really enjoyed STS. I'd probably still be in it if my diff stopped diffing and I was staring down the prospect of trying to find another functioning VLSD.
> 
> My competitive priority is different since I'm older. I want a fun car that's not hopelessly outclassed. I think I get more satisfaction running not-last in a PRHT NC than I would running in the top half with a ND. If nothing else, having the wrong car covers the fact that I'm not a great driver. *I'd hate to drop $25K on a ND and still run 47th at Nationals*.


so true, so true. 

going to nationals certainly popped my cherry in regards to the whole "i need a nationally competitive ride to go to nationals"


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> so true, so true.
> 
> going to nationals certainly popped my cherry in regards to the whole "i need a nationally competitive ride to go to nationals"


Pfft. 

Of course my first time at Nats was in my buddy's AS C5Z06. I came in "Not DFL", but at least he trophied. 

Maybe this year I'll have more than one event in his car under my belt before we go to Nats :laugh:


I'm perfectly content with being sub-par in my "STS" 1.6 locally, though.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Pfft.
> 
> Of course my first time at Nats was in my buddy's AS C5Z06. I came in "Not DFL", but at least he trophied.
> 
> ...


yeah that was pretty much my goal too, not come in DFL. i was firmly mid pack .... like perfectly. i think we had 88 in class, and i came 44th. both days. 

i was the second fastest AP1, but the fastest AP1 driver was like 1.5 seconds quicker, and that wasn't car prep, our car is prepped to the nines. its so easy to under-drive on that concrete ....


----------



## Sold Over Sticker (Nov 29, 2009)

I drove my friends NA last weekend. Fresh rebuild, coil overs, sway bars, and he's aligned it a ton of times to get it dialed. I thankfully fit, as it has an after market seat that's super low. 

Oh my god. I had so much fun in it. He drives it in the mountains primarily, so he turned it for a little corner entry understeer, but I'm used to my SS, so I didn't notice it. I'm used to using the brakes to load the nose of the SS during turn in, so I was delighted with how easy the Miata rotated. 

Chasing my SS was a blast, as I could make up all ground lost on a straightaway on corner entry. The SS's rhythm is speed, slow it, rotate, speed. Miata was just WOT and steer, with a touch of the brakes if we got into slower stuff. 

Comically easy to slide for a short wheel base car. 

We came across a 911 R, and after we flipped a U turn, we caught him, and enjoyed the fact that he was holding us up. :laugh:

I've driven a ton of Miata, but never a well modded one. I'm totally in love.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Sold Over Sticker said:


> I drove my friends NA last weekend. Fresh rebuild, coil overs, sway bars, and he's aligned it a ton of times to get it dialed. I thankfully fit, as it has an after market seat that's super low.
> 
> Oh my god. I had so much fun in it. He drives it in the mountains primarily, so he turned it for a little corner entry understeer, but I'm used to my SS, so I didn't notice it. I'm used to using the brakes to load the nose of the SS during turn in, so I was delighted with how easy the Miata rotated.
> 
> ...


Welcome 

The best part is the cars are still pretty cheap and pretty plentiful.


----------



## impulsive.ca (Nov 4, 2016)

I really miss mine.

Turbo 1.8l Na Miata. 200whp, 210wtq


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

johnny_p said:


> Shoulda parked it between 5 and 7


Or turned it up to 11?


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Sold Over Sticker said:


> I drove my friends NA last weekend. Fresh rebuild, coil overs, sway bars, and he's aligned it a ton of times to get it dialed. I thankfully fit, as it has an after market seat that's super low.
> 
> Oh my god. I had so much fun in it. He drives it in the mountains primarily, so he turned it for a little corner entry understeer, but I'm used to my SS, so I didn't notice it. I'm used to using the brakes to load the nose of the SS during turn in, so I was delighted with how easy the Miata rotated.
> 
> ...


for street driving miatas are better stock. more rear suspension travel = better grip

#sorrynotsorry


----------



## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

Zillon said:


> Or turned it up to 11?


----------



## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

cockerpunk said:


> for street driving miatas are better stock. more rear suspension travel = better grip
> 
> #sorrynotsorry


Yep. And there's definitely no reason to be sorry.  Softer suspension with a fair amount of travel is good for the street. The suspension needs to be compliant and hopefully lightweight and strong (including the wheels) in order to follow the road irregularities. The smoother the road the stiffer suspension you're going to want, but I suppose you could get away with stiffer suspension in the desert southwest than in say, Michigan or Pennsylvania! :laugh:

Off road cars take this to the extreme. They do have to sacrifice light weight for strength, but otherwise the same rules apply, but even _more_ so.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> Yep. And there's definitely no reason to be sorry.  Softer suspension with a fair amount of travel is good for the street. The suspension needs to be compliant and hopefully lightweight and strong (including the wheels) in order to follow the road irregularities. The smoother the road the stiffer suspension you're going to want, but I suppose you could get away with stiffer suspension in the desert southwest than in say, Michigan or Pennsylvania! :laugh:
> 
> Off road cars take this to the extreme. They do have to sacrifice light weight for strength, but otherwise the same rules apply, but even _more_ so.


the rear geometry on NA/NBs puts them on the bump stops in the rear almost no matter what spring rate you run, if you are lowered significantly. lots of people "feel" better when the car is on the bump stops, but in reality you are just using a rubber bushing for your suspension then, which isn't good.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Air and water do mix said:


> Yep. And there's definitely no reason to be sorry.  Softer suspension with a fair amount of travel is good for the street. The suspension needs to be compliant and hopefully lightweight and strong (including the wheels) in order to follow the road irregularities. The smoother the road the stiffer suspension you're going to want


This is all generally true. I just want to add that spring rate alone is not always the best indicator of "stiffness" in terms of ride comfort. For instance, my current setup with 235 lbs/in front and 173 lbs/in rear springs rides like crap compared to the setup I'm upgrading to, which has 700 lbs/in front and 400lbs/in rear spring rates. The difference is in the shock valving, the length of the shock body, the length of the spring, the bump stop material, the amount of preload, the overall ride height, etc.


----------



## Sold Over Sticker (Nov 29, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> for street driving miatas are better stock. more rear suspension travel = better grip
> 
> #sorrynotsorry


His car isn’t overly stiff, and doesn’t throw grip away due to lack of compliance. It drives a ton better than any stock one I’ve ever driven in the mountains. 

Again, it’s not a track or autocross car. It was set up to be driven on back roads. It’s not super stiff, or slammed to the ground, because as you know, that’s not helpful.


----------



## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

cockerpunk said:


> the rear geometry on NA/NBs puts them on the bump stops in the rear almost no matter what spring rate you run, if you are lowered significantly. *lots of people "feel" better when the car is on the bump stops*, but in reality you are just using a rubber bushing for your suspension then, which isn't good.


"But transient response is fantastic!" :laugh: 




freedomgli said:


> This is all generally true. I just want to add that spring rate alone is not always the best indicator of "stiffness" in terms of ride comfort. For instance, my current setup with 235 lbs/in front and 173 lbs/in rear springs rides like crap compared to the setup I'm upgrading to, which has 700 lbs/in front and 400lbs/in rear spring rates. The difference is in the shock valving, the length of the shock body, the length of the spring, the bump stop material, the amount of preload, the overall ride height, etc.


Are the new springs progressive or fixed rate. That will make a huge difference (according to rates, of course). Suspension complexities certainly can't be summed up completely in a few paragraphs, so you're absolutely right on that one. Getting the proper setup is a combination of purpose, science, practical experience and at least some witchcraft.



Sold Over Sticker said:


> His car isn’t overly stiff, and doesn’t throw grip away due to lack of compliance. It drives a ton better than any stock one I’ve ever driven in the mountains.
> 
> Again, it’s not a track or autocross car. It was set up to be driven on back roads. *It’s not super stiff, or slammed to the ground, because as you know, that’s not helpful.*


Indeed not. 

Some _think_ it is because as I mentioned, transient response is off the charts, but add just one bump in the middle of a decreasing radius turn and it's "OOOOOOHHHHHH S***!!!" :laugh:


----------



## Sold Over Sticker (Nov 29, 2009)

Exactly. Years ago my friend was trying to push his stock C5 Z06 hard, and it was just chucking the grip away. Right behind him was my friend in an NA with a spec Miata setup, and me behind him in a stock 2.0l MkIV Jetta. Keeping the contact patch on the ground is key on backroads.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

spec miata setup is pretty terrible for street driving too.


----------



## Sold Over Sticker (Nov 29, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> spec miata setup is pretty terrible for street driving too.


I know. That’s the reason why I brought up that memory. If a stock MkIV Jetta is keeping up, your car isn’t set up well for the road. That goes for the Z06 and the Miata.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

My Raceseng Contour knob arrived this afternoon. So, I did what a good car enthusiast should do... I opened the box and installed it.



Tidy and efficient packaging.


The Raceseng Mission.




The threaded adapter.


The knob.




And the install.












Impressions: This knob is just what the doctor ordered. A little extra weight, a little extra diameter, and a much nicer appearance. The packaging and fit and finish are top notch, as always.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

NICE! :beer::beer:

I have mine ready to go on when I go get the car out of storage this weekend. 










I also have a leather wheel wrap.


----------



## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

That shift knob looks right at home in that interior. :beer:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Some day I might even drive this thing in anger


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We got snow Friday.


----------



## freedo84gti (Sep 26, 2010)

my buddy just stole this 95 1.8 miata for $200. we are going to use it as a shop party car and im going to probably drift it the rest of this drift season. just needs some coilover, a roll bar and some welds in the dif and its ready to go


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

ice on studs literally shook my window regulators apart, on both sides. so i taped them up, and kept driving. 

finally got the manual regulators in, was way easier to convert to manual than i thought it would be.

im at this point confident that ice racing on studs is actually the toughest thing you can do to a car. ive never gone through so many parts so quickly on a car than when i bolted studs to the white car. this includes hot lapping on a race track, because ive done that in my white car too, with no need to change anything (309s are my street pad).


----------



## Hybridowner (Dec 3, 2009)

My wife and I got our first Miata in April 1990 and our third one in December 2000. We had many fun years in Miatas and in the Miata clubs we were in. All had automatic transmissions. Traded the last one in on a BMW Z4 which also was a fun car. Never had any mechanical problems with the Miatas or Z4.


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Claff said:


>


Wow, that's a heavy b*tch


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Wow, that's a heavy b*tch


thats what an NC PHT weighs ....


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

More info on 2019 changes... https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-ca...o-the-2019-miata-than-a-more-powerful-engine/


----------



## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Sporin said:


> More info on 2019 changes... https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-ca...o-the-2019-miata-than-a-more-powerful-engine/


Wow. 181 hp.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i was waffling on selling the 944, the 2019 ND is what i will replace it with. 

and yes, that means i might be buying a brand new sports car. hahha


----------



## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> i was waffling on selling the 944, the 2019 ND is what i will replace it with.
> 
> and yes, that means i might be buying a brand new sports car. hahha


I really hope the rumors of the extra revs+power are true - but also hope it goes up to BS.


----------



## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

88c900t said:


> Wow. 181 hp.


definitely a great bump in HP, but TQ will only be up 3.

most of the speculation on this number is that its mostly top end(raising the lowish 6700 rpm limit to 7200-7500), where most people wont really use the added power.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

dunhamjr said:


> definitely a great bump in HP, but TQ will only be up 3.
> 
> most of the speculation on this number is that its mostly top end(raising the lowish 6700 rpm limit to 7200-7500), where most people wont really use the added power.


on the contrary, a higher redline on a NA engine is EXACTLY what i want.


----------



## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> on the contrary, a higher redline on a NA engine is EXACTLY what i want.


That. Sports cars deserve revs.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> That. Sports cars deserve revs.


we've only got one or maybe 2 more generations of the screaming 4, before they are all turbo and boring and need excessive cooling for track use. better make them good.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

BaT really has become the place to get stupid money for your car....

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-mazda-mx-5-miata-30/

19K-Mile 1990 Mazda Miata
Sold On 4/9/18 For $10,500

$10,500 :laugh:

I'm sorry, but there are very few NA's worth 5 figures, and a base red 1990 certainly isn't one of them, super low mileage on these cars adds very, very little value.


----------



## TigerinColorado (Jul 16, 2007)

Sporin said:


> BaT really has become the place to get stupid money for your car....
> 
> https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-mazda-mx-5-miata-30/
> 
> ...



Harsh words!

"The original window sticker is included, along with records from 2003-present. This NA Miata is now sold with a matching hardtop and storage stand, service records, the original window sticker and owner’s manual, a clean Carfax, a car cover and front license plate bracket, a Tamiya 1/24th scale model kit, and a clean Idaho title in the seller’s name." Decklid Spoiler. It's also in jelly Sporin red!"

It has a lot of kit. Sir. :heart:


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Hey, I guess it's great for us current NA owners.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> on the contrary, a higher redline on a NA engine is EXACTLY what i want.


Exactly this. Although with a tune you could probably get the same effect (I haven't done much research on NDs though just assuming).


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

dunhamjr said:


> definitely a great bump in HP, but TQ will only be up 3.
> 
> most of the speculation on this number is that its mostly top end(raising the lowish 6700 rpm limit to 7200-7500), where most people wont really use the added power.


Also keep in mind that while peak torque is only up 3 lb-ft, it's really the area under the curve that matters. If torque is up throughout the power band, then the car could be a _lot_ quicker. 

For me, peak numbers don't tell me a lot. Show me the graph.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Stevo12 said:


> Wow, that's a heavy b*tch


I was in the car when that picture was taken so it's not as bad as it appears. The car itself was 2498 lbs before I got in. Not sure if I can get more weight out of the car cheaply and easily, but I know that I could benefit from a personal weight loss plan.


----------



## Atl-Atl (Jun 7, 2006)

20% power increase after only 3 years? Take that Toyobaru. :wave:


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Atl-Atl said:


> 20% power increase after only 3 years? Take that Toyobaru. :wave:


I think the 2.0 H4 is maxed out as it is, emissions would probably increase too much if they added any more power.

Car needs a turbo or more displacement.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Anyways, I've been busy.

Crossposted from my build thread on DFD:



Zillon said:


> I finally got the car up in the air and spend some time under the car pulling all the undertrays and bracing off and just checking things out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And then stuff from yesterday:



Zillon said:


> More stuff today. The old MINI was delivered to the inspection shop for the final farewell.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've ordered a new transmission crossmember because it's just too rusty for me to even want to waste the time on bringing it back.

And, I've ordered a new front grille, too. Stock one is cracked in a couple spots, and I hate cleaning the mesh. Decided to go with an NC2 sport grille, like this:


----------



## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

cockerpunk said:


> on the contrary, a higher redline on a NA engine is EXACTLY what i want.


I get it. But if I am getting an ND, its going to be my daily. I won't be trying to crest 7500 on my commutes.


----------



## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> Also keep in mind that while peak torque is only up 3 lb-ft, it's really the area under the curve that matters. If torque is up throughout the power band, then the car could be a _lot_ quicker.
> 
> For me, peak numbers don't tell me a lot. Show me the graph.


Could be. But until we see some actual specs or dynos... no one knows.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

dunhamjr said:


> I get it. But if I am getting an ND, its going to be my daily. I won't be trying to crest 7500 on my commutes.


the buy the old one. plenty of torque.


----------



## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

cockerpunk said:


> the buy the old one. plenty of torque.


haha.
if i buy an ND, i am years away. by then the ND2 WILL be an old one too.:laugh:


----------



## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

dunhamjr said:


> I get it. But if I am getting an ND, its going to be my daily. I won't be trying to crest 7500 on my commutes.


Why would you care about power at all on a conmute, regardless of RPM? Are you racing to work?


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

troyguitar said:


> Why would you care about power at all on a conmute, regardless of RPM? Are you racing to work?


Maybe he's the







?


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

There isn’t a day that goes by in my Miata where I don’t hit redline at least once.


----------



## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

freedomgli said:


> There isn’t a day that goes by in my Miata where I don’t hit redline at least once.


This. :thumbup: Driving the ND makes even the most mundane commute more fun than it should be.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

there is a good chance the 944 leaves today.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Couldn’t help but do a test fit last night.


----------



## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Is that 245/40 on a 17x9?


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Friend of mine texted, and offered me a ride out to pick up the Miata today because she wants some of my wife’s time tomorrow evening when I was supposed to go out there and get it. So despite the flurries that keep interspersing with the sunshine here I’m going to go get the Miata!!!


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Friend of mine texted, and offered me a ride out to pick up the Miata today because she wants some of my wife’s time tomorrow evening when I was supposed to go out there and get it. So despite the flurries that keep interspersing with the sunshine here I’m going to go get the Miata!!!


Here's to another 6 weeks of winter :beer:

I always loved the first Miata drive after a long winter. You pick up right where you left off :thumbup:


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

troyguitar said:


> Is that 245/40 on a 17x9?


It is. 17x9 +48, 245/40.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The Miata is home!

Mostly dry ride home. A little snow squall along the way but it just swirled over the windshield. Heat does a great job with the windows up. 

Now the snow is really coming down. 

I’ll detail my out-of-hibernation experience when I’m back on my computer.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

OK, so... I arrived at the garage where the car is stored and went in. All looked ok, car cover still in place. Pulled that off and hooked the battery back up. I had brought some tools, my jump pack, and an air compressor just in case I needed it.

Before firing up the engine I popped the hood. Found a small mouse nest up on top of the engine but it all appeared to be fluff from other sources, no chewed wires or anything that I could find. Cleaned that out. Unscrewed the air box and .. yuck... lots of mess. Poop, acorn shells, the works. All below the filter with no filter damage or anything in the intake so that was good. Cleaned that all out as best I could with some napkins. Checked to make sure the oil and coolant levels where where they should be, and cranked it over.

Fired right up. Exhaust was pretty gassy at first but it quickly cleared. Buttoned everything up and pulled out of the garage. Found the clutch pedal catch point to be very low and on a hair trigger. No problem for me but that surprised me. Gas gauge has stopped working. I knew I had over a half a tank in it when I put it away so I wasn't worried. Stopped at a gas station and filled up just to be safe.

The clutch seemed to get much better by the time I got home. But when I went back out later to move the car into the garage, the catch point was lower again. 

So, outside of an oil change and really cleaning out the airbox, where should I start with the Clutch?


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> So, outside of an oil change and really cleaning out the airbox, where should I start with the Clutch?


Clutch master cylinder and/or slave. Probably the slave. Common Miata issue. It's located on the passenger side of the transmission, just behind the bellhousing. It pushes on a lever that exits the bellhousing. If you don't have an external leak, squeeze the rubber boot coming from the slave cylinder; sometimes, the leaked fluid doesn't escape the boot.

Buy and do both just to be safe, they're very cheap. I bought mine for $40 shipped, both ExedyDaikin units (supposedly OE supplier) from RockAuto.

edit: just checked RockAuto. Exedy MC229 master cylinder is $12.06 and the Exedy SC825 slave cylinder is $5.84. Shipping should be <$10 so you'll be into this for less than $30.

Also, some people recommend changing out a portion of the hard line going from the firewall on the passenger side down to the slave. I did mine with a 949Racing unit. I didn't notice any sort of difference in feel, but supposedly it makes it easier to bleed since air tends to get trapped in the curly-Q's.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> Clutch master cylinder and/or slave. Probably the slave. Common Miata issue. It's located on the passenger side of the transmission, just behind the bellhousing. It pushes on a lever that exits the bellhousing. If you don't have an external leak, squeeze the rubber boot coming from the slave cylinder; sometimes, the leaked fluid doesn't escape the boot.
> 
> Buy and do both just to be safe, they're very cheap. I bought mine for $40 shipped, both ExedyDaikin units (supposedly OE supplier) from RockAuto.
> 
> ...


Thanks! That does seem to be the most likely culprit. I'm watching a video now about how to change those. Looks like that will be my first project this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFPK1t92reA


----------



## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Sporin said:


> BaT really has become the place to get stupid money for your car....
> 
> https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-mazda-mx-5-miata-30/
> 
> ...


The McLaren dealer near me had the twin to that car listed for 10,999 last spring and sold it in a few days. It had 15k on it, hard top, aftermarket wheels and mint original wheels. So there's at least 2 people who think a like new NA is worth 10 or more.

Then there's this one. Already accusations of bidding shenanigans... 
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-mazda-mx-5-miata-12/


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I love that LE, I don't ten-grand-love it, but I love it.  It's been on BaT before.

Seems a LOT of cars that run through BaT are changing hands quickly.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sure enough, the MC was nearly empty so I topped it up. I'll need to get under the car and see what's happening at the slave to find the leak but at least I know now that it's something I need to keep an eye on. I'll run some errands in it later to see how it all feels.

Definitely a little gunky in there so I think a flush is in order either way but maybe I can put off the MC/SC replacement until warmer weather at least.


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Sure enough, the MC was nearly empty so I topped it up. I'll need to get under the car and see what's happening at the slave to find the leak but at least I know now that it's something I need to keep an eye on. I'll run some errands in it later to see how it all feels.
> 
> Definitely a little gunky in there so I think a flush is in order either way but maybe I can put off the MC/SC replacement until warmer weather at least.


The fluid in the MC just gets dirty from operation. A yearly flush is good practice. I would just replace both as cheap insurance and to have a baseline, unless you have records of when they were last done.

Back when I had my NA, I experienced my slave cylinder failure when I got to work, 50 miles from home. My MC emptied itself, but luckily I was within a couple minutes' drive from my buddy's work (an auto parts eRetailer) where he had some brake fluid for me to get home. I replaced just the slave, and later did the master/braided line when I replaced the clutch a year or so later. Probably should have just done both so I would only have to bleed the system once.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> The fluid in the MC just gets dirty from operation. A yearly flush is good practice. I would just replace both as cheap insurance and to have a baseline, unless you have records of when they were last done.
> 
> Back when I had my NA, I experienced my slave cylinder failure when I got to work, 50 miles from home. My MC emptied itself, but luckily I was within a couple minutes' drive from my buddy's work (an auto parts eRetailer) where he had some brake fluid for me to get home. I replaced just the slave, and later did the master/braided line when I replaced the clutch a year or so later. * Probably should have just done both so I would only have to bleed the system once*.


Best. Tool. Ever.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> Best. Tool. Ever.


How does this compare to a pressure bleeder? Looks like this one hooks to an air compressor to pull a vacuum, instead of pressurizing the MC res. Seems like that MityVac is better since I always get a little nervous pressurizing the res to 15+ psi.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> How does this compare to a pressure bleeder? Looks like this one hooks to an air compressor to pull a vacuum, instead of pressurizing the MC res. Seems like that MityVac is better since I always get a little nervous pressurizing the res to 15+ psi.


I never liked the idea of pressurizing the master cylinder for a couple of reasons:

1) I'd need to buy an adapter (or two) for each car I own. Maybe I'd get lucky and two cars would take the same adapter. 

2) I have to take the adapter off to fill up the reservoir. That's a hassle after a few times.


The MityVacs use an air compressor to create a vacuum, like you noted. The bigger one has attachments for oil evacuation (through the dipstick) and brake bleeding (as seen here), the smaller one is just for brake bleeding because its tank is too small. 

I own a manual oil evacuator (hand pump), the small MityVac brake bleeder. I want to sell them because I got the tall pneumatic one that can do both jobs. I just need to get my small brake bleeder back before I can sell it *cough* _Claff_ *cough*.


I've used the vacuum bleeders on numerous cars and I've never had a problem. I sometimes get air in the clear tube of the bleeder, but that's from air around the nipple on the bleeder screw. It's not as perfectly air-tight of a fiot as I'd want, but as long as the air isn't getting into the brakes, it doesn't matter.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Sporin said:


>


When I went to see why my gas gauge wasn't working, I found a similar looking mess ontop of the gas tank. Which was a bitch to see and clean out. But I also found that the mouse chewed through the wire sending the signal to the gas guage. I fixed that, vaccummed the car as best I could and no problems ever again.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Smigelski said:


> I never liked the idea of pressurizing the master cylinder for a couple of reasons:
> 
> 1) I'd need to buy an adapter (or two) for each car I own. Maybe I'd get lucky and two cars would take the same adapter.
> 
> 2) I have to take the adapter off to fill up the reservoir. That's a hassle after a few times.


I've never used a MityVac so I'm not trying argue the pros/cons. I've only ever used a Motive pressure bleeder, and I recently pulled the trigger on one of my own after always bumming the one off my friend.

It's true you have to have vehicle specific adapter, but if you have Euro cars, it's one size fits all deal, since they all use a standard cap. Those tend to be my projects where I use the Motive most of the time, so not a big deal there, but I did get another adapter for my wife's Mazda since I'm due to change the brake fluid in that car. I'll eventually get one for the truck as well.

The reservoir filling issue is a non-issue as well, since you fill up the Motive with brake fluid and it constantly supplies the reservoir as you're bleeding the system. As long as you put enough into the Motive, you won't have to stop to refill the reservoir.

Back in the day I had a Harbor Freight ripoff of the small MityVac and it was a joke. It's kinda what pushed me to use the Motive in the first place.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

titleist1976 said:


> When I went to see why my gas gauge wasn't working, I found a similar looking mess ontop of the gas tank. Which was a bitch to see and clean out. But I also found that the mouse chewed through the wire sending the signal to the gas guage. I fixed that, vaccummed the car as best I could and no problems ever again.


I really need to get a shop manual, where do you access the sender? I’m guessing a panel somewhere behind the seats?


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Stevo12 said:


> It's true you have to have vehicle specific adapter, *but if you have Euro cars, it's one size fits all deal*, since they all use a standard cap. Those tend to be my projects where I use the Motive most of the time, so not a big deal there, but I did get another adapter for my wife's Mazda since I'm due to change the brake fluid in that car. I'll eventually get one for the truck as well.


I see your European cars aren't as old as mine. :laugh: :beer:

I've been putting off buying one of these, but I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get one. I didn't realize they refill the reservoir while you bleed. That's simple to do, but I simply hadn't considered that a possibility. Thanks for the heads-up! :beer:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Yeah, checking the MC was going to be my suggestion as well.

And fluid evacuators are the bees knees. I use one for oil extraction on my cars.

I just wish there was a cleaner way of changing the oil filter on the NC. What a crappy location.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> I really need to get a shop manual, where do you access the sender? I’m guessing a panel somewhere behind the seats?


Yes, under the rear carpet.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> I never liked the idea of pressurizing the master cylinder for a couple of reasons:
> 
> 1) I'd need to buy an adapter (or two) for each car I own. Maybe I'd get lucky and two cars would take the same adapter.
> 
> ...


Like Stevo said, I have mostly euro cars, so the Motive power bleeder fits most of the cars I would be doing bleeding on anyway. But it is annoying that I would need an adapter if I ever wanted to use it on my Chevy, etc. 

Also, the motive gets filled with brake fluid so you don't have to top off the MC res constantly (like mentioned already). But then that means you need to clean out the motive before you put it away. 

I will definitely look into the MityVac, though. My only experience with the vacuum method at the caliper is with a hand vacuum pump which didn't help at all. 



Stevo12 said:


> I've never used a MityVac so I'm not trying argue the pros/cons. I've only ever used a Motive pressure bleeder, and I recently pulled the trigger on one of my own after always bumming the one off my friend.
> 
> It's true you have to have vehicle specific adapter, but if you have Euro cars, it's one size fits all deal, since they all use a standard cap. Those tend to be my projects where I use the Motive most of the time, so not a big deal there, but I did get another adapter for my wife's Mazda since I'm due to change the brake fluid in that car. I'll eventually get one for the truck as well.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I used a Harbor freight hand pump for trying to bleed the brakes, it didn't pull enough vacuum to really be useful so I eventually tossed it when I got a MityVac hand pump model (haven't tried it for brakes yet though).


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

easiest is to just pull vacuum on the bleeder valve.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> 19K-Mile 1990 Mazda Miata
> Sold On 4/9/18 For $10,500
> 
> $10,500 :laugh:
> ...


I'd say you are out of the loop then as those low mileage, clean cars are regularly going for those prices.

While BAT can bring higher prices, they generally attract cleaner, lower mileage cars. Clean, no stories cars with <20K miles are easily in that range - although I'd have to agree with your sentiment on red being my least favorite.

FYI, my insurance payout on my 91 SR20 was close to that amount and they didn't factor the Nissan engine conversion into that figure.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Air and water do mix said:


> I see your European cars aren't as old as mine. :laugh: :beer:
> 
> I've been putting off buying one of these, but I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get one.


I could have bought one but the DIY version is the same, costs half the price, and it was fun. I originally made it for brake fluid changes on the Miata, but this was the only thing that worked when I needed to use this when bleeding the slave on my Saab.

The only thing I'd suggest if you've got multiple cars with different brake fluid caps is to install a quick disconnect in the hose for different caps.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> I'd say you are out of the loop then as those low mileage, clean cars are regularly going for those prices.
> 
> While BAT can bring higher prices, they generally attract cleaner, lower mileage cars. Clean, no stories cars with <20K miles are easily in that range - although I'd have to agree with your sentiment on red being my least favorite.
> 
> FYI, my insurance payout on my 91 SR20 was close to that amount and they didn't factor the Nissan engine conversion into that figure.


It's possible I'm out of the loop, mostly I'm seeing FB Marketplace and Craigslist stuff and even the nice ones seem to top out around $5k. 

I can see paying $10k for a really special NA, like mint condition, very low mileage BRG, LE or something like that. But that one was a very pedestrian red base car. 

It's all good for us I guess.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Diamond Dave said:


> I could have bought one but the DIY version is the same, costs half the price, and it was fun. I originally made it for brake fluid changes on the Miata, but this was the only thing that worked when I needed to use this when bleeding the slave on my Saab.
> 
> The only thing I'd suggest if you've got multiple cars with different brake fluid caps is to install a quick disconnect in the hose for different caps.


I have this thing for my miata and really like it:


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Sporin said:


> It's possible I'm out of the loop, mostly I'm seeing FB Marketplace and Craigslist stuff and even the nice ones seem to top out around $5k.
> 
> I can see paying $10k for a really special NA, like mint condition, very low mileage BRG, LE or something like that. But that one was a very pedestrian red base car.
> 
> It's all good for us I guess.


Not good for everyone as I still "need a Miata" :laugh:

But yeah, I've been watching CL and FB Marketplace and the Miata group. Seems like most of them top out around 5k or so like you said. 

Unfortunately nothing local as really popped up yet as I'm sure most of them are still in storage considering how cold it's been these past few weeks. Ready for actual Spring weather.


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## titleist1976 (Feb 25, 2002)

Sporin said:


> I really need to get a shop manual, where do you access the sender? I’m guessing a panel somewhere behind the seats?





Stevo12 said:


> Yes, under the rear carpet.


And that sheet metal is sharp, like a razor blade, iirc. That **** made me look like I was EMO for a week.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

One of my “excuses“ to get the Miata was that my son was getting his permit and I wanted him to learn to drive a stick. 

Mission Accomplished.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

I haven’t seen a nice NA Miata for sale in my area for $5k or less in several years. $1k buys a biohazard car or a rusty non-running example with parts missing. $2k buys a basket case that needs everything. $3k buys a riced out example on Racelands with fake wheels, bacon fenders, anime fabric DIY door panels, dildo shift knobs and lots deferred maintenance. $3500 buys a meh automatic transmission car. $4k-$5k buys an average car with average needs for a 20+ year old car. Nothing special. $6k is the same car as the $5k car but with an OEM color matched hardtop. $6k will also get you an entry level track car with budget components or a clapped out JDM example with some nice aftermarket JDM parts but lots of wear and tear. $7k-$8k buys really nice drivers, cars with FM2 turbo kits and other quality mods. Then from there on up more money gets you nicer lower mileage cars or more fully prepared track cars. V8 Miatas start at $15k for homebrew cars with carbureted Ford 302s. Pro built V8 cars with LSx engines go for $30k-$45k depending on details (give or take a little). 

NB Miata pricing is a little different. And of course we’ve all heard of those once in a lifetime deals that some people get. Those are not representative of the market.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

I think I got really lucky with my car last summer. Local, which is rare and the guy wasn’t getting any takers at $4k so he dropped it to $3500. 

I’ve def got some deferred maintenance to catch up on but he garaged it and kept it pretty nice overall including having just done a bunch of work to it. 

I see a lot of nice stuff in NH, VT & MA for around $5k though.


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## 16volt (Oct 26, 2000)

freedomgli said:


> 3k buys a riced out example on Racelands with fake wheels, bacon fenders, anime fabric DIY door panels, dildo shift knobs and lots deferred maintenance.


I lol-ed.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

300_munkeys said:


> I have this thing for my miata and really like it:


I've got one of those too, but with the wire loop so I can dangle it. Love it.


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## VadGTI (Feb 24, 2000)

16volt said:


> I lol-ed.


So true.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Dammit. New shift knob doesn’t line up. 

What would you do? 

This is as tight as it can get.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Pulled the air box completely apart and scrubbed out the mouse plop with white vinegar. 

Thinking I might do a CAI just to open that all up and not have an enclosed box for future rodent enclosure. 

Dumb idea?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*



Sporin said:


> Dammit. New shift knob doesn’t line up.
> 
> What would you do?


The trick is to take a piece of pencil eraser rubber and put it inside the threaded hole for the shift knob and then install the knob on the shift lever again. This changes the amount of thread engagement before it gets tight, which in turn changes the clocking angle. Plus the rubber compresses a little bit so you have some wiggle room. The nice thing about pencil eraser is that it’s cheap, plentiful and doesn’t harm anything. You might have to experiment a bit and trim the thickness of the eraser a few times to get it so things line up exactly the way you want.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Cool. I figured a locknut of some sort but that might be easier.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> I own a manual oil evacuator (hand pump), the small MityVac brake bleeder. I want to sell them because I got the tall pneumatic one that can do both jobs. I just need to get my small brake bleeder back before I can sell it *cough* _Claff_ *cough*.


How many times have I said that I'd buy the thing from you over the two or so years I've been borrowing it?

My hydraulic pressure issue from last week:

Changed the clutch master and slave in our forgettable '93 last summer. Got in the car recently and clutch was inoperable. Tried flushing the system and couldn't get anything out of the bleeder. Investigation found that the rubber hose between the hard line across the firewall and the curly-Q above the slave was either leaking or collapsed. I cheaped out and got the braided line that replaces just that rubber hose, rather than the one that goes all the way to the slave. Put that in and still nothing came out of the bleeder. I wound up taking the master out and bench-bleeding it, and only then did I get pressure, successful bleeding and a good clutch pedal. Hopefully that'll be the end of the issues in that department for a while.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

This is the Facebook group to belong to if you are “cheap” Miata shopping.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Very slow start to spring in Wisconsin, hopefully getting the fiberglass roof off soon. 

Where is a good place to find a factory head unit, and the zip out portion of the roof?


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Sporin said:


> This is the Facebook group to belong to if you are “cheap” Miata shopping.


Yep. Been waiting for something more local to pop up.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Dammit. New shift knob doesn’t line up.
> 
> What would you do?
> 
> This is as tight as it can get.


Reminds me of when I put a weighted Honda-type replica on my car to replace the ugly unweighted wood knob that the PO had put on.



















Didn't sit well with me so I just snagged a stock knob from the junkyard. I realized just how well they had it dialed in terms of fit/feel from the factory.













Sporin said:


> Pulled the air box completely apart and scrubbed out the mouse plop with white vinegar.
> 
> Thinking I might do a CAI just to open that all up and not have an enclosed box for future rodent enclosure.
> 
> Dumb idea?


Nope. I ran a Racing Beat intake for a while, actually improved my mileage by about 10%. I was shocked when I started consistently hitting 30-31 MPG, pre- and post-intake mileage was always 27-28 MPG tops. I removed it after a few months because I got tired of the sound and being an open intake (no box) I didn't like the risk of water entry, as I did daily drive the car through some gnarly storms sometimes. For a fun/toy car, I would have kept it on.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> How many times have I said that I'd buy the thing from you over the two or so years I've been borrowing it?



Two, I believe. But it's a lot of fun to poke at you on the internet in front of strangers in the meantime!

Remember that time we added camber to Sloppy?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> Didn't sit well with me so I just snagged a stock knob from the junkyard. I realized just how well they had it dialed in terms of fit/feel from the factory.


When I bought mine it had an aftermarket shift knob on it. I got a factory knob from somewhere and it's so much better in every respect. I've tried a couple-two-three other aftermarket knobs out on the car, and the stock knob has always won out.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm going to try the pencil eraser method today, and pick up some black shrink wrap tubing to cover the exposed metal. This thing may get so hot in the sun that I hate it but I love the way it looks. I'll always have the stock knob to put back on their if needed, I'm going to give it a really good cleaning with some leather stuff and set it aside.

Another overnight dusting of snow here but it's supposed to get up to about 50 by the time I need to go out.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> When I bought mine it had an aftermarket shift knob on it. I got a factory knob from somewhere and it's so much better in every respect. I've tried a couple-two-three other aftermarket knobs out on the car, and the stock knob has always won out.


ive never found an aftermarket knob that was better than a stock shifter, for any car, much less for the miata. 

i always file this "upgrade" under the same folder as bracing "i want it seem like im doing something aftermarket to my car, by making it worse"


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> i always file this "upgrade" under the same folder as bracing "i want it seem like im doing something aftermarket to my car, by making it worse"



I did the Flyin' Miata frame rail braces to my '90 and I noticed it was decently stiffer afterward. I'm amazed at how much my car _still_ bends when going over my steep driveway lip one wheel at a time. The car is an entirely wet noodle chassis-wise.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

cockerpunk said:


> i always file this "upgrade" under the same folder as bracing "i want it seem like im doing something aftermarket to my car, by making it worse"


Personally, I find great value in improving the tactile quality of the control surfaces (steering wheel, shifter, pedals and seat) and I also think that NA Miatas greatly benefit from chassis bracing. The more the better IMO. The nice thing about Miatas is you can make them anything you want, from a 90whp autotragic cruiser for the Boca Raton 4pm dinner set to a modern day version of the Sunbeam Tiger with a fire breathing 500hp V8 and anything in between.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I did the Flyin' Miata frame rail braces to my '90 and I noticed it was decently stiffer afterward. I'm amazed at how much my car _still_ bends when going over my steep driveway lip one wheel at a time. The car is an entirely wet noodle chassis-wise.


the NA is a wet noodle of chassis stiffness. 

but thats not a problem, the chassis stiffness is not causing any actual problems, so you didnt fix anything. you just made your car have worse NVAH.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

cockerpunk said:


> the NA is a wet noodle of chassis stiffness.
> 
> but thats not a problem, the chassis stiffness is not causing any actual problems, so you didnt fix anything. you just made your car have worse NVAH.


Or the opposite. It all depends on what you prefer since NVH is mostly qualitative. Yes we can measure frequency response to various impulses. But at the end of the day, most people prefer less cowl shake over bumps, more sure footed suspension action, more precise shifter location, etc. Which is why thousands of people have installed various bracing on their cars and been pleased with the cumulative effects even after accounting for things like confirmation bias. Heck, even the factory did it when they made the NB, which came from the factory with additional sheet metal to stiffen up the chassis, underfloor bracing, shock tower brace, etc. And they generally don’t spend money on things you’ll rarely if ever see unless it makes a tangible improvement that customers value.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Things that increased high frequency vibrations on my car that I feel were still worth doing: lightweight single mass flywheel and polyurethane differential mount bushings. If I was to do it all over again, it’s a toss up whether I’d do polyurethane control arm bushings again or do the Mazdaspeed competition rubber bushings or just bite the bullet and do V8R control arms. I don’t race or track the car enough to be overly concerned there. Rubber bushings can be a pain because of preload. Plastic bushings can be a pain because they require periodic lubrication. 

I prefer the look of Miatas without rollbars but since I plan to track the car I don’t have much choice there. I like my FM frame rails and FM rear control arm brace. The butterfly brace makes maintenance more of a chore and there is risk of it catching on road hazards so not yet convinced to get that. I didn’t really notice any difference after installing the Racing Beat front lower control arm brace. I plan on adding fender braces and a rear shock tower brace. If I can manage to fit a 3 point front shock tower brace without it fouling on my ITB air filter/ airbox then I’ll do that also.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> Or the opposite. It all depends on what you prefer since NVH is mostly qualitative. Yes we can measure frequency response to various impulses. But at the end of the day, most people prefer less cowl shake over bumps, more sure footed suspension action, more precise shifter location, etc. Which is why thousands of people have installed various bracing on their cars and been pleased with the cumulative effects even after accounting for things like confirmation bias. Heck, even the factory did it when they made the NB, which came from the factory with additional sheet metal to stiffen up the chassis, underfloor bracing, shock tower brace, etc. And they generally don’t spend money on things you’ll rarely if ever see unless it makes a tangible improvement that customers value.


added bracing from the factory is most of the time, safety related. sometimes its fatigue related (like the AP2s getting more welding around the front suspension pick points). the late MRS got more bracing because of crash test, not handling. 

and one can measure with the clock if bracing improves handling, and i've never seen a case where it was anything other than driver noise on the signal.


----------



## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

I'm not sure a 20+ year old miata is a place you go to escape NVH :laugh:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Fined said:


> I'm not sure a 20+ year old miata is a place you go to escape NVH :laugh:


Totally! My car is louder than stock, but not as loud as it was 15 years ago when I first started playing with it and installed an aftermarket exhaust that was way too loud. Now with a full RB exhaust from head to tail including resonated mid-pipe and ITBs it has just enough sound emanating from both ends to be quite enjoyable under most circumstances.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

cockerpunk said:


> added bracing from the factory is most of the time, safety related.


Agreed. For example, the cockpit brace that was introduced with the NA8 was added for side-impact safety. And some things, like the OEM Hard S equipped NB shock tower brace, might have been added primarily for marketing purposes or NVH. The same brace on the MSM is silver so fancier looking (marketing) but also serves as a mount for the factory catch can setup (kill two birds with one stone that was already developed). But there are some braces on a Miata that definitely do increase chassis stiffness. I'm not so cynical as to believe they only exist so companies can sell unnecessary parts to make a buck. And a more stable platform allows the suspension to work better, which can improve ride and handling. But these are generally subtle improvements and it's practically impossible to do controlled testing to validate what that performance benefit might be. Anything that gives a driver more confidence can be seen as a performance benefit, but another driver might not be able to appreciate it. Just ask any Moto GP rider or F1 driver why their setup differs from their teammate's setup.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I am planning the FM frame rails partially for stiffening, but also as a way to beef up my chassis since our roads are such junk. I've considered the skid plate for the same reason. My understanding is that with the rails in place, you can jack the car up from anywhere along the sides now.

I want to do those upgraded door bushings too, but that's more about rattles than anything else.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> Agreed. For example, the cockpit brace that was introduced with the NA8 was added for side-impact safety. And some things, like the OEM Hard S equipped NB shock tower brace, might have been added primarily for marketing purposes or NVH. The same brace on the MSM is silver so fancier looking (marketing) but also serves as a mount for the factory catch can setup (kill two birds with one stone that was already developed). But there are some braces on a Miata that definitely do increase chassis stiffness. I'm not so cynical as to believe they only exist so companies can sell unnecessary parts to make a buck. And a more stable platform allows the suspension to work better, which can improve ride and handling. But these are generally subtle improvements and it's practically impossible to do controlled testing to validate what that performance benefit might be. Anything that gives a driver more confidence can be seen as a performance benefit, but another driver might not be able to appreciate it. Just ask any Moto GP rider or F1 driver why their setup differs from their teammate's setup.


the implication you are missing is if making the chassis stiffer makes the car faster to any reasonable level that it matters. 

and i don't think there is any evidence of that. 

so really, most bracing just decreases compliance, which hurts ride and vibration. but its cheap, easy, and bolts right up and makes the proud new owner think they have improved there car.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

cockerpunk said:


> the implication you are missing is if making the chassis stiffer makes the car faster to any reasonable level that it matters.
> 
> and i don't think there is any evidence of that.


If floppy cars were faster we'd all be driving Model T hot rods around Laguna Seca. Instead, look at how virtually every single track car/ race car is built: stiffer. And not just for safety. For performance also. With racing motorcycles there is a point where a chassis can be too stiff to provide the necessary rider feedback to instill the confidence to push the limits (see https://www.cycleworld.com/2015/10/...s-flex-and-stability-are-key-to-winning-races). With a track car, generally fabrication costs, weight and rules compliance are what dictate the practical limits of chassis stiffness.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> If floppy cars were faster we'd all be driving Model T hot rods around Laguna Seca. Instead, look at how virtually every single track car/ race car is built: stiffer. And not just for safety. For performance also. With racing motorcycles there is a point where a chassis can be too stiff to provide the necessary rider feedback to instill the confidence to push the limits (see https://www.cycleworld.com/2015/10/...s-flex-and-stability-are-key-to-winning-races). With a track car, generally fabrication costs, weight and rules compliance are what dictate the practical limits of chassis stiffness.


i knew this post would bring out the ad absurdum fallacy.

i ran a front strut bar on my 944, and one time when i jacked it up without removing it, and then i removed it went "bang" and i measured, and the two strut towers moved outwards by nearly a 1/4 of an inch, and that was only due to the loading of the weight of the car. the bar, when jacked up was holding the strut towers closed by that amount. 

but i could not tell one iota of difference in the handling of that car with or without the bar. 

k. you arn't some hero. you can't tell. the clock can't tell. its not an "upgrade"


----------



## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

freedomgli said:


> If floppy cars were faster we'd all be driving Model T hot rods around Laguna Seca. Instead, look at how virtually every single track car/ race car is built: stiffer. And not just for safety. For performance also. With racing motorcycles there is a point where a chassis can be too stiff to provide the necessary rider feedback to instill the confidence to push the limits (see https://www.cycleworld.com/2015/10/...s-flex-and-stability-are-key-to-winning-races). With a track car, generally fabrication costs, weight and rules compliance are what dictate the practical limits of chassis stiffness.


Take a look at CSP miatas, they use the floppiest chassis they can find to be the lightest. Weight reduction >> stiffness increase in miatas, assuming you don't care about ride quality or NVH and can get all of your stiffness from bushings/springs/mounts. A stiff chassis is better when all other things are equal, but bolting on braces does not keep all other things equal.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

troyguitar said:


> Take a look at CSP miatas


Autocross rules and classification are also responsible for a lot of strange behavior including a fair amount of group think. So much of racing is mental, so if people believe something to be true then for them living in their reality it is. Weight matters, but so does lots of other things. I don't pretend to be a SCCA autocross or CSP rules expert. But if 20lbs. weight savings were so important, then only jockey sized drivers would be competitive. Instead, you have a normal distribution of driver weight with the standard deviation being probably 20lbs or more.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> you arn't some hero. you can't tell. the clock can't tell. its not an "upgrade"



Some people just want the car to shake less over bumps. Less cowl shake, less rattles and squeaks. Let the suspension do its job. Not everyone drive's their cars at 11/10ths all the time. It's an upgrade - just not one you care for. Deal with it.


----------



## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

I wonder if these pool noodles are SCCA spec












cockerpunk said:


> k. you arn't some hero. you can't tell. the clock can't tell. its not an "upgrade"


I knew this post would bring out the argumentum ad iram fallacy


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Some people just want the car to shake less over bumps. Less cowl shake, less rattles and squeaks. Let the suspension do its job. Not everyone drive's their cars at 11/10ths all the time. It's an upgrade - just not one you care for. Deal with it.


wow move the goalposts much?

already discussed how it doesn't reduce NVH
already discussed how it doesn't improve handling
already discussed how it doesn't decrease lap time

so what does it do? lighten your wallet for less ballast? what does it upgrade?


----------



## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

freedomgli said:


> Autocross rules and classification are also responsible for a lot of strange behavior including a fair amount of group think. So much of racing is mental, so if people believe something to be true then for them living in their reality it is. Weight matters, but so does lots of other things. I don't pretend to be a SCCA autocross or CSP rules expert. But if 20lbs. weight savings were so important, then only jockey sized drivers would be competitive. Instead, you have a normal distribution of driver weight with the standard deviation being probably 20lbs or more.


It's a gram strategy thing... any one weight reduction might not be significant, but a full CSP car is hundreds of lbs lighter than a stock-ish NB2. Like 1900 vs 2300 lbs with the same drivetrain and pretty much the same chassis.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> wow move the goalposts much?
> 
> already discussed how it doesn't reduce NVH
> already discussed how it doesn't improve handling
> ...


I have not moved the goal posts one inch, good sir. All I said is that I could tell that my car is stiffer after installing the braces. Less cowl shake, less rattles. Using the braces as a jacking point is helpful, too.

Besides, I carry all my money around as nickels, so buying the frame rails has netted a weight _decrease_ for me. 

You have 'discussed' all those other things, but all you've really done is made assertions with no evidence. Also, your criteria on what make a modification _worthy_ is not the same as everyone else's.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

troyguitar said:


> It's a gram strategy thing... any one weight reduction might not be significant, but a full CSP car is hundreds of lbs lighter than a stock-ish NB2. Like 1900 vs 2300 lbs with the same drivetrain and pretty much the same chassis.


Yes. But what about a 1990 Miata CSP car with 20lbs worth of NB factory chassis bracing and a 140lb. driver vs. a 1990 Miata CSP car devoid of said bracing but with a 210lb driver? Who is going to be faster? The better driver? The lighter driver?


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Holy smokes! A loaded 2018 Miata RF is $48,000 in Canadian Dollars ! :what:


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I have not moved the goal posts one inch, good sir. All I said is that I could tell that my car is stiffer after installing the braces. Less cowl shake, less rattles. Using the braces as a jacking point is helpful, too.
> 
> Besides, I carry all my money around as nickels, so buying the frame rails has netted a weight _decrease_ for me.
> 
> You have 'discussed' all those other things, but all you've really done is made assertions with no evidence. Also, your criteria on what make a modification _worthy_ is not the same as everyone else's.


so you can't name a performance metric that is improved with more bracing. 

k

that means its not an upgrade. put it on your car if you want to, i don't care. again, like shift knobs, i dont really care, you do you man. but its not an upgrade.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> so you can't name a performance metric that is improved with more bracing.
> 
> k
> 
> that means its not an upgrade. put it on your car if you want to, i don't care. again, like shift knobs, i dont really care, you do you man. but its not an upgrade.


You have presented exactly the same amount of evidence as I have, sir.


----------



## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

But how does chassis stiffening affect my hard parking...



..._on the track??_

:snowcool:


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> Some people just want the car to shake less over bumps. Less cowl shake, less rattles and squeaks. Let the suspension do its job. Not everyone drive's their cars at 11/10ths all the time. It's an upgrade - just not one you care for. Deal with it.


He's just flexing his e-dick. Meh. :facepalm:

We don't need anyone to come in here and tell us a floppy pool noodle handles better than a stiff one.

But since we're touching on this stupid subject...

A stiffer chassis WILL improve handling. Fact. Why don't cars come this way from the factory? Well, for NVH reasons, cost reasons, and various other compromise reasons.

If you want a proper handling car with consistent dynamics you need to stiffen up the chassis and allow the suspension to do the work.

I mean, bruh. Really? I know you're known for being a dense brick on here... but go troll some other thread.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Anyways, I had a fun-filled day.

What'd I do? Well...

The car has spent a lot of time on jackstands this week. Really amazed the neighbors haven't filed a complaint and I haven't gotten a ticket for having a disabled or unsafe vehicle with no wheels in my driveway. :laugh:


I removed a front bumper and fought with the wind trying to blow my tarps away.


I dremeled some plastic.


I compared new plastic to old plastic.


New metal to rusty metal.


And new lights to old lights.


I plastidipped things. 









And then I installed things.




























On the ground for the first time in... 6 days.


And in the garage for the first time since I picked it up.


Still have to align the car, roll the fenders a bit, change the fluids, and give it a good paint correction. But we're making progress.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

cockerpunk said:


> so you can't name a performance metric that is improved with more bracing.
> 
> k
> 
> that means its not an upgrade. put it on your car if you want to, i don't care. again, like shift knobs, i dont really care, you do you man. but its not an upgrade.


We've got a fun, _friendly_ little thread going here, don't be a Richard. eace:


----------



## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

https://watertown.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata-mx-5/6556123368.html

The owner said that the car does have A/C and power windows, so based on: https://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf the only way it wouldn't have a Torsen, is if it was the Touring Package... 

Other than the color, seems to be pretty decent. Don't need a show car, just need one I can have fun in.


----------



## whoisglipglop (Nov 4, 2016)

freedomgli said:


> I haven’t seen a nice NA Miata for sale in my area for $5k or less in several years. $1k buys a biohazard car or a rusty non-running example with parts missing. $2k buys a basket case that needs everything. $3k buys a riced out example on Racelands with fake wheels, bacon fenders, anime fabric DIY door panels, dildo shift knobs and lots deferred maintenance. $3500 buys a meh automatic transmission car. $4k-$5k buys an average car with average needs for a 20+ year old car. Nothing special. $6k is the same car as the $5k car but with an OEM color matched hardtop. $6k will also get you an entry level track car with budget components or a clapped out JDM example with some nice aftermarket JDM parts but lots of wear and tear. $7k-$8k buys really nice drivers, cars with FM2 turbo kits and other quality mods. Then from there on up more money gets you nicer lower mileage cars or more fully prepared track cars. V8 Miatas start at $15k for homebrew cars with carbureted Ford 302s. Pro built V8 cars with LSx engines go for $30k-$45k depending on details (give or take a little).
> 
> NB Miata pricing is a little different. And of course we’ve all heard of those once in a lifetime deals that some people get. Those are not representative of the market.


I paid $3500 for my '97 Montego with 'touring package.' 133k miles, no major mechanical issues, a few tacky modifications from the previous owner (a woman in her 50's, she'd bought a harley and rarely drove the car) and absolutely ZERO rust, back in 2015.

After purchase I went through & sorted all the basic maintenance out, timing belt/water pump/various seals & gaskets, took off all but one of the tacky aftermarket parts (aftermarket gauges from the F&F era & swapped heavy aftermarket 17's that leaked air for cheapo Konigs to get the car drive-able), replaced the garbage OEM lights with Cibie e-codes and generally had a well resolved car, for about $5000.

Photo of car at purchase:










Photo of the car as it sat when I sold it three months after all of this because of my general dislike for the platform:


















Style bar was removed, might be tough to see with top up.



cockerpunk said:


> ive never found an aftermarket knob that was better than a stock shifter, for any car, much less for the miata.
> 
> i always file this "upgrade" under the same folder as bracing "i want it seem like im doing something aftermarket to my car, by making it worse"


RMagic knob in my NA8 made a pleasant change. Arvou knob in my S2000 rocks my socks.


----------



## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

freedomgli said:


> $3k buys a riced out example on Racelands with fake wheels, bacon fenders, anime fabric DIY door panels, dildo shift knobs and lots deferred maintenance.


Deferred maintenance on the car or the dildo? :laugh:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> https://watertown.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata-mx-5/6556123368.html
> 
> The owner said that the car does have A/C and power windows, so based on: https://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf the only way it wouldn't have a Torsen, is if it was the Touring Package...
> 
> Other than the color, seems to be pretty decent. Don't need a show car, just need one I can have fun in.




That seems like a lot for a car with such a minimal description. Like there's nothing too special about it. But prices are highly location dependent.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I drove my car to work for the first time this year. Felt good, man.

Hopefully these pictures show up:


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> I drove my car to work for the first time this year. Felt good, man.
> 
> Hopefully these pictures show up:


Showed up for me. Google photos is a tough cookie it seems.

I was so tempted to drive mine today, but I remembered I forgot to fully thread in the bolts that hold in the plate under the oil filter.

Tomorrow, I suppose.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

It rained all night and it's raining all day today. We leave on a plane for Florida vacation tomorrow morning so I'll not be getting a chance to drive it again until we get back.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Weight matters on a miata.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/are-lighter-wheels-really-better


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## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

Zillon said:


>


Looks good. I like the new bumper trim and the wheels were the right pick.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

whoisglipglop said:


> I paid $3500 for my '97 Montego with 'touring package.... back in 2015.... After purchase I went through & sorted all the basic maintenance out... and generally had a well resolved car, for about $5000.


And that was 3 years ago. Inflation and attrition are pushing prices slowly but steadily upward. But thankfully Miatas will still be relatively affordable for a long time to come.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> That seems like a lot for a car with such a minimal description. Like there's nothing too special about it. But prices are highly location dependent.


It's in the ballpark based on what I've seen in my area the past year or two since I've started looking. Pretty much what freedomgli said earlier sums it up, in my market at least. 

Yeah, not a detailed description. But the owner said she was selling it because she bought a Wrangler.  But a short description doesn't always mean it's a meh car. I've gotten a few cars on CL that are well taken care of and have tons of records, but only had a sentence or two description. 



freedomgli said:


> $4k-$5k buys an average car with average needs for a 20+ year old car.


These are the cars I've been looking at mainly. 



freedomgli said:


> And that was 3 years ago. Inflation and attrition are pushing prices slowly but steadily upward. But thankfully Miatas will still be relatively affordable for a long time to come.


I've talked to a few people about Miatas at the autocrosses I've been to, and all the owners who have had them for more than a few years are like, "oh Miatas are cheap, I paid 2k for mine, etc" But now that same car would go for 4k+.


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## whoisglipglop (Nov 4, 2016)

freedomgli said:


> And that was 3 years ago. Inflation and attrition are pushing prices slowly but steadily upward. But thankfully Miatas will still be relatively affordable for a long time to come.


My friend just paid $3900 for an NA8 in similar condition, with the addition of seats in better condition.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

fR3ZNO said:


> https://watertown.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata-mx-5/6556123368.html
> 
> The owner said that the car does have A/C and power windows, so based on: https://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf the only way it wouldn't have a Torsen, is if it was the Touring Package...
> 
> Other than the color, seems to be pretty decent. Don't need a show car, just need one I can have fun in.


The key item is the power antenna, which this car does not have. The lowest-equipped Torsen car, with the Popular Equipment Package, will have A/C, Power Windows, and a Power Antenna. A Touring has the first two, but NOT a power antenna.

That car has a fixed-mast antenna, making it a Touring. Still looks like a decent buy at ~$4k if you're not hell-bent on a Torsen and the condition/maintenance check out.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Stevo12 said:


> The key item is the power antenna, which this car does not have. The lowest-equipped Torsen car, with the Popular Equipment Package, will have A/C, Power Windows, and a Power Antenna. A Touring has the first two, but NOT a power antenna.
> 
> That car has a fixed-mast antenna, making it a Touring. Still looks like a decent buy at ~$4k if you're not hell-bent on a Torsen and the condition/maintenance check out.


Damn. Missed the power antenna. How can you tell? Other than that it's not retracted?

I am kinda hell-bent on the Torsen. I'm not really in a huge rush, but I am looking at getting one this summer. I figured it'd be easier to just get one with a Torsen from the get go, instead of swapping out the diff, plus I think Torsens normally go for about $1k alone. 

Still may check it out, all though I'm not a fan of white.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

fR3ZNO said:


> Damn. Missed the power antenna. How can you tell? Other than that it's not retracted?
> 
> I am kinda hell-bent on the Torsen. I'm not really in a huge rush, but I am looking at getting one this summer. I figured it'd be easier to just get one with a Torsen from the get go, instead of swapping out the diff, plus I think Torsens normally go for about $1k alone.
> 
> Still may check it out, all though I'm not a fan of white.


That it's not retracted is a clue, but the fixed-mast antenna is long and thin whereas the power antenna is significantly shorter and fatter.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Stevo12 said:


> That it's not retracted is a clue, but the fixed-mast antenna is long and thin whereas the power antenna is significantly shorter and fatter.


Gotcha! Thanks.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

You guys are making me feel great about paying $4700 for my '96 clean base blackie with 53K.



















She's got some dime-sized dents and a few scratches, but black hides it all nicely.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

S4cabriofox said:


> You guys are making me feel great about paying $4700 for my '96 clean base blackie with 53K.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not bad at all! (Besides it being black, of course )


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Prices are going up on NAs but deals are still out there. I almost got a loaded 91 BRG SE with hardtop in pretty good condition last year for $4500 with most maintenance done, but it sold locally before I could get a plane ticket to grab it. I would've paid $6k for it though...


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> Not bad at all! (Besides it being black, of course )


Would've been nice to have another color to go with my orange Mini, but I had to jump on it when I saw the condition. Not often do you find 100% garage-stored Midwestern NAs at reasonable prices.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

S4cabriofox said:


> Would've been nice to have another color to go with my orange Mini, but I had to jump on it when I saw the condition. Not often do you find 100% garage-stored Midwestern NAs at reasonable prices.


A few years ago, after my dad drove my NA to a Miata get together (and got the thing above 3k RPM), he really liked it and bought his own. He found a stock '95 red NA with 24k miles on it for < $7,000. Luckily he brought money with him, because a guy came back the next day to buy the car.

He didn't want a car so similar to mine, but he grabbed it. He's since repainted it Velocity Red and it looks awesome.

When you see good-condition cars, you have to jump on them.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

While we are at it, here's a pic that I love. My car one the dyno. I have the record for the lowest max-HP ever at that shop. :laugh:


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> A few years ago, after my dad drove my NA to a Miata get together (and got the thing about 3k RPM), he really liked it and bought his own. He found a stock '95 red NA with 24k miles on it for < $7,000. Luckily he brought money with him, because a guy came back the next day to buy the car.
> 
> He didn't want a car so similar to mine, but he grabbed it. He's since repainted it Velocity Red and it looks awesome.
> 
> When you see good-condition cars, you have to jump on them.


 That's awesome.

I sort of talked my pops into a 981 Boxster S, and when I got my Miata he said something about HIM inspiring ME to get a roadster. Little does he know my plan has always been to manipulate everyone into getting one.

At least you're breaking three figures


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

S4cabriofox said:


> Little does he know my plan has always been to manipulate everyone into getting one.


:laugh:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

S4cabriofox said:


> That's awesome.
> 
> I sort of talked my pops into a 981 Boxster S, and when I got my Miata he said something about HIM inspiring ME to get a roadster. Little does he know my plan has always been to manipulate everyone into getting one.
> 
> At least you're breaking three figures



Dad had a motorcycle before the Miata and for years I was trying to get him into a Miata because the practicality of it suited his driving style. When I had both an NC and an NA, he drove the NA and liked it. 

You couldn't believe how ecstatic I was with 103WHP. The guys at the dyno day with 392 Challengers and other boosted cars couldn't understand my giddiness. For a 1.6L, I'm really happy with it.


----------



## kezho (Mar 15, 2004)

'Nuff said.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

R package '96 for $4900. With a hardtop too.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> R package '96 for $4900. With a hardtop too.


I don't typically care for repaints, but it's understandable. They left the front bumper on the car during the repaint, which leads me to believe it might not be the best job.

For all the meticulous care this guy says he has give it, you'd think he'd have replaced the radiator by now. 

Other than that, it seems like a solid car. It's hard to really tell the condition of the car/paint when it's white and not very shiny, but the price seems right with the included hard top. It's worth checking out.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> I don't typically care for repaints, but it's understandable. They left the front bumper on the car during the repaint, which leads me to believe it might not be the best job.
> 
> The Miata logo on the back is wrong. It shouldn't be red, it should be black.
> 
> ...


I missed the repaint part in the ad. The CL potato pics don't help either, hard to see any real detail. 

"as well as many other maintenance items" I would think would include a radiator, but judging by how brown the end tank is, I doubt it. :laugh:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

fR3ZNO said:


> I missed the repaint part in the ad. The CL potato pics don't help either, hard to see any real detail.
> 
> "as well as many other maintenance items" I would think would include a radiator, but judging by how brown the end tank is, I doubt it. :laugh:


I'm very excited about my Miata today since I brought it to work, so here's what an engine bay should look like:




















I need to take some pictures that aren't in blinding sunlight.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

fR3ZNO said:


> I missed the repaint part in the ad. The CL potato pics don't help either, hard to see any real detail.
> 
> "as well as many other maintenance items" I would think would include a radiator, but judging by how brown the end tank is, I doubt it. :laugh:


The white tended to peel and flake, so probably why it's been repainted.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> I'm very excited about my Miata today since I brought it to work, so here's what an engine bay should look like:


Mine isn't that clean but it's in pretty good shape. I'm going to do some degreasing and such this summer and try to get it really fresh. There's a few spots where moisture has collected that I want to treat for surface rust as well.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Smigelski said:


> I don't typically care for repaints, but it's understandable. They left the front bumper on the car during the repaint, which leads me to believe it might not be the best job.
> 
> *The Miata logo on the back is wrong. It shouldn't be red, it should be black.*
> 
> ...


I agree it's worth checking out at that price.

However, all 1.8L Miatas have the red logo, all 1.6L cars are black. I don't think the R was any different.



Zillon said:


> The white tended to peel and flake, so probably why it's been repainted.


I thought that the problem was for the earlier Crystal White Miatas, which are a different paint code than the later ones, which are just simply white. Or are they both susceptible to flaking?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> I agree it's worth checking out at that price.
> 
> *However, all 1.8L Miatas have the red logo, all 1.6L cars are black. I don't think the R was any different.*
> 
> I thought that the problem was for the earlier Crystal White Miatas, which are a different paint code than the later ones, which are just simply white. Or are they both susceptible to flaking?


You're right. It should be red. I really spaced on that detail. I edited my post to remove the offending information. :thumbup:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Zillon said:


> The white tended to peel and flake, so probably why it's been repainted.


You're confusing Crystal White (Paint Code UC) which was available on 1990-93 Miatas with Chaste White (Paint Code PT) which was available on 1994-97 Miatas. It is the earlier Crystal White paint that was a problem on some cars.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Smigelski said:


> I'm very excited about my Miata today since I brought it to work, so here's what an engine bay should look like:
> 
> I need to take some pictures that aren't in blinding sunlight.


Very clean engine bay!



Stevo12 said:


> However, all 1.8L Miatas have the red logo, all 1.6L cars are black.


TIL 

Such a subtle detail. 

Thanks for the info everybody.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

freedomgli said:


> You're confusing Crystal White (Paint Code UC) which was available on 1990-93 Miatas with Chaste White (Paint Code PT) which was available on 1994-97 Miatas. It is the earlier Crystal White paint that was a problem on some cars.


Oh, right. Keep forgetting that car on CL was a 1997.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

While I expect really nice NA's in desirable configurations to slowly increase in value, there's enough of these cars out there to retain their "cheap fun" status for a long long time. They just aren't rare enough to ever be truly valuable.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Come to the south east. Miatas are plentiful and cheap. 3500 buys a nice example. I paid 2200 for mine and probably have 800 in it to make it a good driver and take to events. That includes a decent body, paint, and new top. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Finally drove it to work today.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

Zillon said:


> Finally drove it to work today.


:thumbup: Nice. I drove mine to work Thursday and Friday this week. Spring is finally here.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

KICKINGTI said:


> Come to the south east. Miatas are plentiful and cheap. 3500 buys a nice example. I paid 2200 for mine and probably have 800 in it to make it a good driver and take to events. That includes a decent body, paint, and new top.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


Yeah I remember browsing Florida CL one time. There’s usually a ton posted for sale all the time.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Yellow NC: wish I thought of plasti-dip for the side marker lights. I put some tint film over mine but it's a pretty half-ass job. Next time I have things apart I'll spray them.

My car looked epic when I plasti-dipped the headlights, though I was the only one who thought that way.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Just had my first ever track day yesterday at Gingerman with a buddy of mine (in the Mustang below). It started with rain, 35 degree temps, and 20-25 mph winds. In other words, absolutely miserable. Even my BFG Comp-2s, which are not even super high performance summers were struggling. Locked them up a few times in the early sessions.

After 2 sessions, the rain let up. It was still cold and windy, but no rain. Throughout the rest of the day, the track dried up and by the last session it was bone dry. It was fantastic to learn the track more every session and have more and more grip available each time I went out. Tires and brakes could actually get some heat it them and I had a really amazing time. I've said it before, but I love this goddamn little car. Even with getting hit two weeks before the trackday, scrambling to make the repairs, a failed bolt at an alignment, paying out the ass for a new bolt, I am so happy with it. It's not perfect but it drove me 400 miles roundtrip to the track and back, and took 100 miles of track abuse with no sweat.

To many more track days :heart:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I fluked my way into some track time last Friday. An old friend of mine runs a program that invites disabled veterans to come to a track and drive an old NASCAR Busch Series car fitted with an opening door, hinged roll cage, and hand controls. He invited me to see his thing in action at Dominion Raceway in Virginia. I showed up to be a photographer and general hanger-arounder guy. They started on the 4/10 mile oval and, after lunch, moved onto the 2-mile road course. A second veteran-friendly driving group brought a couple track cars (WRX and Focus) to show the veterans the line around the track, and while they were doing that, my buddy said if I wanted to run the track myself, have at it.

I had my 2010 PRHT Miata prepped for STR autocross, which had pretty used-up 255-40-17 RE71R from 2016. I said going out that I was probably only going to go 80% or so since I never saw the track before and I had to drive the car home. I didn't say that this was my first time on a track not doing parade laps behind a pace car. I figured the track out pretty easily and it's fun. I turned up the wick a hair as I got more comfortable but still never got more than maybe 85%. With Hawk HPS pads I became pretty aware of braking limitations, especially since I was seeing an indicated 110 MPH on the main straight. Each time I went by the pits I looked to see if anyone was waving me in (at some point they were going to start running the NASCAR car) but that didn't happen.

After about 20 minutes I figured I should take a break to let the brakes cool down and make sure I wasn't going to space out after being out there so long. Brought the car in, got out, and said "neat".

And I never have to do it again.

As a semi-serious autocrosser, getting on a track is one of those things I'd always wanted to do, and now I've done it. Puttering around by myself got kinda boring after a while. I suppose I could have pushed the car more, but Dominion has a LOT of concrete and not a lot of runoff room if things went wrong. The brakes were only going to deteriorate if I tried pushing the two big braking zones, and knowing this tempered my enthusiasm as well.

After maybe fifteen minutes of sitting I was reminded that the track was mine if I wanted to go out again, but I said nope, I'm good.

What's funny is that the other open-lapping thing I've done in the last couple years was on the kart track inside Lime Rock Park. They had to practically drag me off that track, and that is just a second-gear romp that's probably not even half a mile a lap. I could run that track all day. Dominion, and likely Summit Point Main, don't appeal to me. Maybe they would if they set up timers and turned it into a competition, but that opens things up to pushing beyond what's comfortable and prudent and bad, expensive things will probably happen.

So I'm glad I got the chance to do it. If you need to find me, I'll be back playing in parking lots like I have been for the last ten years.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Stevo12 said:


> The key item is the power antenna, which this car does not have. The lowest-equipped Torsen car, with the Popular Equipment Package, will have A/C, Power Windows, and a Power Antenna. A Touring has the first two, but NOT a power antenna.
> 
> That car has a fixed-mast antenna, making it a Touring. Still looks like a decent buy at ~$4k if you're not hell-bent on a Torsen and the condition/maintenance check out.


I emailed Mazda customer service with the VIN and the Miata is in fact a Touring package, like you said. :thumbup:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Claff said:


> Maybe they would if they set up timers and turned it into a competition, but that opens things up to pushing beyond what's comfortable and prudent and bad, expensive things will probably happen.
> 
> So I'm glad I got the chance to do it. If you need to find me, I'll be back playing in parking lots like I have been for the last ten years.


Your experience perfectly illustrates the concept of different strokes for different folks. Personally, I can't stand autocross anymore. 6+ hours of personal time spent for <5 minutes of actual seat time? No thanks. I don't have a strong competitive spirit, so winning my class or FTD isn't a big thrill or motivator. I just like to drive fast, feel the g-forces, push myself and my car in a less-risky environment than on the street. So for me, I aspire to doing 2-3 track days a year in a car and the same amount on a motorcycle. My biggest limiting factor at the moment is finances as driving on the track is generally more costly. Driving on a race track is also riskier than a parking lot as speeds are generally higher, there's less runoff room and less safety margin in general. But to me the risk is worth the reward. Everybody is going to have their own personal preference.

I've seen people go both ways on the HPDE/autox thing. Usually the progression goes auto-x --> HPDE --> time trial --> club racing --> divorce/ bankruptcy. For a few really rich enthusiasts, the natural progression might also include boating and aircraft. Occasionally former racers get back into auto-x as a more financially accessible way to satisfy their competitive urges. I know one guy who got heavy into auto-x for a while, but after he dominated his class for like 3 years he quit the sport for good.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> I fluked my way into some track time last Friday. An old friend of mine runs a program that invites disabled veterans to come to a track and drive an old NASCAR Busch Series car fitted with an opening door, hinged roll cage, and hand controls. He invited me to see his thing in action at Dominion Raceway in Virginia. I showed up to be a photographer and general hanger-arounder guy. They started on the 4/10 mile oval and, after lunch, moved onto the 2-mile road course. A second veteran-friendly driving group brought a couple track cars (WRX and Focus) to show the veterans the line around the track, and while they were doing that, my buddy said if I wanted to run the track myself, have at it.
> 
> I had my 2010 PRHT Miata prepped for STR autocross, which had pretty used-up 255-40-17 RE71R from 2016. I said going out that I was probably only going to go 80% or so since I never saw the track before and I had to drive the car home. I didn't say that this was my first time on a track not doing parade laps behind a pace car. I figured the track out pretty easily and it's fun. I turned up the wick a hair as I got more comfortable but still never got more than maybe 85%. With Hawk HPS pads I became pretty aware of braking limitations, especially since I was seeing an indicated 110 MPH on the main straight. Each time I went by the pits I looked to see if anyone was waving me in (at some point they were going to start running the NASCAR car) but that didn't happen.
> 
> ...


yup, i so agree. 

autocross is more exciting and fun than track days for sure. running a track without a race is boring, there is so much space, and so much time, its just boring after a few laps. just burning up tires. 

tracks are for wheel to wheel racing. you need the space, and your back to not having enough brain power to process everything happening around you again. 

i see a world where i only run autocrosses, and road races ... no HPDE. HPDEs are only useful for me right now as shakedown for the car, making sure its working well.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

I enjoy both autocrosses and track days, but for different reasons. 

I find the actual seat time in an AutoX more exciting because I am running right on the limit for most of the run and because things are happening so fast. But while I enjoy the social aspect to a degree, I do find it frustrating to spend hours waiting for less than 5 minutes of seat time. When I was running a competitive car, I did enjoy the competitive aspect, but it's annoying that certain (perhaps most) cars are effectively shut out from being competitive by virtue of the classing rules.

Track time is almost more of a meditative experience rather than a rush. There's a certain zen to getting your braking points, turn in, etc. just right turn after turn. And, since you have time to think, you can really evaluate whether each turn was done correctly. Even though it's more dangerous, it feels less scary just because things aren't happening so fast. 

Haven't had the experience of wheel-to-wheel racing, but that does seem to have the excitement of AutoX with the seat time of HPDE (or more). The problem is the very high cost (even in the "cheap" series), additional risk, and heightened support requirements (car will need to be trailered to the track, more maintenance, etc.).


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i think there is a lot of "street cred" in the car world around driving on a "real race track" compared to parking lot racing. for folks that have not driven on a "real race track" its the big deal, but its really not. autocross is far more extreme driving IMO. autocross is so fast it has to be pure instinct. road course driving there is plenty of of time to think, plan, etc. 

that goes right out the window when you are road racing. in a pack of 5 going into a braking zone, the car control has to be instinct again, because you are spending your mental capacity figuring out what everyone else is doing around you and trying to plan for it. you can no longer focus on your own car and getting it through the corner, because there are 4 other guys around and you want to hold your spot or gain spots ...


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Autocross is certainly intense. You're cramming a lot of control inputs into a short time frame and you're only doing "one lap" at a time. You don't get the benefit of linking several runs together. But I've never thought about HPDE as being a boring experience with too much time on my hands to think on straightaways or in the corners. I'm thinking the entire time. It's just slightly less intense decision making.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Claff said:


> I fluked my way into some track time last Friday. An old friend of mine runs a program that invites disabled veterans to come to a track and drive an old NASCAR Busch Series car fitted with an opening door, hinged roll cage, and hand controls. He invited me to see his thing in action at Dominion Raceway in Virginia. I showed up to be a photographer and general hanger-arounder guy. They started on the 4/10 mile oval and, after lunch, moved onto the 2-mile road course. A second veteran-friendly driving group brought a couple track cars (WRX and Focus) to show the veterans the line around the track, and while they were doing that, my buddy said if I wanted to run the track myself, have at it.
> 
> I had my 2010 PRHT Miata prepped for STR autocross, which had pretty used-up 255-40-17 RE71R from 2016. I said going out that I was probably only going to go 80% or so since I never saw the track before and I had to drive the car home. I didn't say that this was my first time on a track not doing parade laps behind a pace car. I figured the track out pretty easily and it's fun. I turned up the wick a hair as I got more comfortable but still never got more than maybe 85%. With Hawk HPS pads I became pretty aware of braking limitations, especially since I was seeing an indicated 110 MPH on the main straight. Each time I went by the pits I looked to see if anyone was waving me in (at some point they were going to start running the NASCAR car) but that didn't happen.
> 
> ...


This is why I autox now. Less than a quarter the price and risk of track HPDE/TT stuff with more competition. Would I rather race W2W? Of course, but I'd need an array of sponsors to be able to afford it.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

the cost question is super complex though. 

frankly, there are a lot of people in this world spending a lot more money autocrossing and time attacking than it would cost to road race. I've been waiting until i have some pretty good video of my road racing to compose a full post on the topic, but really, there are lots of folks spending more money autocrossing and time trialling because they think road racing is so expensive, and really, its not. the devil is as always, in the details.

I was just talking with derues and his codriver yonkers about how much they spend on #gridelife every event, and i can confirm they spend more than me time attacking than i spend road racing.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> the cost question is super complex though.
> 
> frankly, there are a lot of people in this world spending a lot more money autocrossing and time attacking than it would cost to road race. I've been waiting until i have some pretty good video of my road racing to compose a full post on the topic, but really, there are lots of folks spending more money autocrossing and time trialling because they think road racing is so expensive, and really, its not.
> 
> I was just talking with derues and his codriver yonkers about how much they spend on #gridelife every event, and i can confirm they spend more than me time attacking than i spend road racing.


I started racing karts in 94 and running national events in 98, whatever version of motorsport I end up in I'll always be looking to be nationally competitive with no excuses for losing except for driver error - it's not fun to me to struggle mid-pack due to budgets. That costs big money in autox and YUUUGE money in W2W. 

Step zero in almost anything beyond street/ST class autox is pretty much buy a new house with a real shop space and buy a truck and trailer. $200k bare minimum start-up cost. I do want to do that some day, but today is not that day. The next decade isn't looking good either. Maybe by 2035?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Claff said:


> Autocross vs. Track


I get and respect your opinion. I felt the opposite, mirroring some of the other sentiments already spoken in this thread, in that I made the transition to HPDE because I felt I could benefit from more seat time given the personal time spent "at the track" - whether it's a parking lot or a road course. Having crewed for a team in AER, I've come to love the endurance racing format, and that's what I'm aspiring to; I have a long way to go before I jump into W2W (either TT or endurance), but for now I'm enjoying HPDE, even as a novice.

Making that transition is actually what got me away from a Miata, at least for the time being. At the time, my Miata was my daily AND autocross car, and initially I set my goal to have a car that could do HPDE/TT and by my daily, at least occasionally. Lofty goal I know, but all I needed was a hardtop car that could survive a handful of HPDE's a year. A Miata would have fit the bill with a roll bar and/or hardtop, but I am personally hesitant to daily drive a car with a roll bar in it, and much less let my wife drive it for the same safety concerns. Hence, why I settled on the M3.

I'll admit it has taken me longer to make that transition due to other things that are going on, and it has taken me away from a car platform that arguably I "cut my teeth on" and know very well. I do tell myself I'll be back in a Miata, whether as a strictly-race car w/ a cage, or a strictly-street car for my wife (since she misses mine dearly). 

Despite the inherent pissing match that comes of HPDE vs. autocross vs. W2W, I can say though that I've had the chance to meet some awesome people in all of those circuits, and its interesting to hear all the backgrounds and circumstances that brought that particular group of people together on that one day. I just find it neat regardless of what motor racing activity happens to be going on.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> I started racing karts in 94 and running national events in 98, whatever version of motorsport I end up in I'll always be looking to be nationally competitive with no excuses for losing except for driver error - it's not fun to me to struggle mid-pack due to budgets. That costs big money in autox and YUUUGE money in W2W.
> 
> Step zero in almost anything beyond street/ST class autox is pretty much buy a new house with a real shop space and buy a truck and trailer. $200k bare minimum start-up cost. I do want to do that some day, but today is not that day. The next decade isn't looking good either. Maybe by 2035?


it highly depends on your lifestyle as well. if you happen to have a truck and like driving trucks for example, thats a big one. i never planned to do a truck/trailer thing, and that was the biggest adjustment i made. but if you already have a truck and trailer, race cars are cheap. 

i mean, in a world where you can buy the runoffs winning spec miata for 30 grand, and competitive cars for under 15 grand, the money these guys throw at time attack is mind boggling, and they will still tell me to my face wheel to wheel is too expensive. 

for a race weekend (2 practice session, 2 qualifying sessions, and 2 races) i spend about 1300 dollars. i paid 8,500 for my race car, 500 dollars for my truck, and 1600 dollars for the trailer. i also spent about 2 grand in safety gear (firesuit, shoes, hans, gloves, helmet etc)


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I never dwell on the driving time vs not-driving time in autocross. I'm on the organizational team for local SCCA and really enjoy being a part of the team that puts the event on so other people can have a good time. Almost all of my friends these days are in that world too, so the social aspect of autocross is huge.

I wonder some if I'd have had a better track experience if I was at a track with a handful of friends rather than essentially having the place to myself. But I'm not interested in spending the money to find out.

I have no interest in going wheel-to-wheel racing. A lot of it is due to the cost but I am also a wimp who would easily bail out of a corner rather than fight for a spot (I do this in no-cost/no-consequence iRacing, so I'm sure it would happen in real life). I would be mortified to bump into someone else's car, much less send someone off the track or to the hospital. I'm also not a fan of taking decent cars off the street and cutting them up into race cars.

We do spend, relatively speaking, a lot of money to do autocross. We travel to many out-of-town events and use a fancy truck and a nice trailer. The car we use is pretty much a 90% build for the class with all the right parts, no cheaping out on stuff, and we never have to take a week off because we don't have tires. That's where we choose to play with cars, and I'm OK with that. I'm glad I got to check open tracking off the to-do list. I don't need to do it again, unless the opportunity to get on Lime Rock presents itself.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

never understood the obsession with "seat time" 

i actually get annoyed with autocrosses that we get more than 6-7 runs, because i aim to set my best time on run #3. by 6 or 7, its just drive like a wild-man and see if it sticks. thats not good for anyone, the cones, the course workers, or the car. 

when i go to test and tunes, i drive 4-6 runs in a car, and then start looking for someone elses car to drive. after about 20 runs total, im bored and tired, and its time to leave.

in road racing, i often skip the practice sessions, if i know the track. i actually only go out for qualifying to make sure im not at the back of the pack and thus get crashed out. saves money on tires.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

troyguitar said:


> Step zero in almost anything beyond street/ST class autox is pretty much buy a new house with a real shop space and buy a truck and trailer. $200k bare minimum start-up cost. I do want to do that some day, but today is not that day. The next decade isn't looking good either. Maybe by 2035?


Sadly, I'm in that position as well. I have enough garage space to do real work, but nowhere to put a trailer even if I were willing to daily a tow rig. Hopefully, I can fix that before 2035 though. Escalating real estate prices in my area aren't helping the situation 



> for a race weekend (2 practice session, 2 qualifying sessions, and 2 races) i spend about 1300 dollars. i paid 8,500 for my race car, 500 dollars for my truck, and 1600 dollars for the trailer. i also spent about 2 grand in safety gear (firesuit, shoes, hans, gloves, helmet etc)


I get that people spend that sort of money on time attack, but that's over 10x the cost of an autoX even including amortized wear and tear. I suppose trailering a car to nationals is in that ballpark.


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## Ryephile (Jun 2, 2006)

cockerpunk said:


> ...autocross is more exciting and fun than track days for sure. running a track without a race is boring, there is so much space, and so much time, its just boring after a few laps. just burning up tires...





cockerpunk said:


> never understood the obsession with "seat time" ... saves money on tires.


cockerpunk, cockerpunking himself. Whatever excuse it takes to convince himself he's "right" to save a buck on consumables. He hates life, he hates driving, he hates going fast, yet here he is pushing his asinine opinion. The irony is the Miata is among the easiest on consumables of all decent track cars, and yet he's still bitching about it.

There hasn't been a driving coach worth his salt that's ever said to an aspiring racer; "you don't need seat time, that's for boring people".


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Last time I did the math I averaged $300ish per event for autox when trying to count everything including food, camping/hotels, fuel/tires and added wear on the car. That's average, local events are much less and nationals are much more. Road racing in karts was well over $1000, cars only go up from there. It's a rich man's sport.


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## Ryephile (Jun 2, 2006)

troyguitar said:


> ... It's a rich man's sport.


Correct. It's how you turn a large fortune into a small one.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

Ryephile said:


> cockerpunk, cockerpunking himself. Whatever excuse it takes to convince himself he's "right" to save a buck on consumables. He hates life, he hates driving, he hates going fast, yet here he is pushing his asinine opinion. The irony is the Miata is among the easiest on consumables of all decent track cars, and yet he's still bitching about it.
> 
> There hasn't been a driving coach worth his salt that's ever said to an aspiring racer; "you don't need seat time, that's for boring people".


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## Cr4shT3st (Jan 23, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> never understood the obsession with "seat time"


I think there's even less seat time at Cars and Coffee, maybe try that. joking....

I am always the one lingering around until the last track session of the day, hoping there are so few cars that the organizers just say "everyone who's still here just go out there until the track kicks us off" Unless I've broken something or strongly suspect I'm about to break something, I will take every lap I can get.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Cr4shT3st said:


> I think there's even less seat time at Cars and Coffee, maybe try that. joking....
> 
> I am always the one lingering around until the last track session of the day, hoping there are so few cars that the organizers just say "everyone who's still here just go out there until the track kicks us off" Unless I've broken something or strongly suspect I'm about to break something, I will take every lap I can get.


I'm that way too, although since I don't have a trailer I sometimes decide to quit while I'm ahead.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

There does come a time at which you don't really need more seat time. I'm there for kart racing and can pretty much stay fast while only running a few events per year, but nowhere near there yet for cars/autox.


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## Cr4shT3st (Jan 23, 2009)

troyguitar said:


> There does come a time at which you don't really need more seat time. I'm there for kart racing and can pretty much stay fast while only running a few events per year, but nowhere near there yet for cars/autox.


Fair enough but I'm not there yet


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## Ryephile (Jun 2, 2006)

troyguitar said:


> There does come a time at which you don't really need more seat time. I'm there for kart racing and can pretty much stay fast while only running a few events per year, but nowhere near there yet for cars/autox.


Yes, and that's when you choose to stop learning, or literally nobody can driver quicker than you. Since the latter is highly improbable, it's typically the former.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Ryephile said:


> cockerpunk, cockerpunking himself. Whatever excuse it takes to convince himself he's "right" to save a buck on consumables. He hates life, he hates driving, he hates going fast, yet here he is pushing his asinine opinion. The irony is the Miata is among the easiest on consumables of all decent track cars, and yet he's still bitching about it.
> 
> There hasn't been a driving coach worth his salt that's ever said to an aspiring racer; "you don't need seat time, that's for boring people".


not sure why you think those statements conflict. nor am i arguing i am "right" ... just stating an opinion. 

any driving coach or instructor worth two ****s will tell you seat time isn't some magic thing that will get you better. in fact, "beyond seat time" is a new push in the autocross community. the notion that seat time itself isn't that worthwhile ... the right kind of seat time, spent the right way, doing and learning the right things, is worthwhile. seat time itself, once you are reasonably comfortable, isn't, in itself, valuable to improving yourself. in fact, its likely just building stronger your bad habits.

"you do not just need more seat time" http://www.beyondseattime.com/you-do-not-just-need-more-seat-time/


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Ryephile said:


> Yes, and that's when you choose to stop learning, or literally nobody can driver quicker than you. Since the latter is highly improbable, it's typically the former.


Diminishing returns, it's a thing. I was slightly quicker when I raced 25 weekends a year for multiple years, but it's barely noticeable (like a tenth per lap on a 40 second course) and I don't have the time or money to keep it up again - nor am I running against anyone else who is doing that anymore, it's only vintage kart racing and mostly for fun. If I wanted to win the world championships or something, then yeah I'd have to quit working and live at tracks right after discovering that I am the sole heir of a billionaire great uncle...


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## impulsive.ca (Nov 4, 2016)

impulsive.ca said:


> I really miss mine.
> 
> Turbo 1.8l Na Miata. 200whp, 210wtq


Found a few more pics I've had laying around.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> yup, i so agree.
> 
> autocross is more exciting and fun than track days for sure. running a track without a race is boring, there is so much space, and so much time, its just boring after a few laps. just burning up tires.
> 
> ...


I'm not saying you're wrong as everyone is entitled to their own opinion...

But you're the first person I've ever heard say that.

And I've done autox. It's fun for a daily driver to flog every once in a while but I like driving spiritedly and autox just doesn't let you do that for very long. I'm not even competitive, I just want to drive hard in an environment where I won't get arrested.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I'm not saying you're wrong as everyone is entitled to their own opinion...
> 
> But you're the first person I've ever heard say that.
> 
> And I've done autox. It's fun for a daily driver to flog every once in a while but I like driving spiritedly and autox just doesn't let you do that for very long. I'm not even competitive, I just want to drive hard in an environment where I won't get arrested.


i was doing a lot of HPDEs, and i realized i was really only having fun when it was chasing someone, or they were chasing me, and we were of similar skill level, in similarly matched cars. 

and thats just racing. 

its not very fun chasing down super cars that are driven like ****, and its not very fun when someone good has 200 more hp and smokes you every lap. so it was time to go racing. control the cars a bit, have some structure, have a lot more safety, and have more fun.

EDIT: i think its an uncommon position because as Claff has talked about, there are tons of fantastic drivers and stiff competition at a cheaper price point in autocross, who do a few HPDEs, go "eh, ill pass" and then never push up to road racing. autocross is awesome, i love it, and i can never see not doing it at all. road racing is a totally new and different challenge for me. i qualified third, and then raced like ****, like any good autocrosser haha. but HPDEs do not stroke the competitive side, and autocross is already a very mature, common and cheap way to get those kicks. there are tens of thousands of autocrossers out there for exacty that reason, totally content to not "waste" tires HPDEing, and who have never jumped in with both feet into road racing. 

so i think its actually way more common than you think, it just manifests a bit differently than it has in me. ie this is why autocross is so popular and common.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Going to be installing these XIDA Race coilover suspension from 949 Racing / SuperMiata soon. We chose the standard spring rate 700/400 Hyperco springs with dual-spring helper setup and their version of NB style upper shock mounts. I don't think we can do the long A-arm bolt removal method because of our beefy AWR sway bar mounts. So might have to separate the ball joint, which will probably necessitate installing new ball joints also. 

Also in the works for this spring and the beginning of the driving season are

Install a new set of Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 tires.
Fix the MS Labs MS3 "design error" so I can use my Bluetooth adapter.
Wire up a new custom harness for my throttle position sensor (TPS) with shielded wire. Hopefully that will help with EMI rejection, leading to a more stable TPS signal, which will then allow me to use less software filtering in Tuner Studio and hopefully result in an engine that is more responsive to throttle pedal inputs. 
Refit the TWM standard throttle cable bracket, install new Lokar 72" Throttle Cable in standard U configuration and reinstall second throttle return spring on ITB linkage bracket.
Install JCALD NA and NB Miata Factory Seat Lowering Rails on my MSM driver seat to get me a little bit lower in the cockpit.
Begin leather restoration and redye on used set of NA seats with aftermarket leather covers.
Reattach Redline Goods leather gauge hood cover where it is coming loose.
Modify instrument cluster by breaking the white plastic light dividers so that the lights behind the tachometer are more diffuse so all the numbers on the gauge face are illuminated. Possibly install LED bulbs as the original incandescent bulbs are now 27 years old.
Install Revlimiter anti-glare lenses for my KG Works instrument panel cover.
Install used, crack-free dashboard after I swap the VIN plate from old dashboard to new dashboard.
Install new door panel interior trim (upper and lower panels, door pulls), window bushings and window guide.
Start work on restoration of D-Tech M2-1001 front bumper and making mold to reproduce in carbon fiber.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Claff said:


> Yellow NC: wish I thought of plasti-dip for the side marker lights. I put some tint film over mine but it's a pretty half-ass job. Next time I have things apart I'll spray them.
> 
> My car looked epic when I plasti-dipped the headlights, though I was the only one who thought that way.


I figured I'd give it a shot, I'm amazed with how well the dip matches the texture of the side markers.

If you go in from behind the bumper, you can pull the whole bezel and assembly, and break out the marker lights from the assembly. I masked off the backs and put about... I'd say 5 coats of dip on them. Took the bulbs out, put the sockets back in, and good to go.

Love that these cars don't have bulb out warning lights. Stupid euro cars. :laugh:


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## impulsive.ca (Nov 4, 2016)

I don't see why you couldn't just take out the a-arm bolt. It made things super easy. Separating the ball joint sounds like a pita.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

impulsive.ca said:


> I don't see why you couldn't just take out the a-arm bolt. It made things super easy. Separating the ball joint sounds like a pita.


Because like I said the giant ass AWR sway bar mounts block the removal of the long A-arm bolt and I'm not about to remove the mounts just to install some coilovers. They're a super tight fit on the chassis leg and not something you want to pull off unless absolutely necessary. Ball joint separation is straightforward with the right tools. Such are the tradeoffs when you start deviating from OEM specification.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Hmmm... it's been a few years since I did the long bolt method, but is the washer on the top of the long bolt separate? If so, can you slide the washer down and have the bolt sit in the pass through of the sway bar mount? That's what I think I did with my stock setup.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Sold Over Sticker said:


> I drove my friends NA last weekend. Fresh rebuild, coil overs, sway bars, and he's aligned it a ton of times to get it dialed. I thankfully fit, as it has an after market seat that's super low.
> 
> Oh my god. I had so much fun in it. He drives it in the mountains primarily, so he turned it for a little corner entry understeer, but I'm used to my SS, so I didn't notice it. I'm used to using the brakes to load the nose of the SS during turn in, so I was delighted with how easy the Miata rotated.
> 
> ...


Maybe you should borrow mine instead of the GTI next time. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

cockerpunk said:


> for street driving miatas are better stock. more rear suspension travel = better grip
> 
> #sorrynotsorry


Ya, I'm gonna have to disagree. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Sporin said:


> NICE!
> 
> I have mine ready to go on when I go get the car out of storage this weekend.
> 
> ...


What knob is that? Wow.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## slngshot (Mar 2, 2007)

VTECeateR said:


> What knob is that? Wow.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk



https://www.amazon.com/10x1-25mm-Thread-Aluminum-Protégé-Mazdaspeed/dp/B006P5AW20

?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

This hpde vs auto x is interesting. I did a few autox with my s2000 and then my gti but I never really got the bug. Actually running the course was a lot of fun, but sacrificing a whole day for a few minutes of fun just doesn't make sense to me.

I also disagree with people that claim driving on track is boring. You must just be driving too slow.

Which I think brings us to the crux of the matter - in autox you only drive a few minutes, but even a mediocre driver is at or near the limit the whole time.

In hpde, until you learn how to drive properly you likely aren't even close to the limits. But when you start getting faster it also gets more dangerous. 

I can totally understand someone not wanting to do hpde because of risk vs reward. However I can't understand someone saying hpde is boring; that boggles my mind.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

A wash and lots of driving today since it’s sunny and temps nearly 60. Spring may have finally sprung in Vermont. 🤞










More practice with the kid. I think he finally had his “aha!” moment with takeoffs from a stop. 

Driving hats.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I've been trying to fit a Halo seat on the driver's side of my 91 miata for several days. Unfortunately, it's a major, major pain. 

The biggest problem is the supposed "hard" parts are already done - drilling or cutting out the bumps in the floor, drilling through the floor, etc. However it seems the mounts were not installed aligned and it screwed everything up. People that said this job is a pain were not kidding! My hands are all cut up and my back is killing me 

Any tips or tricks welcome.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

god miatas are good. i put in a time only 1.6 seconds behind my co-driver in his fully prepped STR s2000 during instructor runs this weekend, in my totally stock white miata, on bridgestones. 

mind-blowing just how good these cars are, even stock.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> Any tips or tricks welcome.


There are no tips or tricks per se. You just have to do whatever is needed to make the seat fit. Normally, seating position is determined first and then you build the roll cage round the driver. Things are a little bit more tricky if you already have a roll cage in place. But the same basic techniques apply regardless.

What obstacle is giving you trouble? Are you having trouble getting the seat centered relative to the steering wheel? Or are you hitting the seatbelt tower or door panel? Where there's a will, there's a way. One of the best ways is to section the transmission tunnel and install the Miatacage Transmission Tunnel Notch Plate or the Advanced Autosports Spec Miata Floor Drop Plate. This makes it a lot easier to fit a big seat inside a small car.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

VTECeateR said:


> What knob is that? Wow.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


Which one, the top one or the bottom one?

I've got a Raceseng Contour in my car. Textured black finish with the shift pattern engraving: http://www.raceseng.com/contour-custom


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Finally had the fenders rolled this weekend so I can start to actually, you know... drive the car, instead of just puttering back and forth to work.

I initially had a tough time finding a place to handle what I needed done. Most shops no longer roll fenders, probably due to stancebrahs throwing fits when the paint cracked on the car that mom's making the payment for... and others that did were booked 3 weeks out. No bueno.

So, I started digging into the internet. I ended up stumbling upon a blog post by another Miata owner who was running a similar setup to mine, and he had his fenders rolled as well. Luckily, I saw that he posted the e-mail of the guy that did the work, as well as what he charged (less than the big shops booked 3 weeks out). After some quick google-fu, which led me to more proof that this fender roller knew what he was doing, I shot off an e-mail to the guy and was able to confirm availability and schedule an appointment. He normally didn't do Sundays, but was able to make a one-time exception for me; I repaid him graciously for his flexibility with a decent tip.

His name's Leon (if you need fender work, e-mail him at [email protected]) - he's quite the talented soul. Strewn about his driveway and workspace were evidence of several crazy projects; if it can be welded, shaped, cut, formed... he does it. And if it needs machining, he knows the right people to finish the job. And on top of that, he was a rather accomplished tattoo artist.

One of the projects in the driveway was a MASSIVE mid-60s (1965 IIRC) Power Wagon in the driveway that was sitting on 46" Michelin tires, with custom steel wheels designed and built by Leon himself, a tube-framed bed, and a built Cummins putting down over 700 lb-ft of torque. Behind that, sat another Power Wagon project, this one was an eventual project for his girlfriend. We spent the better part of the morning talking cars and making fun of the world of snowflakes while I shot photos and he massaged my fenders.

The roll turned out great; we only had one small crack appear on one of the front fenders despite applying plenty of heat. **** happens. I'll eventually get it fixed, but it's under the lip so for now it's no big deal. In the meantime, I threw some touch-up clearcoat on the crack with a brush just to seal the crack from getting water behind it. The remaining 3 fenders didn't crack at all, and we didn't even need to do a full roll, just a little massaging is all she needed. I've now got plenty of room to lean hard on the car.

So, pics, of course:














Done:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Wife wanted to see if she could get the dogs to sit still in the car long enough to take s picture. I think this pose lasted less than 2 seconds. 










And now I need to vacuum it again.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> There are no tips or tricks per se. You just have to do whatever is needed to make the seat fit. Normally, seating position is determined first and then you build the roll cage round the driver. Things are a little bit more tricky if you already have a roll cage in place. But the same basic techniques apply regardless.
> 
> What obstacle is giving you trouble? Are you having trouble getting the seat centered relative to the steering wheel? Or are you hitting the seatbelt tower or door panel? Where there's a will, there's a way. One of the best ways is to section the transmission tunnel and install the Miatacage Transmission Tunnel Notch Plate or the Advanced Autosports Spec Miata Floor Drop Plate. This makes it a lot easier to fit a big seat inside a small car.


Thanks man. Yeah I agree. Part of the problem is the height of the seat relative to the roll bar. The other problem is aligning the mounts which I believe is, after trial and error and lots of cursing, the biggest issue.

I finally got the seat in, and the door won't close. I'm going to have to start over, put some steel plates on the ground and drill new holes hopefully lining up the seat further right.

What a pain.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

so i just drove 2 corvettes last night, both C5s, one a pure NA build on a FRC making a claimed 450hp, and a stock z06 (405hp). 

pretty much my next autocross/daily/roadtrip sports car is a choice between some kind of corvette, or a 2019 ND Miata.

i think my thoughts on these cars can be summed up with the phrase "The numbers write checks the experience can't cash" 

I know what advantage 2hp is in a race, i race spec miatas. I know that 10hp can make the difference between a great car and a crappy one in autocross. when you drive miata's you do lust after the torque, and the power, and your always using lots of driving tricks to cover for the fact that you don't have a big motor. and so, when you go out and drive a bunch of big power cars, you expect the experience to fulfill what you always imagined a 400+ hp car would be like. thats nearly 4x the amount of power i drive and race, and you expect it to blow your mind. It just .... doesn't though. i have known this about muscle cars for a long time, as every 3 or 4 years i get a thing up my butt and decide i need to drive a mustang or something and the second i sit down i know i've made a mistake. too big, too fat, too heavy, ew .... but the corvette was different. it wasn't too big or too heavy, and had plenty of power. and it was good to drive, put power down when you were nice to to, and would kick out and you could drive it like a crazy person if you were mean to it, it had all the right dynamic habits of a good car. the z06 especially was a very good driving car. 

i don't know. i guess i was expected more. they just weren't as good as i was expecting them to be, knowing the numbers. I am in a super car of 10 years ago, and the speed was just, underwhelming. then again, i had the same experience when riding in actual super cars of today too. the speed was highly underwhelming sitting in the passenger seat of a 458 Italia. so maybe i shouldn't be surprised. then again i was in a 997 base last weekend, and was only impressed by just how good a car even the base model 911 is. 

i don't know. I was just expecting so much more. the numbers promised me so much more. 400hp is truly mind bending power when you understand the proper application of horsepower. but it wasn't even close to as good as i thought it was going to be. 

on the other hand, the 155hp in the ND miata is plenty, and 181hp in the 2019 will make that car possibly the best machine man has ever created. 

we'll see. #thermiteinmypocket


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

cockerpunk said:


> i don't know. I was just expecting so much more. the numbers promised me so much more. 400hp is truly mind bending power when you understand the proper application of horsepower. but it wasn't even close to as good as i thought it was going to be.
> 
> on the other hand, the 155hp in the ND miata is plenty, and 181hp in the 2019 will make that car possibly the best machine man has ever created.
> 
> we'll see. #thermiteinmypocket


Not sure about the C5z, but the biggest problem on the C6 I've driven was the stupid tall gearing. It may have been a 6 speed, but it might as well have been a 4 speed as the top two gears were useless for anything but hypermiling. My STI is down ~100hp from a stock C6, but it feels so much more eager to go fast due to the very short gearing (turbo lag aside). My biggest letdown on the ND wasn't the amount of power per-se, but that the motor just didn't seem very rev happy. It was fun to 30mph, then a bit frustrating. It sounds like the 2019 ND will likely fix the problem with the better head.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

My C5Z drove almost exactly like a miata. Super tame, in part because of the DBW throttle programming. You could make it violent if you wanted, but that seems silly.

If you want your mind blown, get a shifter kart.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> My C5Z drove almost exactly like a miata. Super tame, in part because of the DBW throttle programming. You could make it violent if you wanted, but that seems silly.
> 
> If you want your mind blown, get a shifter kart.


i have driven a shifter kart, and they are amazing.


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## fR3ZNO (May 5, 2014)

troyguitar said:


> If you want your mind blown, get a shifter kart.


This^

One of the guys at the autox's here runs a shifter kart. Just watching him go around in it is nuts.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> In hpde, until you learn how to drive properly you likely aren't even close to the limits. But when you start getting faster it also gets more dangerous.


I am not even remotely interested in getting close to the limits. My car is not disposable and I am not injury-proof. I don't see the point in trying to get to the limits in HPDE since there's no measurable goal and no tangible award or recognition for doing so. It's just driving around the same track over and over and over burning tires and gas. If you're going to make lap after lap "close to the limits," there should be some sort of reward for that risk. 



300_munkeys said:


> I can't understand someone saying hpde is boring; that boggles my mind.


I very well might be the first person to admit this.

There have been times where I've curtailed my driving day before I absolutely had to. On my last couple trips to Deals Gap I've headed home with daylight still showing just because I know if I keep driving the Tail of the Dragon, I'll wind up doing something stupid and get arrested or fall off the mountain. I left wanting more. In the case at Dominion, I voluntarily pulled in after twenty minutes because I got everything out of it that I thought I could given my limitations and the risks. After letting things cool for 15 minutes or so I was offered more time on track and I said "no thanks, I'm good." I knew in the back of my mind that nothing good was going to come of running more laps.

To those who make a habit of doing track days, on the same track in the same car, especially a low-powered car, more power to you. It didn't appeal to me once the novelty wore off, just like autocross doesn't appeal to everyone.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Have my first Tech Day with the club on Saturday. We're going to assess my slave and master cylinder (seems to be holding fluid just fine but the resi went empty over winter storage) and removing the roll bar.

You guys, and others, have all said to remove it, but I'm lazy, and short of torso so my head is no where near it. What convinced me was looking at my tall son as he is learning to drive the car and seeing that he, being 6'1" already (he's 15) would absolutely crush his scull in a rear ending. So I'm pulling that thing.










I think it will really clean up the looks as well. I still want to swap out my factory trunk wing for a more subtle duck tail lip.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

First tech day with the club and got all my projects done.

Put the car up on the lift and did an oil change and inspection. Right rear shock is blown, no rust at all in the rockers, but the rear subframe could use a wire brushing and oil treatment. I have one spot where it looks like someone jacked it up in the wrong place and made a crack (pic) but I think I can fix that with some epoxy and spry on undercoating (it's not structural).

Found a very loose hose clamp which has been rattling. Everything else looked really good and stock.

Pulled the rollbar. It's a harddog all right but I was surprised to find it was only held in by 2 bolts on each side. I doubt it would have been of any real use in an actual rollover. Glad to have it out and away from our heads.

While we had the package shelf all apart to pull the bar, we popped off the fuel tank cover to see about my dead gas gauge. Low and behold, another mouse nest. 2/4 of the wires to the pump were chewed through, amazingly, it was the 2 for the gauge and not the 2 that powered the pump. One of the guys had a very trick wiring tool and fixed them right up. Now everything works 100% again. I’m formulating a more aggressive rodent deterrent program for next winter. 

So a very good day, nice drive both ways, and a good group of folks. One of them offered to buy my car right there for the $3500 I paid for it.  They all thought I got a hell of a deal and while I was a little disappointed with the undercarriage after seeing it up on a lift, no one there thought it was in any way out of line for it's age. A little work to clean and treat and I'll be much happier.

Full album including undercarriage pics of my car: https://imgur.com/a/8vI3VfI

mstersmiata.org/index.php

Pulling the roll bar...









Mouse damage  









All fixed up and roll bar free...









Great turnout, lots of NC's.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Thats awesome. I would be part of that club. Did my first detail today. Finally some shine.










Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Update: got the sparco pro adv seat in finally! Had to put new holes and bang out the transmission tunnel even more but it's finally in! Countless hours were spent on that, and finally a friend of mine really helped.

Then he helped (really I helped him) put in some extended lower ball joints so I'm getting the car corner balanced and aligned on Tuesday.

Any suggestions for a car which sees 90% of it's time on track?

I'm thinking something like the super Miata specs: -3.5 front and -2.8 rear camber. 0 toe f and r. Max caster in the front.

Thoughts? Suggestions?


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Holy _crap_ that’s a lot of negative Camber! That’s even more than what people run on track-focused Beetles and they have zero camber change throughout their travel! 

In to see if that’s the widespread recommendation. :beer:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

3.5 is pretty standard. most of us run more than that for spec miata. i would run some toe though, zero toe is never a good idea on almost anything.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Had a PDRBQ yesterday with a few friends, ate some meat and had some dents pulled from the Miata.

Went out for some photos afterwards:


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Amazing how well it matches the buses and the Shell yellow :laugh: Looks great.


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## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

:thumbup:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

johnny_p said:


> :thumbup:


And now you want one, amirite? :laugh:


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## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

Zillon said:


> And now you want one, amirite? :laugh:


I always have. But yes. Trying to figure out how to wedge a bike and dog onto/into this.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

johnny_p said:


> I always have. But yes. Trying to figure out how to wedge a bike and dog onto/into this.


Dog is easy, get one with leather, get her goggles and a harness.

Bike... get a PRHT and you could do a seersucker mount.

Or, just do it as you've always done:










:laugh:


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

4-door miata with roof rack is the answer, unless you're competing in CS autox.


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## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

Zillon said:


> Dog is easy, get one with leather, get her goggles and a harness.
> 
> Bike... get a PRHT and you could do a seersucker mount.
> 
> ...


That is impressive. Leather would be a must, to wipe off all the mud. :laugh:

Also, that 6th gear lock out mod, doe :laugh:


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## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

troyguitar said:


> 4-door miata with roof rack is the answer, unless you're competing in CS autox.


As long as the top comes down. So I can ingest bus exhaust and go deaf.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> Holy _crap_ that’s a lot of negative Camber! That’s even more than what people run on track-focused Beetles and they have zero camber change throughout their travel!
> 
> In to see if that’s the widespread recommendation. :beer:





cockerpunk said:


> 3.5 is pretty standard. most of us run more than that for spec miata. i would run some toe though, zero toe is never a good idea on almost anything.


Thanks for the input! Yeah I know others go even more, but I'm being a bit conservative I guess as I'm still an intermediate driver. 

You think I should run front toe or rear or both? 

Most recommendations have zero or very very little toe out in the back. (I am assuming the positive toe in the back means toe out). 

Here are the specs I'm referring to: 



> 4.25"~ 4.75" front pinch weld height.
> Zero rake with driver and fuel
> (Exocet - .4" rake, rear lower)
> 
> ...


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks for the input! Yeah I know others go even more, but I'm being a bit conservative I guess as I'm still an intermediate driver.
> 
> You think I should run front toe or rear or both?
> 
> ...


sign conventions aside ... run toe in in back, toe out in front.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> sign conventions aside ... run toe in in back, toe out in front.


Yeah that's what I figured. Thanks! I've seen conflicting suggestions. A lot of people have said go zero toe. What's the reasoning behind having some toe?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Yeah that's what I figured. Thanks! I've seen conflicting suggestions. A lot of people have said go zero toe. What's the reasoning behind having some toe?


google it. its not terribly complex but im busy at work right now.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Yeah that's what I figured. Thanks! I've seen conflicting suggestions. A lot of people have said go zero toe. What's the reasoning behind having some toe?


With a little bit of rear toe in, each rear wheel wants to pull that corner towards the middle of the car. 

That's why it's more stable than zero toe or toe out. Typically, the necessary amount of toe to run in a Miata is about 1/16" in, not a huge amount but it is more stable than zero toe, which you'll see on dedicated autocross cars (which typically see lower speeds, and can better exploit the gain in turn-in). You want high-speed stability in a track car, so toe the rears in just a little bit.

Too much toe-in, and you'll chew up the rear tires - people often mistake camber settings for uneven wear on lowered cars, when in fact it's more the increased toe from non-adjustable suspension components that acts in conjunction with the negative camber to produce the characteristic inner wear.

I ran 1/16" in with 2+ degrees of negative camber in the rear and still got 30k+ out of my rear tires.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Here's an interesting thread about Miata alignment: https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=392446

-------------------------------

On my car, I have a niggling feeling that *I *was the one who jacked up the car in that wrong spot and caused the small split. It's too clean for the PO to have done it and I've jacked it up a few times, I bet I did it wrong at least once. 

:banghead:










:banghead:

For you NC guys, this was the mod 2 of the guys were doing that day, the Moroso aluminum coolant expansion tank. The stock plastic tank fades and looks ugly pretty quikcly judging by what they were taking out. One guy left his aluminum, the other powercoated black.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

cockerpunk said:


> 3.5 is pretty standard. most of us run more than that for spec miata. i would run some toe though, zero toe is never a good idea on almost anything.





300_munkeys said:


> Thanks for the input! Yeah I know others go even more, but I'm being a bit conservative I guess as I'm still an intermediate driver.
> 
> You think I should run front toe or rear or both?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input. Now that I think about it that makes more sense since most Miatas tend to have quite a bit of body roll, so with stock sway bars I could see it. ...Or the "more" you mention! If you run big sway bars do you tend to bring that down a bit or is 3.5º a good rule for those?



cockerpunk said:


> sign conventions aside ... run toe in in back, toe out in front.


Wow. That's the opposite of a swingaxle Beetle. You run 1/8"-1/4" toe _out_ in the rear, as the toe and camber change radically with suspension movement and that bit of toe out quickly neutralizes and becomes toe-in when leaning into a corner. If you run toe in back there then the scrub radius rapidly increases to the point of swapping ends! :laugh:

Autocrossers may run a bit of toe out up front, but I wouldn't do that if I had to drive it home, especially on the highway. That keeps you _far_ too busy just trying to keep going in a straight line.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> Thanks for the input. Now that I think about it that makes more sense since most Miatas tend to have quite a bit of body roll, so with stock sway bars I could see it. ...Or the "more" you mention! If you run big sway bars do you tend to bring that down a bit or is 3.5º a good rule for those?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


man the rear suspension of a beetle must be mega ****ed up if you run toe out in the rear. i cannot imagine a system that you would want toe out in the rear, besides possibly a drift car. 

also, if you want to build a drift car, its mega easy with toe out in the rear.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

I was delighted to learn this week that my trash runs fine at high altitude :thumbup:


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> man the rear suspension of a beetle must be mega ****ed up if you run toe out in the rear. i cannot imagine a system that you would want toe out in the rear, besides possibly a drift car.
> 
> also, if you want to build a drift car, its mega easy with toe out in the rear.


ES class MR2 Spyders want toe out in the rear to push less on corner exit.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> ES class MR2 Spyders want toe out in the rear to push less on corner exit.


interesting, i ran mine with a lot of toe in because i couldn't keep the ass under it. but mine was not in street trim either. i found the car already was a toe-out on compression design and had to give it as much as 1/4 inch toe in in the rear to keep it from drifting everywhere. again, not stock suspension.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

cockerpunk said:


> man the rear suspension of a beetle must be mega ****ed up if you run toe out in the rear. i cannot imagine a system that you would want toe out in the rear, besides possibly a drift car.
> 
> also, if you want to build a drift car, its mega easy with toe out in the rear.


As I said, it’s toe out at standard height, but quickly changes when the suspension goes through it’s travel range. It was designed in the ‘30s fer cryin’ out loud! IRS suspension was ‘60s tech, so it’s comparatively modern! :laugh:

The funny part? You can get them to handle pretty well, but the limits are low and you do not want to cross those limits under certain circumstances.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

cockerpunk said:


> interesting, i ran mine with a lot of toe in because i couldn't keep the ass under it. but mine was not in street trim either. i found the car already was a toe-out on compression design and had to give it as much as 1/4 inch toe in in the rear to keep it from drifting everywhere. again, not stock suspension.


Yeah, it's just an oddity of trying to make the car work in stock class trim. If you can actually set the suspension up properly like in STR or higher, then you would want some toe in instead just like on most RWD cars.

FWD/AWD cars also often use toe out in the rear, especially in stock class autox. I've heard of WRX guys running over 1/2" out in the rear to make them rotate.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> Yeah, it's just an oddity of trying to make the car work in stock class trim. If you can actually set the suspension up properly like in STR or higher, then you would want some toe in instead just like on most RWD cars.
> 
> FWD/AWD cars also often use toe out in the rear, especially in stock class autox. I've heard of WRX guys running over 1/2" out in the rear to make them rotate.


yeah exactly, its because of the rules. so you put a big front bar on, and the car pushes, so you have to re-balance using alignment. because you can't do things like diffs, and springs and both bars.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your help and the interesting discussion on alignments. Here is what I ended up asking for- 

F: Camber -3.6
Caster: Max after camber set
Toe: 0

R: Camber: -2.8
Toe: +1/16 (toe in) 

I think with the camber bias the rear toe will help getting the car to neutral, and it should help with hard braking stability if I understand correctly. 

I'll be on summit main next Monday so hopefully I can report back. The car is also getting corner balanced so I'm hoping everything feels good. 

After that, I will be putting in a torsen (4.1 unfortunately, but I got it for free so hey). 

If anyone is interested in a very good condition VLSD, please let me know! Should be available some time this month or early June. About 75k original miles, no rust underneath the car.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Heres the detail. Nothing crazy. 

Used CB clay bar mit, then borrowed my friends porter cable da and used their v4 do it all scratch, swirl, polish, sealer with an orange med pad. Did not want to spend 8 hrs. Start to finish 3 hrs. 




























This guy parked next to me.



















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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I love that color blue. Paint looks good!


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks everyone for your help and the interesting discussion on alignments. Here is what I ended up asking for-
> 
> F: Camber -3.6
> Caster: Max after camber set
> ...


You're in VA right? Found this 4.3 Torsen w/axles and driveshaft for pretty decent money, considering how rarely they pop up

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=667828

Food for thought opcorn:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> You're in VA right? Found this 4.3 Torsen w/axles and driveshaft for pretty decent money, considering how rarely they pop up
> 
> https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=667828
> 
> Food for thought opcorn:


Nice! Thank you! I'll definitely consider it. Another option would be to spend a bit of money getting the one I have and 4.3 gears installed, considering I got the diff for free.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

race car stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lgUau3mm3E&t=4s


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I'm considering doing a power steering delete on my car. I want to do it the easy way, at least to start, because I don't want to take out the rack and I just spent money getting the car aligned. 

Everyone says "oh yeah just loop the lines." Taking out the PS pump and reservoir is easy, I can do that. But I'm looking for a decent video or pictures to show what it looks like to loop the lines. 

Any suggestions? 

From what I understand, there are two hoses going from the steering rack. So 4 holes total, and you plug two, and then take one hose and attach it to both holes in the steering rack. 

Is that about right? Is it that easy? Can I reuse the existing hose? I will try looping it first without taking anything out just to test it and see how I like it. If I like it I'll take out the pump. Good thing is that the AC is already gone, so I have plenty of room to work with.

edit: I did a bit more research on the computer instead of on the tiny screen on the phone. Doesn't look too bad overall. There are 4 holes in the rack that need to be looped (2 and 2) and 2 holes on the pinion? the part that sticks up that need to be plugged. I am thinking of just removing the belt first to see how it feels. If I like it, do it properly after that and take out the parts and loop the line. If I really want to later, remove the rack and get it greased/welded.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I've now had someone inquire as to whether or not I would sell my car TWICE in the last 2 weeks.


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## maximusbibicus (Dec 19, 2015)

Zillon said:


> Had a PDRBQ yesterday with a few friends, ate some meat and had some dents pulled from the Miata.
> 
> Went out for some photos afterwards:


AMAZING car and colour. You couldn't have picked better rims.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Sporin said:


> I've now had someone inquire as to whether or not I would sell my car TWICE in the last 2 weeks.


time to keep the title in your pocket. Just answer with an outrageous number. See what people will do. 

i had to call our homeowner's insurance and the lady ended the call with, "is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Can you give me $2 million dollars? She laughed and we hung up.


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

I'm thinking about looking at this '95 m-edition this weekend, wanted to get everyone's opinion on it. It's got 104k miles, and from the pictures it looks fairly clean. The current owner has had it for about 3 years, and it seems like it's been fairly well taken care of. The radiator, brake master cylinder, transmission and diff fluid have all been replaced in the past few years, along with a newer Robbins top with a glass window. 

The kicker is that there is some rocker rust, and the owner says it looks like the back half or the car has been resprayed. I don't know how bad the rust is, nor do I have the VIN do to a carfax. I know the M-editions carry a premium, but based on the rust and potential respray, $4700 seems to be a bit high. I'd probably try to get him down to below $4000. What's the consensus? Should I keep looking for a non-rusty car?

https://blacksburg.craigslist.org/cto/6567861300.html


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I can't speak to the rust but I'm not surprised at the respray. Every Miata I've see in that color has had peeling clearcoat to various degrees.


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

gmeover said:


> I'm thinking about looking at this '95 m-edition this weekend, wanted to get everyone's opinion on it. It's got 104k miles, and from the pictures it looks fairly clean. The current owner has had it for about 3 years, and it seems like it's been fairly well taken care of. The radiator, brake master cylinder, transmission and diff fluid have all been replaced in the past few years, along with a newer Robbins top with a glass window.
> 
> The kicker is that there is some rocker rust, and the owner says it looks like the back half or the car has been resprayed. I don't know how bad the rust is, nor do I have the VIN do to a carfax. I know the M-editions carry a premium, but based on the rust and potential respray, $4700 seems to be a bit high. I'd probably try to get him down to below $4000. What's the consensus? Should I keep looking for a non-rusty car?
> 
> https://blacksburg.craigslist.org/cto/6567861300.html


For some, that M is the most desirable NA. 1.8L, unique wheels and seats, Merlot color. I wouldn’t want a rusty, resprayed car, but if you could get it for the right price...how picky are you? For a fun driver, it would be great.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

If there's rocker rust, I'd be curious to find out what other rust exists.

I'd probably steer clear unless you're ok with some rust and only looking for some fun.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

So, here’s what I did yesterday. 










Talk about some major work. Wetsanding. Cutting. Polishing. Waxing. Legit have blisters on my hands.

Deets: https://datforumdoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=268745&sid=bc9e123f69a11b351ddae9f8e71f6d34#p268737


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Zillon said:


> So, here’s what I did yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's some legit work. Is that the part that was repainted in the past? The before pic seems terrible for even a factory job.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

@Zillon WOW!!!!  :thumbup::thumbup:


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

Zillon said:


> If there's rocker rust, I'd be curious to find out what other rust exists.
> 
> I'd probably steer clear unless you're ok with some rust and only looking for some fun.


This is my main concern. If there's some on the rockers (where it's most common), is there other rust that may still be hiding else where. I'm by no means looking for a show queen or spec racing car, just something to learn how to wrench on and have fun with. That being said, for over 4 grand I'm sure I can find a car without rust. I may take a look at it and see how far he'll come down.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

gmeover said:


> The kicker is that there is some rocker rust, and the owner says it looks like the back half or the car has been resprayed. Should I keep looking for a non-rusty car?


Walk away. If you absolutely need Merlot, then you'll just have to look longer. That price is way high for rust and a respray. It doesn't even come with a HT.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Smigelski said:


> That's some legit work. Is that the part that was repainted in the past? The before pic seems terrible for even a factory job.


For a split second, I thought those body panels were made out of wood :laugh:


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Walk away. If you absolutely need Merlot, then you'll just have to look longer. That price is way high for rust and a respray. It doesn't even come with a HT.


I agree, the price is high for what it is. Thanks for the feedback!


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Nealric said:


> For a split second, I thought those body panels were made out of wood


So did I. Awesome. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

Zillon said:


> If there's rocker rust, I'd be curious to find out what other rust exists.
> 
> I'd probably steer clear unless you're ok with some rust and only looking for some fun.


so the seller got back to me with pictures of the rocker rust, it seems very minimal (from the outside). I've told him his price is too high, I'll see if he lowers it at all.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> That's some legit work. Is that the part that was repainted in the past? The before pic seems terrible for even a factory job.


Yeah, there were two repair areas on the car, one of which I knew about prior to the purchase. I don’t think the seller knew about the other spot, though I have reason to believe the whole rear end of the car has been painted over time. I don’t really care because the color is a perfect match. 

But the finish left a lot to be desired. I didn’t really notice it until after I picked the car up because I picked it up in the rain, but both doors and quarters had areas of orange peel. 

I found the Carpro denim pads on the Autogeek forums, and decided to give them a shot. Really really happy with how things turned out. 

Ideally I should’ve used a paint meter to tell how much paint I took off but I had the full day to detail and didn’t want to break it up with running to work to grab the meter.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> @Zillon WOW!!!!  :thumbup::thumbup:


Thanks. I’m pretty impressed with how it turned out - I’m no professional, just self taught through time and OCD.


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## MrMook (Dec 3, 2006)

I read this awesome R&T Miata story a few days ago, and have been daydreaming about Miatas all week. But, y'know, you can't haul stuff with them, so not very useful as a second car....then I pass this guy today:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Zillon said:


> If there's rocker rust, I'd be curious to find out what other rust exists.


Virtually all NAs that aren’t from CA or AZ will eventually develop rust in the rear rockers due to design. It’s a combination of the rocker pinch weld drains and just the way the sheet metal layers are folded and welded in that area. The damaged or clogged soft top rain rail drains can also contribute. My car has rusty rockers and no significant rust anywhere else. Underside is clean all things considered. But definitely do a PPI because it’s never fun fixing rust and doing paint. But since my car is a keeper, I’ll get to it eventually. I’m not in a big rush now that the car is garaged and only driven on nice days.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Nealric said:


> For a split second, I thought those body panels were made out of wood :laugh:


Glad I'm not the only one! Haha

I thought "kind of cool, a wooden miata. But why?"


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

freedomgli said:


> Virtually all NAs that aren’t from CA or AZ will eventually develop rust in the rear rockers due to design. It’s a combination of the rocker pinch weld drains and just the way the sheet metal layers are folded and welded in that area. The damaged or clogged soft top rain rail drains can also contribute. My car has rusty rockers and no significant rust anywhere else. Underside is clean all things considered. But definitely do a PPI because it’s never fun fixing rust and doing paint. But since my car is a keeper, I’ll get to it eventually. I’m not in a big rush now that the car is garaged and only driven on nice days.


THIS. The rockers on my 1996 that was always a midwestern car are horrendous, but the framerails/pinchwelds/floors/subframes are all in good shape. 

For a good price, I wouldn't pass up on a good miata if the rockers are bubbling.

edit: after looking at it, the price is a smidgen high but it still looks like a very good example, and I love the color. I would (with 400-500 knocked off the price):thumbup:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

MrMook said:


> I read this awesome R&T Miata story a few days ago, and have been daydreaming about Miatas all week. But, y'know, you can't haul stuff with them, so not very useful as a second car....then I pass this guy today:


the guys at the lumber yard all didnt know what to make of me driving by this weekend fully loaded with lumber in the passenger seat.


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## teejtiu (Feb 19, 2010)

3 wheel action from the 2018 SCCA San Diego Match Tour. 


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

freedomgli said:


> Virtually all NAs that aren’t from CA or AZ will eventually develop rust in the rear rockers due to design. It’s a combination of the rocker pinch weld drains and just the way the sheet metal layers are folded and welded in that area. The damaged or clogged soft top rain rail drains can also contribute. My car has rusty rockers and no significant rust anywhere else. Underside is clean all things considered. But definitely do a PPI because it’s never fun fixing rust and doing paint. But since my car is a keeper, I’ll get to it eventually. I’m not in a big rush now that the car is garaged and only driven on nice days.


Nah, only poorly-maintained NA's whose owners didn't clear out those rain rail drains have rust problems. My NA has lived all of its 24 years in CT (I'm still in contact with its current owners) and it doesn't have a lick of rocker rust, or any rust for that matter, because it was never driven in winter and the drains have always been cleared.

A friend of mine had a low-mileage NA with clogged drains and he developed a spot of rust on the left rocker. Only cost $300 to fix and you'd have never known it was there, so it's not a big deal if that's the only rust.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Mine's a lifelong Vermont car and zero rust in the rockers.

It's got it's fair share of surface rust in the chassis though, the rear end especially. I'm going to hit everything with a wire brush and a heavy coat of fluid film this year. The guys in the NH Miata club didn't think it was a big deal in the least, pretty usual level for a Miata up here that has seen occasional salty roads.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

A bath and a nice drive tonight with my wife. 

She cringed at some bumps (our roads are trash) and I reminded her we have 1 blown shock and the whole suspension is ready for a redo. 

As soon as my freelance checks come in we’re doing fresh shocks and bump stops for sure. 

Love this car. ❤


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

just going to the mall for some lumber, no need to use the truck




























remember to safely secure all loads before heading home:


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

:laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Tried a little PlasiX on my faded mirror caps. Lightly by hand, turned my pad all red but worked a treat! Covered up with a coat of wax and it’s much closer to the shine of the rest of the metal parts. 

Now I need to decide if I want to try the same with the bumpers and other faded plastic parts.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Sporin said:


> Tried a little PlasiX on my faded mirror caps. Lightly by hand, turned my pad all red but worked a treat! Covered up with a coat of wax and it’s much closer to the shine of the rest of the metal parts.
> 
> Now I need to decide if I want to try the same with the bumpers and other faded plastic parts.


did you take that picture with an iPad?!? :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

GreenandChrome said:


> did you take that picture with an iPad?!? :laugh:


7plus, but the shape of the mirror is exaggerating the size :laugh: :laugh: Wish I took a before picture, there was ZERO reflection.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Sporin said:


> 7plus, but the shape of the mirror is exaggerating the size :laugh: :laugh: Wish I took a before picture, there was ZERO reflection.


I give it 2 months before you're out there doing this again.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

sicklyscott said:


> I give it 2 months before you're out there doing this again.


Wouldn't shock me a bit, but I'm ok with that, it's a noticeable improvement that took me 15 minutes. eace:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Has anyone relocated the mirror on the Miata before? Specifically na? With a fixed seat and a Halo, I have to lean forward to get the proper view of the mirror.

I've heard of people moving the mirror forward 6 inches or so - do I just drill into the door?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> I've heard of people moving the mirror forward 6 inches or so - do I just drill into the door?


If you're going for that track rat look, sure, go ahead, function > form, right? But if you want something that doesn't look terrible, maybe try the Zoom Engineering door mirrors available with long, medium and standard mounting arms.

http://www.zoom-eng.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=8449


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> If you're going for that track rat look, sure, go ahead, function > form, right? But if you want something that doesn't look terrible, maybe try the Zoom Engineering door mirrors available with long, medium and standard mounting arms.
> 
> http://www.zoom-eng.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=8449


This is much better. Thank you!


Edit: damn those are expensive. Has anyone mad a bracket/arm to just move the stock mirror? 

Or is there another source anyone knows for something similar?


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

freedomgli said:


>


Every time I see these mirror necks, this pops into my head:











:laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Fresh coat of wax.


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## jettglx (Sep 6, 2001)

Need advice....Ran across what appears to be a pretty clean 2002 Miata, 5sp, just over 100K, silver, black cloth. Recent repair of cat and sensor ($1,400)
No mention of t-belt being done. Very little other knowledge of the car. 

Whats the $$$$$$ number on this car?????


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

jettglx said:


> Need advice....Ran across what appears to be a pretty clean 2002 Miata, 5sp, just over 100K, silver, black cloth. Recent repair of cat and sensor ($1,400)
> No mention of t-belt being done. Very little other knowledge of the car.
> 
> Whats the $$$$$$ number on this car?????


Hmmm... It looks like it has the factory extended side skirts. But no accompanying front front lower extension. Can't tell if it has the accompanying rear sections. 

Here's the full kit:










Maybe the previous owner only had the side skirts installed? Or it was involved in a fender bender and the front lip wasn't replaced. 

I recall the factory NB v.2 body kit comes in two flavors, mild and wild. The pre-refresh NB's factory body kit only came in one flavor.


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## jettglx (Sep 6, 2001)

mx5er said:


> Hmmm... It looks like it has the factory extended side skirts. But no accompanying front front lower extension. Can't tell if it has the accompanying rear sections.
> 
> Here's the full kit:
> 
> ...



It has the rear ones, that connect to the bottom of the bumper. But no wing and obviously no front. Is that odd or could of it been personal setup?


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

After looking for quite a while, I finally bought a Miata last Friday. '95 with preferred equipment package. 182k miles. Has some cosmetic damage, but the body is rust free and the top doesn't leak. It's in decent mechanical condition. Clutch and engine is strong, but has a minor oil leak from the valve cover gasket. Should be an easy fix. Has an up-sized wheel and tire package from Flyin' Miata. For now, I'll just drive it and upgrade things as they wear out. Suspension will probably the first thing I'll upgrade, but probably not until after the summer.




























Downside is that the windshield now has about half a dozen chips and cracks in it, probably from someone mowing their lawn/rocks when I had it parked in my neighborhood's parking lot over the weekend


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

warm weather here... people trying to sell convertibles.


$6k 88k miles
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/2001-mazda-miata-mx5/6583852552.html


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

jettglx said:


> Need advice....Ran across what appears to be a pretty clean 2002 Miata, 5sp, just over 100K, silver, black cloth. Recent repair of cat and sensor ($1,400)
> No mention of t-belt being done. Very little other knowledge of the car.
> 
> Whats the $$$$$$ number on this car?????


Not sure of your locale, but I'd give $5-6k MAX for it. Reason being I'm not sure of the rust situation underneath the tupperware or in general; the top is split and needs to be replaced; no history of the car means it may not have been carefully looked after - which IMO is a negative considering the amount of examples out there who have owners who pay more attention. The high dollar cat and O2 sensor repair means it was done at a shop, and I'd want to see records/scrutinize where it was done. The cost suggests it was done at a shop that may have just used overpriced generic parts - not a guarantee, but a possibility.

On the upside, it's clean, low miles. Was probably never a daily driver, which is okay because these cars are tough. Silver/black cloth is a pretty carefree and unassuming package. And it most likely has a Torsen given the equipment.

Not sure what asking is on this, so take my $5-6K max with a grain of salt - it could be a very insulting offer for all I know. I tend not to waste time on high-asking price cars for that reason if I don't see anything worthwhile about it.



gmeover said:


> After looking for quite a while, I finally bought a Miata last Friday. '95 with preferred equipment package. 182k miles. Has some cosmetic damage, but the body is rust free and the top doesn't leak. It's in decent mechanical condition. Clutch and engine is strong, but has a minor oil leak from the valve cover gasket. Should be an easy fix. Has an up-sized wheel and tire package from Flyin' Miata. For now, I'll just drive it and upgrade things as they wear out. Suspension will probably the first thing I'll upgrade, but probably not until after the summer.


Congrats! You're on the right track to just drive/enjoy it this summer, then work out a list of things for the winter.

Looks like the car is a Leather Package car, judging by the seats (hard to see but looks like they're tan leather) with the tan top - which only came in C-package car (renamed Leather Pkg in '95). That's assuming the top is original (not likely) or the PO kept the right top color for what was originally there.

VC gasket is a good item, but I'd also recommend replacing the CAS O-ring. CAS is the cam angle sensor, located on the back side of the head on the driver side. More often than not, they will leak back there onto the heater hose, which if gone unnoticed, will eventually fail and leave you stranded. Because you have to remove the valve cover to replace the CAS O-ring (which is only a couple bucks) it's a good "while you're in there" repair.

But otherwise, just enjoy the crap out of it!



GreenandChrome said:


> warm weather here... people trying to sell convertibles.
> 
> $6k 88k miles
> https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/2001-mazda-miata-mx5/6583852552.html


Not a terrible price, IMO.


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

Stevo12 said:


> Congrats! You're on the right track to just drive/enjoy it this summer, then work out a list of things for the winter.
> 
> Looks like the car is a Leather Package car, judging by the seats (hard to see but looks like they're tan leather) with the tan top - which only came in C-package car (renamed Leather Pkg in '95). That's assuming the top is original (not likely) or the PO kept the right top color for what was originally there.
> 
> ...


It has black cloth seats. The original owner put tan top when he replaced the original black top. Thanks for the heads up on the CAS o-ring, I'll probably replace it at the same time. Seems easy enough!


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## jettglx (Sep 6, 2001)

Stevo12 said:


> Not sure of your locale, but I'd give $5-6k MAX for it. Reason being I'm not sure of the rust situation underneath the tupperware or in general; the top is split and needs to be replaced; no history of the car means it may not have been carefully looked after - which IMO is a negative considering the amount of examples out there who have owners who pay more attention. The high dollar cat and O2 sensor repair means it was done at a shop, and I'd want to see records/scrutinize where it was done. The cost suggests it was done at a shop that may have just used overpriced generic parts - not a guarantee, but a possibility.
> 
> On the upside, it's clean, low miles. Was probably never a daily driver, which is okay because these cars are tough. Silver/black cloth is a pretty carefree and unassuming package. And it most likely has a Torsen given the equipment.
> 
> ...


The repair was done at Mazda Dealer. Customer stated car was bucking. Replaced the Cam Sensor, Cat and new Drive Belt. This was in Aug 2016 and about 2K miles ago, so the car has not been driven much at all in the last 2 years. The top that shows the slit was actually repaired, I guess that's how they repaired it. Car was driven on avg 6,250 per year. It was either smoked in or the cig lighter used to keep your hands warm as it looks well used. I am in Dirty Jersey


----------



## jettglx (Sep 6, 2001)

So I found out the repairs the owner had done, DID NOT fix the issue with the car dropping RPM and bucking. I found the owner and spoke to him about the car. He said you could be driving 10-20-60 minutes and then out of no where the car would sputter, buck, drop rpms, stall, etc. Possible bad fuel pump?


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

So now that the Miata is a fun/track/weekend car I decided to spice it up a little bit. The teenager in me has been wanting a louder exhaust but I couldn't justify $300+ for something that isn't going to provide a performance/reliability benefit. So I just soldiered on with my Cobalt exhaust (which sounds great but is not super loud).

Until a few days ago this popped up in the local FB Miata group. An Enthuza XR that I've envied for years. It retails for $350 before shipping and the guy wanted $150 firm.










I hopped on it and I just installed it today...

Holy Jesus this thing is _ignorant_ loud. Paired with my OBX header and iConcept resonated test pipe it's MAYBE a few dB quieter than a spec Miata. Maybe. I'm slightly more self conscious now because it sounds a little ricey but it also makes the 16 year old in me cackle :laugh:

Oh and the fireballs now are INSANE. Literally sounds like high caliber rifle shots. Gotta be careful on the overrun now hehe.

It is really droney at highway speeds so I will be wearing earplugs now for long drives to the track. I figure if I don't like it I can always sell it back for what I paid for it

On that note, does anyone want a well used Cobalt exhaust? The baffling is not quite as good as it was new but still sounded really good. They retail for $380 and I'll let it go for $150


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

jettglx said:


> So I found out the repairs the owner had done, DID NOT fix the issue with the car dropping RPM and bucking. I found the owner and spoke to him about the car. He said you could be driving 10-20-60 minutes and then out of no where the car would sputter, buck, drop rpms, stall, etc. Possible bad fuel pump?


Sounds like a coil pack gone bad. Miata fuel pumps are usually pretty robust, but some years of NB (can’t remember off the top of my head) has more sensitive coil packs. Running for a while before having issues seems like the coil pack is heating up before it has problems.


----------



## Seven6r (Nov 13, 2016)

mx5er said:


> Hmmm... It looks like it has the factory extended side skirts. But no accompanying front front lower extension. Can't tell if it has the accompanying rear sections.
> 
> Here's the full kit:
> 
> ...



If it is a factory body kit (Tupperware) the side skirts attach through holes in the quarter panel that are about 6" behind door opening. Owner may have thought twice about removing them once they discovered the holes.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm not a big NB guy but I could make an exception for a really clean BRG...

https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata/6592205625.html


----------



## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sporin said:


> I'm not a big NB guy but I could make an exception for a really clean BRG...
> 
> https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata/6592205625.html


Classic beauty.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

NA6 aficionados: yay or nay on getting an intake? I know the performance gains will be marginal, at best, but since my car is essentially track only I want to put something in there to clean up the engine bay and perhaps give a little bump in power. 

Down the line, I may do headers and get a standalone or I'll just sell the car eventually and get a 1.8 at some point (or something else). But I will have this car at least this season and next season.

So: Should I get an aftermarket intake? Any recommendations on one that is pretty cheap but effective?


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> NA6 aficionados: yay or nay on getting an intake? I know the performance gains will be marginal, at best, but since my car is essentially track only I want to put something in there to clean up the engine bay and perhaps give a little bump in power.
> 
> Down the line, I may do headers and get a standalone or I'll just sell the car eventually and get a 1.8 at some point (or something else). But I will have this car at least this season and next season.
> 
> So: Should I get an aftermarket intake? Any recommendations on one that is pretty cheap but effective?


most spec miata guys run a straight shot intake, don't know how much actual power it makes over the stock one, but yeah.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> most spec miata guys run a straight shot intake, don't know how much actual power it makes over the stock one, but yeah.


Thanks! Never heard of this one before. Seems to be pretty simple and cheap so I'll check it out.


----------



## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I'm not a big NB guy but I could make an exception for a really clean BRG...
> 
> https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/mazda-miata/6592205625.html


Thats a steal for 6K.

Here is my 01 BRG...








And I didn't pay much less with 90K on it.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Found on Instagram. Cool.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Phil Pugliese said:


> Thats a steal for 6K.
> 
> Here is my 01 BRG...
> 
> ...


 it’s a good thing I don’t have a barn and a bunch of disposable cash or I’d have ten Miatas.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> NA6 aficionados: yay or nay on getting an intake? I know the performance gains will be marginal, at best, but since my car is essentially track only I want to put something in there to clean up the engine bay and perhaps give a little bump in power.
> 
> Down the line, I may do headers and get a standalone or I'll just sell the car eventually and get a 1.8 at some point (or something else). But I will have this car at least this season and next season.
> 
> So: Should I get an aftermarket intake? Any recommendations on one that is pretty cheap but effective?


SM intakes aren't particularly cheap considering what they are, but there's a ton of R&D with those guys doing oodles of dyno testing looking for every last HP. Noticeable from behind the wheel? Who knows.

This is the setup in my '90. RB header and some sort of SM intake with homemade heat shield in between. With an old Megasquirt setup (and 175K miles) it produced 119HP/100TRQ on a Dynojet.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> SM intakes aren't particularly cheap considering what they are, but there's a ton of R&D with those guys doing oodles of dyno testing looking for every last HP. Noticeable from behind the wheel? Who knows.
> 
> This is the setup in my '90. RB header and some sort of SM intake with homemade heat shield in between. With an old Megasquirt setup (and 175K miles) it produced 119HP/100TRQ on a Dynojet.


most of that is probably in the header, which we are not allowed in SM.


----------



## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

I like the way my car looks with 13" wheels. Also, i really need to wash it.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

turn out finishing races works better than not finishing races:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> NA6 aficionados: yay or nay on getting an intake? I know the performance gains will be marginal, at best, but since my car is essentially track only I want to put something in there to clean up the engine bay and perhaps give a little bump in power.
> 
> Down the line, I may do headers and get a standalone or I'll just sell the car eventually and get a 1.8 at some point (or something else). But I will have this car at least this season and next season.
> 
> So: Should I get an aftermarket intake? Any recommendations on one that is pretty cheap but effective?


Don't forget that a lot of these short intakes _may_ increase top-end power, but they typically do so at the expense of mid-range power. I guess it all depends on what you are doing with the car.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Don't forget that a lot of these short intakes _may_ increase top-end power, but they typically do so at the expense of mid-range power. I guess it all depends on what you are doing with the car.


The car is almost exclusively for the track. Street driving is to and from the track (but hopefully will start towing it soon) and for testing after making changes only. But it seems like it's probably not worth it at this point.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I really need to put in fresh shocks, these are OE and at least 1 is blown. My hernia surgery recovery is making every harsh bump a nightmare.


----------



## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

I wouldn't mess with a factory air box on NA but if you are tracking look into a Randall cowl intake duct. 
I believe that's the only functional intake out there.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

freedomgli said:


> If you're going for that track rat look, sure, go ahead, function > form, right? But if you want something that doesn't look terrible, maybe try the Zoom Engineering door mirrors available with long, medium and standard mounting arms.
> 
> http://www.zoom-eng.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=8449


Hot dang, this is cool.


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Finally getting around to reviewing the NC on the Dragon. I LOVE THIS CAR.

The R56 GP2 was fun, the R53 was more fun... but the NC is sublime. To be completely cliche, it floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. And man does this car dance.

I only encountered a little bit of rub - 3 spots. Driver side inner shock tower (NBD, self clearancing), and I didn't quite have the fenders rolled enough on either side in the rear. Ended up grabbing the tire and slicing the rubber a bit, and it also pulled the fender lip down in the same spot on both sides at full compression. Luckily, no paint damage.

Through some stroke of luck and by talking to the right people, I found a local shop (Addicted Performance Unlimited in Maryville, TN - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE GUYS) who let me rent an Eastwood roller and a jack and some space in their parking lot so that I could put in some sweat equity to make my fenders less bacony. Otherwise I was about to get desperate with a hairdryer and a baseball bat in a back alley.

But all was good, and I was able to put the metal back into shape, and the rest of the week went on without another hitch in my fender. We also were extremely fortunate with the weather, somehow. Anyways, onto the pics!








































[/QUOTE]


----------



## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

So two weeks ago I did a thing, just remembered this thread:









This weekend my wife and I stuffed the little trunk and went to a wedding out of town- 3+hours each way were much less taxing than I was expecting- and the top-down portions of the drive were wonderful.


----------



## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

Tornado2dr said:


> So two weeks ago I did a thing, just remembered this thread:
> 
> 
> This weekend my wife and I stuffed the little trunk and went to a wedding out of town- 3+hours each way were much less taxing than I was expecting- and the top-down portions of the drive were wonderful.


Welcome aboard! I find my ND to be very comfortable for long drives and yes, top down is fantastic. Enjoy. :thumbup:


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

ran an ND in CS last weekend. was on falkens. i could keep up on PAX with the falkens in the dry, but when it got wet, the cars on stones ate me for breakfast. 

still lovin the ND though.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

we might like miatas:


----------



## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Zillon said:


> Finally getting around to reviewing the NC on the Dragon. I LOVE THIS CAR.
> 
> The R56 GP2 was fun, the R53 was more fun... but the NC is sublime. To be completely cliche, it floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. And man does this car dance.
> 
> ...


Great pics, your car is a literal burst of sunshine in all of them.

Congrats, Tornado and cockerpunk :beer:


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Zillon said:


> Stuff....


I'm starting to become curious of the NC. I've read about the big motor difference in 06-08 vs 09+. Is there aftermarket for more power in the 09+ cars?


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

sicklyscott said:


> I'm starting to become curious of the NC. I've read about the big motor difference in 06-08 vs 09+. Is there aftermarket for more power in the 09+ cars?


The parts are all the same. As far as headers, intakes, etc. there's no difference between those for 06-08 and 09+.

The big plus for NC2 (09+) is that the engines can take more revs safely. I tried autocrossing a '08 with a 7800 RPM limiter and that didn't end well. The '10 we use now is tuned to run to 8000 RPM and it'll do that reliably. Between the two there wasn't much of a difference in RWHP on the same dyno: the '08 turned something like 8-10 HP less than the '10.


----------



## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

Same motor better parts internally. (Manual cars got forged internals.)


----------



## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

So tomorrow I’m going to look at a 1995. $2950, 129k. New top, timing belt, and starter. Thinking of offering $2500 cash in person. I’d be happy with $2700. Fair?


----------



## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Zillon said:


> NC on the Dragon.


:thumbup::thumbup:

I've driven the dragon twice, both times with very little traffic, but sadly with rentals.  Unless I do a cross country trip, doubt I'll ever get to experience it with one of my own cars.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

nyexx said:


> So tomorrow I’m going to look at a 1995. $2950, 129k. New top, timing belt, and starter. Thinking of offering $2500 cash in person. I’d be happy with $2700. Fair?


If it's not a rust bucket, or otherwise trashed, that would be a hell of a deal.


----------



## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

sicklyscott said:


> I'm starting to become curious of the NC. I've read about the big motor difference in 06-08 vs 09+. Is there aftermarket for more power in the 09+ cars?


You can get an early NC for fairly cheap, I loved mine. With a headers-back exhaust and a tune it felt peppy, no issues during autox.

5 by GZPhotoBoston, on Flickr


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Oh man! That's about the best set up NC2 I've ever seen! I'd buy that on the spot from you if it were ever on the market. 

Glad it handled the dragon well too. Love that place.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

SAV912 said:


> Oh man! That's about the best set up NC2 I've ever seen! I'd buy that on the spot from you if it were ever on the market.
> 
> Glad it handled the dragon well too. Love that place.


I'll keep this in mind for when I inevitably need to sell this to buy an ND. :laugh:

I love this car, though.


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## NailsInOurBacks (Jan 26, 2005)

I've spent too many hours reading through this thread while on the job... Thank you all. :thumbup:

Anybody run the bikini top?

Also, anyone got a good line on a left over Greddy 1.6 turbo kit? I remember they used to sell for $1,200 brand new. Then Greddy went under and the kit discontinued. But I assume there are still some retailers out there that have a kit sitting on a shelf somewhere. Last I looked they were around ~$2,000. I know most folks dislike it but I drove one (14 years ago... WOW!) and loved it. That 150 hp was just the right amount of fun plus it was CARB legal. Any other inexpensive alternatives that are CA compliant?

I was thinking a '91-'93 (~$3k) with some deferred maintenance and coolant reroute (~$400) a mount (~$150) for my Recaro SPG XL, a set of Tein coilovers (~$750), Motul RBF600 & sport brake pads (~$200) and TRM wheels in 15x9 with 225 Rival/R-S4/V720/etc tire on sale (~$900) puts me right around $6,000 with taxes, reg and insurance for a rig that'll get me there and back. A bikini top looks killer with a Hard Dog or Blackbird Fabworx rollbar + turbo would be the $3,500+ cherry on top. For that coin probably better to buy someone's built car. Or maybe the top is a pain?

The 911 is going to need to take a back seat for the next couple of years. The fun tracks take up a whole weekend and I can't commit - I've already had to skip a couple of local events due to scheduling and it's just going to get tighter when the kiddo gets here. Gotta be spontaneous arrive and drive. There is Adams Karting Track in Riverside on 2nd & 4th Fridays and Grange in Apple Valley open all week long + Speedventures monthly weekend autocross. This reduces scheduling commitments, keeping it sane speed/safety and convenient - everything is local and I can crank some minute lap times and be back home in 3 hours for $30 plus the cost of gas and a soda. Use Harry's Lap Timer for record keeping with a few friends we can have a monthly or quarterly TT. Fastest lap time gets a free oil change and my garage is open for tech. Happy to open it up to all any TCL'ers that wanna get in on the fun.

Any input on a kart track budget NA build is appreciated. Now let's see some more budget build Miata's!:laugh:


And here's my history with Miata's: bought around 2010 from a UCLA grad student. Proceeded to modify and autocross/drive the hell out of it.










#2 bought around 2013 for $3k from original owner a little old lady in SD. Sold it for $3k after two months when I took over the S2000 project.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

NailsInOurBacks said:


> I've spent too many hours reading through this thread while on the job... Thank you all.
> 
> Anybody run the bikini top?
> 
> ...


Get the Flyin Miata Fox-made coilovers, Vmaxx xxxtremexxxx xxx version, they're awesome for that price range. 225 Rival-S is the tire to get. Grab a pair of extended lower ball joints for the front while you're at it so you can get at least -3 degrees camber. Ideally grab a bigger front sway bar too. That's the setup that my buddy has landed on after trying a bunch of stuff on his, it handles great and still rides pretty well on the street. Super fun car to drive. 

Power doesn't matter much in regular autox, but Adams has some pretty long straightaways so I'm guessing you'll still want more power. I don't know the best way to get that on a budget.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

NailsInOurBacks said:


> Happy to open it up to all any TCL'ers that wanna get in on the fun.


I may take you up on this as I just picked up mine, but still not sure how far I wanna go in terms of an autox build. It's gonna be my daily driver and right now I'm really enjoying the ride quality (stock shocks @ 39k miles), but will probably lower it after I swap out the 16" for 15" wheels. May stick with 15x7 and go with 205s first. I don't know...realistically it'll be a while until I get it dialed in.


----------



## NailsInOurBacks (Jan 26, 2005)

troyguitar said:


> Get the Flyin Miata Fox-made coilovers, Vmaxx xxxtremexxxx xxx version, they're awesome for that price range. 225 Rival-S is the tire to get. Grab a pair of extended lower ball joints for the front while you're at it so you can get at least -3 degrees camber. Ideally grab a bigger front sway bar too. That's the setup that my buddy has landed on after trying a bunch of stuff on his, it handles great and still rides pretty well on the street. Super fun car to drive.
> 
> Power doesn't matter much in regular autox, but Adams has some pretty long straightaways so I'm guessing you'll still want more power. I don't know the best way to get that on a budget.


Beautiful. V-maxx and extended lower ball joints it is. Is the butterfly frame rail bracing still a go to part or has something new come out? Man this is fun, jumping back into the Miata forums. I gotta see if the Kinod meets are still going on...

I really liked that Greddy 15g turbo on the 1.6 I am sure a 1.8 with a few tweaks is just as fast but damn it if that boosted '90 NA wasn't one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. 5 lbs of boost with the bipes cranking 150 hp felt perfect for just having fun. 

I can hear the racing beat exhaust already.


----------



## NailsInOurBacks (Jan 26, 2005)

kiznarsh said:


> I may take you up on this as I just picked up mine, but still not sure how far I wanna go in terms of an autox build. It's gonna be my daily driver and right now I'm really enjoying the ride quality (stock shocks @ 39k miles), but will probably lower it after I swap out the 16" for 15" wheels. May stick with 15x7 and go with 205s first. I don't know...realistically it'll be a while until I get it dialed in.


Oh man.. you got a low mileage car! No rush, I'll keep ya in the loop - I'll start a facebook group once I get a couple of folks interested. Let's chat at the TCL GTG... if it happens


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

NailsInOurBacks said:


> Oh man.. you got a low mileage car! No rush, I'll keep ya in the loop - I'll start a facebook group once I get a couple of folks interested. Let's chat at the TCL GTG... if it happens


Yeah, it's almost _too _nice to make it a track car, but then again it's a Miata. :laugh: The fresh internals make a good candidate for FI.

I deactivated FB a while ago but chatting at the GTG would be a good. Talking face to face? WHAT YEAR IS IT?!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Quick help?

I recently removed a roll bar and was missing some seatbelt parts. In the process of putting on some un-cut plastics and wondering if I’ve got this small spacer in the right spot (above the belt tab)

94 NA.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I think that’s right, I tightened it all down. I didn’t have the small spacer before but the gentleman I got the seatbelt plastics from said I was missing them and gave them to me.

Pulled apart my center console. As I suspected, shift turret is dry as a bone. Refilled with synthetic motor oil. Shift boot has a very small tear so I’ll order another one at some point and do a full rebuild with Redline gear oil.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

The shifter rebuild was the first thing I did. The boots were desintigrated. I added a 5x racing metal distal piece. Forgot what its called. but tge whole Experience is 150 percent better. Plus less heat. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My shifter is in great shape, actually . Zero play in it and the plastic bushing is in perfect shape. If it wasn’t for the small tear in the rubber I doubt I’d bother rebuilding. I’ll probably just do the cheap kit from Treasure Coast. https://www.ebay.com/itm/90-05-Miata-shifter-rebuild-kit-/302776001714


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## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

Is Miata always the answer?










Not today


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

patrikman said:


> Not today


So saucy tonight.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

A club member?s Miata trailer build, fresh out of the paint shop.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

patrikman said:


> Is Miata always the answer?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Try better.


----------



## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Sporin said:


> Try better.


----------



## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Took the car to Radwood SF yesterday and had a blast! Car just came out of paint...I'll post up a one year update soon.









Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Gorgeous :thumbup:


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## Numbersix (Nov 7, 2001)

Radwood = :thumbup:

That color/wheel combo = :thumbup: :thumbup:

Kiznarsh: I know you're paying attention.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Numbersix said:


> Radwood = :thumbup:
> 
> That color/wheel combo = :thumbup: :thumbup:
> 
> Kiznarsh: I know you're paying attention.


Indeed, that looks slick. :thumbup:

Miata mods (at least the major ones) are on hold till the Cayman is sold.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Ordered a set of the Bus Depot E-Code H4 Headlights.

http://www.busdepot.com/nl910ch4

Reading through the forums people are very happy with these and the price is right (half the price of Cibies). Should be a huge upgrade over the sealed beams.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Ordered a set of the Bus Depot E-Code H4 Headlights.
> 
> http://www.busdepot.com/nl910ch4
> 
> Reading through the forums people are very happy with these and the price is right (half the price of Cibies). Should be a huge upgrade over the sealed beams.


I put those in my NA as well. Made me wonder why I waited so long, and then amazed at how I never got into an accident with the previous sealed beams.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> I put those in my NA as well. Made me wonder why I waited so long, and then amazed at how I never got into an accident with the previous sealed beams.


Yup. I don't actually drive much at night since it's just a summer car, but when I do, I'm on the high beams as much as possible. Still, over $100 for the Cibies so I kept putting it off. The link for these came up and while the forums debate the minuscule difference between these and the name brands, it's very clear that it's a massive upgrade over the sealed beams.


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## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

kiznarsh said:


> So saucy tonight.


all sauce, all of the time.



Sporin said:


> Try better.





Brandontrek1 said:


>


None of those cars wouldn?t have made it to the portage.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

patrikman said:


> None of those cars wouldn?t have made it to the portage.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

patrikman said:


> None of those cars wouldn?t have made it to the portage.


----------



## patrikman (May 10, 2008)

Sporin said:


>


Those definitely would. 



cockerpunk said:


>


You wouldn?t have made it through the ruts. My rear diff is 8.5? off of the ground and it was dragging. Rally-x setup doesn?t mean you are going to make it down every fire road.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

$12,500! :thumbup:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-mazda-mx-5-miata-13/


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My generic E-Code's have arrived from busdepot.com. Look to be very high quality. I've got Hella H4 bulbs to go in them.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Upgrade! https://instagram.com/p/Bkq7LliHhOf/


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

Enjoy the upgraded headlights, I purchased Cibie Z-Beams for my first car 40 years ago, and the difference from sealed beams was incredible. Cibie Z-beams were one of the first mods to my Miata when I got it back in 1993. Just changed out the bulbs, after 20+ years they were getting a bit weak, noted the build date on the Cibie Z-Beams was late 1992.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Sporin said:


> Upgrade! https://instagram.com/p/Bkq7LliHhOf/


What h4 bulb did you go with. 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)




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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

KICKINGTI said:


> What h4 bulb did you go with.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


They are Hella 55/60 H4's, but I bought them YEARS ago when I had my Range Rover Classic. Not sure it makes a difference but they've been just sitting on my garage shelf since 2004.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Hey guys I need some advice (as usual!) 

My car is an NA6 (1991) and it was being set up for SSM spec racing when I bought it. So it has the spec miata suspension on it. I recently got it corner balanced which some of you may recall. The alignment is -3.6 in the front and -2.8 in the back. 

However at my latest track day, the car is downright scary over even minor bumps - the rear end gets unweighted and very squirrely, at speeds where it shouldn't be a huge issue. 

I think my first problem is that the car is too low, and I have very little suspension travel. The car doesn't recover very quickly in transitions and after being unsettled. 

My proposed solution is to raise the car up but also to get NB top hats and perhaps the FCM bumpstops. I don't fully understand all this suspension stuff so I'm hoping one of you with more experience can guide me - is that what I need to get better performance out of my suspension? I know the spec suspension isn't the best but I'm not spending on a new setup for this car. 

Any help or guidance appreciated!


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Hey guys I need some advice (as usual!)
> 
> My car is an NA6 (1991) and it was being set up for SSM spec racing when I bought it. So it has the spec miata suspension on it. I recently got it corner balanced which some of you may recall. The alignment is -3.6 in the front and -2.8 in the back.
> 
> ...


yeah, too low or rake with the rear low does't help. should be 4.5 inches to the pinch, no lower. I'd also run some toe-in in back. id also match the cambers a bit better.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> yeah, too low or rake with the rear low does't help. should be 4.5 inches to the pinch, no lower. I'd also run some toe-in in back. id also match the cambers a bit better.


I do have some toe-in in the back. Thank you. I will have to measure but I asked them for 4.5 inches to the pinch, I'm not sure what it's actually at. 

I'll bump up the rear camber a bit maybe to at least -3 too. 

Thanks for the insight! 

Besides all that, would the NB top hats and FCM bump stops make a difference in getting more out of my suspension?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> I do have some toe-in in the back. Thank you. I will have to measure but I asked them for 4.5 inches to the pinch, I'm not sure what it's actually at.
> 
> I'll bump up the rear camber a bit maybe to at least -3 too.
> 
> ...


should give you more real travel. it will help, marginally. 

what springs/bars do you run? is it the full spec miata set?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> I do have some toe-in in the back. Thank you. I will have to measure but I asked them for 4.5 inches to the pinch, I'm not sure what it's actually at.
> 
> I'll bump up the rear camber a bit maybe to at least -3 too.
> 
> ...


Depends on the durometer of the bump stops (FCM makes different durometers) and your spring rates. It could be possible, depending on what's in there (and the age of the bump stops) that the car is getting squirrely when it goes past the transition where you start riding the bump stops.

IIRC Spec Miatas run harder spring rates than most other track setups due to the use of much softer tires. I don't recall which tires you're running, but it might be that the springs a tad hard for what the car "wants." If you're running something soft like RA1s or slicks, then you're probably close enough.

NB hats are favorable to street guys looking to get more travel out of the suspension, often for a better ride. If you have more travel, you can afford to reduce the spring and/or damper rate on the street, allowing for a smoother ride. While those principles apply on the track too, I wouldn't give them a look until you get your height/camber settings set, and evaluate the type/age of the bump stops, and what spring rates you've got in there currently. If you need to go to a softer spring, then maybe NB hats won't be a bad idea, but again, it has to do with your bumpstop selection.

In the interest of dialing in your car to how YOU want it to drive, it might be best to take a look at one thing at a time. The ride height and camber go hand in hand, and it's best to get those dialed before changing out components, as those settings will be your baseline when you start swapping things out.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> should give you more real travel. it will help, marginally.
> 
> what springs/bars do you run? is it the full spec miata set?


Yes everything is the spec miata setup as far as I know. He said the nb top hats were not legal for SSM so that's why they weren't changed. Perhaps just raising up the suspension is the answer but I'd rather just get the top hats and do it right if it will help. 

The other benefit will be that I can install my master cylinder brace (na top hat doesn't have enough thread to attach it).


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Depends on the durometer of the bump stops (FCM makes different durometers) and your spring rates. It could be possible, depending on what's in there (and the age of the bump stops) that the car is getting squirrely when it goes past the transition where you start riding the bump stops.
> 
> IIRC Spec Miatas run harder spring rates than most other track setups due to the use of much softer tires. I don't recall which tires you're running, but it might be that the springs a tad hard for what the car "wants." If you're running something soft like RA1s or slicks, then you're probably close enough.
> 
> ...


This makes a lot of sense, thank you. 

I'm running R888R currently, so not quite as soft as those. However I do like the tires a lot. The problem is I also only go to the track a few times a year (maybe 6 weekends if I'm lucky) so I want to make sure things are well taken care of in between, as I don't want to spend too much time experimenting. 

While this past weekend wasn't a waste by any means, it certainly was disappointing in that I couldn't push as much as I wanted to at all.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Yes everything is the spec miata setup as far as I know. He said the nb top hats were not legal for SSM so that's why they weren't changed. Perhaps just raising up the suspension is the answer but I'd rather just get the top hats and do it right if it will help.
> 
> The other benefit will be that I can install my master cylinder brace (na top hat doesn't have enough thread to attach it).


run the bars at full soft.

the spec miata spring rates are pretty understeer baised IMO, 325 is pretty low in back IMO.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> This makes a lot of sense, thank you.
> 
> I'm running R888R currently, so not quite as soft as those. However I do like the tires a lot. The problem is I also only go to the track a few times a year (maybe 6 weekends if I'm lucky) so I want to make sure things are well taken care of in between, as I don't want to spend too much time experimenting.
> 
> While this past weekend wasn't a waste by any means, it certainly was disappointing in that I couldn't push as much as I wanted to at all.


No problem.



W/r/t to development...If you can somehow find a way to develop a race car on a limited time/testing budget, and you're not already doing so professionally, you're in the wrong business. The guys that can make money in motorsport, do so because they have developed their skill through lots of test time, and have developed a good baseline.

The trouble with your build is that it's not built to any particular rulebook specs, and as such the 'spec' comes more your personal preferences as a driver. Starting with an old Spec Miata works from some aspects of the car - the chassis/safety upgrades, the motor, etc. The suspension and tires are particular to SM, and the knowledge core on those have been developed extensively through many man-hours of testing/racing, so if they don't suit your preference as a driver (or aren't conducive to the tracks you run) or you change one or several of the major components (like the tires, as you mention) then the rest of components start to lose value to you. It's not uncommon to find that SM suspension setups are not ideal for all drivers, or when you start to deviate away from that setup.

If your time is limited, maybe consider a FCM Elite setup and ditch the SM setup altogether. There are a lot of satisfied FCM customers, and the development time that has gone into their knowledge core (see, that's where experience comes into play!) might help you shorten yours as a time-limited builder/driver, and you might get closer to what you need in a shorter amount of time. 

It ain't cheap though. But as you know a well-sorted suspension makes or breaks a Miata, so it might be worth it.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> No problem.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think you hit the nail on the head - I tried to leverage the sm knowledge base when setting up the car, and using what I have already. However I didn't do enough research to realize the ssm cars can't go as low as the sm cars with the different shock mounts and typically also different bump stops. 

My car isn't undrivable by any means, but definitely not optimized as the suspension is unable to settle quickly. 

So the answer now is just raise the car up a bit and live with it? Or spend the money and do it right? 

I have probably 4-5 weeks until I go to the track again so I'll figure it out. The fcm kit (just the sm bump stops) is way pricy imo. I might just go with the flyin Miata kit which is about $140 cheaper.

Since I'm not racing I can't really justify the extra money for marginal gains. I will likely sell this car eventually and buy an nb and I won't be using the sm suspension. Too many compromises.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> I think you hit the nail on the head - I tried to leverage the sm knowledge base when setting up the car, and using what I have already. However I didn't do enough research to realize the ssm cars can't go as low as the sm cars with the different shock mounts and typically also different bump stops.
> 
> My car isn't undrivable by any means, but definitely not optimized as the suspension is unable to settle quickly.
> 
> ...


Depends on what you value when you go to the track. Just to be out there and learn the car you've got, or to be able to push yourself faster and faster?

Whether you're racing or not, the financials rarely make sense. If $3k for a new suspension totally revamps the car you've got and helps you enjoy it more, then there's some value there. And it'll probably be the cheaper option versus starting over with a brand new car.

When you pay the for the suspension, you're paying for the R&D and the relatively-immediate satisfaction. As I said, the self-developed cars take years of trial-and-error. To shortcut that process has to take some sort of additional input to make up for the time factor. That's why the FCM suspensions are pricey. But I don't recall anyone saying it wasn't worth the money.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Depends on what you value when you go to the track. Just to be out there and learn the car you've got, or to be able to push yourself faster and faster?
> 
> Whether you're racing or not, the financials rarely make sense. If $3k for a new suspension totally revamps the car you've got and helps you enjoy it more, then there's some value there. And it'll probably be the cheaper option versus starting over with a brand new car.
> 
> When you pay the for the suspension, you're paying for the R&D and the relatively-immediate satisfaction. As I said, the self-developed cars take years of trial-and-error. To shortcut that process has to take some sort of additional input to make up for the time factor. That's why the FCM suspensions are pricey. But I don't recall anyone saying it wasn't worth the money.


Thanks again for all the advice. It's not worth $3k to spend on this car, I'd rather sell this car and but something else with that money.

Maybe the medium measure is to buy the sm kit from fcm. Or at least the FM kit, and get the car closer to neutral.

I swapped cars with a friend at the track and without pushing his car at all I was at least 3-4 mph faster in the fast corners of the track and his car was way, way more planted and stable.

For anyone that knows summit main, in my car, turn 3 and especially turn 4 are scary as hell. Above 90 in turn 4 and the small bump at the bottom of the hill sends me almost to the other side of the track before the car gets settled (which makes the braking zone more difficult to manage consistently).

In turn 10, anything faster than around 80 and I'm just about drifting through the corner as the back end comes loose.

The biggest difference is the ability to just toss the car into the corners in his car, whereas with mine the car gets upset very easily.

Anyway I think with the advice in here and my research on the issue I should be able to get it good enough before my next track day.


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

Finally got one! 2008 NC1 Touring 6spd PRHT with only a tick over 53k miles on her for $11k. Got a very favorable rate from my long time credit union as well and got 2.1% interest for 60 months although I'll pay it off completely next year anyway.

I'm still salty that I couldn't get the holy grail of NC Miatas (Competition Yellow)......ESPECIALLY when one popped up for sale less than 10 damn days later!!! I hate you Zillion, I blame you completely lol.

My favorite NC's are the Club PRHT (white or black) and the most excellent perfect thing ever created beautiful CYM that I will likely never have lol.

I picked my girl Miika up late on 6/11/18 after spying on here for a while, I ordered Continental Extreme Contact Sports as soooooon as I got home (stock tire size), and had celebratory lunch with my best friend and Jaköb the NA the next day.

I forgot to post to this thread after years of temptation beating me down and finally making me buy my own instead of driving everyone else's lol. 

(sold my mk7 GTi privately to a very good home)









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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Kiyokix said:


> Finally got one! 2008 NC1 Touring 6spd PRHT with only a tick over 53k miles on her for $11k. Got a very favorable rate from my long time credit union as well and got 2.1% interest for 60 months although I'll pay it off completely next year anyway.
> 
> I'm still salty that I couldn't get the holy grail of NC Miatas (Competition Yellow)......ESPECIALLY when one popped up for sale less than 10 damn days later!!! I hate you Zillion, I blame you completely lol.
> 
> ...


Congrats!

I'll sell you mine. :laugh:


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

Zillon said:


> Congrats!
> 
> I'll sell you mine.


Get outta here you tease! 

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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Got a package in the mail...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*How to price my 1990?*

I have a 1990 Miata that I've had for 8 years. It's been a great car, and I've driven it all over the place. I'm going to be putting it up for sale shortly, but how to price it?

It's not a low-mileage cream puff, but it is really in excellent condition for its age and mileage. It needs literally nothing. Here's the for sale ad I've come up with. Any critiques on this would be welcome as well:



> *Excellent Condition 1990 Miata - 122k miles, LNC*
> 
> 
> Up for sale is my garage-kept 1990 Miata that I’ve owned for 8 years. This B-package car with air conditioning, power windows and power steering is in 100%-complete shape. I’ve put a lot of work into this car over the years, and have kept up with maintenance religiously and replaced a lot of parts before they were due.
> ...



Photos! I've attached a few photos to this post, but I have an entire album of high quality photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9EyDg5k4MpUCzXK66

I also have a hard top that is in better condition that the car. It's the original hard top that came with the car from the factory. Do I include the hard top in the sale? Or do I sell the hardtop separately?














































And some pictures of the hard top:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The hardtop, in that condition, could easily fetch $1200 on it's own.

Not sure about the car. Only very low mileage, all-original NA's are bringing the bigger bucks but given it's incredible condition, I'd list it for $6k-ish and see how the market reacts. Someone who really knows these cars will be thrilled to get it for that, I know I would be. GLWS :thumbup:


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## Turbo II (Jun 9, 2017)

Zillon said:


> Got a package in the mail...


Curious, how long did it take you to get them from the time you filed the application?


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

I dealt with my ugly headlight oxidation last week finally, now they don't make the car look old anymore! I also installed the Goodwin Racing Helmholtz midpipe this weekend. I still have the stock header and muffler installed, but WOW what a difference that makes. There is absolutely zero drone now (that's its main purpose, besides power) and the engine just sounds soooooooooooo silky smooth it's amazing. I was unsure of how big a difference it would make without any other changes, but it is pretty big.

The car still sounds like a factory car which is cool, but with a little extra something. Hard to describe, but it brings out the stock burbles at low revs, and now it pops a little (not gunshots, pops) on shifts which is awesome.

You can still drive through the neighborhood and no one will think you're a hooligan with an exhaust, it just sounds like a stock sports car....I like that a lot. The stock car is a little too muted, this is still very quiet, but about 10% louder. If I never told anyone it was there they would have ABSOLUTELY no idea that it wasn't 100000% stock.

It does pull nicely as a side effect haha, seems like the mid range has a little extra between 3.5-5.5k.

My Roadstersport Super Q should arrive this week, so I'll have a muffler on here as well while shedding a little weight.

To ANYONE with an NC Miata, I hugely recommend the Helmholtz midpipe, they say it makes ANY muffler sound better, and I now completely agree with them.









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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Really feeling the NC love here. Can't believe I had zero interest in these cars just a few years ago.


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

Claff said:


> Really feeling the NC love here. Can't believe I had zero interest in these cars just a few years ago.


I think the NC is the Porsche 996 of Miatas.....and that makes me SO happy lol! Keeps the prices low for what I believe to be the best overall of all of the generations. I've driven them all (a lot and over many years), but the NC I believe to be the most 'whole' as a sports car. Not so much the best old school roadster for sure, that title goes to the NA without question. However the NC is like a featherlite version of a few cars, it reminds me of my old FC RX-7 somewhat, and a bit of the early/mid 2000's Cayman/Boxster.

It has a certain solidity that the others lack while still being as light as a feather compared to basically every other sports car.

I still drive an NA6 quite a lot, and while it's a blast (and hugely slower, so you can get on it almost 99% of the time without repercussion) and I miss me some pop up lights (hugely)...it makes me feel better about my NC every time I get back in it. Same thing with an '08 Cayman S that I drive a lot, it's amazing and sounds GLORIOUS with the Borla exhaust on it....but it feels super heavy in comparison and not nearly as fun despite it being a damn good time if you have room to really stretch those legs.

I don't regret selling my mk7 GTi to do the less grown-up thing lol and daily the NC now (at least until next year when I buy another car to go opposite the NC). 

Pics for clicks 









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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

Claff said:


> Really feeling the NC love here. Can't believe I had zero interest in these cars just a few years ago.


Also MY GOD that car looks so business!!! 

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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I have a 1990 Miata that I've had for 8 years. It's been a great car, and I've driven it all over the place. I'm going to be putting it up for sale shortly, but how to price it?
> 
> It's not a low-mileage cream puff, but it is really in excellent condition for its age and mileage. It needs literally nothing. Here's the for sale ad I've come up with. Any critiques on this would be welcome as well:
> 
> ...


I agree you should sell the hard top separately. $1200 is realistic, I wouldn't take less that $1,000. I sold a poor paint condition, former race car hard top with no defrost or headliner for $850 within a couple of days. 

The car should fetch $5k+ depending on where you live, and could go over over $6k if you're not in a rush and wait for the right buyer. Hell the right buyer might want to take the top also for a $7k package.


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

300_munkeys said:


> I agree you should sell the hard top separately. $1200 is realistic, I wouldn't take less that $1,000. I sold a poor paint condition, former race car hard top with no defrost or headliner for $850 within a couple of days.
> 
> The car should fetch $5k+ depending on where you live, and could go over over $6k if you're not in a rush and wait for the right buyer. Hell the right buyer might want to take the top also for a $7k package.


I also agree with this 100%

That price is completely fair and good for both buyer and seller, but especially the price on the hardtop. Those are fetching really good money and I wouldn't let it for for a penny less than $1k, especially in that condition. 

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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> I have a 1990 Miata that I've had for 8 years. It's been a great car, and I've driven it all over the place. I'm going to be putting it up for sale shortly, but how to price it?


It's a good looking car for sure. Although the color isn't as unique and that might help the sale, but limit the price ceiling.

I've looked at quite a few in the last six months. Paint condition is a limiting factor. I'd say spend the $300 on a professional detail to take away the concern. *Even then, your car, with HT would be in the ~$5500 range.* 

BAT recently sold two 1990's - a red one with with 24K miles for $7200 and a white one with 30K miles for $6700. All the low mileage early cars had full maintenance, original engine, and HT.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> It's a good looking car for sure. Although the color isn't as unique and that might help the sale, but limit the price ceiling.
> 
> I've looked at quite a few in the last six months. Paint condition is a limiting factor. I'd say spend the $300 on a professional detail to take away the concern. *Even then, your car, with HT would be in the ~$5500 range.*
> 
> BAT recently sold two 1990's - a red one with with 24K miles for $7200 and a white one with 30K miles for $6700. All the low mileage early cars had full maintenance, original engine, and HT.


Basically, there's rock chips on the bumper and the front of the fenders. I can't do much about that.

The cars on BaT didn't have hard tops. The red car didn't mention major service items. They are great looking cars, though.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Turbo II said:


> Curious, how long did it take you to get them from the time you filed the application?


About 5 weeks.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I have a similar question. My friend has a very clean 2000, green miata with black top and interior. LS. However it's an automatic.

Unfortunately there are a few spots on the hood and front bumper with peeling clear coat.

On the other hand, the car only has 45k miles.

What do you guys think a reasonable price is? I'm thinking somewhere between $4-6k, realistically around $4500 because of the low mileage but also the paint.

Automatic miatas are a funny beast and it's hard to nail a value. KBB actually puts it closer to $6k but I think that is way too optimistic.

Is asking $5500 too much?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I can’t imagine having to sell an automatic Miata... that’s a REALLY small prospective buyer pool.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Smigelski said:


> Basically, there's rock chips on the bumper and the front of the fenders. I can't do much about that.
> 
> The cars on BaT didn't have hard tops. The red car didn't mention major service items. They are great looking cars, though.


I'm in northern MD and want an NA, but I think your car is too nice for me. I just want a solid driver. I would think you could easily get 5k+ plus for it.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> I have a similar question. My friend has a very clean 2000, green miata with black top and interior. LS. However it's an automatic.
> 
> Unfortunately there are a few spots on the hood and front bumper with peeling clear coat.
> 
> ...


I know that when minty, low mileage NAs come up for sale that are automatics, they tend to sell for _thousands_ less than their stick shift counterparts. Even $5,500 may be too much.


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

Installed some 15/20mm spacers yesterday. I can’t believe how much better it makes it look, especially from the back. I love this car!



















































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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

*Anyone looking for a low mileage 1990? PM me!*

I was at the local cruise night yesterday and noticed 2 Miatas sitting there. One was white with some goofy wheels and a big luggage rack, nothing great to look at. The other was a clean silver '90 with a for sale sign on it. The car has 28,000 miles and looks to be VERY well kept. My '91 is so far from factory spec that I was curious to see what an OEM engine bay and interior actually looked like. I found the owner and he showed the car and told me its story. Basically it was owned by a HESS employee who got transferred, left the car at the owner's brother's neighbor's house (may not have gotten that right) and this guy bought it. I think I remember the guy saying he's owned it since the mid-90's but I could be mistaken. The current owner is an older gentlemen who now has 4 cars and would like to free up space in his garage for his wife. I told him I'd help spread the word of the car, it's really in fantastic shape. The only flaws I could find (without getting dirty) is the zipper is starting to pull away from the top, the glovebox when closed isn't aligned well, has a scratch on the rear bumper, collapsed radiator hose (probably needs new hoses all around) and the AC "needs a recharge". 

Below are some quick snaps, I have the guys "home phone number" (sounds so odd to say that these days) and can put you in contact with him. He's asking $8500 and is confident he can get close to that. Send me a message if anyone is interested, I'm not looking for a finder's fee or anything, I just want to make sure this car doesn't get ruined.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Cheap bump stops for an NA? Or are they really $100 a set?

https://mossmiata.com/bump-stops-by-fat-cat-motorsports

Ordering KYB shocks for about $200.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Sporin said:


> Cheap bump stops for an NA? Or are they really $100 a set?
> 
> https://mossmiata.com/bump-stops-by-fat-cat-motorsports
> 
> Ordering KYB shocks for about $200.


http://5xracing.com/c-1105233-bump-stop-and-shock-mounting.html

I bought from these guys. Very helpful as well. 

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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks, I’ll check them out.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VRado6 said:


> Installed some 15/20mm spacers yesterday. I can’t believe how much better it makes it look, especially from the back. I love this car!


Which ones did you buy? Have a link? Any vibrations with them?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

sicklyscott said:


>



That car looks great! I wish he'd clean up that engine bay, though. That hose between the thermostat and the radiator needs to be replaced immediately. It's collapsed!


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> Which ones did you buy? Have a link? Any vibrations with them?


I got them directly from GarageLine. They seem very solid and were one of the only ones I saw that actually specified the grade of hardware used. Zero vibrations after installation. 

https://garageline.com



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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VRado6 said:


> I got them directly from GarageLine. They seem very solid and were one of the only ones I saw that actually specified the grade of hardware used. Zero vibrations after installation.
> 
> https://garageline.com


Fantastic! Thanks! What size spacers did you get? If I end up with an ND, I'll probably keep the BBS wheels on for a while, so I'd like some spacers to push the wheels out a bit more. I'm interested in letting the wheels sit flush with the fenders.


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> Fantastic! Thanks! What size spacers did you get? If I end up with an ND, I'll probably keep the BBS wheels on for a while, so I'd like some spacers to push the wheels out a bit more. I'm interested in letting the wheels sit flush with the fenders.


15mm in the front and 20mm in the back. Sits nice and flush and no rubbing, even with my chunkier 215/45/17s instead of the stock 205/45/17s.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Getting ready to head out on my longest me on a road trip yet. Middle Vermont to the Massachusetts South Shore. Then up to Brookline in the morning for Miatas at the Museum. Then home. 

I’m sure I’ll hit rain so the top is up, with my trashed, opaque rear “window” down. 

No cruise control.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Lunch stop, this is a good highway set up. Decent airflow, quiet cabin. 

I haven’t really missed the CC since I got past the mountain.


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

Sporin said:


> Lunch stop, this is a good highway set up. Decent airflow, quiet cabin.
> 
> I haven’t really missed the CC since I got past the mountain.


This sounds like a serious undertaking! I look forward to taking a journey in my NC. Be safe and have fun! 

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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Hung out with some hairdressers and talked about Miatas.

https://youtu.be/QfqKs4MNRJg

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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Made it! Dropped the top after lunch. Uneventful trip as far as the car was concerned. 

Nearly got rear-ended by a van on 293 when lanes were clogged and a merger forgot how to accelerate. :banghead:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! 
Brookline Mass. 
https://larzanderson.org/lawnevents/miataday/


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

So managed to get married this past week to my beautiful wife. Miata played a role in the wedding. We were live and were married in Savannah, a city of squares. So I made sure the car was parked outside the venue and we could drive around the square. Followed the wedding with a 6 hour drive up to Asheville taking some backroads and highways. Put around 800 miles on the car all said and done plus a scorcher of ride home on 26 and 95 including a powerful storm near Columbia. Miata soaked it all in, 100+ degree temps, 50 mph gusts and rain from all directions. Nothing broke or went awry, just a fun time. Highlight of our drive was Elk Mountain Scenic Highway to the Blue Ridge Pkwy to Craggy Gardens. Challenging drive and climb with beautiful views. Anyways, here are some pictures.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Congratulations! It’s an adventure, that’s for sure. 

Now fix the links so we can see the pics! :laugh: :beer:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

This was an awesome event. More than 180 Miatas in total of every vintage and color. 

Huge age range of owners. Amazing breadth of customizations and styles. 

My car was a treat for the nearly 500 Miles I put on it in the last 48 hours. I am wind blown and sun fried but had an amazing time. I’m so glad I went. 

My pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/gftot27


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Photographer’s album

Some highlights of today's "Miata day" Boston. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...073741953.294706203882626&type=1&l=00b03d450b


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Weekend recap with Bruce the STR PRHT

Towed car to Massachusetts on Wednesday. Spent Thursday and Friday bombing around the back roads of the Berkshires, especially Mount Greylock.









Saturday was "autocross" at Lime Rock Park on the infield kart track, hosted by Nutmeg Miata Club. Lots of seat time but only three timed laps, then more play time. Got FTD out of 40ish entrants.









Sunday was up early again and off to the eastern paht of the state for Miata Day at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation. Entered in the car show just to get a better parking place and wound up getting second best NC. Totally unexpected.The winning NC was a spectacular Stormy Blue NC2 with RHT.









Tomorrow we load up the car with all its well-earned hardware and haul it back to Maryland with fond memories of a fun long weekend spent with an amazingly fun little car.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Your car looked great


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

Claff said:


> Weekend recap with Bruce the STR PRHT
> 
> Towed car to Massachusetts on Wednesday. Spent Thursday and Friday bombing around the back roads of the Berkshires, especially Mount Greylock.
> 
> ...



Saw your car there too, really enjoyed it!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

OK, ordering my bumpstops so that when my KYB Excel-G's get here I can do the install. Looking for a stockish ride, not lowering at all.

Anyone have a strong recommendation for something besides these? http://5xracing.com/i-20915224-5x-racing-street-bump-stop-kits-for-1990-1997-mazda-miata.html


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So I think I'm going to order these instead... lots of positive reviews on the forum, and cheap MINI Cooper 2002 bump stop (ÜRO 31336756663) $20 shipped for all 4 from rockauto

(bump stops)


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I'm trying to figure out what bumpstops I need and 5x hasn't been helpful at all. Takes a week to get a response to any questions. 

I have the spec miata suspension (bilstein dampers, eibach springs, and GC coilover I believe). I got some NB top hats to install. I wanted to change the bump stops, but the 5x guy said since I have the NA6 bumpstops it's actually the spring perch too, and I need to buy the whole conversion kit if I want to change out the bumpstop. 

Does that make sense? Any help from you guys? Please see the pictures if that makes a difference. Right now I'll prob just put on the top hats and raise the car a bit and get better suspension travel, which should be good enough for me. Tired of trying to figure this all out. 

Front: 










Back:


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

300_munkeys said:


> I'm trying to figure out what bumpstops I need and 5x hasn't been helpful at all. Takes a week to get a response to any questions.
> 
> I have the spec miata suspension (bilstein dampers, eibach springs, and GC coilover I believe). I got some NB top hats to install. I wanted to change the bump stops, but the 5x guy said since I have the NA6 bumpstops it's actually the spring perch too, and I need to buy the whole conversion kit if I want to change out the bumpstop.
> 
> ...


I'm not 100% sure but AFAIK you want the 36mm ones, red in front and white in back.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> I'm not 100% sure but AFAIK you want the 36mm ones, red in front and white in back.


But do I need a separate spring perch, too?


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

300_munkeys said:


> But do I need a separate spring perch, too?


I don't see why you would, unless I'm totally missing something? Need a sanity check from others on that one, I haven't had those parts in front of me in awhile.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

One of our club members won this in the raffle and since he has an NC, he gave them to me. One of mine was busted so why not? 


























I like it If I ever get my car repainted they'll be body color but for now, I'm happy. Maybe get a brighter bulb though.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Err, yeah I'm wrong on that now that I re-read your post - you will need an upper spring perch for those. I'll look up the specific part this afternoon if someone else doesn't post it first.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> Err, yeah I'm wrong on that now that I re-read your post - you will need an upper spring perch for those. I'll look up the specific part this afternoon if someone else doesn't post it first.


Thank you! Apparently my car has a combined spring perch/bump stop. I don't think the top hats I bought come with the spring perches.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

300_munkeys said:


> Thank you! Apparently my car has a combined spring perch/bump stop. I don't think the top hats I bought come with the spring perches.


This is the full FCM kit with all hardware, the spring isolators, and your choice of bump stops to really do it right with no guesswork:

http://5xracing.com/i-20945819-5x-r...tem-for-mazda-miata.html?ref=category:1231717

You can buy only the spring isolators individually from 5X or the generic Energy Suspension one from anywhere if you want to piece together your own cheaper solution:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ENS-9-6103G/

I think you'd need an equivalent to the big red M10 aluminum washer/spacer in the FCM kit and a set of bump stops at a minimum, but really it would be better and easier to buy the full FCM kit.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> This is the full FCM kit with all hardware, the spring isolators, and your choice of bump stops to really do it right with no guesswork:
> 
> http://5xracing.com/i-20945819-5x-r...tem-for-mazda-miata.html?ref=category:1231717
> 
> ...


Thanks. But really I don't need any of that stuff to mount the nb top hats? Just to be able to run different bump stops?

Or are those necessary just to run the NB top hats?

That is where I am confused.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

You can probably get by with just the 2.5" spring isolators, 36mm bump stops, and finding/making something like the big red FCM washer to help keep it centered at full droop. IIRC you should have existing parts you can reuse everywhere else.

Technically I think that you can skip all of it and let the springs flop around a bit, but that seems sketchy.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks man. Only thing I don't have or can't get quickly is the washer. Ironically if the 5x guy was at all responsive I prob would have ordered their kit but it's been a week or more he still hasn't replied to my reply to him.

Oh well.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Claff said:


> Sunday was up early again and off to the eastern paht of the state for Miata Day at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation. Entered in the car show just to get a better parking place and wound up getting second best NC. Totally unexpected.The winning NC was a spectacular Stormy Blue NC2 with RHT.


DUDE!! I'm in the background of your picture! Red NA, I'm wearing a bright blue tshirt and grey shorts, leaning into my car from the passenger's side.

:wave:


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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

I guess even a stock Miata can be too much for some people to handle.

Passenger airbag went off, so I hope both occupants are okay.

Be safe out there folks.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Someone locally is selling a set of H&R ultra lows for $300, would they be worth grabbing? I'm not interested in slamming the car, just improving handling.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

hushypushy said:


> I guess even a stock Miata can be too much for some people to handle.
> 
> Passenger airbag went off, so I hope both occupants are okay.
> 
> Be safe out there folks.


Honestly looks like someone was texting and driving and not looking at the road.


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

300_munkeys said:


> Honestly looks like someone was texting and driving and not looking at the road.


I agree, looks just like someone wasn't looking at the road until the last second.

Poor car. I imagine other than their ego, the occupants are okay. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Drove mine for the first time in a year. Felt sooooooooo good! Now to get it tuned!


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

^Das purty


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## Kiyokix (Dec 16, 2005)

sicklyscott said:


> Drove mine for the first time in a year. Felt sooooooooo good! Now to get it tuned!


Dats rullllllll pretty! 

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## hushypushy (Jul 1, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Honestly looks like someone was texting and driving and not looking at the road.


I dunno man, I think it's more plausible that they were scared by a squirrel in the road than were texting and driving on Alpine Road. It's a very twisty road that goes from nowhere to nowhere; you don't take it if you're trying to go somewhere.

But, that's why I posted it here. Wondering if anyone knows who that was so we can get some more insight on this weird incident.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Bump stops arrived yesterday, shocks are supposed to arrive today. I'm about to go away for 2 weeks so they'll have to wait for install.

Took the car to my favorite music jam Wednesday night which meant a good drive home in the dark and boy and I impressed with these new headlights. What a difference!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

sicklyscott said:


> Drove mine for the first time in a year. Felt sooooooooo good! Now to get it tuned!


Looking good! I love that color.

----------------

No clue if it's at all functional  but I like the look vs my broken and cloudy old parking lights.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sounds like getting a great deal on a leftover 2018 wouldn't leave you with too many regrets despite the increased HP & RPM's. Otherwise very minor updates though the telescoping steering wheel is a biggie for taller drivers.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

New suspension and tires fitted.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

hushypushy said:


> I guess even a stock Miata can be too much for some people to handle.


Yikes. I wonder if the driver seatbelt was fixed by removing the stitching? I still need to do that since I got rid of my seatbelt. Also, given the roll bar, it's more likely that those wheels are just temps, but doesn't make much difference now.



sicklyscott said:


> Drove mine for the first time in a year. Felt sooooooooo good! Now to get it tuned!


Still loving how that wrap turned out. That color is great and the car looks so purposeful.



freedomgli said:


> New suspension and tires fitted.


This man knows where the line is and how not to cross it. Car looks great.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

*1991 British Racing Green*

A replacement Miata has been acquired.


I looked at a lot of low(er) mileage Miatas over the last few months that have culminated recently in a new acquisition to serve as a donor for my SR20 drivetrain. I was prepared to fly across the country and drive my next Miata home, but it turned out my GF only needed to give me a ride a few miles from my house. 

1991 BRG hardtop, 2 owners, 83K miles, stock, stock, stock. For everything the car included, the maintenance, and the ease of geographic location, I got into this for a great price and still have insurance payout money to play with.










Although, I waited all of 8 days before making a few changes. 











I forgot how SLOWWW a stock 1.6L Miata is. I'm really struggling with the memory of 180WHP from my SR20 Miata. It's like you can't pass anything and forget about going uphill quickly. But we'll install that drivetrain later next year when the schedules line up.


Recent BBQ with some Datsun Roadster friends











I call this picture "Bookends of power" - the 510 wagon has about 500WHP 2JZ and the DR30 has about 550WHP RB26dett with two 90HP Miatas in the middle.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Great buy, I love the BRG so much.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

For someone who needs a Miata...

https://reno.craigslist.org/cto/d/2001-mazda-miata-brg-se-price/6631284866.html


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Diamond Dave said:


> A replacement Miata has been acquired.


Nice! Finding a stock one is ideal...blank canvas, as it were.


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## VadGTI (Feb 24, 2000)

Congrats on the BRG, Dave!


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> This man knows where the line is and how not to cross it. Car looks great.


Thanks Dave. Subtle enhancement and adding lightness have been my modus operandi with this car. Nearly everything has been touched except the 28 year old paint, which is still original but getting redone perhaps next year. But you have to look close to really see and appreciate some of the changes.

Nice score on that BRG. One of my favorite colors and a timeless classic. I'm sure you'll do good things with it. I've got around 150rwhp now and I can't imagine going back to 92rwhp of the wimpy 1.6 motor. Sure, the Miata has always been a momentum car and I've surprised more than a few other Miata owners on twisty roads with what I could do with it. But with most 1.6 motors being tired and down on power compared to new, swapping in a built 1.8 BP or even an SR20 (or K24) is a good idea. I think 150-190rwhp is the happy place for a Miata. Yes you can go extreme with an LSA or LS7 swap, but in my mind it's no longer a Miata at that point but rather a poor man's AC Cobra/ TVR Griffith / Sunbeam Tiger with a totally different character. My car is a tuned up Miata that still feels like a Miata, it just does everything slightly better than before.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Oh man, BRG NA content.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> A replacement Miata has been acquired.


I'm drooling.

Congrats :beer:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

a little play time during qualifying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqDmE7fjUIk&


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Zillon said:


> Oh man, BRG NA content.


I am sad that I missed a perfect one before I bought my MR2. I'd probably still have it. 91 BRG SE fully loaded with hardtop, ac, ps, abs, the non-failure-prone crank, no rust, and enough minor cosmetic issues and miles to make it a $5k driver instead of a $10k garage queen. Someone else grabbed it before I could get a flight to it. Sad!


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

troyguitar said:


> I am sad that I missed a perfect one before I bought my MR2. I'd probably still have it. 91 BRG SE fully loaded with hardtop, ac, ps, abs, the non-failure-prone crank, no rust, and enough minor cosmetic issues and miles to make it a $5k driver instead of a $10k garage queen. Someone else grabbed it before I could get a flight to it. Sad!


So sad!

I still want an NA.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> You can probably get by with just the 2.5" spring isolators, 36mm bump stops, and finding/making something like the big red FCM washer to help keep it centered at full droop. IIRC you should have existing parts you can reuse everywhere else.
> 
> Technically I think that you can skip all of it and let the springs flop around a bit, but that seems sketchy.


Just wanted to update on putting nb top hats.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to put nb top hats with stock nb bushings onto na shock lengths (Bilstein hd) which most already know. I need much more than just the spring isolators to work and likely would have to cut the bushings or remove them. I wasn't comfortable doing that though.

So for now I just raised the car (probably too much, but better than too little). Car is around 13" or a bit more from center of hub to fender which in itself is a poor measuring point. Highest corner is about 13.5"

In good news though, the 4.1 torsen swap went way smoother than expected. My much more experienced friend helped and we got it all done comfortably within 3 hours or so. It helps when the bottom of the car isn't rusted and you have an impact driver, and if you've done it before.

I also depowered the steering rack. However I wasn't able to cut the lines to finish the depower by looping the smaller fittings - any suggestions or recommendations on the easiest way to cut those lines? I don't have a grinder and I thought I could do it with some big snips, but it's hard.

I can get a grinder if I really have to, but is there an easier way? I have bits of hose with clamps to reuse for the loop but need the lines cut first.

Track day in about 2 weeks to test the updated setup. I had a lot of trouble pushing the car last time because it was bottoming out constantly so I hope I will shave serious time my next outing.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Oh and in related news, anyone want to buy a 75k mile, good condition vlsd with axles and drive shaft?


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> I can get a grinder if I really have to, but is there an easier way? I have bits of hose with clamps to reuse for the loop but need the lines cut first.


I'm not sure what tools you have in your arsenal. But what you want could easily be achieved with basic hand tools like a $9 hack saw or $8 tube cutter (assuming there's enough room for the tool to swing).


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

300_munkeys said:


> which most already know


Yeah, when swapping coilovers between NA and NB, you generally can't mix and match individual components. You need the entire assembly.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> I'm not sure what tools you have in your arsenal. But what you want could easily be achieved with basic hand tools like a $9 hack saw or $8 tube cutter (assuming there's enough room for the tool to swing).


Cool thank you! I'm pretty sure I have a hack saw, though not sure I have the space for it in that spot. I'll try that though. Seems so obvious now lol.

The other tool looks great but like you said, not sure how big it is and whether it will fit.

The good part is that I don't care necessarily about making a clean or precise cut.

I'm not sure how much difference the looping will even make vs how it is now. The two big holes are plugged. But I imagine getting all that piping out makes the system smaller which should be better.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> Yeah, when swapping coilovers between NA and NB, you generally can't mix and match individual components. You need the entire assembly.


Yeah it looks like I would need the 5x or fatcat kits, which are around $250 or $300+ respectively. Can't justify that for a mediocre suspension when I could sell these and buy something actually good instead. For now I'll love with the higher ride height and keep adjusting down a bit until it feels good. I might sell this car and move to an nb1 later anyway, and go with xidas or something at that point. This car would make a fantastic ssm, but I don't see myself w2w racing anytime soon.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

300_munkeys said:


> Cool thank you! I'm pretty sure I have a hack saw, though not sure I have the space for it in that spot. I'll try that though. Seems so obvious now lol.
> 
> The other tool looks great but like you said, not sure how big it is and whether it will fit.
> 
> ...


Dremel cutoff wheel works in 3 seconds if you can't fit a hack saw in there.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> Dremel cutoff wheel works in 3 seconds if you can't fit a hack saw in there.


Thanks. Harbor freight sells them super cheap so I might end up getting one. There have been quite a few situations the past couple of years I've wished I had one, and for around $25 it's a no-brainer (provided the tool isn't complete garbage).


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## 10001110101 (Aug 7, 2007)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks. Harbor freight sells them super cheap so I might end up getting one. There have been quite a few situations the past couple of years I've wished I had one, and for around $25 it's a no-brainer (provided the tool isn't complete garbage).


My experience with a modern Dremel tells me that Harbor Freight quality can't be much worse. I bought a newer version about 5 years ago, and it died within 2 years or light use. I was given a 15 year old one and had to use it mercilessly to cut out a sway bar end link and it is still going strong.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

10001110101 said:


> My experience with a modern Dremel tells me that Harbor Freight quality can't be much worse. I bought a newer version about 5 years ago, and it died within 2 years or light use. I was given a 15 year old one and had to use it mercilessly to cut out a sway bar end link and it is still going strong.


Lol thanks. I'll go for the cheap one then.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

10001110101 said:


> My experience with a modern Dremel tells me that Harbor Freight quality can't be much worse. I bought a newer version about 5 years ago, and it died within 2 years or light use. I was given a 15 year old one and had to use it mercilessly to cut out a sway bar end link and it is still going strong.


I've got a nearly 20 year old Craftsman dremel that just won't give up the ghost.

It keeps working so I keep not buying a new one. :laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Oh and in related news, anyone want to buy a 75k mile, good condition vlsd with axles and drive shaft?


Replacing the diff on my 90 is super low on my priority list, but I feel obligated to ask, how much? Don't need driveshaft or halfshafts.

Keep in mind that I'm parsimonious.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> Replacing the diff on my 90 is super low on my priority list, but I feel obligated to ask, how much? Don't need driveshaft or halfshafts.
> 
> Keep in mind that I'm parsimonious.


Lol. I'll keep that in mind.

I'm asking $300 shipped without the driveshaft. Adding the driveshaft really would just add the cost of shipping it. I think that's a reasonable price for 75k mile diff.

Someone else is interested but hasn't committed yet.

If I can't sell it, I might keep it and swap it back on before selling the car and keep the torsen, if I decide to sell it.

Where are you located?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> I'm asking $300 shipped without the driveshaft. Adding the driveshaft really would just add the cost of shipping it. I think that's a reasonable price for 75k mile diff.
> 
> Someone else is interested but hasn't committed yet.
> 
> Where are you located?


I'm nearby in southern Maryland. Shipping isn't necessary. But if I'm going to put $300 into a Miata diff, I might as well spend a couple hundred more and get my own Torsen.

Your VLSD is most definitely worth more than the $150 I'd offer for it so hopefully the other interested party comes through for you.


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

Flyin Miata posted a quick step-by-step on their LS3 install into the ND Miata. Awesome work.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/f...cars/big-engine-meet-little-car/139552/page1/


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Bibs said:


> Flyin Miata posted a quick step-by-step on their LS3 install into the ND Miata. Awesome work.
> 
> https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/f...cars/big-engine-meet-little-car/139552/page1/


This is awesome.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Claff said:


> I'm nearby in southern Maryland. Shipping isn't necessary. But if I'm going to put $300 into a Miata diff, I might as well spend a couple hundred more and get my own Torsen.
> 
> Your VLSD is most definitely worth more than the $150 I'd offer for it so hopefully the other interested party comes through for you.


VLSD is valuable to STS class autocrossers, otherwise it's a dumb purchase IMO.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

troyguitar said:


> VLSD is valuable to STS class autocrossers, otherwise it's a dumb purchase IMO.


That's exactly where it would be going.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

troyguitar said:


> VLSD is valuable to STS class autocrossers, otherwise it's a dumb purchase IMO.


Feeling lazy, but how much is a VLSLD going for? I'll be swapping to my old 4.3 TorSen soon and will have a spare viscous.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

I'm not really in the loop but a known good one used to be $500 or so last I checked. Maybe more now since they get harder to find every day?


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Bibs said:


> Flyin Miata posted a quick step-by-step on their LS3 install into the ND Miata. Awesome work.
> 
> https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/f...cars/big-engine-meet-little-car/139552/page1/


Oh my. That’s going to be neat. 

Definitely will be saving pictures to play tricks on my wife. That nd is the same color combo as mine.


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## Tommietank (Mar 6, 2009)

Two of my friends picked up Miatas. Now, Im looking for one..


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Today was the once-a-year try-to-make-badly-painted-car-look-halfway-decent exercise in futility.

I painted our '93 myself in 2011, badly, then coated it in stickers and stuff as a semi-serious autocross car. Now the car's retired and stickers are gone, but the paint fades and the sticker shadows become very visible.









I let it go till about this time of year where I grab the polisher and go over the car with a light compound, then a coat of wax.









This turns the car from a 50/50 car (looks OK from 50 feet away doing 50 MPH) to a 20/20 car. It'll stay looking this good for a few months, then start to fade in the fall. I'll ignore it then, and suddenly it's spring again and it looks like the first picture with sticker shadows all over again. Then I'll think about fixing it for another month or two and we'll be right back here again.


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## Ben010783 (May 27, 2006)

These pics are from last year, but I've basically still got the same setup.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Claff said:


>


I think the pug sticker needs to make a comeback :beer:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

The pug sticker has its own story. When I put this car together we decided to be "sponsored" by a Georgia-based pug rescue that we did some volunteer and fund-raising work for. For the first year I put the rescue logo in the place where Mazda wanted its contingency decal, which was a non-issue since we never got remotely close to running well enough to earn Mazda money.










The next year I redid decals to get the Mazda logo on the rear fender as prescribed by the Mazda people. My vinyl guy at the time was very good and very inexpensive but not too good at reading instructions. I asked for dark green paw prints that I was going to put over the stripes, and a white pug face for the back fenders. Instead I got bright green paw prints and pug face. One guy I ran with nicknamed it the Nuclear Pug. I was too nice a guy to go back to the vinyl guy and ask him for a do-over.










The paw prints didn't stay on the car very long but the pug face stayed.

Looking back at pictures from when I ran the green car (2011-early 2014) all I can think of is "boy we put a lot of stickers on that car. Why wasn't it faster?" The pug rescue shut down in mid 2014, so I didn't have to put similar decals on the '90 that was built to replace the '93. And while we still have a lot of vinyl on our current car, it doesn't seem to be nearly as busy as the green car in its prime.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My shocks arrived!


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> My shocks arrived!


Shoot. I wish I'd paid attention that you were thinking of buying shocks. KYB shocks are terrible! The only time you'd buy them is so you can put them on a car you're going to sell. They ride like pogo sticks until they blow out. You can't use them in conjunction with lowering springs or you blow out the seals (like every other shock).

It's not too late to return them, save your money and buy real shocks.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> Shoot. I wish I'd paid attention that you were thinking of buying shocks. KYB shocks are terrible! The only time you'd buy them is so you can put them on a car you're going to sell. They ride like pogo sticks until they blow out. You can't use them in conjunction with lowering springs or you blow out the seals (like every other shock).
> 
> It's not too late to return them, save your money and buy real shocks.


I appreciate the concern, sincerely. But lots of folks recommend this as the budget alternative to stock shocks. Not lowering, using stock springs, combining with new style bumpstops, looking for stockish ride and only about $200 all-in. I've ridden in a club members ride with this setup and it's a a big improvement over my tired, 96k miles OEM shocks (1 of which is blown and leading).

I think these will be just fine. :beer:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> I'm not really in the loop but a known good one used to be $500 or so last I checked. Maybe more now since they get harder to find every day?


I wish. I think $300 is the going rate.


----------



## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*


















Anyone have any thoughts? 94, 5 speed, 49,000 Miles, has quite a few minor dings on the hood that need to be PDR’d out (how much should that cost me?), and the leather inside needs to be redone. Timing belt has not been done. I got him down to $5k but decided to pass. Told him $4500 and I’ll come get it tomorrow. It’s rust free.


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## Bibs (Sep 17, 2001)

nyexx said:


> Anyone have any thoughts? 94, 5 speed, 49,000 Miles, has quite a few minor dings on the hood that need to be PDR’d out (how much should that cost me?), and the leather inside needs to be redone. Timing belt has not been done. I got him down to $5k but decided to pass. Told him $4500 and I’ll come get it tomorrow. It’s rust free.


How does a car with those miles have seats that are destroyed? Is there a way to verify mileage? Nose looks like it needs attention, all faded. If that’s an original top, it may still be good, but count on replacing the rain rail (search it). Not hard, just another job...
If it’s all in good shape, you could redo the seats, update the maintenance, and have a great NA. 
Hope he brings the price down for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Bibs said:


> How does a car with those miles have seats that are destroyed? Is there a way to verify mileage? Nose looks like it needs attention, all faded. If that’s an original top, it may still be good, but count on replacing the rain rail (search it). Not hard, just another job...
> If it’s all in good shape, you could redo the seats, update the maintenance, and have a great NA.
> Hope he brings the price down for you.
> 
> ...


He said he parked it in his garage with the top down.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Those are not 49k miles seats. Something must have happened to them.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

Had a bit of PDR done on the hood of my 92 Miata a few weeks ago, three very small dents cost $100. The passenger door was $175, it had several very minor linear door dents and a deep circular dent that took 4-5 hours to work out.

Based upon the state of the front license plate, the ower has a tendency to bump into things, I'd be curious what the front bumper looks like behind it. Those seats show way too much wear for 49K miles, the floor mats are not original, they should be tan, so they have been replaced, most likely due to wear.


Yes, the Timing Belt needs to be changed, interference engine, wouldn't trust a 24-year-old belt. Also look at all the accessory belts and hoses. When was the last coolant change, and all the other fluids?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Those are not 49k miles seats. Something must have happened to them.





BlackMiata said:


> Had a bit of PDR done on the hood of my 92 Miata a few weeks ago, three very small dents cost $100. The passenger door was $175, it had several very minor linear door dents and a deep circular dent that took 4-5 hours to work out.
> 
> Based upon the state of the front license plate, the ower has a tendency to bump into things, I'd be curious what the front bumper looks like behind it. Those seats show way too much wear for 49K miles, the floor mats are not original, they should be tan, so they have been replaced, most likely due to wear.
> 
> ...


Yeah, the leather quality on these is HORRIBLE. The stitching separation is normal (passenger side) to severe (driver side), but the bolster wear does look abnormal for 49K miles. However, it could be that the PO took lots of small trips, never venturing far from the house, and thus had a lot of entry/exits over the past 24 years.

The engines are NOT interference. A snapped belt will just cause a slightly inconvenient breakdown, but won't hurt the motor.

Doesn't sound like the PO was very up on maintenance. Looks like you'll be in for a lot of the usual deferred maintenance items: TB/WB, coolant change and possibly rad replacement, gearbox/diff/turret oils, shift boots, and maybe a top/rain rail if it's not too messed up.

Enjoy :thumbup:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Bibs said:


> How does a car with those miles have seats that are destroyed? Is there a way to verify mileage? Nose looks like it needs attention, all faded. If that’s an original top, it may still be good, but count on replacing the rain rail (search it). Not hard, just another job...
> If it’s all in good shape, you could redo the seats, update the maintenance, and have a great NA.
> Hope he brings the price down for you.


My dad bought a 1995 C package Miata (tan leather seats), with ~24k miles on it back in 2010. At the time he bought it, the lower seat section already had the bolster separated from the cushion and had been repaired by an upholstery shop. 

Dad had the seats recovered with new leather, and the upholstery shop that did it had to rebuild some of the foam on the seats to make it 'right.' The leather in these things is total crap.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I have a 1990 Miata that I've had for 8 years. It's been a great car, and I've driven it all over the place. I'm going to be putting it up for sale shortly, but how to price it?
> 
> It's not a low-mileage cream puff, but it is really in excellent condition for its age and mileage. It needs literally nothing. Here's the for sale ad I've come up with. Any critiques on this would be welcome as well:
> 
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/9EyDg5k4MpUCzXK66


Just to give a data point for this, on Friday morning I posted the car for sale on Craigslist. I sold the hard top and the car for $5,800 on Saturday morning.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

So if you have an issue with water getting into the car, is that usually rain rails? Can they usually be fixed or they have to be replaced?

A friend has an nb that's getting wet inside, not from the top.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> So if you have an issue with water getting into the car, is that usually rain rails? Can they usually be fixed or they have to be replaced?
> 
> A friend has an nb that's getting wet inside, not from the top.


Where's the water getting into the car? The back deck?

It could be a few things. Sometimes the drain tubes from the rain rails to the rocker panel get clogged with debris, and water gets backed up and over flows the rain rails. Sometimes the drains in the rockers get blocked too, although that usually means water gets trapped in the rockers and is usually not enough to make it overflow into the cabin.

But yes, over time the rain rails dry up and crack. When I took the original top off my '94 in 2012, the rain rails were brittle AF. I didn't have any leaks from the rain rails, but the top had a couple of pin holes.

I also had an issue with the replacement top (which was a used NB unit) where water got in between the door seals during really heavy downpours. But I think that was installer error (me) because I was able to fix it by re-seating the door seals in the top frame (they had somehow come undone)


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> So if you have an issue with water getting into the car, is that usually rain rails? Can they usually be fixed or they have to be replaced?
> 
> A friend has an nb that's getting wet inside, not from the top.


It depends on where the water is going. The two biggest culprits are the top drains by the seatbelt mounts and the rain rail.

First thing would be to make sure the drain holes aren't clogged up, the next would be the rain rail. You can 'repair' it with tape, but it's really just best to replace it.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks guys! Hopefully they're just clogged.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Maintenance day for the '10 on Saturday. Since my co-driver works at the body shop of a local BMW dealership, we had access to the shop which made things easy.

Started out simple, change the oil









Since it was in the air, we changed the rear axle lube as well with not-cheap (certainly not Parsimonious) Giken goo









The primary reason to do this at the shop was that we could also use their machine to recharge the A/C









When everything was done, co-driver even washed the car and vacuumed it! Guess we'll keep him around for a while.


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## phatrabbitzz2 (Nov 22, 2003)

Smigelski said:


> Just to give a data point for this, on Friday morning I posted the car for sale on Craigslist. I sold the hard top and the car for $5,800 on Saturday morning.


Well done selling it for close to $6K! 
Was the paint original? because it looked great, my 94M has about the same miles and a hardtop to match but the paint is gone along with the clear in some places.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Maintenance day for the '10 on Saturday. Since my co-driver works at the body shop of a local BMW dealership, we had access to the shop which made things easy.



Great pics! #NotBruce really does look good!




phatrabbitzz2 said:


> Well done selling it for close to $6K!
> Was the paint original? because it looked great, my 94M has about the same miles and a hardtop to match but the paint is gone along with the clear in some places.


Thanks! The car has original paint. It has some rock chips and isa bit thin in some spots, but that beats a repainted car! The new owner got a heck of car. I'm still in shock that it's gone.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

A couple local listings... as if my interest is piqued...

'01 166k $4200 https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/2001-mazda-mx-5-miata-ls/6653339793.html









'99 104k $3k https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/1999-mazda-miata-mx-5-se/6638749356.html


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

All weight savings from removing the seat were immediately negated by installing dog


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Bibs said:


> How does a car with those miles have seats that are destroyed? Is there a way to verify mileage? Nose looks like it needs attention, all faded. If that’s an original top, it may still be good, but count on replacing the rain rail (search it). Not hard, just another job...
> If it’s all in good shape, you could redo the seats, update the maintenance, and have a great NA.
> Hope he brings the price down for you.
> 
> ...


I'll second this. 

Bought my 1994 with 100k last June for $2k (good friend of the owner) but it also has a hardtop.

It won't take much to get it looking good, IMO...

Don't feel good about the mileage, however.

Here's what my seats looked like:










And what it's like now with the $100 DIK seat kit:


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

nyexx said:


> [/IMG]
> 
> Anyone have any thoughts? 94, 5 speed, 49,000 Miles, has quite a few minor dings on the hood that need to be PDR’d out (how much should that cost me?), and the leather inside needs to be redone. Timing belt has not been done. I got him down to $5k but decided to pass. Told him $4500 and I’ll come get it tomorrow. It’s rust free.


under 50K and rust free? I'd snap it up for that! It also is the last year of the true oil pressure gauge (not a dummy gauge). Did it have the LSD?

I paid $4300 with 153K and rotten rockers (no structural rust) in June 2016. But that was with a matching hardtop with defrost, which I'm told was worth 1100, and it's heavily optioned.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

88c900t said:


> under 50K and rust free? I'd snap it up for that! It also is the last year of the true oil pressure gauge (not a dummy gauge). Did it have the LSD?
> 
> I paid $4300 with 153K and rotten rockers (no structural rust) in June 2016. But that was with a matching hardtop with defrost, which I'm told was worth 1100, and it's heavily optioned.


Does have an LSD. Despite the low mileage it still needs about $1500-$2,000 worth of work to be brought up to standard making this a $7,000 NA. I’d rather buy an NB or spend a little more and get an NC. 

The mileage isn’t really worth a premium to me when the car still needs work.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Show car, but what do you think?

https://rev9autosport.com/blog/cabana-brg-nd-miata-shop-car-at-tas2016/



















I like the interior but not loving BRG on the ND body. I'd love to see them offer some bright colors though.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Had a ball auto-xing with the Windy City club yesterday. Came in very conservative and ended up shaving a full 15 seconds off my time once I trusted my tires. And I know the car wants to go faster.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Show car, but what do you think?
> 
> https://rev9autosport.com/blog/cabana-brg-nd-miata-shop-car-at-tas2016/
> 
> I like the interior but not loving BRG on the ND body. I'd love to see them offer some bright colors though.


Agree. Not the greatest look.

A friend is on an extended roadtest road trip in a new Blue ND. Looks pretty wicked. Sounds like a new trim level coming as well.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Show car, but what do you think?
> 
> https://rev9autosport.com/blog/cabana-brg-nd-miata-shop-car-at-tas2016/
> 
> I like the interior but not loving BRG on the ND body. I'd love to see them offer some bright colors though.


Good idea but they shouldn’t have copied the NA scheme. I would’ve gone for a more metallic green and a saddle interior to modernize it. Without the chrome bits of course.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Diamond Dave said:


> Agree. Not the greatest look.
> 
> A friend is on an extended roadtest road trip in a new Blue ND. Looks pretty wicked. Sounds like a new trim level coming as well.


Yep. GT-S package incoming with LSD.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Zillon said:


> Yep. GT-S package incoming with LSD.


yeah, basically the Grand Touring package with the Club goodies, right?


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> yeah, basically the Grand Touring package with the Club goodies, right?


Ja.

I'd still rather a Club. I have no interest in the safety nannies.


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## dhoyle (Nov 21, 2006)

I'm selling my ND if anyone's interested. Posted in the misc. forum...

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9237515-2016-Miata-CLUB-BBS-Brembo-13k-miles-(GA)&p=112446205#post112446205


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

S4cabriofox said:


> Had a ball auto-xing with the Windy City club yesterday. Came in very conservative and ended up shaving a full 15 seconds off my time once I trusted my tires. And I know the car wants to go faster.


The fun part of seeing guys just starting out is watching them taking huge chunks of time off with every run.


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## JOHNS92JETTA (Mar 2, 2003)




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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally! :laugh:


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

I need some NA help...lets see how useful TCL is in this case.

So I'm getting a audible click nearly every time I depress the clutch all the way, and only at the very beginning of travel. 
I just checked the forums and looked and the little plastic piece is still in place (and green, actually) and the sound definitely seems to be from the master cylinder...which was replaced by me about 3 months ago.
Seems like it's the rod depressing the master cylinder might need adjustment? 

Maybe not?

Can I spray any white silicon into where the rod goes into the firewall? 

Thanks for your help!









Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> So I'm getting a audible click nearly every time I depress the clutch all the way, and only at the very beginning of travel.


I'd be looking at the clutch interrupt switch.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

S4cabriofox said:


> Good idea but they shouldn’t have copied the NA scheme. I would’ve gone for a more metallic green and a saddle interior to modernize it. Without the chrome bits of course.


Well, it's not necessarily an "NA Theme". BRG is famous and many manufacturers use the color.

Audi's Goodwood Pearl Green


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

I may be considering a move from the NC to an NA or NB just for cost purposes.

I can't seem to get over the mental block of having such an expensive (not expensive, but it's a lot of money tied up into a thing I don't use enough) car in the garage. It's why I got rid of the GP for the R53... and looks like I'm bound to repeat this again.

Need to mull this over more, because the NC is the perfect car, I just don't like having the money tied up. :screwy:


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Zillon said:


> I may be considering a move from the NC to an NA or NB just for cost purposes.
> 
> I can't seem to get over the mental block of having such an expensive (not expensive, but it's a lot of money tied up into a thing I don't use enough) car in the garage. It's why I got rid of the GP for the R53... and looks like I'm bound to repeat this again.
> 
> Need to mull this over more, because the NC is the perfect car, I just don't like having the money tied up. :screwy:


Stop. You will not end up with any less money into an NA/NB by the time you sell your NC at a loss, travel to pick up your NA/NB, pay taxes on it, and prepare it to Zil-spec. It'll be different, but not cheaper to own by any significant amount - unless you want to actually drive the car, but you don't.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

troyguitar said:


> Stop. You will not end up with any less money into an NA/NB by the time you sell your NC at a loss, travel to pick up your NA/NB, pay taxes on it, and prepare it to Zil-spec. It'll be different, but not cheaper to own by any significant amount - unless you want to actually drive the car, but you don't.


All of that requires me selling the NC at a loss and then buying an overpriced NA/NB. :laugh:

I've also entertained getting out of the 'fun car' game altogether and just focusing on riding my bike so I can quit pissing away money on cars. #beancounting


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Co-worker hit my NA today with their giant truck. Of course there's zero damage to their rock sliders.

"I didn't see you parked next to me"










Still deciding how I want to be compensated, I don't think it's worth the trouble of going through an insurance claim, especially since this one will be gone in a month or two. Still frustrating.

Does anyone run a dune buggy flag?


----------



## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

Zillon said:


> All of that requires me selling the NC at a loss and then buying an overpriced NA/NB. :laugh:
> 
> I've also entertained getting out of the 'fun car' game altogether and just focusing on riding my bike so I can quit pissing away money on cars. #beancounting


Been hanging out with Max lately? I'd keep the NC. It's not a mondo amount of money tied up. And I doubt you're going to find a zilspec NA for a reasonable price as is.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Having one of those weeks where I really wish I had a hardtop, I'd be driving it every day. But my trashed rear window and the constant on/off drizzle just don't mix.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

johnny_p said:


> Been hanging out with Max lately? I'd keep the NC. It's not a mondo amount of money tied up. And I doubt you're going to find a zilspec NA for a reasonable price as is.


If I didn't have the NC I would've just snagged a pretty minty '97 M for $4250 with 75k miles.

They're out there.

But yeah, that stupid DFD "monthly vehicle cost" powl was triggering.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Zillon said:


> If I didn't have the NC I would've just snagged a pretty minty '97 M for $4250 with 75k miles.
> 
> They're out there.
> 
> But yeah, that stupid DFD "monthly vehicle cost" powl was triggering.


I spotted that car on CL, if I wasn’t in away I would have went for it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

‪The 2019 Mazda Miata's Engine Is a Gem https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/a22713193/2019-mazda-mx-5-miata-first-drive/


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Zillon said:


> I may be considering a move from the NC to an NA or NB just for cost purposes.
> 
> I can't seem to get over the mental block of having such an expensive (not expensive, but it's a lot of money tied up into a thing I don't use enough) car in the garage. It's why I got rid of the GP for the R53... and looks like I'm bound to repeat this again.
> 
> Need to mull this over more, because the NC is the perfect car, I just don't like having the money tied up. :screwy:


Funny, I'm thinking of moving from a NA to a NC! I need the space and my NA is a bit bare bones for my old ass. 

What do you have? Shoot me a message if you'd like.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

sicklyscott said:


> Funny, I'm thinking of moving from a NA to a NC! I need the space and my NA is a bit bare bones for my old ass.
> 
> What do you have? Shoot me a message if you'd like.


09 NC2 in Comp Yellow with some things. 

https://datforumdoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9

The car would go as-is, minus the Raceseng knob. The knob stays with me. I bought it in March with 41k miles, did a bunch of maintenance and detailing and added the knob, grille, and wheels and tires. It has 44k miles on it now. 

To get rid of it so soon, I’d need to get $14250 for it as it sits. $13.5k without the 17x9 setup.

Title is free and clear. 

I’m having a hard time with both keeping it and selling it. Bottom line is I’ve just got too much stress on my plate right now and I want to clear my desk for a while. Probably just hang low and keep my eyes open for a clean NA sometime next year. I don’t know.


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Zillon said:


> 09 NC2 in Comp Yellow with some things.
> 
> https://datforumdoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9
> 
> ...


I told you man. I would be happy to take that off your hands exactly as it sits.

And it just so happens that I traded the Genesis in on the wife's RAV4 a few weeks ago. I'm serious. I need to find a local NC to see if it is something that would work, but if I can tolerate it even slightly, then we need to talk. :thumbup:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

SAVatar said:


> I told you man. I would be happy to take that off your hands exactly as it sits.
> 
> And it just so happens that I traded the Genesis in on the wife's RAV4 a few weeks ago. I'm serious. I need to find a local NC to see if it is something that would work, but if I can tolerate it even slightly, then we need to talk. :thumbup:


I've got a friend who's first in line, then everyone else is up for dibs. 

Go find a local NC and see if it works for you. 

Also, that avatar.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Well, it's not necessarily an "NA Theme". BRG is famous and many manufacturers use the color.
> 
> Audi's Goodwood Pearl Green


Yeah thanks I know what British Racing Green is. I was just saying they didn't have to go with the entire green/beige/chrome look on the ND.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

S4cabriofox said:


> Yeah thanks I know what British Racing Green is. I was just saying they didn't have to go with the entire green/beige/chrome look on the ND.


The chrome is what kills it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

There's not a ton of stock, at least in my area, but as we suspected, there's some great deals to be had on leftover 2018's 

https://www.pjsautovillage.com/new/...-5+Miata-a2b0a7300a0e0a176413c10cb611e564.htm



> 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring
> 
> $31,385
> MSRP
> ...


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Sporin said:


> There's not a ton of stock, at least in my area, but as we suspected, there's some great deals to be had on leftover 2018's
> 
> https://www.pjsautovillage.com/new/...-5+Miata-a2b0a7300a0e0a176413c10cb611e564.htm


I’m partial to that color. . 

I think there are still 17s out there in the country(mine is. Purchased June 1 and supposedly there were a couple dozen various versions of 17 soft tops left),but you won’t get the red top.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Last night's hairdresser convention. I love all the different kinds of Miatas there are out there. 

https://youtu.be/AxrYGvO-j9s

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

https://instagram.com/p/BmzM38oHa4S/

Sun visor delete.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Love the black with the red top...

https://www.tascamazdari.com/new/Ma...nston-ri-c6f243e60a0e0ae72f42fc9e869dd238.htm


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

missing winter


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Picked up a 2018 Club BBS Brembo Recaro Tuesday.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

velocidub said:


> Picked up a 2018 Club BBS Brembo Recaro Tuesday.


:heart: Stunning.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

velocidub said:


> Picked up a 2018 Club BBS Brembo Recaro Tuesday.


YAS!!!


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

velocidub said:


> 2018 Club BBS Brembo Recaro


That is a nice looking automobile.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm glad someone pulled the trigger, there are some GREAT deals on leftover 2018;'s right nw and that red top looks amazing with darker colors.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Blipshift shirt of the day...


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

velocidub said:


> Picked up a 2018 Club BBS Brembo Recaro Tuesday.


I think that’s my favorite combo with the cherry roof. Me gusta.


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## KICKINGTI (Jan 17, 2003)

Quick pick of a summer night out. Nothing special. Just a fun ride around town to dinner with front row parking. 










Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Put 300 miles on it since picking up on Tuesday. Can't stop grinning. Hope to be a Miata owner for a long time.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

velocidub said:


> Put 300 miles on it since picking up on Tuesday. Can't stop grinning. Hope to be a Miata owner for a long time.


Nice.








This one says hello.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Took the NC out drifting with the Philly SCCA yesterday at their Holbert Memorial event. The lot was recently freshly sealed so... grip is merely a theory. 










Today will be another day of figure skating.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Zillon said:


> Today will be another day of figure skating.


No matter how sticky your tires are that’s an apt description with fresh sealer! :laugh:


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Anyone know if the red top will return on the 2019s?


Sporin said:


> Love the black with the red top...
> 
> https://www.tascamazdari.com/new/Ma...nston-ri-c6f243e60a0e0ae72f42fc9e869dd238.htm


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## DY (Jan 3, 2004)

Tornado2dr said:


> Nice.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They both look great...enjoy!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Air and water do mix said:


> No matter how sticky your tires are that’s an apt description with fresh sealer! :laugh:


Yup! :laugh:

Today was better than yesterday, but I attribute that to the course design. Had a blast. Makes me want to go get some RE71Rs. :facepalm:


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Took the '91 out for its last drive today. It's either going to be sold as a track rat or parted and scrapped. Need space and funds for the '90 I picked up.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Day 2 was a success.

I didn't finish DFL. I probably approached the real limit of what this car is capable of on non-200TW tires. Looking back through the photos, my lines weren't terrible, car placement was fairly tight off the cones. Just didn't have the cornering speed that stickier tires would've afforded me.

But, it gave me a great opportunity to figure out how this car handles at the limit. And it's very predictable and controllable.









:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

dunhamjr said:


> Anyone know if the red top will return on the 2019s?


The Mazda website has a picture of one with a black top to go along with their 2019 release info. Not sure though- most people are focused on the extra hp

I ended up with a 17 because my wife preferred the black top. I didn’t really care but the price was nicer.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

sadly didnt get the buck wild sunday race on video, but did manage to get this moment on video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJQzbqmSxdo&feature=youtu.be


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So now that I've decided that I'm going to store the Miata in my own garage this winter, I'm on a quest to find a reasonably priced  hardtop to extend my driving season.

I can't pay a grand for one, so I need to find someone local who doesn't know what they've got. :sly: Does this make me a bad person? opcorn:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> So now that I've decided that I'm going to store the Miata in my own garage this winter, I'm on a quest to find a reasonably priced  hardtop to extend my driving season.
> 
> I can't pay a grand for one, so I need to find someone local who doesn't know what they've got. :sly: Does this make me a bad person? opcorn:


You're about 15 years too late to play that game. Yes, there's always the exception to the rule. But chances are you'll look for years before you find the proverbial $500 OEM hard top sold by someone who doesn't know they go for twice that price all day long on Craigslist. Most likely you'll have to buy an entire junk Miata for $800 in order to get a crappy condition OEM hard top for $500. 10 years ago I spent $1,000 for a mint OEM hardtop and thought it was a steal at that price. Spec Miata created strong demand and prices for OEM hard tops. Mazda recently reproduced the OEM NA and NB hardtop (Part #: NCY1-R1-81XB-98), which is available to racers through Mazda Motorsports Development for $1,535 + shipping + paint. Classic Red is the easiest to find used thanks to the popularity of that color. But you'll still need exceptional luck to score a good deal on one.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Oh I know it's a longshot.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Alright experts - you guys have been incredibly adept at solving my issues before, so here's the latest. At VIR a few days ago and everything went really well. Set a new personal best by a huge margin, and I'm really having fun with the car. 

However I have a serious braking problem that is driving me nuts. 

On the first couple of laps, and especially the first one, I get a really long pedal in the first high speed braking area (turn 10, after the climbing esses where I'm well over 100 mph). Obviously this is scary, but by the braking at the back straight it feels better, and then turn 1 it feels better, and then by the 2nd or 3rd lap braking is back to normal. 

Now if you're not familiar with the track, I brake in turns 3 and 4, and brakes are ok. 5 through 10 there are a lot of gators and bumps, and then by turn 10 I get that long pedal. 

Front pads were brand new, rear pads still have life but I will replace them now anyway to see if it helps. 

Here are a couple of thoughts of what it might be:

1) Pad knockback - first I thought this was the issue. The gators and bumps shake the rear pads loose, so until I get a couple of hard brakes in to set the pads on the caliper, the travel is long. I tried to brush the brakes and set the pads before braking zones but didn't notice any difference. 

2) Sticking caliper - This might make the most sense. When I got home and took the car off the trailer, when I was almost all the way up the driveway the car stopped and felt like the ebrake was on. I lifted the car and the rear left wheel brake caliper was stuck. I opened the adjuster and got it to retract a bit then shook it back and forth and it was fine. I'll open it up when I'm putting new pads, regrease, and do a general inspection. 

3) A very, very stubborn air bubble -I've bled the brakes so many times using a one man bleeder. However I am usually gentle on the pedal because when I go hard, I've noticed air being sucked in from the threads around the bleeder valve. 

4) Need rear pads or otherwise a shim - I am getting new pads so I haven't checked yet. But it could be that the pads are tapered in the back so that's causing the issue. Since I'm putting new pads there I'll take a deeper look.

The caliper is a remanufactured unit I purchased a few months ago. It could just be it needs regreasing, or the adjustment screw wasn't set properly, or a combination of the above. The weird part is that the car has braking issues but then it's totally fine. 

Thoughts?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Alright experts - you guys have been incredibly adept at solving my issues before, so here's the latest. At VIR a few days ago and everything went really well. Set a new personal best by a huge margin, and I'm really having fun with the car.
> 
> However I have a serious braking problem that is driving me nuts.
> 
> ...


what pads/fluid are you using?

also, could be a vacuum leak.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> what pads/fluid are you using?
> 
> also, could be a vacuum leak.


Rbf 600 fluid. Just put in dtc 60s I'm the front, still have hawk blue in the back since apparently dtc 30s have production issues. Might go to dtc 60 front and back since I can lock the fronts too easily with this setup (205 r888r tires).


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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

Drove a 1999 today with less than 100k miles. It was almost mint. The desire to buy one is building again. Maybe I will see if he wants to sell it the next time he brings in his Ferrari.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

A friend just contacted me asking what was the best avenue for her mom to sell an original Miata....



> Only 20,000 miles. New soft top. New rear view window ( vinal). No hard top. Original pre order first run group




I told her BaT. It’s in NH.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Hey guys. Enjoying my 18 Club. I just want to keep driving. i haven't had this much fun driving a car since my 1984 GTI.

It is a rough riding little bronc though. My Santa Fe is like riding on a cloud in comparison. Feels like I have 4 flat tires:laugh:


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

[/QUOTE]

Hilarious!:laugh:


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

velocidub said:


> Hey guys. Enjoying my 18 Club. I just want to keep driving. i haven't had this much fun driving a car since my 1984 GTI.
> 
> It is a rough riding little bronc though. My Santa Fe is like riding on a cloud in comparison. Feels like I have 4 flat tires:laugh:



Check your tire pressures. Some folks had the tires overfilled @ delivery and reported an unusually harsh ride.


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Doedrums said:


> Check your tire pressures. Some folks had the tires overfilled @ delivery and reported an unusually harsh ride.


I checked the tire pressures. All 4 are @32 psi. So I'm good there. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## dhoyle (Nov 21, 2006)

velocidub said:


> I checked the tire pressures. All 4 are @32 psi. So I'm good there. Thanks for the suggestion.


Perhaps things like cowl shake and the general wet-noodle structure of the Miata are exacerbating the feeling. I never got the feeling of my car being rough-riding but it's definitely no CUV.:beer:


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

velocidub said:


> I checked the tire pressures. All 4 are @32 psi. So I'm good there. Thanks for the suggestion.


On the NCs they liked 29 psi. Do the NDs use higher pressures?


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

kptaylor said:


> On the NCs they liked 29 psi. Do the NDs use higher pressures?


Likely for fuel economy purposes only. 

Chalk the shoulders and tread and go around the block hard and see how your contact patch looks.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Any of you NA guys have tips on the TPS? I got my O2 sensor fixed and that code is gone but I'm still getting fault code 12 Throttle position sensor.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

http://wiki.miata.net/tiki-index.php?page=NA+Throttle+Position+Sensor

Looks like I need a trip to HF for a multimeter and feeler gauges.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> So now that I've decided that I'm going to store the Miata in my own garage this winter, I'm on a quest to find a reasonably priced  hardtop to extend my driving season.
> 
> I can't pay a grand for one, so I need to find someone local who doesn't know what they've got. :sly: Does this make me a bad person? opcorn:


I should've bought that car.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Zillon said:


> I should've bought that car.


It was a nice car but IIRC, they were asking stupid amounts of money for it.

Anyway, here's a few shots of mine from the other night and one from the last trackday at Grattan. Been driving it a lot lately since the Civic is having issues. I freaking love this little rattletrap.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I wish I had a hardtop for mine, I'd drive it way more often. We get so much sporadic rain up here and I HATE driving with the soft top up. A hardtop and fixing my AC and I'd happily drive it daily.


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## Burnette (May 17, 2012)

*Am I A Convertible Guy?*



Sporin said:


> I wish I had a hardtop for mine, I'd drive it way more often. We get so much sporadic rain up here and I HATE driving with the soft top up. A hardtop and fixing my AC and I'd happily drive it daily.


I feel that at some point I will have a Miata and I struggle with the hard top/soft to conundrum. Top down living seems like so much fun and that would be my pick today

I play a game sometimes called, "what if I had the top down on a convertible right now" while I'm driving and with soot from busses, rigs, Bro Dozzers and the blazing sun in 96 degree heat here in NC, there aren't many days where I would want a convertible. After reading your post I see that's where I would fins myself down the road too, looking for a hard top.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

After selling my NA 7 weeks ago, I am in need of a Miata. I'm still waiting on Mazda to release the 2019 Soft Top.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Oh I know it's a longshot.


I found one near me (when I lived in Wisconsin) for $600 about 2 years ago. Happened to be trolling CL and saw the ad that had been put up 10 minutes prior. Called him right away and arranged a pickup. It was the right color and was freaking mint.

When I sold the car, I turned around and sold the hardtop separately for $1100 










They're out there, you just have to be patient!


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> I found one near me (when I lived in Wisconsin) for $600 about 2 years ago. Happened to be trolling CL and saw the ad that had been put up 10 minutes prior. Called him right away and arranged a pickup. It was the right color and was freaking mint.
> 
> When I sold the car, I turned around and sold the hardtop separately for $1100
> 
> ...


And act immediately.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Phil Pugliese said:


> And act immediately.


Yeah, that's my hope. I have cash and I work from home so I'm flexible to see something, go and buy it. Miata's are pretty rare up here, very little market for them or their parts locally. So that's why I'm crossing my fingers that I might eventually find something reasonably priced that I can jump on.

I just can't justify $1000+ on a $3500 car.

EDIT: There are 2 on CL right now within a few hundred miles of me. One is $1400, the other is asking $2200. There's also a junky looking whole car with a hardtop for $1750 but I don't have a trailer to go get it or the space to store and part it out.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

My friend found an average condition oem hardtop on facebook for 150 a few months back. Not sure about the seller's details or why it was so cheap, but it was posted on facebook and he was the only one who was able to meet with the seller within hours to get it (it popped up during regular working hours and he works from home).

He ends up hating the hardtop on his turbo miata and sells it to another friend for 800...


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> I just can't justify $1000+ on a $3500 car.


You're not looking at it in the proper perspective. A Miata HT is possibly the most liquid place to store $1500 that you'll find. They're $1500 today - oh sure you can find beat up ones for $750, but at $1500, there's almost no competition from CL mouth breathers. Buy one in matching color and good condition and you'll never regret it.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

The Fall light in the NW is fantastic. My favorite of a few shots from the NIKE campus.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Funemployment = time to detail the engine bay


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> The Fall light in the NW is fantastic. My favorite of a few shots from the NIKE campus.


you took that at lunch, didn't you? :laugh:


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Tornado2dr said:


> The Mazda website has a picture of one with a black top to go along with their 2019 release info. Not sure though- most people are focused on the extra hp
> 
> I ended up with a 17 because my wife preferred the black top. I didn’t really care but the price was nicer.


True. The hp bump is nice, which is why I would want a 19. But that red top is awesome as well.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

dunhamjr said:


> True. The hp bump is nice, which is why I would want a 19. But that red top is awesome as well.


It looks really good with certain colors for sure. 

A random perusing of cars.com shows that there are supposedly a handful of 2016 leftovers still available for sale. That sounds like good deals to be had.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

2018’s are $5k off at least. All the new HP is above 6000 rpm’s. Power curve is identical until then. Depending on what you want out of your Miata, a leftover minus a big discount may be the right choice. 

I suspect a 2018 would feel very fast compared to my ‘94 NA. If I never drove a 2019, I’d likely not feel I missed out.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Well the garage passed the car (state inspection) even though they couldn’t get the check engine light off. He said I need a new TPS. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Good opportunity to take some friends up on their offer to teach me how to use my multi-meter and do the proper tests and adjustment first. If I do need a new part, it’s not expensive or hard to swap.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I don't remember if I relayed my cheap hardtop story here before so here it is (again?)

I think it was fall 2008. I had my white '90 and was casually looking for a hardtop. The wife was perusing various Craigslists and found one listed for $500. I instantly emailed and the guy agreed to sell. Only big problem was that the top was in the Albany NY area and I was in Washington DC. My dad lives in Pittsfield MA, about an hour away from Albany, and has his own Miata so I asked him nicely to go get it and hang on to it until I could get up there myself.

Dad went to pick it up and the seller was a little red-faced over asking so little for the top, but was a stand-up guy and honored the price. Dad brought it home, telling me what a terrible color combination it was (BRG top on a Sunburst '92). I thought it would look pretty good, but I was wrong.

The next week was Thanksgiving and that was the perfect time for a trip north to get my top. But the weather forecast for western Mass. was cold, like not getting to 40 degrees cold. I didn't want to risk putting my soft top down in cold weather so I decided to drop the top down here and drive the seven hours and change top-down into decreasing temperatures. I told the wife the plan and she said "you're on your own. I'm taking the Santa Fe."

So Wednesday morning I got my winter coat, many hats, many gloves, a blanket, and who knows what else together and threw them in the car. It was already pretty brisk even here in the sunny south but I was undaunted. Being a cheapskate, I headed up north via non-toll roads which meant I got to drive through the nice cold mountains of Pennsylvania.

I was getting close to my destination late in the afternoon. I was chugging up the Taconic State Parkway in New York and it's not miserably cold, but I am wearing everything I own and the blanket on my lap was a crucial piece of the warmth puzzle. The car had a full Flyin Miata exhaust with high-flow cat and sometimes on long uphills it kinda drones, not enough to bother me. I didn't think of it when I drove past a NY state trooper in the median. The cop pulled out and I was still unconcerned, especially since it passed me and drove off. But I passed it in the median a second time - again, on a long uphill stretch - and this time he pulled me over.

The reason he stopped me, he said, was that the car sounded like it might have an exhaust problem and the fact that I was driving top-down when it's 45 degrees out might show that I would get poisoned by said bad exhaust if I had the roof up. I said the exhaust was fine, wondering to myself if I'd help or hurt my case if I confessed that the exhaust was designed to sound the way it did. I also said there was a back story to my top-down-ness.

"Give me the Reader's Digest version."

So I explained the cheap hardtop in Albany that was now in my dad's garage, and my soft top with fragile plastic rear window, and temperature concerns. That seemed to satisfy him.

"Have you looked at the new ones much?" he asked. At the time, NCs were still very new cars. I said I have not.

"The new ones have very comfortable seats" he said slowly. And with that he gave me back my paperwork and told me to have a nice day.

Dear old dad was ready for my arrival, leaving me the garage as I got there well after dark. The next day, on Thanksgiving, since the car was still top-down I wound up giving my young nephews and nieces some very cold top-down romps around the block, and then the hardtop went on the car.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Great story.


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## weezintrumpeteer (Jul 29, 2004)

Went down from SF Saturday for the day to Miatas at Laguna Seca just to hang out. Tons of Miatas (as expected). Lots of ones I liked, which was cool. Parade laps were lame (we got like, 1.5 laps and most of the time was spent either stopped or going 2 mph). All in all, good event. 

Some photos:

My car...one of 3 (that I saw) NA BRGs there.

















Loved this 97M...perfect stance, wheels, color, etc.









Super clean Sunburst

















V6-powered Montego on gorgeous Konig wheels









I love clean Spec Miata builds









My new favorite NB color (Midnight Blue Mica?)









Another NA on Panasports that I really dug...









Loved this NC Club with red tails and black removable hardtop









Saw a few ND soft tops in Ceramic...loved them and my new favorite ND color (Soul Red a close second)


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

weezintrumpeteer said:


> Miatas at Laguna Seca


Thanks for the pics. I figured the parade laps would be underwhelming when I read about it. Maybe if there were 50% fewer cars on the track?

Feel like I'll have to fix all the body damage to feel comfortable showing up to such an event.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Alright experts - you guys have been incredibly adept at solving my issues before, so here's the latest. At VIR a few days ago and everything went really well. Set a new personal best by a huge margin, and I'm really having fun with the car.
> 
> However I have a serious braking problem that is driving me nuts.
> 
> ...


Quoting this for posterity. 

I'm pretty sure my issue was number 1 and 4 combined. The pads were pretty worn and were tapered in the rear so I think that was the main problem, and since the brakes weren't adjusted enough the first couple of braking zones had issues then it got better as the pads got set. DTC 30s were back in stock so I have new pads in the rear now. 

I think the parking brake was stuck or maybe the pins were dry causing the locked caliper, or maybe an adjustment issue when it tried to self adjust with the thinner pads? 

For now everything looks ok and I'll hopefully be on the track within a few weeks to test everything out.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

pair of spec miatas cut through traffic at an HPDE:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Hiding from the big bad lawnmower man at work.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Picked up my car today. Mechanic says the TPS is shot, he used to race Miatas and thought he had a spare somewhere but he couldn't find one. They said it's a $400 part but I'm seeing them via Google for way, way less.

Anyone have experience buying a new one? Does it have to be Mazda OEM? Looking at this...

https://www.1aauto.com/throttle-pos...SRxpKygf2Stj6d-vP7kYBR_Pi7IFkcyhoCa-cQAvD_BwE

What else will I need to swap this out? Sounds like the TB needs to come off to get the TPS off (due to clearance issues), so a TB gasket?

The more I think about it, I've had a few weird stalls/near-stalls in this car over the last 2 summers. It happens rarely enough that I chocked it up to weather (2 of them happened while driving in the wet) or to me bonking a shift or something. This is probably the TPS losing signal completely here and there. So I'm all for replacing it, though not in a big hurry since I don't have much longer for the season and my sticker is good until the end of next October.

Also, the car seems to be running a little smoother now that I have a good O2 sensor in it. I'm sure some of it is placebo effect but it's it's really humming nicely.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Zillon said:


> I should've bought that car.


Wait, that exact car? Why did you pass? It's a beauty!



Zillon said:


> Hiding from the big bad lawnmower man at work.


Your car is so perfect, I just love it.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> Wait, that exact car? Why did you pass? It's a beauty!


Yeah, that exact car. It was a logistical nightmare, since it was located in Cali. And I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger yet. 

But man it was a pretty car.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

In process of buying a baby's-first-FI Jackson Racing M45 kit for cheap off Facebook. Anybody here ever run one? Tips, parts I should get that wouldn't be in the kit, or general reactions are welcome.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I found my TPS answer...

http://treasurecoastmiata.com/i-18699536-throttle-position-sensor-94-97.html



> Throttle Position Sensor '94 - '97
> *$30.00*
> Free Shipping!
> SKU: 18699536
> 1.8 Throttle Position Sensor fits '94 - '97. In good working condition.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stack has me starting to think about winter storage. 

Mice got into my air box last winter in my friends garage. Messy but no damage. But they also got into the area at the fuel pump and chewed wires = damage I had to repair. 

First big change is that I’m storing it at my house this year. If I clear out my garage I should be able to tuck it up to one side and still have room for the Prius. 










Basically everything along that drivers side wall goes away. I’ll back it in or maybe even use those wheel dolly things. 

Then...

1. Dryer sheets in the air box and around the fuel pump wires. 

2. Traps around tires. 

3. Peppermint oil inside cabin instead of mothballs. It took half the summer to get the mothball smell out. 🤮


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## thetopdog (Nov 11, 2008)

Claff said:


> I don't remember if I relayed my cheap hardtop story here before so here it is (again?)
> 
> I think it was fall 2008. I had my white '90 and was casually looking for a hardtop. The wife was perusing various Craigslists and found one listed for $500. I instantly emailed and the guy agreed to sell. Only big problem was that the top was in the Albany NY area and I was in Washington DC. My dad lives in Pittsfield MA, about an hour away from Albany, and has his own Miata so I asked him nicely to go get it and hang on to it until I could get up there myself.
> 
> ...


Cool story but why didn't you just put the hardtop in your wife's Santa Fe?


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Bright, crisp, fall Vermont day so I did about a 70 minute backroad loop. Cars is running so sweet with the O2 sensor in.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Sporin said:


> SMice got into my air box last winter in my friends garage. Messy but no damage. But they also got into the area at the fuel pump and chewed wires = damage I had to repair.


Mice got to my dad's 92 fuel pump wiring and that's proving to be a big ol mess to clean up. I don't think he's got it running yet. I'm trying best I can but it's tough to diagnose stuff from 500 miles away.



thetopdog said:


> Cool story but why didn't you just put the hardtop in your wife's Santa Fe?


We measured, and while the Santa Fe had the interior room to store it, the roof wouldn't fit through the hatch opening.

NEW BUSINESS

Last weekend I swapped the fresher VLSD from 300munkeys into my '90 which I thought had a tired not-so-viscous diff. It's my second diff swap so fewer surprises than the first, but still not a quick job as it's a real PITA to get the replacement in position to get bolted in working solo, especially as a 180 lb weakling. Not helping things was my letting the driveshaft fall out of the transmission, giving me a mess to clean up and now I have to top off the trans before I drive the car again.

The big question remains, did I have to swap the diff in the first place?

We all know that VLSDs aren't that great even when working properly, but my old one was really not working, especially exiting right-hand turns. A few years ago I replaced all my suspension bushings with poly. As I read more about bushings binding, I took everything apart, buzzed down the bushings with my DA sander, and reassembled with copious amounts of grease and ensured that those bushings were not binding. But the leaving-right-turn issue remained. I thought the issue was with the right rear corner, and wound up swapping rear LCAs with those from my '93 which still had original rubber bushings, just to completely eliminate the poly bushings there as an issue. The wheelspin leaving right turns remained. This is when I figured the diff was tired.

On Saturday, I had the rear UCAs disconnected from the knuckle to help keep the halfshaft out of the way while yanking out the old diff and getting the new one in position. When I went to reassemble things, I noticed the knuckle was absolutely not rotating around the long bolt that holds the bottom of the knuckle to the LCA. Bushing problem? I don't know. I undid the nut on the end of the long bolt maybe a quarter-turn and the knuckle flopped over so easily. Tighten it up properly and the knuckle is practically seized. So what's the right way to do this? I can't leave the nut loose obviously. One thought is leave that nut a quarter-turn loose, then double-nut it so it won't fall off assuming there are enough threads, which is a firm 'maybe'. But that doesn't sound like the proper fix. I'm kinda at a loss.

It's frustrating to spend money and put in the time to change out a part that might not have needed to be changed in the first place. On the other hand, if the outgoing VLSD isn't toast, at least I can throw it into the '93 (currently open diff) although at the moment I'm really not in the mood to do another solo diff swap anytime soon.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

yeah, ive always found the "VLSD is going bad" thing to be BS. 

what happens is drivers get good enough to start feeling the lack of lockup the VLSD has, and declare that they killed it. the VLSD is much misunderstood, its actually a very good diff, but it doesn't have a ton of lockup.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Claff said:


> Mice got to my dad's 92 fuel pump wiring and that's proving to be a big ol mess to clean up. I don't think he's got it running yet. I'm trying best I can but it's tough to diagnose stuff from 500 miles away.


What's crazy is how bad it was and I didn't realize. Drove it all the way home and then down to middle NH for our club's tech day. The gas gauge wasn't working. So we pulled the package shelf apart    :banghead:  and a mouse had chewed through 2/4 of the wires. Ground and positive to the pump where nicked up but hanging on enough to work. The 2 wires that feed signal to the gauge were chewed right through. One of the guys had spare wire and a great crimping tool so we got it all fixed up. So that's an area I really want to protect this winter.


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

These potential rodent problems are quite concerning to me. I park my Miata in a detached garage. I have parked 4 different cars in there previously, my Santa Fe Sport for 3 years, and never had an issue. However, even though a I plan on driving the Miata weekly or biweekly, through the winter it will be sitting for days or weeks at a time so I will have to keep an eye on it. Yesterday I bought Pine Sol and put a dish of it by each tire. Filled a spray bottle with Pine Sol and sprayed all around the car. I will do this regularly through all 4 seasons. The garage smells like a Carolina Pine Forest, it's pretty strong. Also may get peppermint oil for interior.


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

I'm really enjoying the Miata. Gotten used to the stiff ride, I think it's broken in and smoothed out a bit. One thing I've really noticed and appreciate, is how alive the car feels compared to the Santa Fe. As you drive the car, you feel like you're part of it. An extension of it. You feel more alive and awake compared to an ordinary car. It keeps you interested in driving.

Loving the Recaros. So comfy and supportive. I'm 5' 11" and 165 lbs. The transmission and clutch are awesome. So easy to drive. Averaging 33 mpg. Got 41 mpg on a 50 trip. Costco Premium 93.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I hadn't heard of using Pine Sol but it totally makes sense. Off to google.... :thumbup:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> Mice got to my dad's 92 fuel pump wiring and that's proving to be a big ol mess to clean up. I don't think he's got it running yet. I'm trying best I can but it's tough to diagnose stuff from 500 miles away.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear the diff didn't solve the issue  Although I'm relieved, because at first I thought you were going to say the replacement diff was bad and I would feel horrible! 

Doing this swap alone must be a major pain. I've been a helper in two diff swaps and the second, putting the torsen in my car and taking out that vlsd, was pretty painless and fast. About 2.5 hours or so working at a leisurely pace, including jacking up the car. Luckily my car had no rust so everything came out really easily. The hardest part is positioning and holding things up, etc which is really hard by yourself under the car.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

In other news, I bought a replacement driver's seat for my 91 track car. I had an aging Sparco pro-adv with a torn up seat cover and got a great deal on a like new unexpired OMP HTE-R 400 ($650 shipped). 

So I went to install it, and that's got to be the most annoying thing to do in these cars (installing seats). To top it off, after a lot of cursing and struggling, I realized I wouldn't be able to fit the seat on the mounts I have without further serious modification. 

I gave up, bit the bullet, and bought the Jerfspeed mounts. The design is fantastic, allowing for use of the OEM holes in the front and the back bolts have a welded nut, meaning you can insert a bolt from the bottom. So you can put the seat in on the brackets and then bolt it. 

The biggest problem with the mount is the exorbitant price - $220 shipped. Definitely too expensive, but my time was short and I was too frustrated and have too many holes drilled into my floor to try another mount. 

If he can get the price to $150 shipped I don't think anyone would look at different mounts. As it is, I think someone will likely copy his design and undercut his price because it's a huge opportunity. Note these aren't the mounts I bought, but someone else's picture. Mine are the newer version which is powdercoated black.


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## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Doug DeMuro said the 1st gen Miata is the most fun Miata you can buy. Maybe... but they're death traps. No side air bags. Insufficient passenger cage. I knew someone who died in one and I've heard of others, including one who somehow managed to roll over. The later Miata's look amazing in terms of design, power, technology, and efficiency. I'm really tempted to get back into one someday. I used to own a '99 and loved it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

absolutt said:


> Doug DeMuro said the 1st gen Miata is the most fun Miata you can buy. Maybe... but they're death traps. No side air bags. Insufficient passenger cage. I knew someone who died in one and I've head of others, including one who somehow managed to roll over. The later Miata's look amazing in terms of design, power, technology, and efficiency. I'm really tempted to get back into one someday. I used to own a '99 and loved it.


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## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Sporin said:


>


At least she's still alive! :wave:

TBH, I don't mean to say never own one... but not as a daily driver. Looks like some people really beef up the safety for track use with cage reinforcement and supplemental rollover protection. But if anyone here does daily drive a Mark I or II, just have to say... "be careful out there!" :beer:


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

absolutt said:


> Doug DeMuro said the 1st gen Miata is the most fun Miata you can buy. Maybe... but they're death traps. No side air bags. Insufficient passenger cage. I knew someone who died in one and I've heard of others, including one who somehow managed to roll over. The later Miata's look amazing in terms of design, power, technology, and efficiency. I'm really tempted to get back into one someday. I used to own a '99 and loved it.


People die in all sorts of cars, even so called 'safe' cars like Volvos.
Unless there is some sort of published proof of an increased likelihood of death in a Miata... and I don't mean 1-2 deaths more per 10k... I mean something significant. Then who cares?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

the NB was actually well regarded in crash tests. IIRC it was a NCAP 4 star. the NA pre-dates most good crash testing, but the structure of the NA is very similar to the NB. 

"nar har, its a small car it must suck in a crash nar hard blar"

no, most cars from the era are actually worse in a crash than the miata is.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

absolutt said:


> But if anyone here does daily drive a Mark I or II, just have to say... "be careful out there!" :beer:


I've daily driven a 90 NA with no airbag for the past 11 years. Not so dead yet. 
When I get killed in the car, you can all have a good laugh and say 'I told you so.'

:laugh:

How did humanity make it out of the 60's? 50's? Crazy to consider driving anything without side airbags.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

vortexblue said:


> :laugh:
> 
> *How did humanity make it out of the 60's? 50's? Crazy to consider driving anything without side airbags.*


Well, more of them actually died in car crashes then so... opcorn:










Now, all that being said, anyone driving any Miata, new or old, HAS to understand that they aren't going to win any Newtonian skirmishes.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

absolutt said:


> Doug DeMuro said the 1st gen Miata is the most fun Miata you can buy. Maybe... but they're death traps. No side air bags. Insufficient passenger cage. I knew someone who died in one and I've heard of others, including one who somehow managed to roll over. The later Miata's look amazing in terms of design, power, technology, and efficiency. I'm really tempted to get back into one someday. I used to own a '99 and loved it.


nearly all cars that are lightweight are death traps. Yet they're out there. Smart, Beetle (classic), Miata, Triumphs, 1G xBs, etc.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

vortexblue said:


> How did humanity make it out of the 60's? 50's? Crazy to consider driving anything without side airbags.


they didn't drive like a**holes and actually respected the rules of the road.


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## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

dunhamjr said:


> People die in all sorts of cars, even so called 'safe' cars like Volvos.
> Unless there is some sort of published proof of an increased likelihood of death in a Miata... and I don't mean 1-2 deaths more per 10k... I mean something significant. Then who cares?


Sure thing but it's the odds... and that's all based on crash test results. Passenger survival. While the earlier MX-5 did great _in its class_, it was still significantly behind other vehicles with more robust safeguards.

The other thing is... do you drive in low density traffic most of the time? Or are you often in the thick of it with large SUV's all around you? If the former, then you'll be fine. The latter? When I owned my '99, I had to put a "bauble" on the radio antenna so that trucks could see me! The number of times I almost got run off the road...



vortexblue said:


> I've daily driven a 90 NA with no airbag for the past 11 years. Not so dead yet.
> When I get killed in the car, you can all have a good laugh and say 'I told you so.'
> 
> :laugh:
> ...


Yeah we got by alright. But airbags are PROVEN to increase passenger safety. They have saved many thousands of lives every year. Now, the "percentage" increase will vary by circumstance and region, but it's a positive difference. I won't ever own another car that doesn't have front and side airbags.

And yeah, you're not dead... and that's great. But what kind of odds have you been beating? It can vary significantly depending upon your driving habits and where you drive (the traffic density, speed, proliferation of large vehicles, etc).


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My son, who gets his license this winter and will have some Miata privileges in the spring, knows all about this. We've been talking about it since we got the car. He'll not be getting to drive this car on any longer trips. Back and forth to school and sports here in town? (25mph speed limit) Sure. Running back and forth to a potential job in West Lebanon (a stretch of I-91 & I-89) — Hell no.

I've told him many times, if he dies in that car, his mom (my beloved wife) will never forgive me. Never.


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Even the ND Miatas put you at greater risk (obviously) than a regular sized vehicle. In the short time I've owned mine, I've found people are quite aggressive like tailgating, and getting uncomfortably close at stops. 
There are a lot of things you can do to be careful. Pay attention at all times. Assume that oncoming vehicle may cross over the line. Don't fly through an intersection as soon as light turns green. Keep speeds down, especially at night and on wet roads. 
I also plan on staying off interstate highways as much as possible. I have another vehicle for those trips. 
IMO you should be extra careful when driving a vehicle the size of a Miata.


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## yip (Jul 14, 2003)

Just picked up this R model and it's one of the most fun cars I've yet to own. Already want to buy a bunch of stuff for it like the garage vary round tail light conversion. Any of you guys in the L.A. area? 








[/url]94 R.5 by yeedle, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]94 R.2 by yeedle, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

absolutt said:


> Doug DeMuro said the 1st gen Miata is the most fun Miata you can buy. Maybe... but they're death traps. No side air bags. Insufficient passenger cage. I knew someone who died in one



You sound clueless. It's a far cry from Death trap to side air bags. So many other countries don't have them either. I rolled my Miata after hyrdoplaning into a ditch at 55MPH. When the car came to a rest, I unbuckled my seat belt, opened the door and stepped out of it. The policeman, bystandars that helped me, towtruck driver, etc. - no one thought the driver made it through the accident after looking at the car. My car had zero airbags.

Just don't talk about things you have no clue about as if you're an expert.


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## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Diamond Dave said:


> You sound clueless. It's a far cry from Death trap to side air bags. So many other countries don't have them either. I rolled my Miata after hyrdoplaning into a ditch at 55MPH. When the car came to a rest, I unbuckled my seat belt, opened the door and stepped out of it. The policeman, bystandars that helped me, towtruck driver, etc. - no one thought the driver made it through the accident after looking at the car. My car had zero airbags.
> 
> Just don't talk about things you have no clue about as if you're an expert.


High horse there. Dodging your lance. As I said, I knew someone who died in one. T-boned. No side airbags. Assessment was had the car had airbags, was a good chance he would have lived. No, I'm not an expert. Who here is? Plain fact is the car is _very small_, with a vast majority of vehicles around it much larger, heavier... greater momentum for crushing blow. Simple laws of physics. Just saying, risk is higher. Deny it all you want. I didn't say "don't drive" but "drive safe."


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

Yes, the NA Miata is a small car and there is only so much you can do to mitigate the laws of physics, and the lack of side airbags is a deficiency compared to more modern models but, they did a good job designing the NA Miata to protect the occupants. Read the story of Sunkist, the only NA Miata painted orange from the factory. Pretty impressive crash that the driver walked away from.


https://www.facebook.com/Miata.net/posts/10150594826819970


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## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

BlackMiata said:


> Yes, the NA Miata is a small car and there is only so much you can do to mitigate the laws of physics, and the lack of side airbags is a deficiency compared to more modern models but, they did a good job designing the NA Miata to protect the occupants. Read the story of Sunkist, the only NA Miata painted orange from the factory. Pretty impressive crash that the driver walked away from.
> 
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/Miata.net/posts/10150594826819970


I agree, which is why I think the later models that include side airbags raise the safety factor quite a bit, in addition to passenger cage improvements. Still, if you're going to drive an NA, it's not as bad as a Honda Civic from that era.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Again, I think we're picking nits. It's a little car from the early 90's, no one thinks they are driving around impervious to Newton's laws of physics.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

I'm more worried about clueless SUV drivers not seeing me than lack of side airbags. But I've been driving defensively for years, because LA traffic.


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## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

Mazda finishes factory restoration of an NA.

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/09/27/mazda-first-factory-restored-miata/?ncid=edlinkusauto00000016


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Had a good track day at summit main but ended up going off at turn 1 in the last session. Hit a giant puddle and it was super muddy I probably slid probably 50 ft. At least I got a good picture out of it!









Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Woohoo! No more CEL!

https://instagram.com/p/BofTxiBhWRT/

I did, of course, drop one of the throttle body nuts down into the plastic undertray. So I need to fish that out before I take it out on the road. 

Then we can see if the TPS needs adjustment but my guess is that it’s not that finicky given that I’ve put a few thousand miles on it with a dead TPS.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

anyone here happen to have a mazdacomp 1.6 diff?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Success! Got the car up on ramps and ... the nut was on the floor under the car 🤦🏻*♂

Buttoned it up and went for a rip. All the little fixes have made a noticeable difference. O2 sensor smoothed out the idle. Working TPS has really changed the throttle response. Car is much quicker to tip in, took some adjusting but you can really unleash all (cough)100!(cough) ponies now. 

So nice to not have that CEL staring me in the face anymore.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

:laugh: 









found: https://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=9119972&postcount=34009


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Success! Got the car up on ramps and ... the nut was on the floor under the car 🤦🏻*♂
> 
> Buttoned it up and went for a rip. All the little fixes have made a noticeable difference. O2 sensor smoothed out the idle. Working TPS has really changed the throttle response. Car is much quicker to tip in, took some adjusting but you can really unleash all (cough)100!(cough) ponies now.
> 
> So nice to not have that CEL staring me in the face anymore.


Mazel tov!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Because I've never driven another one (well, not for 25 years anyway) I don't know how this should feel correctly.

Since I put int a working TPS, throttle response is excellent, no more CEL, I'm very pleased.

But I've noticed that, at low speeds, the engine is extremely sensitive on-off throttle. That point where you go from coasting to giving it some revs, is just super sensitive. If I'm not externally careful, it can really rock you back and forth in a parking lot as if you don't know how to drive standard (I assure you, I do  )

I don't know if that's normal behavior or not. I'm guessing I need to adjust the TPS a bit but wanted to see what you guys thought before I got into it.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Finally got to drive the '90 today!


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## Enthusiast (Oct 8, 2000)

Is this a "good deal" @$~8k?

https://www.northbendchevrolet.com/...dr_Coupe_Convertible-North_Bend-WA/3249470333

1990 Miata, 98k miles, looks clean enough, top looks good/new-ish, koni shocks, lowered, sway bar, exhaust, jackson intake, enkei wheels and proves tire. Alpine stereo.

Thoughts, asking for a "friend".


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Enthusiast said:


> Is this a "good deal" @$~8k?
> 
> https://www.northbendchevrolet.com/...dr_Coupe_Convertible-North_Bend-WA/3249470333
> 
> ...


1990 so big fear there would be SNC issues (check for crank wobble) and paint issues (white likes to peel) - but looks stupid clean and has all the right parts. Even has a cloth top. 

I think the price is a bit high for the mileage, that's my honest opinion.


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## phatrabbitzz2 (Nov 22, 2003)

Enthusiast said:


> Is this a "good deal" @$~8k?
> 
> https://www.northbendchevrolet.com/...dr_Coupe_Convertible-North_Bend-WA/3249470333
> 
> ...


imho unless this is the exact setup you want then this seems like crazy money for a 1.6.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Slave cylinder let go today while out driving with the boy. Luckily we were right by our church so we could push it into the parking lot. I’ll get the parts tomorrow and hopefully the job is as easy as it looks on YouTube.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Enthusiast said:


> Is this a "good deal" @$~8k?
> 
> https://www.northbendchevrolet.com/...dr_Coupe_Convertible-North_Bend-WA/3249470333
> 
> ...


I don't know about your area, but that's crazy overpriced.

Also I wouldn't buy from a dealer. Check out miata.net and get a super clean car for that price if that's what you're after, or save the money and buy something meant to be driven.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

and then there was three:










91 daily/ice/winter miata
90 STS class miata
93 spec miata

#1.6fourlife


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Yeah, that’s a $4k Miata on the private market. 

That’s a ”we like having it in the showroom” price me thinks. 

$8k NA’s have 25k miles on them and are mint.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> Yeah, that’s a $4k Miata on the private market.
> 
> That’s a ”we like having it in the showroom” price me thinks.
> 
> $8k NA’s have 25k miles on them and are mint.


Ehhhh - I'd go $10-12k NAs have 25k miles them and are mint. At least from March-August. It's not a good deal but it's not terrible - depends on whether you like the parts that are on it or not.

The market's gone a little haywire for clean NAs thanks to rust and millennial trash turning them into crubhunters.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

8 grand for that? lol, i'd laugh in there faces.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Zillon said:


> Ehhhh - I'd go $10-12k NAs have 25k miles them and are mint. At least from March-August. It's not a good deal *but it's not terrible* - depends on whether you like the parts that are on it or not.
> 
> The market's gone a little haywire for clean NAs thanks to rust and millennial trash turning them into crubhunters.


OK, now that I see the listing on my computer instead of my phone, I will grant that that is a better than $4k car. Perfect top, looks very clean (though that single stage white can get chalky and peal-y and pictures can hide that.) Looks like new suspension, good wheels and tires, etc.

Private sale I'd say that's a $6k car in the spring or early summer, so I guess $8k from a dealership isn't insane. :beer:


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## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

Doug Demuro on the ND


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Weight reduction


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

This is perty: https://lynchburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-mazda-miata-merlot/6718837704.html

Someone go buy it. Good deal is good.


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Zillon said:


> This is perty: https://lynchburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-mazda-miata-merlot/6718837704.html
> 
> Someone go buy it. Good deal is good.


Woof. That's not far off what I just paid for my Abarth.

That's a fantastic color though.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

Zillon said:


> This is perty: https://lynchburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-mazda-miata-merlot/6718837704.html
> 
> Someone go buy it. Good deal is good.


Are the BBS rims on the '95 Merlot the same found on the '93 SE??? If I bought that car, first thing I would do is get another set of rims. Those BBS are too nice and unique for the crappy roads in my area. There are tons of aftermarket rims for the Miata that are light weight and have the correct offset. Or just get a set from a regular model. Then I would display the stock BBS in the living room or something :laugh: :wave: 

And I'm sure there is something to cover that driver's side seat side bolster to mitigate the wear.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

The 1995 NA Miata was interesting, the seats had separate headrest unlike other years and the BBS wheels are 15", the 1992 and 1993 BBS Wheels are 14". I have 2 sets of 14" BBS wheels, one set came with my 92 and I purchased a set from a 93 SE. I would love to have a set of 15" BBS wheels.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Zillon said:


> This is perty: https://lynchburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-mazda-miata-merlot/6718837704.html
> 
> Someone go buy it. Good deal is good.





RAVatar said:


> Woof. That's not far off what I just paid for my Abarth.
> 
> That's a fantastic color though.


That's an $10k+ Miata all day long on BaT. 

The paint is a beautiful color but it didn't hold up at all. Most of the Merlots flaked and needed a full respray.


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## mutcth (Mar 11, 2000)

Damn it. That 95M is a nice car at a reasonable price. Mine was a $3500 car with some rough paint, especially on the nose, a bit of rust in the rockers, and twice that mileage. 

That said - my $8500 would go to the nicest NC Grand Touring I could get, preferably a PRHT. I love dating NAs, but would marry a NC. (Or a ND RF with the Recaros - ooooh.) Someday...

Tom


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Well, changing my slave at church was a bust. One nut totally fused on, and I stupidly used a regular (vs flared) wrench on the hardline so that was rounding off. Decided to suck it up and drive it home without the clutch and it was really easy. I put way too much thought into it beforehand. 

Now that it's in my garage I can hit everything with PB Blaster and also order the braided SS line to replace the problematic, curly hardline. Take my time and do it right.

I really want to degrease the entire undercarriage too. Oil changes in these cars are kind of messy and the slave has been leaking for a while, so it's a mess. 

I also found the date code on my tires.... 2004. 😱 So I guess I'll be looking at some fresh rubber in the spring. Hopefully do a 15" wheel and tire upgrade, then hang onto these for winter storage.

Maybe *these* with 205/50-15 Dunlop Direzza DZ's. 

Good times.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Not sure if it mirrors others experiences, but two people I know locally had dunlop DZ102s on their Miatas and they both claimed it was dangerous when it rained


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## 10001110101 (Aug 7, 2007)

Sporin said:


> Well, changing my slave at church was a bust. One nut totally fused on, and I stupidly used a regular (vs flared) wrench on the hardline so that was rounding off. Decided to suck it up and drive it home without the clutch and it was really easy. I put way too much thought into it beforehand.
> 
> Now that it's in my garage I can hit everything with PB Blaster and also order the braided SS line to replace the problematic, curly hardline. Take my time and do it right.
> 
> ...


Those Konig's would look great! 

This is really tempting, but alas outside of my beater with a heater budget.

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/cto/d/1997-mazda-miata-hardtop/6727308331.html


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Aw614 said:


> Not sure if it mirrors others experiences, but two people I know locally had dunlop DZ102s on their Miatas and they both claimed it was dangerous when it rained


Good to know! I don’t really drive it in the rain, I want something cheap and sticky.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Good to know! I don’t really drive it in the rain, I want something cheap and sticky.


Yeah both have basically said they were doing a 20 mile turn when the rear nearly stepped out on them on those tires. :screwy:

A good non 200tw tire in 205/50/15 are the continental extreme contact sport. Apparently it was the tire choice for scca solo nationals during that rain storm they had. If I switched to a dual tire setup for 15in, I would be looking at the continental as my street tire. Probably the closest thing to a PSS for 15s.


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Aw614 said:


> A good non 200tw tire in 205/50/15 are the continental extreme contact sport. Apparently it was the tire choice for scca solo nationals during that rain storm they had. If I switched to a dual tire setup for 15in, I would be looking at the continental as my street tire. Probably the closest thing to a PSS for 15s.


I recently converted my track car back to street duties.
Went from 15x9 with 225/45/15 Ventus to 15x8 with those 205/50/15 Continentals. So far, I love them. I'm in SoCal, so weather isn't really a concern, but I didn't want to waste my $$$ on something that would wear out/ cycle quickly. These tires are great and are totally fun at typical road speeds and some canyon hooning.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Those look good, I’ll check them out when the time comes. 

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tires....2973!&ef_id=W8zQFAAABDfjhzXf:20181021191428:s


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

vortexblue said:


> I recently converted my track car back to street duties.
> Went from 15x9 with 225/45/15 Ventus to 15x8 with those 205/50/15 Continentals. So far, I love them. I'm in SoCal, so weather isn't really a concern, but I didn't want to waste my $$$ on something that would wear out/ cycle quickly. These tires are great and are totally fun at typical road speeds and some canyon hooning.


The Conti ECS is a fantastic tire. Great grip in the dry and the wet, good ride quality, and wear seems to be fantastic.


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## slngshot (Mar 2, 2007)

Speaking of tires.... I just pulled my NB out to fill it up for storage. It’s only been parked for 5 weeks and the tires were lumpy already.

What does one do when the car sits for long periods of time without use to keep the wumpwumpwump to a minimum?
In summer it doesn’t seem to matter, but cold temps are horrid on the rubber it seems.

:snowcool:

Edit - tires are new last summer Potenza RE760’s with 1200miles on em. Stored on a storage lift in an insulated but not heated garage for winters.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

rammalammadingdong said:


> Speaking of tires.... I just pulled my NB out to fill it up for storage. It’s only been parked for 5 weeks and the tires were lumpy already.
> 
> What does one do when the car sits for long periods of time without use to keep the wumpwumpwump to a minimum?
> In summer it doesn’t seem to matter, but cold temps are horrid on the rubber it seems.
> ...


Jack stands or move periodically. That’s about it. You only need to move it 6” or so and there’s no reason to start it if you don’t want to.


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

I sold my NC a couple of months ago. If it was still competitive in any autocross class I'd have kept it, but the ND1 spanks it and the ND2 is going to spank the ND1.









Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

The NC is not DOA in STR. We had one NC in DC Region that ran with, and beat, most of the nationally-prepped NDs. We've run midpack or better in two trips to Nationals with a PRHT that we're still learning and tweaking.

ND2 is not coming to STR until 2020.

I am hardly in a hurry to move to ND myself.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

vortexblue said:


> Went from 15x9 with 225/45/15 Ventus to 15x8 with those 205/50/15 Continentals.


I'm planning on downsizing to 15s as well and was leaning towards the same tires. What wheels are you running? Got a pic of your setup?

Once everything is dialed in, I'll do another day trip to Palomar Mountain and all the roads in that area in your neck of the woods. :thumbup:


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

kiznarsh said:


> What wheels are you running? Got a pic of your setup?
> 
> Once everything is dialed in, I'll do another day trip to Palomar Mountain and all the roads in that area in your neck of the woods. :thumbup:


I sold off the heavyweight TRM 15x9's and bought some lightweight 15x8 Enkei RPF1s. They're pretty great. I have no pics of it back as a street car yet, it isn't much of a looker - just another white 90 miata.

Post up when you're headed to Palomar! I haven't been there in about a year even though it's so close. I usually head to the DeLuz loop in Temecula on Friday mornings -it's like a ghost town for most of the trip.


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

Claff said:


> The NC is not DOA in STR. We had one NC in DC Region that ran with, and beat, most of the nationally-prepped NDs. We've run midpack or better in two trips to Nationals with a PRHT that we're still learning and tweaking.
> 
> ND2 is not coming to STR until 2020.
> 
> I am hardly in a hurry to move to ND myself.


I run with the nationals winning ND. No NC's or S2000's are close. 

You're in denial. 

I made the smart choice. A PAXwagen GTI.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Silver_arrow12! said:


> I run with the nationals winning ND. No NC's or S2000's are close.
> 
> You're in denial.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Yeah, the ND is just that good.

If I had a good year, I'd love to throw some proper tires under mine and see how close I could get to the bwoyz (and lass) running the national-prepped ND1 here in the Philly region.

I was about 2.8 secs off the best ND1 time of the day on my Conti ECS tires. Fun, yes. Fast...ish.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

yeah i think the NC and NB are DOA in STR at nationals. you might be able to pick off a trophy or few at national events if you can catch the ND drivers in a mistake or napping, but heads up driving the ND will crush the NC and NB. when there are 30+ of them, your done. when there are 3 or 4 you might be able to get em. 

sadly, while a 1.6L set pole at runoffs, he fell rapidly to 3rd, and then was hit and finished out of the top 10. the 1.6L is fast at some tracks, but it seems like its hard to drive a full race at full pace in them without making a mistake. lots of NAs at runnoffs though, almost half. i dont think anyone was convinced to switch though after runoffs, then 99 and VVT guys were solid.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

If Dave Whitener can run bottom-of-STR-trophies times with his STS car, there's no reason why a NB can't be competitive in STR. Only problem is you need Whitener's driving ability and Whitener's willingness to build the car and Whitener's testing regimen.

Here's why I'm sticking with the NC. Our car is solidly mid-pack (29th & 36th out of 57 this year) and that's with me making a pretty serious setup goof that cost us on the first day of Nationals. I've been doing this for ten years now and have no realistic expectations that I'll ever be better than midpack. I can continue being midpack with the NC for some time down the road, driving a very fun car, or I can spend $30K on a ND and probably not pick up a significant number of spots at the big show. The cheapskate in me says the choice is to spend $30K and run 25th or spend nothing and run 35th and that's a no-brainer when put that way.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> If Dave Whitener can run bottom-of-STR-trophies times with his STS car, there's no reason why a NB can't be competitive in STR. Only problem is you need Whitener's driving ability and Whitener's willingness to build the car and Whitener's testing regimen.
> 
> Here's why I'm sticking with the NC. Our car is solidly mid-pack (29th & 36th out of 57 this year) and that's with me making a pretty serious setup goof that cost us on the first day of Nationals. I've been doing this for ten years now and have no realistic expectations that I'll ever be better than midpack. I can continue being midpack with the NC for some time down the road, driving a very fun car, or I can spend $30K on a ND and probably not pick up a significant number of spots at the big show. The cheapskate in me says the choice is to spend $30K and run 25th or spend nothing and run 35th and that's a no-brainer when put that way.


or drive your sts car


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> or drive your sts car


I'm old. I can't live without A/C.


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

I think some early groups saw surprises due to the weather. Once things dried out, the universe was righted.

And I don't blame Claff for being in denial, I was too. I was the NC's biggest cheerleader, still think it's the better car to modify with big power, but as far as autocross goes, it's dead. And I don't expect SCCA to breathe life into it by moving it to another class. Lets say you move it down to DS, then you've created CS, DS, ES and STR Miata classes. Miata is always the answer, until it kills off your competition across too many classes. That's why they're throwing ND2 in CS, they don't want BS to be spec Miata. They'd rather kill off the NC and ND1 in CS than let the Miata cancer spread. :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Also, being content to be mid pack doesn't exactly mean the NC isn't dead. It just means you enjoy the car and don't want to blow a bunch of money to be at the pointy end of chasing cones. Totally reasonable. 

After 3 Miatas, I was getting bored, it's just too hot in Florida to enjoy the top down, and I'm not driving a convertible with the top up. That and I was so disappointed in the gains from header, exhaust and tune. The car needed to feel a lot faster for me to bake in the son and daily that loud exhaust. It wasn't, so I looked at the FoST, SI and GTI. Enjoyed the GTI the most and it made the nicest daily driver too. The fact that it's competitive nationally was the icing on the cake.

Everyone has their own priorities and I hope you have fun with the NC, but I stand by my statement. The NC is dead. Long live the ND2, until the next Miata kills it. :wave:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Tomorrow will be fun


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Bring the gimp suit, it'll be your only chance.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

pro tip claffe ... bring toyos


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> pro tip claffe ... bring toyos


The last of my Toyos went to the dump in the spring.

The car has its stock wheels with some sort of Michelins on it now. If it gets dryish I have some half-gone RE71Rs in the truck. We should get enough practice time to try both; whether I'm interested in actually changing tires in these unfriendly conditions remains to be seen.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

depending on the next generation of tires, i might keep a set of toyos around even longer. they are better than stones in below 40 and wet, of which a significant amount of autocross is done in minnesota. above about 50 the stones are better, even if its wet, but when its cold and wet, the old toyo still is the tire to have.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally got back into the garage on Sunday (been a busy week). Got the car up on jackstands and sprayed all the bolts around the slave with PB Blaster. Ordered the long, braided SS replacement clutchline from Treasure Coast. Hopefully get it back together next weekend just in time to store if for winter.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

It's going to take most of this week to get everything dried out and aired out etc etc


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally some progress. Getting the old one off was a monster p.i.t.a. 










Got everything all hooked up. Tomorrow night I’ll get my son out there to help me fill and bleed. 

Would be nice to get one last ride in before snow flies.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Ran across this deal in the forum classifieds, wish I had the money, I'd get that thing on a truck asap.

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=678643 (no affiliation)


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

Does anyone have a recommendation for a trickle charger? I don't think I'll be driving the miata a lot during the winter, and I'd like to at least _attempt_ to keep it in good condition over the winter.


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## roman16v (Jan 18, 2001)

gmeover said:


> Does anyone have a recommendation for a trickle charger? I don't think I'll be driving the miata a lot during the winter, and I'd like to at least _attempt_ to keep it in good condition over the winter.


You have a Costco near you? They have the Battery Tender Power Plus! for $30. I have one for my LS430 that sits most of the time and it works great!
https://www.costco.com/Battery-Tender-Power-Plus-3-Amp-Charger.product.100241973.html


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Thoughts on this car? A green NB isn't my first choice, but the idea of a turbo miata sounds fun.

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-miata-fully-built-md/6744408411.html


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Techun said:


> Thoughts on this car? A green NB isn't my first choice, but the idea of a turbo miata sounds fun.
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-miata-fully-built-md/6744408411.html


I wouldn't call that fully built. Seems like a good starting package for some fun but the price seems high for what it is. Get a comp test before buying just to be sure the motor isn't shot.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Claff said:


> It's going to take most of this week to get everything dried out and aired out etc etc


No helmet required?


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

gmeover said:


> Does anyone have a recommendation for a trickle charger? I don't think I'll be driving the miata a lot during the winter, and I'd like to at least _attempt_ to keep it in good condition over the winter.


I've got the 4 bank Noco G4

It can do multiple types of batteries at one time and has specific modes for the different battery types which many don't. Just saying it works with an AGM for example doesn't mean it is properly charging and maintaining one (charging more an issue than maintain). I also find it is better built, and like the connectors better than battery tender brand. But The costco one linked to is a great deal.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Aw614 said:


> No helmet required?


Nope. I thought it was strange the first time I ran there.

If I didn't have my wool hat I probably would have put a helmet on just for weather protection.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Got the new clutch slave bled. Way easier than I expected, I think the replacement line makes a big difference with that.

Despite spitting snow and 39 degree temps, I bundled up and took a nice ride. Perfect. 










All the fixes I’ve done this fall have collectively made a big difference in how the car runs and drives. Shame I never had a chance to swap the new shocks on but that will have to waIt for spring now. 

Next year’s list in progress:
-Install new shocks & Bump-stops (already have)
-Install new soft rear window (already have Kit)
-Timing belt (based on mileage)
-Radiator, water pump, thermostat, coolant flush (preventative as the old plastic rad is looking a little green)


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

> *This Must Be One Of The Best First-Gen MX-5s You Can Buy Right Now
> It's undergone a full restoration, is packing 400bhp and has an extensive list of modifications*


https://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-must-be-one-of-the-best-first-gen-mx-5s-you-can-buy-right-now/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132852308554

oh my


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132852308554


I can appreciate the 1990s Advan livery. 400hp in a Miata is way more than enough. In fact, it might even be too much depending on how you want to enjoy your car. There are very few 400hp Miatas that are reliable on track for repeated HPDE sessions. And a 400hp Miata tends to be more scary than fun. But everyone has a different idea about that. However, $20k is very strong money for one of these cars. I know it cost more to build but such is life. Then again, I think people ask silly prices for Spec Miatas.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Techun said:


> Thoughts on this car? A green NB isn't my first choice, but the idea of a turbo miata sounds fun.
> 
> https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-miata-fully-built-md/6744408411.html


Green is the only NB to buy.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Sporin said:


> https://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-must-be-one-of-the-best-first-gen-mx-5s-you-can-buy-right-now/


All that without a proper roll cage :screwy:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Sporin said:


> https://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-must-be-one-of-the-best-first-gen-mx-5s-you-can-buy-right-now/
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132852308554
> 
> oh my


turbo .... 

bleh


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Miata brethren, I need your help! I may have done something stupid or may have gotten a great deal. 

As some of you may know, I have a track 91 miata with spec parts and a 4.1 torsen that I've been using for a couple of years. I want to do some time trials next year, so the idea of a nb has been bouncing around in my head.

Well, I found a 2001, Florida car, has the sport suspension and Torsen. 197k miles. Supposedly the previous owner just did a new clutch, radiator, thermostat, water pump, belts etc. 

However on driving the car there is little power. It feels like a slipping clutch but the clutch isn't slipping. Basically the engine sounds great, but the power never really gets there. My 91 feels like a rocket compared to it. 

Especially when coming out of gear around 2500 or less it hesitates, then revs very slowly (relatively). When my friend and I tested it, and revved the piss out of it and tried to see what could be wrong, it started boiling the coolant and spurting out. 

Dumb thing is I still bought the car. It was too cheap to pass up for a Florida, straight, totally rust free chassis with a torsen. I got it for $900! 

So I'm worried it might need a new head, or it has a blown head gasket or something else. But even if I part out I won't lose money but I want to fix it up. I have time this winter as a project and I think it will be a great learning experience for me to fix it, if I can fix it (my friend will help). 

Any off the cuff armchair thoughts on what might be wrong? No white smoke from exhaust that I could tell but some white smoke came out of the ac vents and smelled terrible - freon leaking? 

No idea what's going on. I just want to be pointed in the right direction for diagnosis.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

sounds like a headgasket to me. 

popping the head off takes about 45 minutes, shouldn't have trouble.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

I'd run a compression check on the cylinders.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks guys. Next step is compression test and just general checkup of everything, the pop the head off.

Now my buddy has a rusted out nb1 with a healthy engine, I have a clean nb2 with a sick engine.

If it turns out the head has has warped, should I swap the whole engine or just the head? Or get a vvt head?

I think treasure coast sells vvt heads for like $450 which isn't too bad. 

On the other hand, maybe it's worth spending some more and getting a rebuilt engine since this will be a track car and might eventually be put into some endurance racing.

I'll keep diagnosing and let you guys know what I find!


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

197K is getting up there. If you do pull the head, looking at the cylinder conditions, will give you an idea of which way to go.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Looked at a few things again this morning real quick. Definitely appears to be the head gasket. My friend has a healthy 99 motor we can swap in though. From what I understand it should be easy, but vvt just won't work.

This will be solely a track car what do you guys think? I'm pretty sure this motor is toast.

Otherwise do the head gasket but who knows what else could be wrong. Head may be cracked for all I know.

Oil was down to min this morning after filling it and driving home for 7 miles yesterday afternoon. Coolant down too.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Anyone have knowledge on swapping an nb1 engine into an nb2?

Sure you'll lose vvt, but it's it otherwise plug and play? A guy I know that used to build motors said if it's not making power a good chance piston rings are bad.

So it would be better to just swap the whole '99 motor in since it has good compression and I can get it pretty cheap.

Anything I should know about going in, if i go that route? Hard to find with googling because people usually just do head swaps or go the other way, swapping in a vvt motor.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

id personally just do the head, have it plained and call it a day. removing the whole engine sounds like way more work, and doesnt make the head gasket really any easier.


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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

300_munkeys said:


> Anyone have knowledge on swapping an nb1 engine into an nb2?


I wouldn't do it just on the legality issues.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

NeverEnoughCars said:


> I wouldn't do it just on the legality issues.


What legality? Like road legal?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> What legality? Like road legal?


Technically, at the federal level, it is illegal to swap in an engine from an older model year car into a newer one. One can swap over a '01 NB engine into a '99, provided that _technically_ you swap all the emissions related components from the '01 in as well. But you can't do the opposite.

Of course, you would have to be caught by the EPA for that to happen, which is why many a blind eye is turned to such conversions.

However, depending on your state, you could run into issues passing emissions, and thus registration. As far as wiring compatibility, or what the ECU read differences are (i.e. what the emissions computers will be looking for in an '01 vs. a '99), I'm not sure.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Technically, at the federal level, it is illegal to swap in an engine from an older model year car into a newer one. One can swap over a '01 NB engine into a '99, provided that _technically_ you swap all the emissions related components from the '01 in as well. But you can't do the opposite.
> 
> Of course, you would have to be caught by the EPA for that to happen, which is why many a blind eye is turned to such conversions.
> 
> However, depending on your state, you could run into issues passing emissions, and thus registration. As far as wiring compatibility, or what the ECU read differences are (i.e. what the emissions computers will be looking for in an '01 vs. a '99), I'm not sure.


This will be a caged track car it won't be road legal in any case.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> id personally just do the head, have it plained and call it a day. removing the whole engine sounds like way more work, and doesnt make the head gasket really any easier.


The concern is that there could be other hidden issues. The head could be cracked for all I know, and who knows what else is going on. Previous owner just put in a brand new oem clutch supposedly but given everything else, I'm not sure how much I trust it.

Any idea how much it would cost to get the head done if I go that route? 

If I remove the whole engine I would not get it fixed but just sell it or part it out.

I think step 1 will be a compression test, though I'm not sure if it will be useful if the head gasket is done.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

I'm gonna go check this out for ****s and giggles tomorrow.

https://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/d/2000-mazda-miata-ls/6743348135.html

It's 5 minutes away.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> The concern is that there could be other hidden issues. The head could be cracked for all I know, and who knows what else is going on. Previous owner just put in a brand new oem clutch supposedly but given everything else, I'm not sure how much I trust it.
> 
> Any idea how much it would cost to get the head done if I go that route?
> 
> ...


when you have the head off bring it to a engine shop and have them check it and plane it.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> when you have the head off bring it to a engine shop and have them check it and plane it.


Any rough idea on cost to do that?

Someone suggested that perhaps piston rings are done too. It's a 200k mile motor after all.

I can get a near free < 150k mile motor with very good compression.

You still think fixing the head is a better option? If so could you help me understand too? I'm a total noob when it comes to engines beyond absolute basics. Thank you!


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Zillon said:


> I'm gonna go check this out for ****s and giggles tomorrow.
> 
> https://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/d/2000-mazda-miata-ls/6743348135.html
> 
> It's 5 minutes away.


Went and saw that Miata this morning. 

#1 - I don’t fit in an NB. 
#2 - Beware old men with cans of spray paint. Overspray everywhere. 
#3 - Superchargers are wonderful. 




























Overall, it needs a lot of cosmetic TLC. Poorly touched up scrapes and scratches. Cracked front bumper. Resprayed rear bumper. Overspray everywhere. 




























Mechanically it seems very sound, likely needs a new IAC or TPS, idle drops too far when coming to a stop. Could also be the torn boot on the supercharger. 










Neat car, not for me though.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Any rough idea on cost to do that?
> 
> Someone suggested that perhaps piston rings are done too. It's a 200k mile motor after all.
> 
> ...


i HIGHLY doubt the rings are toast unless it spent a considerable amount of time running badly tuned FI or something. 

having a head planed and checked is a couple hundred bucks. the reason i suggest that is that that removing the head is a 45 minute job, removing the engine is much more of a pain in the ass.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> i HIGHLY doubt the rings are toast unless it spent a considerable amount of time running badly tuned FI or something.
> 
> having a head planed and checked is a couple hundred bucks. the reason i suggest that is that that removing the head is a 45 minute job, removing the engine is much more of a pain in the ass.


That's good to know, thank you. The guy I spoke with that suggested it said they might be done because the engine is making very very little power. I mean the car struggles getting up hills, and the power never builds. It revs up slowly, too.

I think I'll take it to a shop for a once over to see if generally things look ok, and get a quote for full head gasket job and just milling the head and go from there. The car has a brand new radiator and clutch and timing belt and water pump. So I think the old owner was chasing an issue, probably with overheating, but it was head gasket the whole time.

Problem is I'm not sure if all those parts are still good or if they were installed correctly and honestly I'm not qualified to judge that anyway. If everything else is good, even if it costs $1000 to fix, I still feel it was solid deal for an nb. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Ok guys, update on the 2001. Doesn't seem to be displaying typical head gasket symptoms.

Coolant seems to be relatively clean, oil too. No white smoke or sweet smell from exhaust.

I warmed up the car a bit then took a drive and it got to 207 degrees pretty easily, so maybe there's an overheating issue. Keep in mind it's pretty cold here, low 30s tonight.

I got back and checked everything out - the fan came on, engine sounded good. I popped open the radiator cap (stupid, but I was careful) and it looked ok. No bubbling or milkshake or anything weird.

Car is still down on power though. Like when when I floor it, it revs so slowly especially at the top end. There's also no torque. 

Next step will be to take off the cat and check it out since that could be choking the engine if it's bad or clogged.

I'll also do a compression test on the weekend.

Could it also be a bad vvt solenoid? Lack of power is all throughout the power band. No fault codes. Any ideas or help appreciated.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Forgive me if you've already done this, but *check the timing*.

To me, it sounds like classic "1 tooth off" running symptoms. It commonly happens on timing belt jobs on Miatas. People don't thoroughly verify the correct timing because the non-interference motor removes any fear of consequence of "getting it wrong"


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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

300_munkeys said:


> This will be a caged track car it won't be road legal in any case.


Then go for it.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Forgive me if you've already done this, but *check the timing*.
> 
> To me, it sounds like classic "1 tooth off" running symptoms. It commonly happens on timing belt jobs on Miatas. People don't thoroughly verify the correct timing because the non-interference motor removes any fear of consequence of "getting it wrong"


Definitely could be it. I figured it's more foolproof with the vvt but I'll look into it. The previous owner did the timing belt recently so maybe.

The more I think about it the more I think there's probably still a head gasket leak but if that's the only issue then I can live with that.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I wish I could offer some suggestions but most of this mechanical engine stuff is way beyond my skills. Good luck though.

Mine is in the garage as winter is well on here. 

Have all my stuff now to pack it up for the winter and will do that over this weekend.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Definitely could be it. I figured it's more foolproof with the vvt but I'll look into it. The previous owner did the timing belt recently so maybe.
> 
> The more I think about it the more I think there's probably still a head gasket leak but if that's the only issue then I can live with that.


Its not. VVT is just trimming the cam phasing to be at the optimal setting based on other sensor input. It’s relatively basic and it assumes that the static timing is correct.

There would have to be painfully obvious signs of head gasket distress for there to be that bad of a running issue. You would have milky/overfilled oil or boiled over/oily coolant if you had that bad of a leak to impact running. 

Do not assume the person did a good job, or verified the timing. When I did my M3’s head gasket, I was obsessed with getting static timing right because it’s an interference motor. I marked everything and even still, I ended up being a tooth off. If I just assumed my marks were correct I’d have either ended up with a lunched engine or something poorly running that would have taken me a long time to diagnose.

Checking static timing is easy if you have a timing gun (won’t have to pop the valve cover). Even if you don’t, you just have to pop the valve cover and turn the engine over by hand to verify timing marks. A lot easier than tearing into the head (which would erase the current positioning of the timing components) or pulling the cat converter.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Stevo12 said:


> Forgive me if you've already done this, but *check the timing*.
> 
> To me, it sounds like classic "1 tooth off" running symptoms. It commonly happens on timing belt jobs on Miatas. People don't thoroughly verify the correct timing because the non-interference motor removes any fear of consequence of "getting it wrong"


It's either the clogged cat or this.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Its not. VVT is just trimming the cam phasing to be at the optimal setting based on other sensor input. It’s relatively basic and it assumes that the static timing is correct.
> 
> There would have to be painfully obvious signs of head gasket distress for there to be that bad of a running issue. You would have milky/overfilled oil or boiled over/oily coolant if you had that bad of a leak to impact running.
> 
> ...


Thank you! We are checking compression on Sunday so I'll check timing too.


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## rloewy (Jan 30, 2015)

For the first time in 5 years I put the hard top on the old girl. Forgot how good these cars look with the hardtop.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Did all my anti-pest, hibernation prep. 

Kept it in my own garage this winter. Planning to unwrap it early this year and do the shocks and a few other things before it hits the road in the Spring.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Alright, so the saga of the nb2 continues.

Here's the good news: compression test came out much better than expected, especially considering the car has almost 200k miles on it.

All 4 cylinders had dry compression between 165-170, and wet compression of 180-190.

I'm pretty happy with that part of it.

Also when I went to pull the cat, I couldn't find it. Looks like a custom, header back exhaust with no cat. This was a Florida car - no emissions in Florida afaik.

When we checked the timing, it was a bit weird. The first time we checked it out looked like the crank was wobbling and the timing was jumping around a little bit, but overall looked ok.

We rechecked it to record the wobble and it looked fine.

So I guess that's the next thing I'll work on. 

I should note, this car is leaking oil like a sieve. It's ridiculous how much oil is leaking my buddy says it's all from the valve cover gasket and it looks like that could be it but man it's a lot. 

Previous owner did the clutch, rear main seal, timing belt and water pump but I don't trust the quality of the work. The clutch doesn't really feel good at all so who knows what else might be going on.

Next step I'll check the torque on the 4 crank pulley bolts and see if that does anything. I'll do valve cover gasket and look at the timing marks on the cams. After that I'll take it to a shop to diagnose if I can't figure it out. Any suggestions welcome. I'll post the video of the timing when I get a chance.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Ok I uploaded the video:


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> I should note, this car is leaking oil like a sieve. It's ridiculous how much oil is leaking my buddy says it's all from the valve cover gasket and it looks like that could be it but man it's a lot.
> 
> Previous owner did the clutch, rear main seal, timing belt and water pump but I don't trust the quality of the work. The clutch doesn't really feel good at all so who knows what else might be going on.


Thanks for checking the timing. Looks like 10* BTDC according to the marks, which is spot-on.

The oil leak might be an issue. If someone popped the valve cover without replacing the old and baked gasket, yeah it could leak like a sieve.

I know it's not a Miata, but my sister (who's the exact opposite of a car person) finally took her badly-running Nissan Versa in to diagnose why it has been running so poorly. She didn't do her 100k-mile service (which would have meant new plugs) and she has 142k miles on the car. The dealer had already noted the need for a new valve cover gasket (not surprising at 142k) so I wonder if the oil leak and the old plugs had something to do with her car running so poorly :facepalm:

The PO might have also tried to use expensive iridium plugs, which cause running problems - at least in earlier 1.8L Miatas, and I don't think the NB's are that different. The engine was designed to use cheap plugs, and actually run best on the $3 NGK regulars rather than the expensive 'long life' plugs. That, or the plug wires may be old.

Regarding the clutch, the soft feel could be due to the replacement being softer than OEM. I had an "OEM replacement" Exedy clutch that I put into my Miata that felt softer than the OEM Mazda clutch that came out. And that was on a relatively recent (1-year-old) slave and master cylinder, and a stainless flex line. I likened the OE replacement being just a little different than the 20-year-old clutch that came out of the car.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Thanks for checking the timing. Looks like 10* BTDC according to the marks, which is spot-on.
> 
> The oil leak might be an issue. If someone popped the valve cover without replacing the old and baked gasket, yeah it could leak like a sieve.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much!

I mean a valve cover gasket is relatively easy, but if there's a crank wobble or I have to redo the timing belt I might as well do it at the same time. But I'm thinking it's worth just doing the vcg, spark plugs, and spark plug wires and going from there.

It's just so down on power. I can't imagine it's as simple as plugs or wires but I'm hopeful.

Here's one more piece of info. I disconnected the vvt, and the car felt exactly the same. So it might be bad vvt solenoid? I'm not sure how those symptoms would manifest.

Also the clutch might just need to be bled.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks so much!
> 
> I mean a valve cover gasket is relatively easy, but if there's a crank wobble or I have to redo the timing belt I might as well do it at the same time. But I'm thinking it's worth just doing the vcg, spark plugs, and spark plug wires and going from there.
> 
> ...


My NA would start misfiring when the plugs/wires got old. First, when it was cold. Then, when it was wet. Then all the time. You wouldn't have known just by looking at them, but I learned why people recommended replacing them every 30k. Good thing it's only ~$50 for a set of NGK plugs and wires.

Can't really comment on the VVT solenoid being bad, only that I'd get the car running good enough with it unplugged before I would start introducing that variable. There's obviously something systemic going on.

Also, I'm familiar with earlier NB1's having cracked coil packs. Not sure if it's an issue on later NB2's or not, but also could be worth checking out.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> My NA would start misfiring when the plugs/wires got old. First, when it was cold. Then, when it was wet. Then all the time. You wouldn't have known just by looking at them, but I learned why people recommended replacing them every 30k. Good thing it's only ~$50 for a set of NGK plugs and wires.
> 
> Can't really comment on the VVT solenoid being bad, only that I'd get the car running good enough with it unplugged before I would start introducing that variable. There's obviously something systemic going on.
> 
> Also, I'm familiar with earlier NB1's having cracked coil packs. Not sure if it's an issue on later NB2's or not, but also could be worth checking out.



Thanks. But I feel like a misfire or bad coil packs would throw a code or would feel obvious. The engine sounds and seems to be running ok. Just revs REALLY slowing. 

Like imagine you are in 3rd gear going up a hill you need to be in first or second. 

When I disconnected the VVT it made zero difference.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

So, partial success. I've identified the main issue with the power loss. The woodruff key and the keyway on the crank are totally mangled. This doesn't explain the oil leak, but I'm thinking it's from the crank seal. Unfortunately there is oil everywhere and since the car is in the garage it's hard to clean it up totally but I plan to try. I might roll it outside and put some degreaser. 

See attached pics - this explains the symptoms of timing retardation as there is too much play in the timing belt gear and pulley. My plan for now is to put a new crank seal, new crank bolt, woodruff key, crank gear and pulley boss and attempt the loctite fix. I may end up selling this car as I'm not sure I want to spend a lot of time and money building this car, and eventually it will need a new engine swapped in.

Those of you with way more experience than me - does this look like the crank seal is the source of the leak? (besides the valve cover). There was a lot of silicone, probably too much, which may have contributed to the leaks also I'm not sure. 

I'm annoyed because I was hoping to finish the car this weekend but now I have to find new/replacement parts and loctite 660 to fix the car. So hopefully I will have everything by next weekend, but I'll be out of town until Sunday. Annoying! 

Anyway, tips or advice much appreciated. This is my first time doing anything close to this big of a job. I have friends who can hopefully help me put everything back together if I need it.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Also if you look at the pic of the cam sprockets, it looks to me like it had jumped a tooth. Looks like 20 teeth instead of 19 between the gears but it's hard to tell with no vertical mark on the intake cam. 

But the 4:00 mark looks more like 5:00. Unfortunately, my wrenches that were holding the cams fell off when I took of the belt and I will have to realign :/ Oh well.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

Here is link to instructions on how to "fix" the problem.

https://www.miata.net/garage/LongNoseRepair/index.html


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Looks like both the valve cover and possibly the can seals were leaking. Hard to tell if the crank seal was leaking too. Could always change the seals up top and clean everything up to determine if the crank is leaking.

Glad you nailed down the source of the power loss. Thought it was a timing issue 

That silicone looks factory.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

miata engines are cheap ... you were already talking about pulling the motor anyway ...


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks guys. I wasn't planning on doing the cam seals just the crank. I've ordered the loctite 660 and will attempt the loctite fix next week.

If it's the cam seals I can always do that later if necessary I guess. I already screwed up one crank seal, and pushed it in too far. One side went in first and oh well.

Thankfully priority Mazda (previously Rosenthal) is local to me and oem seals are $5.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks guys. I wasn't planning on doing the cam seals just the crank. I've ordered the loctite 660 and will attempt the loctite fix next week.
> 
> If it's the cam seals I can always do that later if necessary I guess. I already screwed up one crank seal, and pushed it in too far. One side went in first and oh well.
> 
> Thankfully priority Mazda (previously Rosenthal) is local to me and oem seals are $5.


I changed my mind and bought all the seals. I do think the PO did them recently but maybe one of them was pushed in too far. I think it was the intake cam seal. But it's hard to isolate where the leak was bc there is oil everywhere.

Anyway I borrowed the FM tools so that should make things easier for the crank and exhaust seal. Hopefully I can get the intake seal right. Good news is that one should be easier to manipulate, and I can always remove the cap to get the seal off if necessary.


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## yip (Jul 14, 2003)

300_munkeys said:


> I changed my mind and bought all the seals. I do think the PO did them recently but maybe one of them was pushed in too far. I think it was the intake cam seal. But it's hard to isolate where the leak was bc there is oil everywhere.
> 
> Anyway I borrowed the FM tools so that should make things easier for the crank and exhaust seal. Hopefully I can get the intake seal right. Good news is that one should be easier to manipulate, and I can always remove the cap to get the seal off if necessary.


I'm in the same boat. Just recently bought a 94 and it's leaking so much oil from all over the place so I figure just easier to pull the engine and do a full reseal.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

yip said:


> I'm in the same boat. Just recently bought a 94 and it's leaking so much oil from all over the place so I figure just easier to pull the engine and do a full reseal.


If you're pulling the engine might not matter as much but I highly recommend the flying Miata tools. Makes things so much easier to install.

And if I have to do this again I'll be buying the Lisle seal puller everyone recommends.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Well I hit another snag (no pun intended).

The new timing pulley won't fit on on the crank nose. It gets caught on something. I used an Emery board to smooth it down which helped but not enough. I'll need to sand it.

The good news is the seals went in easily. I just want to be done with this project!

I'm going out of town so I was really hoping to finish before leaving. Oh well. Better not to rush.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Let's get this thread back on track...

You need a Miata because you're unlikely to spend less on a car that is so overwhelmingly fun to drive. My car as it sit's right now just completed an 800 mile drive from SF to Anaheim and back for Disneyland and RADwood. The car drove terrific, was comfortable, heater was blasting and rewards spirited backroads. 

It's not powerful, so you can drive like your hair is on fire and barely be speeding. I've never driven a car like it.

(I stopped to go pee on my 400 mile drive down to Disneyland, no way I'm paying $4.30 a gallon)






































It even looks decent with the hollow 7 spokes...maybe some spacers and new paint would really make them awesome.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

And I'm back in a Miata! I just picked it up yesterday!

2019 Club w/ BBS/Brembos/Recaros.

I made sure they didn't wash or remove the vinyl protection on the paint. I need to peel all of that off, wash it, and clay bar it. Then it'll get some paint protection film on the front end.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

NICE! I love the ND, hope to own one someday.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Congrats. The ND really feels like how the NA Miata felt when it was new. It's just faster and nicer


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> Congrats. The ND really feels like how the NA Miata felt when it was new. It's just faster and nicer


When I first drove an ND (back in 2015), I felt the exact same way. I loved it. It'll make a great replacement for an NA. And I love that that 2019s have the updated, more rev-happy engine. I always preferred the 1.6L to the 1.8L in the NAs, so 2019 brings back some of the characteristics of the revvier 1.6s.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> When I first drove an ND (back in 2015), I felt the exact same way. I loved it. It'll make a great replacement for an NA. And I love that that 2019s have the updated, more rev-happy engine. I always preferred the 1.6L to the 1.8L in the NAs, so 2019 brings back some of the characteristics of the revvier 1.6s.


CONGRATS!!! Always good to see people follow up on TCL promises, I wish I was this diligent :thumbup:

Awaiting full report, you always touch on the points that matter most. 

I should post up my recent $1200 NA w/hardtop purchase, it was quite a comical deal :laugh:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

EuroAtomic said:


> CONGRATS!!! Always good to see people follow up on TCL promises, I wish I was this diligent :thumbup:
> 
> Awaiting full report, you always touch on the points that matter most.
> 
> I should post up my recent $1200 NA w/hardtop purchase, it was quite a comical deal :laugh:


$1200 w/hardtop! Sounds like you bough a hard top and got a car for free


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So my son gets (hopefully) his driver's license on Friday and we'll want to put the 3rd car into more of a 4-seasons-option in the spring.

So we've talked about biting the bullet on a hard top for the Miata. That gives us another car option at home, year round. Snow tires and a hardtop (even at a grand for a HT) are a lot cheaper than buying a whole 'nother car. I don't have room for 4 cars, so the Miata would wind up going if that was the case. :screwy: Not happening. Kid doesn't need a car daily but there will be times when he's off to practice or whatever, my wife is at work still, and I don't want to be stranded at home.

My Miata is in nice shape but it's a New England car so it's not mint underneath. No rust in the body so I'll do a really thorough undercoat next fall, including inside the rockers if I can (where these are so rust-prone).

It runs great, and it's getting new shocks this spring (already have) and a timing belt job (time & milage due). I'll do a radiator at that time as well. Car has great heat so I think with a hard top and some snow tires on the 14" rims it will be a fun little runabout when the roads are clear at least.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> When I first drove an ND (back in 2015), I felt the exact same way. I loved it. It'll make a great replacement for an NA. And I love that that 2019s have the updated, more rev-happy engine. I always preferred the 1.6L to the 1.8L in the NAs, so 2019 brings back some of the characteristics of the revvier 1.6s.


NICE! I'm jealous of your extra HP(mine is a '17), love the red.:thumbup::thumbup:


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Smigelski said:


> And I'm back in a Miata! I just picked it up yesterday!
> 
> 2019 Club w/ BBS/Brembos/Recaros.
> 
> I made sure they didn't wash or remove the vinyl protection on the paint. I need to peel all of that off, wash it, and clay bar it. Then it'll get some paint protection film on the front end.


Yes. Absolutely yes.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

kiznarsh said:


> Yes. Absolutely yes.


I have an appointment for next Wednesday for paint protection film. The full hood, full bumper, headlights, and maybe mirrors is $1500. Is it really worth $700 more to do the entire front fenders?


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> I have an appointment for next Wednesday for paint protection film. The full hood, full bumper, headlights, and maybe mirrors is $1500. Is it really worth $700 more to do the entire front fenders?


Try doing half or 1/3 of the fenders, i did it on my car and its not noticeable unless the car get dirty. You really want to protect that front corner by the headlight/bumper. I was completely against doing it "half ass" on the fenders until my installer showed me his car and it won me over.

IMHO, that is a bit too high of a price for film especially considering the amount of material. I had film installed for front clip of my X5 this year. Hood, front bumper, mirrors, headlights and 1/3 of fenders. I had a top of the line shop do it in NJ for $1100.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

EuroAtomic said:


> Try doing half or 1/3 of the fenders, i did it on my car and its not noticeable unless the car get dirty. You really want to protect that front corner by the headlight/bumper. I was completely against doing it "half ass" on the fenders until my installer showed me his car and it won me over.
> 
> IMHO, that is a bit too high of a price for film especially considering the amount of material. I had film installed for front clip of my X5 this year. Hood, front bumper, mirrors, headlights and 1/3 of fenders. I had a top of the line shop do it in NJ for $1100.


On my other cars (Golf R and BRZ) I called around and got quotes. And this guy was right in the ballpark of everyone else in the area. Yeah, it all seems high compared to other areas of the country. But I've seen his work - he did the film on the Golf 2 years ago and I have zero issues or regrets. No one can even tell there is film on the car. I'll definitely use him again given that I know his work and other places are similarly priced. 

I might have to rethink the partial fender piece, but I'm still leaning toward 'full fender or nothing.'


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Smigelski said:


> I have an appointment for next Wednesday for paint protection film. The full hood, full bumper, headlights, and maybe mirrors is $1500. Is it really worth $700 more to do the entire front fenders?


I personally didn't do the fenders on my Cayman as that area wasn't as noticeable, and I didn't mind seeing minor rock chips that came about from driving the car in a manner that caused it.

If you're looking at keeping this ND for a long time and can't stand any damages, then might as well do it once. Helps resale on the private market IMO.


EuroAtomic said:


> Try doing half or 1/3 of the fenders, i did it on my car and its not noticeable unless the car get dirty. You really want to protect that front corner by the headlight/bumper. I was completely against doing it "half ass" on the fenders until my installer showed me his car and it won me over.
> 
> IMHO, that is a bit too high of a price for film especially considering the amount of material. I had film installed for front clip of my X5 this year. Hood, front bumper, mirrors, headlights and 1/3 of fenders. I had a top of the line shop do it in NJ for $1100.


Totally depends on type of film though. I used XPEL Ultimate and while pricey, felt it was worth it. Ran me about $1300 for front bumper, full hood, and mirror caps.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

I just looked through my email. I actually paid $1330 with tax and all, so I stand corrected. I got Suntek Ultra. It was quite painful to pay that much since you can probably score a ratty NA for that money. But it was money well spent.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I spent last night working on the exterior of the car. I washed it, dried it, cay barred it, put down a layer of polish 'bonding agent', and then a layer of synthetic wax on top of that. Then I cleaned the windows and put some medium tire shine on the tires. I think it came out pretty well. I did notice some small defects in the paint - a couple of micro scratches and a dot of something caught under the clear coat on the hood. 

Let me know if you can't see the pic.


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## johnny_p (Dec 7, 2007)

That looks fantastic


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

As far as the paint protection film (PPF) goes, I'm back to seriously considering doing the front fenders for the extra money. While I was cleaning the car last night, I noticed how much of the fender is part of the frontal area of the car. It's not insignificant. This wasn't a real issue on my Golf because the fenders don't stick out as far (and they aren't nearly as big). 

For an extra $700 (for a total of $2200) I'd get everything in front of (inclusive) the A-pillar covered in Xpel Ultimate Plus. It's a lot of money, to be sure - hence my dilemma. My dad (who knows exactly how anal I am (see previous post)) thinks that I'd regret it if I didn't do it. Thoughts?


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> I spent last night working on the exterior of the car. I washed it, dried it, cay barred it, put down a layer of polish 'bonding agent', and then a layer of synthetic wax on top of that. Then I cleaned the windows and put some medium tire shine on the tires. I think it came out pretty well. I did notice some small defects in the paint - a couple of micro scratches and a dot of something caught under the clear coat on the hood.


Damn that looks fantastic.

I did the same thing with mine but it took me a week claying one or two panels a night. There was a lot of scuzz built up because it sat on some dealer back lot in NJ for almost a year before it came to me.

I like the idea of paint protection film, but I don't daily drive mine so haven't concerned myself with it. I have thought about the ceramic coatings/etc - but again I don't daily it and probably won't spend the money. I think you would be smart to do all the frontal areas - the fenders are a large part of the frontal area.

I hadn't thought about the windshield frame. I thought it was a glossy finished plastic cover, no? The Fiat-a has the same frame but in silver/aluminum finish. I have been wondering if they are interchangeable trim between the two cars.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Tornado2dr said:


> Damn that looks fantastic.
> 
> I did the same thing with mine but it took me a week claying one or two panels a night. There was a lot of scuzz built up because it sat on some dealer back lot in NJ for almost a year before it came to me.
> 
> ...



Claying this particular car was easy. There wasn't much contamination on it at all. Of course, it was delivered to the port on Monday, at the dealer (and then my house) on Tuesday, and then clayed on Wednesday. Also, I live close to the local port (Baltimore), so the car never was on a train. Rail dust causes lots of contamination. 

The big reason I'm really into PPF for this car is because _everyone's_ Soul Red ND gets rock chips super easily (other colors, too). I'm really trying to avoid that. My car won't be a daily driver, but I do plan on taking it on long road trips and autocrossing it. It would be nice just to not have to worry about it. 

As far as the windshield surround goes - it's plastic panels. I'm not really concerned about PPF on them since they are replaceable. In practical terms, they are pretty much "one time use." They have plastic tabs on them that tend to break when taking them off (to replace a wind shield, for instance). I don't see why they would be any different than the 124's windshield plates.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> I spent last night working on the exterior of the car. I washed it, dried it, cay barred it, put down a layer of polish 'bonding agent', and then a layer of synthetic wax on top of that. Then I cleaned the windows and put some medium tire shine on the tires. I think it came out pretty well. I did notice some small defects in the paint - a couple of micro scratches and a dot of something caught under the clear coat on the hood.
> 
> Let me know if you can't see the pic.


That looks amazing. Makes me want to take delivery of my next new car that way, all wrapped up, and bring it straight to a pro detailer to set up .


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## VRado6 (Nov 30, 1999)

Your car looks great! Soul Red is such a nice colour when it’s all polished up. I’m not biased though! 

I did full front Xpel ultimate on mine, as well as the side skirts. Definitely don’t regret it as you’re 100% right, the paint seems to chip very easily. 











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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stay away from my Miata!


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> Stay away from my Miata!


I need to set some traps in the garage - I'm deathly afraid of anything getting gnawed on.


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## Cabin Pics (Mar 20, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> I spent last night working on the exterior of the car. I washed it, dried it, cay barred it, put down a layer of polish 'bonding agent', and then a layer of synthetic wax on top of that. Then I cleaned the windows and put some medium tire shine on the tires. I think it came out pretty well. I did notice some small defects in the paint - a couple of micro scratches and a dot of something caught under the clear coat on the hood.
> 
> Let me know if you can't see the pic.


Oh I see it, and it's beautiful.

Great, now I need a Miata.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*



Cabin Pics said:


> Oh I see it, and it's beautiful.
> 
> Great, now I need a Miata.


Today was a gorgeous day. Sunny and in the 50° F range. Did I drive my new car at all? No. . I want to get Paint Protection Film on the car before I start driving it. My appointment is not until next week.

And yes. You need a Miata.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Some say the Miata is the ultimate summer car...but here in Cali when the summers are often in the 100s I beg to differ. The Miata is the perfect mild winter car!










Went for a dive on Christmas and the roads were empty and the weather-PERFECT.




















Also, I feel like I should be driving with this dude...he fits perfectly in there.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

HAHAHA!!! I had the same type of blindspot mirror in the exact same location when I had my NA :thumbup: I got a set after I almost clipped a Buick Century at the NJ Turnpike. Top was up at the time 

But of course I had to get mine at the Japanese supermarket and shopping center that has a JDM auto accessory store.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

mx5er said:


> HAHAHA!!! I had the same type of blindspot mirror in the exact same location when I had my NA :thumbup: I got a set after I almost clipped a Buick Century at the NJ Turnpike. Top was up at the time
> 
> But of course I had to get mine at the Japanese supermarket and shopping center that has a JDM auto accessory store.


It doesn't really help except when the top is up....that car is a blindspot deathdrap with the top up 

It cam with the car and has served me well.


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## mx5er (Apr 28, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> that car is a blindspot deathdrap with the top up


I think the S2000 takes the title. Holy crap! :what: Remember, the S2000 has a much higher beltline towards the rear. I remember driving it with the top up and changing lanes was leap of faith: "Aw f*** it." :laugh: Even with the mirrors properly adjusted it was a challenge. 

Both my brother and cousin had one. The models with the glass rear window was a bit worse b/c the rear window was a bit smaller than the plastic rear window.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Alright, so the saga of the nb2 continues.
> 
> Here's the good news: compression test came out much better than expected, especially considering the car has almost 200k miles on it.
> 
> ...


I've been traveling, so it took a while to update but... It's alive!!! Got everything back together after doing the loctite fix, crank and cam seals, and valve cover gasket. Fresh coolant, and cranked right up and makes good power. Clutch and brakes still need to be bled but those are inconsequential considering how the car was behaving before. 

As it stands, I found a clean, caged, ready to go miata with a ton of spares and extras which I will likely buy instead of building this car. Quite a 180. So now the question is, what is this car worth? 

Totally rust free, 2001 miata. Interior is ok except for the seats, especially driver seat. That needs to be addressed somehow. Other than those things, the driver's side window doesn't go down (I looked it up and there's a somewhat simple fix) and the top latches are also not latching (also another somewhat simple fix). 

197k on the clock. I would disclose loctite fix to the buyer. Any suggested price? It has a torsen and a 5 spd.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Smigelski said:


>


Looks great.
Really makes me want to go drive one and find a way to justify changing away from my NC.

Also, this is the first time I have noticed that the windshield frame isn't body color, just totally glossed over that detail.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

dunhamjr said:


> Also, this is the first time I have noticed that the windshield frame isn't body color, just totally glossed over that detail.


Wait until you see the Fiat 124:


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

My old Miata. My new GTI. The GTI is a pax machine. The NC is dead man walking in every class it runs.









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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Silver_arrow12! said:


> My old Miata. My new GTI. The GTI is a pax machine. The NC is dead man walking in every class it runs.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I literally don't know what that means.
'pax'?
Are you saying the NC is slow?

Not a joke post I am just confused.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

VTECeateR said:


> I literally don't know what that means.
> 'pax'?
> Are you saying the NC is slow?
> 
> Not a joke post I am just confused.


He meant to say "fax" machine. That should clear things up.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

kiznarsh said:


> He meant to say "fax" machine. That should clear things up.


Clear as mud


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## SimplyBao (Apr 8, 2003)

Smigelski said:


>



Congrats and Soul Red is beautiful! Mine is Ceramic and I should have done PPF on it. Mine is all chipped up but I think it just adds character . The front end chips up really really easily. I’ve had mine for 2 years and only have 10K miles on it. It looks fine, but if you’re OCD about it, it’ll bother you. I’m not that OCD. 

I polished mine up last summer (2 stage using Megs 205 and 105 with my trusty Cyclo) and put a Gyeon can coat on it. It’s like a poor man’s Ceramic coating. I was going to go full boat but thought I’d try can coat first. I must say I’m impressed. After almost 7 months, the water still beads like I just put it on. Granted my car is parked inside most of it’s life. I drive it when I can — in the rain, with some snow on the ground, even ice and the finish still looks awesome!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Totally rust free, 2001 miata. Interior is ok except for the seats, especially driver seat. That needs to be addressed somehow. Other than those things, the driver's side window doesn't go down (I looked it up and there's a somewhat simple fix) and the top latches are also not latching (also another somewhat simple fix).
> 
> 197k on the clock. I would disclose loctite fix to the buyer. Any suggested price? It has a torsen and a 5 spd.


ABS or not? I know someone looking for a ABS/Torsen NB2 for track stuff.


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

VTECeateR said:


> I literally don't know what that means.
> 'pax'?
> Are you saying the NC is slow?
> 
> Not a joke post I am just confused.


The NC is slow compared to every other car it's classed with. The GTI is competitive in the 2 main classes it runs, and in GS, it has a very favorable PAX. PAX is a multiplier based on class that in theory allows you to compare the cars based on a handicapped indexed time. 

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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Silver_arrow12! said:


> My old Miata. My new GTI. The GTI is a pax machine. The NC is dead man walking in every class it runs.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


the mk7 is the real deal in GS. its so punchy out of corners, it doesn't matter that is slow around them. killer on local pax too, seeing as you end up with a lot of those kind of corners in most smaller local lots. lots of guys locally switched to GTIs for the pax. 

double agree on the NC. besides that silly claffie guy ... NC is deader than a doornail in ST trim, has no home is street either.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I don't think it has abs. I haven't checked yet though.


Claff said:


> ABS or not? I know someone looking for a ABS/Torsen NB2 for track stuff.


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

cockerpunk said:


> the mk7 is the real deal in GS. its so punchy out of corners, it doesn't matter that is slow around them. killer on local pax too, seeing as you end up with a lot of those kind of corners in most smaller local lots. lots of guys locally switched to GTIs for the pax.
> 
> double agree on the NC. besides that silly claffie guy ... NC is deader than a doornail in ST trim, has no home is street either.


My GTI S took top pax with just wheels, tires, RSB and alignment. 

NC in CS best pax in 3 years was 5th after 2 years of development and tweaking.

STR I hadn't really gotten it sorted and best was 15th, but only 8 races in STR.

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## 16volt (Oct 26, 2000)

I have a strange desire for a NC Clubsport. I know its not the 'best' Miata but if I had to have one and it wasn't DiamondDaves Autech SR20 that's where I would be.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Wait until you see the Fiat 124:


Yeah that’s what I’m referring to. I kinda like the silver trim. With that and silver hoop covers behind the seats it might break up the total darkness of mine.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I never had any interest in the NC's but once I joined a club I found out that everyone who has one LOVES them. The PRHT is a big bonus up here, and the extra power is very nice. There'a lot of variation in style and trim from year to year though so make sure you hunt up exactly the spec you want.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

If and when I consider my next Miata, which will be #10 for me, an NC is at the top of the list. First, because of the top design and second, because they are still dropping in value where NA are getting rediculous and NB's are rising.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

I started a thread about an S2000....pretty much sold on going with an NC. Going to go look at 2 on Wednesday, crazy how this car hunt works. 

So a couple of questions...What are the obvious things I need to look for, what are the problem areas? I've found two with less than 20K miles.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

You're welcome  https://www.facebook.com/groups/732305460206633/permalink/1763714020399100/


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Sporin said:


> You're welcome  https://www.facebook.com/groups/732305460206633/permalink/1763714020399100/


I appreciate the link but I ditched FB a year or so ago. Wifey is on there though so may try to join the group through her account.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I'm sure I've told this story before but I'm bored so

I hated NCs. Wanted nothing to do with them. Mocked friends who had them. Loved my '90.

Someone showed up with a ratty but low-mile NC at a local autocross and put a FOR SALE sign on it with a cheap price. I looked but didn't care, aside from it being a NC it had brown seats and tan top. A friend bought it. A couple months later he put it up for sale and the wife said she wanted it. I said fine, enjoy your car, but I'm not driving it. Next month she had to have her left ankle operated on and couldn't drive manual for a number of months. I started driving the NC just to keep rust off the rotors and loved it. Torque! So playful! Next thing ya know UPS is dropping off parts, wheels, tires... but it's not my car and I'm not spending any money on it.

We have two NCs and I'll tell anyone within earshot that these are the real deal, true to Miata philosophy. Simple, cheap, fun. Enjoy them. Just do something about the stock ride height.


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## mutcth (Mar 11, 2000)

Claff said:


> Just do something about the stock ride height.


What would you suggest doing about the stock ride height on a car that won't ever see the track?

While my dream Miata is a 2019 ND RF with Recaros, I'm (impatiently) waiting for NC2 PRHTs with stability control (Grand Touring or a 2012 Touring) to hit the $10k mark with reasonable mileage...

Tom


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I'm sure I've told this story before but I'm bored so
> 
> I hated NCs. Wanted nothing to do with them. *Mocked friends who had them*. Loved my '90.


:wave:




mutcth said:


> *What would you suggest doing about the stock ride height on a car that won't ever see the track?*
> 
> While my dream Miata is a 2019 ND RF with Recaros, I'm (impatiently) waiting for NC2 PRHTs with stability control (Grand Touring or a 2012 Touring) to hit the $10k mark with reasonable mileage...
> 
> Tom


I'd still lower it. I decided to lower my NC the day a bird took to sitting on top of my tire to shelter itself from the weather. I knew the wheel gap was too high. A simple set of springs and shocks will lower the wheel gap and still be drivable around town - high enough to handle speedbumps and potholes and still be fun.

The NCs are super utilitarian, too. I brought home a couple of trees in mine.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

I guess I wasn't crazy for liking the PRHT NC? 

All my NA miata friends hate the NC and call it fat, overweight, etc. But for some reason I like them and their price point it seems like a lot of car if it keeps getting cheaper. I think it also looks better than the NB.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Unless were talking about the Mazdaspeed I think the NB is going to be the “lost” child in the lineup. 

The NC’s seem to be finding their enthusiasts. The PRHT is particularly compelling to us northerners. 

The NA will continue to rise in value. I love my NA and I would happily another one. I’d love to have one that is modified and racy, and another that is mint and perfect. 

If I wanted to try and drive a Miata year round, or nearly you’re around, an NC or ND would have to be at.￼


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

I bought a NC today....I'll update tomorrow once it's sitting on my driveway. I'm not going to sleep tonight. 


Back story, my search started with an S2000.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

forewheel said:


> I bought a NC today....I'll update tomorrow once it's sitting on my driveway. I'm not going to sleep tonight.
> 
> 
> Back story, my search started with an S2000.


please post up the story, i posted in your thread that turned into an s2000 jerk thread. the s2000 is a fine car, but i truly believe miatas are better for most people, for most things. interested in your take on it.


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## Calcvictim (Aug 16, 2011)

I miss my NC, 90% of the time it's more fun than the RS


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Ok, I know rule #1 around here but I need to get to tomorrow to take some pics. Bought a 2013 NC GT 6sp last night, white with blk soft top, and interior, 18K mile car that the second owner went full race car with. It's mint, especially inside. PO did BC adjustable struts on all four corners, Cobalt front sway bar, tiny battery, some CAI stuff that I haven't go the opportunity to fully dig into yet, roll bar...ROLL BAR, replacement slotted/drilled disks on all corners. and...well, I'm guessing he put the factory wheel/tires back on when he traded for a Chevy SS....(maybe he's on this forum). It's amazing. This is my first "fun" car in years and honestly had a blast flogging around in it today. Did a good detail earlier this evening and will take some pics tomorrow, just had a lot going on today. Just have to say with the aftermarket exhaust on it....just ...dumb fun sounding. I don't know what brand it is because I bought it from a Buick dealer but hang tight. Also sorry for no pics, I'll get there tomorrow. 

IG

https://www.instagram.com/p/BshnqglBp6y/


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

I recently rented an NC on Turo (06 sport 6 speed manual) while in SF for a trackday at Laguna Seca (no, I didn't take this to the trackday, a follow up post with come for the spec NA I rented opcorn.

Only time I had ever driven an NC before this was on a short test drive at carmax with a salesman next to me. Didn't get a chance to feel it out.

I had 2 days and 400 miles to get very acquainted in it in the mountains of the bay area.

Let me just say this: apart from it having an open diff, 12 year old all seasons that were terrifying in the mist/drizzle, and a mildewy smell in the interior, I LOVED driving it.

It had plenty of power, great chassis feel, felt much stiffer than an NA but still every bit as fun. I can't imagine this thing with bolt ons, a tune, some good suspension, and a set of sticky tires. One thing that the NA does better is steering feel, but this was still really good.

I spent a total of 10 miles out of the 400 driving with the top up. I even woke up before dawn one morning to get to the top of Mt. Hamilton and the Lick Observatory. I wanted to get a good canyon run in with no traffic and see the sunrise. It was about 35 degrees and all I had with me was a hat, hoodie, and a light zip up jacket. I was comfortable the whole time.

I even got back for breakfast at the hotel an hour before they stopped serving it


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

DubNMiatafan said:


> I recently rented an NC on Turo (06 sport 6 speed manual) while in SF for a trackday at Laguna Seca (no, I didn't take this to the trackday, a follow up post with come for the spec NA I rented opcorn.
> 
> Only time I had ever driven an NC before this was on a short test drive at carmax with a salesman next to me. Didn't get a chance to feel it out.
> 
> ...


After doing a header, exhaust, tune, suspension, 17 x 9 with 255 200TW tires I can tell you, meh.

Just put some sways, decent tires and aggressive alignment. You'll get 95% of the benefits, none of the negatives, and save $7000 bucks. 

You're welcome. 

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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Silver_arrow12! said:


> After doing a header, exhaust, tune, suspension, 17 x 9 with 255 200TW tires I can tell you, meh.
> 
> Just put some sways, decent tires and aggressive alignment. You'll get 95% of the benefits, none of the negatives, and save $7000 bucks.
> 
> ...


That. Super sticky wide tires and stiff springs are great for track/autox but not street use.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I need new tires for mine this summer. Not happy with the 14” options though.


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

troyguitar said:


> That. Super sticky wide tires and stiff springs are great for track/autox but not street use.


I was autocrossing. NC is dead if you want to be competitive, long live the ND.

I will say, a quality set of coilovers, even with 9k/6k rates were fine. You just have to spend $2k+. 

I was honestly surprised how little the NC gained with header, exhaust, and tune after hearing all the stories online of how amazing the gains were. I picked up .2 seconds in pretty much every acceleration figure. 100% not worth it. 

I was so disappointed I sold the car a few months after finishing STR prep. 



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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

Sporin said:


> I need new tires for mine this summer. Not happy with the 14” options though.


What size?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

185/60-14 I think. Stock 14” alloys. 

At least on tire rack, it’s either really racy tires or stuff that looks like it belongs on my Prius. 

I’d like to find a true summer tire that still has some tread for rain and our crappy roads. 

I wonder if there is a plus-zero that opens up more options.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> I need new tires for mine this summer. Not happy with the 14” options though.


Dunlop Direzza. Fantastic tire. The overall problem with what you're asking is Summer tires rarely lend well with rain. But these Dunlops are a fantastic 2.5 season tire. Just can't drive them below 45* outside or in torrential rain.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Yeah, that seems to be to go-too. Pricey for such a small tire though. 

https://www.gomiata.com/dudispz1stsp.html

Would be nice to come up with the funds for a set of 15x7's with 205 or 195/50-15's


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Those dunlop's have always been the go-to tire for that generation of Miata. But yes they are pricey.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

So far I've had my 2019 ND for a month and half. It has 212 miles on it. The list I've done to it thus far:


Added Apple Car Play
Wash/claybar/seal paint/wax
Add full frontal paint protection film
Uprgraded suspension to Flyin' Miata Fox coil overs
Treated the top with Raggtopp Fabric Protectant
Added 'MX-5 Things' shelf to the cubby between the seats
Treated/conditioned the leater on the Recaro seats

In the very near term (when the weather cooperates, I need):


Get the car aligned to FM Specs

Then I'll be able to drive it around whenever the weather is nice. 

In the longer term I want to get:


6UL wheels/stickier tires
Cat-back or axle-back exhaust

I'm going to take my time on those items, though. After all, I paid for the fancy BBS wheels, so I might as well enjoy them. As far as the exhaust goes, I need to near some in person before I buy. I want it to sound good, yet be wife-approved. The stock exhaust is ... lacking. 

Here's a before/after pic from the suspension:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Looks really great!

Are all the windshield frames black on the ND? I don't think I've noticed that before.


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Has anyone here replaced a soft top on a NA with a roll bar in place? I'm going to get started on a top swap today and was wondering if there were any areas that will be impossible to access.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Roketdriver said:


> Has anyone here replaced a soft top on a NA with a roll bar in place? I'm going to get started on a top swap today and was wondering if there were any areas that will be impossible to access.


Are you replacing just the soft top, or are you installing a soft-top already installed on a frame? I've done the frame-version of the install a couple of times and there's nothing that should be _impossible_ to access, but the roll bar certainly won't make it easy. 

I don't see how installing the soft top onto the frame would add much complication as far as the roll bar is concerned.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Looks really great!
> 
> Are all the windshield frames black on the ND? I don't think I've noticed that before.


The soft tops have the black wind shield header. The RFs have a body-colored header:










Even if you get the RF GT-S with the black roof:


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> Are you replacing just the soft top, or are you installing a soft-top already installed on a frame?


Just swapping frames, I kept the new soft top from my '91 when I sold it to a Lemons team. I had a hunch that it'll be more difficult, I just didn't want to run into any surprises that would require removal of the roll bar. Thank you! :beer:


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

Sporin said:


> I need new tires for mine this summer. Not happy with the 14” options though.


Thinking the same thing with my Miata, currently has Toyo 195-55R14 and they are no longer available. Tires have good tread and look ok, but are getting up there in years and should be replaced for safety reasons. 14" options don't look too appealing, thinking a purchase to 16" wheels and tires is in my future. Love to find a nice set if 15" BBS wheels that came on the 95 M edition to maintain the same look as the 14" BBS that came with my Miata. But with wheel sizes growing larger over time, it won't be long till the selection availability of 15" tires won't be all that appealing as well. So 16" wheels my be the best option. Looking at the calculations for 17" wheels you have to get very low profile tires to match the revs per mile of a 185-60R14 that was stock on the early Miatas.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

I’d like to stick with my 14” wheels as the look good, are light, and in perfect condition. 

Did some digging and it looks like going to 195/60-14 opens up a couple more options. 

195/55-14 = 22.4" tall (4.2" sidewall)
185/60-14 = 22.7" tall (4.4" sidewall) STOCK
195/60-14 = 23.2" tall (4.6" sidewall)

Apparently 195/60-14 actually makes the speedo dead-on accurate and the variation in size is nearly imperceptible. 

Apparently there’s a Falken tire that compares very well to the Star Spec at a significant cost savings.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Here it is: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...4RT615KP&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i love working on race cars ... so much better than working on street cars. 

2 hours of work, and i installed the new diff, and im half way to pulling the motor/trans. the race car is gonna fly this year! new motor, new diff, new penskes, shes gonna be in top prep.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Several choices of sticky 14” tires available from Japan. Sure, they’re not cheap to import compared to POS no-season economy tires, but if you want a very light wheel/tire combo optimized for the NA Miata you’d be wise to stick with 14x6 wheels and 185/60R14 tires. 

https://www.rayswheels.co.jp/products/wheel.php?lang=en&wheel=TE37

https://www.y-yokohama.com/product/tire/advan_ad07/

There’s still a very good choice of 15” wheels
and tires and there will be for the foreseeable future. I’d choose 15” before I went to 16”.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

If I had the budget I’d get a set of 15x7's with 195/50-15's. But I really only have budget for tires so I’ll stick with 14’s. 

The tires on my car are really old, despite having decent tread. The rubber is quite hard and I bet there is dry cracking that I can’t see. 

For safety’s sake I’m putting on fresh rubber in the spring.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

Sporin said:


> I’d like to stick with my 14” wheels as the look good, are light, and in perfect condition.
> 
> Did some digging and it looks like going to 195/60-14 opens up a couple more options.
> 
> ...



The tire rack specs for the Falken 195/60R14 says it has an overall l diameter of 23.2" and 900 rev per mile. Looking at several 185/60R14 tires they have a rev per mile of 913-915 so its within about 1.5%, so the speedometer will be reading 60 when doing 61 MPH


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Lots of people on the Miata forum saying it makes the speedo dead on with gps speed so I’m guessing any real difference is negligible.


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## tvrbob (Jul 31, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Apparently there’s a Falken tire that compares very well to the Star Spec at a significant cost savings.


The Falkens are fantastic in warm, dry weather. In heavy rain, you want to stick near the speed limit. 

They can be ridiculously cheap when there is a rebate.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> [*]Added 'MX-5 Things' shelf to the cubby between the seats
> [*]]


Thanks- just spent a bunch of time down a rabbit hole looking at gizmos and doo dads- I like his trunk popper springs!

Kinda wish he made those under-trunk-lid panels for sale, the others I have found are kinda goofy. I just want to cover the bare metal edges. Last trip we took the edge grabbed a garment bag that was draped on top of luggage, luckily not my wife’s dress.


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## rloewy (Jan 30, 2015)

Love driving this car in the rain.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

tvrbob said:


> The Falkens are fantastic in warm, dry weather. In heavy rain, you want to stick near the speed limit.
> 
> They can be ridiculously cheap when there is a rebate.


It’s very much a fair weather vehicle for me so if I am driving in the rain, I guarantee I wouldn’t be pushing it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

This is the tire that keeps popping up in my Miata searches. Available in the 14" sizes I am looking at. Good wet and dry grip, great durable (probably too durable). Overall considered a really good all season tire.

I think if I went with something more racy I'd regret it. I don't track the car, and our roads are such crap. I also plan to take some longer road trips this summer which means probably rain travel.

*General ALTIMAX RT43* (H- OR V-SPEED RATED) - SIZE: 195/60R14
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...T43+(H-+or+V-Speed+Rated)&partnum=96HR4AMRT43


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> This is the tire that keeps popping up in my Miata searches.
> 
> I think if I went with something more racy I'd regret it. I don't track the car, and our roads are such crap. I also plan to take some longer road trips this summer which means probably rain travel.
> 
> *General ALTIMAX RT43* (H- OR V-SPEED RATED) - SIZE: 195/60R14


It's a perfect tire for a Geo Metro. Look, if you don't even use the car in winter, why limit yourself to a crap all-season tire? it isn't about "racing" the car. it's about having a tire with performance that is commensurate with enjoying the capabilities of a sporty car. If you want a cheap tire, fine, just buy that. But a crappy all season tire is going to ride like a crappy tire 100% of the time.

Besides, where are you driving in the Summer that guarantees "rain travel"?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> It's a perfect tire for a Geo Metro. Look, if you don't even use the car in winter, why limit yourself to a crap all-season tire? it isn't about "racing" the car. it's about having a tire with performance that is commensurate with enjoying the capabilities of a sporty car. If you want a cheap tire, fine, just buy that. But a crappy all season tire is going to ride like a crappy tire 100% of the time.
> 
> Besides, where are you driving in the Summer that guarantees "rain travel"?


I kind of agree with you. There's no need for him to get such a crappy tire to have on the car all the time. I had some crappy all-season on the stock wheels my dad ave me. I threw those tire on in the Winter just so I could take the car out in colder weather. I couldn't wait to get them back off again.

If I had the same requirements as Sporin, I'd give a hard look at Falken Azenis 615K+. They come in the size he wants (195/50/14), they are relatively cheap ($105/tire), they are pretty sticky, but they last a long time, especially with the weight of a Miata. 

I had 14" ZI Star Specs that were really grippy (at the time). They lasted me 18k miles and I beat the hell out of those tires. Autocross, mountain roads, long road trips, etc. They outlasted my expectation. I wouldn't be surprised if 615K+s doubled that mileage.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

I would consider moving up to a 15in tire. Price per tire ratio is a lot better and I think you can find a set of OEM 15s for around 200 bucks or less. 

The selection of 14s outside of the falkin and the dunlop was horrible, with a 15, at least it opens you up to a lower tier non 200tw bfg comp2, yoko s drive or a continental extreme contact sport that should be good for the summer months.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Aw614 said:


> I would consider moving up to a 15in tire. Price per tire ratio is a lot better and I think you can find a set of OEM 15s for around 200 bucks or less.
> 
> The selection of 14s outside of the falkin and the dunlop was horrible, with a 15, at least it opens you up to a lower tier non 200tw bfg comp2, yoko s drive or a continental extreme contact sport that should be good for the summer months.


I always liked that Dunlop always had the Direzza Z1/Z2/Z3 tires available in14" Miata sizes. I think I bought two or three sets of them to mount on my stock daisies.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

the ND is the real deal. driving my friends back to back on the lake, between the extra torque and the rear suspension being so much better ... its just delightful to drive on the lake. had zero issues keeping up with the AWD cars in it: https://www.instagram.com/p/BtcCsJAlwjJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

still, my NA on studs remains one of the best driving experiences anyone can ever have: https://www.instagram.com/p/BtcPEPTlsan/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I need new tires for mine this summer. Not happy with the 14” options though.


There AREN'T any good tire options, unless you want a snow tire or a damn DOT racing tire.

That's why I bought a cheap set of 15x7 Kosei K1s and Yokohama S Drives.

And I can't wait to drive it again. Currently dealing with a broken EGR pipe that I _think_was stressed and broken by a mechanic fixing another part.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Northern New England travel means rain. 

I like those Falkens just worried they suck when it’s cold and/or rainy. If you guys think they’ll be ok then I’ll take your advice. 

Plus, this is what my road looks like.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Alright, I've got a set of the Falken's saved into my Tirerack cart for when the time comes. :thumbup: 

I thought about going to 15's but honestly, with our roads, I'll take the extra sidewall. Plus, my 14's are in perfect shape, really light, and I love the way they look. I'd rather put that wheel money into a different upgrade.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

I guess the Yoko s-drive still comes in 14in, if you want something with summer performance without being an extreme perf tire

https://www.summitracing.com/search...ize/185-55-14/tire-diameter-range/22-22-99-in


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

*Not really sure why I'm posting this here but, I'm going to anyway....*

Some of you may have seen my Miata build thread kicking around these pages. It's basically a story of a '91 with a Greddy turbo kit that broke, then the install of a Rotrex SC, then a failed 1.6. It's got a lot of good parts on it but after the oil pump failure I've decided it was time to move on. I made most of the purchases to get the car back together and am realizing that it's worth more in parts now than it is in one piece. It just hurts to part it out, but will cost more to put it back together. 

I'm torn on what to do. Put it back together with a 99 motor and 6 spd, new clutch, etc. and try and sell it as a whole? Or cut my losses and part it out?

Picture of it the day before the oil pump destroyed my life:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

sicklyscott said:


> I'm torn on what to do. Put it back together with a 99 motor and 6 spd, new clutch, etc. and try and sell it as a whole? Or cut my losses and part it out?


I enjoyed your build thread. Looks like you had a lot of fun with that car. The draw of Track Miatas is that consumables are inexpensive and plentiful. If losing this engine has crushed you, then A) it might be time to sell the Miata B) I worry that you think there's a simpler replacement that won't involve the same level of work. Sometimes you need some space from that nagging project in order to gain perspective.

We all go through setbacks that we don't want. It depends on what you feel is the best use of your time.

I went from this










to this










to this











to this (with SR20 conversion coming soon)










If you decide to get rid of it though, I'm miring those Xida :wave:


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## Stoked_On_Spool (Mar 19, 2009)

Everyone needs a Miata... which is why I am graciously selling my completely turn key street legal track NA Miata! (I still have my NB2 I'm customizing, so I'm not out of the Miata game! lol). Details in CL ad below pictures for interested parties 















































Located in San Diego: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/cto/d/la-mesa-1997-miata-street-legal-track/6808378212.html


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> I enjoyed your build thread. Looks like you had a lot of fun with that car. The draw of Track Miatas is that consumables are inexpensive and plentiful. If losing this engine has crushed you, then A) it might be time to sell the Miata B) I worry that you think there's a simpler replacement that won't involve the same level of work. Sometimes you need some space from that nagging project in order to gain perspective.


The motor failure was a catalyst to take a step back. I have no issues doing the work. In fact after I posted that my cousin has decided she wants to try her hand at race craft so I'll put it back together for her. I'm actually looking forward to it.

The true issue is I don't really fit. I either need a floor drop or a new car. I LOVE driving the Miata but, I hate how vulnerable I feel on the streets and track. I've decided to get something slightly bigger with a roof that should be equally as fun. I have Keisler Automation currently building me a Rx-8 with the guts of a gen5 v6 Camaro.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

sicklyscott said:


> I have Keisler Automation currently building me a Rx-8 with the guts of a gen5 v6 Camaro.


 :beer: :thumbup:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

sicklyscott said:


> The true issue is I don't really fit. I either need a floor drop or a new car.


I feel your pain. When I was 25 the Miata was my only car and I was skinny and I fit ok even with a race bucket seat. Now that I'm middle aged and a few pounds heavier it's not as roomy as it once was to put it nicely. Personally, I've invested way too much into my car to ever consider selling it. So instead I'm doing the drop floor and transmission tunnel notch filler. This way I can swap race seats twice a year for the occasional HPDE and enjoy greater leg room with my OEM seats so I can more easily heel-toe without getting my thigh wedged between the seat cushion and steering wheel. 



sicklyscott said:


> I've decided to get something slightly bigger with a roof that should be equally as fun. I have Keisler Automation currently building me a Rx-8 with the guts of a gen5 v6 Camaro.


Awesome! I've been tempted by RX-8 lately as they're so cheap and I have a few friends with them so know how to address their weak points. As much as I love rotaries, the LFX V6 is a great motor and the RX-8 is a great chassis to swap one into. Have you seen Ryan Passey's (akathepass) Time Attack NA Miata with LFX conversion? It's one of the nicest builds I've ever seen. Best of luck!


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

freedomgli said:


> Awesome! I've been tempted by RX-8 lately as they're so cheap and I have a few friends with them so know how to address their weak points. As much as I love rotaries, the LFX V6 is a great motor and the RX-8 is a great chassis to swap one into. Have you seen Ryan Passey's (akathepass) Time Attack NA Miata with LFX conversion? It's one of the nicest builds I've ever seen. Best of luck!


Yes! His car is awesome. He has some amazing skills, both fab work and driving. The engineering into his car is just nothing short of excellent.

I kept toying with the idea of a LS swapped e36. The kits are out there and many builds have been documented but it seemed just so expensive once done. I kept thinking that if I were going to LS swap something and spend 15-20k I might as well buy a C5 Z06. And I didn't want a C5 Z06. The LFX really struck me, 320 hp, lightweight, OEM reliable, and cheap. A motor with 10k miles goes for $500 and they came in some many cars it's incredible. I wanted to put one in a NC but couldn't find any good well thought out kits. Then I stumbled on a YouTube video of a guy that used the Keisler Automation setup. It's a piece of art. Keisler makes some parts for the Miata world as well including front drop spindles that are drool worthy. I'm really like the idea of driving to the track, unloading, swapping wheels, running, then reverse that and drive home. All while having AC, a radio, a roof over my head, and people can see me. And I think the LFX is a perfect match for the RX8 chassis, the LS motor is too much in my opinion. 

Anyway, I'll start a thread when I get that car in a month or so, and will update my Miata build as that gets put back together (stupid Miata).


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Oh man. 




























shutupandtakemymoney.jpg


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

That RF looks like they put a 2" lift on it!

But damn, beautiful color and I love the seats. Nothing a few tweaks won't fix.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Stoked_On_Spool said:


> Everyone needs a Miata... which is why I am graciously selling my completely turn key street legal track NA Miata! (I still have my NB2 I'm customizing, so I'm not out of the Miata game! lol). Details in CL ad below pictures for interested parties
> 
> 
> Located in San Diego: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/cto/d/la-mesa-1997-miata-street-legal-track/6808378212.html


:thumbup:

Man, I wish I had the garage space for a Miata right now.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I's still rather the 89 launch Red White and Blue, but that Oorange is


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## proximal (May 2, 2006)

I was only half paying attention during the press conference and didn't get all the details, but Mazda also announced that they are going to start producing a lot of NA parts again.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

I was blown away at how many people had already put in a reservation for one on the Miata forum. Starts at $37,500 and only 500 coming to NA.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

forewheel said:


> I was blown away at how many people had already put in a reservation for one on the Miata forum. Starts at $37,500 and only 500 coming to NA.


Starts at $35k for the soft-top manual.

Here's the reservation website:

https://www.30th-anniversarymiata.com/


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Starts at $35k for the soft-top manual.
> 
> Here's the reservation website:
> 
> https://www.30th-anniversarymiata.com/


Someone buy one then turn around and put it on BAT.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Only 12 reservations left


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> This is the tire that keeps popping up in my Miata searches. Available in the 14" sizes I am looking at. Good wet and dry grip, great durable (probably too durable). Overall considered a really good all season tire.
> 
> I think if I went with something more racy I'd regret it. I don't track the car, and our roads are such crap. I also plan to take some longer road trips this summer which means probably rain travel.
> 
> ...





Sporin said:


> Alright, I've got a set of the Falken's saved into my Tirerack cart for when the time comes. :thumbup:
> 
> I thought about going to 15's but honestly, with our roads, I'll take the extra sidewall. Plus, my 14's are in perfect shape, really light, and I love the way they look. I'd rather put that wheel money into a different upgrade.


Honestly, the General RT43 isn't *that* crappy of a tire. I ran a set after I got a flat in one of my 15" Dunlop DZ101's, which were aging out at 30k miles (good tread still, but the compound wasn't as grippy anymore). I still had my stock wheels laying around so I threw a set of 14" RT43s on them and got back in the saddle.

They did much better than expected, and held their own on spirited back roads drives. Not as good as my ZII's on 6UL's, but definitely enabled to drive faster than I should on windy roads. Not everyone needs 200TW tires on their Miata to enjoy back roads driving, especially up here. FWIW you can put a bad A/S on a Miata - the car originally came to me with crappy Cooper Lifeliners - but the RT43 did a pretty good job.

Comfort-wise, there was little perceptible difference, probably seeing as I was lowered on stiff suspension anyway. The 15" combo were 205/50's, and obviously the 14's were the stock size (185/60-14)

I also had a set of Falken RT615K's on the 14's as my E-stock tire. Decent performance characteristics - I was more partial to the Dunlop ZI/II/Starspec/whatever - and definitely wear like iron on a Miata. But they kinda sucked as a street tire. They took a while to come up to temp, and then felt greasy when they got too hot. You also notice the stiffer sidewall - the 50-series street tires on my 15s were more comfy than the hard sidewall on the 60-series Falkens when I ran them. They make more noise too.

My vote would be something more like a BFG Comp A/S, Dunlop DZ102 (if they even still make those) or an RT43. The 615K's aren't worth the internet points if you're not going to do a serious amount of autocross or track days.

RT43's :thumbup:










DZ101 :thumbup::thumbdown:









ZII :thumbup::thumbup:









Falkens when they were new (never got around to taking pictures on the car)


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

IMO there isn’t really anything all that “special” about this 30th Anniversary parts bin special edition. It’s essentially a ND Grand Touring with the GT-S package and the Recaro/Brembo package from the ND Sport. The orange color is personal preference but not really my taste. The Volk Racing wheels are the same as the Global MX-5 Cup cars. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone does a 1991 Mazdaspeed 787B-003 24 Hours of LeMans inspired vinyl wrap.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

freedomgli said:


> IMO there isn’t really anything all that “special” about this 30th Anniversary parts bin special edition. It’s essentially a ND Grand Touring with the GT-S package and the Recaro/Brembo package from the ND Sport. The orange color is personal preference but not really my taste. The Volk Racing wheels are the same as the Global MX-5 Cup cars. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone does a 1991 Mazdaspeed 787B-003 24 Hours of LeMans inspired vinyl wrap.


All of the AE cars have been nothing more than special paint and wood trim. The factory-painted special color is what makes it.

I love the color, and I put my money where my mouth is: $500 deposit placed.

So... who wants my very brightly colored NC? :laugh


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

S4cabriofox said:


> Only 12 reservations left


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Zillon said:


> So... who wants my very brightly colored NC? :laugh


Dammit man. 

...

...

...

...


How much?


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

freedomgli said:


> IMO there isn’t really anything all that “special” about this 30th Anniversary parts bin special edition. It’s essentially a ND Grand Touring with the GT-S package and the Recaro/Brembo package from the ND Sport. The orange color is personal preference but not really my taste. The Volk Racing wheels are the same as the Global MX-5 Cup cars. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone does a 1991 Mazdaspeed 787B-003 24 Hours of LeMans inspired vinyl wrap.


Ok, well, a GT with GT-S is almost $33K, plus the Brembo/Recaro package on the Club is $4500. This is supposed to be $35K. Sounds like a pretty solid deal, in a unique color and limited numbers.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Zillon said:


> All of the AE cars have been nothing more than special paint and wood trim. The factory-painted special color is what makes it.
> 
> I love the color, and I put my money where my mouth is: $500 deposit placed.
> 
> So... who wants my very brightly colored NC? :laugh





RAVatar said:


> Dammit man.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...


Yea, I might be interested too.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Zillon said:


> All of the AE cars have been nothing more than special paint and wood trim.


There was a little more to it than that but basically the 10AE was just a different color SE. The 10th AE was mostly just the special finishes on exterior and interior: Innocent/ Sapphire Blue Mica paint, polished alloy wheels, blue convertible soft top, blue top boot cover, blue interior carpet, blue leather trim on Nardi steering wheel, blue alcantara seat centers, blue shift boot, leather shift knob, red needles and bright trim rings on gauges, carbon grained center console panel, stainless steel scuff plates, special 10AE floor mats, key and gift set. It also got the 6-speed transmission. The 2000 Special Edition (SE) model also got the same 6-speed transmission and polished wheels as the 10AE but came in old man tan/ burgundy/ wood color combo. 

The 20th AE was an entirely forgettible Euro-only car.

The 30th AE is much in keeping with the theme of previous AE cars with unique paint color and interior finishes. There are perhaps fewer differences between the 30th AE and the standard Club Sport or Grand Touring trims today than there was between a 10AE and a Sports Package equipped standard model in 1999. But I will agree that the AE have always been parts bin specials. Hey, at least it's better than the vinyl decal and commemorative plate specials that some other automakers have done in the past to give buyers the allure of something special and unique. 

I guess I just long for the days of the M2-1001, M2-1002, M2-1028 and Mazdaspeed C-Spec. Now those were special editions!



Zillon said:


> The factory-painted special color is what makes it.


Which is entirely a matter of personal preference. Given the limited color palette already on offer, I feel like this orange color should be regularly available. It bothers me that US customers get so little color choice as is. I wish things could be like the Volkswagen Golf GTI in Germany were every day you can choose 35 different colors. 



Zillon said:


> I love the color, and I put my money where my mouth is: $500 deposit placed.


Congratulations. I hope you enjoy it. I haven't driven a NC yet but I've driven a ND RF and they drive great. They're everything that's good about the NA with none of the downsides.



Volkl said:


> Ok, well, a GT with GT-S is almost $33K, plus the Brembo/Recaro package on the Club is $4500. This is supposed to be $35K. Sounds like a pretty solid deal, in a unique color and limited numbers.


I agree it's a good deal for people who want a fully loaded car. Financially, this is really the only kind of special edition that makes sense anymore for most mainstream automakers given we live in an era of stringent emissions and safety requirements. My kind of special edition would probably cost $50k and no one would buy it because it's too expensive!


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

RAVatar said:


> Dammit man.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...





Volkl said:


> Yea, I might be interested too.


Gonna have to fight off the other 5 people that have thrown their name on the waitlist, I never expected to see such an interest in it. 

Price is $13900 as it sits (including 17x9s with 245s), minus the Raceseng knob - that stays with me for the 30AE. Current odo is 44645.

It won't be available until the end of May, though.


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## S4cabriofox (Apr 5, 2008)

Zillon said:


> Gonna have to fight off the other 5 people that have thrown their name on the waitlist, I never expected to see such an interest in it.
> 
> Price is $13900 as it sits (including 17x9s with 245s), minus the Raceseng knob - that stays with me for the 30AE. Current odo is 44645.
> 
> It won't be available until the end of May, though.


It's one of the nicest NCs I've seen, GLWS!


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## proximal (May 2, 2006)

Mazda put together a nice press kit for the 30th AE that includes a pretty comprehensive history of all four generations.

https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/wp.../02/En-MX-5_30thPK_190207whitecover_final.pdf


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Zillon said:


> Gonna have to fight off the other 5 people that have thrown their name on the waitlist, I never expected to see such an interest in it.
> 
> Price is $13900 as it sits (including 17x9s with 245s), minus the Raceseng knob - that stays with me for the 30AE. Current odo is 44645.
> 
> It won't be available until the end of May, though.


Uh... yep, I want that school bus as well.:beer:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Wouldn't mind the yellow NC but no room, and it would be an amazing demonstration of stupid to buy the wrong car for STR a third time.

A couple friends have reservations for the 30AE. One will go through with his, the other is hemming and hawing (he has a STR prep '17). The three of us are road-tripping to Chicago to see it in person next weekend.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

some fun ones:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

also did race car things:




























really actually pretty easy to pull the motor on these things. only have about 8 hour into it, including assembling the engine hoist and stand. having done a clutch by transmission removal leaving the engine in, i might actually consider pulling the motor next time instead for a clutch job.


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

forewheel said:


> Someone buy one then turn around and put it on BAT.


That's a likely outcome for some of them


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Zillon said:


> Gonna have to fight off the other 5 people that have thrown their name on the waitlist, I never expected to see such an interest in it.
> 
> Price is $13900 as it sits (including 17x9s with 245s), minus the Raceseng knob - that stays with me for the 30AE. Current odo is 44645.
> 
> It won't be available until the end of May, though.


I have no idea how NCs price out but that seems extremely fair with everything you've done to it. It's pretty much the only NC I've ever lusted after.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Zillon said:


> Gonna have to fight off the other 5 people that have thrown their name on the waitlist, I never expected to see such an interest in it.
> 
> Price is $13900 as it sits (including 17x9s with 245s), minus the Raceseng knob - that stays with me for the 30AE. Current odo is 44645.
> 
> It won't be available until the end of May, though.


Hmm, I wonder if I'll hear back about the 30AE waitlist by then.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

proximal said:


> Mazda put together a nice press kit for the 30th AE that includes a pretty comprehensive history of all four generations.
> 
> https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/wp.../02/En-MX-5_30thPK_190207whitecover_final.pdf


Boy, would I like that as a coffee table book.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Volkl said:


> Hmm, I wonder if I'll hear back about the 30AE waitlist by then.


Hopefully.

I ended up bailing on mine - started crunching tax numbers and it just doesn't look good this year to make any moves.

So, the NC stays, again. :laugh:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Over the weekend, the weather was warm enough and the roads were dry enough that I finally took the new Miata out for a spin with my dad. It was the first really drive I'd had since I got the car aligned.

Flyin' Miata Fox Racing coilovers - all setting are FM's recommended starting points for the car as far as ride height, shock settings, and alignment. 

Holy crap, the car feels good. It's stiff, but not harsh. It's body roll is very well controlled. It turns in very well. The ride height is perfect. I'm impressed. I was initially scared that I may have gone a bit overboard with this suspension (as opposed to just a spring/shock combination), but I'm really happy I spent the money on it.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

^^^Lookin' good! Ride height looks spot on. I also really like your front lip and side skirts. Thinking about ordering some similar to that for my NC.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Whirlwind weekend in Chicago to check out the 30AE. Met Trevor in Fairfax VA at 5AM and hit the road in his SVT Focus. Stopped for breakfast (Waffle House, his choice) and lunch at Steak & Shake (my choice), getting into Chicago around 6PM, thanks time zones! I'm a homebody, he wants to go out to a blues club. We wound up at Buddy Guy's Legends and saw some great bands, but ran out of gas at midnight.

Bright and early Saturday morning we found a waffle shop not far from the hotel for epic breakfast. Then on to the show. Before we get far we're greeted by a chick who invites us to test drive a Mazda, and we do so. While on the escalator the chick starts conversation, asking if we're familiar with Mazda stuff. Trevor says he has an order for the thirtieth anniversary Miata. Great, she says. What color are you getting? Hmmm. We both drove an automatic RF, average speed 23 MPH around the roads underneath the convention center. Many wow, much excite.

We head back upstairs and we're about to go into the show itself. He asks "should we go straight to Mazda or wander around some to build up the anticipaTHEY'RE RIGHT THERE COME ON LET'S GO SEE THEM." They're certainly orange. I'm a little disappointed that the paint is kinda blah solid orange and no metallic/mica/spicy/etc that I could detect. While there we bumped into 3-time STS national champion Andy Canak and shot the breeze with him for like an hour, which was nice since we only cross paths once or twice a year.

The show was big, but didn't feel *that* big considering it's supposed to be the biggest in the country. As the day went on the place got very crowded, which isn't fun. I wanted to check out a couple different Ram trucks but had to wait in lines to get in the drivers seats. As human traffic got to critical mass we abandoned plans to check out other trucks and instead figured it was time to go. Walked to find a pierogi & pizza joint, had dinner, and hit the road. I napped quite a bit and that's a good thing as it became apparent that we were going to cannonball run it home without stopping. I started my driving stint at 1AM and got back into Fairfax just before 6AM, and got home myself before 7AM Sunday.

I guess we'll do it again when the 40th anniversary model comes out.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

I got my first Miata (A 92 Sunburst yellow) in 2001. In fact, both of my kids have been riding in Miatas from the time they were several weeks old. It's like a part of their heritage. My daughter turned 15 a few months ago and just last weekend I took her out in my newest Miata for her first driving lesson. The timing is great because the 90HP 5spd is a great trainer. The clutch is already near end of life, but it's a great time for her to pick up the timing of the clutch and gas and now she's more interested in driving than ever. But more importantly, we're putting this car under the knife in the next few months to install the SR20 drivetrain so I can drive to Laguna for the 30th Miata Anniversary. I just don't think I can handle her killing that engine and roasting that clutch.





















Interesting data point - she's a Freshman in HS and one of her instructors asked how many of them were learning to drive. She said about 13 kids raised their hands. Then he asked how many were learning with a standard transmission and she was the only one! It's not joke. A manual transmission might be the best anti-theft deterrent.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Diamond Dave said:


> I got my first Miata (A 92 Sunburst yellow) in 2001. In fact, both of my kids have been riding in Miatas from the time they were several weeks old. It's like a part of their heritage. My daughter turned 15 a few months ago and just last weekend I took her out in my newest Miata for her first driving lesson. The timing is great because the 90HP 5spd is a great trainer. The clutch is already near end of life, but it's a great time for her to pick up the timing of the clutch and gas and now she's more interested in driving than ever. But more importantly, we're putting this car under the knife in the next few months to install the SR20 drivetrain so I can drive to Laguna for the 30th Miata Anniversary. I just don't think I can handle her killing that engine and roasting that clutch.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Serious proud papa moment for sure! My stepson drives a Jetta VR6 manual and I am HOPING my kid learns to drive stick.


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Zillon said:


> Hopefully.
> 
> I ended up bailing on mine - started crunching tax numbers and it just doesn't look good this year to make any moves.
> 
> So, the NC stays, again. :laugh:


 I suppose that's a good thing. That gives me another year to get the funds in order.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Diamond Dave said:


> I got my first Miata (A 92 Sunburst yellow) in 2001. In fact, both of my kids have been riding in Miatas from the time they were several weeks old. It's like a part of their heritage. My daughter turned 15 a few months ago and just last weekend I took her out in my newest Miata for her first driving lesson. The timing is great because the 90HP 5spd is a great trainer.


Nice story, Dave.

I first taught my now-wife how to drive stick back in high school on my 1987 Wrangler, with the burly 4.2L "low output" I6. Her second time ever driving stick was 7 years later, behind the wheel of my '94 Miata. While it was hard to beat the Jeep for low-end torque (peak torque was a diesel-like 1800 RPM) the Miata was pretty dang easy for her to pick up.

That car ended up being her gateway into driving stick - she drove it daily for 2 weeks while her automatic Honda was loaned out to a friend who was having car trouble. Shortly after, she went car shopping and came home with a '13 Mazda3 with a 6-speed - which she still drives today, 120K miles later.


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

Turbo Tuesday


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Went on my first proper group drive and really understand why these cars are as adores as they are. I was easily the slowest car but I may have had the most fun.









Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Is it spring yet?


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> Is it spring yet?


It's killing me.


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## Cabin Pics (Mar 20, 2008)

Lots of cars I recognize VTECeateR, that's a solid group of people you've got there!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

VTECeateR said:


> Went on my first proper group drive and really understand why these cars are as adores as they are. I was easily the slowest car but I may have had the most fun.


I really like that color and always like to see another member of the #koseiclub - best wheels ever for the Miata. I was looking at one after I totaled the orange car. Not to be that guy, but my GF was immediately like "absolutely not. that color is terrible". So BRG it is for me.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

Claff said:


>


Hot damn. Everytime I see this thing I wonder why mazda didn't go for a little more road clearance...


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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

Sporin said:


> Is it spring yet?


Spring?
We have already had temps in the 90s.


----------



## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Everytime I wander into this thread I think about why I bought a VW Cabriolet instead of a Miata.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

oh you want me as close as possible mid drift? 

k .... you stand at the apex, and hold my beer


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## Cabin Pics (Mar 20, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> oh you want me as close as possible mid drift?
> 
> k .... you stand at the apex, and hold my beer


That guy is a pro.


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)




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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

jspirate said:


> Hot damn. Everytime I see this thing I wonder why mazda didn't go for a little more road clearance...


The clearance on this thing is SUV like....it's almost comical compared to my car. It would be the first thing I would mod if I got my hands on an ND.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Found a yellow NC in the PNW for those that can do body work. 

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/seattle-2010-mazda-mx-5-miata-t-drives/6837595848.html


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Volkl said:


> Found a yellow NC in the PNW for those that can do body work.
> 
> https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/seattle-2010-mazda-mx-5-miata-t-drives/6837595848.html


Love it! The color included. :heart:


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

rq1trackaddict said:


> Turbo Tuesday


Need more details on this plzzzz. Mine is slowly turning into just a full on track rat and yours is very intriguing.


----------



## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

So: long, long overdue post. I was hired direct employment to my current company back in August. I just barely made the cutoff of having 10 full days of vacation for 2018 so pretty much from the beginning of September until December I had 10 days of vacation I needed to take. This made me think really hard about a dream of mine that I've had since I was a kid: Drive Laguna Seca. I finally had enough time off (including the 10 days of holiday break we get from work) to make it out there.

My first and obvious choice was to drive my car out there and back and hit a track day. I would take a week to get from Detroit to SF, do the track day, and drive back.

Needless to say, this idea unfortunately got nixed pretty quickly when I ran the numbers. I would need to buy/make a tire trailer, register it, do some maintenance if I wanted to drive across the country and back (and pile a track day on top of that) and just pay for gas/hotels along the way.

My SO works for an airline and she really wanted to go international for the Christmas break, so we ended up with a happy compromise: We would fly internationally (to a last minute unknown destination; the joys of standby flight), stay for a week with her brother, then I would fly to CA, rent a track Miata, and do the trackday while her and her brother explored for a few more days. Simples.

Time got closer and I secured a full trackday and rental Spec Miata (total cost $1250 - and that's still way cheaper than driving there). Note I did this without exact flight plans on how I was going to get there. Just a hope, prayer, and some intense flight capacity watching.

We ended up getting on a flight to Tokyo! That was a welcome surprise as I always wanted to go to Japan... which conveniently, allowed me to knock off 2 bucket list items. Not Miata related but...



















Yep, I managed to drive the car I coveted the most in Gran Turismo 2. A dark grey R32 GTR. It was terrifyingly sketchy at first to be honest. Decade old 200TW summer tires in the super tight mountain roads of Japan in drizzle and 35-40 degree temperatures... and I had never driven a RHD car before, or driven on the left. After the initial pants browning first hour, I got more comfortable and opened it up. I can absolutely see why this performance was world beating 30 years ago. I was able to spin all 4 tires in 1st just by matting the pedal at 3k RPM cruising. It was definitely worth my time and money.

Anyway, after a week, I split off to CA on Christmas day. I got on a flight to SF, slept for 6 hours, and woke up in CA at 9 AM... Christmas day :snowcool:

Since I ended up in CA earlier than I anticipated, Hertz was super expensive. For the cost of a Corolla, I was able to find this on Turo...





































It was a completely bone stock 06 NC Sport 6 speed with 11 year old all seasons (I'm sensing a ****ty pattern here...) and an open diff. Despite this, I was now in the Bay Area for 3 days with zero obligations, hotel room booked, and a great little roadster to go exploring with. I was thrilled.

I had only ever driven an NC on a 10 minute test drive in the suburbs with an annoyed saleswoman next to me. This was the first time I ever drove one in anger and honestly? NC is absolutely still as Miata as the NA and NB, and dare I say it, better. It does everything performance wise just as good as a stock NA/NB or much better (except lacking just a tad in steering feel), while handling comfort/daily duties PHENOMENALLY better. I loved this thing so much I woke up on 2 consecutive days in the dark just to do canyon runs early and drive it. I ended up at the Lick observatory at dawn and I had the whole way up and down to myself. If this car had better tires and an LSD it would be just fantastic. Even with the flaws, I still had a great time. Here are some pictures from the top of Mt. Hamilton at dawn:




























I had a huge amount of fun ripping this thing up in the mountains of the Bay Area for a few days, but unfortunately I had to return it and get my Hertz rental... something definitely much less "Miata"... but did really great burnouts:










I drove around a lot with that thing for the 2 days I had it because I had unlimited mileage and gas cost? Who cares, I'm on vacation!

Took it to see the sunset on the coast:











After that, it was the real moment I had been waiting for the whole trip: doing a trackday in a Miata on Laguna.

I got there in the morning and this was waiting for me:










The tires on this one were, happily, much newer and MUCH grippier :laugh:




























This track is AWESOME. The corkscrew really is as crazy as everyone says, but it's a really fun part of the track. Having that grip from the extra gravity is so neat. Corners 3-5 were my favorite, I was able to nail those down really quickly and with the extra grip of the Toyo slicks, I passed a ton of people because of those corners.










All in all, I had a really great time on this trip. I was able to cross off a ton of bucket list items and really enjoy myself for a few weeks.










Here's some really interesting ways a few people got around the noise restriction at LS:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Your post is awesome but it would be even better if your pictures worked. What a tease 

Seriously though seems like an awesome trip. Both of your bucket list items are on mine as well (Japan trip and Laguna seca).


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Your post is awesome but it would be even better if your pictures worked. What a tease
> 
> Seriously though seems like an awesome trip. Both of your bucket list items are on mine as well (Japan trip and Laguna seca).


Sonofa...

I'll update them when I get home later. Last time I try to take the easy way out by just linking to my google photos links.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

the snowbanks make every corner a blind corner. gotta take the course and grip on faith ... 










#gordondoesn'tdrift


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Need more details on this plzzzz. Mine is slowly turning into just a full on track rat and yours is very intriguing.


Some info about my Miata 


Engine / Drivetrain

1994 ford Escort 1.8L block machined .040 over

Eagle rods

cp 9.5:1 pistons

Acl Main bearings

Boundary stage 2 oil pump

TI super damper

Ported and polished BP05 head

Volvo valve springs

Mazda OEM MLS head gasket

Coolant reroute

Mazdaspeed motor mounts

ACT 6 puck clutch with HD plate 

Mazda speed 6spd trans (Shot peened gears)

Stock 4.1 torsen differential

stock axles

Mitshubishi Evo 8 Engine management computer

Full custom harness for that ecu to run in a mazda

Toyota Coil on plugs

Bosch 1000cc injectors

Aem 340 lph E85 pump

Omni power 4 bar map sensor


Turbo Setup

Borgwarner EFR 6258 .64ar T25 inlet, 3'' outlet vband.

Built 2 race llc. Custom tubular manifold

Custom 3'' downpipe/exhaust

2.5" hot side piping from flying miata

3" intercooler

2" coldside intercooler piping

Custom evo 3 ported and polished intake manifold, with BP05 flange welded on (better flow)

69mm throttle body

Vibrant hose fittings for oil, coolant supply, drain for turbo


Brakes

Wilwood 6 piston front calipers, 11.75 two piece rotors

Wilwood 4 piston rear calipers, Nb sport rotors

stainless lines, dot 5 fluid.

Wilwood proportioning valve


Interior

Harddog hardcore extreme double diagonal roll bar

Sparco Sprint seats 

Schroth 6 point camlock belts 

Rev limiter gauge face

Omp steering wheel

Momo hub

NRG quick release

autometer oil pressure gauge

autometer water temp

Turbosmart erbost 2 boost controller


CSF crossflow radiator

Flying miata fan shroud with 2, 12" Spal fans

Poly bushings throughout

Megan racing track coilovers

flying miata sway bars

flying miata chassis brace/frame rail

Bumper cut

Side exhaust exit, 3"


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

rq1trackaddict said:


> Some info about my Miata
> 
> 
> Engine / Drivetrain
> ...


Oh man, your car is getting me all sorts of jealous. What kind of Schroths do you have? I just received my Profi 3x2 and they feel so good. They'll pair well with the HTE-R 400 that's sitting half installed in the garage right now :banghead:

What kind of shifter is that as well? I have a Joyfast and it's really nice but just a little small in hand, especially on a track day where I'm not focused heavily on finding the shifter.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Your post is awesome but it would be even better if your pictures worked. What a tease
> 
> Seriously though seems like an awesome trip. Both of your bucket list items are on mine as well (Japan trip and Laguna seca).


Photos should work now *fingers crossed*


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Photos should work now *fingers crossed*


They do indeed. Looks like a good time was had by all 

How much was it to rent the Miata at the track?


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> They do indeed. Looks like a good time was had by all
> 
> How much was it to rent the Miata at the track?


Thanks! It was seriously an awesome 2 weeks.

The base cost of the Miata was $800, track insurance was $200, and the trackday itself was $250. Total cost of about $1250, which is way, way less than I would have paid to get my car out there. Fuel alone there and back was $600, not to mention the fact that I needed new winter tires (I had to get out there in late December) so that's another $300 installed, plus maintenance items, about $200, plus tire trailer + reg, about $300, and then food, hotel, etc, call it an even $1k. Almost $2500 at a low estimate. Oh, plus the cost of the trackday itself, so $2750. So this was much, much cheaper comparatively.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I have some buddies coming for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. Maybe I should put them to work helping me put the new shocks on the Miata in the garage since it's going to be 50+ degrees. 😈


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Thanks! It was seriously an awesome 2 weeks.
> 
> The base cost of the Miata was $800, track insurance was $200, and the trackday itself was $250. Total cost of about $1250, which is way, way less than I would have paid to get my car out there. Fuel alone there and back was $600, not to mention the fact that I needed new winter tires (I had to get out there in late December) so that's another $300 installed, plus maintenance items, about $200, plus tire trailer + reg, about $300, and then food, hotel, etc, call it an even $1k. Almost $2500 at a low estimate. Oh, plus the cost of the trackday itself, so $2750. So this was much, much cheaper comparatively.


Thanks for the response. Yeah seems about normal for rentals. Around here it's usually $500+ a day to rent a miata. No insurance though. 

The only more cost effective option would be to buy a prepped Miata, track it, then sell it before you leave


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

DubNMiatafan said:


> Oh man, your car is getting me all sorts of jealous. What kind of Schroths do you have? I just received my Profi 3x2 and they feel so good. They'll pair well with the HTE-R 400 that's sitting half installed in the garage right now :banghead:
> 
> What kind of shifter is that as well? I have a Joyfast and it's really nice but just a little small in hand, especially on a track day where I'm not focused heavily on finding the shifter.


I have the Profi 3x2 6 point camlock belts and have been using the 3x2s for years.

The shifter I have is a Tomei shift knob - https://www.nengun.com/tomei/shift-knob


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

I have a large knock that sounds like it's coming from the driveshaft/diff area, particularly on startup. Do these use a flex disc? What could it be?

What's the fix for the outside door handles?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

88c900t said:


> I have a large knock that sounds like it's coming from the driveshaft/diff area, particularly on startup. Do these use a flex disc? What could it be?
> 
> What's the fix for the outside door handles?


No, it wouldn't be the driveshaft. No flex disc, plus you typically hear flex disc/u-joint noise on accel or decel.

Could be motor mounts, or loose PPF (power plant frame, basically a big brace that runs longitudinally from the trans to the diff) bolts, or diff mounts.

My guess would be loose PPF bolts.

What's wrong with the outside door handles?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Charged up my battery overnight and just spent some time pulling out all my mouse deterrents and putting the car back together. Looks like zero mouse intrusion this winter, yeah!

Need to do a few work things then I'm going to fire it up and take a ride. It's cold but sunny and as dry as it's been in a long time, so I'm going to take it for a spin. Supposed to snow again tomorrow.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

And here we go...


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

can confirm, putting the engine back in, is significantly more difficult than taking one out. 

getting all the bolts to line up is one serious PITA. easily 1-2 more hours than taking it out.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

The silver car needed some paint work on the PRHT in places and I decided that since it was going to get repainted, how about changing things up with some color change. I like the PRHT but always thought it looked a little too space capsuley with the roof up. By painting the top black, I hoped it would disappear essentially and look a little more like the soft top car. I think it worked. I also had the widshield frame painted black as well. I did the same to my '90 years ago and thought it was a good look, so that was done to the NC as well. I'm on the lookout for black mirrors to complete the look, and might get a set of roll hoop covers to paint black as well.

Then today I thought maybe wrapping the hood in black would go well with all the other changes, but haven't talked myself into that just yet.




























Looks great with the black wheels and new charcoal (errr, "granite crystal metallic") truck to tow it with too


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Damn dude, your car looks awesome...I really like the wheel/tire setup.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> can confirm, putting the engine back in, is significantly more difficult than taking one out.
> 
> getting all the bolts to line up is one serious PITA. easily 1-2 more hours than taking it out.




I don't know. The "mousetrap" method is pretty easy for putting the engine back in.










RIP SR20 Miata. Coming soon - - > BRG SR20 Miata


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

almost got all three running ... still some work on the new motor in the spec.

also been dailying the new STS car, not a very good street car lol


----------



## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

Loving my new RPF1s


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

Hey guys

I'm looking for an original red rear bumper for my '95 in good condition. If anyone has one for sale or knows someone I'd appreciate it. I'm located in PA


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

rq1trackaddict said:


> Loving my new RPF1s


I really like those.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

There seems to be some questions as to if the “no spring compressor” method of shock replacement works with stock height springs and shocks. Any first hand input?


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

This past weekend we sold my dad's 1995 with 60k miles. It sold for full asking price - $5,900 plus $1,000 for the hard top. 

The car is painted in Velocity Red and the seats are custom leather reupholstery from Katzkin.











































And the hard top:












Here's a link to more photos of the car in all its glory:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8FPuAokXAMwUEqwv8


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

She's a beauty!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> There seems to be some questions as to if the “no spring compressor” method of shock replacement works with stock height springs and shocks. Any first hand input?


I've done *parts* of this. Usually, I've taken off springs/top hats by unscrewing the shock top nut withe the shock/spring laying on the ground facing into an empty large trash bin. Someone else holds down the bottom of the shock (usually with a foot). When the nut lets go, it shoots into the garbage can and the potential energy is released.

I've put on aftermarket springs onto shocks without a spring compressor (at least the rear springs that I can remember). One person stands the shock up with the bottom on the ground, and you put all the components on it (spring, bump stop, washers, etc). A second person puts on the tophat and compresses it down enough for a third person to start the nut on the shock. The reason that the aftermarket springs tend to work well for this is because they are shorter than the stock springs. It should be possible to do it with two people. 

Don't coming whining to me if you kill yourself doing it without spring compressors, though.


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## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

Sadly, the time has come to part ways with my Miata. I'll be back in one eventually, but for now, I need to sell to prep for an upcoming move. 1995, 90k miles, 5 speed, no power steering, A/C, factory cruise control, Torsen, new Dunlop tires, painted 2yrs ago in Velocity Red and ceramic coated with CQuartz (5 year warranty). It has many other little goodies, as well as being completely baselined last year (new fluids, etc.). 

For anyone in the market, feel free to shoot me a PM. I'll be happy to answer any questions. Figured I would start here to make sure she goes to a good home


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We broke 50 with sun today so I took it on some errands.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Spring meeting for the club today. It's quite warm and dry already so lots of Miatas there (last year it was still snowy).

Danny from Expoline Auto brought his highly modified Mazdaspeed. Fully built engine, huge turbo, dynos at 300 on pump gas, and 340 on E85. Tons of other mods to handle the power.


































Spruce's supercharged NC


















Our first (?) member with an ND!

























I don't know why you'd put a massive washer fluid resi in a convertible.


----------



## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Sporin said:


> I don't know why you'd put a massive washer fluid resi in a convertible.


I thought the same thing with mine. I think I’ve used it a handful of times, and one of those was a “oh yeah, I’ve got washers” lightbulb thought one day just to see if they worked.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

When I got my NA, one of the hoses to the washer nozzle was dried out and split. Seller said he never bothered to fix it because it was a fair weather car and he never used them. 

I knew the pump itself worked so I got new tubing and got it all working because I like things to work as they are supposed to. 

I’ve literally never used it in 2 years after testing the repair.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'll pass on $1000 worth of 14" tires, but an interesting article none the less.

*Your Miata is using the wrong tires, according to Mazda and Bridgestone
*by David Zenlea // April 03, 2019












> If you drive a first-generation Miata today, chances are you’ve never experienced it on original 14-inch tires. And that, says Mazda, means you’ve never really experienced it at all.
> 
> When many news outlets fawned over Mazda’s restoration program for the first-generation Miata, launched exclusively in Japan last year, most glossed over or missed entirely what may be the most fascinating facet of the project—the tires. These renewed Miatas wear painstakingly-recreated versions of the 14-inch rubber offered with the original in 1989.
> 
> ...


https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vi.../03/mazda-and-bridgestone-original-spec-tires


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

ah, the washer fluid bottle on the NA is woefully small. its actually one of my biggest annoyances in the winter. the car is so low the windshield is constantly dirty from spray.

its for people who actually use there cars.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> ah, the washer fluid bottle on the NA is woefully small. its actually one of my biggest annoyances in the winter. the car is so low the windshield is constantly dirty from spray.
> 
> *its for people who actually use there cars*.




Since I have the top down the 80% of the time I drive mine, I don't often have the need for the washers or the desire to wear washer fluid. Its just funny to have it appear to take up so much space underhood.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> I'll pass on $1000 worth of 14" tires, but an interesting article none the less.


I dare say my Miata was most fun the first year I owned it and was on the stock 14" wheels and tires. Since 1989 Miata owners have been monkeying with the basic formula to varying degrees of success. It's pretty easy to make a stock Miata faster, but that's not necessarily more fun. The original magic was there when magazine test drivers wrote their glowing reviews. Personally, I think NA look best on 14" wheels (I'm especially fond of the RS Watanabe Type B 14x6.5 et14.5). But poor tire choice means pretty much everyone in the USA is on 15" wheels nowadays.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Tornado2dr said:


> Since I have the top down the 80% of the time I drive mine, I don't often have the need for the washers or the desire to wear washer fluid. Its just funny to have it appear to take up so much space underhood.


I have to resist the urge to use the windshield washer unless I know for certain the top and side windows are up. I ended up doing the Suzuki Capuccino washer bottle mod to the wiper cowl area make more room in the engine bay. Fluid capacity was never a concern for me. It's only used sparingly as the car is now mostly a fair weather toy.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

freedomgli said:


> I dare say my Miata was most fun the first year I owned it and was on the stock 14" wheels and tires. Since 1989 Miata owners have been monkeying with the basic formula to varying degrees of success. It's pretty easy to make a stock Miata faster, but that's not necessarily more fun. The original magic was there when magazine test drivers wrote their glowing reviews. Personally, I think NA look best on 14" wheels (I'm especially fond of the RS Watanabe Type B 14x6.5 et14.5). But poor tire choice means pretty much everyone in the USA is on 15" wheels nowadays.


totally agree. my best street car miata is my stock one. 

doing anything else to them besides tires makes them worse as a car. my STS car for example, its pretty freaking terrible. its very fast for 70 seconds, but its terrible.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I really like my 14's but the tire choice is so poor at the stock size of 185-60-15. It's either a too-aggressive (IMO) Falken RT615 (195-60-14), or a few "grand touring" all seasons that seem too tame. I think the Yokahama S-drive is the perfect compromise but it's a 15"+ tire only (though there are some old stock 185-55-14's out there).

Buing new wheels AND tires takes a sub-$400 expenditure (because I really need new tires) to a $1000+ expenditure. :banghead:


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Buing new wheels AND tires takes a sub-$400 expenditure (because I really need new tires) to a $1000+ expenditure. :banghead:


Can relate.

Can you find some good used 15" Miata wheels for a decent price? (Is that even a thing?)


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

cockerpunk said:


> its for people who actually use there cars.


Firstly, just _don't_. 

Secondly, It's "their".


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> I dare say my Miata was most fun the first year I owned it and was on the stock 14" wheels and tires. Since 1989 Miata owners have been monkeying with the basic formula to varying degrees of success. It's pretty easy to make a stock Miata faster, but that's not necessarily more fun. The original magic was there when magazine test drivers wrote their glowing reviews. Personally, I think NA look best on 14" wheels (I'm especially fond of the RS Watanabe Type B 14x6.5 et14.5). But poor tire choice means pretty much everyone in the USA is on 15" wheels nowadays.


Go-go Gadget Daisies!










I love that Dunlop has been making 185/60/14 Direzza ZI/ZII/ZIII tires.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> Can relate.
> 
> Can you find some good used 15" Miata wheels for a decent price? (Is that even a thing?)


TRM c1ms


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## jhonyquest97 (Aug 28, 2008)

I'll be selling mine soon if anyones interested! It's got some cool stuff. PM me. I'm in NJ.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Air and water do mix said:


> Can relate.
> 
> Can you find some good used 15" Miata wheels for a decent price? (Is that even a thing?)


I just sold a set of 15x7.5" 6ul wheels with half-used ZII Star Specs for $550. Is that decent?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Yeah, I'm hoping to find some decently priced used 15's locally.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> I love that Dunlop has been making 185/60/14 Direzza ZI/ZII/ZIII tires.


In Japan there’s a time attack series organized by tuning shops Joyfast and RS Factory Stage just for the Mazda Roadster equipped with 185/60R14 tires called the 185/60 Cup. They also have a similar class for cars with 195 and 205 tires. 

http://www.joyfast.com/plan/185cup.html
http://www.joyfast.com/event/cup_rule/cup_rule_ver6.pdf
http://www.joyfast.com/event/cup_rule/cup_qa.pdf
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/rs/stage/ibent/185cup/185.htm


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Buing new wheels AND tires takes a sub-$400 expenditure (because I really need new tires) to a $1000+ expenditure. :banghead:



Do what we all did when we were kids:
Buy 
nice all-seasons for the stock wheels
Buy a set of good used wheels with not-good tires to run Spring/Summer
Save for sticky summer tires over the winter while you drive on the all-seasons

There is no free lunch with tires. Iron triangle is truth - Sticky, inexpensive, long-lasting - choose only two.


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

My new Lip showed up, all the way from Japan


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Ok Everyone, random question of the day. It seems my car has a weird issue I haven't been able to diagnose. 91 miata, 99% track only. Stock motor and everything except suspension and safety mods. Also has a 4.1 torsen swapped in. 

The car seems to be unable to rev at the top of 3rd gear (and possible 4th). 1st and 2nd are fine. 

But when I get to around 6800 in 3rd, the car climbs in the revs verrryyyy slowly. The way this was discovered was by simply comparing my car to a friends similar car. There are parts of the track where he absolutely has to shift, but I can hold the gear way longer. It's difficult to hit the rev limiter in 3rd unless I really hold it in the gear.

My first instinct was possible crank keyway wear, but the car seems to be making good power everywhere else. I also thought maybe he has a 4.3 and doesn't know it, but we looked at the axles and it looks like a Torsen version 1. Also, that wouldn't change how the car revs at the top of the rev range. 

Any thoughts or ideas? I'm going to take off the crank pulley and look at the nose anyway, and also replace the alternator belt since it seems to keep getting loose and squealing. 

I checked the timing, and it does appear to be jumping around a tiny bit and the crank does have a bit of wobble. So that's why I thought could be keyway. 

However the car does not really feel down on power, except at the top of 3rd (and possible 4th). On the street I revved 1st and 2nd and it revs very quickly, as expected. 

On the track for example I was on the back straight of VIR and I could hold 3rd almost until past the crest of the hill and the flag station. The issue does seem to be exacerbated by going uphill. 

Thoughts?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

300_munkeys said:


> Ok Everyone, random question of the day. It seems my car has a weird issue I haven't been able to diagnose. *91 miata*, 99% track only. *Stock motor* and everything except suspension and safety mods. Also has a 4.1 torsen swapped in.
> 
> The car seems to be *unable to rev at the top of 3rd gear* (and possible 4th). 1st and 2nd are fine.
> 
> ...


Bolded are the red flags I see.

I suspect you have SNC symptoms, at least the beginnings of them. That means, while your crank isn't totally fubar'd yet, the engine is on borrowed time.

Why?

For starters, it's a 1991 Miata, stock engine, unknown history (IIRC you bought it used a few years ago, right?) That's not a good start. Crank pulley wobble, while it doesn't impact timing directly, shows that the keyway isn't in the best of shape.

But the biggest red flag is that it's load dependent, usually indicative of a timing issue. Timing issues are usually exposed at high loads, since there's usually less tolerance for improper timing at higher loads. Checking static timing at idle is a great start, but it doesn't tell the whole story. That it "jumps around a bit" at idle is not a good sign. 1st and 2nd aren't great test of load on the engine, because the resistance on the engine isn't at great. This is why you don't test a clutch's holding capacity in 1st or 2nd gear, or downhill. Higher gears and/or speed and uphill grades are usually great load tests - as you're finding out.

So, short of actually pulling the crank pulley myself and giving a diagnosis, I'd say there's a good chance there's a timing issue going on. And on a 1991 Miata, that has a good chance of meaning that it's suffering from SNC issues, which means it might be time to shop for a new engine. It *can* be saved with the Loctite fix, but being that it's a track car, and knowing how much it sucks to show up to a trackdaybro and not have your car work, it would be wise to replace the engine with a later '91+ 1.6L or go with a 1.8 conversion.

(or Honda J-series, just sayin' )


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Bolded are the red flags I see.
> 
> I suspect you have SNC symptoms, at least the beginnings of them. That means, while your crank isn't totally fubar'd yet, the engine is on borrowed time.
> 
> ...


Thanks man! I didn't realize load dependence could indicate the snc issue. To be clear, it's a later 91 so a big nose but the timing belt was done by a previous owner and I bet the crank bolt wasn't torqued correctly.

Tb done around 60k and currently 78k miles.

In any case that is my next step to diagnose so I'll go through with that. I've done a loctite fix before and that car was wayyyyy down on power but the keyway was savable. Given the power this car is still making, if that's the issue I'll loctite it and keep tracking it until it goes.

I forgot to mention, after vir I torqued the bolt to 120 ft lbs without checking anything or doing anything and it seems to have helped a bit. So it does seem to point to the keyway. 

I'll update once I get it apart.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Speaking of trackdaybro

Signed up for my first Track Night in America which will be next Thursday at Dominion Raceway in Virginia. Taking my '90 which is pretty much as it came off the course in STS at the 2016 Solo Nationals. Added a roll bar and that's it. Changed the oil and flushed brake fluid. Pads have plenty of meat on them and three year old RE71Rs are about half worn.

Dominion, I think, isn't a big braking track. It has a looooooooooooooooong straight going into turn 1 (I'll bring a book) and not much else after that. I think I'll be OK with STS-spec Napa Gold pads up front and HPS in back.

Only thing that needs addressing is a halfshaft that's leaking from the outer boot. I have spares (thanks to 300munkeys) so that'll be addressed in the coming days.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> Speaking of trackdaybro
> 
> Signed up for my first Track Night in America which will be next Thursday at Dominion Raceway in Virginia. Taking my '90 which is pretty much as it came off the course in STS at the 2016 Solo Nationals. Added a roll bar and that's it. Changed the oil and flushed brake fluid. Pads have plenty of meat on them and three year old RE71Rs are about half worn.
> 
> ...


lemmie know how that goes, i have an STS car i am considering putting a bar in for double duty, and the brakes are my biggest concern. STS brakes are made for setting the car, not dropping 70mph lap after lap.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> Speaking of trackdaybro
> 
> Signed up for my first Track Night in America which will be next Thursday at Dominion Raceway in Virginia. Taking my '90 which is pretty much as it came off the course in STS at the 2016 Solo Nationals. Added a roll bar and that's it. Changed the oil and flushed brake fluid. Pads have plenty of meat on them and three year old RE71Rs are about half worn.
> 
> ...


Dominion is a decent track but it was hard for me to get comfortable there. I was also on one corded tire due to a flat spot which didn't help.

The biggest issue is how close the walls are at some points.

Still, overall a fun track.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Dominion is a decent track but it was hard for me to get comfortable there. I was also on one corded tire due to a flat spot which didn't help.
> 
> The biggest issue is how close the walls are at some points.
> 
> Still, overall a fun track.


Given a choice, I think I'd rather have this at Summit Shenandoah than Dominion, but they don't do TNiA there.

There's half a chance that if I come out of TNIA all smiles, I'll give the time trial national tour at Pittrace a serious look. But that's probably too much too soon, especially since time trials are quite expensive to enter.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Bolded are the red flags I see.
> 
> I suspect you have SNC symptoms, at least the beginnings of them. That means, while your crank isn't totally fubar'd yet, the engine is on borrowed time.
> 
> ...


Alright Stevo and everyone, take a look at the pics. Crank keyway looks totally fine to me. 

Now, I suppose it's possible I caught this issue REALLY early, and there's some .5mm wear I can't see yet, but that seems improbable to me because I noticed this issue a few weeks ago, and put 4 track days on the car. I think the keyway should have shown some wear after that abuse. 

The 4 days had a lot of time, too - over 10 hours easily, maybe even 12 total track hours. 

So any thoughts? Tonight I will get a very thin needle and try to put it between the key and the crank nose to see if there is some miniscule gap there. If there is, since I already have some loctice 660 I'll but a tiny smear in there and call it a day. The key is very tight in there so I'd rather not take it out unless I want to do a tb job which isn't necessary I don't think. 

Any other reasons timing could be jumping around? It could just be a loose alternator belt and the crank was wobbling (no ac or ps so it's the only belt) and timing isn't actually moving. 

But that doesn't explain the inability to rev in 3rd gear. Could it be a transmission issue?


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Might not be a bad idea to throw some Loctite on it. That is a short nose crank engine - the key is not supported through the length of the crankshaft keyway.

Maybe before doing the Loctite, throw the pulley and bolt back in and check your timing marks again. How does the tensioner look?

If all checks out, throw some Loctite on the key for good measure, bolt everything back together and check timing again. Does it still jump around? If so, maybe look at the CAS on the back of the head - is it loose? Maybe it’s a bad CAS throwing off the ignition timing?

Edit- forgot that you were re-torquing the bolt. Since you have an SNC engine, you should be torquing it to 80 ft-lbs not 120. It could be that the bolt is stretching (since they are known to be weak) which is why the load is reducing on the timing belt cog. Best to get a new bolt. Usually SNC guys recommend replacing the bolt during a timing belt job, but it’s not often done


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> Given a choice, I think I'd rather have this at Summit Shenandoah than Dominion, but they don't do TNiA there.
> 
> There's half a chance that if I come out of TNIA all smiles, I'll give the time trial national tour at Pittrace a serious look. But that's probably too much too soon, especially since time trials are quite expensive to enter.


Shenandoah is definitely my favorite track in the area as far as fun. It's so busy but so rewarding when you get a good rhythm, especially in a miata.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Might not be a bad idea to throw some Loctite on it. That is a short nose crank engine - the key is not supported through the length of the crankshaft keyway.
> 
> Maybe before doing the Loctite, throw the pulley and bolt back in and check your timing marks again. How does the tensioner look?
> 
> ...


I have a later '91 which according to vin should be a long/big nose. The crank bolt/crank looks the same as the one in the nb I have. Am I wrong? I'll take a look at the pulley when I'm home but I'm almost positive I have the big nose.

edit: last 6 of VIN are 224889 so that should put me way into the BNC.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

So after taking everything apart, I've decided the crank nose looks too good to do a loctite fix at this time. I put everything back and torqued to 120 ft lbs. I'm putting a new alternator belt and tightening it properly since the old one was getting loose and squealing a lot. I'm not sure if that was due to a loosening crank bolt (thus leading to the pulley wobble) or something else but I figure a new belt can't hurt. 

I've got some other plans to refresh the car, including new clutch master and slave and a shifter rebuild, and hopefully I will be caging the car soon. Worst case I will put a new engine in eventually. But for now the problem only appears in rare situations and I'm hoping that with the re-torque it will be alleviated. If not, I assume the crank will get worn out a bit in which case I'll do a loctite fix at that time and go with that until it wears out again.


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

The first three generations of Miatas are sitting at an interesting price point right now, really nice NAs, middle of the road NBs, and cheaper NCs are all hitting in the $4-6k range. I've had a couple NAs, but I'm getting curious about the NC now. My commute has become 60mi/day mostly highway at 70mph. I have a Frontier for when I need something to be a truck or the super reliable daily driver, so this is a fun car for me but I'd like to be able to use it all the time and only break out the truck as needed. I'm assuming 30s me wouldn't enjoy an NA as much as 20s me did back in the day and the newer platform might be the way to go for a more comfortable highway cruiser. Any comments? I'm looking at the low end of NC prices, so I'm sticking to an NC1. I'd like to have a limited slip, and I'm not sure about the differences between the 5spd and 6spd manuals. Any suggestions to help guide my purchase?









Random Google Image


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Nitroracer17 said:


> The first three generations of Miatas are sitting at an interesting price point right now, *really nice NA* middle of the road NBs, and cheaper NCs are all hitting in the $4-6k range.


You might not be aware, but a "really nice" NA Miata is ~$8k almost anywhere in the country. Look at any clean 1990-1997 Miata with HT, <80K miles, and up to date maintenance and you'd be hard pressed to find one for anything less. Go over to BAT and look at their auction data.It's a real eye opener.


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Nitroracer17 said:


> The first three generations of Miatas are sitting at an interesting price point right now, really nice NAs, middle of the road NBs, and cheaper NCs are all hitting in the $4-6k range. I've had a couple NAs, but I'm getting curious about the NC now. My commute has become 60mi/day mostly highway at 70mph. I have a Frontier for when I need something to be a truck or the super reliable daily driver, so this is a fun car for me but I'd like to be able to use it all the time and only break out the truck as needed. I'm assuming 30s me wouldn't enjoy an NA as much as 20s me did back in the day and the newer platform might be the way to go for a more comfortable highway cruiser. Any comments? I'm looking at the low end of NC prices, so I'm sticking to an NC1. I'd like to have a limited slip, and I'm not sure about the differences between the 5spd and 6spd manuals. Any suggestions to help guide my purchase?


I see decent NAs and NBs in that price range, but solid NCs seem to be a bit outside that range. For ex: a $6k NC will be an early year with 150k+ miles and slightly questionable history.

I'm on the hunt as well.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Nitroracer17 said:


> The first three generations of Miatas are sitting at an interesting price point right now, really nice NAs, middle of the road NBs, and cheaper NCs are all hitting in the $4-6k range. I've had a couple NAs, but I'm getting curious about the NC now. My commute has become 60mi/day mostly highway at 70mph. I have a Frontier for when I need something to be a truck or the super reliable daily driver, so this is a fun car for me but I'd like to be able to use it all the time and only break out the truck as needed. I'm assuming 30s me wouldn't enjoy an NA as much as 20s me did back in the day and the newer platform might be the way to go for a more comfortable highway cruiser. Any comments? I'm looking at the low end of NC prices, so I'm sticking to an NC1. I'd like to have a limited slip, and I'm not sure about the differences between the 5spd and 6spd manuals. Any suggestions to help guide my purchase?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


NCs had a bad rap for not being "Miata" enough and being too heavy. But while technically a bit heavier than later nbs (I think around 100-150 lbs depending on options) the rigidity in the chassis and extra power make up for the weight very well.

Biggest issues for me with the NC:

- stock suspension is pretty crappy. Needs an upgrade to become more fun
- engine has little character. There's a reason the 1.6 is the most fun engine even though it's the weakest. The 2.0 doesn't want to rev much
- seats aren't great especially on the early ones
- interior materials don't age very well

For the nc1, especially 06 I would avoid the 5speed. It had an issue with 4th gear I think.

If you can swing an nc2 the engines are more stout and have a higher redline. I believe the suspension and transmissions were also improved.

I'm considering one as my next track car. Let us know how it goes!


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

New PTP blanket for 6258


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

best looking car on the grid. 

now she just needs corner balance and alignment, and some dyno time


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Nitroracer17 said:


> The first three generations of Miatas are sitting at an interesting price point right now, really nice NAs, middle of the road NBs, and cheaper NCs are all hitting in the $4-6k range. I've had a couple NAs, but I'm getting curious about the NC now. My commute has become 60mi/day mostly highway at 70mph. I have a Frontier for when I need something to be a truck or the super reliable daily driver, so this is a fun car for me but I'd like to be able to use it all the time and only break out the truck as needed. I'm assuming 30s me wouldn't enjoy an NA as much as 20s me did back in the day and the newer platform might be the way to go for a more comfortable highway cruiser. Any comments? I'm looking at the low end of NC prices, so I'm sticking to an NC1. I'd like to have a limited slip, and I'm not sure about the differences between the 5spd and 6spd manuals. Any suggestions to help guide my purchase?


I've got an NC3 and am loving the hell out of it. It's not stock though, as many items mentioned earlier have been addressed like adjustable coilovers, exhaust, etc. But with that, mine's not a commuter either, just a fun weekend toy. I agree with some of the other comments regarding a "cheap NC" though, you're going to be rolling the dice on a few things. If the top of your budget is $6-8K for instance, i'd be shopping for the nicest, least mileage Miata I could find for that money, not the newest year.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The PRHT NC’s are very popular here in New England as they extend your season dramatically.


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## smetzger (Oct 21, 2004)

Nitroracer17 said:


> The first three generations of Miatas are sitting at an interesting price point right now, really nice NAs, middle of the road NBs, and cheaper NCs are all hitting in the $4-6k range. I've had a couple NAs, but I'm getting curious about the NC now. My commute has become 60mi/day mostly highway at 70mph. I have a Frontier for when I need something to be a truck or the super reliable daily driver, so this is a fun car for me but I'd like to be able to use it all the time and only break out the truck as needed. I'm assuming 30s me wouldn't enjoy an NA as much as 20s me did back in the day and the newer platform might be the way to go for a more comfortable highway cruiser. Any comments? I'm looking at the low end of NC prices, so I'm sticking to an NC1. I'd like to have a limited slip, and I'm not sure about the differences between the 5spd and 6spd manuals. Any suggestions to help guide my purchase?


I could be wrong, but I don't think the NC1s came with a 6 spd. 6spd just means you have to shift more, your revs at 70mph are going to be almost the same with the 5spd or 6spd.
If you are not going to Auto-X or track, just get the nicest example you can find and don't worry about the LSD.
But if you are going to, then spring for one.

NC will be more comfortable and have more creature comforts for a semi-daily over the NA or NB.

I am quite happy with my stock NC2 which I use as a weekend and occasional Auto-X (5-6 events per year)


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

Nitroracer17 said:


> The first three generations of Miatas are sitting at an interesting price point right now, really nice NAs, middle of the road NBs, and cheaper NCs are all hitting in the $4-6k range. I've had a couple NAs, but I'm getting curious about the NC now. My commute has become 60mi/day mostly highway at 70mph. I have a Frontier for when I need something to be a truck or the super reliable daily driver, so this is a fun car for me but I'd like to be able to use it all the time and only break out the truck as needed. I'm assuming 30s me wouldn't enjoy an NA as much as 20s me did back in the day and the newer platform might be the way to go for a more comfortable highway cruiser. Any comments? I'm looking at the low end of NC prices, so I'm sticking to an NC1. I'd like to have a limited slip, and I'm not sure about the differences between the 5spd and 6spd manuals. Any suggestions to help guide my purchase?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I bought a high mileage cheap NC in 2016. Mine was a 2006 GT with every single factory option except the yellow bilsteins. It does have an LSD. It almost immediately developed a knock and needed a new engine. I put in an NC2 engine with 21,000 miles on it. Even with the motor swap, I was still in it for under $8 grand. It’s been perfect ever since. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in a car. I may spend a little money this year on a new top, but I struggle to imagine having more fun for less money in a car. Even the insurance is cheap. I recommend the 6 speed. It has better in-gear acceleration than the 5 speed. I wouldn’t call any Miata a comfortable highway cruiser. Even with the 6 speed, the engine is spinning at 4K at 80 mph.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

smetzger said:


> I could be wrong, but I don't think the NC1s came with a 6 spd. 6spd just means you have to shift more, your revs at 70mph are going to be almost the same with the 5spd or 6spd.
> If you are not going to Auto-X or track, just get the nicest example you can find and don't worry about the LSD.
> But if you are going to, then spring for one.
> 
> ...


The NC1 had the 6 speed on the higher trims and the 5 speed on the lower versions. I had a 5 speed 2006. 




dwagner88 said:


> I bought a high mileage cheap NC in 2016. Mine was a 2006 GT with every single factory option except the yellow bilsteins. It does have an LSD. It almost immediately developed a knock and needed a new engine. I put in an NC2 engine with 21,000 miles on it. Even with the motor swap, I was still in it for under $8 grand. It’s been perfect ever since. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in a car. I may spend a little money this year on a new top, but I struggle to imagine having more fun for less money in a car. Even the insurance is cheap. I recommend the 6 speed. It has better in-gear acceleration than the 5 speed. I wouldn’t call any Miata a comfortable highway cruiser. *Even with the 6 speed, the engine is spinning at 4K at 80 mph*.


I think the gearing in 6th of the 6 speed is lower than the gearing of 5th on the 5 speed.

Here you go:

Vehicle Identification
Gear Ratios (5-speed Manual)	1st - 3.136:1 2nd - 1.888:1 3rd - 1.330:1 4th - 1.000:1 5th - 0.814:1
Gear Ratios (6-speed Manual)	1st - 3.815:1 2nd - 2.260:1 3rd - 1.640:1 4th - 1.177:1 5th - 1.000:1 6th - 0.832


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

dwagner88 said:


> I bought a high mileage cheap NC in 2016. Mine was a 2006 GT with every single factory option except the yellow bilsteins. It does have an LSD. It almost immediately developed a knock and needed a new engine. I put in an NC2 engine with 21,000 miles on it. Even with the motor swap, I was still in it for under $8 grand. It’s been perfect ever since. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in a car. I may spend a little money this year on a new top, but I struggle to imagine having more fun for less money in a car. Even the insurance is cheap. I recommend the 6 speed. It has better in-gear acceleration than the 5 speed. I wouldn’t call any Miata a comfortable highway cruiser. Even with the 6 speed, the engine is spinning at 4K at 80 mph.


Yikes, how did it develop a knock?


NC's with their 170 hp are tempting...

Sell current Miata and buy this? Hilariously, it's the exact color, year and trim level as mine. Just looks significantly nicer, much fewer miles. 

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/d/manteno-1996-mazda-miata-mx-5/6865352431.html


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

88c900t said:


> Sell current Miata and buy this? Hilariously, it's the exact color, year and trim level as mine. Just looks significantly nicer, much fewer miles.
> 
> https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/d/manteno-1996-mazda-miata-mx-5/6865352431.html


My biggest fear in shopping for a car that looks like this isn't the actual car itself, but dealing with the dude who built it.


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## Dawg Dee-Lux (Jul 16, 2004)

Then there's Abbie Eaton ... watch the whole thing.


----------



## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

HotWheels is going to release a new NA casting later this year.


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

88c900t said:


> Yikes, how did it develop a knock?
> 
> 
> NC's with their 170 hp are tempting...
> ...


Honestly, it was probably abused by a previous owner. I didn’t buy it because it was a good example. I bought it because it was cheap and I wasn’t afraid of having to swap it. It had 122K on it. Blown motors are pretty common on NC1’s for some reason. The NC2 motors are a little more stout. They rev a little more as well.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

'dem brakes!  :laugh:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwkJ9I-A0Rv/


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

It's drive your car to the beach day! Stock 1.6L Miatas are fun and all, but DAMN it's so slow. Can't wait to get double the HP when I get the old engine back in later this Spring.



















Here's the last time I had a Miata on the beach. It's normal to drive a bare metail re-spray, full nut and bolt restoration on the sand right?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Went to a hobby shop for random stuff today and happened to swing by the model car kit area out of nostalgia. I discovered that Revell has reissued the NA Miata kit that was first produced when the car was first introduced.










I haven't built a model car in something like 25 years, but I'm going to pick one or two of these kits up and enjoy a winter project of making a miniature version of my '90.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Need some opinions. As some of you know I have a 91 Miata which is mostly stock except for half a cage welded in and spec suspension (which isn't great). It's used almost solely for the track. I want to build a Miata for NASA tt6 and possibly st6 down the road (same class but racing instead of tt).

So to make my car competitive though, with an na6, I need a megasquirt and wideband, header, proper suspension, and I want to complete the cage.

All of tha together is likely going to cost $6-7k if I do it the way I want. Is it worth building the na6 for that kind of money?

I feel like I might as well sell my car and get an nb1 or something and build that instead. More potential.

The other option is, I have a friend selling a professionally re built 1.6 with a decked head and port and polish and everything. With just a header and no engine management it put out 108 whp. I can sell mine and get that instead. Still a 1.6 but more potential.

I need a max of 122 whp or so, which I'm not sure is doable on my motor.

Or I just say screw it and have fun for a while without spending money and build a car later.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Need some opinions. As some of you know I have a 91 Miata which is mostly stock except for half a cage welded in and spec suspension (which isn't great). It's used almost solely for the track. I want to build a Miata for NASA tt6 and possibly st6 down the road (same class but racing instead of tt).
> 
> So to make my car competitive though, with an na6, I need a megasquirt and wideband, header, proper suspension, and I want to complete the cage.
> 
> ...


its almost always a better plan to buy a race car, than to build it yourself. it will be much cheaper in the end. 

depending on the tracks you go to, id get a 8-12k spec miata, in whatever flavor seems favorable (west coast seems to favor NA6s, east coast is all 99 and VVTs)


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> its almost always a better plan to buy a race car, than to build it yourself. it will be much cheaper in the end.
> 
> depending on the tracks you go to, id get a 8-12k spec miata, in whatever flavor seems favorable (west coast seems to favor NA6s, east coast is all 99 and VVTs)


Thanks. I think I agree with this in general. However I have seen some pretty crappy cages and the guy who would build mine is well known and well-respected, if I go that route. 

That's the reason the built 1.6 is appealing - the lightness of the na6, + I put the right cage in and add a megasquirt and AFM delete and I should have a very competitive car. Plus the owner is a friend from the track, an older gentleman that really takes care of his stuff. So I feel comfortable with that. Selling my car offsets most of the cost but I get a built motor, newer clutch, rb header, etc. Just needs a cage. 

Buying a spec miata car with a pro motor is $12k minimum around here, but $14k+ for most well done cars. I will still need headers and megasquirt and a better suspension at that point, so it will be very expensive. 

The rebuild is the most expensive part, so buying a built motor with no racing hours (only DE hours and from what I've seen he doesn't push very hard) is appealing.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks. I think I agree with this in general. However I have seen some pretty crappy cages and the guy who would build mine is well known and well-respected, if I go that route.
> 
> That's the reason the built 1.6 is appealing - the lightness of the na6, + I put the right cage in and add a megasquirt and AFM delete and I should have a very competitive car. Plus the owner is a friend from the track, an older gentleman that really takes care of his stuff. So I feel comfortable with that. Selling my car offsets most of the cost but I get a built motor, newer clutch, rb header, etc. Just needs a cage.
> 
> ...


i truly believe the NA6 can get it done at most tracks in spec miata, save maybe road america and daytona, but almost any tracks with lots of sweepers and not a big drafting straight, the NA6 can hold its own over the other cars, if not win. at tracks like PIR, blackhawk and sonoma i think the 6 is actually an advantage. 

so don't get me wrong, i love the NA6. 

im more speaking to the notion of buying a car in general compared to building it yourself. buy a car with a good cage (not that hard), even if it doesnt have all the pro stuff, you are doing time attack at this point, you can be safe, learn the lines and when the time comes to step up to racing, you can do that easily too. you can also invest as you decide you want to, getting a motor when you can. but you always have the safety of a full cage etc. 

id go buy a race car in a heart beat, and forget building something else into a race car. race cars are plentiful and cheap. building cars is complicated and annoying.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

track night on Friday night, autocross both saturday and sunday, just another day, another motorsport, and another miata .... 





































shockingly, the spec miata didn't break down. i took almost every moving part off that car, and put it back on over the winter, so its good to see i did it right lol

red sts car did awesome, top 10 both days!!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My local shop is quoting 5 hours (@$70 per) plus alignment to swap all 4 shocks (reusing springs). Seems excessive. Might just have to suck it up and do it myself. 

This is a shop I do design work for and they are trustworthy. They'll obviously charge me less if it takes less time. I think I can remove all the trunk carpets and trim and stuff to speed up the process on their end as well.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> track night on Friday night, autocross both saturday and sunday, just another day, another motorsport, and another miata ....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This car looks great! So I assume you are on the SM suspension. Mine is on the SSM suspension, which from what I gather is slightly different? Your car looks way lower than mine. I want to get my car lower without having to buy a whole new suspension. Eventually, xidas are on the horizon, but I don't feel like spending $2k right now when my suspension isn't holding me back. 

The fatcat bumpstop kit is now on sale for $225 since the switch to Penske, plus $100 for top hats, so that should get me down to under 5" at the pinch welds without riding the bump stops or having other issues. But I'm not even sure the FC kit is right for the SSM suspension vs SM. 

Thoughts? Advice?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Sporin said:


> My local shop is quoting 5 hours (@$70 per) plus alignment to swap all 4 shocks (reusing springs). Seems excessive. Might just have to suck it up and do it myself.
> 
> This is a shop I do design work for and they are trustworthy. They'll obviously charge me less if it takes less time. I think I can remove all the trunk carpets and trim and stuff to speed up the process on their end as well.


Typically I've seen an hour per corner. 

If you are saying they want 5 hours plus alignment that seems a bit high but the rate is so low it evens out (at least compared to my area). 

But for a miata, if they have experience it should take less than 4 hours.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

Sporin said:


> My local shop is quoting 5 hours (@$70 per) plus alignment to swap all 4 shocks (reusing springs). Seems excessive. Might just have to suck it up and do it myself.
> 
> This is a shop I do design work for and they are trustworthy. They'll obviously charge me less if it takes less time. I think I can remove all the trunk carpets and trim and stuff to speed up the process on their end as well.


Time is a bit high, but shop rate is on the low side. Doesn't really seem crazy out of line to me. But it's not a hard DIY. Only thing I hate is working with compressed springs. Gives me the heebie jeebies even with a good spring compressor.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks guys, I think I'll have them do it, might just put it off a bit longer.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

How fast can someone get a miata suspension done if everything goes in and out smoothly? A friend was dumb enough to buy a sub 1000 miata that was a northern car and I swear we had the hardest time getting the front shocks out and also back in. I think it took over 4 hours to do just the fronts...


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Aw614 said:


> How fast can someone get a miata suspension done if everything goes in and out smoothly? A friend was dumb enough to buy a sub 1000 miata that was a northern car and I swear we had the hardest time getting the front shocks out and also back in. I think it took over 4 hours to do just the fronts...


depends on how rusty she is. 

if you can pull the top bolt arm bolt, its 30 minutes each easy. with rust? up to 4 hours each


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> depends on how rusty she is.
> 
> if you can pull the top bolt arm bolt, its 30 minutes each easy. with rust? up to 4 hours each


Oh yeah that top arm bolt wouldnt budge:banghead:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

That might be the way for me to test it - jack up that corner and see if that bolt comes out easy. If it does I’ll try to do it myself if it doesn’t budge but I’ll wait and have the garage do it.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Aw614 said:


> How fast can someone get a miata suspension done if everything goes in and out smoothly?


On my last Miata (always a West Coast car), it took about an hour to swap to coilovers on all four corners using power tools and the Long Bolt method. I remember being surprised because I was waiting for my friend to get his coffee but I decided to get it up on jackstands and then one thing led to another and suddenly, I had the coilovers installed and my "helper" friend was just pulling into the driveway.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I figure I might want to post a pic of my new car in the sun:










While I'm at it, I don't think I ever posted a pic of the new car my dad got (and the reason for selling his minty 60k miles '95):


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## Heffernan (Apr 17, 2006)

This thing is wild

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEJPfPeDUoE


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> This car looks great! So I assume you are on the SM suspension. Mine is on the SSM suspension, which from what I gather is slightly different? Your car looks way lower than mine. I want to get my car lower without having to buy a whole new suspension. Eventually, xidas are on the horizon, but I don't feel like spending $2k right now when my suspension isn't holding me back.
> 
> The fatcat bumpstop kit is now on sale for $225 since the switch to Penske, plus $100 for top hats, so that should get me down to under 5" at the pinch welds without riding the bump stops or having other issues. But I'm not even sure the FC kit is right for the SSM suspension vs SM.
> 
> Thoughts? Advice?


im running the new for 2019 legal penseke setup. ~4 inches to the pinch weld in front, about 4 and 3/8ths in back. 

its pretty low in front, but im trying to keep the rear off the stops, and the front as low as possible for camber and drag.

i was running similar ride heights on the old bilstein setup. shouldnt have a problem with the full spec miata suspension at below 5 inches.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

more from last weekend, including a top 10 finish from me!




























the baked potato:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> im running the new for 2019 legal penseke setup. ~4 inches to the pinch weld in front, about 4 and 3/8ths in back.
> 
> its pretty low in front, but im trying to keep the rear off the stops, and the front as low as possible for camber and drag.
> 
> i was running similar ride heights on the old bilstein setup. shouldnt have a problem with the full spec miata suspension at below 5 inches.


Thanks. Yeah with the fcm kit it should be easy to get low. But I'm not sure if it even fits on the ssm shocks, but I can't imagine why it wouldn't.

However I'm leaning more and more towards just biting the bullet for a full new suspension. Mine is tired and worn so I'm not sure it would make sense to throw hundreds at it. 

How are you liking the penskes?


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Finally did the “Gordy M” mod to my drivers seat on the Miata - talk about an improvement in thigh support.

I used M8x1.25x50mm bolts and .375”x.375”x1” nylon spacers. Also did the “Chicken” variation where you don’t flip the rear pan mounts 180° - instead I left them in the same orientation, just moved them to the top side of the seat pan. 

Also, I drilled out two of the nylon spacers to 1/2” so that they sat flush over the welded nut on the seat pan. Helps distribute forces a little better. And I added one spacer to each front pan mount to bring the front of the seat up more.

I’m no longer dreading the drive to Tennessee in 2 weeks.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Did my second local SCCA Autocross yesterday..had a blast. Got to really push the car and play with coilover settings. I'm so loving this thing!


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

forewheel said:


> Did my second local SCCA Autocross yesterday..had a blast. Got to really push the car and play with coilover settings. I'm so loving this thing!


Nice!

Best way to get intimate with your car.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Thanks. Yeah with the fcm kit it should be easy to get low. But I'm not sure if it even fits on the ssm shocks, but I can't imagine why it wouldn't.
> 
> However I'm leaning more and more towards just biting the bullet for a full new suspension. Mine is tired and worn so I'm not sure it would make sense to throw hundreds at it.
> 
> How are you liking the penskes?


i like them alot, the car actually does something in transitions. the bilsteins had basically no damping compared to the spring rates, so the car just kind flops around from bump stop to bump stop. on the penskes it actually does something. the car always was good at taking a set on corner entry, but i feel like there is a lot more that can come from playing around in the transitional elements. 

dollar per dollar, i think there is no better suspension right now than the penskes ... they are a 1000 dollars .... thats the price of a garbage coilover


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> i like them alot, the car actually does something in transitions. the bilsteins had basically no damping compared to the spring rates, so the car just kind flops around from bump stop to bump stop. on the penskes it actually does something. the car always was good at taking a set on corner entry, but i feel like there is a lot more that can come from playing around in the transitional elements.
> 
> dollar per dollar, i think there is no better suspension right now than the penskes ... they are a 1000 dollars .... thats the price of a garbage coilover


Yeah for just the shocks its a good price. But if you want them with top hats and the coilover kit and everything, you get to $2100+. 

I think xidas in that case are still better bang for the buck, but I have no personal experience with either so it's hard to judge.


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## bombardi (Mar 28, 2004)

Dawg Dee-Lux said:


> Then there's Abbie Eaton ... watch the whole thing.


This was fun and emotional to watch! :thumbup:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

300_munkeys said:


> Yeah for just the shocks its a good price. But if you want them with top hats and the coilover kit and everything, you get to $2100+.
> 
> I think xidas in that case are still better bang for the buck, but I have no personal experience with either so it's hard to judge.


tophats are stock. and the eibach coil over adapters are ~250 bucks. 

thats 1250, the same price as all the **** box alibaba coilovers (megan, standard, n2, d2, fortune auto, miesterZ whatever 3X-way adjustable differen colored alibaba jobs).

dont get me wrong, i like xidas (red car has em), and i think they are better than the spec suspension, but for the price, the spec penskes are good, and WAY better than anything else youd pay similarly for.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> tophats are stock. and the eibach coil over adapters are ~250 bucks.
> 
> thats 1250, the same price as all the **** box alibaba coilovers (megan, standard, n2, d2, fortune auto, miesterZ whatever 3X-way adjustable differen colored alibaba jobs).
> 
> dont get me wrong, i like xidas (red car has em), and i think they are better than the spec suspension, but for the price, the spec penskes are good, and WAY better than anything else youd pay similarly for.


NA would need top hats, but that's true with Xidas or anything else.

But you are correct - I was thinking of the SM suspension kit, but that include rollbars and end links too. 

It's good to know the SM cars now have a good, working suspension. And that miatas in general can get a good track setup on a budget. Just a week or two ago the SM track record was broken by around a second or so at VIR on the new setup.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

I figured you guys might find this interesting. I've been toying with the idea of building my car for nasa tt, tt6 specifically. Given the rough weight of the car I likely need around 120+ whp, or I need to strip the car even further (e.g. run without a dash or headlights; strip the hood and trunk to bare skin). 

When I looked at the costs involved I thought I'd likely be better off just selling my na6 and getting an nb since it's easier to make more power. But I went to get a baseline dyno of my stock 1.6, with nothing but the SSM exhaust (straight pipe basically, no cat) and it's making more power than I expected. This is on a dynojet, and I think it's optimistic, but still more than I thought. The first two runs were in 3rd gear, second two in 4th gear. I'm not sure why it made more power in 4th. 











Since the car is fun, and I'm not worried about winning just about staying competitive, I may keep this car after all.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

106 whp is pretty healthy honestly.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> 106 whp is pretty healthy honestly.


I know. I was thinking if I made 100whp it would be pretty good. 

I do have PS and AC deleted so I'm sure that helped as well but still better than I expected.


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## col.mustard (Jul 16, 2008)

is Miata is always the answer?











From FB "Jerry of the day"


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Did a deep clean yesterday. The usual wheel scrub, interior detail, and exterior hand wash. 

Then I dug into the engine bay and cleaned up a few spots that were pretty ugly. Purple Power degreaser and various scrubbing tools. It all came out really nice. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxVd5pGFCH6/


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

too good to not drag all of them out


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

NC owners, what are the first basic mods you'd suggest for a weekend/fun car?


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## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

Just curious. Does anyone know of anyone that swapped a NC motor in to a NA or NB?


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Lithium Lotus said:


> Just curious. Does anyone know of anyone that swapped a NC motor in to a NA or NB?


With NC's dropping in price and having a tighter chassis...why?


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

JustinCSVT said:


> NC owners, what are the first basic mods you'd suggest for a weekend/fun car?


Depends how far you want to go but good first mods are...

A spring/shock combo, maybe flyin miata or coils, meister crds.

And an ecu tune, dynotronics had been good to me. 

Honestly just these two things make a big difference.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

JustinCSVT said:


> NC owners, what are the first basic mods you'd suggest for a weekend/fun car?


Sway bars and a good alignment.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

JustinCSVT said:


> NC owners, what are the first basic mods you'd suggest for a weekend/fun car?


Start with expensive, sticky tires and enjoy driving it stock. I'd do coilovers next. Not sure most street driven Miatas need sway bars as they tend to degrade ride quality on street roads - albeit they make it really run on mountain roads.




Lithium Lotus said:


> Just curious. Does anyone know of anyone that swapped a NC motor in to a NA or NB?


What would you want to gain from all of the headache and cost to install a motor with ~10% more HP and stock?




Sporin said:


> Did a deep clean yesterday. The usual wheel scrub, interior detail, and exterior hand wash.


Ack! The rust and corrosion on Eastern cars. Hats off to you. Could never handle that.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

troyguitar said:


> Sway bars and a good alignment.


This...do some research on alignments for these cars, it makes a huge difference. Also i'll echo coilovers...I have BC which tend to be on the stiffer side but my car isn't a daily and it doesn't bother me, but Tein come highly recommended from other Miata owners i've talked to. https://www.tein.com/


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

So you guys suggest coils over a good shock/spring combo huh? Interesting. Just bought a ‘13 Club and trying to figure out my mod path over the next year.

Will probably do suspension before tires. I’m not too concerned about learning to drive it while stock, has about 250hp less than my last 2 seater so I don’t think it’ll do anything crazy.. :laugh:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i wouldnt touch an NC ... leave it stock. certainly drives the best for street car things totally stock. if you want to build it, consult the rulebook.


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## tvrbob (Jul 31, 2009)

Lithium Lotus said:


> Just curious. Does anyone know of anyone that swapped a NC motor in to a NA or NB?





Diamond Dave said:


> What would you want to gain from all of the headache and cost to install a motor with ~10% more HP and stock?


Show your math.


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## the_paddock (Mar 29, 2019)

cockerpunk said:


> i wouldnt touch an NC ... You can't build one into a SM winning car for $15k so leave it stock


ftfy


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## Roketdriver (Jan 24, 2009)

Finally got the new NA onto the track.










I ran at the PPIR Time attack earlier this month. I managed to shave my time down by 8 seconds over the course of the day but I was still in the back half of my class :laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

My first NC had some sort of lowering springs on the base black shocks. Not bad. The purchase included a set of near-zero-mile Bilsteins from a suspension-package car and I swapped those on shortly after getting the car, keeping the aftermarket springs. I wanted more low and asked my suspension guy if they made coilover sleeves for the Bilsteins. "They do," he said, "but you'll hate them." So I asked what I wouldn't hate. "Ohlins." Got those and Progress sway bars and that made for a very entertaining little car.

For more fun I'd suggest opening up the exhaust. I have catted headers from Goodwin Racing and their little 8-lb mufflers on two NCs. One has Goodwin's midpipe with second cat and resonator, and it's a nice not-loud improvement over stock. The other has a straight pipe midpipe and it's obnoxious. I'm of the age where I prefer quieter cars and threaten to put a stock midpipe back on, but the wife vetoes me.


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

Friend of mine does awesome fab work at Nothing leaves stock. He finished up the downpipe yesterday, more to come.


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## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

First track day of the year for me:





















I really need to do something about that front bumper...


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## Lithium Lotus (May 26, 2008)

> What would you want to gain from all of the headache and cost to install a motor with ~10% more HP and stock?


Someone that might have a blown engine may look to an NC engine for an increase in power. And it's about a 15-16% power increase from the NC and NB engine [non-turbo].


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Beautiful night for a ride. This is at the boat ramp on the NH side of the Connecticut River looking west towards Windsor VT with Mount Ascutney in the background.


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

AutoBear said:


> First track day of the year for me:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey, are we doing ****ty front bumpers on track?










From this past Sunday. Waterford Hills is a super fun tight little track here in SE Michigan. Fully grassroots since 1958. All the marshalls wear white suits and everything. It is truly a small volunteer run road race track. I love it :heart:


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

I need new rear rotors on my '95. What's a good recommendation for a car that really only sees street driving? I don't need anything too aggressive, but wasn't sure but there was something more cost effective than the OEM rotors.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

gmeover said:


> I need new rear rotors on my '95. What's a good recommendation for a car that really only sees street driving? I don't need anything too aggressive, but wasn't sure but there was something more cost effective than the OEM rotors.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


Centric.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

gmeover said:


> I need new rear rotors on my '95. What's a good recommendation for a car that really only sees street driving? I don't need anything too aggressive, but wasn't sure but there was something more cost effective than the OEM rotors.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


whatevers cheap on rock auto. i believe centrics are 9 bucks.


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## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> whatevers cheap on rock auto. i believe centrics are 9 bucks.


Is there any benefit to the coated vs. non-coated rotors? Eastern VA doesn't get very salty, so if corrosion resistance is the only benefit then they're probably not worth it.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Making the pilgrimage in October for the Miata Reunion (AKA Miatas at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca).










I went for the 25th Anniversary at Laguna Seca in 2014 and it was a fantastic trip. I was still building my 1991 Orange Miata with the SR20 wasn't going to get finished in time, so I took my 92 Sunburst and it was a great trip. I had just started my divorce and the 14hrs each way was a great time to focalize on myself with a solo roadtrip. When I got to the track on Friday for registration, I had just put up my tent at the track near the corkscrew when my friend mentioned he had space at his hotel. Turns out it was the luxury hotel where the Mazda team was staying. It's handy when your friend is the lead Suspension engineer for Mazda's ND Miata. He brought his own Miata, powered by a Hayabusa motorcycle engine.

Drive 13hrs and then shine your Miata up so you can park in a dusty dirt parking lot with 2500 other Miatas.









Make a point of meeting the original team that brought the Miata to reality - have them sign an NA Miata binnacle










I'll be returning for the 30th Anniversary of the Miata with my 3rd Miata - a 1991 BRG - and this time bringing my girlfriend. My current Miata isn't ready for the trip at all. After my Orange SR20 Miata was totaled in a rollover, we pulled the drivetrain and stuck it in the corner of the shop. Then after my recovery I found a low(er) mileage BRG that was fun to drive stock for a year. 










Also taught my daughter to drive a manual transmission in it.












But, with the 30th reunion coming up and my trip planned, I've got a lot of work to do. Technically the BRG is no longer a functioning car. As of June 2019 - here's my status:










Waiting for its 180WHP heart transplant


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Lithium Lotus said:


> Just curious. Does anyone know of anyone that swapped a NC motor in to a NA or NB?


I can't imagine anyone ever doing that. The NC motor isn't very good or inspiring. It's not bad, it's just not anything special to consider the time and expense of swapping vs say a k or j or ls swap. All of those options would be similar in price to an NC swap and would be better in every way.

A more interesting question to me is how difficult would it be to k-swap an NC? That would be an s2000 killer.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Saw a few sweet cars today at the lake but I made sure to really show my wife a lovely NC PRHT that was parked up. I neglected to get a picture of it. 

She insisted that it’s exactly what our “next Miata” should be. A bit bigger, more refined and the top makes it a much more useful vehicle in all but snowy winter here in Vermont.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Look at this beauty.










https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=696402


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

300_munkeys said:


> I can't imagine anyone ever doing that. The NC motor isn't very good or inspiring. It's not bad, it's just not anything special to consider the time and expense of swapping vs say a k or j or ls swap. All of those options would be similar in price to an NC swap and would be better in every way.
> 
> A more interesting question to me is how difficult would it be to k-swap an NC? That would be an s2000 killer.


I beg to differ - I find the MZR 2.0 fantastic. Smooth, willing to rev, and dead reliable and easy to work on.

But yeah, if I'm swapping an engine into an NA/NB, I'd likely pick something other than the MZR to swap in unless I wanted to stay all-Mazda.


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## 16volt (Oct 26, 2000)

Diamond Dave said:


> But, with the 30th reunion coming up and my trip planned, I've got a lot of work to do. Technically the BRG is no longer a functioning car. As of June 201*9* - here's my status:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


FYFY


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Look at this beauty.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a deal. Mine is a 2013 with 20K more miles and wasn't too much cheaper. Probably in better condition too.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

JustinCSVT said:


> That's a deal. Mine is a 2013 with 20K more miles and wasn't too much cheaper. Probably in better condition too.


Sadly I'm not in the market right now... or anytime soon even. Really just doing some research since my wife reacted VERY positively to it.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Look at this beauty


Cool fact - My engineer friend at Mazda was telling me that one version of these Club editions (soft top VS PHRT) had weight-matched pistons and valves. Probably the soft top ones.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

So I picked this up about a month ago, this is my 7th Miata (6th NA, 5th 1.6l). A '92 with 260k miles on it... Got it for just $400. I bought it as a project; I was expecting way worse, I really didn't think I'd be driving it much at all for the next few years. I'm already building a track car out of my Mustang so I didn't need this at all haha, I just couldn't pass it up. But honestly, it's REALLY solid. The drivetrain feels great, even the rocker panel rust was minimal, it just looked rough. 

I got it home, replaced the battery and the front brakes, pieced together some missing bits for the interior, got rid of those awful mirrors, and cleaned it up, and I'm really happy with how it's sitting now, especially given what I paid for it. So basically, I'm gonna throw some vintage tags on it and just drive it around occasionally while I fix it up. It'll be getting some bodywork done and a respray, along with some simple mods like a FM suspension set up and a roll bar, but other than that I plan on leaving it alone and holding on to it. Couldn't be happier though, I've been missing having a Miata from the minute I sold my last one. I'll be keeping this one for a long time. 









Here it is when I first brought it home









And how it sits now


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally some nice weather.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

This one is #401. Getting picked up tonight.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Looks great in orange!


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## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

Happy 4th everyone :beer:


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

More photos of #401 before it went home for the evening last night. 

These are all straight off my iPhone camera with only slight tweaks in contrast and sharpening or cropping. No tweaking of colors. 

Racing orange is a wonderful color, reminds me a lot of my Competition Yellow in that it’s incredibly dynamic for a seemingly simple gloss color. 

Also, customer opted to detail the car himself so that he could pick it up last night - we were unexpectedly busy (I didn’t get out until 10:15). Plus, I’d want to detail it myself too.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I've turned into quite the NC cheerleader/apologist, but it's nice to get into the '90 and remind myself how good the older Miatas are as well


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

I bought this!

https://lancaster.craigslist.org/ctd/d/downingtown-1997-miata-blue-5-speed/6916205685.html


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Techun said:


> I bought this!
> 
> https://lancaster.craigslist.org/ctd/d/downingtown-1997-miata-blue-5-speed/6916205685.html


Congratulations! That's a great blank canvas, and one of my favorite colors. Are you keeping the steelies on?


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

forewheel said:


> Congratulations! That's a great blank canvas, and one of my favorite colors. Are you keeping the steelies on?


Hopefully not for long. They have 3 different brand of tire put on them, although all 4 corners have like-new tread remaining. Also apparently the steelies are the heaviest of the stock wheels. So if I can pick up some lighter stock wheels and get summer tires on them, I'll have these 4 for "winter" driving or full size spares. I see some on craigslist with tires for $100-400 so that should be my first purchase.

Over the next few weeks I'll probably go over all of the fluids, wipers, and there's a belt squeal when starting in the cold.


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## Schrodinger's Rattle (Mar 29, 2018)

Techun said:


> I bought this!


:heart: Oh man, I like your new little friend here. Congrats.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

First drive of the year in the Miata project car on a nice summer day. Actually, first drive since August 2017 when I shipped the car to my dad for him to enjoy. Feels good with the new SuperMiata XIDA suspension and sticky Yokohama tires. I always forget how small and slow these cars are. Daily driving a 300hp turbocharged Alfa Romeo spoils you. But once I readjust I’m reminded how much fun they are on windy roads from 40 to 70 mph where they’re really in their element.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Doing belts, plugs, and checking fluids this weekend. So benign but it's nice to have a car that needs attention again, for some reason.


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

After an initial round of repairs/maintenance on my NC, I threw some cheapo tires on it and I'm taking it to North Georgia tomorrow morning to get a baseline. Should be fun.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Techun said:


> I bought this!
> 
> https://lancaster.craigslist.org/ctd/d/downingtown-1997-miata-blue-5-speed/6916205685.html


Awesome! looks clean. Much more so than mine. Love the color and steelies.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Chasing a vacuum leak (I think). Bouncing high idle. Any tips appreciated.


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## VadGTI (Feb 24, 2000)

freedomgli said:


> First drive of the year in the Miata project car on a nice summer day. Actually, first drive since August 2017 when I shipped the car to my dad for him to enjoy. Feels good with the new SuperMiata XIDA suspension and sticky Yokohama tires. I always forget how small and slow these cars are. Daily driving a 300hp turbocharged Alfa Romeo spoils you. But once I readjust I’m reminded how much fun they are on windy roads from 40 to 70 mph where they’re really in their element.


This makes me want a Miata again.

Speaking of wanting a Miata, found this NC for $7k on Facebook with KW V3s and 90k miles. Seems like a decent deal, no?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Any guesses?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0JwlkTFFO-/?igshid=1n2ab6ed617f2

The car otherwise drives and behaves absolutely perfectly over the road. But when you come to a stoplight, you get this surging. 

Waiting for it to cool down so I can tear it apart and clean the throttlebody, hoping to find a vacuum leak under there somewhere.


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## phatrabbitzz2 (Nov 22, 2003)

Sporin said:


> Any guesses?


Clean all your ground connections.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

phatrabbitzz2 said:


> Clean all your ground connections.


Good idea, I hadn’t thought of that, will do.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

My sparkplug closest to the firewall had oil all over the threads. Anything I should be concerned about? I swapped plugs so I can always check back in a little while.


google says valve cover gasket.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Throttlebody and intake are FILTHY.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

This looks exactly like my intake manifold and it sounds like there isn’t much point in doing anything to it. 

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=629767


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Job creep. Didn’t realize how grungy my coolant was. Going to at least do a drain and fill of the rad while I’m under there. I need to plan a new rad sometime as well. OE looking old.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Any guesses?
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/B0JwlkTFFO-/?igshid=1n2ab6ed617f2
> 
> ...


Curious to see if you solve this, my friends 1.8 does the same thing and he just shrugs it off like its nothing, but that would drive me nuts if I was daily driving it


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## 2L82 Car (Jul 16, 2019)

Not sure if this was posted on here but I got a good laugh :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Aw614 said:


> Curious to see if you solve this, my friends 1.8 does the same thing and he just shrugs it off like its nothing, but that would drive me nuts if I was daily driving it


I couldn’t ignore it, WAY to pronounced at a stop. Hoping all this cleaning and such cures it. 

Went out and got some fresh coolant today so I can do that changeover after we solve this main problem.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

do you guys find the 2.0L MZR motor is a step up over the older 1.8L BP motor? I don't see many (any) people swapping the newer MZR motor (similar weight I think, but more power) into older NBs and NAs.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

The Miata is fixed! Thank you everyone for all your helpful suggestions. 

My f-i-l helped me finish up the TB and IAC cleaning and testing the air solenoid. Put everything back together and took it for a spin. Dead steady idle now at a stop. (A little high now that it’s breathing right, will adjust) 

It really smoothed out my jerky on/off throttle behavior as well. Yeah!!! 

Now I need to drain out my disgusting old coolant.


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

Took the NC up to the mountains yesterday. Drove great. Extremely well balanced car. A little labored on the uphill sections but that's to be expected. :laugh:










Now it needs a real suspension and real tires.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Coolant swap done. Much piece of mind was had.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Decided to not mess with vacuum and Seafoam and just dumped a can of it in my 1/8th of a tank. Took it for a good hard ride with lots of higher rpm runs. 

Decided to treat it to some good fuel for this tank now that it’s available inside my regular travel radius. 

It only comes in 1 octane, and adds a few bucks to the fillip.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Another driveability fix.

The harsh, low speed, on/off throttle jerkiness in my car was still driving me nuts even after the throttle body cleaning (which fixed my surging idle).

I had a TPS Error code throwing a CEL previously and swapped on a used one from Treasure Coast. It cured the CEL but that's when the jerkyness started. My very handy f-i-l wanted to see what was wrong with the old one and pulled it apart and found a spring out of alignment. We sealed it back up and figured it might work as an emergency spare.

So today I swapped that repaired one on and VOILA! it's 100% better! Not throwing any codes and the on/off throttle at low speeds is butter smooth instead of throwing my head around like someone who hasn't been driving stick for 30 years.

I'm going to have him pull apart this other one and see what's up. No codes so it's electronically fine but something obviously isn't working right inside, that's for sure.

This is the part...


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Did all that work to get my car running beautifully then left town for a week. Luckily I returned to some gorgeous weather. Ran all my Sunday errands in it today. 

My son needs the Prius a lot next week for a summer Spanish class so I’ll “have” to drive the Miata a bunch. No hardship there.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

So I should get a Miata now, so that I have time to sort it before the kids start driving.

Got it.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Did all that work to get my car running beautifully then left town for a week. Luckily I returned to some gorgeous weather. Ran all my Sunday errands in it today.
> 
> My son needs the Prius a lot next week for a summer Spanish class so I’ll “have” to drive the Miata a bunch. No hardship there.



Get after it man!! 

My daughter was over yesterday and we went and had dinner with my parents. We were leaving and she was all...can we take the Miata? but of course! Was a fun ride over : )


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I am constantly amazed at what these little cars can do. I came to Miatas after 30 years of MGB ownership. Constant work and I still wouldn't count on that car to take me to get a haircut and back home without possibly running into issues.

A couple weeks ago I went to visit my folks in western Massachusetts, 475 miles from home. Originally I was going to bring my '90 since MoHud SCCA was trying to put on an autocross at the dead Berkshire Mall, but they had to cancel. I was going to take the '90 anyway, but it doesn't have a radio. I could have taken the '08 but the wife won't let me take the stupid numbers and stickers off (it's been retired from autocross for a couple years now) so I won't drive it.

I wound up taking the '93. This car just doesn't get driven. It's the wife's, and she likes the '08 better. I figured I'd put the '93 up for sale but she says no, she 'rescued' it from a junky used car lot ten years ago and she's got some sort of attachment to it, though that attachment doesn't translate into actually using it as a car. Since it doesn't get used, it doesn't get maintained. The oil looked pretty fresh so I must have changed it at some point in the last year or so. I made sure the tires (2012 Dunlop Z1 Star Spec) had air and off I went.

The car is ugly. When we got it, it was white but that paint was flaking off in big chunks until it got to a point where I thought we should do something about it. I stripped it as best as I could here, then took it to my folks' where my dad sprayed it in his garage with Harbor Freight guns. It wasn't a great job, thick in places and thin in others, but it was one color and shiny, transformed into a one-of-one 93BRG. We had a buddy lay stripes up the hood and down the trunk, and it became the semi-serious autocross car. This was all back in 2011, and we ran the car into the 2014 season. Three years of magnets, stickers, lettering, and cone strikes took their toll on what was already iffy paint. If left alone, it'll fade badly and the shadows of the numbers and decals can be seen from space.

The day before my trip, I hit the car with some safe-for-clearcoat compound and NuFinish wax. That usually wakes the paint up for a month or so before it fades again. In this case, the car only had to look good for a long weekend.

I left Friday morning with a box of Pop-Tarts and an iPod full of '80s hair metal and newish Kpop. Headed up through Pennsylvania because I don't pay tolls. Hit a Steak & Shake in Fogelsville and found Route 209 through some sort of nature preserve which was a nice break from interstates. Stopped to gas up and the calculator said I got 35 MPG. Neat, but probably flukey. Chugged up the Taconic Parkway and pulled into mom & dad's driveway at 7PM, top-down the whole ride. Parked next to dad's '92 and called it a night.

Saturday I did nothing. I had a project I had been procrastinating on for too long and decided to knock it out that day. That night, hop in dad's car and off we went to Monadnock Speedway. Dad goes there every Saturday. I used to go to short-track NASCAR races twice or three times a week, maybe more, to the tune of 60+ races a year in the mid to late '90s. Now I go to one a year, sitting with dad in his reserved seat in the top row of a podunk quarter-miler. Dad's Sunburst is running well now after it spent a good chunk of last summer suffering from a fueling problem that we (eventually) tracked down to a bad fuel pressure regulator. It got us to the track and back just fine.

Sunday I flung the top down on the '93 and explored my old hometown. I checked out the mall parking lot where the autocross was going to be held. It's not very big and the pavement is a little ugly in places. I was going to have my dad co-drive with me if the club could have pulled off their plan. Dad's been a road racer, ice racer, time trialer, autocrosser, etc going back to the late '50s but hasn't done any competitive driving in at least 20 years. We probably would have had fun but I would have gone in with low expectations. Regardless, that's all beside the point since there was nowhere to go to anyway.

When I visit up north, I tend to do the same things and go to the same places. This usually involves a run up and down Mount Greylock, the tallest peak in the state. The road to the summit is in great shape and, even on a Sunday, didn't have much traffic. I didn't try to set any speed records as there are a lot of places where hikers cross the road, and who knows how heavily it's patrolled. Even at a leisurely pace the road up is fun. The road down, taking the right turn towards Williamstown, is funner as it has three hairpin turns as you get close to the bottom of the mountain. After I ran through those, I whipped the car around and went back up them, and then turned around again and went down them again. I don't even know what brakes are in this car, but they were up to the task.

I was puttering south of Williamstown on Route 7 and stumbled on seven or eight old English cars parked in front of one of the old inn/restaurants. I stopped to chat since I was an original member of Berkshire British Car Club back in '97 or so. I didn't recognize any of the guys there and none of them remembered me. All of their cars were far nicer than my MG and arguably nicer than the Miata. They invited me to join them for lunch but I had to get back to HQ. Went to my sister's for BBQ and hanging out with my nephews. Looked like rain so I flopped the roof up. Rain showed up and it was a lot heavier than I expected, which was bad because I didn't bother zipping up the back window. I was offered some towels before I left and that helped a lot.

Monday I headed back home retracing my route. Second tank of gas returned 33 MPG even with bombing up and down a mountain, is there anything this car can't do? Met a friend for lunch at Steak & Shake and kept going afterwards top-down even though it kept getting hotter and more humid as I got closer to DC. A ten-minute downpour at the top of the Beltway helped, temporarily.

Got home Monday late afternoon in awe of the stupid little car. 1100 miles and I never opened the hood, never had to, never thought to. Temperature gauge stayed planted just shy of halfway. Oil pressure never wavered. The tires always held air. The radio kept working. The last tankful was 36 MPG. Plugs and wires were probably changed in 2011, maybe 2012 but they're still channeling the proper amount of electricity.

I had been wanting a tree to fall on this car for a while now just because I'll never be allowed to sell it and I could really use the parking place for when my buddy's 30AE comes to live with us next summer. But now I want the '93 to hang around longer. I might even clean it up under the hood (it's disgusting under there) and see where all the ants that live in the car hide so I can eradicate them. Further down the road, I should fix that rusty rocker on the drivers side - it's the only rust on the whole car - and maybe even think about trying to paint it again? Let's not get crazy. I really like this little car. Maybe a tree will fall on the MG instead.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

That sounds like a great time!

I decided after cleaning out my throttle body that the best way to keep it clean was to drive the car a lot harder.  So instead of the usual loafing around that I do, I've been revving it out way more and really getting into it. It sure is fun! 

I've even been taking it on the highway more lately as they repaved a stretch that I often drive. I felt like I was going to slow so I got a gps speedo app and sure enough, the speedometer in this car is WAY optimistic. An indicated 70 is a real 65. So now I know that I can push it a bit more.

It's funny being on the highway with this car. The difference in noise levels from what passes you is dramatic. For cars without an obviously loud exhaust, it's almost all tire noise. I had a Model X pass me the other day and it was just as noisy as the CRV that passed me a few moments earlier. All tires.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Claff said:


> I am constantly amazed at what these little cars can do.


Perfect looking trip *Claff*! Sometimes it's a shock how good Mazda got this car and other times it feels normal. You've convinced me to keep the Kosei's on my BRG a little longer


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

You guys are going to think this is really lame but yesterday was the first time I revved past 6k RPMs. :sly: :laugh:

I've really just loafed around in the thing since I got it. It's due(ish) for a timing belt and I've been slowly picking away at various things getting it running really well. 

After cleaning the very dirty throttle body a couple of weeks ago I decided the best medicine to keep it clean was to drive it a lot harder, more often. So I've been hitting the highway more often so I can do some good rips on the onramps. Yesterday I was in the right place at the right time with everything warmed up nicely and I finally gave it the full send. 

There's a nice burst of power up there, I'll have to visit more often. :laugh:


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Claff said:


> Steak & Shake


twice in one weekend though?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> You guys are going to think this is really lame but yesterday was the first time I revved past 6k RPMs.


Out of curiosity, how is that possible? The operating range of the engine is from ~900RPM to 7300RPM. There's even a helpful fuel pump cutoff to remind you to shift.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Diamond Dave said:


> Out of curiosity, how is that possible? The operating range of the engine is from ~900RPM to 7300RPM. There's even a helpful fuel pump cutoff to remind you to shift.


truth. the rev limiter works really well.


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Sporin said:


> You guys are going to think this is really lame but yesterday was the first time I revved past 6k RPMs. :sly: :laugh:
> 
> I've really just loafed around in the thing since I got it. It's due(ish) for a timing belt and I've been slowly picking away at various things getting it running really well.
> 
> ...


How do you drive a 116hp car _without _going to redline semi regularly?

It damn near necessitates it for short onramp merging and crossing tricky intersections!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

CostcoPizza said:


> How do you drive a 116hp car _without _going to redline semi regularly?
> 
> It damn near necessitates it for short onramp merging and crossing tricky intersections!


Yeah, I mean, not for me, not here—I've never felt lagged behind everyone else shifting at 5K.

I barely drive the Miata on the highway as I'm surrounded by great backroads everywhere I go. I've never taken off into an intersection where I felt like I needed 11 tents to survive. We live a bit slower up here I guess. 

In my other cars I set the CC at 70 on the highway (65mph limit) and I'm passing more than I'm being passed. 

My other car is a Prius so I'm probably just used to driving a slow car.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Turned out the mpg gains from free fuel were minimal. Not worth the added cost. It will be nice to have for my mower and snowblower though.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

worth_fixing said:


> do you guys find the 2.0L MZR motor is a step up over the older 1.8L BP motor? I don't see many (any) people swapping the newer MZR motor (similar weight I think, but more power) into older NBs and NAs.


gentle bump

just curious if anyone knew anything about this


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

worth_fixing said:


> gentle bump
> 
> just curious if anyone knew anything about this


Haven't seen it. But, I think guys doing that stuff wouldn't use the 2.0 for engine swaps when the Mazda/Ford 2.5 will bolt in just as easily and is cheaper and more readily found.


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## dhvag (May 6, 2003)

Just 2.5 swapped my NC for $1000. It's so much cheaper to get a 2.5 that I don't think anybody would consider swapping in a 2.0. Can't say I've seen an MZR swap into a NA or NB


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

dhvag said:


> Just 2.5 swapped my NC for $1000. It's so much cheaper to get a 2.5 that I don't think anybody would consider swapping in a 2.0. Can't say I've seen an MZR swap into a NA or NB


how do you find the 2.5 compares to the 2.0? Is it a bigger motor physically? Heavier? Or just bored out?
How is the power delivery?


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Just did my first ever brake job. Super easy process on the miata, just 3 bolts per wheel. Going to go break them in now.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

I also fixed my droopy eye vents, self-adhesive felt and they're solid now.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Nice! I really need to look at my brakes. I feel like they should have more bite. I’m betting they need a refresh like everything else on this car.


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## dhvag (May 6, 2003)

worth_fixing said:


> how do you find the 2.5 compares to the 2.0? Is it a bigger motor physically? Heavier? Or just bored out?
> How is the power delivery?


I like the extra torque, pulls much stronger in the midrange. The motor appears almost identical but is a few mm taller. Not any heavier. Yes, basically just the bored out version of the 2.0. Power delivery is strong throughout but doesn't have the high end punch that you would feel in the 2.0. OVerall, very happy with the swap and would do it again, even if I could find a 2.0 for the same price.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Just sold my NA to a young kid, who dailied a 71 MG Midget and a 73-79 Sub. Much cooler than the ear-stretch kid who complained at me when the RX7's compressor locked up and threw a couple belts off. Sold for 3100 (after I reduced the non-hardtop price from 3600), and If I stipulate that the hardtop with it's rare defroster and the dry rotted ice tires are worth 1200 together, I broke even. Not to bad considering I owned it for over 3 years, and only put in an exhaust and a battery. 

Anyone want a factory (not aftermarket) montego blue hardtop with defrost?



Diamond Dave said:


> Out of curiosity, how is that possible? The operating range of the engine is from ~900RPM to 7300RPM. There's even a helpful fuel pump cutoff to remind you to shift.


I'd generally shift at 6K in my NA, my MSM has an unfortunately low 6500 RPM redline, and with how late the turbo spools up I only have 1800 RPM to play with. I'm sure there are ways to get boost to come on earlier and that'll make it much more enjoyable. I'd even be open to a turbo swap to bring the power up, since I'd be shocked to be above 150 WHP. 

Ironically, in town and below 30 MPH, the NA was actually more fun. The gear spacing was just perfect, but it did run out of steam in a hurry.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Need to test my battery today. Noticed it's been taking a bit longer to start this last month or so and if I'm going to drive it deeper into cold weather, that's the last thing I want to worry about. Looks like it's about a hundo for a proper one...

https://www.google.com/search?q=MAZ....69i57j69i60.214j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8


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## tngdesi (Apr 7, 2001)

See, you can carry stuff with the Miata


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

tngdesi said:


> See, you can carry stuff with the Miata


Yep. When my Miata was my daily driver I once bought $1,000 worth of stuff at IKEA and got it all home even with the hardtop on (it's easy to get carried away at IKEA - like the grocery store you go in with a plan and always come out with more than you initially wanted). I used to do the monthly Costco run in it also. And one time I picked up a Honda CB350 parts bike in my Miata. I just removed the passenger seat and wedged it in there. Sure the front and rear wheels were removed but still, motorcycle inside a Miata. I still have the holes in my door panel from that adventure. New parts have been sitting in a box for 2 years waiting for the intersection of opportunity and motivation.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So my back window is trashed, held together by gorilla tape. I have a kit to "fix" it that came with the car. I'm in my 3rd summer and never bothered to do it yet.

As I consider driving the car deeper into the fall/early winter I am keeping my eyes out for a hardtop. But they never seem to pop up around me and they are a 4 figure cost for something that's not junk or stolen when they do.

So am I crazy to consider a full new Robbins top with the bigger rear window as an alternative? Obviously, it's not as tight as a hardtop but for my needs, maybe it's the better choice for what amounts to a THIRD of the cost of a HT. My OEM top, aside from the window, is in "ok" condition but has some issues.

https://mossmiata.com/1990-1997-mia...rama-vinyl-window-convertible-tops-by-robbins


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

It doesn't look like it unzips? I really like that feature on mine for when it's extremely sunny.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Techun said:


> It doesn't look like it unzips? I really like that feature on mine for when it's extremely sunny.


They have different options, zippered and fixed. I'd want a zippered.


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## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

Autocrossing in the rain always produces spectacular pictures.











Also, i need to replace a headlight bulb.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

AutoBear said:


> Autocrossing in the rain always produces spectacular pictures.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great pic!!

I can't wait to start Autocrossing again, it's just too damn hot down here right now. It's looking like October unfortunately.


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Somehow, the $400 Miata is still doing really really well. It's more like an $800 Miata now, of course, but it's got a complete interior, new battery, brakes, tie rods, and I did some rust repair on the rockers. I also finished de-powering the steering rack the correct way (the PO just pulled the pump and lines and left it).

I honestly bought this expecting a full, off the road rebuild over a couple years, but honestly this thing is great, I'm so glad I've been able to drive it so much and not have to worry about it at all. This may actually be my best Miata yet haha. After 12 years and 7 Miatas I'm still so impressed with these little things. 

Anyway, since it's in way better shape than I was expecting, I'm gonna keeping driving it around for the rest of the summer and into fall, then park it for the winter to do some bodywork and respray it. I'm still keeping the original Classic Red, but the paint on the hood and rear bumper is faded/chipped, and the front bumper has some cracks in the paint, etc. Overall, it's just an old, tired paint job and I'd like to make it look nice. I'll also be replacing the windshield, and hopefully getting rid of these awful coilovers for a decent suspension.

But right now, I'm not even really worried about any of that, I'm just happy to keep on driving it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Sporin said:


> So am I crazy to consider a full new Robbins top with the bigger rear window as an alternative? Obviously, it's not as tight as a hardtop but for my needs, maybe it's the better choice for what amounts to a THIRD of the cost of a HT. My OEM top, aside from the window, is in "ok" condition but has some issues.


The bigger rear window is nice. Do it. 

What's the "fix" that came with the car, and why haven't you done it 3 summers in?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

my new car:



















its a "drift" built NA6 with a welded diff, totally stripped. it is a delightful piece of garbage. 

got some fun plans for it. 

my 4th NA6 ....


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Whoa!


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

forewheel said:


> Whoa!


im honestly kinda tempted to drift it at least a few times before the winter. its a hoot to drive, the welded diff is cartoonish, slides around everywhere at the drop of a hat. 

but i've got bigger plans for it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

corrado-correr said:


> The bigger rear window is nice. Do it.
> 
> What's the "fix" that came with the car, and why haven't you done it 3 summers in?


It’s a new piece of window plastic and some glue. I’ve only had it even out of the box once. It’s a craft project, basically. 

I only ever drive the car in nice weather and it lives in the garage. On the rare occasion that I drive to in the rain I leave the rear window unzipped so I can see out. And it’s weathertight enough for when it’s parked outside.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Made it through my third Track Night in America without incident in my '90. I moved up to Intermediate this time and discovered the problem with having people self-select their run group: there are people in Intermediate who don't belong there. Early in the first session I ran across an oldish Mustang GT500 who was absolutely not letting anyone pass. I was sixth in line and figured it would be easier to pit and ask for space than wait my turn, assuming there was ever going to be a turn. By the time I got to the pits, the Mustang had already been black-flagged and there were no other problems after that as he was busted down to Novice.

I want more slow cars to come to TNIA so I have more people to play with. There was one prepped NB that I ran with for a while and we were pretty close. There was a more stock NB in my group but I never got close to him to see how we stacked up. I'm still convinced I am bringing the oldest/slowest car so my running down other cars and getting them to let me by doesn't happen that often. On the plus side, that means I get fewer opportunities to get frustrated by drivers who aren't good at letting people pass.

While I thought I could get away with doing TNIA without spending any money on the car, that's not the case. I had been running STS autocross brakes (Autozone pads up front/HPS in back) and while I haven't felt any fade, I think I'm starting to overdrive the brakes a bit. So today a full set of Hawk DTC03 showed up and I'll have those in and bedded before the next time out (mid-September).

I've been running on the tires I finished the 2016 autocross season with, which are RE71Rs. They've been good, but I don't think I can run them anymore since the shoulders on a couple of them are starting to get close to cording. I've been debating whether to continue with the known quantity Bridgestones or take a step back and use more durable Hankook RS4 like most others are. But RS4s don't come in 205 which I think is ideal for my 7.5" wheels. I don't want to go down to 195s and I think 225s would be too much tire. Cornering ability is everything with this car as it's the only place I can make up ground on all the more powerful cars. Bridgestone has a $70 rebate so I think I'll do another set of RE71R, get a long-overdue alignment, and see how well they hold up.

I still don't consider myself a track rat, and autocross is still my motorsports priority, but I'm glad TNIA has allowed a cheapskate like me to get on a track and try something different. Next year I think I'll try another track or two. They only did a couple TNIA at Lime Rock and I'd really like to run there since that's where I grew up.

EDIT oh yeah almost forgot the best part of the night. During the last session, I found a newish 911 Turbo S creeping up behind me and I sent him by on the main straight. But then the fun began: he didn't really drive away from me except on the straight bits. In the tighter stuff I could make up almost all that distance. Fast forward to after the session ended, and I'm strapping the car down on the trailer for the ride home. The Porsche driver came over to me and said just two words: "You're fast." I mumbled something about how I do OK with what I have to work with, but inside I was feeling pretty good about myself. That made my day and probably my whole week.




























I think this picture is a keeper/printer/framer. Got a good run on this NB through the last stretch before the main straight and he let me go. Only problem was that I couldn't put any distance between us after that and I wound up letting him go a couple laps later. I can haz mor horsepower?









Video of the last session. If you want to fast forward to where I ran across the Porsche, that starts at the 5:30 mark:


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

the whole, more cars like mine should show up to track days is what lead me to wheel to wheel racing, watch out. 

i was doing track days, and was like, man, the fun part is when someone of similar skill and with a similarly quick car is around you. when its a doofus in a fast car, its kinda fun to destroy them in a miata, but when someone is actually skilled and has a faster car, its no contest. so its when your around cars of similar speed, and drivers of similar experience that the track days become fun .... well .... thats just wheel to wheel racing without the safety gear. 

it took me ~2 years to get a license, buy a truck and trailer, and a race car and actually do it, but it driving home from a track day about 4 years ago that cemented it, i would go wheel to wheel racing. 

now, like when i went to gridlife and ran GLTC, my time attack friends were like "whoa, isnt it fun to run with other kinds of cars" and i was like "no, we run way closer and have way better races in spec miatas only"


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> my new car:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Can it be built for under 15k?


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Claff said:


> Made it through my third Track Night in America .....


My Miata is similar, STS prepped car running track days. 

I have a co-driver on track days so depending on what group he wants to run it can push me in to the advanced group. I find the key to keeping up in the intermediate and advanced groups is having confidence in your brakes. We are running carbotech XP10's in front and XP8's in rear. In traffic I try not to brake at all but if i do i wait to the last possible second. 

We're running 225/45/15 BFG G-Force Rival on Enkei Racing 15x6.5 ET40. I absolutely love them, would/will buy again.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

If anyone wants a 30AE...










#1595 just became available.


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

Zillon said:


> If anyone wants a 30AE...
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I will only consider #1500 or below....


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## Brandontrek1 (Dec 9, 2003)

dhvag said:


> I like the extra torque, pulls much stronger in the midrange. The motor appears almost identical but is a few mm taller. Not any heavier. Yes, basically just the bored out version of the 2.0. Power delivery is strong throughout but doesn't have the high end punch that you would feel in the 2.0. OVerall, very happy with the swap and would do it again, even if I could find a 2.0 for the same price.


This is a great vid a buddy took of a 2.0 vs 2.5. Both cars are a similar as you can get in mods and weight. He has since gone 2.5 and hasn't looked back.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

cockerpunk said:


> the whole, more cars like mine should show up to track days is what lead me to wheel to wheel racing, watch out.


Yeah, well, there's an absolute zero chance that I'll ever go that route for a bazillion reasons. Nothing to watch out for.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Brandontrek1 said:


> I will only consider #1500 or below....


That would've been a great opportunity to remove the pics from the quote.














... and ask about the glob of glue under the badge in the close-up.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Air and water do mix said:


> That would've been a great opportunity to remove the pics from the quote.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Should just be water, rained this morning.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> Yeah, well, there's an absolute zero chance that I'll ever go that route for a bazillion reasons. Nothing to watch out for.


thats what they all say .... 

see you in 2 week BTW :beer::beer::beer:


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Claff said:


> Made it through my third Track Night in America without incident in my '90. I moved up to Intermediate this time and discovered the problem with having people self-select their run group: there are people in Intermediate who don't belong there. Early in the first session I ran across an oldish Mustang GT500 who was absolutely not letting anyone pass. I was sixth in line and figured it would be easier to pit and ask for space than wait my turn, assuming there was ever going to be a turn. By the time I got to the pits, the Mustang had already been black-flagged and there were no other problems after that as he was busted down to Novice.
> 
> And then lots more words...


It's experiences like this that make me rethink a decision to sell the Miata every time it comes up. Albeit mine is far from stock but, the fun you have keeping up with or passing cars worth many times more than yours and then getting the "You're Fast!" response is so damn pleasing. It most likely won't happen as much in my RX-8.

As for your comment regarding the GT500, that's what scares me away from TNIA. It's a fantastic concept but, there isn't enough governance in it for me. I'm typically in the intermediate groups at my local track. I have no problem spotting flag stations, no problem NOT following the car in front me, and I've had my fair share of hairy incidents. I'm comfortable in that class. What I've heard from attendees at TNIA is there are many beginners that don't think they belong in that group or they don't want to deal with noobs. Then the advanced group can be kind of nutty at these events too so, people knock themselves down a notch so they don't have to deal with the egos. So now you have a group of "I ain't no noob!" and "I'm fast, I just don't want to deal with those jerks" and then me. It just doesn't sound controlled enough for my liking.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

That was a water drop on the bottom of the badge, FYI.

Proper photos:


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

One year anniversary on my 2018 Club.

Car's running great, no issues to report.

It's been a pleasure owning and driving this car. People compliment me all the time. Very rare car.

Miata drivers of all generations wave/wave back at me when I pass them on the road:thumbup:

2900 miles.

I hope I never have to give up having a convertible. It's like therapy for me:laugh: If I'm feeling down, I hop in the Miata and take a ride. All's good.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

88c900t said:


> Just sold my NA to a young kid, who dailied a 71 MG Midget and a 73-79 Sub. Much cooler than the ear-stretch kid who complained at me when the RX7's compressor locked up and threw a couple belts off. Sold for 3100 (after I reduced the non-hardtop price from 3600), and If I stipulate that the hardtop with it's rare defroster and the dry rotted ice tires are worth 1200 together, I broke even. Not to bad considering I owned it for over 3 years, and only put in an exhaust and a battery.
> 
> Anyone want a factory (not aftermarket) montego blue hardtop with defrost?
> 
> ...


Around here an oem hardtop with defrost in reasonable condition sells for $1k within a couple of days typically.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

I'm moving on for real this time - car doesn't get driven, and I've definitely shifted interests away from cars and more towards cycling/traveling.

First dibs goes to a friend of mine, if he decides to pass, I'll let everyone know. I know several people on here and in other places had expressed interest the last time I waffled on keeping the Meata.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Very excited to see how these Flyings Miata frame rails feel. Also a little scared now that I've removed the carpet and dash. I'm sure the engine conversion is moving along. It has to be. Meanwhile parts from the engine and interior are piling up.







































I'm definitely thinking about doing the butterfly brace after the engine and trans are in, but won't know if there will be enough clearance with the Nissan 6MT


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Nissan 6MT?

Did I miss something?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Zillon said:


> Nissan 6MT?
> 
> Did I miss something?


My last Miata was a bare metal, nut and bolt restoration with a 180WHP normally aspirated Nissan SR20 and 6MT.

There was a bad crash and I'm lucky to be alive. That power combo in the Miata was too good so I bought a low(er) mileage BRG to install that drivetrain. Think of it as V.2. Doing the documentation on iG brg_sr20miata

Here's a 2700mi road trip that I did in that car 2yrs ago for the 2017 Japanese Classic Car Show (which, incidentally is happening this weekend in Long Beach, CA)


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Gorgeous warm fall day so I gave Little Red a bath and took a spin. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rLRpPF0MX/?igshid=rmska09aiwpn

Came back and pulled the trunk all apart and cleaned it up. Zero rust or moisture. Sprayed the top shock bolts with PB Blaster as I’ll be doing that job later this fall. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rfpNbl4Ay/?igshid=1pr6tzp6mhujn

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rkYCRFd62/?igshid=1ckggit9brycl

Discovered my spare was dead-flat, probably has been for decades. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rkmZWFht3/?igshid=lrij01hj8yyn

Reclocked my window cranks so they don’t dig into my leg. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rnxWRFxcm/?igshid=12abylwz1pm27


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Diamond Dave said:


> My last Miata was a bare metal, nut and bolt restoration with a 180WHP normally aspirated Nissan SR20 and 6MT.
> 
> There was a bad crash and I'm lucky to be alive. That power combo in the Miata was too good so I bought a low(er) mileage BRG to install that drivetrain. Think of it as V.2. Doing the documentation on iG brg_sr20miata
> 
> Here's a 2700mi road trip that I did in that car 2yrs ago for the 2017 Japanese Classic Car Show (which, incidentally is happening this weekend in Long Beach, CA)


I do remember your crash - was sad to see that car meet such an unfortunate end. But was glad to see your road didn't end with the car's.

I'll be following that build. :thumbup:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

One more Track Night in the books. This one involved a bit of a thrash because I tried to fix things.

First mistake was going with poly bushings back in 2015, but that doesn't rear its ugly head till later.

Earlier in the summer I thought I heard some thumping from the right front shock. Fortunately, there's the Koni guy on site at Solo Nationals who can fix that kind of stuff. So I yanked out the suspension and threw the shocks in the truck. Koni guy found one the shock in question had a torqued pistol, often caused by using an impact to buzz the top nuts on (oops). He fixed that and rebuilt the right front so they were equal. The rears were fine. He had the shocks for a day and charged me $20 for the parts needed for the rebuilds.

Back home, I reassembled the coilovers (without using the impact) and while I had my hands dirty, figured I should look at the brakes. The fronts were very thin (Autozone pads don't hold up to three track nights, go figure). Talked with Sam Strano about more suitable brakes and he sent me Hawk DTC30s. I also ordered a new set of RE71Rs through him.

I had everything together Friday night. My next week was going to get busy: I didn't want to put the new tires on until I got an alignment, so that was priority #1. But those tires needed to be mounted, and I needed a new trailer tire since I had one go bad on the way home from Nationals. This all had to be done before Thursday.

Monday afternoon I drove the hour to my preferred alignment place in Gaithersburg. Got there and the car was making some fun noises out of the front end. Alignment guy felt something was up and put it on the lift, and spotted what looked like a bad bushing (twisted? torn?) in the right front lower control arm. So I didn't get an alignment and instead had to drive 90 minutes home (thanks DC traffic) to weigh my options while something in the front end rattled away over every bump.

Tuesday I bit the bullet and pulled the right LCA with its original rubber bushings out of the wife's '93 (the green car I took on vacation earlier this summer). I marked the alignment on the '90 and pulled that LCA and franky the bushings looked OK to me, but what do I know. I put in the other arm using the old alignment marks and just eyeballing things, the camber looked right and toe was still zero according to my toe plates. A quick drive around the block showed me the car went down the road straight, but that rattling was still there.










Finally it dawned on me, the rattling was from the brake pads not staying put inside the calipers. I could quiet them down by applying a little brake pressure. A buddy asked if I had the anti-rattle springs installed, and I admitted that I never saw them in the 11 years I owned this car, or in the '93 which we've had for ten. But I was told that this would fix it so I found an Autozone with a hardware kit in stock, got that, and Wednesday I put the car in the air and put those in. Quick test drive, brakes are quiet. Nice 15-minute $12 fix.

But at this point I knew I didn't want to drive back to Gaithersburg and back for an alignment, and the car seemed to track straight, so I said I'd wing it this last time out and kept the old tires on the car. I threw the wheels and tires from the '93 (2012 Dunlop Z1 Star Specs) into the back of the truck for spares and loaded up for Dominion.

Track Night went really well. I was a bit concerned about having new brakes but they kept calling for Intermediate drivers to come to pit road and nobody was going, and I wound up first in line. Early on braking was an adventure, I got enough heat in the pads to get them nice and happy while the tires weren't there yet so I was modulating on the edge of lockup quite a bit early. Eventually I figured out how to slow down and did OK. I took another second off my best time and didn't have to deal with much traffic. There were three cars slower than me: a Cayenne Turbo S, a Fiesta ST, and a newish Civic. They were all good at letting me by. I was only passed by four cars, a Charger, a Mustang, and two newish Camaros. I got my doors blown off by the Camaros every session, while the Stang and the Charger I only dealt with in the first one.

I have to figure out what to do with the car over the winter. I've disliked the poly bushings almost as soon as I installed them and I'd like them gone. I just picked up a set of control arms and I might install them as is, or maybe put in the Mazda competition bushing set ($700!). We'll see how badly I cheap out. Nice bonus, the control arms I got include the spindles and NA 1.8 brakes so I might install those calipers just because I have them. Either way I'm looking forward to next spring when I can take the car out again with a real alignment and fresh tires.


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## BRealistic (Dec 17, 2005)

Wow.. this guy got it done.
It's not perfect.. far from it.
But it's done and works and look cool. :thumbup:


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

I changed the engine and diff oils this weekend, no big deal. I also put the ford motorcraft full synthetic in the trans...wow, immediate impact. I highly recommend it. 2 and 5 used to be a little notchy, now everything is great. I think I'm a shifter rebuild away from total nirvana.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

I ordered the Moroso reservoir tank from Goodwin this weekend. Went with the black anodized....looking forward to installing it one evening this week.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Techun said:


> I changed the engine and diff oils this weekend, no big deal. I also put the ford motorcraft full synthetic in the trans...wow, immediate impact. I highly recommend it. 2 and 5 used to be a little notchy, now everything is great. I think I'm a shifter rebuild away from total nirvana.


My mechanic used Redline Synth for mine, no complaints. But I wonder if the Motorcraft would make a bigger difference.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Foliage ride today.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Foliage ride today.


I'm super jealous of you having seasons. We go straight to mild-winter then back to surface of the sun.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

forewheel said:


> I'm super jealous of you having seasons. We go straight to mild-winter then back to surface of the sun.


Believe it or not it's been like that here lately, too. Today they're expecting 98º, then two days at 99º, then 92º, but after that it should finally cool off and have highs in the 70s, where they typically are this time of year. I'm sick of the heat!


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## MissSomething12 (Apr 21, 2019)

Is it me or does the internet not talk about Miata anymore?

I never see articles about them anymore
I rarely see people asking for Miata shopping advice.
They have not come up in personal emails or friend convos.

It's like ever since the release of the ND settled down, 
there has been no more Miata talk.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The facebook groups I belong to are very active. There's also a lot of very active Miata-focused Instagram accounts. I think it's just the move to social media that's changing user behavior.


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

I've been checking prices on ND1 cars from time to time, and they're starting to break into the $15k bracket now. By the time I'm ready to get one in a few years I'm hoping I can find an ND2 car for that kind of money. Interestingly, Fiatas are not cheaper than the cheapest ND Miatas, at least on a short cars.com search. I thought they might not hold value as well, but I'm betting Fiat isn't selling as many cars as Mazda. Has anyone looked at the sales stats?


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

MissSomething12 said:


> Is it me or does the internet not talk about Miata anymore?
> 
> I never see articles about them anymore
> I rarely see people asking for Miata shopping advice.
> ...


There are some good forums with Miata enthusiasts out there one ending in .net if I can say that on here? People are still buying them but mostly used and either like myself as a weekend car or a dedicated Miata DD'er and glutton for punishment lol! Just kidding...

I love mine and wish I could drive it more often but my daily is a truck and required for my job. When I bought my NC back in January I looked at a few early ND cars but I could get so much more NC for the money so I went that route. The other thing I wanted to mention is the 2 seat roadster with a manual transmission is a dying breed. Plus add in this current generation of millennials who, like my daughter, are perfectly content with a paid in cash '07 Accord and don't know what a clutch pedal is doesn't help the cause. I do appreciate you bringing up this point though, and i'm hoping the Miata will go the way with the S2000 in values as well.


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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

One of our interns forgot to turn the light off on her NA Miata when she got to work the other day. I saw them up and dim when I came back from lunch at 2. She had backed into a spot in the morning in a corner of the lot. Luckily the two vehicles next to her left at 5 so I could jump start the Miata. I doubt she will be backing in anytime soon.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

NeverEnoughCars said:


> One of our interns forgot to turn the light off on her NA Miata when she got to work the other day. I saw them up and dim when I came back from lunch at 2. She had backed into a spot in the morning in a corner of the lot. Luckily the two vehicles next to her left at 5 so I could jump start the Miata. I doubt she will be backing in anytime soon.


Believe it or not the battery has moved up front on the newer models, still maintaining a 50/50 weight distribution. 

It is funny though when people don't know where their battery is located and end up baffled when they do. My neighbor had some Chevy thing (I can't remember the name) that resembled a retro CUV....battery was in the trunk, absolutely zero access to it, but it had a charging block located under the hood. Smart I guess but why complicate things so much? Chevy definitely wasn't looking for helping with weight distribution on this thing.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I started the shock job. The first rear one came out no big issue, but ... they sent me the wrong ones for the rear. :facepalm:

One number off. I should have received 341143 and 341127. What I actually got was 341143 and 343127.  Emailed Shockwarehouse and hoping they make good even though they've been sitting on my shelf for a year.

I also discovered that my already-too-old tires (2004 date codes) are also really low on tread. So new skins next spring for sure.

That's probably it for little red this fall.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Looking at the shockwarehouse site there's no way they are helping me out over a year since shipping (45 Day return policy and enough restocking and shipping fees that even if they did do it for me I'd be out a bunch of money.).

Ordering the correct ones now from another vendor. Want to get the car back on the road for a little more fall driving before winter comes.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Looking at the shockwarehouse site there's no way they are helping me out over a year since shipping (45 Day return policy and enough restocking and shipping fees that even if they did do it for me I'd be out a bunch of money.).
> .


I mean, did you actually contact them to ask? What have you got to lose in admitting you know you're past the return and gently pointing out they made an error and you're happy to be cooperative?


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> One more Track Night in the books. This one involved a bit of a thrash because I tried to fix things.
> 
> First mistake was going with poly bushings back in 2015, but that doesn't rear its ugly head till later.
> 
> ...


Nice job man! Good to see you doing more track days. Have you done a full track event yet with a club or just the track nights so far? 

How are lap times coming at dominion? Looks like around 1:45 from the video which is a good time for a 1.6 in intermediate group.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> I mean, did you actually contact them to ask? What have you got to lose in admitting you know you're past the return and gently pointing out they made an error and you're happy to be cooperative?


Yup, I have emails in to them and will follow up on the phone., If I can recover some of my money with a return at least, that's what I want. I just didn't want to play the process and lose weeks waiting for new shocks.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Nice job man! Good to see you doing more track days. Have you done a full track event yet with a club or just the track nights so far?
> 
> How are lap times coming at dominion? Looks like around 1:45 from the video which is a good time for a 1.6 in intermediate group.


I have not yet done a real track day. I'm a cheapskate and love getting a track night for $125, while I have a harder time justifying double that for almost anything else in the area. My WDCR SCCA buddies say I would really benefit from having in-car instruction, and I agree, but it's a big check to write.

This last time out I lowered my personal best lap to 1:43.7. With fresh tires I bet that can go down quite a bit, but that'll have to wait until next spring.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Can’t get the new shocks in without a spring compressor I guess. 

I tried using the jack under the a arm like i did for removal. No biggie to get it all lined up and in place but I can’t get enough of the shock top post to pop through and grab the nut. 

:banghead:

Gonna get some spring compressors so I can assemble the top hat onto the other pieces then get it into place like that. I think spring compressors will make the fronts a lot easier as well so it’s a good investment.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Spring compressors acquired.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So I was able to put everything together with the spring compressors on the floor. But then I can’t take the spring compressors off because the notches are caught in the now compressed coils.

So I think the trick will be to get it all in place using the jack like I did earlier then use the spring compressors to snug it a little bit tighter so I can get the top nut on in the car. Hoping to find that middle ground. 

At this point I pretty much have all winter to do it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Last night I had the thought that maybe my initial problem is related to the shock top post's fit in the tophat. You need to wiggle it a bit to get it through and I wonder if I just didn't have it lined up correctly when I did the no-compressor method? Gonna try it again today while I have my helper home from school (holiday).

Couldn't figure out how to reuse the old boots after chopping off the old, hard bump stops (I have new, modern ones). So now I need to get some generic shock boots as well.

The old shocks are SO BLOWN they don't even return to full length on their own and you can compress them with 1 finger. Looking forward to a much smoother, controlled ride when this is all said and done.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Claff said:


> I have not yet done a real track day. I'm a cheapskate and love getting a track night for $125, while I have a harder time justifying double that for almost anything else in the area. My WDCR SCCA buddies say I would really benefit from having in-car instruction, and I agree, but it's a big check to write.
> 
> This last time out I lowered my personal best lap to 1:43.7. With fresh tires I bet that can go down quite a bit, but that'll have to wait until next spring.


Haha I understand. Yes, you would benefit from some right seat instruction but you are setting some very good lap times for your experience. 

Just do enough days and move up the ranks quickly enough to become an instructor


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Sporin said:


> Last night I had the thought that maybe my initial problem is related to the shock top post's fit in the tophat. You need to wiggle it a bit to get it through and I wonder if I just didn't have it lined up correctly when I did the no-compressor method? Gonna try it again today while I have my helper home from school (holiday).
> 
> Couldn't figure out how to reuse the old boots after chopping off the old, hard bump stops (I have new, modern ones). So now I need to get some generic shock boots as well.
> 
> The old shocks are SO BLOWN they don't even return to full length on their own and you can compress them with 1 finger. Looking forward to a much smoother, controlled ride when this is all said and done.


Which top hats are you using? Upgrading to the later style top hats will give you much longer bolts. The very early ones suck (90-93) and even the 94-97 are better with longer bolts on the top hat. The NB are an upgrade but you will need appropriate and new bumpstops to take advantage.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stock 94 pieces.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Claff said:


> I have not yet done a real track day. I'm a cheapskate and love getting a track night for $125, while I have a harder time justifying double that for almost anything else in the area. My WDCR SCCA buddies say I would really benefit from having in-car instruction, and I agree, but it's a big check to write.
> 
> This last time out I lowered my personal best lap to 1:43.7. With fresh tires I bet that can go down quite a bit, but that'll have to wait until next spring.


In my area you can do a HPDE with PCA for $350 for 2 days. Sure it's still not $125 but you'll get more seat time and instruction. I know a few people that formed really bad habits on track after doing a couple track nights without instruction. 

I even know a guy who thought he was an expert at a track because of all the time he spent on it, he went and did a turn by turn and posted it on YouTube. He was way off on his lines. He was slower in his newer M3 than I was in the Miata. 

Point being, get instruction at least once so you can call BS on yourself when doing something silly.

In other news I finally got my flaming pile back together, just in time for winter. I'm still taking care of some odds and ends (brake light switch in-op, WB not ready correctly) but it was good to drive it out of the garage. 

Here she sits with her sibling, both crying they haven't made it to the track this year. And sadly I'm thinking about posting them both up for sale. :facepalm:


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## DrivinAW8 (Jun 21, 2004)

Just drove a ND (GT trim) and loved every second of it. It was so much more fun than the M2 Comp I also just drove. I guess I would have liked a more screaming engine (my father had an S2000 and a Boxster S so that’s my benchmark), but really, 60mph is the upper end of comfortable on the twisty rural western PA roads I love so much, so do you need that much power?


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

DrivinAW8 said:


> Just drove a ND (GT trim) and loved every second of it. It was so much more fun than the M2 Comp I also just drove. I guess I would have liked a more screaming engine (my father had an S2000 and a Boxster S so that’s my benchmark), but really, 60mph is the upper end of comfortable on the twisty rural western PA roads I love so much, so do you need that much power?


I am of the opinion that the ND (or any Miata for that matter) would be perfect with 200 whp. Still not too fast for the street but gives you a little giggle factor when you open it up.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

DrivinAW8 said:


> so do you need that much power?


Of course you do!




sicklyscott said:


> I am of the opinion that the ND (or any Miata for that matter) would be perfect with 200 whp. Still not too fast for the street but gives you a little giggle factor when you open it up.


 That kind of bump would be great. But to be honest, most of the fun with this car is not done rocketing up to silly speed on wide open roads.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

sicklyscott said:


> I am of the opinion that the ND (or any Miata for that matter) would be perfect with 200 whp. Still not too fast for the street but gives you a little giggle factor when you open it up.


I totally agree. The majority of the local Miatas tend to be stock or low dollar mods, which is fine, but on the roads you can really tell how slow they are; no acceleration grunt. I drove around for about a year with my SR20 Miata on a "safe map" ECU before getting it tuned and it felt very fast. Turns out the tuner found almost 30hp when I drove to LA for the Japanese Classic Car Show. 180WHP in an NA Miata is a crap ton of fun. getting up to 200WHP would be just perfect.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> I totally agree. The majority of the local Miatas tend to be stock or low dollar mods, which is fine, but on the roads you can really tell how slow they are; no acceleration grunt. I drove around for about a year with my SR20 Miata on a "safe map" ECU before getting it tuned and it felt very fast. Turns out the tuner found almost 30hp when I drove to LA for the Japanese Classic Car Show. 180WHP in an NA Miata is a crap ton of fun. getting up to 200WHP would be just perfect.


My Rotrex 1.6l had 195 rwhp, it was fantastic. The power delivery was awesome. Not enough torque down low to get you in trouble but more than enough pull up top to make things fun. It's certainly not warp speed but, it does seem to be the sweet spot to me. With the suspension mods and wider, stickier tires I have, it's a great match.

Can't wait to see what it feels like with the BP4W I just threw in.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

im not sure where you guys need more power, on the back-roads with only a set of decent summer tires you can be doing double the speedlimit on stock power, stock suspension 1.6. 

on track the extra power would be nice, you could actually use it there. my built mr2 was honestly a bit terrifying to drive on the street with only ~180rwhp, it was scary fast on the backroads. 

id like the extra power on track though, i wish my STS car was allowed the headwork we are allowed in spec miata, it would make a difference, and it would be a very nice bump in straightline speed.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

sicklyscott said:


> And sadly I'm thinking about posting them both up for sale. :facepalm:


wat.

You just built the LFRX8.


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Zillon said:


> wat.
> 
> You just built the LFRX8.


You still got the cheddar NC? Not ashamed I followed you on IG to see if you still had it. :laugh:

I've been slowly starting a slush savings fund for something RWD since I sold the Genesis but this time I want to keep the Fiat. Miata or older GT86 would fit the bill perfectly.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

RAVatar said:


> You still got the cheddar NC? Not ashamed I followed you on IG to see if you still had it. :laugh:
> 
> I've been slowly starting a slush savings fund for something RWD since I sold the Genesis but this time I want to keep the Fiat. Miata or older GT86 would fit the bill perfectly.


I do - not for much longer. Priorities changing, got back into cycling in a big way this year and I've driven the NC maybe twice since I went to the dragon in May. Sad, but oh well. Just not a good area to be into cars and fun driving (traffic, roads, work parking situ is le crap).

Picked up a tiny camper (see IG) as well, which will take the garage space when the NC eventually departs. I currently have a friend who just moved to TN who's on the hook for now, just waiting for him to get through moving into the new house and what-not. If he falls through I'll send you a message. I've got a short list of people who spoke up last time I mentioned getting rid of the car, I haven't forgotten. :thumbup:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I need that cheddar in my life, it is nearly my perfect NC (I really could use the PHRT up here).

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx8vpnMDN0P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Zillon said:


> I do - not for much longer. Priorities changing, got back into cycling in a big way this year and I've driven the NC maybe twice since I went to the dragon in May. Sad, but oh well. Just not a good area to be into cars and fun driving (traffic, roads, work parking situ is le crap).
> 
> Picked up a tiny camper (see IG) as well, which will take the garage space when the NC eventually departs. I currently have a friend who just moved to TN who's on the hook for now, just waiting for him to get through moving into the new house and what-not. If he falls through I'll send you a message. I've got a short list of people who spoke up last time I mentioned getting rid of the car, I haven't forgotten. :thumbup:


For sure. I noticed all the cycling pictures and was wondering if a Sea Sucker mount was next for the NC. :laugh:

I appreciate you keeping a list! Obviously, friends first but I wouldn't mind giving it a home in a little warmer climate.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Zillon said:


> wat.
> 
> You just built the LFRX8.


Like you, priorities changed. Second kid on the way in a couple weeks, most likely won't make it out to the track for the next couple years. Not worth keeping two of these cars around if they won't be used.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

sicklyscott said:


> Like you, priorities changed. Second kid on the way in a couple weeks, most likely won't make it out to the track for the next couple years. Not worth keeping two of these cars around if they won't be used.


Dang. Totally get it. I'd totally entertain replacing the NC with that RX8 if I had the space/time. I've always thought the RX8 would be a brilliant car if only it had a better engine.

Congrats on the impending crotchfruit though!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Just a couple of 2019s hanging out at the Evolution Motorsports autocross school.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

What are my options for a replacement crank pulley? (short nose 1.6)

Is there an aluminum one for sale somewhere?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

corrado-correr said:


> What are my options for a replacement crank pulley? (short nose 1.6)
> 
> Is there an aluminum one for sale somewhere?


The big question is: Are you asking because it's wobbling?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

buy an OEM one.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> The big question is: Are you asking because it's wobbling?


because its very rusty, and i suspect thats the source of the squealing belts noise. i've replaced everything else. 

I can do OEM, i just thought that if an aluminum one was available I would get it - because racecar.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

I've had the bug bad lately. 

I still have not driven an ND, and am trying to avoid the temptation, but I can't help but watch for them to pop up for sale. We're trying for kids and going from a 2+2 coupe to a 2 seat roadster makes PERFECT sense. I make good decisions

Anyone here own an RF and can comment on it? 

Also, I've watched plenty of reviews about the difference between the early NDs and the 2019s. Anyone on here have a real world review? 

Also, excited to see the only yellow NC I've ever seen might be up for sale again.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

corrado-correr said:


> because its very rusty, and i suspect thats the source of the squealing belts noise. i've replaced everything else.
> 
> I can do OEM, i just thought that if an aluminum one was available I would get it - because racecar.




I'd suggest buying an OEM one, then. Mainly because the crank pulley is not the place where you want to save weight on a short-nose 1.6L Miata. There's too many possible issues on a car with a notoriously soft crank nose. You want the extra mass and damping that comes with the OEM unit.

Edit: I'm not even sure that there are aftermarket pulleys. I've never looked, but I've also never had a desire to tempt Fate on my '90.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

There used to be lightweight pulleys for 1.6s, they were part of most good STS builds. They got scarce and I never found one, which is probably a good thing.


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## DrivinAW8 (Jun 21, 2004)

sicklyscott said:


> I am of the opinion that the ND (or any Miata for that matter) would be perfect with 200 whp. Still not too fast for the street but gives you a little giggle factor when you open it up.



How bout this?












https://www.edelbrock.com/e-force-supercharger-for-2016-18-mazda-mx-5-miata-2-0l-1554.html


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

corrado-correr said:


> because its very rusty, and i suspect thats the source of the squealing belts noise. i've replaced everything else.
> 
> I can do OEM, i just thought that if an aluminum one was available I would get it - because racecar.


Quality control on aluminum pulleys tends to be highly suspect, but I think you want the strength and weight of steel on the crank pulley. Can a wire wheel on a drill not clean the rust off the grooves?


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

sicklyscott said:


> Like you, priorities changed. Second kid on the way in a couple weeks, most likely won't make it out to the track for the next couple years. Not worth keeping two of these cars around if they won't be used.


I remember when my Ex and I had our first child, our cars were Scirocco 16V and the 92 Sunburst Miata. Now 16yrs later, both kids have been in the Miata since they were several weeks old and having a 2-seat Roadster has just become part of their normal life. Daughter just learned to drive manual transmission on my BRG and my 13yr old son is certain that he wants a Miata for his first car. There's no reason to get rid of a perfectly competent Miata that's paid off. It will always put a smile on your face when you drive it.


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## pontiac (Aug 3, 2009)

What's TCLs take on NA vs NB? Any solid reasons to buy one over the other? My brain says get the best one for the money regardless of generation, but my heart says pop-up headlights..

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

corrado-correr said:


> because its very rusty, and i suspect thats the source of the squealing belts noise. i've replaced everything else.
> 
> I can do OEM, i just thought that if an aluminum one was available I would get it - because racecar.


Let me show you what happens to Miata motors with an aluminum crank pulley:

Untitled by sicklyscott, on Flickr

Yep, that would be an oil pump gear that shattered. 

Sometimes the pulleys can separate which could cause some of your squeal. I'd recommend an OEM replacement, may be best to try out SNS Miata Parts and see if they have a used one in good condition.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> I remember when my Ex and I had our first child, our cars were Scirocco 16V and the 92 Sunburst Miata. Now 16yrs later, both kids have been in the Miata since they were several weeks old and having a 2-seat Roadster has just become part of their normal life. Daughter just learned to drive manual transmission on my BRG and my 13yr old son is certain that he wants a Miata for his first car. There's no reason to get rid of a perfectly competent Miata that's paid off. It will always put a smile on your face when you drive it.


I hear you but, I have 3 "fun" cars. I don't REALLY need 3 fun cars. Plus these things cost me money because I can't stop tinkering with them. So thinning the herd wouldn't be so bad. 

Truth be told I have so much into that damn Miata that I most likely won't sell it. You haven't lost the money if you don't sell the asset


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

pontiac said:


> What's TCLs take on NA vs NB? Any solid reasons to buy one over the other? My brain says get the best one for the money regardless of generation, but my heart says pop-up headlights..



The NB has some solid improvements over the NA (shock top hats, suspension subframe geometry, creature comforts, more power, stiffer) but -like with anything - they come at the cost of weight. Plus you can backport most of the upgrades to the NA if you want. 

I'd look at and drive both, but if you really want an NA, just get that. No one would fault you for it.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

sicklyscott said:


> Let me show you what happens to Miata motors with an aluminum crank pulley...


never mind about that aluminum pulley idea.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

The right answer is boundary engineering billet steel oil pump gears AND a stout crank pulley/ harmonic damper. I use an ATI Super Damper on mine. Some people like the SuperMiata pulley but they’re a vocal minority. SuperMiata doesn’t even sell them anymore.


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## pontiac (Aug 3, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> The NB has some solid improvements over the NA (shock top hats, suspension subframe geometry, creature comforts, more power, stiffer) but -like with anything - they come at the cost of weight. Plus you can backport most of the upgrades to the NA if you want.
> 
> I'd look at and drive both, but if you really want an NA, just get that. No one would fault you for it.


Going to drive at least one of each this weekend if things go to plan. Hopefully one of them will be worth taking home. 

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

pontiac said:


> Going to drive at least one of each this weekend if things go to plan. Hopefully one of them will be worth taking home.


Even though NA and NB are 90% the same underneath the hood, the NB generally feels 5-10 years newer because it is and has fewer squeaks and rattles and slightly nicer overall. So ask yourself do you want pop up headlights, chrome door latches, plastic rear window, low headrest seats, slightly wider but more dated looking cockpit and the less powerful motor? Or do you want aerodynamic headlights, body color door handles, glass rear window, taller headrests, slightly nicer interior overall but fractions of an inch more cramped and the more powerful motor?


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

pontiac said:


> What's TCLs take on NA vs NB? Any solid reasons to buy one over the other? My brain says get the best one for the money regardless of generation, but my heart says pop-up headlights..
> 
> Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk


Go drive an NC......just saying.


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

forewheel said:


> Go drive an NC......just saying.


I agree. My NC Club has been great.

Just wish I drove it more. Only 1500mi since I bought it in May.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Got the passengers side rear shock done. Have the drivers side ready to pull if I can figure out how to get some muscle on the top nut. 

Anyone have a trick? Is it possible to unhook those fuel fill hoses to make room? Or will that be a dangerous mess. Thoughts?

EIDT. Found the tip I needed!! This should make it a lot easier. https://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=6967746&postcount=5


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

pontiac said:


> What's TCLs take on NA vs NB? Any solid reasons to buy one over the other? My brain says get the best one for the money regardless of generation, but my heart says pop-up headlights..
> 
> Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk


How tall are you?

I fit in an NA but don't fit in an NB.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

forewheel said:


> Go drive an NC......just saying.


Also this.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Rear shocks are done! Need to put a few miles on it then re torque all the bolts. 2nd side was a breeze since I knew the tricks.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Installed my Moroso aluminum radiator reservoir tank this morning. I finally have some good peace of mind as this was the only thing really bugging me about the car. Install was pretty simple and straight forward.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

NC? That’s a popular NC mod in our club.


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## pontiac (Aug 3, 2009)

Zillon said:


> How tall are you?
> 
> I fit in an NA but don't fit in an NB.


I'm lacking height enough that I'm confident I'd fit in either. The NB I was looking at sold yesterday anyway. There are very few NC cars for sale in my area right now and they're still worth more than I'd like to spend on a 3rd car. 

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Sporin said:


> NC? That’s a popular NC mod in our club.


Yeah NC, the factory reservoir tanks are a walking time bomb waiting to go off, regardless of year or mileage. It has more to do with heat cycles though as the thanks begin to become brittle then fail. Goodwin Racing sells them, not cheap, but good insurance. Mazda should have addressed this years ago but turned a blind eye to the issue unfortunately.


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## bbk (Dec 4, 2006)

Needed one, got one. What a fun little car. 

2019 RF GT, 6 speed manual. Black/Auburn.


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## quattrothatcould (Oct 9, 2007)

Zillon said:


> How tall are you?
> 
> I fit in an NA but don't fit in an NB.


How tall are you? Wife wants a NB but I'm mildly worried I won't fit (6'-3")


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## Tommietank (Mar 6, 2009)

bbk said:


> Needed one, got one. What a fun little car.
> 
> 2019 RF GT, 6 speed manual. Black/Auburn.


Congrats!! I'm glad they still make these. More pics!


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

quattrothatcould said:


> How tall are you? Wife wants a NB but I'm mildly worried I won't fit (6'-3")


Yeah, you're not gonna fit.

I'm 5'11 with the legs of someone 6'2.

My torso fit but my legs were all up in the dashboard.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Zillon said:


> Yeah, you're not gonna fit.
> 
> I'm 5'11 with the legs of someone 6'2.
> 
> My torso fit but my legs were all up in the dashboard.


And I'm 5'10" with the torso of someone 6'2" - my legs fit fine in an NB but my head is in the roof.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

bbk said:


> Needed one, got one. What a fun little car.
> 
> 2019 RF GT, 6 speed manual. Black/Auburn.


Congrats and welcome to the Miata world. That thing looks fantastic, and you have the correct transmission lol! Any plans for mods?


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## bbk (Dec 4, 2006)

*Us/minus space*



forewheel said:


> Congrats and welcome to the Miata world. That thing looks fantastic, and you have the correct transmission lol! Any plans for mods?


Thanks.

I’ve no plans to track the car, and mods will be minimal.

OEM metal pedals and door sills are on the way.

I have some 16 inch wheels with all season 225/50 tires on the way for cold weather driving. I went fatter and more meaty because we have horrible roads, I want extra pothole protection, and it won’t be driven in heavy snow. If I like the way they ride and look, I’ll put summer 215/45 or 225/45 tires on the stock 17” wheels. May add spacers. No plans to lower the car at this time.

The stock steering wheel is kinda thin, so I may get a fatter wheel. There are a few out there made to accept the Miata air bag and electronic controls.

I may swap out the rear Skyactiv badge for a cursive Miata badge.


----------



## bbk (Dec 4, 2006)

More pics.

Stella likes the car, because it matches her.











Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## bbk (Dec 4, 2006)

The flying buttresses are awesome.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

bbk said:


> The stock steering wheel is kinda thin, so I may get a fatter wheel. There are a few out there made to accept the Miata air bag and electronic controls.


Really? I didn’t know that was a thing. Cool! 



bbk said:


> I may swap out the rear Skyactiv badge for a cursive Miata badge.


I like that idea. They haven’t called it a “Miata” for a long time, but like a Beetle that doesn’t matter. It’s still a Miata. 🙂


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## bbk (Dec 4, 2006)

Air and water do mix said:


> Really? I didn’t know that was a thing. Cool!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## bbk (Dec 4, 2006)

Here’s another. I can pick different color stitching with this one. The one thing I note that’s a little odd with the auburn interior is that the brown leather parts use a light gray stitching, but the shift knob and parking brake (which are both black) have red stitching.

So do I go with red, since the wheel is black, or go with gray?




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I'm not sure if this is sacrilege I'm asking about, but here goes

We're kinda sorta shopping for a Miata with an automatic transmission.

The wife claims both the '08 soft top and '93, and drives neither. I can't blame her. I've ridden with her on her commute and it's brutal, tons of stop-n-go from southern Maryland to SE Washington DC, 21 miles of torture. I wouldn't do it in a manual transmission unless I was desperate or a masochist.

I floated the idea of making the '08 and '93 disappear (neither is worth all that much) and replacing them with a NC PRHT with automatic. We have a PRHT already and while I've never been thrilled with the space capsule look of the roof (which I've addressed with paint), it's impossible to ignore what a great three-season or more car it is with the power roof.

Our local Ford store has a '12 PRHT AT Grand Touring on its lot and if I get bored I might swing by and take it for a spin. They're asking $14K for it, which sounds a little on the high side (car has 65K miles), but I think they'll be willing to deal since it's late October.

I figure the car will be a nice driver if I took the Ohlins and exhaust out of the '08, and since we're getting out of the NC autocross game I'll have a couple different sets of 17x9 wheels to try on it.

The wife has not poopoo'd the idea right out of the box so I think this has a chance of happening.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> I'm not sure if this is sacrilege I'm asking about, but here goes
> 
> We're kinda sorta shopping for a Miata with an automatic transmission.
> 
> ...


As much as I personally hate the idea of an automatic Miata, I'm all for reducing fleet size. The big sticking point for me is that you need your wife to _sign off_ on the idea rather than just not hating the idea out of the box. Because I know that if she isn't 100% onboard with the idea, you'll be just adding another car to the fleet without selling either of the other two, or she'll be spending the winter looking for a different Miata to replace the automatic one _and_ the other two that you had already sold. Neither of those situations is particularly parsimonious. 

The Fit would be sticking around, correct? She's driving that car as a commuter now, right? I know she'd never go for it, but why not sell _both_ Miatas and just not replace them?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We would want to go with a stick, but a PHRT NC would be my wife's choice right now for a newer Miata. A bit more space and refinement, no more soft top hassles.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Claff said:


> I'm not sure if this is sacrilege I'm asking about, but here goes
> 
> We're kinda sorta shopping for a Miata with an automatic transmission.


Always amazes me when guys act like their wife wears the pants in the family with respect to cars they don't buy, maintain, or drive. Regardless, your relationship dynamics are neither here nor there for me. I will suggest you drive an automatic Miata before you do anything. They really are terrible. Having a personal friend at Mazda that worked the ND Miata, even inside the company, the autocratic Miata is really in its own category of "not that good".


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Claff said:


> I'm not sure if this is sacrilege I'm asking about, but here goes
> 
> We're kinda sorta shopping for a Miata with an automatic transmission.
> 
> ...


Obviously you need to get her a CX-5 and the Miata *you* want.

:laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Lots to unpack in these responses



Smigelski said:


> The big sticking point for me is that you need your wife to _sign off_ on the idea rather than just not hating the idea out of the box.
> 
> The Fit would be sticking around, correct? She's driving that car as a commuter now, right? I know she'd never go for it, but why not sell _both_ Miatas and just not replace them?


The FIT will remain. It's too useful, too parkable, too good to not keep.

I think she's going to sign off on the idea of getting the automatic NC, though she might hold out for a newer Club model rather than the NC2s I'm finding. Getting her to part ways with the existing two will be a tougher sales job.



Diamond Dave said:


> Always amazes me when guys act like their wife wears the pants in the family with respect to cars they don't buy, maintain, or drive.


It's not an act. In a perfect world, she would say "I want XXXX car" and I'd find it, buy it, and make sure it's always ready for her to drive.



GreenandChrome said:


> Obviously you need to get her a CX-5 and the Miata *you* want.


I have what I want already, and want nothing more than what I have. We don't need a CX-5.

Having gotten that out of the way

I went to the dealer and drove the blue '12 PRHT AT today. It wasn't terrible. I found the paddle shifters to be unintuitive - each side has a shift-up and shift-down paddle, rather than the much simpler shift-up on the left and shift-down on the right like the Fit. I'm sure with time it would become second nature. The car itself was OK: clean, inspected, decent tires. It drove fine, made no funny noises, behaved as it should. It has light tan seats and door card inserts and I'd hate them because I doubt I could keep them clean. The interior and underhood plastics were coated with that awful used car lot Armor All that they must buy in a 55 gallon drum.

It's a one-owner car that lived in this town and had all its service done at Mazda dealerships. 65K miles.

I think the car's overpriced. The website says retail is $17K and their internet price is $14K. KBB says clean retail should be $12700 and I mentioned this, though I added that I didn't want to get into the weeds of price negotiation before the wife got a chance to drive it just in case she took it around the block and decided she hated it. But salesmen are salesmen and off he went to the manager, who came by and said they don't really have any room to go lower on the price. Besides, they say, there was a guy looking at the car yesterday and he is probably coming back tomorrow to buy the car once he cleared some stuff with HIS wife.

The salesman added that the likely buyer will be trading in a similar car with fewer features (this makes no sense to me), and they can have that turned around in time for me to check out before the weekend.

So I'm assuming this car is as good as gone, and that the trade-in is actually a VW EOS or something like that. There's no rush no fuss to this particular car search so we'll keep our eyes open and keep on keeping on.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)




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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Niiiiice. Soul red is such a great color.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Smigelski said:


>


That's a huge building for only four SKUs.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We were going to store the Miata in our garage again this year but out of the blue, a friend at church offered to share a garage in one of his rental properties with us where he stores his daughter's car. We'll need to work around his schedule so I won't tear into the front shocks until spring now. 

Mrs. Sporin will be happy to have the garage back this winter. :laugh:


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

GreenandChrome said:


> That's a huge building for only four SKUs.


Ha ha


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Looking to get a headstart on our 2020 autocross season, we spent last weekend starting the build of co-driver Trevor's 30AE for STR. We got the basics out of the way: coilovers assembled and installed, along with the Karcepts front sway bar with reinforcement blocks. We've got 6ULs with new 245 Yokohamas mounted up and put those on the car, which meant we also had to roll the rear fenders. I love working on new cars, nothing fights when coming apart and there's no mysteries caused by previous owners.

The car should already have its alignment done; with more camber we shouldn't have to worry about further fender rolling.

The only thing we had on hand that we didn't install were offset bushings for the front upper control arms.

There's a two-day autocross at ZMax Dragway in Concord NC in a little more than a week, and that'll be a fun place to shake down the car before the season ends and we have to tackle more serious stuff like the header and tune.










The instruction for the new sway bar says that the easiest way to remove the stock bar is to slice one of its ends off. New car, meet cutoff wheel.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Wow. How hard could it be to remove the oem sway bar considering you have to install one anyway?

Beautiful car though.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

300_munkeys said:


> Wow. How hard could it be to remove the oem sway bar considering you have to install one anyway?
> 
> Beautiful car though.


Does the aftermarket one have splined ends so you can slide it in, perhaps? Otherwise I'm  too!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I can't imagine working on a new car, everything I wrench on is already rusty. In fact, my Miata is the least rusty older car I've ever done significant work on and it still takes some PBBlaster. 

Looking good!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

300_munkeys said:


> Wow. How hard could it be to remove the oem sway bar considering you have to install one anyway?
> 
> Beautiful car though.





Air and water do mix said:


> Does the aftermarket one have splined ends so you can slide it in, perhaps? Otherwise I'm  too!


To remove/install a front sway bar on an ND is a huge PITA. There are aftermarket sway bars that have splined ends that can be assembled on the car so you don't have to disassemble half of the front end. To avoid that disassembly to remove the original bar, you can just cut it off.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

bbk said:


> The flying buttresses are awesome.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


How's the wind noise in the RF? I've heard lots of complaints that it is too much/gets annoying.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Volkl said:


> How's the wind noise in the RF? I've heard lots of complaints that it is too much/gets annoying.


Nowhere near as bad as the internet's made it out to be.

But if compared back to back with a soft top (which is almost quieter with the top down than the top up) it's a stark difference.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

300_munkeys said:


> Wow. How hard could it be to remove the oem sway bar considering you have to install one anyway?


I think either the subframe has to be dropped, or the steering rack removed.... something far more complex than cutting it. That's the one thing the ND doesn't do nearly as well as NA/NB/NC.

The replacement was an easy install, though the reinforcing blocks required some thought. They're definitely well-engineered pieces. Karcepts certainly did its homework designing these things.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Aha! I _knew_ it had splined ends!


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## bbk (Dec 4, 2006)

Volkl said:


> How's the wind noise in the RF? I've heard lots of complaints that it is too much/gets annoying.














Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Time to pull this band-aid off.

Buy my Meata: https://datforumdoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=890


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Zillon said:


> Time to pull this band-aid off.
> 
> Buy my Meata: https://datforumdoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=890


She's a beauty. Good luck.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The ZilCheddar NC is perfection, I wish I had the shred (though the wife really wants a PRHT. 

That will sell quick, very well priced with all the right mods done to perfection. :thumbup:


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Zillon said:


> Time to pull this band-aid off.
> 
> Buy my Meata: https://datforumdoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=890


Oh my. Time to call the insurance and the bank and see if I can proceed.

I've never owned any Miata and never driven an NC but that just looks so perfectly set up. I've loved your car since the first time I saw it.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

ByronLLN said:


> She's a beauty. Good luck.





Sporin said:


> The ZilCheddar NC is perfection, I wish I had the shred (though the wife really wants a PRHT.
> 
> That will sell quick, very well priced with all the right mods done to perfection. :thumbup:





RAVatar said:


> Oh my. Time to call the insurance and the bank and see if I can proceed.
> 
> I've never owned any Miata and never driven an NC but that just looks so perfectly set up. I've loved your car since the first time I saw it.


Thanks. I know I'm going to regret it someday, but it's just not making much sense to keep it in the garage at the present time. I'd rather pass the torch to someone who will enjoy it (and hopefully not molest it).


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

I almost bought one of these with the PRHT a while back. Still regretting not pulling the trigger, but I had no space for it.

Personal question, but if you have the space for it, why sell? It is a Miata, which can be an occasional car just for fun by definition.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Elite_Deforce said:


> I almost bought one of these with the PRHT a while back. Still regretting not pulling the trigger, but I had no space for it.
> 
> Personal question, but if you have the space for it, why sell? It is a Miata, which can be an occasional car just for fun by definition.


I don't really have the space. Nor am I utilizing the car, either. Kinda sad, but with a 1 car garage at the back of a 1-lane driveway, it's often too much work to drive it to work most days. And I've been riding more so that I'm in better shape, and honestly... I have more fun riding my bikes around here. Just not a good area to own a Miata.

I also bought a tiny camper this year, which was to replace the Miata's place in the garage and switch my gears a bit away from cars and more towards doing some travel - then I got cold feet on selling the Miata so I've been hemming and hawing. And I just need to tear the band-aid off and be done.

It's a fantastic car, I'm sure I'll regret it at some point, but I'm just at a crossroads where I have too many hobbies and not enough time or space so something's gotta give.


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

I feel obliged to share this. SavageGeese released multiple great videos on each generation of the Miata. It makes me want to purchase an NC or ND.

Not sure if any have seen these before. Love the details explained by Dave Coleman in the NC and ND video.

Intro





NA





NB





NC





ND


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Zillon said:


> Just not a good area to own a Miata.


I hear you there. NJ can be a tough place to own a Miata I live in Middlesex County with around a million other people.
The roads are all torn up, so you're constantly dodging potholes, railroad crossings all over the place etc. It's winter 4+ months of the year.
Also, you're always "in the way" to the SUV crowd. They like to tailgate and push you around. It takes all the fun out of the drive.
It takes me 20-30 minutes to get far enough out of the area to really enjoy the car.
But, when you have the road to yourself, as I did New Years day morning, the Miata is a blast to drive and makes holding on to it worth it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I’m pretty lucky in that respect here. Sure the roads are generally crummy (which is why I’m not lowered) but there’s not a lot of traffic. I can go almost everywhere without ever getting on the highway and dealing with pushy SUVs. Lots of twisty country roads.

I wish the good weather season was longer though.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Zillon said:


> Time to pull this band-aid off.
> 
> Buy my Meata: https://datforumdoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=890


One of my favorites. 

I'd love to do a fly and drive from NJ to WA, but I don't know that's a good idea this time of year on summers. Hmmm...


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> I’m pretty lucky in that respect here. Sure the roads are generally crummy (which is why I’m not lowered) but there’s not a lot of traffic. I can go almost everywhere without ever getting on the highway and dealing with pushy SUVs. Lots of twisty country roads.
> 
> I wish the good weather season was longer though.


Yeah, the roads are packed with troglodytes in their SUVs around here, and NJ uses radar on backroads so you've gotta be careful.

I've had my fun, there's places I wanna tow the camper to and explore (Maine is #1 on my list), so I'm gonna switch gears for a bit.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

We're supposed to get a snow storm starting tomorrow. Good thing I put a deposit down on a Miata today!


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Volkl said:


> We're supposed to get a snow storm starting tomorrow. Good thing I put a deposit down on a Miata today!


On zillon's? 

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

dunhamjr said:


> On zillon's?
> 
> Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk


No, I decided to go ND...


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Volkl said:


> No, I decided to go ND...


Nice!

2019?


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Zillon said:


> Nice!
> 
> 2019?


2019 Club RF in Soul Red. I still really like your NC, its just on the wrong coast.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Enjoyed a rare january 62 F sunny day today. :thumbup:


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Techun said:


> Enjoyed a rare january 62 F sunny day today. :thumbup:


Same. 

It was 70, here. It would have been wrong to run errands without the top down.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Volkl said:


> 2019 Club RF in Soul Red. I still really like your NC, its just on the wrong coast.


Congrats!

The 2019s are fantastic. We’ve got a Ceramic Club soft top with the Brembo and BBS package in the showroom now, and it’s such a great looking and driving car.


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## Elite_Deforce (Nov 18, 2012)

Zillon said:


> Congrats!
> 
> The 2019s are fantastic. We’ve got a Ceramic Club soft top with the Brembo and BBS package in the showroom now, and it’s such a great looking and driving car.


This was exactly the car I test drove (albeit not the updated engine). Fell in love pretty quickly besides the kind of rickety interior over bumps.


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

A couple months back I made a post in this thread toying with the idea of picking up another miata, and I couldn't decide which one to spend my money on at the time. The in the $4-6k arena you could get an NA, NB, or NC depending on what compromises you are willing to make. While I was off of work for the Christmas holiday a deal popped up on a NC so good I had to jump on it, I scored this car for $2k. It one of the cheapest running NCs I've ever seen. It needs some work for sure and has high miles, but I'm really impressed with how well it still drives after logging 203k. I replaced the clutch slave and master and took it out on some curvy back roads immediately. Its still a miata, it has just grown in size a bit and pushing the pedal down all the way produces some more acceleration now rather than just noise. I've been driving it to work with a nice big grin on my face. I pulled off the battered front lip and painters tape but the rest of the car will need to wait for some warmer weather before I can really clean it up, and it needs it bad.


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## EverthingIsTerrible (Nov 22, 2016)

Damn nice find. Here is one in my hood for 2500:

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/aurora-1991-mazda-miata/7050524478.html

and another for 3800:

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/westminster-1999-mazda-miata-nb/7050388859.html


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Nitroracer17 said:


> A couple months back I made a post in this thread toying with the idea of picking up another miata, and I couldn't decide which one to spend my money on at the time. The in the $4-6k arena you could get an NA, NB, or NC depending on what compromises you are willing to make. While I was off of work for the Christmas holiday a deal popped up on a NC so good I had to jump on it, I scored this car for $2k. It one of the cheapest running NCs I've ever seen. It needs some work for sure and has high miles, but I'm really impressed with how well it still drives after logging 203k. I replaced the clutch slave and master and took it out on some curvy back roads immediately. Its still a miata, it has just grown in size a bit and pushing the pedal down all the way produces some more acceleration now rather than just noise. I've been driving it to work with a nice big grin on my face. I pulled off the battered front lip and painters tape but the rest of the car will need to wait for some warmer weather before I can really clean it up, and it needs it bad.


Damn dude, that's a great looking car for $2K. Paint looks good and wheels as well. Go buy a headlight restoration kit and a Moroso reservoir tank for starters. 


Great score.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

We're about to get a good snow storm. Sitting in this making vroom vroom noises will suck. So does engine break-in periods :driver:


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Volkl said:


> We're about to get a good snow storm. Sitting in this making vroom vroom noises will suck. So does engine break-in periods :driver:






picture didn't work


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

300_munkeys said:


> picture didn't work


Thanks, I think I fixed it.


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## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

Volkl said:


> Thanks, I think I fixed it.


Indeed you did. Looks great!


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Volkl said:


> We're about to get a good snow storm. Sitting in this making vroom vroom noises will suck. So does engine break-in periods :driver:


We just got one in exactly like that.

Lawd she perty.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Zillon said:


> We just got one in exactly like that.
> 
> Lawd she perty.


Congratulations to both of you on your new NDs...great color combos. Any plans for mods?


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## EverthingIsTerrible (Nov 22, 2016)

Volkl said:


> We're about to get a good snow storm. Sitting in this making vroom vroom noises will suck. So does engine break-in periods :driver:


So nice


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

oh boy.....


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

Claff said:


> Looking to get a headstart on our 2020 autocross season


looks great! I have to ask; is that orange a special edition colour, a 2020 colour, order only? Not available on their B&P.

edit: nevermind 30th anniversary car. awesome.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

forewheel said:


> Congratulations to both of you on your new NDs...great color combos. Any plans for mods?


Gotta get through the 600 mile break-in first. 

I really like the car the way it is stock. I'm sure I'll start tweaking things once I get settled in the car, but no plans yet other than to add Android Auto/Apple Car Play


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Volkl said:


> but no plans yet other than to add Android Auto/Apple Car Play


I thought all the 2019's were getting CP/AA now? Guess I misread.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

dunhamjr said:


> I thought all the 2019's were getting CP/AA now? Guess I misread.


2020s do - only 2019s to get CP/AA were the 30AEs.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Huge progress last weekend on the SR20 Miata v.2. Engine installed for the last time and resting on its suspension.











Keeping the power steering last time was a challenge, but this time we're adding AC.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Found out last night it can Costco, barely.


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Volkl said:


> Found out last night it can Costco, barely.


WTF is all the snow?


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

GreenandChrome said:


> WTF is all the snow?


Oly got all the snow last year, this storm has barely hit us.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

Diamond Dave said:


> Huge progress last weekend on the SR20 Miata v.2. Engine installed for the last time and resting on its suspension.


Is there a build thread for this or more pictures?


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Friend might be picking up a 2012 PRHT with a dead motor on the cheap. With a goal of maintaining as much of the stock feel, would you guys still go 2.5 over the stock 2.0?

2.5 can be had for about $500....


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

nyexx said:


> Friend might be picking up a 2012 PRHT with a dead motor on the cheap. With a goal of maintaining as much of the stock feel, would you guys still go 2.5 over the stock 2.0?
> 
> 2.5 can be had for about $500....


Mine is a 2.0 with a tune and other stuff but given an opportunity like this, 2.5 100%. How many miles on that thing for only $500 though? Seems super cheap.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

forewheel said:


> Mine is a 2.0 with a tune and other stuff but given an opportunity like this, 2.5 100%. How many miles on that thing for only $500 though? Seems super cheap.


I have seen a number of people getting lowish mile 2.5s for about the $500 range.

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I made a separate thread a week or two back when we first picked this up, but we've added another NC to the fleet. Got the wife a PRHT automatic 2013 Club that only had 7700 miles on it.










It's going to get the Ohlins, sway bars, and muffler from our 2008 soft top, and then that 2008 will be going up for sale (cheap!) in the spring. This car disappearing is very important as the driveway is now over capacity


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

How do you deal with having to play musical cars every time you want to go anywhere? We only have 2 tandem spots for our 2 cars and it pisses me off daily to have my car stuck behind hers.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

corrado-correr said:


> Is there a build thread for this or more pictures?


Literally a link in my signature to my IG that says 1991 BRG SR20 Miata Build Log. Let me know if there's something in particular you're looking for.

I had contributed a lot on M.net in the engine conversions area over the years, but only have a thread about when the car got up and running and then the accident - - HERE


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

troyguitar said:


> How do you deal with having to play musical cars every time you want to go anywhere? We only have 2 tandem spots for our 2 cars and it pisses me off daily to have my car stuck behind hers.


Ideally, there are no cars in the main part of the driveway blocking the garage door. In the picture above, the wife's FIT was in the last diagonal parking spot (to the right of Captain Slow). That car does not usually live there; that's where Sloppy the blue '08 goes. The FIT typically gets the driveway spot in front of the garage door, and when it goes to work with the wife, the driveway is clear so I can take anything out, including the one in the garage, without having to move anything else. If she wants to take something else to work, she'll leave the FIT on the side of the road in front of the house. This is why it's important to get rid of something now that the black '13 has shown up, as it's broken my parking system.

In the past (before we had the driveway expanded so we could park those little cars diagonally), the car in the garage was essentially trapped unless I invested the time to move stuff out of the way to get to it, and I never did that. That's when I realized the garage car only went 300 miles a year, and it got sold.

I still do have to move everything out of the way if I have to get the autocross club van out from next to the garage. Fortunately, it's a small club that only puts on four or five events a year so it doesn't happen that often.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

When does the honeymoon period wear off? This is quickly become my favorite car, and I haven't even brought it to redline yet. Put my first tank of gas in it. 31mpg, I'm not upset at all.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Volkl said:


> When does the honeymoon period wear off? This is quickly become my favorite car, and I haven't even brought it to redline yet. Put my first tank of gas in it. 31mpg, I'm not upset at all.


never, you just keep buying them.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Volkl said:


> When does the honeymoon period wear off? This is quickly become my favorite car, and I haven't even brought it to redline yet. Put my first tank of gas in it. 31mpg, I'm not upset at all.





cockerpunk said:


> never, you just keep buying them.


This is the correct answer (though it is strange it came from Cockerpunk :laugh.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> This is the correct answer (though it is strange it came from Cockerpunk :laugh.


i may not have gone "full claff" but i have 4 of the damn things.


----------



## alvint_vw (Jun 6, 2003)

Just installed 15x7 RPF1 + Potenza 205/50-RE071R from TireRack.. Awesome!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Volkl said:


> This is quickly become my favorite car, and I haven't even brought it to redline yet.


Never understood that. I run the car up to the redline regularly; especially on the 1.6L. They love to spin and that's where the power is with a 4cyl.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Diamond Dave said:


> Never understood that. I run the car up to the redline regularly; especially on the 1.6L. They love to spin and that's where the power is with a 4cyl.


I'm trying to follow Mazda's break-in recommendations. Car was new with 53 miles on it when we pulled out of the dealer's lot. I know people have all kinds of opinions regarding break-in, but since Mazda recommends it, I'm following it. Once the odometers rolls over 600 miles though, its game on. I plan on regularly visiting 7500rpm.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Volkl said:


> I'm trying to follow Mazda's break-in recommendations. Car was new with 53 miles on it when we pulled out of the dealer's lot. I know people have all kinds of opinions regarding break-in, but since Mazda recommends it, I'm following it. Once the odometers rolls over 600 miles though, its game on. I plan on regularly visiting 7500rpm.


I'm of the opinion that the first 500-600 miles, take it easy and vary RPM, and after that, it's game on.

The revised 2.0 in the ND2 is such a peach - reminds me of the 2.0 in my NC in character. Loves to rev.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

cockerpunk said:


> never, you just keep buying them.


The only cure for Miataitis is more Miatas.

Ideally, I'd have a clean NC PHRT for cruising and road trips, then take the '94 NA to serious mod territory (turbo, coilovers, sticky rubber, etc.)


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Sporin said:


> The only cure for Miataitis is more Miatas.
> 
> Ideally, I'd have a clean NC PHRT for cruising and road trips, then take the '94 NA to serious mod territory (turbo, coilovers, sticky rubber, etc.)


when my current winter 1.6 breaks in half from rust, my next winter daily is gonna be an NC PHRT.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Volkl said:


> I'm trying to follow Mazda's break-in recommendations. Car was new with 53 miles on it when we pulled out of the dealer's lot. I know people have all kinds of opinions regarding break-in, but since Mazda recommends it, I'm following it. Once the odometers rolls over 600 miles though, its game on. I plan on regularly visiting 7500rpm.


Woot, 600 miles reached: 










To get there I took a road trip into the mountains today since the sun decided to make an appearance





























I really like this car.


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## EverthingIsTerrible (Nov 22, 2016)

Volkl said:


> Woot, 600 miles reached:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Looks great, livin the dream


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

One thing I want from the ND besides Bluetooth is the fuel economy. The NC's mileage isn't impressive for what it is.


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

JustinCSVT said:


> One thing I want from the ND besides Bluetooth is the fuel economy. The NC's mileage isn't impressive for what it is.


Really? I seem to get 28 mpg on every tank regardless of how I drive. I usually cane it everywhere since it isn’t a daily. Seems pretty good to me.


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

dwagner88 said:


> Really? I seem to get 28 mpg on every tank regardless of how I drive. I usually cane it everywhere since it isn’t a daily. Seems pretty good to me.


I'm usually around 25-26 with 70/30 city/highway driving. I don't drive all that hard either but its in range so I don't think anything is wrong.

Side note:

What would you all pay for a no accident 2013 Club PHRT with 52K miles? :laugh:


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

JustinCSVT said:


> One thing I want from the ND besides Bluetooth is the fuel economy. The NC's mileage isn't impressive for what it is.


I've only put 2 tanks through it so far, but I've been impressed with the ND


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

JustinCSVT said:


> One thing I want from the ND besides Bluetooth is the fuel economy. The NC's mileage isn't impressive for what it is.


That makes sense because Mazda doesn't have fuel economy on the list of priorities with it's fun sporty roadster. If there were mileage tweaks, it would sacrifice the engine responsiveness or add a lethargic feel at speed in gear. If you want mileage, get a Mazda2


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## EverthingIsTerrible (Nov 22, 2016)

Volkl said:


> I've only put 2 tanks through it so far, but I've been impressed with the ND


What made you pay the extra for the RF model? Is it just a looks thing? Or do you find the hardtop to be worth it? Personally I like the RF model too, but for me its based on looks.


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

Diamond Dave said:


> *That makes sense because Mazda doesn't have fuel economy on the list of priorities with it's fun sporty roadster.* If there were mileage tweaks, it would sacrifice the engine responsiveness or add a lethargic feel at speed in gear. If you want mileage, get a Mazda2


It did with the ND. Fun doesn't preclude paying attention to mileage. It is what it is at this point though. I'm just going to keep driving. :laugh:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

JustinCSVT said:


> One thing I want from the ND besides Bluetooth is the fuel economy. The NC's mileage isn't impressive for what it is.





dwagner88 said:


> Really? I seem to get 28 mpg on every tank regardless of how I drive. I usually cane it everywhere since it isn’t a daily. Seems pretty good to me.


My dad and I caravan'd from my house down to Myrtle Beach, SC. Him in is 2013 PHRT and I in my 2019 soft top. Same driving conditions same subdued driving style (I was leading, he was behind me), and same fuel stops. After several hours on the highway, Dad's hand-calculated fuel economy was 37.3 mpg. Mine was 42.8 mpg.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

EverthingIsTerrible said:


> What made you pay the extra for the RF model? Is it just a looks thing? Or do you find the hardtop to be worth it? Personally I like the RF model too, but for me its based on looks.


Looks for one, I like the way the soft top looks, but I find the RF to be one of the best looking cars on the road. This is also my daily, so the hard top adds some extra security, plus it has a larger back window when weather forces me to drive with the top up.


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## EverthingIsTerrible (Nov 22, 2016)

I remember Doug Demuro being impressed by the RF's quietness with the top retracted. It was almost as quiet as with the top up. Amazing you can get a car brand new for ~32k with a hard top folding roof, just such a cool time to be into cars.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> My dad and I caravan'd from my house down to Myrtle Beach, SC. Him in is 2013 PHRT and I in my 2019 soft top. Same driving conditions same subdued driving style (I was leading, he was behind me), and same fuel stops. After several hours on the highway, Dad's hand-calculated fuel economy was 37.3 mpg. Mine was 42.8 mpg.


I believe it.

I picked up a brand new MX-5 Sport from the middle of Longuysland, NY - and drove it back to Hamilton for a dealer trade. I averaged 39 MPG through rush hour traffic in that car. I was truly impressed.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Also, in a very odd twist of fate... my reasons for selling the MX-5 have changed: I'm buying back a car that I thought had gotten away from me for good.

So, to anyone who's still on the fence, let me know. I just pushed out some very serious for sale ads on Miata.net and Facebook. Car has to go.


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

Zillon said:


> Also, in a very odd twist of fate... my reasons for selling the MX-5 have changed: I'm buying back a car that I thought had gotten away from me for good.
> 
> So, to anyone who's still on the fence, let me know. I just pushed out some very serious for sale ads on Miata.net and Facebook. Car has to go.


Plac2020

Resistance is futile


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

troyguitar said:


> Plac2020
> 
> Resistance is futile


It’s a stroke of Alpo luck, really. 

I’ll reveal the details soon.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

While I’ll always stump for a cheaper Miata, I actually don’t think the $26k starting price is wacky. It’s a small volume car, not a Corolla. I wouldn’t mind seeing an even cheaper model though with less of the extra electronic stuff, and a plain old stereo. But I think those days are past us.

https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mazda-miata-is-still-too-expensive-1841352073

*The 2020 Mazda Miata Is Still Too Expensive*



> Not that I was holding out for this or anything, but Mazda recently announced pricing for the 2020 Mazda Miata. It’s slightly more expensive than the 2019 version, with the cheapest model starting at $26,580. That is too much money.
> 
> Permit me to grumble for a bit here. The whole point of the Mazda Miata is cheap fun. You get a little, 181-horsepower engine, rear-drive, two seats, a convertible top and a manual six-speed (an automatic is also available). That’s it. It’s a very basic package. And yet, that basic package costs more than $20,000, when in fact it should be $20,000.
> 
> ...


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Sporin said:


> While I’ll always stump for a cheaper Miata, I actually don’t think the $26k starting price is wacky. It’s a small volume car, not a Corolla. I wouldn’t mind seeing an even cheaper model though with less of the extra electronic stuff, and a plain old stereo. But I think those days are past us.
> 
> https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mazda-miata-is-still-too-expensive-1841352073
> 
> *The 2020 Mazda Miata Is Still Too Expensive*


It’s one of the best driving cars probably ever made. The price is more than fair.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> While I’ll always stump for a cheaper Miata, I actually don’t think the $26k starting price is wacky. It’s a small volume car, not a Corolla. I wouldn’t mind seeing an even cheaper model though with less of the extra electronic stuff, and a plain old stereo. But I think those days are past us.
> 
> https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mazda-miata-is-still-too-expensive-1841352073
> 
> *The 2020 Mazda Miata Is Still Too Expensive*




One thing besides the obvious arguments: small-volume car, made by a small-volume manufacturer, a "bespoke" platform is the fact that _the Miata is made in Japan_. And that means that the cost to build the Miata is in yen and then converted to US dollars. And the dollar has been pretty strong against the yen for a long while. That means that the cost of importing Japanese good is just going to be expensive in general.


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> My dad and I caravan'd from my house down to Myrtle Beach, SC. Him in is 2013 PHRT and I in my 2019 soft top. Same driving conditions same subdued driving style (I was leading, he was behind me), and same fuel stops. After several hours on the highway, Dad's hand-calculated fuel economy was 37.3 mpg. Mine was 42.8 mpg.


Sh!t, I bought the wrong car. 43mpg is incredibly good.

Sent from a telephone while driving


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Well, that’s the only time I’ve ever gotten that kind of mileage. But traveling on the highway at the speed limit for an entire tank will give you pretty good fuel mileage.


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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

Before I bought my 86frz, the only other option I was considering was the ND and I absolutely loved it. I was set on an NC but the Nd test drive changed it. The only reason I went with the 86frz was I wanted to try it as my only car and I have no regrets. That being said, I'll have an ND as a second car when the 86 stops being practical


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

iamnotemo said:


> Before I bought my 86frz, the only other option I was considering was the ND and I absolutely loved it. I was set on an NC but the Nd test drive changed it. The only reason I went with the 86frz was I wanted to try it as my only car and I have no regrets. That being said, I'll have an ND as a second car when the 86 stops being practical


Go revisit an NC before you pull the trigger on an ND. Even though the tech isn't there, it can be fixed and the NC3 seems to be the shining star of the bunch amongst the Miata community. (sure i'm biased but I also did a lot of research when buying mine).


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## 20vTa4 (Jun 21, 2001)

I've wanted an NC for a long time, I recently found this one for a deal I couldn't refuse. It was owned by a serious chain smoker and is filthy inside but looks like it was well maintained. It'll need a bunch of TLC, but should clean up decently.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Sporin said:


> While I’ll always stump for a cheaper Miata, I actually don’t think the $26k starting price is wacky. It’s a small volume car, not a Corolla. I wouldn’t mind seeing an even cheaper model though with less of the extra electronic stuff, and a plain old stereo. But I think those days are past us.
> 
> https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mazda-miata-is-still-too-expensive-1841352073
> 
> *The 2020 Mazda Miata Is Still Too Expensive*


Uggh, I didn't need to click on it to know it was a Kristen Lee article. 

It would be interesting if Mazda offered the 1.5L ND in the US as a cheap model. I doubt they'd sell many, but I imagine it would have its fans.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

iamnotemo said:


> Before I bought my 86frz, the only other option I was considering was the ND and I absolutely loved it. I was set on an NC but the Nd test drive changed it. The only reason I went with the 86frz was I wanted to try it as my only car and I have no regrets. That being said, I'll have an ND as a second car when the 86 stops being practical



I've had an NC, NA, BRZ, and ND, in that order (kinda). All of them had the same level of mods, more or less. Springs/shocks, exhaust, wheels & tires.


The NC was great. I had mine from '07- '10, back when everyone hated them. It drove well and was fun. I appreciated the torque and the modern conveniences. I bought the NA as a second Miata ('10-'19) and it had its own charm. Small and spritely, but slow as hell and wonderful to run to redline all the time. I wanted a BRZ ever since they were first announced. I factory ordered one of the first ones around, and I loved it. It was an every day driver ('12 -'17) except in the winter (I never ended up buying snow tires for it). Man, that car was great - especially after the header and the tune. It handled well and had nearly no body roll even on the stock suspension. The seats were great, and it made wonderful noises (header + exhaust). I didn't really want to get rid of it, but wife+dog wouldn't really fit well in it. 

In '19 I wanted to swap out the NA for a newer toy and I had a tough call between the (new) ND2 and the getting another (used) BRZ. The BRZ would make a great SSC autocrosser with very simple mods. The ND would be outclassed in STR because I wouldn't mod it to within an inch of the rules. So the choice was really "do I want an autocrosser I can drive daily or a daily driver I can autocross?" I chose the latter and ended up with the ND2. I'm pretty happy with my choice. I'd still like to get another BRZ one day and mod it exactly how my old one was. I drove an ND1 when they first came out and thought it was a riot. The ND feels a lot like an NA, - only "more." More speed, more handling, more fun.

Now, getting back to the question - NC or ND? I went for the ND, my dad has an NC now (after having an NA). I liked the tighter, more compact, feeling of the ND. My dad appreciates the extra room and feel of the NC. I think they are both pretty fantastic. If I every go back to an NC again. I want my dad's - exactly how his is spec'd (of course I'd throw on some springs/shocks, wheels & tires).


In order of appearance:

My NC:










My NA:










My BRZ:










My ND:










And my dad's NC:


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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

Smigelski said:


> I've had an NC, NA, BRZ, and ND, in that order (kinda). All of them had the same level of mods, more or less. Springs/shocks, exhaust, wheels & tires.
> 
> 
> The NC was great. I had mine from '07- '10, back when everyone hated them. It drove well and was fun. I appreciated the torque and the modern conveniences. I bought the NA as a second Miata ('10-'19) and it had its own charm. Small and spritely, but slow as hell and wonderful to run to redline all the time. I wanted a BRZ ever since they were first announced. I factory ordered one of the first ones around, and I loved it. It was an every day driver ('12 -'17) except in the winter (I never ended up buying snow tires for it). Man, that car was great - especially after the header and the tune. It handled well and had nearly no body roll even on the stock suspension. The seats were great, and it made wonderful noises (header + exhaust). I didn't really want to get rid of it, but wife+dog wouldn't really fit well in it.
> ...


I'm two years into my FRS/86 adventure and have put 25k on it and loved every moment of it. It's my only car so track days, road trips, ski trips, mtn biking all have been successful. It's not the best for those moments where bike or ski hauling is involved but its not awful. I love the seats, steering feel, ridiculously good fuel economy and every drive is special. I still love the NC and and ND just as much but I know that I'd have needed a second car, which I just didn't want to deal with. I like the ND2 finally lets me have the Club package and heated seats. I know its ridiculous but its a combo I wanted the NC to have.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sporin said:


> https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mazda-miata-is-still-too-expensive-1841352073
> 
> *The 2020 Mazda Miata Is Still Too Expensive*


*Bozi Tatarevic*
@hoonable


> I think that it’s fairly priced considering the volume, especially when compared to mainstream cars.
> 
> Maybe there are a few ways to cut costs from the Miata but you know what you would you get then...
> 
> ...


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## BeaArthur (Mar 14, 2003)

Sporin said:


> https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mazda-...ive-1841352073
> 
> The 2020 Mazda Miata Is Still Too Expensive


Canadian pricing is pretty bad as well; $32,900 to start. 
That's $5k more than Subaru BRZ, $3k more than a Toyota 86, $2.5k more than a 370Z, and $2k more than a GTI.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

BeaArthur said:


> Canadian pricing is pretty bad as well; $32,900 to start.
> That's $5k more than Subaru BRZ, $3k more than a Toyota 86, $2.5k more than a 370Z, and $2k more than a GTI.


In the US those prices get flipped upside down. The mx5 ends up as the cheapest against the 86 by $1400 heading up to almost $4300 less than the Z.

all base model starting prices
mx5 $25,730
86 $27,060
gti $27,595
brz $28,845
370z $30,090


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i did not know that you can do 3 or 4 full laps without your water pump and have a B6 survive without issue. 

big ice chunk and age took out my alternator/waterpump belt on my car this weekend on the lake. did 3 or 4 more laps before i noticed the issue, and she was all the way to the H on the gauge. put a new belt on, ran 45 minute sessions no issue. 

man, love these cars. the unremarkable engine in them is a strength, not a weakness.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

More fun with the '13 Club. Stole the coilovers out of the '08, plus sway bars and muffler










So glad to get rid of stock NC ride height, but I think I need to fiddle with it since the rear seems a hair too low










Still need to get an alignment after that. Fenders will be rolled next week so we can put on big boy wheels and tires in the spring. Having some trouble deciding whether to go with black or silver


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

Smigelski;114078419
My NC:
My NA:
My BRZ:
My ND:
And my dad's NC:
[/QUOTE said:


> how would you say an NC3 would compare to a BRZ in terms of raw engaging driving fun?


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## mouseOfMars (Jul 30, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> My ND:


Based on the BBS wheels...I'm guessing you also have the Recaro's? 
Just curious how you like them - especially if you did some long highway cruising in them.. 


And nice car. That red is just so choice. :thumbup:


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

I return back to this thread like an addict coming back to a dark alley for drugs. I know I shouldn't come in here but I just cannot stop myself.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

mouseOfMars said:


> Based on the BBS wheels...I'm guessing you also have the Recaro's?
> Just curious how you like them - especially if you did some long highway cruising in them..
> 
> 
> And nice car. That red is just so choice. :thumbup:


I do have the Recaro seats, and they are excellent. I’ve taken 12 hour road trips with them and I have zero complaints!

The seats are really grippy around town, yet comfortable on the highway. I especially like the extra thigh support adjustment on the driver seat. 

I made sure to get my car with the Recaros, and I have zero regrets regarding the extra expense.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

It's been a mild winter so far, making me dearly miss my Miata, stored away in a friends' garage for the season. But the snow and ice returned with a vengeance yesterday and is supposed to last a couple of days.

Coming home today from West Lebanon in the Prius yesterday afternoon, in the rain and sleet, over snowy roads, there was a nice Mariner Blue NA Miata with Mass. plates heading south down 91 (VT). Soft-top up, racy exhaust droning, LED sleepy eyes... a couple of young guys in the front seat motoring along happily despite the weather. :thumbs: 

It had skinny steelies on it, presumably (hopefully!) with snow tires. What was funny is that the skinny little 14's had a _lot_ of camber, front and back. Clearly, those boys have a fat set of summer wheels and tires that usually fit on the car. 

I felt old, no way in hell I'd drive a Miata in that weather by choice.  

My brother in law builds Jeeps and keeps sending me pics of lifted Miatas offering to help build me one for winter. If we ever find the right donor car (and some spare change) it might just happen.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

And that’s a wrap.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Sporin said:


> It's been a mild winter so far, making me dearly miss my Miata, stored away in a friends' garage for the season. But the snow and ice returned with a vengeance yesterday and is supposed to last a couple of days.
> 
> Coming home today from West Lebanon in the Prius yesterday afternoon, in the rain and sleet, over snowy roads, there was a nice Mariner Blue NA Miata with Mass. plates heading south down 91 (VT). Soft-top up, racy exhaust droning, LED sleepy eyes... a couple of young guys in the front seat motoring along happily despite the weather. :thumbs:
> 
> ...



mines going well:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Looking good CP. :thumbup:

Zillon, sad to see it go I'm sure. I've been watching a LOT of NC videos lately.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> Looking good CP. :thumbup:
> 
> Zillon, sad to see it go I'm sure. I've been watching a LOT of NC videos lately.


She's going to a good home, and I've already got a replacement. :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

A familiar name there... 

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vi...heap-miata-put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Also this...


2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Getting Big Discount Soon

https://www.motor1.com/news/397128/2019-mazda-mx-5-discount/


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> A familiar name there...
> 
> https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vi...heap-miata-put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is


Sadly, when you're paying through the teeth to live, a car is an appliance for most people, not an outlet of pleasure.


It's not that the Miata needs to be cheaper, people just don't have enough disposable income. A sports car is a luxury purchase to most people.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Absolutely. This why I have a cheap old NA. If I can’t daily drive it year round, then it’s a toy. And I can’t afford $25k+ toys.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Sporin said:


> Absolutely. This why I have a cheap old NA. If I can’t daily drive it year round, then it’s a toy. And I can’t afford $25k+ toys.


Exactly why I didn't get a 30AE, even though I really wanted to.

I mean... ORANGE, and Recaros. Ufffff.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

i was ice racing this weekend, and totally crushed this new guy driving a g37x (terrible car, even worse for ice racing). i mean hes new in a fat pig of a car, hes gonna be slow, no fault on him. anyway, guy came up to me after we both pulled off and wanted to shake my hand and was like "man, i have never been embarrassed by a miata before!" 

and being an organizer/host i didn't say anything dickish back but i wanted to be like "so you've never been to a driving event before then?" thats what happens at driving events, you lose to miatas and civics.


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## the_paddock (Mar 29, 2019)

cockerpunk said:


> i was ice racing this weekend, and totally crushed this new guy driving a g37x (terrible car, even worse for ice racing). i mean hes new in a fat pig of a car, hes gonna be slow, no fault on him. anyway, guy came up to me after we both pulled off and wanted to shake my hand and was like "man, i have never been embarrassed by a miata before!"
> 
> and being an organizer/host i didn't say anything dickish back but i wanted to be like "so you've never been to a driving event before then?" thats what happens at driving events, you lose to miatas and civics.


Why are there never any numbers on your car in these ice racing posts? Are there results?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

also i think i just bought another one. racing friends wife sent me the hookup, 56k miles, red, leather package, 99. two thousand dollars. yeah you read that right. its not my usual NA6, but 5 NA6s would have been too much. 4 plus an NB should be a good.


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## the_paddock (Mar 29, 2019)

the_paddock said:


> Why are there never any numbers on your car in these ice racing posts? Are there results?


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

How hard is it to do a soft top on an NA?










91 Miata, almost rust free, minor surface on driver fende, 1 owner, 108k. Needs a top and the paint is peeling. What do you guys think for $1900?


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## burgerbob (Feb 5, 2020)

They work best if you leave them on all four wheels. Otherwise, you'll break your neck. I know this. 

https://flic.kr/p/2is91jJ https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

nyexx said:


> How hard is it to do a soft top on an NA?



If you already have a good soft top on a frame, installing it in the car is pretty easy. Just bolts and rivets (if you need a new rain rail). Otherwise installing soft top onto the frame can be a real PITA. If you go this route and are going to DIY, please, _please_ buy a good quality top. They'll go on a lot easier than a cheap top that may or may not be cut to the proper dimensions. 

That all being said, Planet Miata (https://planet-miata.com/) was known for installing soft tops on a frame and then shipping the whole thing to you for you to install. That would be the best of every world. Give them a call.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

Sporin said:


> Absolutely. This why I have a cheap old NA. If I can’t daily drive it year round, then it’s a toy. And I can’t afford $25k+ toys.


This was the only way I could justify an ND. Its my daily, and so far, I have no regerts! If you don't need to carry a bunch of stuff with you, it makes a pretty good daily. Gas mileage has been good, and it makes me smile every time I drive it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Volkl said:


> This was the only way I could justify an ND. Its my daily, and so far, I have no regerts! If you don't need to carry a bunch of stuff with you, it makes a pretty good daily. Gas mileage has been good, and it makes me smile every time I drive it.


Sadly, I really could not do it in Vermont. :snowcool:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

nyexx said:


> 91 Miata, almost rust free, minor surface on driver fende, 1 owner, 108k. Needs a top and the paint is peeling. What do you guys think for $1900?


Rust is a straight up No for anything beyond Lifted Trail Miata status.

Paint matching Silverstone Metallic will be near impossible, so you either paint the whole car or you clean and smooth the exterior and wrap it.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Sporin said:


> Sadly, I really could not do it in Vermont. :snowcool:


why not? the ND is fantastic in the snow, the rear suspension is so much better than the NA/NBs


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## the_paddock (Mar 29, 2019)

the_paddock said:


> the_paddock said:
> 
> 
> > Why are there never any numbers on your car in these ice racing posts? Are there results?


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

burgerbob said:


> They work best if you leave them on all four wheels. Otherwise, you'll break your neck. I know this.
> 
> https://flic.kr/p/2is91jJ https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


Yikes. What happened?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

cockerpunk said:


> why not? the ND is fantastic in the snow, the rear suspension is so much better than the NA/NBs


Even if I did want to deal with a light, RWD car in the snow, it's just too low. Heck, my Prius is often too low. Our snow and ice are deep for months at a time, and our best roads are extra lumpy all winter long.

I'm not saying that someone couldn't do it, just that **I** sure as heck won't choose to. :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Also, our full priced car is a daily and the family car. So a tiny 2-seater isn’t something I can smartly spend that kind of money on.

For us, a Miata is a fun toy and our NA excels at that job exactly as we want it to within our tight budget.


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## EverthingIsTerrible (Nov 22, 2016)

JustinCSVT said:


> Yikes. What happened?


hit a crub, a brick and 2 fents


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## burgerbob (Feb 5, 2020)

EverthingIsTerrible said:


> hit a crub, a brick and 2 fents


Surprisingly, I didn't hit a single thing. I was coming around a semi-tight sweeping right hand turn, in a spirited fashion, and found a deer nibbling on those tasty apex greens. Stupid instincts took over and I mashed the brakes. Lost all traction on the back end, spun around and eventually rolled 3 times. I don't remember much of the actual accident as I was heavily concussed, accident report shows I was ejected at some point... probably saving my life as the car came to a rest upside down.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

holy smokes! Glad you are ok.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

burgerbob said:


> spun around and eventually rolled 3 times. I don't remember much of the actual accident as I was heavily concussed, accident report shows I was ejected at some point... probably saving my life as the car came to a rest upside down.


Holy smokes! Welcome to the Miata rollover club. Take it easy. Concussions are no joke.

Mind if I ask how you were ejected from the car? Was there no seatbelt?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

The STR 30AE is just about ready for its first runs of 2020 this weekend.

We've done the Karcepts offset upper control arm bushings and now we should be getting over 4 degrees negative camber up front. The car looks silly on stock wheels.

This past weekend we put in the header and midpipe, and swapped the passenger side motor mount with a stiffer one. Sunday it was corner-balanced and during the week it'll get re-aligned. Total weight is 2260 lbs with stock seats and battery. For comparison, the NC we'd been running before was 2500 lb 

Last thing to do before getting loaded up is to sticker it up. I don't know what font was picked for the numbers so it'll be a surprise to me.

First time out will be a Central Carolina Region SCCA season-opener at Zmax Dragway, which is where the first Pro Solo will be in mid-March. I think we'll be in good shape.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

cockerpunk said:


> also i think i just bought another one. racing friends wife sent me the hookup, 56k miles, red, leather package, 99. two thousand dollars. yeah you read that right. its not my usual NA6, but 5 NA6s would have been too much. 4 plus an NB should be a good.


had even fewer miles, 45k miles. 99NB leather package with the torsen. cruise control, AC the works. probably not my preferred package, but the torsen is the must have IMO. 2 thousand dollars. might as well have given this thing away.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Just needs the big boy wheels and tires thrown on and we're ready to roll


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

WOW...that thing looks fantastic!!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Just needs the big boy wheels and tires thrown on and we're ready to roll


It looks great! Who did you get to install your vinyl numbers?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I did some work on my car to prep it for Spring. 

The main things were installing the 15mm wheel spacers up front and 20mm spacers in the rear. The other was swapping my GWR SuperStreet muffler to a GWR Race muffler I picked up second hand. While the car was in the air and the wheels were off, I decided to ceramic coat the wheels and the brake calipers and dial down the ride height in the rear by a couple of rotations (about 1/4" total). Hopefully the ceramic coating will help with the brake dust these Brembos put off (but it probably won't).

Calipers: 




















Mufflers:











Car:




















15/20 is the recommended spacers for the ND on the stock wheels according to miata.net. I think I probably could have gone wider if I wanted just because of my camber (-1.9º). The tops of the wheels aren't perfectly flush to the fenders, but they look _a hell of a lot better_. I shouldn't have any problems with the spacers, at least.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

That ND is looking gooooooood.


I finally got around to doing some extra maintenance to my NC, i've only put about 2k miles on it since I bought it last year but the "diff whine" has been bugging me and I got access to a lift finally. Did a fluid change with some Mobile 1 stuff and the Ford "magic" transmission fluid that costs more than a bottle of decent wine. Went to change out the air filter (which the dealer said they had done when I bought the thing) and low and behold I found a minty K&N filter in there....well ok then. Anyway, diff whine is completely gone and I feel like it's in super top condition now. Next step is some stickier tires.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> It looks great! Who did you get to install your vinyl numbers?


Pretty sure that Trevor did them himself, or maybe he roped someone from his shop to help out. He cut a section of clear bra to put behind the front wheels for the SCCA decals to go on since those rarely come off clean.

We've already tweaked the right side skirt and front bumper at the first autocross of the year yesterday (50 degree cones don't play nice, and we both hit a handful). Mulling over adding a Club front spoiler for better bumper protection.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Claff said:


> Pretty sure that Trevor did them himself, or maybe he roped someone from his shop to help out. He cut a section of clear bra to put behind the front wheels for the SCCA decals to go on since those rarely come off clean.
> 
> We've already tweaked the right side skirt and front bumper at the first autocross of the year yesterday (50 degree cones don't play nice, and we both hit a handful). Mulling over adding a Club front spoiler for better bumper protection.


Just quit hitting cones!


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## Burnette (May 17, 2012)

*Awesome*



Claff said:


> Just needs the big boy wheels and tires thrown on and we're ready to roll


Oh wow, I love that orange :thumbup:. I hope to come across an anniversary edition somewhere in a few years.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thought some of you guys might enjoy this, hirez scans of the 1994 Miata Brochure.

https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/brochures_1994_mazda_mx5


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

burgerbob said:


> They work best if you leave them on all four wheels. Otherwise, you'll break your neck. I know this.





burgerbob said:


> accident report shows I was ejected at some point... probably saving my life as the car came to a rest upside down.





Diamond Dave said:


> Mind if I ask how you were ejected from the car? Was there no seatbelt?


+1 how did you get ejected if you were wearing your seat belt?

I'm considering giving up my dreams of tracking my NA Miata and instead making it a fun back road cruiser. As part of this process, I'm debating whether to uninstall my Hard Dog Hard Bar Sport Single Diagonal roll bar. I know it's a personal decision but I always like considering data points such as burgerbob's experience.


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

Install a proper roll bar. That excludes Hard Dog. 



Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Silver_arrow12! said:


> Install a proper roll bar. That excludes Hard Dog.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


???


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## burgerbob (Feb 5, 2020)

No seat belt because young dumb and invincible. But as I said.. it very may well have been what ended up saving my life. Fast forward several years and I have grown up and began wearing my seat belt during all trips, short or long.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

freedomgli said:


> +1 how did you get ejected if you were wearing your seat belt?
> 
> I'm considering giving up my dreams of tracking my NA Miata and instead making it a fun back road cruiser. As part of this process, I'm debating whether to uninstall my Hard Dog Hard Bar Sport Single Diagonal roll bar. I know it's a personal decision but I always like considering data points such as burgerbob's experience.


why remove it?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Hoo boy


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Silver_arrow12! said:


> Install a proper roll bar.


I think the only topic more controversial, in the automobile world, is "which oil should I use?"

As a taller driver, the roll bar is just too close to my head during regular driving. Not a fan of the thought of being rear-ended and contacting the bar. Oddly, I rolled my last Miata in a terrible accident. Still not sure what happened or when, but I think I hit my head on the side window or HT. That's a much farther distance than my head would be to a roll bar.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> I think the only topic more controversial, in the automobile world, is "which oil should I use?"
> 
> As a taller driver, the roll bar is just too close to my head during regular driving. Not a fan of the thought of being rear-ended and contacting the bar. Oddly, I rolled my last Miata in a terrible accident. Still not sure what happened or when, but I think I hit my head on the side window or HT. That's a much farther distance than my head would be to a roll bar.


Then, time to buy an RX-8!

Truth be told, I've been struggling this this very thing. I have a '91 that I love driving on the street but is mostly setup for track. I sit fairly low in the car but the rolbar is still close enough that it could do some damage. On the flip side I refuse to drive an older Miata without a bar, not only for rollover protection but for some side impact protection as well. So now I'm left with a car I really don't feel comfortable driving unless I wear a helmet which at that point is just dumb. Hence why I built / bought a swapped RX-8, it's the closest I could get to a Miata with a roof but, it's still not quite the same.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I'm OK with the roll bar in my '90 because I have a Kirkey drivers seat that actually is a hair taller than the bar itself. Between me and the bar is the upholstered aluminum seat, and the roll bar has the Hard Dog padding and cover too. I think I'll be relatively OK in a rear-ender, but since the passenger seat is the stock one I doubt I'll have a passenger ride with me.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> I think the only topic more controversial, in the automobile world, is "which oil should I use?"
> 
> As a taller driver, the roll bar is just too close to my head during regular driving. Not a fan of the thought of being rear-ended and contacting the bar. Oddly, I rolled my last Miata in a terrible accident. Still not sure what happened or when, but I think I hit my head on the side window or HT. That's a much farther distance than my head would be to a roll bar.


This is why I removed the Hard dog single hoop in my car. Also, in an accident with a regular seatbelt, you move around a LOT. Your body can easily slide up in the belt even if you think your head is low enough. After lots and lots of research, I decided that unless I upgraded to the extra tall backed seats (NB2?) it wasn't worth the risk. It seems counter-intuitive but it felt like if I got in a fender bender, I was going to smash my skull in. And if I got in a rollover, it was going to mousetrap me. I'd rather go without given that I don't track the car.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Look at this beauty! https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_U0KMAlO-/


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## Silver_arrow12! (May 2, 2018)

Sporin said:


> Look at this beauty! https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_U0KMAlO-/


That's stunning. 

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Hoo boy


It's an animal! I love it!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

burgerbob said:


> No seat belt because young dumb and invincible.


 well glad it wasn't the final lesson.

I've never driven anything besides a tractor or snowmobile without a belt. My Dad used to charge me a quarter every time we got in the car and he beat me putting a seat belt on.


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## ByronLLN (Jul 29, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Look at this beauty! https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_U0KMAlO-/


Those look like perfect rust perforation cover-ups. I'll take four, please.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

sicklyscott said:


> Then, time to buy an RX-8!


I don't need your crap. You've already done enough and I'm scouring CL for RX8's with blown engines because of you. I'm sure my 13yr old need a project car...




Sporin said:


> This is why I removed the Hard dog single hoop in my car. Also, in an accident with a regular seatbelt, you move around a LOT. Your body can easily slide up in the belt even if you think your head is low enough.


I mean, the crash impact videos show those dummies being thrown EVERYWHERE while wearing a seatbelt.




Claff said:


> but since the passenger seat is the stock one I doubt I'll have a passenger ride with me.


When I rolled my car, I won't understate the fact that I walked away without a scratch from an accident that kills people. Still haunted by what could have happened if my 15yr old daughter or my GF was with me.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> I mean, the crash impact videos show those dummies being thrown EVERYWHERE while wearing a seatbelt.


Exactly. Scary stuff.


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

cool episode of the Smoking Tire podcast about miatas and the the beginning of Miata racing. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...spension-engineer/id496797178?i=1000466606325


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Found on IG, no details, not sure if it's a wrap or a repaint but the ND looks great in this color...










Reminds me of the gorgeous Toyota 86 Hakone Edition...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Out if storage today. Took a nice ride, what better way to socially distance?


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

The ND was built for a dark green IMO.

I've a feeling Mazda is holding out to introduce one for when they need to have a little sales pop.

Speaking of which, there's 0.9% for 72mos + $1000 cash back on all remaining 2019s. I've seen some Miata Sport's listed for $23k...



Sporin said:


> Found on IG, no details, not sure if it's a wrap or a repaint but the ND looks great in this color...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

My dad came down for a club drive around a couple of local dams. When he arrived, we cleaned his car and pulled it into the garage next to mine.

Both of these cars are fantastic.










And a pic from the dam drive:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> My dad came down for a club drive around a couple of local dams. When he arrived, we cleaned his car and pulled it into the garage next to mine.
> 
> Both of these cars are fantastic.


What a pair! 

I love Soul Red, Mazda hit a grand slam with that color.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

CostcoPizza said:


> The ND was built for a dark green IMO.
> 
> I've a feeling Mazda is holding out to introduce one for when they need to have a little sales pop.


Most likely for the 2021 model year to keep with the BRG release dates.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*quarantine garage project (94 NA)

With all the talk of the headrest speaker issues, and with me wanting to do a completely new set up, how hard is it to pull out _everything_ and just start fresh.

Deck, door speakers, Headrest speakers, wiring, all of it. I know nothing of car audio but my father in law is pretty handy with this stuff (he's a big ham radio guy) and I wonder if it makes sense just to pull everything, run all new wire, and go from there.

Thoughts? Links? Suggestions? I need a quarantine garage project that won't break the bank or make the car undrivable if it takes me too long to finish. (it snowed today so no hurry)

EDIT-----

I may have partially answered my question, would still welcome any other thoughts and experiences. Thanks.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> *quarantine garage project (94 NA)
> 
> With all the talk of the headrest speaker issues, and with me wanting to do a completely new set up, how hard is it to pull out _everything_ and just start fresh.


On the list of projects to avoid, headrest speakers are one of them. It's just a weird sound stage - music behind you.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> *quarantine garage project (94 NA)
> 
> With all the talk of the headrest speaker issues, and with me wanting to do a completely new set up, how hard is it to pull out _everything_ and just start fresh.
> 
> ...


I pulled the seats out to do the head rest speakers on mine (4x Polk DXI 350, IIRC) along with new door speakers and an Alpine head unit. IMO, long walk for a short drink of water. I don't think it improved the audio in my '94 all that much, especially the headrest speakers. Running the new wires was kind of a PITA too, but not un-doable. Definitely worth it to pull the seats, and it's easy to do even though it renders the car undriveable. But, in the midst of the project, if you want to go for a drive, all you have to do is bolt the seat in and go :laugh:

Your call. It's not the easiest job, but it's not particularly hard either. Just a good amount of work for a stereo that will still not sound that great. It's competing with a lot of other noise.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

If I hadn’t been gifted a set of new headrest speakers I’d be tempted to skip them all together and just do the doors.


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## rick8018 (Jan 3, 2001)

Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with the virus-thingy or not, but I'm seeing off lease 2016 Miata Sport's for under $17K and that seems like a pretty good deal. 

Any reason not to jump on a low mile (less than 20k) Sport model that can be had for around $16,500? I miss my motorcycle and this seems like a much safer alternative (wifey says so). 

Should I hold out for a 2019 with the extra HP?


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

If I were buying an ND, I would want the 2019.

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

rick8018 said:


> Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with the virus-thingy or not, but I'm seeing off lease 2016 Miata Sport's for under $17K and that seems like a pretty good deal.
> 
> Any reason not to jump on a low mile (less than 20k) Sport model that can be had for around $16,500? I miss my motorcycle and this seems like a much safer alternative (wifey says so).
> 
> Should I hold out for a 2019 with the extra HP?


I'll sell you my nicely modded NC3 GT for $17K right now. 2013 with 22K miles on it. 

But to be honest, if you're planning on modding, a $16.5K Sport would be a great starting point, I just couldn't drive one stock.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My only worry with a 2016 Miata is the potential transmission issues. Do your research and make sure you know what’s up. 

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=610318


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## David9962000 (Feb 2, 2011)

Is this one stock? Do they drive that well stock?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnEhfuSkTEU


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

rick8018 said:


> Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with the virus-thingy or not, but I'm seeing off lease 2016 Miata Sport's for under $17K and that seems like a pretty good deal.
> 
> Any reason not to jump on a low mile (less than 20k) Sport model that can be had for around $16,500? I miss my motorcycle and this seems like a much safer alternative (wifey says so).
> 
> Should I hold out for a 2019 with the extra HP?


I started to see a few hit that range pre-COVID and had the same thoughts as you, but I think it would be too tough knowing that waiting a bit would've netted me a 7500rpm 25hp upgrade. 

Wait and see how new car prices get affected -- Mazda was running 0.9% for 72 on leftover 19's, I saw a few non-local dealers with Sport's for $23k.

edit: only '19 sports left are automatics https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/791402598/overview/

'20's are around $26k https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/806162745/overview/


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

David9962000 said:


> Is this one stock? Do they drive that well stock?
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnEhfuSkTEU


Judging by the picture at the start of the video, the suspension looked stock, and the amount of slide/tire noise also makes me think the tires are stock, too.

Edit: In one of the comments, the owner of the channel/driver confirms that the car is stock.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

All dressed up and nowhere to go


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Here's an update on my car, I'm finally all done with the winter project. It went from $400 beater to where it's at now with some FM VMAXX Xxtremes, FM sways, FM frame rails, new tie rods and ball joints, roll bar, soft top repair, and some Amazon special lips and spoilers, along with a wrap in Wicked Purple and some matte black accents like some Mazda side stripes from Spinnywoosh. Next up is wheels and tires, but I'm gonna let my bank account cool off for a bit, or until I find some RPF1s or something pop up on Facebook marketplace.

This was my first time ever wrapping anything, so there are a few imperfections here and there, but I'm very happy with how it turned out overall. 



























A better shot of the color in the sun.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Hogan said:


>


Did you get the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity?


Looking good!


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## Wimbledon (Nov 25, 2005)

Mazda has been promoting their papercraft models on social media, including a Miata papercraft.

https://www.mazda.com/globalassets/en/assets/csr/social/kids/papercraft_mx-5.pdf

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/04/f...azda-papercrafts-will-cure-your-corona-blues/

https://www.mazda.com/en/csr/social/kids/papercraft/

"Let's paint colors and draw pictures on the car body. It will help to achieve "Zoom-Zoom" feeling!!"


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## Hogan (Aug 28, 2005)

Pizza Cat said:


> Did you get the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity?
> 
> 
> Looking good!


Hahahaha good eye. I always forget how many TCL members live right down the street haha. Went with the chocolate chocolate chip pancakes for my girlfriend haha, didn't get anything for myself except an excuse to take the Miata out, which was good enough for me, frankly hahaha.


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## Pizza Cat (Dec 2, 2006)

Hogan said:


> Hahahaha good eye. I always forget how many TCL members live right down the street haha. Went with the chocolate chocolate chip pancakes for my girlfriend haha, didn't get anything for myself except an excuse to take the Miata out, which was good enough for me, frankly hahaha.


:laugh:

It was the huge group of yellow maid service cars that made me do a double-take. Years ago when I lived in Oakton, that Citgo was always my go-to gas station...since the Exxon on Chainbridge is always about a buck more per gallon :laugh:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

It's sunny and drying out here, supposed to hit 60 today. I think a mid day ride is in order, even if my inspection sticker is out of date.


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

Sporin said:


> It's sunny and drying out here, supposed to hit 60 today. I think a mid day ride is in order, even if my inspection sticker is out of date.


We have had absolutely glorious weather all weekend, but our shelter-in-place went into effect Midnight Friday night. I can only take the Miata out if I get groceries or go check on my parents. No joy riding. I swear it was the best weather we've had in years. Mid 70's with no humidity and sunny skies. Damn coronavirus.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

dwagner88 said:


> We have had absolutely glorious weather all weekend, but our shelter-in-place went into effect Midnight Friday night. I can only take the Miata out if I get groceries or go check on my parents. No joy riding. I swear it was the best weather we've had in years. Mid 70's with no humidity and sunny skies. Damn coronavirus.


Yeah, I'm a little unclear as to how strong our lockdown is, I wouldn't be stopping anywhere. The state is actively stating you can go hiking, fishing, etc. just to maintain distance from others.

There certainly seems to be plenty of cars out, they can't all be doing serious business. I guess I better check the VT Gov site first.


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Sweet!! Thanks for sharing

I'm really getting a British vibe from this, maybe this is a potential Elan or a baby Jag roadster?

Any shooting brake a-la-Z3 coupe mockups? That would be a dream. 



saaboo said:


> Here's a future Miata concept I created, taking inspiration from the simple spirit of the NA. The pop-up headlights make a comeback, albeit in a potentially pedestrian-friendlier iteration. It also showcases a variety of body style options which may be purchased as interchangeable modules. In hindsight, I would have worked to make it look less like a "baby-Viper", while giving the body lines a bit more drama.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

rick8018 said:


> Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with the virus-thingy or not, but I'm seeing off lease 2016 Miata Sport's for under $17K and that seems like a pretty good deal.
> 
> Any reason not to jump on a low mile (less than 20k) Sport model that can be had for around $16,500? I miss my motorcycle and this seems like a much safer alternative (wifey says so).
> 
> Should I hold out for a 2019 with the extra HP?



When I bought my 2019, the dealer had both new 2018s and 2019s still in stock on the lot. I drove the 2018 and 2019 back to back. For me, a big difference with the 2019 was the ability to get a more comfortable driving position with the telescoping wheel. This is my daily driver, so I wanted to make sure I was comfortable. The higher redline/HP was an added bonus. 

The only thing I would be worried about with the 2016 is the potential transmission issues (assuming you are looking for a manual). It should still be under the powertrain warranty though. I'd probably keep a look of for a used club, so you can get the LSD, better shocks, etc.


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

I'm so bummed I missed the boat on Zillon's NC by literally 2 days. 

We cleared a bunch of debt out with some work bonuses, and then my Fiat decided that was optimum time to throw cylinder 1 out into the front yard. That led to approval of a loan I originally thought we wouldn't be able to afford, and here I am having spent several more monies on a Toyota Corolla instead of Zillon's NC. 

Ugh. 

At least now I have a Fiat to fix and sell so that I can get the garage count back down to two and make room for another toy. :laugh:


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## saaboo (Feb 14, 2002)

CostcoPizza said:


> Sweet!! Thanks for sharing
> 
> I'm really getting a British vibe from this, maybe this is a potential Elan or a baby Jag roadster?
> 
> Any shooting brake a-la-Z3 coupe mockups? That would be a dream.


Thank you. A shooting brake would be interesting, though I'm afraid that even the coupe begins to dilute the core Miata identity. Good thoughts.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## David9962000 (Feb 2, 2011)

Guys, I'm selling my MK7 GTi for a MX5 ND ST Club. My only car, I'm single. Good or bad move? Thank you for the advices


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

David9962000 said:


> Guys, I'm selling my MK7 GTi for a MX5 ND ST Club. My only car, I'm single. Good or bad move? Thank you for the advices


Do you often bring more than one person with your while driving? Do you often need more cargo space than what the ND's trunk provides? If not, you'll be fine. 

Back when I was younger, single, and lived in an apartment, an NC was my only car for couple of years. I had no read issues. :thumbup:


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## tvrbob (Jul 31, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> Do you often bring more than one person with your while driving? Do you often need more cargo space than what the ND's trunk provides? If not, you'll be fine.
> 
> Back when I was younger, single, and lived in an apartment, an NC was my only car for couple of years. *I had no read issues.*


And only occasional spell issues.


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

David9962000 said:


> Guys, I'm selling my MK7 GTi for a MX5 ND ST Club. My only car, I'm single. Good or bad move? Thank you for the advices


I daily mine, but have my wife's SUV for when I need something bigger. 

The GTI is definitely a better "only" car, but how often do you use the practicality of the GTI? If you are not normally hauling stuff or more than 1 additional person around, the Miata will work just fine. And I'm sure there is an Enterprise or Home Depot near by that will rent you something bigger if and when you need it.


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## YukonCornelius (Apr 22, 2006)

The current environment of the coronavirus (isolating at home) + weather getting warmer = bad influence on me thinking about what combo of cars would be good. Not sure I still want a fun car, but if I did, it'd be under 30k (closer to 20, the better), and just flat out enjoyable stock. I have this weird attraction to cheaper cars that are 'normal' and simple, and just work, despite being down on power. ND and toyota 86 both check that box. 

Not sure the 19 FD would be worth it over a used 17-18 which is closer to 20 (despite being down on power). I had an ap2 s2000 several years ago and came to the conclusion it was too old to be worth the value to me. I like the more "roundedness" of the ND but have never driven one. Coincidentally I watched the EE video earlier this morning.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Trying to figure out where the differential and gas tank are going to go with this deep trunk









FWIW a lot of the concept doesn't jibe with the history and philosophy of Miata. AWD? 300+ HP? Are the only choices fixed roof or no roof at all? None of those say "Miata" to me.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Warmer weather means quality driveway time so I'm messing with Captain Slow, my '90 "track car." I've got two biggish projects slated: get rid of the polyurethane bushings I installed five years ago, and upgrade to a Torsen LSD.

I regretted the poly bushings shortly after they went in. I greased them on assembly, but didn't make any provision for lubricating them afterwards. So as time went on they squeaked, creaked, and bound up so the suspension wasn't behaving like suspension should. I found someone selling a set of front control arms with decent stock rubber bushings so I snagged those. Bonus: those control arms were still attached to spindles, so I got spares of those, and those spindles had 1.8 brake calipers, so there's a nice cheap easy brake upgrade as well.










I got all that separated though I cheated by leaving the lower ball joints on the spindles. The calipers are nice and loose, and the bleeders aren't seized, and they're already painted red. If I'm smart I'll find some new seals for the pistons since one is a little nicked. Back to the control arms, I degreased them and shot them with a coat of satin black.










Turning my attention to the Torsen, it had stock rubber bushings and (ironically?) I want to put in delrin bushings to reduce driveline movement. I started drilling out the old bushings but I ran out of patience pretty quickly and went to Plan B










They still need to be cleaned up a bit before the delrin goes in, so that's tomorrow's problem.

Back to control arms. I found a guy selling a set of rears, but they were attached to a not-quite-complete rear subframe: open diff, one halfshaft, one spindle, one caliper. He said take all or nothing, so that came home.










Everything came apart fairly easily, though the long bolt through the bottom of that one knuckle fought me pretty good. I got it moving with some effort but before I got the torch out for the second time today.










The rear control arms have been degreased and cleaned, but they'll have to wait till the next nice day to get painted.


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## PowerDubs (Jul 22, 2001)

Claff said:


> a lot of the concept doesn't jibe with the history and philosophy of Miata. AWD? 300+ HP?



A lot of people may have said similar about the MK4 R32, and yes it isn’t the same as a MK1 Gti, but it is still a fantastic car... and much more performance capable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Claff said:


> FWIW a lot of the concept doesn't jibe with the history and philosophy of Miata. AWD? 300+ HP? Are the only choices fixed roof or no roof at all? None of those say "Miata" to me.


Totally agree. Attractive lines, but not at all Miata for those reasons.Now, if this was going to powered by an Electric drivetrain, it would make an interesting exercise - maybe an EX9??

Mazda went through such pains on their "gram strategy" to drop the weight and excess. My friend is the Engineering lead for the ND at Mazda and said that part of the reason they went back to 4 lug wheels is the 20% weight savings.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Mazda went through such pains on their "gram strategy" to drop the weight and excess. My friend is the Engineering lead for the ND at Mazda and said that part of the reason they went back to 4 lug wheels is the 20% weight savings.


I appreciate all the time it saves checking my lug nut torques.


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Totally agree. Attractive lines, but not at all Miata for those reasons.Now, if this was going to powered by an Electric drivetrain, it would make an interesting exercise - maybe an EX9??
> 
> Mazda went through such pains on their "gram strategy" to drop the weight and excess. My friend is the Engineering lead for the ND at Mazda and said that part of the reason they went back to 4 lug wheels is the 20% weight savings.


Sounds like (s)he needs to be posting on TCL.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

David9962000 said:


> Guys, I'm selling my MK7 GTi for a MX5 ND ST Club. My only car, I'm single. Good or bad move? Thank you for the advices


You need to look at your lifestyle, ask/answer some questions, and decide.

Do you often need to carry more than 1 passenger?
Do you use the hatchback for activities... camping, skiiing, biking, etc?
What about road trips?
Are you worried about the security of a soft top over a glass/metal top?
Do you have any hobbies that fill the hatchback with any regularity?

^^Based on those questions, and maybe others, I think you can determine if moving the the ND would be something you would be happy with doing.


Note, I am married with 2 kids and a 50# dog. But I have instant access to two larger vehicles if needed.
I daily drive an NC Miata for my commute. Just me and my laptop bag pretty much most of the time.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

David9962000 said:


> Guys, I'm selling my MK7 GTi for a MX5 ND ST Club. My only car, I'm single. Good or bad move? Thank you for the advices


i see literally no downside. been dailying a miata for 6 years, and for 2 years before it, an mr2 spyder. no issues. 

dont have kids, you'll be fine.



working on a surprize clutch job on my STS car. took it out of storage in the sprint, and boom, it was slipping really badly.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

More work

Rear control arms got prettier









Instructions for the diff bushings didn't mention anything about hacking these sleeves out of the diff housing. This has become my new favorite task: not only did I get to set stuff on fire, now I got to hit things with hammers till they came apart.









Yay









Instructions also don't say what to do with these other parts. I assume they replace the lumpy rubber. Too cold and windy to do outdoorsey stuff today so I'll see what the Youtube mechanics did with it.









FWIW I've kinda sorta been talked out of doing the 1.8 brake upgrade since I only have front calipers, and that'll throw the balance off. I'll be on the lookout for 1.8 rear calipers and when I get those, I'll do all four corners at the same time.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Absolutely did not need a miata..I certainly didn't need a normally aspirated car with flip up lights and I really didn't need another project, but "free" was too hard too pass up :laugh:

Car belonged to a wholesale customer at my shop, went to drop off a car at his shop and noted the MB 450sel 6.9 disappeared ... his cousin who owns the house/shop next to him and started scrapping a bunch of stuff sitting around.. the 6.9 hopefully was saved but very pissed it went away since I had asked a dozen times to give me a price. My customer said they were going to tell the guy taking all the cars to give him 400 bucks for his old miata. I said don't I'll take it but I don't want to get in trouble for spending 400 bucks on this so can I work it off? Ended up getting the miata and an AC machine he had in exchange for getting his TR6 up and running, and fixing brakes. :thumbup:

He had a second (with a hard top  ) but sold that once his wife got an SL for her summer car and then the water pump failed on this one he parked it. Years passed he went to pull it into the shop to fix and it wouldn't start.. few more past and here we are now, he dropped it off Tuesday. 

1993 White on black cloth package A? with 206k miles. Paint is not original and lifting (probably just diy wrap it). No rust in the problem areas luckily for age/miles/sitting. 











It was much greener from sitting under trees than this pic , I power washed it wednesday and thursday morning I threw on a mask and wiped the whole inside down with water/vinegar mix to try and start on the interior grossness. pulling carpet and seats to really clean it sometime next week, for 206k the seats are not bad just musty right now, carpet is in rough shape and drivers door panel is disintegrating. Top has 3 holes I was going to just patch them for the time being but its shrunk too much and took me 15 minutes to close it after putting it down to pull fuel pump so it needs to go. 


Trying to sort the no start I traced it to no fuel, couldn't hear pump running so once the interior was clean enough to work in I pulled the pump and found this..










Tank was actually about 80% full so little crazy but oh well. Pump wires were broken and the level sender isn't working. used assembly shows up monday morning.

Debating pulling the tank to clean it or just doing what I Can with the power washer and calling it good for now. I don't want to tie up my lift if I break something pulling the tank and once you have lift it's hard to get motivated to do something like that on the ground... outside.. since the TR6 is in my flat stall. 


Other than that for now its getting brakes, timing belt (when I do water pump) whatever seals I come across doing those jobs, tires, and cheapest top I can find to enjoy for the summer. Hopefully doesn't need much else.

We'll decide next spring if it becomes more of a project or flipped for something else (nb?)


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My wife sent me this picture. She thought I was asleep. 










(Note: 4 jack stands, very secure)

I was inspecting. First time I’ve had the under tray off (broke 4 bolts ). Trying to determine if I have a real oil leak or if it’s just years of messy oil changes.


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## frescogti (Apr 13, 2020)

Miata's always making me wish I wasn't 6'2"


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

frescogti said:


> Miata's always making me wish I wasn't 6'2"


Get an NC! (6'3" here.)


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

chris86vw said:


> 1993 White on black cloth package A? with 206k miles. Paint is not original and lifting (probably just diy wrap it).


Likely this is just the original Crystal White paint doing what it does - lift from the factory primer. To wrap it you'd need to smooth out all of the peeled edges - so not that fun and easy to do, but you're on the right track.


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## YukonCornelius (Apr 22, 2006)

Bored yesterday evening, rolled through the mazda dealer near me to just look at an ND in person. Wow, I just can't believe how small they are when you're standing beside one. I've owned 2 s2000's, but man that ND is SMALL. I'm not a big guy - 5'9 160, but it made me question if I want to be driving a car that small, with all the big vehicles on the road now.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Diamond Dave said:


> Likely this is just the original Crystal White paint doing what it does - lift from the factory primer. To wrap it you'd need to smooth out all of the peeled edges - so not that fun and easy to do, but you're on the right track.


It has been repainted, signs of poor masking job on some seals and over spray in a few places. The current paint lifts really easily with the power washer so if I wrap it i'll probably just go nuts with that to remove as much of the loose stuff as I can and then sand the edges flat. 


decided against pulling tank for now, just powerwashed the crap out of it in place over and over and over again on sunday. It seemed to be more varnish than rust, which makes sense since it was like 90% full. 

Did still take out some rust though..

1 second with power washer revealed this, there is hope!:









Then lots of power washing and pulling crud out:









and where I left it for now, I can "fill" the tank with water and no crud settles on the little tray where the pump sock sits after it drains:










After a bit of time on the fuel tank I decided to pull the interior out to clean the carpet and seats, and wanted to clean/kill everything under it. 










carpets aren't perfect but not worth replacing, cleaned up nice with some powerwashing. Seats still have a funk and some staining/fading. So I may just try some fabric paint on them see how they come out. 


"new" pump assembly showed up about an hour ago, but I forget where I put the tank drain plug and don't have any spare fuel at the shop anyway to test it. going to swap filter and run used sock on pump for a tank of fuel. Then pull pump, throw a new sock on and swap filters again. Inspect tank after that. But I think she'll be good.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Made more progress on Captain Slow the last couple days

Just when I thought I could put the torch away, I found more old rubber bushings to eliminate. One Youtube certified mechanic suggested just heating this part of the differential mount up with a heat gun and pry the bushing off, but I ran out of patience about two minutes in.









I figured I'd start the control arm swap up front since that would be easy. Since I had everything in the suspension all apart five years ago, nothing really fought me this time around.









Turning my attention to the fight front, I was surprised at how little the lower control arm moved with just the tie rod and knuckle attached to it. I think this lack of suspension movement was the primary contributor to the car's frustrating behavior exiting autocross corners.









During reassembly on the right side, I noticed the eccentrics were both pretty beat up and probably weren't any good anymore. Fortunately, I had spares from disassembling the spindles that were going in the car now.









Right front back together. The freshly painted control arms look very shiny compared to the old chassis undercoat and the surface rust on the brake calipers. If we don't get anywhere to run at in the coming weeks I might have to address those.









I thought I was all done and about to put the wheels on and take the car around the block,then remembered I hadn't reinstalled the sway bar or splash pan. That would have been a fun ride.









Now the front end is back together. I will reset the sway bar end links on the next decent day where I can get the car on ramps. I'm a little surprised to see that tire rub just above the brake line connection, there isn't one on the other side. I think I might have gotten a little frisky with the curbs at Dominion last year.









I'm not particularly looking forward to moving to the rear of the car, particularly the differential swap, but there isn't much left to do elsewhere on the car.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Loving this thread, loving Claff 'run out of patience' and then getting to see something on fire soon afterwards!  Damn I need another Miata.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Lawrider said:


> Loving this thread, loving Claff 'run out of patience' and then getting to see something on fire soon afterwards!  Damn I need another Miata.


Back in ~2013 I ended up doing a similar procedure on a friend's NA. We started out drilling the bushings out, and resorted to burning them out with MAPP gas. I just went and looked - there's still melted rubber on my concrete driveway.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Claff said:


> Made more progress on Captain Slow the last couple days
> 
> Just when I thought I could put the torch away, I found more old rubber bushings to eliminate. One Youtube certified mechanic suggested just heating this part of the differential mount up with a heat gun and pry the bushing off, but I ran out of patience about two minutes in.


You posted that and my b-i-l posted a similar pic from his latest Jeep project.  It's bushing burning week I guess. :thumbup: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-7ykrhApHu/


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Ordered up my front brake rotors and pads so they'd be here when I get to that step. Who knows how long order fulfilment and shipping will take with the pandemic on.

_Power Stop CRK793 - Power Stop Z17 Evolution Geomet Coated Brake Kits_


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Sporin said:


> Ordered up my front brake rotors and pads so they'd be here when I get to that step. Who knows how long order fulfilment and shipping will take with the pandemic on.
> 
> _Power Stop CRK793 - Power Stop Z17 Evolution Geomet Coated Brake Kits_



Had the 4 corner version of those in my cart but pulled them out and just got some of the engine stuff on the way, figured I should make sure it runs first :laugh:

Not sure where you ordered from but rockauto was doing pretty good and beating estimated delivery times on anything I've ordered for the shop in the past few weeks. But now are showing more and more 1-5day delay time things on certain parts. 


I've installed a few of the power stop kits on customers cars in the past few months, no long term updates on them but so far seem like a good deal for the money. Figured might as well try some personally and price is right for the miata.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

chris86vw said:


> Had the 4 corner version of those in my cart but pulled them out and just got some of the engine stuff on the way, figured I should make sure it runs first :laugh:
> 
> Not sure where you ordered from but rockauto was doing pretty good and beating estimated delivery times on anything I've ordered for the shop in the past few weeks. But now are showing more and more 1-5day delay time things on certain parts.
> 
> ...


Rock Auto was a a few bucks cheaper but I've had some issues with them over the years. I went with Summit Racing.

I don't track the car, but I wanted something coated, and good quality. I think these will be perfect.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Welp, front shock change is a no-go. Even after 4 days of PB Blasting, I can't get anything to budget. Broke a socket trying to loosen the sway bar end link. Can't get the top long bolt to budge. I'm not going to waste my time. With my luck, I'd just wind up busting things and turning this into a too-long project. 

The front shocks aren't leaking or noticably bad like the rears were, so this was more of a "want to" than a "have to." 

I'll do the brakes when the parts come in, slap on the new tires, and I'll be good for inspection, and the summer roads.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> Welp, front shock change is a no-go. *Even after 4 days of PB Blasting,* I can't get anything to budget. Broke a socket trying to loosen the sway bar end link. Can't get the top long bolt to budge. I'm not going to waste my time. With my luck, I'd just wind up busting things and turning this into a too-long project.
> 
> The front shocks aren't leaking or noticably bad like the rears were, so this was more of a "want to" than a "have to."
> 
> I'll do the brakes when the parts come in, slap on the new tires, and I'll be good for inspection, and the summer roads.


You need something that actually works. Get some “Break Free”, or mix a 50:50 solution of ATF and acetone, to use Kroil. I’m more familiar with Break Free, but I hear great things about all three and they’re all far more effective than PB Blaster. 

If you get one of those, use brake cleaner to get rid of the PB Blaster, hit it with a tiny shot of WD40 (it’s thin to carry the good stuff inside) and hit it with whichever pure penetrant you’re using. Then hit it again every day or two for a week. It’ll come off. :beer:


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## Volkl (Oct 2, 2003)

My plates came this weekend, and I spotted my car's great grand dad while taking the long way to the store today


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Got my brakes pulled apart yesterday, waiting on pads and rotors in the mail.

Probably a dumb question but... when I pulled the front brakes off, the pistons were all the way back into the bores and look pretty rusty. What are the chances they are seized back in there? Can I put a 2x4 in each caliper and step on the brake pedal to make sure they come out properly?

My braking was pretty soft, the rears have newish calipers, I'm thinking maybe my fronts are toast as well.

I've done a bunch of brakes but I've never had pistons stuck IN in this way, in the past, they've been seized out and won't depress.


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## PoorHouse (Nov 8, 2002)

That is weird. Typically you have to depress the piston when you replace pads (as you know).

The rusty bore means you need a replacement or a hone and rebuild.

Seems like it would be pretty noticeable if the front brakes weren't working.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

PoorHouse said:


> That is weird. Typically you have to depress the piston when you replace pads (as you know).
> 
> The rusty bore means you need a replacement or a hone and rebuild.
> 
> Seems like it would be pretty noticeable if the front brakes weren't working.


Yeah, that's where I'm curious because it's been braking fine, not great, but fine. My complaint was that I wanted more initial "bite" from the brakes, perhaps this is the cause?

I think I'll throw some wood in there and see if the pistons move. It's not the end of the world to get 2 new reman'd calipers but I don't want to open the whole system up if I don't need to.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

For the past year I've been toying with selling my heap. It's been an endless project and I'm tired of wrenching on it. The problem is, I'm still in love with it. As she sits, she needs to be tuned (1.8l conversion), radiator now has a leak, and the Raceland header needs to be adjusted (may just man-up and get a RB unit). I pulled her out of the garage this weekend so I could hang some shelves. Took her for a spin and totally remembered why I liked the car. I've left it parked in front of my house so I could look at it from the window, still makes me smile.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Sporin said:


> Probably a dumb question but... when I pulled the front brakes off, the pistons were all the way back into the bores and look pretty rusty. What are the chances they are seized back in there? Can I put a 2x4 in each caliper and step on the brake pedal to make sure they come out properly?


Based on the rust pattern on the rotors the pads were in contact with the rotors which would seem to indicate that they were in fact extending. 

How much material is left on the front pads? Does it appear maybe someone threw in new pads on old rotors? That could give you a soft pedal and keep the piston in what would seem like a too far retracted position, especially if its making pad contact by dragging on a high spot.

Seal kits are like 2-3 bucks a caliper and pistons are like 6 bucks. I normally kind of hate dealing with that sort of thing but wasn't impressed by reman prices so think I am just going to rebuild all 4 myself while the cars apart.



Used fuel pump assembly that showed up last week was DOA, I offered them to refund me half and I just keep it, they said no. Oh well I"ll take the full refund then :screwy: So new drop in pump showed up today (16 bucks) rigged it up on old rusty assembly threw jump box on it and it started up for the first time in probably 8 years. Something must have made a nest under the exhaust heatshield since the engine smelled like a forest fire and the water pump (why it was parked long ago) was screaming so I only idled it for a minute and shut it down. 


Shortly after batteries showed up.. but won't be running it down working on this just yet so its about to get put on the trickle charger.










not conventional for a miata but it is the battery I run in my A3, which was also dead and needed to be replaced. I Figured running the same batteries on those two makes sense so I can swap between cars if needed. Took a gamble on them from battery shark, should be comparable to a deka etx18l but made in vietnam apparently. Showed up with 12.8 volts each with a late january manufacturing date. 


Timing belt, crank/cam seals, thermostat etc all showed up too. Now that it is "running" I'm about to order all the coolant hoses and need to find a fuel level sender. One it is moving under its own power I'll order brakes and tires.


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

So glad I bought this car. With everything going on it's nice to get away for a bit and run errands.
Drove the car through NJ's mild winter. 40 degrees completely comfortable with the top down and windows up and a beanie:thumbup:
Spring is here and I'm looking forward to racking up some miles.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Love it!


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

velocidub said:


> So glad I bought this car. With everything going on it's nice to get away for a bit and run errands.
> Drove the car through NJ's mild winter. 40 degrees completely comfortable with the top down and windows up and a beanie:thumbup:
> Spring is here and I'm looking forward to racking up some miles.


Fantastic spec. I was hunting for one earlier in this pandemic. I wouldn't mind unloading my projects for something like this.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

velocidub said:


> So glad I bought this car. With everything going on it's nice to get away for a bit and run errands.
> Drove the car through NJ's mild winter. 40 degrees completely comfortable with the top down and windows up and a beanie:thumbup:
> Spring is here and I'm looking forward to racking up some miles.


That looks like my hood, great car!


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Thanks for the compliments. Back in 2014 I test drove a NC Club HT. White with the black top. Loved the car, but let it slip away. I was bummed out about it for a long time.
Fast forward to August 2018 and Mazda had awesome deals on the 2018s because the 2019s were out.
When I saw the deals I literally jumped in the car and drove to the dealer and bought the car. Didn't let this one slip away!
The deal I got only lasted 1 month IIRC.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I love the burgundy top package, it's very classy, particularly with that great dark gray metallic.


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

Thanks. The cherry red top and machine gray exterior were another reason I hightailed it to the dealer.
The car was sitting on the showroom floor. Almost looked exotic sitting there.


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## velocidub (Oct 27, 2002)

NC I let slip away. (Not actual car, but I like the pic)


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

velocidub said:


> NC I let slip away. (Not actual car, but I like the pic)


I want one just like it, white Club with the black PHRT. :heart:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Volkl said:


> I spotted my car's great grand dad while taking the long way to the store today


Not the grand Dad of a Miata. Just an old Mazda Truck.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

velocidub said:


> NC I let slip away. (Not actual car, but I like the pic)


Traditional Japanese racing colors? Yassssss. :heart:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Confirmed my calipers aren’t seized so that’s good. Just waiting on my rotors and pads now.


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

That image convinced me to buy one in 2013.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

redwe-in-wi said:


> That image convinced me to buy one in 2013.


:thumbup: :thumbup: 

They certainly seem to be out there, I found a few on cars.com and that's not even a great Miata marketplace. The red Club is pretty sweet as well.












*How about we open this can of worms for discussion...*

What are the pros/cons of various NC generations? Is one better than the others? Most desirable, must-have features or options?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> *How about we open this can of worms for discussion...*
> 
> What are the pros/cons of various NC generations? Is one better than the others? Most desirable, must-have features or options?



I feel my dad's NC is pretty damn perfect for an NC. If I buy another NC, it would be just like his (or possibly white).

The NC2 (2009+) gets a host of upgrades including a higher redline and forged internals. The interior was redone a bit as well. The NC3 (2013+) was basically a small facelifted NC2. Exterior colors came and went throughout the years- the same for leather seat colors.

If you like the 'Club' trim, that was only available as an NC3.

What's strange is that my dad's 2013 Club (seen below) doesn't have bluetooth, but the Grand Touring trim did have it. It doesn't look like there's a good way to add it to my dad's car, either. 

The PRHTs (2007+) area killer feature unless you are concerned about the extra ~80lbs. It gives the full top-down convertible experience, unlike the ND RF. (Although I must say that a NC soft top with a removable hard top look freakin' great.)


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

Yep, NC2 and up would be the best to get. Better engine internals is the primary issue, although grabbing an NC1 with engine issues and swapping in a 2.5 motor is nearly plug and play.

As to the PRHT, I personally don't like the side view, added weight and reduced interior space as compared to the soft top or that same soft top with the removable hard top. I have the hard top on mine and it offers way more space and looks 100x better than the PRHT. Also, from what I understand, the PRHT can't fit a rollbar that works for SCCA or NASA. They are heavier, have a different shaped trunk and use different springs in the rear versus the soft top cars. (As Claff knows all to well!  )


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

kptaylor said:


> Yep, NC2 and up would be the best to get. Better engine internals is the primary issue, although grabbing an NC1 with engine issues and swapping in a 2.5 motor is nearly plug and play.


I live within driving distance of MotoEast (who does 2.5L swaps) and it's _very_ enticing. 




kptaylor said:


> As to the PRHT, I personally don't like the side view, added weight and reduced interior space as compared to the soft top or that same soft top with the removable hard top. I have the hard top on mine and it offers way more space and looks 100x better than the PRHT. Also, from what I understand, the PRHT can't fit a rollbar that works for SCCA or NASA. They are heavier, have a different shaped trunk and use different springs in the rear versus the soft top cars. (As Claff knows all to well!  )


The side view of the PRHT is a good point. It looks 'bulbous' with the top up. Not a great look. When I had My NC, I bought a factory hardtop for it as well. Man, I need to dig out a picture to put online. 

I'm not sure what you mean by the removable hard top having more interior space than the PRHT. I'm not sure what space you gain in the cabin with the RHT on the soft top. 

And you're right about all the racing stuff. The PRHT isn't as good as the soft top for that. 

As far as the trunk goes, it is different than the soft top, but not noticeably so.


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## ValveCoverGasket (Mar 20, 2002)

velocidub said:


> So glad I bought this car. With everything going on it's nice to get away for a bit and run errands.
> Drove the car through NJ's mild winter. 40 degrees completely comfortable with the top down and windows up and a beanie:thumbup:
> Spring is here and I'm looking forward to racking up some miles.


oh wow that color combo looks sharp

any more pics of the interior or the top up? 

lovely :beer:


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> The side view of the PRHT is a good point. It looks 'bulbous' with the top up. Not a great look. When I had My NC, I bought a factory hardtop for it as well. Man, I need to dig out a picture to put online.


So I found some pics from ~2010 of my NC with its hard top.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

My NA When I bought it in 2010:



















And the same car when I sold it in 2019:


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

pretty much everything to get it running again has arrived. 










One heater core line was labeled wrong so two of the same showed up, no one local has the other one of course. Oh well will be on straight water until it is all tested anyway so not a big deal to swap that out later.

Once I know it is running fine this weekend, I'll start putting interior back together and get on ordering brakes and tires.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So it sounds like 2009+, and if I want that PHRT Club with the contrasting black roof it's 2013 only. Got it, thank you. :thumbup:

For me, I look at adding the NC PHRT to the stable, while also keeping our NA. That lets me get a little silly with the NA, and use the NC for our "nice" touring sports car. 

It's a little bigger, and a little more powerful, and the PHRT lets us really take advantage of our short season here in Vermont. It would give us a lot more comfort and extend our season on both ends. The little, soft top NA is a real killjoy when the weather gets bad or I need to do a highway slog. I think the NC would be a lot better at that.


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> So I found some pics from ~2010 of my NC with its hard top.


And compare with the PRHT you can see the c0ckpit is much smaller, less room. That's my point! I feel the hard top is the better option over the PRHT. Getting the roof off isn't too difficult plus if you're driving with it off and you run into bad weather, you just put up the soft top. PRHT is always going to be smaller, more complex, heavier and with less parts available for racecar things.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

kptaylor said:


> *And compare with the PRHT you can see the c0ckpit is much smaller, less room*. That's my point! I feel the hard top is the better option over the PRHT. Getting the roof off isn't too difficult plus if you're driving with it off and you run into bad weather, you just put up the soft top. PRHT is always going to be smaller, more complex, heavier and with less parts available for racecar things.


Sorry, I just don't see it. From the roll hoops forward (the space the human takes up, the cabin), the space in the PRHT and the soft top with the removable hard top is _exactly the same_. 

The space behind the roll hoops is visually smaller in the PRHT, sure. But no humans are there anyway. Or are you trying to fit something on top of the soft top when the RHT is on the car?

And on top of of that, with the PRHT up, you can store lots of stuff in the top-storage area. And its made easy to get to that area by the top-cover panel that lifts up. You have similar space in the soft-top cars with the top up, but you have to fit/remove everything from in between the roll hoops (which is a small opening).


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

Yes, the interior volume is smaller not necessarily the space you physically occupy. Like a crew cab truck versus a standard cab. The feeling of smallness is what I mean. The extra space in a PRHT trunk with the top up may be a thing, but I've never looked at one so I can't say. With the top down, though, is the trunk space smaller? I can and do throw stuff behind me with the RHT on the car if I have a passenger. Kind of like a package shelf. (Sun shade, umbrella, etc.) Easier to get to than throwing it in a trunk. Basically, for me, it boils down to looks and the PRHT looks stunted to me versus a car with the RHT.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Waiting on paint still (for my calipers) but I should have the car back on the road soon.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Cleaned everything up and decided it didn’t need paint.  Too sunny and warm to wait. 

All buttoned up, took a nice ride to bed them in and I’m pleased.

Still needs new tires for state inspection but I’m nearly there.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

kptaylor said:


> Yes, the interior volume is smaller not necessarily the space you physically occupy. Like a crew cab truck versus a standard cab. The feeling of smallness is what I mean. The extra space in a PRHT trunk with the top up may be a thing, but I've never looked at one so I can't say. With the top down, though, is the trunk space smaller? I can and do throw stuff behind me with the RHT on the car if I have a passenger. Kind of like a package shelf. (Sun shade, umbrella, etc.) Easier to get to than throwing it in a trunk. Basically, for me, it boils down to looks and the PRHT looks stunted to me versus a car with the RHT.


I've been in my dad's PRHT and my soft top (with and without a hard top). They don't feel any different since you aren't really even looking at the space behind the roll hoops. 

Here's a thread on the 'extra' storage the PRHT has: https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=647895

The trunk on the PRHT is a (slightly) different shape than the trunk on the soft top, but it isn't really any smaller. As with the soft top, the PRHT doesn't take up any trunk space with the top down. 

And I agree with you on the looks of the RHT. It looks way better than the PRHT.


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> So I found some pics from ~2010 of my NC with its hard top.


I really like the NC with a HT...but not a fan at all of PHRT.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

I don’t think I’ve ever seen an NC with the separate hard top, that looks great.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

OK when it comes to NC I prefer NC2 (with appearance package) to NC3. I don't like how far the NC3 fog light pods protrude from the corners of the bumper.

I didn't like PRHT and only bought one because it was the best car available at the time I needed one. I find it more acceptable since we had the roof painted black like Clubs; it's less space-capsuley that way.

I still haven't gotten our NC1 straightened out suspension-wise (been distracted by swapping suspension/control arms/diff in the '90). Haven't tried much either. Can't put it up for sale anyway since nobody wants to venture out to meet strangers and frankly I'm not too interested in meeting strangers who might venture out to look at the car.

I'd like to order a few consecutive raiin-free 70 degree afternoons so I can finish up the '90. Not that it has anywhere to go. First Track Night was supposed to be last Thursday. I want to drive fast (relatively speaking) again sometime.

I forgot what else we were talking about.

NC soft top has cubbyholes in the rear plastic behind the seats that the PRHT lacks. I found the PO left me a nice jacket and some other knick-knacks in the bins in the '08.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Claff said:


> OK when it comes to NC I prefer NC2 (with appearance package) to NC3. I don't like how far the NC3 fog light pods protrude from the corners of the bumper.


I fixed a lot of that on my NC3 by removing the side marker bulbs, capping them off, and then painting the amber marker with Plastidip. It still retains turn signals in the headlights so problem solved.


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

Thinking about buying ND for my wife. She is in the front lines and could use a fun car to drive to the hospital and back.

*For those in NY/NJ with NDs, how was your purchase experience? which dealer did you use?*

Thanks!


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Don't we have a TCL'er located in NJ who works at a Mazda dealer?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

CostcoPizza said:


> Don't we have a TCL'er located in NJ who works at a Mazda dealer?


Paging Zillion to The Car Lounge!


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## EuroAtomic (Jun 18, 2002)

I forgot about Zillon. I though he still worked for Mini. I'll PM him. Thank you for reminding me

I owned 7 NAs and I'll never financially recover from ND purchase, bring on the tiger kind memes...


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally got my idle where I want it after last summer’s big throttle body cleaning. 

Retorqued all the bolts from the front brake job last week. 

Took a nice drive though the countryside to pick up some free rhubarb plants for the garden. 

Going to order my new tires tomorrow assuming they are in stock. Then it will be ready for inspection and I can drive it even more.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Sporin said:


> Going to order my new tires tomorrow assuming they are in stock. Then it will be ready for inspection and I can drive it even more.


We were just talking about a rhubarb and strawberry bed in the garden. :thumbup:


Discount tire was showing nothing in stock on their site when I ordered mine last week but did have them on eBay so I took a chance and they shipped same day, but did say last ones on eBay. So if they show no stock on website check eBay. Even refunded me the automatic sales tax eBay charges. 


Drove mine under its own power for probably first time in almost a decade yesterday, seat not bolted down and steering column loose so a little sketchy but it was just 100ft to get into shop. Pulled wheels but then couldn't decide if I wanted to paint them so didn't dismount tires. 

Opened up the rocker drains and probably gallon of water from both sides combined came out.

Started timing belt, 95% done. Someone had put a huge alternator belt in so the tensioner bolt was all the way out and rusted solid, need to replace it all. And forgot to order oring for the t stat neck so wasted time trying to find that. And my cheap ass didn't order plug wires, of course the ends were dry and brittle, number 4 crumbled in my hands :banghead:


Made list of all the little stuff I found once it was on the lift, including small rust spot in driver foot well, probably going to cut out and fix before I put interior back in.


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## Tommietank (Mar 6, 2009)

Here is my buddy's ND. Dude rides mountain bikes and lives in a multifamily property he's remodeling. Also it's his only car here in Vermont. No truck needed gentlemen.


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

That's doing it right!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

One of the best easy mods I did end of last year was to re-clock the door handles so they aren't digging into our knee when the windows are down (which they almost always are). I noted it to my wife on our drive yesterday and she vehemently agreed it made a big difference. So I also pitched her removing the bulky handles and replacing with straps, she loved the idea.

Trying to figure out if I want to make them myself, or just suck it up and get a kit.

https://mossmiata.com/1990-1997-mia...-pulls-with-red-stitching-by-jass-performance

We aren't small people so a little extra space goes a long way.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

I JUST threw out a bunch of leather that got a little gross in my attic (had some rodents this winter) right before getting the miata.. kicking myself.

50 bucks is more than I'd personally spend on something like this but not a bad deal at all. I think I'm just going to make some nylon straps for mine but the style of the leather is much nicer I think when you have a full interior, stock panels etc.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I think I'm just going to get their cheap ones. Once I started pricing out getting leather and thread and hardware, this version seems just fine value-wise.

$37.99
https://mossmiata.com/1990-1997-miata/roadster-logo-leather-door-pulls-by-jass-performance

I'm not doing it right away, so maybe I'll find something better/cheaper/more creative before then.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

New tires ordered!

_Ohtsu Tire
FP0612 A/S
195 /60 R14 86H SL BSW_

Just shy of $200 for 4, shipped to my door.


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## alvint_vw (Jun 6, 2003)

*NA in Ventura*









Awesome weekend driving weather in Ventura, California


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Got a call about my Discount Tire order, but it was just their usual upsell stuff. In stock and on the way!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Spent a couple days swapping a Torsen diff into my '90. The guy who sold me the diff included the driveshaft and halfshafts, sort of.

I think this is the third diff I've put into this car. It originally had an open diff, and then I went through two viscous LSDs. The car was misbehaving on corner exit and I wasn't sure if it was the diff not viscousing or those poly bushings in the control arms binding. So I got rid of both. I swapped the front control arms a couple weeks ago, and tackled the rear over the weekend.

This car comes apart way too easily.









Torsen in. I had to have the wife help with jacking it up while I guided it. I was optimistic at first that I could just bench press the thing all by myself but that was a comical failure.









That was enough fun for one day. I came back a couple days later and laid out everything else to get reinstalled. It's just like a big model kit with no instruction sheet.









About halfway done









It's all back together now, but I don't think it's 100% right. When I bought the diff, the seller admitted that he kinda mushroomed the end of one halfshaft getting it out of the spindle. He bought another halfshaft off eBay to make good, but it's off of a NB. The splines and stuff lined up OK but the axle nut threads were different, good thing the NB halfshaft came with its own. Buttoning it up I noticed there was movement in the spindle no matter how tight I got the axle nut, and I think the NB axle is not fitting right in the NA spindle.

In my parts stash I have a right rear 1.8 NA spindle with axle that I'll swap in the next time we have decent weather. It's kinda a PITA to have to tear a corner of the car apart again but it's not right the way it sits now.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


> Spent a couple days swapping a Torsen diff into my '90. The guy who sold me the diff included the driveshaft and halfshafts, sort of.



Dd you end up with a 4.30 Tosen or a 4.10 Torsen? I feel like I've asked you before. I always wanted to obut a 4.30 Tosen in my '90, but I never got around to it.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Anyone make their own rail reinforcements on an NA?

I've got one tiny soft spot in the floor, about where your heel is for clutch pedal on drive side so going to patch that. And only other iffy spot is passenger frame rail towards the front. Not horrible but if I keep it will be annoyed that I didn't fix it.. if I sell it I"ll be annoyed if I waste too much time/money fixing it. 

Trying to decide if I cut it out, half ass fix it and slap some rail reinforcements over it, cut it all out and beef it it up with some box tubing, or just slap some rust encapsulating stuff on it, undercoat and call it a day. 


Have some other things I could use a sheet metal brake for so this seems like a good excuse, despite the cost of one being 2-3x more than what just buying these would be.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> Dd you end up with a 4.30 Tosen or a 4.10 Torsen? I feel like I've asked you before. I always wanted to obut a 4.30 Tosen in my '90, but I never got around to it.


This is a 4.1 out of a 96M. I lose some acceleration but gain some length on the top end. This should help me at Dominion. If I get the first turn right, I get real close to needing to shift up before turn two. This gearing should buy me some more MPHs in 3rd and get me further from redline before I have to brake.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

New tire day! Ohtsu FP0612 in 195/60-14. Tread looks like just what I want and it's crazy how soft and pliable they feel compared to the old, hard, Dunlop SP500's that are on the car now. It's going to make a big difference!


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## Dawg Dee-Lux (Jul 16, 2004)




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## David9962000 (Feb 2, 2011)

Dawg Dee-Lux said:


>


Great video, that ND is a great car and a bargain.


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## Dawg Dee-Lux (Jul 16, 2004)

David9962000 said:


> Great video, that ND is a great car and a bargain.


Certainly is :thumbup:


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## proximal (May 2, 2006)

Dawg Dee-Lux said:


>


There's a written article that goes along with this and has more details: https://www.autoblog.com/2020/04/30/mazda-mx5-miata-suspension-deep-dive/


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Sporin said:


> New tire day! Ohtsu FP0612 in 195/60-14.


Samsies.. well they showed up the other day but just mounted them now


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

chris86vw said:


> Samsies.. well they showed up the other day but just mounted them now


Sweet! Soonest I could get an appointment was Tuesday.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Only advantage to having access to a tire machine (shop nextdoor) is being able to do them on my own schedule. Otherwise I hate doing tires, these were easiest I've done in years though.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

chris86vw said:


> Only advantage to having access to a tire machine (shop nextdoor) is being able to do them on my own schedule. Otherwise I hate doing tires, these were easiest I've done in years though.


Let me know how you like them.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Swapped the right rear spindle and axle on the '90 and everything fits like it's supposed to. The car is an alignment and a set of tires getting mounted away from being ready to go back on track, if there were a track to return to.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

After 28 years the old radiator was replaced with an all aluminum Koyorad, finally got around to replacing the original 14" BBS wheels with the 16" ND wheels I got last year with new Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06, 205/45R16 tires, and just finished installing the R Style front spoiler. Still fun to drive after all these years.








[/url]20200507_185357a by Chuck's Pixs, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## NailsInOurBacks (Jan 26, 2005)

Happy to say after several years I am back in a Miata.

NC1 this time around:










2008 Sport trim, 5 speed, clean history, very tight - all stock with 100k miles picked up for $5,450. I have ordered the Jass Performance 2.5" lower seat rails (en route currently in Cologne from Sofia Bulgaria!), I also have in box a new 2" steering wheel spacer from SuperMiata and will be doing the gas pedal shim and dead pedal section cut mods. Hoping this will make it a little more comfortable inside.

I've previously had two miatas, an NB1 and NB2:



















But this one will get modded more extensively and used for local karting track TT and non-competitive autocross events. And canyon runs! 

To do list in the following order:

[coilovers]
Moroso Aluminum Coolant Expansion Tank
Goodwin Racing Oil Cooler & Thermostat kit
Track Dog Racing Super Cool Air Flow kit with AGM battery
AEM/Mazdaspeed CAI
RoadsterSport Sport Muffler
EBC Yellowstuff
Goodwin Racing Brake Duct kit
[wheels]
[tires]
[bracing]

Anyone have recommended coilovers or can chime in on these three?

Tein Flex Z with 7k/5k ($860)
Bilstein B14 PSS with 6k/4k ($901)
ST X with 7k/6k ($845)

I'm still playing catch up with the NC info base. Are there some 'must haves' for this car? I see the 2.5 MZR swap is very popular - unlike the Solstice, if the engine pops here I'll absolutely do the swap and go down that rabbit hole. I read the headers are the weak point for the MZR (any size) but I'm too chicken to get non carb legal parts so I don't think there'd be much of an upgrade with that one $700 MagnaFlow unit.


On a related note;










Another Mazda was picked up within 24 hours of the Miata. This one has 92k miles, original owner, completely bone stock with a stack of service receipts. $6k. Not bad huh!? After a little cleaning it presents itself really nice and pulls like an Ox. My brother will be taking this and we'll be modding the Mazda's together. He has a set of Bilstein PSS, Centric Rotors & Yellowstuff pads & SS lines, a new Cork Sport steering wheel and a Mishimoto oil catch can on the way. Next after is a Schroth Rallye 3 ASM, rear motor mount and he wants some more noise - so may a muffler???

Also playing catch up with the knowledge base on the MS3. If there's any pros here that suggest the must-do or must-have parts and modifications for that car, please let me know, too.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

NailsInOurBacks said:


> Anyone have recommended coilovers or can chime in on these three?
> 
> Tein Flex Z with 7k/5k ($860)
> Bilstein B14 PSS with 6k/4k ($901)
> ...


I recommend Ohlins, though they're roughly double the price of your listed options. But they just work.

A NC can really wake up with a header and a tune. I have the Roadstersport catted header but I see it's not CARB listed. I don't know anyone using the Magnaflow one.

My must-have list was pretty short. Coilovers, sway bars, aggressive wheels and tires, and exhaust. The header is nice but a PITA to install.

If you're going to drive this NC aggressively you should consider swapping in a Torsen differential.


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## NailsInOurBacks (Jan 26, 2005)

Claff said:


> I recommend Ohlins, though they're roughly double the price of your listed options. But they just work.
> A NC can really wake up with a header and a tune. I have the Roadstersport catted header but I see it's not CARB listed. I don't know anyone using the Magnaflow one.
> My must-have list was pretty short. Coilovers, sway bars, aggressive wheels and tires, and exhaust. The header is nice but a PITA to install.
> If you're going to drive this NC aggressively you should consider swapping in a Torsen differential.


I'm certain the Ohlins are awesome but I can't bring myself to buy them, simply too rich for my blood! I'm leaning towards the ST X coilover... or the B14 set...  

I've seen header + tune thrown around on miata.net but I thought they were talking about the 2.5 for the wake up. A quick Google search led me to https://www.delicioustuning.com/Miata_MX-5_NC_Stage_1_Tuning_Package Looks like a 2.0 will put down around 110 whp. I think my car has a little more pep than 110 whp, maybe 125-30ish. Think a CAI, CA legal header + tune would be worth while? Seeing those 2.5's with I/H/E/cams + tune put down near 220 whp is nuts. 

I didn't know there was a Torsen unit for the NC I thought that was only NA/B. The I was thinking the Tomei ($890) unit could be an affordable way into a limited slip when that time comes.

Did you do sways after the Ohlins?


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

The header and tune really wake up the 2.0 as well.

And if you are looking for coils under a grand the Meister crds get good press.

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

NailsInOurBacks said:


> I'm certain the Ohlins are awesome but I can't bring myself to buy them, simply too rich for my blood! I'm leaning towards the ST X coilover... or the B14 set...
> 
> I've seen header + tune thrown around on miata.net but I thought they were talking about the 2.5 for the wake up. A quick Google search led me to https://www.delicioustuning.com/Miata_MX-5_NC_Stage_1_Tuning_Package Looks like a 2.0 will put down around 110 whp. I think my car has a little more pep than 110 whp, maybe 125-30ish. Think a CAI, CA legal header + tune would be worth while? Seeing those 2.5's with I/H/E/cams + tune put down near 220 whp is nuts.
> 
> ...


My '08 with intake/catted header/straight midpipe/tiny muffler/tune put down 158 WHP/144 WTRQ on a local tuner's dyno. It baselined at 155 with a remote tune.

My '10 with similar mods (stock midpipe) put down 165 WHP on the same dyno.

Torsens are out there, and finding one is kinda like checking off the boxes you had to in order to know if a NA or NB had a Torsen from the factory. For the '08 you had to look for a car with the suspension package (Bilsteins) or technology package (HIDs and AKE key system). My '08 has the technology package so the Torsen came stock. The '10 did not, but a previous owner installed a magical OS Giken.

My '08 came with a curious combination of a Progress bar in front and Eibach in the rear. Its suspension was stock black shocks with some sort of lowering springs. I installed a set of Bilsteins the week after I brought the car home, but upgraded to Ohlins not too long after that. It's a touch on the soft side spring-wise for serious hardcore driving but drove well.


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## NailsInOurBacks (Jan 26, 2005)

dunhamjr said:


> The header and time really wake up the 2.0 as well.
> And if you are looking for coils under a grand the Meister crds get good press.





Claff said:


> My '08 with intake/catted header/straight midpipe/tiny muffler/tune put down 158 WHP/144 WTRQ on a local tuner's dyno. It baselined at 155 with a remote tune.
> My '10 with similar mods (stock midpipe) put down 165 WHP on the same dyno.
> Torsens are out there, and finding one is kinda like checking off the boxes you had to in order to know if a NA or NB had a Torsen from the factory. For the '08 you had to look for a car with the suspension package (Bilsteins) or technology package (HIDs and AKE key system). My '08 has the technology package so the Torsen came stock. The '10 did not, but a previous owner installed a magical OS Giken.
> My '08 came with a curious combination of a Progress bar in front and Eibach in the rear. Its suspension was stock black shocks with some sort of lowering springs. I installed a set of Bilsteins the week after I brought the car home, but upgraded to Ohlins not too long after that. It's a touch on the soft side spring-wise for serious hardcore driving but drove well.


I ended up going with the ST X coil overs last night, no word on shipping from Germany yet. The Jass seat mounts are still in Cologne, too. I saw a post about the Meister's switching to Swift springs in the future and that would have been great - I had those on the S2K and they were really nice! Too impatient  I also ordered the factory front cowl support with Cobalt 3 piece front strut bar and the IL lower rear brace. Thinking of adding the X brace in there and calling it a day on stiffening the car. Any other suggestions of 'must do' parts on that end? 

Given the use; I don't think I'll be missing the adjust ability - hopefully the valving won't be too stiff and I can set it and forget it. Will 'fine' tune it with bars if need be.

Wow - so it wouldn't be stretch to imagine the 2.0 MZR can get to around 175 WHP or ~200 crank hp. Ya know, that's not bad assuming all these performance parts would swap over to the 2.5. I know this is magazine racing here but for the sake of discussion;

08' MZR 2.0 167 hp
AEM/Mazdaspeed CAI - ~$300
MiataSport Complete Exhaust Combo - $1600
Xero Limit (Moto East) Stage 1.5 cam - $649
Kelford Cams Valve Springs - $300
Delicious EcuTek Dyno Tune - $750
= $3598 + labor, if necessary. Not a CARB legal setup (I know, I know) but to pick up about 33 hp or 20% more power in the upper rev range for that coin feels fair. Or maybe I'm still thinking P-car pricing. I feel like the NC1 falls off 1,500 rpms too early and doesn't reward the wind out as much as it should. If it had just a bit more, say 20% more :laugh:, it would be perfect for a roadster. And this presumably shoots up another 20-30 hp with the 2.5 block and a ton more torque, right? That's gotta be a riot - I want to experience that.

Does the 09+ make a few extra horses due to the factory higher rev limit with forged crank? I've never driven one, Claff - do you find the '10 to be more reward to rev out to red line than your 08'?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

NailsInOurBacks said:


> Does the 09+ make a few extra horses due to the factory higher rev limit with forged crank? I've never driven one, Claff - do you find the '10 to be more reward to rev out to red line than your 08'?


I bought these NCs to be autocross cars so the higher rev limiter on the 10 (tuner set to 8000 RPM) was a huge improvement over the 08 (7500). On the street both cars are fun and I don't notice much difference between the two, but I also don't drive 10/10ths on the street. Biggest difference between the two is weight, 10 is a PRHT (2490 lbs) and the 08 is a soft top (2380 lbs on the same scale). Having said that, the 10 PRHT is faster overall thanks to a little more power, the Giken diff, and better shocks (Motion Control vs Ohlins).


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## GreenandChrome (May 24, 2002)

Claff said:


> I bought these NCs to be autocross cars so the higher rev limiter on the 10 (tuner set to 8000 RPM) was a huge improvement over the 08 (7500). On the street both cars are fun and I don't notice much difference between the two, but I also don't drive 10/10ths on the street. Biggest difference between the two is weight, 10 is a PRHT (2490 lbs) and the 08 is a soft top (2380 lbs on the same scale). Having said that, the 10 PRHT is faster overall thanks to a little more power, the Giken diff, and better shocks (Motion Control vs Ohlins).


Please tell me one of your fleet has the plate "SECONDS" or "2NDS".


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

NailsInOurBacks said:


> Wow - so it wouldn't be stretch to imagine the 2.0 MZR can get to around 175 WHP or ~200 crank hp. Ya know, that's not bad assuming all these performance parts would swap over to the 2.5. Not a CARB legal setup (I know, I know) but to pick up about 33 hp or 20% more power in the upper rev range for that coin feels fair.


Wishful thinking and magazine tuning. You can't stack the "claimed HP" of each of those and expect to see it at the dyno until you open up the engine and get into headwork.


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## NailsInOurBacks (Jan 26, 2005)

Diamond Dave said:


> Wishful thinking and magazine tuning. You can't stack the "claimed HP" of each of those and expect to see it at the dyno until you open up the engine and get into headwork.


Sure is. Was going off Claff's reported dyno of 158 whp with bolt ons on his '08. I think it's a reasonable assumption a good set of cams would net another 10 whp when dyno tuned, no?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

What a different replacing 10-year-old tires makes! No idea on handling because I just drove it home but the new rubber is noticeably quieter and less harsh over our terrible roads. I don't think the extra half-inch of size is the big reason, I think it's the fresh, soft rubber compound.

A nice consequence of upsizing from 185-60 to 195-60 is that my speedometer is now dead-accurate to the GPS speedo on my phone.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Glad you are liking the tires so far. :thumbup: Didn't get a chance to drive mine. 

Went to fill the coolant saturday and while trying to pull a vacuum noticed a leak at the t-stat neck to cylinder head. I had replaced the oring but it was with the fel-pro not mazda one. I had read some people saying it didn't work and well it didn't...

Forgot to notch the cover plate to make getting the bolts for the neck off easier without removing timing belt so I get to do that job over again now, oops.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Set the tire pressures and took a nice long ride tonight. Super happy with the new tires, they have transformed the car’s ride. Incredible difference far exceeding any placebo effect.


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## VRhooptie (Jul 24, 2009)

Looking to pull the trigger on an NA (low mileage-under $6k) or NC2 (under $11k). Clubs are super hard to come by and NC3s are intersecting ND prices which seems a but nuts. Miata mania has hit a bunch of these sellers asking 6k for an NA with 150K miles...I need a Miata..just not that bad


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

GreenandChrome said:


> Please tell me one of your fleet has the plate "SECONDS" or "2NDS".


No such luck. However, that's how the car got its name. I bought it cheap off a friend (Danny) who bought it even cheaper and fixed most of what was wrong with it. When we got it, we still had a few things to sort out so the car's name was "Danny's Sloppy Seconds." I was happily surprised that the SL0PPY plate was available.



Sporin said:


> What a different replacing 10-year-old tires makes! No idea on handling because I just drove it home but the new rubber is noticeably quieter and less harsh over our terrible roads. I don't think the extra half-inch of size is the big reason, I think it's the fresh, soft rubber compound.


Our '93 rolls on a set of Dunlop Z2s (pre Star Spec) that are date-coded 2012. Seeing discounts on Hankook RS4s, I suggested that the wife get a set of those to replace them (it's her car). She says "why does that car need new tires?" So we'll probably drive on those for more years down the road.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

VRhooptie said:


> NC3s are intersecting ND prices which seems a but nuts.


This is great news!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Another gorgeous ride today around the backroads of Vermont. Sunny and warm.26 year old car just hummin’ along.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Glued my replacement pass. side mirror back in because it fell out. :facepalm: That’s what I get for using the wrong adhesive. This should work better. 

Gave it a good wash because I’ve been driving it a lot and the dust and pollen is crazy right now.


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## VRhooptie (Jul 24, 2009)

Joined the Miata club! 1992 with 63k miles and OEM hardtop. Already ordered all the parts to rebuild the front suspension, rear will happen in the next few months. It needs wheels/tires ASAP as the tires are over 20 years old but otherwise she wears a respray well. It does have some hail dimples on the hood and trunk but not sure how to handle that...anyways...enough rambling..here she is 


Untitled by Vr6 Hooptie, on Flickr


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Woohoo! Welcome to the red NA Club.  

New tires really make such a difference. I didn't realize how bad my ancient old dunlops rode until I put on fresh rubber. So obvious even my wife noticed it.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

damn 63k and a hard top is sweet! :thumbup:


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## JustinCSVT (Oct 3, 2004)

Just traded in my 2013 NC Club on a GTI.

I didn't intend for it to be an only car and it turned in to an only car for the past 6 months.

I think my main problem was the lack of amenities and power. If I don't have one, I need the other. Kinda defeats the purpose of the car right? :laugh:

Overall, I didn't exactly fall in love with it but it was definitely everything people said it would be. That's a good thing.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VRhooptie said:


> Joined the Miata club! 1992 with 63k miles and OEM hardtop. Already ordered all the parts to rebuild the front suspension, rear will happen in the next few months. It needs wheels/tires ASAP as the tires are over 20 years old but otherwise she wears a respray well. *It does have some hail dimples on the hood and trunk but not sure how to handle that*...anyways...enough rambling..here she is
> 
> 
> Untitled by Vr6 Hooptie, on Flickr


A good PDR can take hail dimples out of aluminum panels.


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## GolfTango (Feb 15, 2001)

Vampire or buck teeth?


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Well, I just sold the Rotrex kit off my '91 track toy. I've been (not aggressively) trying to sell the car but now it seems I'll start parting it out. I'm crying inside.

If anyone's interested in a '91 with a '99 swap setup for track duty, shoot me a message before I go too far in parting it.


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## VRhooptie (Jul 24, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> A good PDR can take hail dimples out of aluminum panels.


I was worried that aluminum wouldnt have the same metal memory. I'll try and get a quote and see what they come up with (20+ dimples)


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VRhooptie said:


> I was worried that aluminum wouldnt have the same metal memory. I'll try and get a quote and see what they come up with (20+ dimples)


I would have doubted it myself, but I saw what one PDR guy did with Claff’s wife’s NB after a hailstorm. It was fantastic work.


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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

GolfTango said:


> Vampire or buck teeth?


Not sure but I think like the eyebrows are making me feel drunker than I am currently.


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## Bad Rabbit Habit (May 5, 2005)




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## GolfTango (Feb 15, 2001)

^ awesome Miata!


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

That miata needs an 07k or vr6 swap!


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## Smooremin (Jan 11, 2006)

Aw614 said:


> That miata needs an 07k or vr6 swap!


:laugh:

It really does tho.


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## Bad Rabbit Habit (May 5, 2005)

GolfTango said:


> ^ awesome Miata!





Aw614 said:


> That miata needs an 07k or vr6 swap!





Smooremin said:


> :laugh:
> 
> It really does tho.


This one is an exercise is how cheaply a rwd rabbit could be made. So far, the spend is under 2k. To convert a transverse motor to longitudinal would cost that much in adapter and clutch. Plus the motor, and trans. 

On the other hand, this one just uses the subframes from a miata, and has a vr6t:


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

That is FANTASTIC!!!



>


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

I have both a rabbit truck and a miata.. must stop looking at these photos.


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## A.Wilder (Mar 1, 2003)

https://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/d/durham-mazda-miata-mx-project-car/7123114052.html

This cracks me up


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## Bad Rabbit Habit (May 5, 2005)

chris86vw said:


> I have both a rabbit truck and a miata.. must stop looking at these photos.


This is 100% the wrong way to do it. The reason it is a speedster is due to no space in the cab. If we just made mounts for the subframes in the front, moved over a portion of the firewall, it would have been better.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Bad Rabbit Habit said:


> This is 100% the wrong way to do it. The reason it is a speedster is due to no space in the cab. If we just made mounts for the subframes in the front, moved over a portion of the firewall, it would have been better.


I'm not doing it.. I have my TT/Haldex swap lined up for it (the caddy) ... ok I was looking at doing a 1.8t swap into the miata 2 weeks ago because I have issues and there were a few passats on FB market place for dirt cheap.

But I have thought about doing a rwd caddy and this drivetrain is intriguing, I wouldn't do the cut out the floor pan and swap the miata stuff though.


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## Bad Rabbit Habit (May 5, 2005)

chris86vw said:


> I'm not doing it.. I have my TT/Haldex swap lined up for it (the caddy) ... ok I was looking at doing a 1.8t swap into the miata 2 weeks ago because I have issues and there were a few passats on FB market place for dirt cheap.
> 
> But I have thought about doing a rwd caddy and this drivetrain is intriguing, I wouldn't do the cut out the floor pan and swap the miata stuff though.


One thing to note about the Quattro stuff, the output of the trans spins backwards. So, if you use a Quattro trans, you need to use a Quattro rear. Or flip over a live axle, and use a crazy pump to make sure the rear end gets proper oil. I don’t know if haldex is the same.


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

Sadly, I put my NC up for sale yesterday. I moved last summer and lost a garage space, so I'm moving back to a single fun/practical car from a "boring daily and Miata" setup. There has been a ton of interest in the post. I suspect it is going to sell quickly.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Bad Rabbit Habit said:


> One thing to note about the Quattro stuff, the output of the trans spins backwards. So, if you use a Quattro trans, you need to use a Quattro rear. Or flip over a live axle, and use a crazy pump to make sure the rear end gets proper oil. I don’t know if haldex is the same.


If I ended up building a rwd one I'd build an IRS around an Audi diff. I actually welded up the torsen and made my allroad rwd 2 weeks ago, almost couldn't get out of my driveway this morning in the rain so right now motivation for a rwd caddy is near 0 :laugh:


The haldex one is coming first though since that was in the works the longest, I'd have started if the GF car didn't get totaled since I gave her the donor TT to drive. 


on topic.. I really need to decide on what I am doing with the tiny rusty floor section and get this back together.. yes I've been driving it in and out of my shop everyday like this :laugh:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Smigelski said:


> I would have doubted it myself, but I saw what one PDR guy did with Claff’s wife’s NB after a hailstorm. It was fantastic work.


Oh yeah, it was so good that I almost forgot we needed to do this. Car was a black MSM that got hailed on in 2010. Insurance gave me $800ish to go find a PDR outfit. We found a PDR shop at a Miata get-together in Johnson City Tennessee and left them the car for the better part of a day. They took care of the hood and trunk (everything else was OK) and only charged me $400. Came out like nothing happened to it in the first place. I didn't expect such a good repair, especially on a black car, but good PDR guys are magicians.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

A.Wilder said:


> https://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/d/durham-mazda-miata-mx-project-car/7123114052.html
> 
> This cracks me up


I'm surprised that the lifted Miata are so inexpensive. I regularly see them in the $2000 range and they look dirty, but ready to roll. I am really fighting the urge to test purchase one.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Diamond Dave said:


> I'm surprised that the lifted Miata are so inexpensive. I regularly see them in the $2000 range and they look dirty, but ready to roll. I am really fighting the urge to test purchase one.


My b-i-l is a Jeep guy and is continually building them in his garage. He is _desperate_ for me to lift the Miata  really wants to help do it.  I'd do it if I ever had a second Miata for summer road carving.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RU2jAFoZl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link


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## Burnette (May 17, 2012)

*Ha!*



A.Wilder said:


> https://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/d/durham-mazda-miata-mx-project-car/7123114052.html
> 
> This cracks me up


Oh wow, North Carolina representin' :laugh: (I'm just outside the Triad).

That looks like cockerpunk's mess that he was working on.


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## A.Wilder (Mar 1, 2003)

Diamond Dave said:


> I'm surprised that the lifted Miata are so inexpensive. I regularly see them in the $2000 range and they look dirty, but ready to roll. I am really fighting the urge to test purchase one.


The ad says the rear axles are rubbing. I'm guessing if they cheaped out on the lift it has some other issues as well.


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## dwagner88 (Jan 14, 2011)

dwagner88 said:


> Sadly, I put my NC up for sale yesterday. I moved last summer and lost a garage space, so I'm moving back to a single fun/practical car from a "boring daily and Miata" setup. There has been a ton of interest in the post. I suspect it is going to sell quickly.


And it's gone! Took just under 24 hours to sell. I'll own another one someday. I'm going to miss it.


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## OMGK20 (Mar 8, 2005)

I love the new Miata's, but they're kinda expensive...aren't they?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The ND looks amazing in Yellow. Mazda really needs to get some bright colors onto this platform.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGKXVhBeWi/



> engineeringexplained
> 
> 🖤💛🖤💛🖤 Oh my, look at that lil Miata!!! I absolutely love it! 😍 Huge thank you to @midnightprotectivefilms for the beautiful install (this is Avery Dennison dark yellow). And a big thank you to @xpel for protecting it even further, covered in their Ultimate Plus 10 ppf, in addition to Fusion Plus ceramic coating (yes, three layers until you’ll finally find paint! 😂). Next stop is the dyno to get a baseline before the supercharger install! 🙏 Oh - and the emblems will eventually be blacked out.👌#mazda #miata #mx5 #xpel #wrap #yellow #cars #yellowcar #engineeringexplained
> 1d


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> The ND looks amazing in Yellow. Mazda really needs to get some bright colors onto this platform.



The funny thing about beautiful car design - it tends to look great in almost all the colors.

Mazda would most likely keep the heritage color releases if it decided to add unique colors:
2021 release BRG
2022 release Sunburst Yellow
2023 release LE black exterior + red interior
etc.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

OMGK20 said:


> I love the new Miata's, but they're kinda expensive...aren't they?


Expensive compared to what?

A base model NA in 1989 was $14,000, which equates to $29,600 in today's dollars. A new ND starts at $26,500. So compared to an NA, you are getting a _way_ better car at a lower equivalent price. Do you think the NAs were overpriced when they were new?

If we look at competitors, the Twins are the closest competitors. The Toyota 86 starts at $27,000 and the BRZ starts at $28,800 (thought it has optional equipment). So the ND is still cheaper than its closest competitors. 

Sure, you could option up an ND RF Club with The Recaro/Brembo/BBS package and Soul Red paint to $39k. But you only do that if you _really_ want to have all of those options -just like any car.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> Expensive compared to what?
> 
> A base model NA in 1989 was $14,000, which equates to $29,600 in today's dollars. A new ND starts at $26,500. So compared to an NA, you are getting a _way_ better car at a lower equivalent price. Do you think the NAs were overpriced when they were new?
> 
> ...


The other point is that average new car purchase price has moved up higher than I think a lot of people think about.


https://markets.businessinsider.com...2020-according-to-kelley-blue-book-1029272645
>>>
IRVINE, Calif., June 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The valuation analysts at Kelley Blue Book today reported the estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the United States was *$38,940* in May 2020.
>>>

So even a top line fully optioned Miata is just BARELY over the average new car price.

With that said.

Being that the Miata is a 2 seat sports car, its easy to understand that people would consider it a luxury or a toy.
And in that regard, its understandable that people would say that the price is high, since its likely going to be that fair weather, no rain, summer only, weekend sprint, type of 3rd car with little real utility compared to other cars for the same or less money.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Burnette said:


> That looks like cockerpunk's mess that he was working on.


currently it looks like a giant RC car ....


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## JackJoachim (Jun 30, 2012)

Heavily considering picking up a new ND RF soon. Never thought I would ever go Miata.


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## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

My girlfriend just brought home a 2020 RF in Eternal Blue tonight and I am seriously impressed with it. I only drove it for ~30 minutes but it felt 90% as fun as my Elise without any of the compromises that come with a Lotus. The best car I ever owned was an NA Miata so I'm thrilled to have regular access to one again. This picture isn't doing the car any justice, but Eternal blue looks awesome in the sun. I'll have to detail it and take better photos this weekend.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Lime Rock Park is a really fun track and Captain Slow the '90 is a really fun car. All the work done in the spring paid off as the car was predictable, stable, and pretty quick.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> Expensive compared to what?
> 
> If we look at competitors, the Twins are the closest competitors. The Toyota 86 starts at $27,000 and the BRZ starts at $28,800 (thought it has optional equipment). So the ND is still cheaper than its closest competitors.


And the Toyubaru aren't in the same category as the Miata anyway, so it's a tough comparison. They aren't close to the handling capabilities of the Miata anyway - or so my Engineering friend at Mazda says.


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

Yavuz said:


> My girlfriend just brought home a 2020 RF in Eternal Blue tonight and I am seriously impressed with it. I only drove it for ~30 minutes but it felt 90% as fun as my Elise without any of the compromises that come with a Lotus. The best car I ever owned was an NA Miata so I'm thrilled to have regular access to one again. This picture isn't doing the car any justice, but Eternal blue looks awesome in the sun. I'll have to detail it and take better photos this weekend.


That's high praise, great lineup. :thumbup:


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## Ducman69 (Feb 13, 2010)

So many pages and no love for the Fiata or does it not count? Since the Miata got an engine upgrade, I'm wondering if the Fiata will eventually get the new 1.3L turbo Firefly. I see for 2020 they still have the old 1.4T that FCA stopped putting in everything else. Not only do I like turbos, but I just think it sounds better to say, "Oh, I drive an Italian convertible called an Abarth" with extra emphasis on the Italian pronunciation, which has less chance of reminding girls of the paint&dazzle car Barbie used to have in her playhouse.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Ducman69 said:


> So many pages and no love for the Fiata or does it not count? Since the Miata got an engine upgrade, I'm wondering if the Fiata will eventually get the new 1.3L turbo Firefly. I see for 2020 they still have the old 1.4T that FCA stopped putting in everything else. Not only do I like turbos, but *I just think it sounds better to say, "Oh, I drive an Italian convertible called an Abarth" with extra emphasis on the Italian pronunciation, which has less chance of reminding girls of the paint&dazzle car Barbie used to have in her playhouse.*


:what: Wow.


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## Ducman69 (Feb 13, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> :what: Wow.


Oh cmon, I didn't invent that old running joke, as its a long running meme on Miata.net that every Tuesday someone calls the Miata a Barbie-mobile.  Abarth is the same vehicle, but sounds exotic and spicy.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The Fiat version is on the chopping block. 

Personally I think the Mazda is much better looking.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Sporin said:


> The Fiat version is on the chopping block.
> 
> Personally I think the Mazda is much better looking.


I agree. Something about the lights and front end just don’t agree for me with the rest of the car. - but probably because the angles just don’t work out right with the Miata windshield and door shape for me. 

I have looked half heartedly for some trim bits from the fiata that are silver like the hoops and windshield header. My nd is machine grey metallic so the black header really blends in.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Ducman69 said:


> Oh cmon, I didn't invent that old running joke, as its a long running meme on Miata.net that every Tuesday someone calls the Miata a Barbie-mobile.  Abarth is the same vehicle, but sounds exotic and spicy.


The “wow” is because you care what girls think. 



Sporin said:


> The Fiat version is on the chopping block.
> 
> Personally I think the Mazda is much better looking.


I’ve always thought the Fiat was the looker of the two. Mostly because of the nose, but there are other details I like about it, too.

That said, the Miata is mechanically superior, especially if you take weight into consideration.


----------



## Ducman69 (Feb 13, 2010)

Air and water do mix said:


> That said, the Miata is mechanically superior, especially if you take weight into consideration.


It definitely is with the new engine, although the one perk with the 1.4T in the Spider is that for $300 Eurocompulsion will sell me a tune for it that bumps power to a more respectable 180hp/185ftlbs to close that gap (albeit not with the fuel efficiency and throttle modulation finesse of the NA powerplant), sounds cool with a muffler delete (which also reduces the lag a little), and with a little extra exclusivity, flatter in the corners, and while the Fiat is heavier its not so much the engine but rather because it has more sound deadening with an acoustic windshield, thicker rear glass, and sound deadening material in the firewall and cabin to cut down on some of the NVH the Miata is notorious for on the highway. 

I've flirted with picking one up a few times, but it is a tight squeeze for me and the trunk is so small. A shame the rumors of a fixed roof hardtop fastback version that would give a little extra headroom bubble and trunk space never materialized.


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## chris86vw (Feb 23, 2000)

Air and water do mix said:


> I’ve always thought the Fiat was the looker of the two. Mostly because of the nose, but there are other details I like about it, too.


Same.

I never disliked the ND but always been a little more drawn to the Fiat. But been seeing a bunch of RFs lately and that might make the decision hard.




Finally getting back to the NA this weekend, 4 buck oring holding me off











Didn't want to drive all the way up to mazda, didn't want to pay shipping, finally had a reason to send landlord (lives nearby) to pick up some parts at VW/Mazda on his way home but this didn't show up in time so they actually delivered it this morning :laugh:

Pulling it in and out of the shop the small rust spot in the driver foot well is now a hole from my clutch foot so guess that confirms I'm fixing it  But at least this weekened all the engine work should be buttoned up.


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Ducman69 said:


> ... 1.4T in the Spider is that for $300 Eurocompulsion will sell me a tune for it that bumps power to a more respectable 180hp/185ftlbs...


1. EC doesn't sell flash tunes for $300. Brand new, the handheld by itself is $849. Used prices are in the $250 range, and then a $375 transfer credit has to apply. 
2. It won't make that to the wheels. It will be lucky to make that to the crank. 
3. Tork Motorsports is a much more linear and stable tune for the 1.4T and also makes more power. 

Source: The 1.4T in my driveway that wore both tunes.


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## Ducman69 (Feb 13, 2010)

RAVatar said:


> 1. EC doesn't sell flash tunes for $300. Brand new, the handheld by itself is $849. Used prices are in the $250 range, and then a $375 transfer credit has to apply.


You're right, Chris quoted me $375 for the transfer checking my email, not $300. Its been a few years, but yeah I already have it from the 500 since ~3 years ago.


RAVatar said:


> 2. It won't make that to the wheels. It will be lucky to make that to the crank.


That's crank, since we're comparing to Miata crank. I'm familiar with the output, I've been running it for a long time now. 


RAVatar said:


> 3. Tork Motorsports is a much more linear and stable tune for the 1.4T and also makes more power.
> 
> Source: The 1.4T in my driveway that wore both tunes.


I've had no complaints with mine, just running the 595 and Stage 0 toggled via the sport button. Nothing changed but straight pipe, air filter, plugs, and more frequent oil changes. No CEL, surges, or anything so far, just crap performance until midrange RPMs then hard pull that softens at high RPM which seems fine to me. *shrugs*


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*










Finally got one. Horrible picture, I’ll get more as soon as I clean it up. Has 51,000 original miles but needs a little love.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

nyexx said:


> Finally got one. Horrible picture, I’ll get more as soon as I clean it up. Has 51,000 original miles but needs a little love.


Sweet! I'd love that. I'm still jonesin' for an NA. Any would be fine, but the NA calls to me, as I worked at the Mazda dealer when they came out. :heart:


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Ducman69 said:


> You're right, Chris quoted me $375 for the transfer checking my email, not $300. Its been a few years, but yeah I already have it from the 500 since ~3 years ago.
> 
> That's crank, since we're comparing to Miata crank. I'm familiar with the output, I've been running it for a long time now.
> 
> I've had no complaints with mine, just running the 595 and Stage 0 toggled via the sport button. Nothing changed but straight pipe, air filter, plugs, and more frequent oil changes. No CEL, surges, or anything so far, just crap performance until midrange RPMs then hard pull that softens at high RPM which seems fine to me. *shrugs*


Stage 2 is where their tune starts to fall apart with breakup at higher RPM. There's a reason an EC car falls on its face after 5500 and a Tork car will pull cleanly to 6800. The mid-range on an EC car is where they shove all the torque and it hits HARD. A Tork car doesn't shove as hard in the mid-range but will make more power at the top end. That's why I have a Tork tune now. 

I've done the multiair springs, Alfa Romeo coilpacks, all the silicone lines, fresh plugs and so on...still got breakup after 5500 in 3rd. They are a good midline tuner but the car really needs to see Chris and Toby in New York on the Dyno because their off the shelf tunes leave a little to be desired.


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## Ducman69 (Feb 13, 2010)

RAVatar said:


> Stage 2 is where their tune starts to fall apart with breakup at higher RPM. There's a reason an EC car falls on its face after 5500 and a Tork car will pull cleanly to 6800. The mid-range on an EC car is where they shove all the torque and it hits HARD. A Tork car doesn't shove as hard in the mid-range but will make more power at the top end. That's why I have a Tork tune now.


Some of that may be hitting certain limiters, but that's actually on purpose when OEMs do it. 

Engine internals may be able to handle say 180ftlbs at 3K rpm (~100hp), but at 6K rpm the same 180ftlbs (~200hp) would grenade the engine because internal stress increases with RPMs as well. So many OEM turbo torque curves will try to spool the turbo as fast as it can and make as much torque as early as it can, but then intentionally start ramping down boost as the RPMs get up there to taper the torque for engine longevity's sake. So far that's been working for me, 75K miles problem free, all original. *knocks on wood*

BTW, searching autotrader, there are hardly any manual transmission Fiatas for sale, new or used, in the entire country. :sly:


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

It's been a week and I'm itching to go back


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## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

Ducman69 said:


> Some of that may be hitting certain limiters, but that's actually on purpose when OEMs do it.
> 
> Engine internals may be able to handle say 180ftlbs at 3K rpm (~100hp), but at 6K rpm the same 180ftlbs (~200hp) would grenade the engine because internal stress increases with RPMs as well. So many OEM turbo torque curves will try to spool the turbo as fast as it can and make as much torque as early as it can, but then intentionally start ramping down boost as the RPMs get up there to taper the torque for engine longevity's sake. So far that's been working for me, 75K miles problem free, all original. *knocks on wood*
> 
> BTW, searching autotrader, there are hardly any manual transmission Fiatas for sale, new or used, in the entire country. :sly:


The transmission will fail long before the engine pops. I personally haven't been on a dyno since replacing the engine but I've seen Tork plots that are flirting with 180 wtq after the crossover on stock turbo and stage 1. 

The stock 1.4T turbo is a ****ing joke though. A plus 1 turbo upgrade is still smaller than the stock turbo in a MK7 GTI.


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## Ducman69 (Feb 13, 2010)

Well, the GTI does have a 50% bigger engine though, and the Fiata already is pretty laggy even with a cute baby turbette. I'd be afraid of even more lag added on. The Fiata is pretty light though at under 2500lbs, and in fact you could always go with a nitrous kit for the few times you just need to go quicker in a straight line if some 300hp Rav4 Prime starts flexing on you at a stoplight, heh! I wonder if anyone makes a wet shot small enough, as I bet it would stack great providing the additional cooling effect with the turbo provided it doesn't chew up the stock clutch.

Edit: Here we go: https://www.carid.com/nitrous-oxide...5134nos.html?singleid=824355018&url=128941974


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## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

Yavuz said:


> My girlfriend just brought home a 2020 RF in Eternal Blue tonight and I am seriously impressed with it. I only drove it for ~30 minutes but it felt 90% as fun as my Elise without any of the compromises that come with a Lotus. The best car I ever owned was an NA Miata so I'm thrilled to have regular access to one again. This picture isn't doing the car any justice, but Eternal blue looks awesome in the sun. I'll have to detail it and take better photos this weekend.


Glad to see you're back into a Miata again  or, at least, have access to a set of keys that you can steal now and then...

I still have the magnet you sent me! What a fun car that was. Will definitely be back in a Miata in the future.


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## Yavuz (Sep 28, 2008)

kaz02a4 said:


> Glad to see you're back into a Miata again  or, at least, have access to a set of keys that you can steal now and then...
> 
> I still have the magnet you sent me! What a fun car that was. Will definitely be back in a Miata in the future.



Good to hear from you! Any idea where the 96 Miata is now? I would definitely consider buying it back if I ever saw it pop up for sale again. 



Got the new RF nice and clean today and took some better pictures. Eternal blue wasn't really doing it for me in photos, but it is a great color in person.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Just beautiful, I think the ND will go down as being one of the best styled cars of the decade.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Just ordered a new head unit and door speakers.  Tired of not being able stream from my phone. 

Nothing fancy. $150. Shipped from Crutchfield.


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## NeverEnoughCars (Aug 2, 2013)

Sporin said:


> Just ordered a new head unit and door speakers.  Tired of not being able stream from my phone.
> 
> Nothing fancy. $150. Shipped from Crutchfield.


No headrest speakers?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

NeverEnoughCars said:


> No headrest speakers?


Already upgraded. But the stock headunit is so junky that you barely hear a difference from old to new.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

Had a machinist create an adapter so I could install upgrades speakers in the doors. Put an auxiliary power outlet in the console with a connection to the back of the OEM radio, where the CD plugs in, so I could direct connect the 1st gen iPod I had. Now I use use a USB adapter and a with Bluetooth receiver.















[/url]Miata Speaker Adapter by Chuck's Pixs, on Flickr[/IMG]







[/url]Miata iPod Wiring Mod by Chuck's Pixs, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I thought about a hidden system but decided to keep it traditional. That is cool though.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Just ordered a new head unit and door speakers.  Tired of not being able stream from my phone.
> 
> Nothing fancy. $150. Shipped from Crutchfield.


I've been telling people, these new headunits are ugly and not that great. If you want to stream off your phone, this amplifier is fantastic. You can use it with the factor stereo or switch to bluetooth only. It's sooo tiny!

Kenwoord Bluetooth Amplifier KAC-M1824


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

Diamond Dave said:


> Kenwoord Bluetooth Amplifier KAC-M1824


I've been using this one since 2013. It's fantastic.

pic won't embed?
http://chris.chemidl.in/images/cars/mazda/90/IMG_0535.jpg


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*




















































Picking up this pretty minty looking set of seats to replace my 94s destroyed seats. $250 

...Or is the color not the same? They’re from a 92.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks for all the radio tips guys, I just wanted a cheap upgrade for usability. I can always make a bigger change later if I decide to. I also really don’t want to give up my local FM radio. I tend to listen to a lot of that still as well.


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

*Autocross*

I've had my latest Miata since late December and I was ready to take it for an autocross run at the end of March right before COVID struck and caused mass cancellations of all events of any kind in the area. Now it is a few months down the line and there are a few opportunities coming up so I made the trek out to Mid State Airport in the middle of nowhere Philipsburg, Pennsylvania to go drive fast around some cones. I'll say the Central Pennsylvania Region did a good job of keeping people distanced and running an efficient event. Its the first time in five or six years I've run an event with them and I always thought the air strip was a good venue with lots of space to design a course. It was also nice to see all generations of Miatae represented, the area where I used to run had very few which I always found to be odd. I think I'd like to own a white ND2 RF like the one I saw out at this event. Soul red is pretty but damn, this one does it for me.

My car is a 200k+ beater with stock suspension and sticky Continentals. Other than some body roll that others commented on I was impressed with what the car could do. That is one of the nice things about setting the bar for expectations low! I as a driver could always use some improvement, but I got better with each run. Mostly what I remembered is Autocross is a great social event - when conditions allow - but I'd much rather spend my time and money on a full fledged racetrack if I'm going to be out in the summer sun most of the day. Now I need to find out if Summit Point allows cars like this without an aftermarket roll bar.


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## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

I swapped out my seats in my 92 Miata for ones from a newer model, I can't recall what year. Color matches but be aware in the 92 the seatbelt buckles are attached to the floor, in later years they attached to the side of the seat. I kept the floor mounting, and ground off the mount on the seats, however the leather is cut, has holes, where the seatbelt buckle attached to the seat. Its low enough not to be noticeable.

So newer seat in older model is no problem, but may not be the case going the other way. If your seats have the seatbelt buckle attached to the seat, its not going to be there in the seats from a 92.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I have my new radiator (amazon) and Mazda thermostat (priority mazda). More preventative maintenance!

Crutchfield sent my new door speakers and stereo, already have new headrest speakers.

Excited for some projects this weekend.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Any thoughts on removing the AC? I've read all the tutorials. Mine doesn't work and I'd never use it if it did since I don't usually even drive it unless the top is down. Seems like I can lose a little dead weight, increase airflow to the radiator, etc.

Thoughts? I'd keep the power steering (get the shorter belt)


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Found a set of 15 inch NB wheels with new tires on them for my 94 ($200). Will post pics when i get them mounted.


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## smstiles (Sep 8, 2000)

vortexblue said:


> I've been using this one since 2013. It's fantastic.
> 
> pic won't embed?
> http://chris.chemidl.in/images/cars/mazda/90/IMG_0535.jpg


Ok I learned something today. That is awesome. Really stealth. All I ever do is stream Bluetooth anyways. Very cool. Where did you get the blockout panel?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## vortexblue (Jan 27, 2001)

smstiles said:


> Where did you get the blockout panel?


The previous owner installed a radio and attached it directly to the tombstone. It was smashed into 8 or so parts. I glued them together and filled the space with abs plastic, then body-fillered the whole thing smooth. I was supposed to do another pass to get it straight, but I just gave up and hit it with some plastidip and called it done.

I make blockoffs that'll bolt in, though. They have half-cut holes in the back if you want to add gauges in the future. they're made from ABS, but they're not flush like the one pictured.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3NcZUTHyej/


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

New meats today...been wanting to do this for quite a while. Back story, when the PO of my car traded it in he took some aftermarket wheels/tires off and put back on the original original 2013 set, so that's what i've had for well over a year. And as much fun as it has been sliding around old almost 8 year old "new" tires ....it was time. So during the 4th of July weekend Discount Tire ran a pretty good promo and I pulled the trigger on some Pilot Super Sports. Holy hell! What a difference, not only in feel, but I actually kick up random pebbles on the road for once. I cannot wait for the 110 degree heat indexes and COVID to calm their tits so we can get back to some Autocross again. Sorry for the crappy pic, been a busy evening and that's all I got ha!


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

Loved the PSSs on my NC2! Did you upsize to 215s or 225s?


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

nyexx said:


> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's a beautiful MX-5. You bought that recently?


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Now I need to find out if Summit Point allows cars like this without an aftermarket roll bar.


I *think* they do. I've visited Summit when a WDCR HPDE was happening and saw a silver PRHT running, top up, and I don't think they make real roll bars for PRHTs. I'm assuming it only had the stock roll hoops but didn't look closely enough to verify.

Track Night in America definitely allows 2006+ convertibles with stock roll hoops, though individual tracks may overrule this. I have seen NCs at Dominion running TNIA; not sure if places like NJMP or VIR will allow it. One of these days I'll take my PRHT out just to see how much faster it is than my '90.


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

kptaylor said:


> Loved the PSSs on my NC2! Did you upsize to 215s or 225s?



Nope...stayed 205. I don't know why but I really like the look, especially with it being lowered. These tires are really awesome though, better than expected.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

2.0_Mazda said:


> That's a beautiful MX-5. You bought that recently?


I did! It’s a 94 with 51,000 miles. Previous owners didn’t take the greatest care of it but I’m almost done sorting it out. It has cleaned up very well.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My 94 died mysteriously on the way home tonight. Just lost power - check engine light - stalled out. 

Pulled to the side of the road and restarted and it’s been fine. I’m thinking maybe I need to change the fuel filter never been changed.

Oil pressure never wavered temperature was fine, what do you guys think?


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## 2.0_Mazda (Nov 3, 2010)

nyexx said:


> I did! It’s a 94 with 51,000 miles. Previous owners didn’t take the greatest care of it but I’m almost done sorting it out. It has cleaned up very well.


Picture makes it look very clean. Love the black and beige combo. Congrats on the buy!

Definitely something I'll look for in a few years.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

2.0_Mazda said:


> Picture makes it look very clean. Love the black and beige combo. Congrats on the buy!
> 
> Definitely something I'll look for in a few years.


It is very clean, just could use some PDR on the hood and trunk lid and a good buff. No rust.

I’ll post more pictures soon.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

Welcome to the club! 94 is the final year of a real oil pressure gauge and not a dummy gauge. What options does it have?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

It took the better part of my Saturday but the new stereo and speakers are installed!

The metra kit lived up to it’s janky reputation but it’s good enough until I can get my hands on a single-DIN tombstone from a 96/97. 

Sound is massively improved and the new headrest speakers are finally getting enough power to be heard well. 










My father in law came over to help and we used proper soldering and shrink wrap for the wiring harness. I would have used crimps but he wasn’t having it. 

It took a Lot of fiddling and adjusting to get everything back together but the end result is


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

88c900t said:


> Welcome to the club! 94 is the final year of a real oil pressure gauge and not a dummy gauge. What options does it have?


It’s a C-package so fully loaded. 



















Put in the seats from the 1992 Miata I picked up on FB marketplace for $250. Best money I ever spent. I had to get the seatbelts from the 1992 since the seatbelts from the 1994 are bolted to the frame of the seat. 1990-1993 are bolted to the transmission tunnel. Came out great! In the end about $295 including the seatbelts.









Much cheaper than the $1200-$1700 I was quoted to reupholster the seats!


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## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

That thing looks fantastic!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sporin said:


> My 94 died mysteriously on the way home tonight. Just lost power - check engine light - stalled out.
> 
> Pulled to the side of the road and restarted and it’s been fine. I’m thinking maybe I need to change the fuel filter never been changed.
> 
> Oil pressure never wavered temperature was fine, what do you guys think?


Same think happened on my next drive Saturday evening. 

Today put in a new fuel filter and some Lucas fuel injector cleaner. Gave it a good run and couldn’t reproduce the stall. Brought it home and let it cool down. Took it for a second run after topping up the fuel tank. Again, no problems. 

Is it fixed? Not sure, we’ll see this week I guess.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

after last weekends races, i think its come time to sell my autocross car, and move on to road racing full time. i like autocross, and its cheap, and with my STS car im very competitive, but road racing is just more fun. maintaining two motorsports full time is just becoming too much, and between the two i choose road racing.


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

cockerpunk said:


> after last weekends races, i think its come time to sell my autocross car, and move on to road racing full time. i like autocross, and its cheap, and with my STS car im very competitive, but road racing is just more fun. maintaining two motorsports full time is just becoming too much, and between the two i choose road racing.


15k solo nationals STS miata?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Aw614 said:


> 15k solo nationals STS miata?


i never got why that was so funny .... tiz a silly place. 

but a 15k STS car is a ridiculous idea. you can find nationally competitive STS cars for like 5-7.5k all day. probably the cheapest, most fun class to run in autocross IMO.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

cockerpunk said:


> i never got why that was so funny .... tiz a silly place.
> 
> but a 15k STS car is a ridiculous idea. you can find nationally competitive STS cars for like 5-7.5k all day. probably the cheapest, most fun class to run in autocross IMO.


Wouldn't ES be even cheaper?


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## Aw614 (May 9, 2001)

Nealric said:


> Wouldn't ES be even cheaper?


But then you need to find a 99 Hard S Miata where the springs sag over time and new replacements are unobtainium lol


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Nealric said:


> Wouldn't ES be even cheaper?


pretty close, but i think the STS car wins in terms of fun, same tires, same car costs more or less. STS car is more fun than a ES car though IMO.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Another track night in the books as I got to try VIR for the first time. It's probably an amazing track if you have a fast car (and there were a bunch there), decent in a slow one. The uphill esses are a ball with the gas pedal matted, and South Bend at the top of the hill was my favorite as it was a real test of bravery without using a ton of brakes like turn 1 or entering Roller Coaster. I need to work on my lines in a lot of places, especially the first third of the track, but I think I did OK for the first time out.

If I had to make a choice between VIR and Lime Rock, I think I'd choose LRP. It just works better in a little slow car and I didn't have nearly as many Corvettes and Camaros devouring me on every straight stretch.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

blackhawk is a wild track. there was more sheet metal carnage in that SM race than ive seen in the entire 2 years previously racing SM at BIR.


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## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

I am 2 weeks into NB miata ownership. What's the clutch engagement range like? Mine has a fairly small window and is up high making for stop and go...an ordeal of precision. 

Also, I cannot believe this car rubs on ****ing 205s LOL


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## kaz02a4 (Jun 2, 2011)

Alright, it's time to get back into Miata ownership. I'm looking for a decent track car for under $8k, but am a bit flexible. The goal is a few HPDE events each year, with plenty of time in between for wrenching. I'd like to also drive it on the nice weather days, but it certainly won't be a daily.

Cockerpunk, are you looking to sell your STS car?


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

kaz02a4 said:


> Alright, it's time to get back into Miata ownership. I'm looking for a decent track car for under $8k, but am a bit flexible. The goal is a few HPDE events each year, with plenty of time in between for wrenching. I'd like to also drive it on the nice weather days, but it certainly won't be a daily.
> 
> Cockerpunk, are you looking to sell your STS car?


i might be actually. PM me.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Claff said:


> Another track night in the books as I got to try VIR for the first time. It's probably an amazing track if you have a fast car (and there were a bunch there), decent in a slow one. The uphill esses are a ball with the gas pedal matted, and South Bend at the top of the hill was my favorite as it was a real test of bravery without using a ton of brakes like turn 1 or entering Roller Coaster. I need to work on my lines in a lot of places, especially the first third of the track, but I think I did OK for the first time out.
> 
> If I had to make a choice between VIR and Lime Rock, I think I'd choose LRP. It just works better in a little slow car and I didn't have nearly as many Corvettes and Camaros devouring me on every straight stretch.


VIR was the first track I drove at, I had a 2015 Chevy SS at the time. My first 3 sessions I just left the car in 4th (so much torque!). I was planning on going back in my Miata but would only do so with FI. The two long straights would just be so boring in a 110 hp tin can. My buddy in his 997 turbo was hitting 160 on the back straight, the Miata would probably be at 110 mph if I were lucky. Not only is that "boring" but dangerous, also.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

sicklyscott said:


> VIR was the first track I drove at, I had a 2015 Chevy SS at the time. My first 3 sessions I just left the car in 4th (so much torque!). I was planning on going back in my Miata but would only do so with FI. The two long straights would just be so boring in a 110 hp tin can. My buddy in his 997 turbo was hitting 160 on the back straight, the Miata would probably be at 110 mph if I were lucky. Not only is that "boring" but dangerous, also.


Yup, topped out at 110.

Going to PittRace tomorrow. Just going by videos, I think it'll suit my little 1.6 just fine.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)




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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

Claff said:


> Yup, topped out at 110.
> 
> Going to PittRace tomorrow. Just going by videos, I think it'll suit my little 1.6 just fine.


is a hardtop really worth 5-6mph on the top end? 

going into the speedtrap at 5 at road america, im doing 115 without a draft in my 1.6. going into 3 at BIR im doing 116 with the draft. and an STS car should be making more power, and be lighter. 

only thing i can think of is the hard top. that would be WILD if it had that large of an effect on top speed.


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

I don't really want to give up a session running without the roof just to find out what the difference is.

Pittrace was just OK. I ran in the advanced group that was full of very fast cars (Camaros/Corvettes/Porsches/etc). Never got a lap where I didn't have to let multiple cars pass so it was difficult to concentrate on my lines at a track I'd never run at before. The track itself is fun, and I'd like to try it again with less overpowering traffic.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

With the new civic SI in the driveway, I’ve been neglecting Little Red. So this afternoon my wife and I took it for a nice long drive along the Connecticut River down the Vermont side, back up the New Hampshire side.

It’s amazing how “heavy” the controls feel in comparison to the civic where everything is featherlight. The first time I pushed down the clutch in the Miata I briefly wondered if something was wrong. 

I quickly got right into the swing of things but boy does it feel slow trying to tear way from a standing stop.


----------



## AZGolf (Jun 6, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I quickly got right into the swing of things but boy does it feel slow trying to tear way from a standing stop.


Time to swap in the Mazda 2.4 liter. That will perk it right up and preserve the naturally aspirated nature of the car.


----------



## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

fizay said:


> I am 2 weeks into NB miata ownership. What's the clutch engagement range like? Mine has a fairly small window and is up high making for stop and go...an ordeal of precision.
> 
> Also, I cannot believe this car rubs on ****ing 205s LOL


Clutch should be a lot more progressive than that. Judging by the hellaflush wheels you got (should be able to fit 225s without rubbing) it might have some kinda race clutch nonsense. I commuted in stop and go traffic in mine for 10 years.


----------



## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

So much fun, just crossed 52,000 miles. I put 400 miles in the past week.


----------



## RAVatar (Sep 28, 2005)

It's been months and I still kick myself for not moving faster to buy Zillon's NC. Uuuugh.

I could've DD'd it. Probably would've not been an ideal use for that car but it would've been mine and I could post in here. :banghead:


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

On Saturday a few Miata friends and I took a ride up to High Rock at Pen Mar. It's a high overlook over the state lines of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Then we took a ride to a snowball/ice cream stand. It was a great ride and a great way to blow an afternoon and 160 miles of well maintained, zero-traffic Maryland back roads.


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)




----------



## Slipstream (Feb 8, 2002)

Snapped a few of my father-in-law’s new Polymetal RF a while back. Definitely not as raw as the Mazdaspeed it replaced but so much more balanced an experience. Loooove the lines on the RF.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Claff said:


>


Om Nom Nom! It looks like that Mustang is going to swallow you hole. 



Slipstream said:


> Snapped a few of my father-in-law’s new Polymetal RF a while back. Definitely not as raw as the Mazdaspeed it replaced but so much more balanced an experience. Loooove the lines on the RF.


Nice! Poylmetal in these photos looks soo much less blue than I'm used to seeing. Even in person (under car show lights), it looked way more blue than grey. But in these photos it looks a lot greyer. It looks great!


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## Slipstream (Feb 8, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> Nice! Poylmetal in these photos looks soo much less blue than I'm used to seeing. Even in person (under car show lights), it looked way more blue than grey. But in these photos it looks a lot greyer. It looks great!


It's a dynamic color for sure. Between bright sunlight and a heavier touch in Lightroom it looks more gray in the pictures, but it's definitely blue in darker conditions. He went with the wine-colored interior which is an interesting combo with PMG.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Awesome photos, gang! :beer:


----------



## Itgb (Jul 18, 2008)

Smigelski said:


>


Man, NDs are really growing on me. This stance looks fantastic... what suspension/springs are on there?


----------



## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Itgb said:


> Man, NDs are really growing on me. This stance looks fantastic... what suspension/springs are on there?


I agree 100%, and unless I go a completely different direction an ND will probably be the NC's replacement. Just a little wheel/tire fitment and ride height adjustment makes all the difference in the world with these cars.


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Smigelski said:


>





Itgb said:


> Man, NDs are really growing on me. This stance looks fantastic... what suspension/springs are on there?


Thanks!

The suspension is the Flyin' Miata Fox Coilovers. The ride height and alignment are at FM's recommendations - 13.0" hub-to-fender (front) and 13.5" hub-to-fender in the rear. 

On the wheels are Garageline spacers - 15mm in the front and 20mm in the rear. Those are the 'standard' spacer dimensions on miata.net to push out the stock wheels to something nicer. Now that I have them on the car, they look great, but when you are right next to the car you can still see they aren't flush. That probably has to do with the camber, though. I can see why people do 20mm/25mm instead. _I_ wouldn't do the 20mm/25mm spacers just because I want to be free of event the possibility rubbing, especially since the rear fenders aren't rolled. 

The wheels are the OEM 17x7 BBS wheels with the stock 205/45/17 tires. On my list for the future is to get some wider tires - probably 215/45/17 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. (The 215 tires are another reason why I wouldn't go with bigger spacers.)

Before I bought the car, I was planning on getting 17x9 wheels and 245 tires pretty soon after purchase, but the BBS wheels grew on me and I decided to use spacers and wear out the stock tires. I _always_ planned on lowering the car because I've long thought that the factory wheel gap was too much. I put the coil overs on the car when it had less than 200 miles on the odometer.

Also, for what it's worth, even though the car looks really low, I can still get it up my driveway with a pretty steep incline at the road. I'm also able to park the car over my QuickJacks in the garage. I wasn't able to park my NA (with FM springs) over the QuickJacks due to the exhaust routing low under the differential.


----------



## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

Just about ready for Megasquirt Tune


----------



## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

AKADriver said:


> Clutch should be a lot more progressive than that. Judging by the hellaflush wheels you got (should be able to fit 225s without rubbing) it might have some kinda race clutch nonsense. I commuted in stop and go traffic in mine for 10 years.



hey! someone finally made jump to conclusions mat!


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

Finally took the car out for a good ride today. It gave me a little hiccup and a temporary CEL twice. Going to see if it will flash me any codes. 

Hoping it’s just from sitting so much. :scared:

EDIT——-

17 Heated oxygen sensor (inversion)

So bad O2 sensor.


----------



## BlackMiata (May 25, 2018)

*Mazda MX-5 - The World's Fastest: One Uninvited Guest | Mazda Canada*


----------



## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

@nyexx, that's a real cherry-congrats!


For some reason, the MSM has less room inside than the NA had. With the roof up, I look like this:











And I'm only 5'11. The seating position is very high as well-if I sit up naturally I can only see 15 feet in front of me. Are their any aftermarket mounts or solutions that let me keep the stock leather seats? Alternatively, are their any cheap racing style seats available?


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

At the doctor's office and I had to snap a picture.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sporin said:


> Finally took the car out for a good ride today. It gave me a little hiccup and a temporary CEL twice. Going to see if it will flash me any codes.
> 
> Hoping it’s just from sitting so much. :scared:
> 
> ...


Update. I replaced it with a new Bosch unit, undid the battery, cleared the codes, and got the same issue a mile from my house. Going to trouble shoot the sensor and see if it's getting all the signals it should be, but I'm annoyed.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*



88c900t said:


> @nyexx, that's a real cherry-congrats!
> 
> 
> For some reason, the MSM has less room inside than the NA had. With the roof up, I look like this:
> ...


Yes, there are low profile seat mounts to fix the factory seats to the floor as flow as possible. You lose the slider capability of the stock seat mounts. But that’s generally not an issue for people who need the super low mounts. Contact Jerry Caldwell of JCALD Fabrication. 

https://forum.miata.net/vb/member.php?u=171888


----------



## 2 doors (Jun 18, 2003)

OK TCL Miata hivemind, help me out with this one. This has been on my local CL for a while now and I keep clicking on it:












CL ad said:


> For Sale 1999 Mazda Miata. 5 speed, manual windows, non abs, AC unhooked, no soft top/hard top only, stock exhaust.
> Never raced or auto-crossed, adult owned
> 
> Engine:
> ...


There are a lot of fancy terms and parts thrown around. What do you make of it? Any good? Worth lookin at? Sounds like a backroad barnstormer but would suck for a casual ride with the wife.


----------



## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

2 doors said:


> OK TCL Miata hivemind, help me out with this one. This has been on my local CL for a while now and I keep clicking on it:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Depends on what the seller is looking for price-wise. You're correct in your assumption that this would make a great backroads bomber or starter autocross weapon (although the coilovers immediately put you in STR where you'll get creamed by S2000s) and it really depends on your wife's tolerance for suspension harshness. It will be uncomfortable for sure, but I did daily my STR-prepped NA from April-November every year (and a 100-mile round trip commute at that). It did get to me eventually, but it took 4 years. My wife loved driving it as well.

A '99 5-speed non-ABS car is about as good as it gets for a NA/NB base, IMO. Rumor has it that it's the lightest 1.8L platform, and IMO the 6-speed in the later NB's doesn't add much to the experience. The VVT cars have a little more grunt, but were found to not produce the claimed HP and aren't as exhilarating as hitting VTAK.


----------



## chopWet (May 10, 2003)

rq1trackaddict said:


>


Is that a FE3 Mazda/Ford 2L 16V?


----------



## Son (Aug 10, 2000)




----------



## MiltDoggie (Jun 30, 2020)

I wanted a Miata, I still wanted a Miata. A first gen Miata with the freaking pop ups, I love them.

Thing is, down here in Spain those models go for 6-5 grand, the poor condition ones. Most of them are imported from US and in poor condition. 

Couldn't break the bank although I should have


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

well, since the covids all have us with more money and time than anticipated, i am embarking on a bit of a ice fun build on my white miata. its been rear ended (frames fine), has 200k miles on it, and has been rattled canned, but i have so many good 1.6 miata parts laying around, and the time and money to figure it out. so here is the plan:

-mazdacomp clutch diff (replacing the VLSD, which is fantastic in the snow on winter tires, but not enough diff for the studs) the VLSD gets a bad rep but is IMO a fantastic diff matched with this car
-new transmission (current one hesitates going into 5th gear)
-"stock" motor that was replaced with a pro motor in the spec miata. the current motor leaks from both mains, and several other places, and has 200k miles on it. and this motor has a single season of racing on it, otherwise was shaved for compression, rebuild head, and compression tests significantly better. 
-Header (picked up for mega cheap a while back, just laying around)
-Intake (cuase, why the hell not)
-test pipe (but leaving the OEish Bosal Cat back, i like it quiet)

-designing and fabricating my own brush bars. when you park the car on top of a snow bank after hitting it at 40, the bumper cover takes a lot of abuse, esp that lower part of the mouth, id like to protect it. 
-rally lights? i know ecodes would probably be better, but c'mon, rally lights on a miata? thinking a pair of driving lights, and a pair of off road spots. no lightbars! 7 inch rounds!

now here is where it gets really dangerous. because everything mentioned above would costs me like 500 bucks total. its all parts i have laying around, just labor. 

suspension ..... 

what to do with the suspension. stock is actually pretty good for ice work, and i dont have a ton of stuff laying around here. i have a FM front bar, i ran once, but alone i didnt like it. 

there is also the issue of the car going through rear wheel bearings like crazy. i usually have to replace one or both by the end of the season. fronts last much longer, i suspect because the car sits on the rear bump stops because its always on power on the ice, and then your hitting 1-2 inch high bumps, sideways, for hours. since the fronts are unloaded (and turned) they see much less abuse. while rear wheel bearings, including pressing are only like 30 minutes and maybe 100 bucks, they are a pain in the ass to always have to change out. 

so heres what im thinking ... koni coilover sleeves, NB rear tophats, something like double the stock spring rate. dont want to go too stiff, and the car still needs to handle snow, and ice on winter tires, not just stud work. but konis with coilover sleeves, at stock ride height, double the spring rate, obviously new bump stops etc etc

maybe try and keep it off those rear stops as hard, absorb more energy with the spring and shock and bump stop than the stock stuff does. 

sadly, this is a real expense as i dont have it all laying around. im sad now i sold my old spec miata bilstiens, while i prefer the konis, i also prefer free. 

id probably run the 1.6 spec miata sway bars then too. all in though thats like 1,500+ bucks into a suspension to save 200 bucks a year in wheel bearings and make it better/faster on ice on studs (would probably make it slower/worse on ice/snow with winters). i dont know if im willing to spend that kind of coin on basically a fun/silly car. everything else im doing is "while im in here" and "i have this laying around so why not?" if i felt 100% secure that the economy and my job wasn't gonna crash like it already has, and will again because of the covids, id have already spent the coin. the covids is a strange time, plenty of time and money, but dont want to spend any of it. 

anyway ...


----------



## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

Has anyone recently put an HID projector into their NB1? 

Consensus says mini D2S is the most popular, but I am looking to put RX 350 projectors in if possible.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Well, I started the season off with lots of Miata travel, taking advantage of the extra dry summer to use it as a commuter to my new job. Then I got the Civic Si, and then the Miata's O2 sensor went, and the replacement sensor didn't work, so it's just been sitting a lot over the last 2 months.

Putting it in storage this weekend and get back to it next spring.


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## Atl-Atl (Jun 7, 2006)

Whoops :laugh:


----------



## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

fizay said:


> Has anyone recently put an HID projector into their NB1?
> 
> Consensus says mini D2S is the most popular, but I am looking to put RX 350 projectors in if possible.


A friend of mine does retrofits and headlight restoration as a side job and has done HIDs in his '99. Unfortunately I don't know any particulars about how he did it since I don't know anything about this stuff.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Prepped the Miata for storage. Hasn’t been started in a month... baaaaarely enough juice but it started. 

Took it for a 20 minute ride , CEL never came on. Maybe the new O2 sensor is fine? Dunno.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

All right, the Miata is put away for the winter. I did at least another 30 minutes of driving and still no check engine light so maybe that problem really is solved. I guess we’ll see in the spring.

Excited to have my garage back to put the new car in for a few months.


----------



## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

*The &quot;you need a Miata&quot; thread*

I am trying to convince myself I don’t need an ND


----------



## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

Claff said:


> A friend of mine does retrofits and headlight restoration as a side job and has done HIDs in his '99. Unfortunately I don't know any particulars about how he did it since I don't know anything about this stuff.


Would you mind asking or connecting me with him? I'd really appreciate it. I'm reduced to working off of site reviews for "similar" products and trying to correlate sizing.












Sporin said:


> All right, the Miata is put away for the winter. I did at least another 30 minutes of driving and still no check engine light so maybe that problem really is solved. I guess we’ll see in the spring.
> 
> Excited to have my garage back to put the new car in for a few months.


I've had success cleaning the crap off of battery terminals, posts and grounds as well as the grounds in clearing up O2-related CELs. Bit of dielectric grease to coat em too. Could be purely an automotive placebo effect but I felt better about my existence at the end of it. 



nyexx said:


> I am trying to convince myself I don’t need an ND


Perhaps you'll find solace in the fact that there aren't too many nicely specced ones left on dealer lots. My brother went a few weekends ago and only auto GTS.


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## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> well, since the covids all have us with more money and time than anticipated, i am embarking on a bit of a ice fun build on my white miata. its been rear ended (frames fine), has 200k miles on it, and has been rattled canned, but i have so many good 1.6 miata parts laying around, and the time and money to figure it out. so here is the plan:
> 
> -mazdacomp clutch diff (replacing the VLSD, which is fantastic in the snow on winter tires, but not enough diff for the studs) the VLSD gets a bad rep but is IMO a fantastic diff matched with this car
> -new transmission (current one hesitates going into 5th gear)
> ...


Does ice racing need 5th gear?

save your coins and run stock. 

forgo intake and used saved coins for ITBs??

Only half joking about the ITBs.


----------



## rloewy (Jan 30, 2015)

Haven't had the time to drive this car properly recently, so when I had a chance to do it... fun.


----------



## LoudTIGER (Aug 12, 2002)

Atl-Atl said:


> Whoops :laugh:


Quoted for a beautiful ND. is that your new car? Congrats!


----------



## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

LoudTIGER said:


> Quoted for a beautiful ND. is that your new car? Congrats!


Sig says...yes. :laugh:

NDs look so pure in white, enjoy. :thumbup:


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## ValveCoverGasket (Mar 20, 2002)

Atl-Atl said:


> Whoops :laugh:


mmm lovely :thumbup: :thumbup:




fizay said:


> forgo intake and used saved coins for ITBs??
> 
> Only half joking about the ITBs.


seconded

and they sound great. plus hes already got the shaved head/higher cr to really make them worthwhile.

my only sorta-miata contribution to this thread :laugh:











though i keep seeing NDs and RFs around town that look fantastic! wish they had a nicer dark blue...


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

fizay said:


> Would you mind asking or connecting me with him? I'd really appreciate it. I'm reduced to working off of site reviews for "similar" products and trying to correlate sizing.


Here's his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/tvrsolutions2020/

Unrelated content

On the way home from Time Trial Nationals I spent a quiet Monday morning at the Tail of the Dragon. It was my first time there in four years or so and it's just as good as I remember (I think it's my sixth or seventh visit total). Started out and the road was a bit wet, but the sun was poking through the trees and it was drying out nicely. Traffic was sparse and well-behaved, everyone I caught got out of my way without causing too much angst. I do a bunch of autocross and dabble in track stuff, but there's still nothing like the Dragon where you can string together tight second-gear corners together five, six, seven, or more one right after the other and it's so satisfying to manage the weight transfer and available traction and feel like you're absolutely flying when you're actually only topping out at around 35-40 MPH. On my sixth pass I finally found a group of cruiser motorcycles that weren't at all interested in letting anyone by (I was like eighth in line) and I saw the writing on the wall. I got to my truck and trailer at the end of the Tennessee side, loaded up, and headed out right around lunchtime. It's been all of six weeks and I'm itching to go back again.


----------



## Atl-Atl (Jun 7, 2006)

LoudTIGER said:


> Quoted for a beautiful ND. is that your new car? Congrats!


Yep, thanks




CostcoPizza said:


> Sig says...yes. :laugh:
> 
> NDs look so pure in white, enjoy. :thumbup:


Thanks




ValveCoverGasket said:


> mmm lovely :thumbup: :thumbup:


Thanks


Its so slow but so much fun to drive. Already ordered a bunch of crap for it. Might be worthy of its own thread...


----------



## danny_16v (Jan 24, 2002)

Claff said:


> Here's his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/tvrsolutions2020/
> 
> Unrelated content
> 
> On the way home from Time Trial Nationals I spent a quiet Monday morning at the Tail of the Dragon. It was my first time there in four years or so and it's just as good as I remember (I think it's my sixth or seventh visit total). Started out and the road was a bit wet, but the sun was poking through the trees and it was drying out nicely. Traffic was sparse and well-behaved, everyone I caught got out of my way without causing too much angst. I do a bunch of autocross and dabble in track stuff, but there's still nothing like the Dragon where you can string together tight second-gear corners together five, six, seven, or more one right after the other and it's so satisfying to manage the weight transfer and available traction and feel like you're absolutely flying when you're actually only topping out at around 35-40 MPH. On my sixth pass I finally found a group of cruiser motorcycles that weren't at all interested in letting anyone by (I was like eighth in line) and I saw the writing on the wall. I got to my truck and trailer at the end of the Tennessee side, loaded up, and headed out right around lunchtime. It's been all of six weeks and I'm itching to go back again.


What a beautiful Miata.


----------



## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

Atl-Atl said:


> Its so slow but so much fun to drive. Already ordered a bunch of crap for it. Might be worthy of its own thread...


If you're new to Miata, just remember....'slow car fast'. :laugh:


----------



## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

this is my favourite thread for self-torture. keep the cool Miatas coming.


----------



## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

Something to fall asleep to


----------



## rq1trackaddict (Sep 22, 2009)

chopWet said:


> Is that a FE3 Mazda/Ford 2L 16V?


Sorry for the late reply, just noticed your question.

It‘s the 1.8L 16v block out of a 1994 Ford Escort machined .040 over (fully built)


----------



## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Welp....... partner has seen the light and selling her POS Astra convertible auto. It's a 2005, Opel design and uuuugh. 

Anyway, after selling the fast(ish) bikes and commuting Italian style (Vespa 250), this opens up the door for some good old self-justification into a fun car. Do I go NC again? Or pivot to a cheap 986? I'm stumped as to which way to go... NC would be lower running costs, better shape (at the price point I'm looking at Boxster), but mid-engine is mid-engine and probably at bottom of depreciation curve. 

What to do...


----------



## kindofblue59 (Oct 29, 2011)

I own a cheap 986S and am probably selling soon after 3 years of enjoying it, but with some caveats. Although my car isn't worth much money, Porsche parts are still Porsche parts and are expensive. "There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche."

Great DIY community, and a lot of stuff you can do yourself, but there's no getting over the nuisance of working on a mid-engine car. Even the newest 986 is going to be over 15 years old, so the plastics and rubbers are aging (for example I had to replace both visor mirrors because they snapped off, little things like that). I recognize that NA miata owners are laughing at this point. 

I do think some advantages are the intake sound and the big passenger cabin, but now I'm wishing I had a Miata so I come in this thread to drool.

There again, life is short, maybe too short to own the same car twice--and if you already had an NC... could you swing an ND1?


----------



## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

kindofblue59 said:


> I own a cheap 986S and am probably selling soon after 3 years of enjoying it, but with some caveats. Although my car isn't worth much money, Porsche parts are still Porsche parts and are expensive. "There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche."
> 
> Great DIY community, and a lot of stuff you can do yourself, but there's no getting over the nuisance of working on a mid-engine car. Even the newest 986 is going to be over 15 years old, so the plastics and rubbers are aging (for example I had to replace both visor mirrors because they snapped off, little things like that). I recognize that NA miata owners are laughing at this point.
> 
> ...


Skip the ND1 - either find an NC2 or NC3 or go ND2.

The ND1 engine just doesn't feel as eager as the MZR or the revised 2.0 in the ND2.


----------



## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

kindofblue59 said:


> There again, life is short, maybe too short to own the same car twice--and if you already had an NC... could you swing an ND1?


And my NC had the supercharger which took power from stock 160 at crank to 220ish at the wheels... A stock NC may feel a bit meh... And a 986/7 will retain its value better. Even considering 987 PDK at this point. Better to live with day to day I'd wager.


----------



## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

strapontin said:


> Welp....... partner has seen the light and selling her POS Astra convertible auto. It's a 2005, Opel design and uuuugh.
> 
> Anyway, after selling the fast(ish) bikes and commuting Italian style (Vespa 250), this opens up the door for some good old self-justification into a fun car. Do I go NC again? Or pivot to a cheap 986? I'm stumped as to which way to go... NC would be lower running costs, better shape (at the price point I'm looking at Boxster), but mid-engine is mid-engine and probably at bottom of depreciation curve.
> 
> What to do...


I wouldn't even consider a 986 if an ND is a possibility. A 987 vs. ND is a tougher choice but I found the 986 to be a little gutless and the power/weight ratio just isn't enough to make the mid-engine handling worthy of its purchase.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I have a very strong desire to own a Porsche, but I think the more practical side of my brain would talk me into an ND2 or a really nice NC PRHT. Miatas are just so reliable, and cheap to won and maintain.


----------



## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

My Dad just picked up a 2020 Grand Touring RF. He lives too far away for me to drive it, but after watching some youtube videos, it seems like so much fun. He came from a 2015ish TT-S and he's loving it. He finally got to put the top down the other day with the warm weather.

He's old so forgive the pictures he sent me.


----------



## gmeover (Feb 19, 2008)

amusante1002 said:


> My Dad just picked up a 2020 Grand Touring RF. He lives too far away for me to drive it, but after watching some youtube videos, it seems like so much fun. He came from a 2015ish TT-S and he's loving it. He finally got to put the top down the other day with the warm weather.
> 
> He's old so forgive the pictures he sent me.


There are plenty of nice, curvy roads around and in between Blacksburg and Roanoke. A ND2 should be a blast there!


----------



## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

Had a dyno tuning day this week. Not bad for naturally aspirated.


----------



## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

amusante1002 said:


> My Dad just picked up a 2020 Grand Touring RF. He lives too far away for me to drive it, but after watching some youtube videos, it seems like so much fun. He came from a 2015ish TT-S and he's loving it. He finally got to put the top down the other day with the warm weather.
> 
> He's old so forgive the pictures he sent me.


Love the look of the RF model. This would be a nice choice if I didn't have a Cayman.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

spockcat said:


> Love the look of the RF model. This would be a nice choice if I didn't have a Cayman.


Why not both?


----------



## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

kiznarsh said:


> Why not both?


Because I hardly drive the Cayman because roads around here suck for driving sports cars. I also hardly drive my pickup truck anymore. Or ride my motorcycle. I literally have 3 garage queens already.


----------



## ValveCoverGasket (Mar 20, 2002)

zellers88 said:


> Had a dyno tuning day this week. Not bad for naturally aspirated.
> 
> View attachment 75149


daaaamn!

details on the build?

the high c/r itb bp4w build i copied for my mg swap was making ~175hp with a lot of header fine tuning in the miata. 230hp is damn impressive, and reving to the moon!


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## BrianC (Feb 16, 1999)

My son let me take his Miata for a spin yesterday. Sunny, 77 deg...it was glorious. I had an ear to ear grin the entire drive - this car is just so much damn fun to drive! The sentiment that "Miata is always the answer" now makes perfect sense to me.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

BrianC said:


> My son let me take his Miata for a spin yesterday. Sunny, 77 deg...it was glorious. I had an ear to ear grin the entire drive - this car is just so much damn fun to drive! The sentiment that "Miata is always the answer" now makes perfect sense to me.


Great looking NB, love those wheels.


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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

amusante1002 said:


> My Dad just picked up a 2020 Grand Touring RF. He lives too far away for me to drive it, but after watching some youtube videos, it seems like so much fun. He came from a 2015ish TT-S and he's loving it. He finally got to put the top down the other day with the warm weather.
> 
> He's old so forgive the pictures he sent me.


I know that airport very well and was just there 3 hours ago. We are blessed with amazing roads here, even the drive from Roanoke to Floyd is fantastic and its a "larger" road


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## zellers88 (Sep 25, 2012)

ValveCoverGasket said:


> daaaamn!
> 
> details on the build?
> 
> the high c/r itb bp4w build i copied for my mg swap was making ~175hp with a lot of header fine tuning in the miata. 230hp is damn impressive, and reving to the moon!


It's a very strange looking BP... Had it swapped for a few years now. Just decided to throw some cams in and get it dynoed.


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## ValveCoverGasket (Mar 20, 2002)

that explains the redline! 

very very nice!


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Took a 2009 987 PDK for a test drive this weekend. Came away kinda meh. Think I'm back to a Miata... 
Is the ND1 really that bad? For the price difference with a well sorted NC (minimal around here), are they worth considering? 

I don't think the yellow PRHT I'd go for is ever coming up...


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

strapontin said:


> Took a 2009 987 PDK for a test drive this weekend. Came away kinda meh. Think I'm back to a Miata...
> Is the ND1 really that bad? For the price difference with a well sorted NC (minimal around here), are they worth considering?
> 
> I don't think the yellow PRHT I'd go for is ever coming up...


Comp Yellow was only available on a PRHT in Canada, good luck. 

Go drive a ND1 and ND2 back to back and make a determination on your own. For me, the ND1 engine feels a bit trucky, the ND2 revisions really open it up. It's a screamer in comparison.

Also, you'll get a telescoping steering wheel in the ND2, if that matters.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

strapontin said:


> Is the ND1 really that bad? For the price difference with a well sorted NC (minimal around here), are they worth considering?


I haven't driven the ND's yet (since I have a tendency to want to buy anything i drive)... but my opinion on this based on from other purchases I have made.
As an example, when I bought my NC. I first drove an NB. I liked it but it was a little tight fit for me. As soon as I drove the NC1, I knew I wouldn't be happy with an NB anymore.

Go drive the ND1, and if you like it... don't drive an ND2. 
Based on the engine updates, and everything I have seen other posts...etc, you will like the ND2 more and won't want to settle for the older spec.


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## Nealric (Feb 16, 2013)

dunhamjr said:


> I haven't driven the ND's yet... but my opinion on this based on from other purchases I have made.
> As an example, when I bought my NC. I first drove an NB. I liked it but it was a little tight fit for me. As soon as I drove the NC1, I knew I wouldn't be happy with an NB anymore.
> 
> Go drive the ND1, and if you like it... don't drive an ND2.
> Based on the engine updates, and everything I have seen other posts...etc, you will like the ND2 more and won't want to settle for the older spec.


I haven't had a chance to drive an ND2, but the motor was my biggest complaint about the ND1. A sports car doesn't need big power, but the power it does have should encourage you to drive it hard. The ND1 just fell on its face in the upper rev range, encouraging short shifting - exact opposite of what you want. At the time, I preferred my Mazdaspeed Miata to the ND1- in part because the Mazdaspeed rewards you with the turbo surge once you get it past 4,500 or so rather than punishing you for getting the engine spun up. It sounds like the ND2 fixes that and has the motor the Mazda engineers really wanted for the car from the get-go.


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## bombardi (Mar 28, 2004)

I really wish i could fit in these new RF models


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Nealric said:


> I haven't had a chance to drive an ND2, but the motor was my biggest complaint about the ND1. A sports car doesn't need big power, but the power it does have should encourage you to drive it hard. The ND1 just fell on its face in the upper rev range, encouraging short shifting - exact opposite of what you want. At the time, I preferred my Mazdaspeed Miata to the ND1- in part because the Mazdaspeed rewards you with the turbo surge once you get it past 4,500 or so rather than punishing you for getting the engine spun up. It sounds like the ND2 fixes that and has the motor the Mazda engineers really wanted for the car from the get-go.


I can agree with that as well. If I went to an nd, I would only want an nd2.

I have an nc1 soft top, and want to but also don't want to... drive an nc2/3, maybe with prht. I fear wanting to upgrade when there is no need.

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

Zillon said:


> Comp Yellow was only available on a PRHT in Canada, good luck.


Well there’s definitely at least one running around Australia... See it regularly in these parts (the same one I mean).


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

strapontin said:


> Well there’s definitely at least one running around Australia... See it regularly in these parts (the same one I mean).


Oh, I thought we were dealing with North America here.

Unsure of how the color was available RoW.


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## aethelwulf (Mar 3, 2004)

strapontin said:


> Took a 2009 987 PDK for a test drive this weekend. Came away kinda meh. Think I'm back to a Miata...
> Is the ND1 really that bad? For the price difference with a well sorted NC (minimal around here), are they worth considering?
> 
> I don't think the yellow PRHT I'd go for is ever coming up...


The ND1 is not bad at all, it's a great car and I debated for a while between buying a used ND1 vs the new ND2 I ended up in. I would 100% recommend an early ND over an NC, but I've never been a huge fan of the NC and a lot of the later NCs that I was looking at were within a few thousand dollars of NDs, at which point I'd rather have the ND for a variety of reason (weight, interior, looks, etc).



Nealric said:


> I haven't had a chance to drive an ND2, but the motor was my biggest complaint about the ND1. A sports car doesn't need big power, but the power it does have should encourage you to drive it hard. The ND1 just fell on its face in the upper rev range, encouraging short shifting - exact opposite of what you want. At the time, I preferred my Mazdaspeed Miata to the ND1- in part because the Mazdaspeed rewards you with the turbo surge once you get it past 4,500 or so rather than punishing you for getting the engine spun up. It sounds like the ND2 fixes that and has the motor the Mazda engineers really wanted for the car from the get-go.


The ND1 motor gets the job done, but it's far from great. It runs out of steam up top and really discourages you from taking it all the way to redline. The ND2 motor just suits the nature of the car so much better, and I personally love the change in character. The power in the ND2 is smooth and linear and just keeps building all the way to redline. It's easy to hit the limiter if you aren't paying attention (and I mean that in a good way). 

Overall, even if the ND1 engine isn't as good as the ND2, it's still a fantastic drivers car and I certainly wouldn't discount it. With new cams and a tune the ND1 can also be made to be a lot more rev happy if you're willing to go that route. I would definitely recommend at least checking out the ND1 and taking a drive if you are looking to get into a miata.


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## Atl-Atl (Jun 7, 2006)

Come test drive my ND1, dont drive an ND2 and then buy mine from me. I need to replace it with a more daily friendly ride thanks to a new work situation. 2016 with 19,xxx miles. Brembo/BBS/Nav, prepped for STR class. Fab9 tune but otherwise engine is stock. MeisterR ZetaCRDs, Progress Technologies sways, Advanti Storms 17x9 with sticky 245-40 RE-71Rs, 5lb battery, aggressive street alignment and lots of other little tasteful mods. Black badges, stubby antenna, cell phone mount etc. Its not perfect, has some rock chips and needs a new windshield but its in great shape otherwise.


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## Dawg Dee-Lux (Jul 16, 2004)

Latest from the impulse buy guy










Happy with it so far, very tidy and at some point in 2022 I guess I can take it to the track 😂


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I just emailed the guy I store mine with to see if I could pick it up Saturday morning. It will need a jump for sure, but hopefully, it faired well otherwise, it's always a crapshoot when it comes to rodent-related stuff. I put mothballs under the hood and dryer sheets everywhere else so hopefully it kept them at bay.

I have a new radiator and thermostat waiting to put in it, purely preventative maintenance but the OE one is looking pretty dark so better to replace it early than spring a leak and overheat. Already have a jug of Mobil 1 and a filter as well so I'll do the full spring maintenance on it in my garage over the next couple of weeks while Vermont continues to thaw and dry out.

I think I've decided to do a whole new top instead of just gluing in a new rear window. I have the extra fun-funds this year so I might as well do it right.

Definitely testing the sale market once it's all primped and pretty. NA's have been rising in value and the used "fun" car market is booming so if someone wants to give me some of their stimmy money, I'll add it to the Corvette fund.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

strapontin said:


> Took a 2009 987 PDK for a test drive this weekend. Came away kinda meh. Think I'm back to a Miata...
> Is the ND1 really that bad? For the price difference with a well sorted NC (minimal around here), are they worth considering?
> 
> I don't think the yellow PRHT I'd go for is ever coming up...


The engine upgrades can be largely replicated with aftermarket mods or if you are going FI, then i guess it isn't as big a deal. The second issue is the car is on it's 5th transmission version (I believe) so you may want to to avoid the early cars due to transmission issues. I do think the ND1s have become quite the bargain, but then you have to consider ND1 v. NC3...i would take a NC3 myself.


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## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

Nothing like getting slammed into while you're leaving the intersection because the delivery van behind you wasn't paying attention. 

Anyone got a 10AE trunk?


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Sporin said:


> It will need a jump for sure,


Not able to store it on a battery tender? Or even take the battery home to keep it on a tender?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

dunhamjr said:


> Not able to store it on a battery tender? Or even take the battery home to keep it on a tender?


Nope, it’s in a garage a town away. Usually I pull the battery and put it in my garage at home so I can charge it up before spring pickup. 

But this fall I brought the wrong wrench when I dropped it off so I wound up leaving it in the car. 

The battery was kind of of on its last legs already and I intend to replace it. But for pickup a jump should get it started and home at least.


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## lowlight (Nov 8, 2005)

Atl-Atl said:


> Come test drive my ND1, dont drive an ND2 and then buy mine from me. I need to replace it with a more daily friendly ride thanks to a new work situation. 2016 with 19,xxx miles. Brembo/BBS/Nav, prepped for STR class. Fab9 tune but otherwise engine is stock. MeisterR ZetaCRDs, Progress Technologies sways, Advanti Storms 17x9 with sticky 245-40 RE-71Rs, 5lb battery, aggressive street alignment and lots of other little tasteful mods. Black badges, stubby antenna, cell phone mount etc. Its not perfect, has some rock chips and needs a new windshield but its in great shape otherwise.
> 
> View attachment 76047
> 
> ...


Love your car! Very tastefully modded & so much improved & aggressive over OEM! GLWS! Wish I were in the market right now. What will you be replacing it with? Longer commute?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

And she’s home! I didn’t even have to jumpstart it, hooked up the battery and she fired right up. No issues. Got to give it the spring maintenance once over and make sure there’s no secret mouse nests anywhere and we are ready for summer.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Put the battery on the charger last night as I wanted to drive it into work today since it's supposed to be really nice later. It barely got into the green. Popped it into the car and it started but wasn't super happy about it. Since I have no idea how old the current battery is, I decided to bite the bullet and get a new one that the forums recommended. The Miata is going to be my wife's "at home" car for a few months so we can't have it giving her any issues.

Other than that, all seems good. Everything is so stiff compared to the Civic, I've been spoiled now. 

We are going to put in the new rear window "kit" and see how that goes. If it's awful, we'll put on a whole new (cheap) soft top. My valves are reminding me I'm overdue for an oil change, so I might tackle that this weekend.


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## Atl-Atl (Jun 7, 2006)

lowlight said:


> Love your car! Very tastefully modded & so much improved & aggressive over OEM! GLWS! Wish I were in the market right now. What will you be replacing it with? Longer commute?


Thanks! I think Im going to keep it actually. I added a 3rd car (MK7 R) to my fleet for a daily and I think Ill be able to keep the ND which makes me happy. Plus the girl loves it and wants to learn to drive stick so I have to keep it at least for a little while.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

New battery in!










Any idea how old the old one is?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I can't tell if it's just that I'm used to the Civic's zingy throttle now or what, but the Miata seems extra sluggish this spring. After 4k rpms it kind of dies off - gives a little "hitch" at about 4500 - then stays pretty flat to redline. IIRC, that was not my experience in previous years.

It has the proper blue NGK wires on it and when I checked the plugs last summer they looked great. I don't mind doing plugs and wires again (they are at least 5 years old) if it might help.

I redid the fuel filter last year because it was clogged. I wonder if it could be the fuel sock in the pump or something like that?

The other thing I should check (though I don't have the tools) is the timing.

Any thoughts?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> I can't tell if it's just that I'm used to the Civic's zingy throttle now or what, but the Miata seems extra sluggish this spring. After 4k rpms it kind of dies off - gives a little "hitch" at about 4500 - then stays pretty flat to redline. IIRC, that was not my experience in previous years.
> 
> It has the proper blue NGK wires on it and when I checked the plugs last summer they looked great. I don't mind doing plugs and wires again (they are at least 5 years old) if it might help.
> 
> ...


Two things I would check are the timing (can you rent/borrow the timing light from Autozone?) and the crank pulley wobble. I've been seeing a long on LNC and 1.8L cars have issues with the keyway, similar to what the SNC cars went through. Plug wires might be about due anyway.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> Two things I would check are the timing (can you rent/borrow the timing light from Autozone?) and the crank pulley wobble. I've been seeing a long on LNC and 1.8L cars have issues with the keyway, similar to what the SNC cars went through. Plug wires might be about due anyway.


Thanks. I'll order up plugs and wires and do them regardless, it's just good maintenance. I'll see if my mechanic buddy can help me check the timing.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

My '94 gave the same symptoms when it came time for plugs and wires. IIRC I got like 50k miles out of them - PO had replaced them at 90k and it came time at 140k to do them.

I wouldn't bother with timing yet. See if plugs/wires fix it since these cars chew through them compared to modern cars, and are very easily overlooked.

Edit: nothing looked excessively worn on the old plugs/wires but it was just enough to present a slight hiccup, especially when cold. I imagine if you weren't a car person, it would have been something that would have been allowed to go on for some time until it's extremely apparent.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Cool, I added the plugs and wires to my Amazon cart, we'll see if that is the easy fix I'm hoping for.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Success! New plugs and wires totally cured my high-RPM issues. it now revs smoothly all the way to 6k rpm with no hitches or dead spots. 

Old plugs...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Success! New plugs and wires totally cured my high-RPM issues. it now revs smoothly all the way to 6k rpm with no hitches or dead spots.
> 
> Old plugs...


The old plugs don't look bad at all. Although the #1 plug looks a bit more gapped than the #2 plug.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Smigelski said:


> The old plugs don't look bad at all. Although the #1 plug looks a bit more gapped than the #2 plug.


Agreed, plugs don’t look bad either. I suspect it was the wires, since Miatas tend to be hard on them for some reason, and there’s no way of telling externally that the wires are ‘bad’ except for they just make the car run like poo, and even then it’s only sporadically like what happened to Sporin’s car and my car (maybe it’s a red ‘94 thing)


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

That was my thought as well, likely the wires. They were the proper kind, exactly what I replaced them with, but who knows what was going on inside them.

This is such a super easy job on the Miata btw, took all of 20 minutes and I was deliberately going slowly and carefully. The PO replaced them at some point before I bought the car so everything was at least 5 years old, even if it only went about 10k miles in that timeframe.

I bought this and it makes things SO simple  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MH5ZDMD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## VRhooptie (Jul 24, 2009)

I'm coming up on a year of owning the Miata. It has 66k miles only which 1500 of miles were put on by myself. Have done coils, sway bars, sticky tires, brakes, roll bar and refreshed the front end altogether. A rusty fuel tank was not fun to replace but it seems that the car is now mechanically sorted. 

I am now at an impasse with car. I love it and don't want to sell it but the body work is a let down. Hood and trunk are riddled with hail damage which PDR cannot remove. The car was hit on the right hand corner and you can tell there was an attempt to fix the rail although it is not bent. The hood/fender gap is noticeably off and the pic makes it look better than it is. 

Do I spend 2-3k for an OK paint job or buy a clean low mileage miata, transfer all the parts and sell the one I have now? 

Bonus pic of doggy enjoying the Miata


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

I have been looking for those exam rims for my 1994 with no success.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Going on three weeks of ownership 

So far I love it.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

VRhooptie said:


> I'm coming up on a year of owning the Miata. It has 66k miles only which 1500 of miles were put on by myself. Have done coils, sway bars, sticky tires, brakes, roll bar and refreshed the front end altogether. A rusty fuel tank was not fun to replace but it seems that the car is now mechanically sorted.
> 
> I am now at an impasse with car. I love it and don't want to sell it but the body work is a let down. Hood and trunk are riddled with hail damage which PDR cannot remove. The car was hit on the right hand corner and you can tell there was an attempt to fix the rail although it is not bent. The hood/fender gap is noticeably off and the pic makes it look better than it is.
> 
> Do I spend 2-3k for an OK paint job or buy a clean low mileage miata, transfer all the parts and sell the one I have now?


My thought process on this, cosmetics are always a pain and finding a clean Miata as a base will cost $$$ in today's market. I'd fix what I have. I'd probably source new trunk and hood, lots of good options out there I'm sure. I'd then think about wrapping it vs. paint. Miata is an easy DIY job. 

I ended up wrapping mine a few years ago. I hit a wall while on track, new fender and door later I had a 3 tone car. Wrap fixed that for the price of the wrap and a couple weekends. Here's the end result.


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## jamerican1 (Dec 8, 2005)

Don't think I posted mine yet. It's a 1991 that had around 41k when I bought it


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## Senior Member (Jul 2, 2016)

My son bought this last month, fun car to drive.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Miata + Golf R (or GTI) is a great combo. Fun and flexibility to adapt to almost any driving need.

Still, I've added another car to the mix for a different experience altogether.


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## beefjerky (Dec 18, 2014)

Do you guys accept Miata pictures in this thread? While none of these cars are mine, watching them in action makes me want one


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## Phil Pugliese (May 18, 2000)

Senior Member said:


> My son bought this last month, fun car to drive.


I had this steering wheel in my 96M too.


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

Got this pic from my Dad today. Playin hookie doing his favorite thing...watching Trains.


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

amusante1002 said:


>



Love the look of the RF model.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Foamed and clayed and waxed my Miata today. Golf is due for it soon.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My '94 passed it's yearly State inspection with flying colors (as expected). I need to swap in the new radiator as my old one is just looking so green/brown and the new one will give me peace of mind. Fresh coolant and a new thermostat as well. Also did the yearly oil change (10W-30 synthetic).

Still waffling on whether to put in the new rear window (glue in kit, came with the car) or to bite the bullet and do a whole new top. I think we'll try the kit and if it looks really trashy we'll consider the next step. We almost never drive it top up so chances are the kit will be fine... can't look much worse than the current trashed back window held together with packing tape.










My wife has asked that I NOT sell it, even in the current market. She likes having it in the garage for a fun weekend ride here and there. She'd be game for upgrading to an NC though, but the same current market that inflates this car's value inflates the NC's as well so...


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## DubNMiatafan (Feb 13, 2009)

Patiently awaiting the soaking wet trackday this weekend


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> Still waffling on whether to put in the new rear window (glue in kit, came with the car) or to bite the bullet and do a whole new top. I think we'll try the kit and if it looks really trashy we'll consider the next step.


Owning an NA Miata for the last 20yrs, I will tell you it is an absolute fact: If glue-in windows worked, EVERYONE would be doing it and you'd be able to find 8 different glue-in rear window kits from different, reputable manufacturers. The fact is, that convertible top is under tremendous CONSTANT stretch pressure and it will fail.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

it's been a long time coming, but i finally pulled the trigger. My first ever RWD car.

what a great little machine; can't be too tall for this kiddie ride!










Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Congrats! Looks like a really clean example, nice find. The wheels aren't different colors, right? Just the lighting?


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

kiznarsh said:


> Congrats! Looks like a really clean example, nice find. The wheels aren't different colors, right? Just the lighting?


Thanks! Yeah it is remarkably clean, no accidents and only a few very minor defects. Zero hint of rust anywhere, original paint, barely any chips or scratches. Previous owner replaced the shift knob with a wooden Nardi one, which I kinda like.

Nah unfortunately the wheels have been repainted (and poorly). I suspect it was to mask some of the curb rash. One of the wheels has turned yellow, probably wasn't even clear coated. That's kinda the lowest side to the car. I might want to refinish them properly some day, but for now, I just want to drive the pants off it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Did about 300 miles through Vermont this weekend with some buddies who are all on motorcycles. There were times I was able to keep up, and times where I _really_ felt the Miata's slowness. Overall though, had a great time and really pushed the car more than I ever do just puttering around town. She never missed a beat and the "Italian Tuneup" seems to have really helped the old girl clear her throat. The weather was fantastic, finally.

I wish I had a motorcycle, but I love my wife more so... 🤷‍♂️


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

Little blurry, but thought this was a cool pic my Dad sent me from the 4th of July. Targo top for the win!


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## Stangy (Mar 16, 2007)

Just picked up this super rare 1991 Miata Limited Edition (Special Edition) in BRG. Not showroom, but in great overall shape. Hard top, 70,000miles. Drives like new!

*Pictures:*


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Nice find!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Stangy said:


> Just picked up this super rare 1991 Miata Limited Edition (Special Edition) in BRG. Not showroom, but in great overall shape. Hard top, 70,000miles. Drives like new!


My BRG Brother! I was going to ask if it was a Canadian car, but then noticed your location. What did you pick this up for? In the US, this condition and color at 70K miles is close to $13K car.


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## Stangy (Mar 16, 2007)

Diamond Dave said:


> My BRG Brother! I was going to ask if it was a Canadian car, but then noticed your location. What did you pick this up for? In the US, this condition and color at 70K miles is close to $13K car.


$6300USD! Here this example would go for roughly $14-16k CAD so roughly 12.513K USD.

Just ordered the following which will be completed for my "refresh" of this little guy this weekend. Everything below is preventative besides the leaking CAS O-Ring.

Fuel Filter
NGK Wires
NGK Copper Plugs
Redline Diff Oil
Redline Tranny Oil
Air Intake Filter
Oil Change
Turret Oil
It will be going in for the following over the next week or so:

CAS O-ring
Valve Cover Gasket
Timing Belt & Water Pump
Accessory Belts
"Cursed Water Plug"

I cleaned out all the rain drain holes, AC condenser line, vents and air intake yesterday. Drives like new now, the preventative maintenance above will give me piece of mind for the next while!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> There were times I was able to keep up, and times where I _really_ felt the Miata's slowness.


Yeah, alone or with a group of stock Miata, everything seems fine. But mix in a few cars with torque and suddenly you're like "hey guys, wait up". A buddy of mine has been restoring Datsuns since the 80's and putting Nissan SR20 engines in them. Went on a road trip one time shortly after I got my first Miata and swore I'd never do another until my Miata had more HP. Those cars would just pull away and hard whenever we got to hills.


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

First Mazda comes out with the RF model. And now this? Is Mazda going to force me to finally by a Miata? I do wish they could go full BEV or at least PHEV.









Mazda Confirms Next-Gen MX-5 Miata Will Electrified


A report from Japan references a recent Mazda event where representatives of the automaker spoke about the MX-5 and electrification.




www.motor1.com





Sorry if this article was already posted in another thread. I looked in other Miata threads and didn't see it.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

I can't see the next generation getting any lighter and batteries add a lot of weight, but that can be offset with a sufficiently powerful motor.

Having said that, the formula peaked with the ND2 IMO.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

kiznarsh said:


> I can't see the next generation getting any lighter and batteries add a lot of weight, but that can be offset with a sufficiently powerful motor.
> 
> Having said that, the formula peaked with the ND2 IMO.


I wouldn't be so sure of that. For starters, it wouldn't need or get a massive battery (to keep weight and price down) and it would still be RWD, so just a single motor. Model 3 SR and Bolt aren't that heavy relative to their peers.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

sandwich-chris said:


> I wouldn't be so sure of that. For starters, it wouldn't need or get a massive battery (to keep weight and price down) and it would still be RWD, so just a single motor. Model 3 SR and Bolt aren't that heavy relative to their peers.


thats because there "class" is pushing 4000lbs. and a chevy bolt, is like 3700 lbs. make no mistake, she's chonky. 

if there is a place for ICE to survive, the small, light roadster is where it will make its stand.

it may last one only generation longer in the roadster, but you can't beat the range/lbs in small ICE engines with batteries right now.


----------



## BryanH (Apr 21, 2000)

worth_fixing said:


> it's been a long time coming, but i finally pulled the trigger. My first ever RWD car.
> 
> what a great little machine; can't be too tall for this kiddie ride!
> 
> ...


Duplicolor has a graphite wheel paint that would look really great on there. I used it to redo the Prodrives on a project WRX and they all came out great. I used a lot of sandpaper, then their primer, paint, and matte clear coat. It took a weekend but it was easy and the results have held up well.


----------



## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

cockerpunk said:


> thats because there "class" is pushing 4000lbs. and a chevy bolt, is like 3700 lbs. make no mistake, she's chonky.
> 
> if there is a place for ICE to survive, the small, light roadster is where it will make its stand.
> 
> it may last one only generation longer in the roadster, but you can't beat the range/lbs in small ICE engines with batteries right now.


I thought the SR+ and Bolt were both closer to 3500lbs, but regardless, a Miata doesn't need a 66kWh battery, a 150mile range is more than enough for what is realistically a toy/city car. Only question is can they get pull enough current out of a small battery to get ~200hp. That's 500lbs just in battery weight that could be saved.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

sandwich-chris said:


> I thought the SR+ and Bolt were both closer to 3500lbs, but regardless, a Miata doesn't need a 66kWh battery, a 150mile range is more than enough for what is realistically a toy/city car. Only question is can they get pull enough current out of a small battery to get ~200hp. That's 500lbs just in battery weight that could be saved.


you got dunked on, move on. dont try to back petal it.


----------



## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

sandwich-chris said:


> I thought the SR+ and Bolt were both closer to 3500lbs, but regardless, a Miata doesn't need a 66kWh battery, a 150mile range is more than enough for what is realistically a toy/city car. Only question is can they get pull enough current out of a small battery to get ~200hp. That's 500lbs just in battery weight that could be saved.


Agree. The Bolt is 3563 per google. Given the amount of glass and body, a small 2 seater with a bit less battery would be closer to 3000-3200 lbs. Bring back the Saturn Sky as a Chevrolet Electron. Give it a 50 kWh battery and RWD motor with 250 hp. The Sky weighed about 3000 lbs anyway. This might be a bit more than the original but it would still be tons of fun.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

kiznarsh said:


> I can't see the next generation getting any lighter and batteries add a lot of weight, but that can be offset with a sufficiently powerful motor.


I worked at a Mazda dealer from 89to92. You can't believe the anticipation we had with the FC RX7 being phased out and a year later the FD being introduced. Stunning that Mazda's "gram theory" (which they applied on all Miata) produced a completely fresh car that was lighter.


----------



## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

With a newish ND? No thank you.









This Mazda Miata Climbed a Colorado Jeep Trail on Stock Suspension With No Spotters


It takes someone special to drive an MX-5 up Imogene Pass.




www.thedrive.com


----------



## pontiac (Aug 3, 2009)

Finally brought home my first Miata tonight, feels like I've wanted one forever. 1990, classic red, hardtop with just over 100k miles. Paint needs tlc and tires are over due for the dumpster but rust free and drives absolutely fantastic for $4k. Will post some pictures tomorrow.


----------



## forewheel (Jul 29, 2001)

pontiac said:


> Finally brought home my first Miata tonight, feels like I've wanted one forever. 1990, classic red, hardtop with just over 100k miles. Paint needs tlc and tires are over due for the dumpster but rust free and drives absolutely fantastic for $4k. Will post some pictures tomorrow.


Nice!!...they are special cars.


----------



## pontiac (Aug 3, 2009)

Needs a good wax and a vacuum. 2012(!) date codes on the tires, will be replaced asap and will likely repaint the wheels at the same time as they're pretty rough.


----------



## Stangy (Mar 16, 2007)

Got a killer deal on a set of Falken 615k's close by and jumped on it. WOW....what a difference. The car STICKS!


















Every belt and gasket has been changed (preventative), minus the transmission gaskets. No more squeaks and squawks! 





The car has gotten an entire comb through and is running like new. Replaced all the speakers - including the headrest garbage! I am currently trying to track down a small oil leak running over and into OR out of the bell housing. Few drips from the weeping hole. Meh #british cars.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

After a number of na and nb miatas, I finally picked up an nc. 2010 touring with 80k miles and a few mods including ohlins.

I took it to the track for the first time but forgot it's on 600 tw tires lol. Also an end link is bent up front and there's some setup issue because I had terminal, awful understeer. Car was basically undriveable in terms of being fast (my sm is 5 seconds faster on a 90 second track haha). So I'm going to fix that and do a few small mods. All I've done so far is the bbfw roll bar and changed the muffler to a lightweight single. Car already had headers and mid pipe but was on isr muffler delete which was awful.

The car is also tuned so it feels decent on power. By next spring I'll have wheels and tires and likely a hardtop for track days but I want to keep it as a convertible as this is more of a fun street car than anything else. Just need to get the playful attitude back in the setup. Might get a seat and harnesses but seems like a pain to swap back and forth in this car. We'll see. I did the Gordy mod and got about .75" in height so at least I clear the roll bar 

Here she is parked next to the sm:


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

This thread makes me miss my NA

3dlanes.com


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## RuhRohh (Aug 23, 2010)

Quite honestly thinking of picking up an NB. Current gas prices are really bad, my Lexus has a 20 gal tank and it takes premium. My E36 M3 gets better gas mileage, but it's currently down for the forseeable future. Want to pick up a new Tiguan but not in the position to buy a brand new car. Maybe I should've just kept my MK7


----------



## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

i feel summer's end is in the air
getting as many last top-down drives to work as i can









Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

RuhRohh said:


> Quite honestly thinking of picking up an NB. Current gas prices are really bad, my Lexus has a 20 gal tank and it takes premium. My E36 M3 gets better gas mileage, but it's currently down for the forseeable future. Want to pick up a new Tiguan but not in the position to buy a brand new car. Maybe I should've just kept my MK7


Some days I feel like selling the MK7 and getting something different but it is nice and comfortable as a daily driver. 

3dlanes.com


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## RuhRohh (Aug 23, 2010)

dslinc said:


> Some days I feel like selling the MK7 and getting something different but it is nice and comfortable as a daily driver.
> 
> 3dlanes.com


 Quite honestly the biggest reason why I got rid of my MK7 was because I was having a string of bad luck with it last year.

March - 4x4 plank wood flies off a transit van off the highway and puts a hole in my bumper.
May - less than a month after getting the car back from the preceding incident, someone put two big dents in my rear driver side door
June - someone attempts to break in, tried to pry open my driver side door with a goddamn screw driver
August - chunk of concrete falls off the ceiling of the parking garage I leave my car at, putting a giant dent on my roof, cracks my windshield
October - someone broke into my car, succeeding this time and stole my sunglasses
November - car gets broken into again.

At this point I was just done. I had bought my Lexus from a friend and my dad gave me his (my old) 2015 Accord to drive for the time being. Lexus is comfortable, but just hilariously bad on gas.


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

RuhRohh said:


> Quite honestly the biggest reason why I got rid of my MK7 was because I was having a string of bad luck with it last year.
> 
> March - 4x4 plank wood flies off a transit van off the highway and puts a hole in my bumper.
> May - less than a month after getting the car back from the preceding incident, someone put two big dents in my rear driver side door
> ...


I would have definitely done the same. Man, that really sucks. 

3dlanes.com


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

What are those light 15" alloys that will still clear my Mazdaspeed brakes? The factory 17s weigh alot. What tire should I go with?


Occasionally my syncromesh complains, is there better transmission oil that will improve them?

Flyin' Miata's _Little enchilada_ kit is great, but it's a big price that I'd rather use on rust repair or another car. Will a simple intake/downpipe broaden the powerband? As anyone who driven one knows, the MSM has a pretty narrow powerband that doesn't come alive until 4000-4500, and the redline is a modest 6500.


Still very happy after 2 years and 3 months. I plan to keep this longer than anything I own currently. Amazing car for just $5300


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

88c900t said:


> Occasionally my syncromesh complains, is there better transmission oil that will improve them?


Seems the Miata forums love the Motorcraft stuff. To anyone thinking of switching to Motorcraft transmission fluid...do it!

I have Redline in mind as it's what the shop recommended when I had them change all the fluids on my car when I got it. Given the shop builds racecars as well I just went with their recomendeation. It's good, not magic, but I didn't drive it may miles on the old fluid so I can't say whether it was a big change.


----------



## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

the ford fluid is the real deal. 

expensive, but the best. i've used redline and amsoil, and while good, the ford is just better.


----------



## 300_munkeys (Mar 13, 2010)

88c900t said:


> What are those light 15" alloys that will still clear my Mazdaspeed brakes? The factory 17s weigh alot. What tire should I go with?
> 
> 
> Occasionally my syncromesh complains, is there better transmission oil that will improve them?
> ...


If you're using redline mt-90 try mtl instead.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

When I first got my engine conversion running, the trans was really loud (it's the Nissan 6spd version of the Mazda Aisin 6spd) - well technically the exhaust was SOOOO loud that I didn't know the tran was loud until I switched to a more adult exhaust. We were already using Redline so I ended up adding some type of synthetic additive. Nothing fixed it so I just had it rebuilt - hoping it gets back on the road soon.




88c900t said:


> Flyin' Miata's _Little enchilada_ kit is great, but it's a big price that I'd rather use on rust repair or another car. Will a simple intake/downpipe broaden the powerband? As anyone who driven one knows, the MSM has a pretty narrow powerband that doesn't come alive until 4000-4500, and the redline is a modest 6500.


That FM kit just plain works. Sooooo many Miata owners have cobbled together bull**** and wonder why their cars don't run - or worse, they blow engines because for some reason they didn't bother to get it tuned. 

I never got the allure of the Mazdaspeed Miata (mainly because my SR20 powered Miata puts out 180WHP normally aspirated), but I recently picked up a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege - it uses a similar "let's just bolt a turbo and intercooler onto this stock engine" format. Output is about ~174HP over ~140HP stock and this thing is an absolute HOOT to drive.


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## ValveCoverGasket (Mar 20, 2002)

88c900t said:


> Will a simple intake/downpipe broaden the powerband? As anyone who driven one knows, the MSM has a pretty narrow powerband that doesn't come alive until 4000-4500, and the redline is a modest 6500.


for what its worth the couple MSMs ive tuned have responded really well without many hardware mods.
i think from the factory theyre extremely conservative, and theres a lot of response and power to be made with fairly little tuning work. in addition to raising the redline to take advantage of whats already there.


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## 88c900t (Jul 7, 2014)

ValveCoverGasket said:


> for what its worth the couple MSMs ive tuned have responded really well without many hardware mods.
> i think from the factory theyre extremely conservative, and theres a lot of response and power to be made with fairly little tuning work. in addition to raising the redline to take advantage of whats already there.



AFAIK, the MSM doesn't have much in the way of software tuning, unlike a more modern, well integrated turbo system (eg the VAG 1.8t). Factory whp is about 145 and more to the point the powerband is quite narrow. I also don't want to ruin it. 


There is a post many months back about a certain 15" aftermarket alloy that's one of the few 15s that will clear it's brakes. Not sure what it is tho.


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## ValveCoverGasket (Mar 20, 2002)

88c900t said:


> AFAIK, the MSM doesn't have much in the way of software tuning,


youre right, first step is taking the factory ecu and tossing it into the circular file












i should have clarified - this is what i was tuning

specifically this year a couple of the gen3 variants. 

the gen2 are quite nice as well, and a bit cheaper.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Got mine out of the garage for the first time in over a month.


__
http://instagr.am/p/CUFTAenr5ilcpMbJC2cevS9bF-cSnjsnpowddg0/


Question on trickle chargers, the little LED on mine went dead very shortly after I bought it. How can I check to make sure it's still working?

I have this...








Amazon.com: Battery Tender Junior 12V Charger and Maintainer: Automatic 12V Powersports Battery Charger and Maintainer for Motorcycle, ATVs, and More - Smart 12 Volt, 750mA Battery Float Chargers - 021-0123 : Automotive


Buy Battery Tender Junior 12V Charger and Maintainer: Automatic 12V Powersports Battery Charger and Maintainer for Motorcycle, ATVs, and More - Smart 12 Volt, 750mA Battery Float Chargers - 021-0123: Battery Chargers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



www.amazon.com


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Super dusty Miata:











Clean Miata:










The ceramic coating is great. Just used high pressure soap followed by spot-free rinse, then drove around to air dry and I'd say it was 84% as clean as when I wash it at the house. No water spots.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Been driving the twisties recently 










gave her a wash as well


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

Alright, it is official, I need a Miata. I started looking on craigslist bit it seems not a lot of people post there anymore. I had better luck on Facebook marketplace. 

I am still debating if holding up until prices get better or bite the bullet now. 

3dlanes.com


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

New to this party and reading the thread. Already shopping for a box trailer for my Model A. I figure once I have that, I may as well racecar too. Looking at a few different classes but will probably end up in an SM like everybody else. Any tips? NA, NB, build, buy, how much to spend, etc.? I've asked a bunch of people and gotten a bunch of answers, but it seems like a built NA with some good race results is the favorite. No budget in mind but finding the sweet spot would be nice, which I've heard being anywhere from 10-30k depending on whom I've asked.


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## Stangy (Mar 16, 2007)

worth_fixing said:


> i feel summer's end is in the air
> getting as many last top-down drives to work as i can
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


Same! Hard top went on last night as it was getting a tad chilly on my last few runs into work. Slapped a Magnaflow cat-back on the 91 BRG yesterday. She sounds proper now.








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[/url]







[/url]


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## kindofblue59 (Oct 29, 2011)

Sold my 986 and havent looked back. Its a joyful car. Like a big Power Wheels.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

dslinc said:


> I am still debating if holding up until prices get better or bite the bullet now.


Who's the new guy that thinks prices are going to "get better"? That ship has sailed friend.




kindofblue59 said:


> Sold my 986 and havent looked back. Its a joyful car. Like a big Power Wheels.


Yeah, the 30th AE are gorgeous. Great choice. What led you to change from a Porsche to the Miata?


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## dslinc (Mar 5, 2015)

Diamond Dave said:


> Who's the new guy that thinks prices are going to "get better"? That ship has sailed friend.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was afraid someone would say that hahaha

3dlanes.com


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## kindofblue59 (Oct 29, 2011)

Diamond Dave said:


> Yeah, the 30th AE are gorgeous. Great choice. What led you to change from a Porsche to the Miata?


Just wanted something newer. My old Porsche was a bit of a beater and it got kind of old putting on expensive parts and not making the car more valuable! I also wanted to get a 30AE when they came out but missed buying one new, so I had several searches out to alert me if an orange Miata showed up used. I got it with about 10K miles on it.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

just turned over 58,000 miles


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

kindofblue59 said:


> Sold my 986 and havent looked back. Its a joyful car. Like a big Power Wheels.
> 
> View attachment 120965


Oh you absolute bastard.

A NC2 PRHT has become available in my neck of the woods. Which they are all the time so meh. But it's this somwehat rare spec...









Is Competition Yellow worth paying a premium... If it's even considered a premium. Of course it's manual. All manuals in Oz got the LSD. 
105,000 km
Garage kept weekend driver. 
Plan would be for wheels and Ohlins. Goodwin SuperQ. Maybe a SC in the far future?
I've talked to seller already and planning to go see it if it doesn't get snatched up before the weekend. Or if I come to my senses that as a single dad of 3 I really don't need a two-seater roadster in a shouty colour. But my supercharged NC in winning blue was so much fun...

Or an NC3 in white...


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

In the U.S completion yellow was only available on the Soft top 2009 Miatas. Looks lovely I wouldn’t let that go to waste.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

strapontin said:


> Or if I come to my senses that as a single dad of 3 I really don't need a two-seater roadster in a shouty colour.


Nope. Everyone needs a two-seater in a shouty color.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

ValveCoverGasket said:


> i should have clarified - this is what i was tuning
> 
> specifically this year a couple of the gen3 variants.


I wonder if these are plug & play for a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege? I'd like something to clean up the management on my MSP, but there doesn't seem to be a clean PNP solution.


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## ValveCoverGasket (Mar 20, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> I wonder if these are plug & play for a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege? I'd like something to clean up the management on my MSP, but there doesn't seem to be a clean PNP solution.


yeah im not familiar with the protege ecu but another option is trying to find the ecu-side connectors? we used to do that a bunch before the PNP and adapter boards were available. im not sure if DIY sells the adapter boards anymore but that was a good option that had multiple applications also since those denso ecu connectors were fairly common


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## 1C3B34R (Nov 4, 2021)

_Just received a new project. Long time lurker and figured I'd finally post something _


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

Put over 100 miles on my old NA criss-crossing some mountain roads in central Pennsylvania. These remote valleys have some seriously fun roads due to the topography, but their condition isn't always the greatest. Had plenty of fun wringing out my 100hp. Caught an NB and a 5th gen Prelude out having fun as well.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

nyexx said:


> In the U.S completion yellow was only available on the Soft top 2009 Miatas. Looks lovely I wouldn’t let that go to waste.





ghost03 said:


> Nope. Everyone needs a two-seater in a shouty color.


After having a look at the car and taking it on a test drive this weekend, hesitation sets in. In current market in Australia, based on year and mileage, this is a $19k car (asking price) if it was silver (I made a chart and nerded out with listings available). Guy is asking $25.5k. I can see an extra $2k because colour is rare, but the paint is chipped in a fair few spots (normal) and scratched in a few more (long scratches from a cat) and in need of new rubber (rear is from 2013...).

Because of the condition I'm even reluctant to make an offer for what I'd consider a fair price and have the guy balk. Not when an NC3 that's 5 years newer, with 40% less km is in the same ballpark asking price. 

All that and my partner isn't sold on the whole 2-seat roadster thing (she has a convertible Astra so drop top is not a novel concept to her). She'd rather a Jimny.


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## DrivinAW8 (Jun 21, 2004)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Put over 100 miles on my old NA criss-crossing some mountain roads in central Pennsylvania.


‘92?? I love yellow NAs. And yes, Central PA has some amazing roads… I miss exploring them.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

I know this isn't super relevant to the topic, but I came across this video that just made me realise how terrible I would be on a racetrack. This guy takes his stock ND2 Miata, with a passenger and AC on, on the Nordschleife and passes absolutely everyone save for a 911 GT3.






I'd love to do some Sunday track days at some point in my life (probably not with my Miata though) but the older I get, the more I feel like I would probably be worse than I've always thought I was.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Snow in the forecast tomorrow so we finally moved ours off to storage for the winter. 










We’ve been putting off replacing our tattered-n-taped rear plastic window for years. Well today as I was prepping it for storage the window zipper gave up the ghost. Looks like we’ll go to a full new soft top next year. I wasn’t excited about glueing in the replacement window anyway (no way that doesn’t look messy).


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

DrivinAW8 said:


> ‘92?? I love yellow NAs. And yes, Central PA has some amazing roads… I miss exploring them.


This is a 91' that someone painted yellow over the factory red. It's not perfect but its fun to buzz around in. Perfect driver quality car, not a show piece.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Looks like my ****box is coming back to me. I traded it 18 months ago as partial payment towards restoration work on another car I own. Guy called me up a few weeks ago saying he barely drove it and do I want it back. So, the ****box returns. It's a '91 with a '99 motor and 6 spd with lots of track goodies. It used to be a 1.6 with Rotrex until TDRs wonderful crank pulley destroyed my oil pump. Once I got it running with the 99 motor i got burned out. Parted out the SC kit and sold the car. I'm not sure what I plan to do with it now that I have a Lotus in it's spot but, it could be fun!


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## Claff (Nov 2, 2009)

Wrapped up a fun summer driving (primarily) my '10 PRHT at a full season of local SCCA autocross, plus 17 track days at eight different tracks. I got to three new-to-me tracks this year (Charlotte Motor Speedway, Carolina Motorsports Park, and Road Atlanta). I discovered that some tracks I went to and felt kinda blah at in my '90 were significantly more fun in the faster car, VIR the biggest example. I also made it back to the Tail of the Dragon, where I ran afoul of law enforcement that threatened to take me downtown, but when all was said and done I had to pay a $20 fine.

Now it's time to think about winter maintenance and looking forward to adding a couple more little squiggly stickers to the trunk lid next year.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

a local NA came up for 3,600 dollars, 1992, some rust, and a bent fender. 

man i want it. partner wants it too.


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## 1C3B34R (Nov 4, 2021)

First wash after garage time


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Even Miatas Aren't Cheap Anymore


The cheap NA Miata has for decades been an approachable, friendly, ubiquitous entry point for car enthusiasm. Replacing it won’t be as simple as you may think.




www.roadandtrack.com


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

Sporin said:


> Even Miatas Aren't Cheap Anymore
> 
> 
> The cheap NA Miata has for decades been an approachable, friendly, ubiquitous entry point for car enthusiasm. Replacing it won’t be as simple as you may think.
> ...


yeah, prices for anything fun and manual is quickly rising beyond everybody's reach. I bought an NB2 because it was the best Miata I could afford within my stretched budget. NBs are quite a bit less expensive than NAs and it's basically the same car with some differences. The NBs, more specifically the NB1s are the cheapest Miatas you can buy and are still a great value choice. It's an improvement in almost every respect over the NAs...minus those signature pop-ups that everyone is spending so much money for. And honestly, that's all it comes down to; the pop-up headlights.

NCs seem to hold crazy value and you often get pretty shaken up examples for clean NB money.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'd happily upgrade out of my NA to an NC. A bit more power and space (and I love the PRHT) would be welcome.

I floated selling our NA this summer (we barely use it) but my wife loves having the fun car around. She said until we get the Jeep or Bronco or some other fun droptop in a few years, she wants the NA to stay.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Sporin said:


> I'd happily upgrade out of my NA to an NC. *A bit more power and space (and I love the PRHT) would be welcome.*
> 
> I floated selling our NA this summer (we barely use it) but my wife loves having the fun car around. She said until we get the Jeep or Bronco or some other fun droptop in a few years, she wants the NA to stay.


You'd love the ND2 RF.


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## kptaylor (Apr 7, 2001)

RF is not a droptop so the wife may not be thrilled...


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## troyguitar (Dec 10, 2014)

worth_fixing said:


> yeah, prices for anything fun and manual is quickly rising beyond everybody's reach. I bought an NB2 because it was the best Miata I could afford within my stretched budget. NBs are quite a bit less expensive than NAs and it's basically the same car with some differences. The NBs, more specifically the NB1s are the cheapest Miatas you can buy and are still a great value choice. It's an improvement in almost every respect over the NAs...minus those signature pop-ups that everyone is spending so much money for. And honestly, that's all it comes down to; the pop-up headlights.
> 
> NCs seem to hold crazy value and you often get pretty shaken up examples for clean NB money.


I really like the late NB's with the 6-speed, 4.30 rear end, projector headlights, and 3-spoke wheel. It's pretty much the full evolution of the original Miata.

That being said, I would buy an NC2/3 PRHT if I ever bought a miata, because I need the extra trunk space and ability to store the car outside in urban FL.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

kptaylor said:


> RF is not a droptop so the wife may not be thrilled...


RF has a retractable hardtop... From either seat, you can't tell there's structure behind you.


----------



## 1C3B34R (Nov 4, 2021)

Spotted near me for sale today. Looks clean that is condensation on the front end not clearcoat damage.


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## pontiac (Aug 3, 2009)

1C3B34R said:


> Spotted near me for sale today.


I love montego blue.


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## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

MBrown said:


> RF has a retractable hardtop... From either seat, you can't tell there's structure behind you.


You can definitely tell there's a structure behind you. Be it from the significant blind spot with the top up or down, or the increased wind buffeting. I like the shape of the RF better, but a true convertible it is not.


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## cockerpunk (May 17, 2010)

worth_fixing said:


> I'd love to do some Sunday track days at some point in my life (probably not with my Miata though) but the older I get,* the more I feel like I would probably be worse than I've always thought I was.*


this just means your finally ready to come to the track. 

we were all newbies once. we all sucked once.


----------



## strapontin (Sep 11, 2006)

cockerpunk said:


> we were all newbies once. we all sucked once.


I think I'd suck at least twice or thrice before not sucking as much.


----------



## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

1C3B34R said:


> Spotted near me for sale today. Looks clean that is condensation on the front end not clearcoat damage.


That car still has evidence of being repainted. That's an EXTREMELY optimistic price for what that car is.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

strapontin said:


> You can definitely tell there's a structure behind you. Be it from the significant blind spot with the top up or down, or the increased wind buffeting. I like the shape of the RF better, but a true convertible it is not.


I'd liken to driving the soft top with the top up in terms of visibility. You do sit just in front of the rear wheel and there is not a lot of car behind you.


----------



## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

Designer Of The Mazda Miata, Shunji Tanaka, Dies Aged 75


Shunji Tanaka, the chief designer of the original (NA) Mazda MX-5 Miata, has passed away.




carbuzz.com


----------



## 1C3B34R (Nov 4, 2021)

New cam angle sensor did the trick. 1, 5, and 10 mile shakedown runs completed with no problems other than the wobbly lights. The Hella upgrade lights definitely work better than stock sealed beam.


----------



## 1C3B34R (Nov 4, 2021)

Maybe a trip to Radwood this coming year? I'm in Redding CA isn't there one in the bay area?


----------



## got-rice (Sep 20, 2017)

Shunji Tanaka, Mazda Miata chief designer, 1946 – 2021


Shunji Tanaka, chief designer of the original Mazda Roadster/Miata, has died. He passed away at the age of 75 on December 12 at, according to a close friend and member of a Japan Roadster Club, who…




japanesenostalgiccar.com


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We've got a few more months of winter but we're already planning some big projects this spring on our NA.

New radiator (already have it, good preventative maintenance)
Full new soft top (the rear window has been trashed forever but this fall the zipper also failed, so it's way past time.)
Full tear out and shampoo of the seats and carpet (we got one of those small Bissell shampooers this winter for carpet stains. I don't think the seats have ever been cleared, seriously.) 

Full polish. The single-stage red on the plastic bumpers and mirror caps are very faded.
Need to get a garage to finally swap on the new front shocks (I did the rears last year but fronts are too much for just me)
Full and proper blake bleed. The components are all good but the brake pedal doesn't have as much "bit" as I'd like.
I'd like to have my indy exhaust shop tweak the exhaust a bit, something a littlie louder would be nice. Right now it sounds like a Corolla.
It got new tires last year.
We are very much empty nesters now so there's no reason we can't be driving it more once we have a good top on it. I've had a mental list of things I wanted to do with it but now I actually have the funds and it's pretty much doubled in value since w bought it so I don't feel bad throwing a little money into it.

BRING ON SPRING!


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Your list just took me back to my NA ownership as I inevitably did all of those things you mentioned.










Polishing the paint really brought most of it to life, but you could tell that the rear bumper and mirror tops had really thin paint and weren't long for this world.










I had to check that they still made it (and that it wasn't ridiculously priced) but I really enjoyed the Yonaka Motorsports exhaust that I put on my NA - you can kinda see it in the pic above. It's resonated, so it doesn't sound raspy, but it's not terribly loud either. Just the right amount of bass at idle, and had a nice bark at WOT. It was fairly unobtrusive at 4K RPM on the highway - the wind noise and the seat comfort were what got me during my 100-mile RT commute back when I had it. Below is a picture when it was freshly installed:










This also leads me to my next bit about the top. If you are planning to DIY, get one that's already on the frame. I've heard stretching a new top on the frame yourself is a PITA. I lucked out and found a near-mint NB top w/ the glass window and defroster, at a pick and pull...for $100. I still can't believe it to this day, it was a big score.

Sounds like a great list, should feel like a brand new car!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks! Your car looks great. I really hope I can polish up the faded paint but it really doesn't bother me too too much so I'll mostly just try not to screw it up 

I have all the time in the world and have watched just about every top-change video made so I'm feeling pretty good about swapping it on myself. I am going to get new tension cables though and also have a new rain rail preinstalled on whatever top I eventually decide on. I imagine it will be a bit of a bear to latch until it stretches out, but there's basically zero chance I could find a good used top on a frame in any junkyard up here.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

^that top was a once-in-a-lifetime find, and I think that was back in like 2013...so I can't imagine trying to find anything like that now


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Time to pull the trigger on a new soft top. The budget is under $500 so plenty of options BUT I don't need the world's best. It's still mostly a fair-weather car but my back window is trashed and while the top itself is hole-free, it's getting ragged, and the replacement rear windows look like trash. So since it's doubled in value since I bought it, and I want to commute in it a bit more this summer, a full new top is in order.

There seems to be a wide variety of options from $200-$800. I'll be installing it myself. My rain rail is in fine shape so I'll move that over to the new top. Likely get new tensioner cables. Vinyl is fine, no need for canvas.

I want to make sure whatever window is in it can zip down/out. I think plastic is fine (I'll take good care of it, unlike the car's POs), and keeps me in the budget, unlike the glass window tops (boy has the price of these things skyrocketed!)

I THINK this is what I want, thoughts?












__





Panorama Vinyl Window Convertible Tops by Robbins - Robbins Panorama Style Tops - Convertible Tops - 1999-2005 MX-5 Miata | MossMiata


<P>A new top for your Miata is a necessity but it's also an opportunity for personalization. Robbins' Panorama Tops feature a huge rear window that is 22% larger than their Streamline style tops, a great improvement especially if you have a roll bar to he




mossmiata.com





This one is cheaper and probably fine for my use, but a zipperless window. For the big cost savings, it might be worth it.





__





Vinyl Plastic Window Convertible Tops by Xtreme - Xtreme Vinyl Tops - Convertible Tops - 1999-2005 MX-5 Miata | MossMiata


<P>Xtreme brand replacement convertible tops offer high-quality construction with Cab grain acoustic vinyl material for a great price! These tops are perfect for the Miata owners who usually leave their top down, or are saving for other upgrades. </P> <P




mossmiata.com





Too many options:





__





1989 thru 1997 Mazda Miata MX5 Convertible Tops and Accessories


TopsOnline.com sells replacement convertible tops for 1989 - 1997 Mazda Miata MX5 and MX5 Eunos. Mazda soft tops available in Cabrio Vinyl and Stayfast Cloth (mohair).




www.topsonline.com


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Time to pull the trigger on a new soft top. The budget is under $500 so plenty of options BUT I don't need the world's best. It's still mostly a fair-weather car but my back window is trashed and while the top itself is hole-free, it's getting ragged, and the replacement rear windows look like trash. So since it's doubled in value since I bought it, and I want to commute in it a bit more this summer, a full new top is in order.
> 
> There seems to be a wide variety of options from $200-$800. I'll be installing it myself. My rain rail is in fine shape so I'll move that over to the new top. Likely get new tensioner cables. Vinyl is fine, no need for canvas.
> 
> ...


I never needed to replace the top on my NA, but I remember "everyone" saying that the Robbins tops are among the best. If you are doing the replacement yourself, you are _way_ better off getting a high quality top. Lower quality tops aren't always cut well and can be a real pain to install. This comes from a guy in my local Miata club that's done a couple dozen top replacements on various Miatas. 

That all being said, Can the Panorama top window zip out? I couldn't find that in the description. 

For my money, I'd get the Robbins Vinyl Factory Style Top:





__





Vinyl Zippered Plastic Window Factory Style Convertible Tops by Robbins - Robbins Factory Style Tops - Convertible Tops - 1990-1997 MX-5 Miata | MossMiata


<P>Simply the best top available for your Miata! As the name implies, the Factory Style top is just that, made to look the same as the OEM top with better than OEM quality. Factory style tops are available with and without a zippered rear window. These to




mossmiata.com


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

This is my first attempt to record my Miata with the GoPro action camera and Rode Wireless GO II microphone setup. 

I put one mic/ transmitter in the engine compartment next to the TWM ITBs and the other in the trunk with a lavalier mic taped to the rear bumper. The gain was set wrong so the sound was clipping so much. It was all ITB induction roar and hardly any exhaust note at all. I think the loud ticking noise from the engine is the fuel injectors. At least I hope so. 

It will take some practice for me to get the camera and microphone settings dialed in. Which means more fun drives in the Miata.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I need to make a decision and get my top ordered, likely bringing her home this weekend and I want to do the interior tear out and scrub asap.

Anything else I should do while the seats and carpets (and top) are out? I was wondering about maybe checking on the fuel pump (I replaced a clogged fuel filter under the car last summer). What about sound deadening... worth it? Make sure wires and stuff are all tucked away and wrapped correctly.

Thoughts?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> I need to make a decision and get my top ordered, likely bringing her home this weekend and I want to do the interior tear out and scrub asap.
> 
> Anything else I should do while the seats and carpets (and top) are out? I was wondering about maybe checking on the fuel pump (I replaced a clogged fuel filter under the car last summer). What about sound deadening... worth it? Make sure wires and stuff are all tucked away and wrapped correctly.
> 
> Thoughts?



I'm a big fan of getting a new rain rail while you are doing all the other work. It's less labor (because you don't have to drill out the old rain rail), and you don't want to have to do all the work again if the old rain rail fails. 

Sound deadening? Not worth it, IMO. The whole car is thin and flimsy, so you won't gain a lot by adding deadening to that one area of the car. I probably wouldn't bother with the fuel pump, either. 

While the top is out, it's a bit easier to clean the top drains fully, so make sure to do that.


----------



## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> I need to make a decision and get my top ordered, likely bringing her home this weekend and I want to do the interior tear out and scrub asap.
> 
> Anything else I should do while the seats and carpets (and top) are out? I was wondering about maybe checking on the fuel pump (I replaced a clogged fuel filter under the car last summer). What about sound deadening... worth it? Make sure wires and stuff are all tucked away and wrapped correctly.
> 
> Thoughts?


Have you ever pulled the rear carpet before? You might be surprised at the ugliness underneath, especially if you’ve ever had a leaky top. On my car, when I first replaced the soft top, I found all the removable covers on the rear deck underneath the carpet were rusty due to water leaks. At the time I was broke so I just cleaned them up and sprayed them with hope in a can (cold zinc galvanized spray paint - this was before I knew about Eastwood Rust Encapsulator and Rust Converter). 

Now that I’m getting around to redoing things, I’m planning to replace the fuel pump with a genuine Denso unit with all the necessary pieces (the original is living on borrowed time being 31 years old), all small hoses between the top of the tank and the fuel filter, the fuel filler and vent hoses, and all the removable covers on the rear deck. I’m also going to install DEI insulation underneath the carpet. Some people go a step further and add Dynamat/ Kilmat/ Noico adhesive backed sound deadening material. If you have a hardtop the sound deadening is probably worth it. Otherwise, it’s very subjective. The thin vinyl soft top isn’t that quiet to begin with. 

If you’re replacing the soft top, make sure to fit a new “unbreakable” vinyl rubber rain rail. Be careful when tightening the nuts that secure the soft top to the rear body studs. Do not trust the torque spec in the catalog. Do them by hand until they’re just snug. I foolishly broke one of the studs on my car using my 1/4” drive torque wrench set to the proper torque setting specified in the factory workshop manual. 

+1 on cleaning the top drains. I use a long coat hanger with a loop on the end to hold a rag or paper towel. Also clean the sill drains. Be careful not to scratch any metal that could then rust. I use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry the sill drains open. 

You might also want to fit Billet aluminum top latch locks if your latches don’t lock as securely as they once did or occasionally pop loose. If you want the generic ones without the engraving, you can get them from Blend Door. 

Also, since you’re probably pulling the seats and other interior items to install the new soft top, you might want to think about removing your seat belts and sending them to Safety Restore or elsewhere for rewebbing service.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks, I just want to make sure I do what I should while it's all torn apart.

I'm watching this now, looking for any tips on what I should do as well.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

*freedomgli love all these tips, thank you!! *

I've had the rear carpet up as I needed to repair mouse-chewed wires to the fuel pump a few springs ago. Everything is in pretty good shape. It also seems to be draining fine but I will absolutely ream out all the drains and such while the top is off.

I think I'm likely to put down some of the sticky foil deadening stuff at least on the console to keep down the heat and "boominess" when the top is up.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> *freedomgli love all these tips, thank you!! *
> 
> I've had the rear carpet up as I needed to repair mouse-chewed wires to the fuel pump a few springs ago. Everything is in pretty good shape. It also seems to be draining fine but I will absolutely ream out all the drains and such while the top is off.
> 
> I think I'm likely to put down some of the sticky foil deadening stuff at least on the console to keep down the heat and "boominess" when the top is up.


The transmission tunnel is probably the most effective place to put any sort of insulation/ sound deadening as the exhaust and transmission both radiate lots of heat and sound. 

Sometimes I wish I could get a thick insulated double layer soft top like on the Porsche Boxster. But then it’s like putting lipstick on a pig. And most Miata owners are cheap so it wouldn’t be a big seller.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My rear window is held together with tape and as of last fall, the zipper finally gave up the ghost as well, so it's time. It helps that the car has doubled in value since I bought it pretty cheap 4 years ago.

I really am going to be driving this car more in possibly-in climate weather so I'm even considering glass now. I do wonder if that just-behind-the-seats bar that goes across affects how that top folds though. 










I've decided it's worth the extra money for a pre-installed new Rain Rail, even though I suspect mine is in great shape. I don't want to deal with the process fo swapping from the old top to the new.


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## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

Are you going vinyl? I'm personally in the canvas camp.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

I see the rain rail goes around the back where it meets the body, but what exactly is it and how does it attach to the roof?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

fizay said:


> Are you going vinyl? I'm personally in the canvas camp.


I think canvas is out of my budget but we'll see.



Air and water do mix said:


> I see the rain rail goes around the back where it meets the body, but what exactly is it and how does it attach to the roof?


it is riveted to the top, then bolts onto studs in the body.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I definitely second the idea of putting some heat/sound shielding on the transmission tunnel, if you are going to do it anywhere. 

Also,on a small tangent, make sure to repalce your _rubber_ shifter boot that's under the leather one. When the rubber one degrades and breaks, you get all kinds of heat up through that area, and it usually dries out and cracks your leather shift boot. Hell, while you are doing that, redo your shifter bushings as well. And change your transmission fluid. And your diff fluid. 



Sporin said:


> My rear window is held together with tape and as of last fall, the zipper finally gave up the ghost as well, so it's time. It helps that the car has doubled in value since I bought it pretty cheap 4 years ago.
> 
> I really am going to be driving this car more in possibly-in climate weather so I'm even considering glass now. I do wonder if that just-behind-the-seats bar that goes across affects how that top folds though.
> 
> ...



Glass windows are fine. They _can _start to fail sooner than plastic windows because of the stress/weight at the top of the window. But I don't think you'll have that problem for a long time. The other thing to consider is that the glass windows are smaller than the vinyl windows, so you'll lose a bit of visibility. 

One thing for you to look into is to see if these glass windows have any kind of defroster in them. (I never looked since I had a vinyl window.) If they _do _have a defroster, you _may_ be able to get some sort of adapter plug that can plug into your car's hardtop defroster plug and power the glass-window defroster.



Air and water do mix said:


> I see the rain rail goes around the back where it meets the body, but what exactly is it and how does it attach to the roof?


It's basically a folded-over piece of vinyl that rivets to the roof on either side. As rain drips off the roof around the trunk, it drips into the rain rail, and then the rain rail guides the water to the sides of the car, where it drips off into the drains on the sides of the car. That's why, if the rain rail cracks or breaks, water gets in to the soft top storage area and causes rust/mold issues.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Thanks. I think I'll do a shifter rebuild while I have it all apart.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Got it. It's basically a flexible gutter that is replaceable as a separate unit and sheds water onto the quarter panels. 🍺


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> Also,on a small tangent, make sure to repalce your _rubber_ shifter boot that's under the leather one. When the rubber one degrades and breaks, you get all kinds of heat up through that area, and it usually dries out and cracks your leather shift boot. Hell, while you are doing that, redo your shifter bushings as well. And change your transmission fluid. And your diff fluid.


"while you're in there..."


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Air and water do mix said:


> Got it. It's basically a flexible gutter that is replaceable as a separate unit and sheds water onto the quarter panels. 🍺


Exaclty. And you can swap your good used one to the new top BUT it means grinding out the old rivets and getting it all riveted to the new top smoothly and straight and honestly for the upcharge (and the slight chance mine isn't perfect), I think it makes sense to just get a new one.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

dunhamjr said:


> "while you're in there..."


I'm definitely feeling this


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Sporin said:


> I'm definitely feeling this


That's a slippery slope! 

I'm helping a friend with a brake job and I'm much, much more thorough than he is. "Since it needs a brake hose let's get them all. And wheel cylinders. And since we're doing everything else we should rebuild the calipers, too. Plus pads and shoes. And now I think we should add the master cylinder since it'll be the only thing hydraulic that's old. ...How does that reservoir look?"


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

dunhamjr said:


> "while you're in there..."


Hey, at least I didn't bring up "grease the brake slider pins" while he already had the car in the air doing the transmission/diff fluid. 

I'm a _huge_ fan of "while you're in there," especially when dealing with old cars. And I like my cars to be as "perfect" as they can be, which makes it really hard for me to own old cars. That's part of the reason I sold my NA and got the ND. 




Air and water do mix said:


> That's a slippery slope!
> 
> I'm helping a friend with a brake job and I'm much, much more thorough than he is. "Since it needs a brake hose let's get them all. And wheel cylinders. And since we're doing everything else we should rebuild the calipers, too. Plus pads and shoes. And now I think we should add the master cylinder since it'll be the only thing hydraulic that's old. ...How does that reservoir look?"


This is the way.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

dunhamjr said:


> "while you're in there..."


Yeah, that’s the dilemma that every classic car owner faces: work on the car or drive the car? I have a never ending to do list of tasks and the list is dynamical sorted in real-time in order of priority. The car has been a rolling project for me for 20 years now. It was down for a while during the engine swap but even then I didn’t take care of all the “while I’m in there” things I could have (should have?) done because there was urgency to get the car back together so that it could be driven and enjoyed.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I did ask "Anything else I should do while the seats and carpets (and top) are out?"


----------



## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

Is there a consensus on the best oil for high mileage NAs?


----------



## pontiac (Aug 3, 2009)

Techun said:


> Is there a consensus on the best oil for high mileage NAs?


I run Mobil1 0W40, I believe it's labeled European car formula. The car seems to like it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Top decision made! I just ordered this one. Best quality (Robbins brand), bigger window (better for my commuting) and unzipped saves us about $100 which I spent on an attached new rain rail instead.





__





Panorama Vinyl Window Convertible Tops by Robbins - Convertible Tops - 1999-2005 MX-5 Miata | MossMiata


<P>A new top for your Miata is a necessity but it's also an opportunity for personalization. Robbins' Panorama Tops feature a huge rear window that is 22% larger than their Streamline style tops, a great improvement especially if you have a roll bar to he




mossmiata.com





After talking to my wife last night (she drives it frequently) she really doesn't care if the window zippers down as she basically never drives it top up at all. So this seemed like a quality choice I wouldn't regret.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> Top decision made! I just ordered this one. Best quality (Robbins brand), bigger window (better for my commuting) and unzipped saves us about $100 which I spent on an attached new rain rail instead.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think you made a good choice. Just be aware with a plastic, unzippered window you shouldn't put the top down in colder weather because the window can crease/crack. Some folks have also used a cut-down "pool noodle"to put in the middle of the window when lowering the top so that the window doesn't bend more than the radius of the pool noodle.






lowering top with a pool noodle : how long have you used one - MX-5 Miata Forum


lowering top with a pool noodle : how long have you used one NA/NB Tops, Windows, Boots




forum.miata.net


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I wanted to jump in here with the hive mind. We have finally reached a point where 1 car isn't working for us now that I am starting to travel and get back out in the business world, and we're starting to shop for a second car. I have been considering everything from a GR86 up to a Giulia Quadrifoglio and everything in between.

Wife and I test drove a Miata RF GT yesterday and I think we're sold on that for a second vehicle. IT was a used ND2, and it was a total RIOT. And, I fit in it as a 6 foot 2 guy, which I was surprised about. I will be breaking my "no 2 seater" rule, but as long as we use it as an occasional run-around car, I think the Miata fits our life. (which is something I never thought I could say)

We're in Chicago, and we want to make this a year-round second car/grocery getter/school run car. We have a garage and a new SUV for daily driving and family drives.

We are looking at ordering a Soul Red Crystal Club with the BBS/Recaro package. The question I have for the Miata folks is simple: RF or soft top?

Pluses for the RF: The wife likes the looks better, better security, better sound insulation and temp insulation, and the top goes down at the push of a button. Likely better durability.
Pluses for the ST: Looks better with the top down, lighter, simpler, I like the look better.

Is there a fatal flaw with either?

I am thinking because I am in a cold weather climate the RF makes more sense. Opinions? If it matters, this is going to be a long-term proposition - we will not be leasing.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> I think you made a good choice. Just be aware with a plastic, unzippered window you shouldn't put the top down in colder weather because the window can crease/crack. Some folks have also used a cut-down "pool noodle"to put in the middle of the window when lowering the top so that the window doesn't bend more than the radius of the pool noodle.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yup, I am planning to do the pool noodle and talked to my wife about how you really need to be careful with that window and I think we'll be ok (until we are not). Now I can stress about actually swapping on a new top myself.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The RF is really a Targa and I do hear some folks find it lacks that true convertible feel. I think they look awesome though and if you guys are happy with it I don't think you can go wrong.


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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

Sporin said:


> Yup, I am planning to do the pool noodle and talked to my wife about how you really need to be careful with that window and I think we'll be ok (until we are not). Now I can stress about actually swapping on a new top myself.


I have swapped one miata top and while it wasn't the worst thing I've ever done. It was involving, and I wouldn't do it again lol. But it came out great, just take your time and you'll be good


----------



## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> I wanted to jump in here with the hive mind. We have finally reached a point where 1 car isn't working for us now that I am starting to travel and get back out in the business world, and we're starting to shop for a second car. I have been considering everything from a GR86 up to a Giulia Quadrifoglio and everything in between.
> 
> Wife and I test drove a Miata RF GT yesterday and I think we're sold on that for a second vehicle. IT was a used ND2, and it was a total RIOT. And, I fit in it as a 6 foot 2 guy, which I was surprised about. I will be breaking my "no 2 seater" rule, but as long as we use it as an occasional run-around car, I think the Miata fits our life. (which is something I never thought I could say)
> 
> ...



I had the same decision as you. I went with soft top. Here's my reasons:

The soft top is cheaper and lighter.
I didn't care for the 'targa' look and feel of the RF with the "top down." I wanted a full convertible experience.
Related to the above, I could always feel/sense the top structure behind me that meant the top wasn't completely down.
There is less sound in the RF with the top up, but actually more wind noise in the RF than the soft top when the tops are down.
I think the RF looks better with the top up, but the soft top looks better with the top down.
As a 5'9" person with my height all in my torso, the RF didn't fit me as well (because the seats move up as they move forward, my short legs meant less headroom). (This doesn't apply to you)
If the ND RF was more like the NC's PRHT (fully topless when top-down), I likely would have went for it. There don't seem to be any durability/reliability problems/issues with the RF's top (nor the NC's PRHT), so that's a bonus. More security? Meh. Yeah, a soft top can always be slashed, but it's easier to just get to the interior by pulling on the top edge of the window (which works for both RF and soft top). Earlier soft tops had issues with possibly rubbing on/contacting the roll-hoop plastic, but I think later years are fine (I've never had an issue with my '19).

Personally, I think the RF is great for two kinds of people:

Those that _love_ the looks of the RF.
Those that aren't quite sure they want the full convertible experience.
I don't think you'd be wrong either way. I will say this: If you get the RF, budget ~$350 for the SmarTop Roof Controller. That way you don't have to sit still, with the e-brake on, out of gear, while holding the button to get the top to go up or down. One button push, and you can do it as you leave the garage/parking lot. It's a great convenience. I'm trying to get my dad to buy one for his NC PRHT.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> NC's PRHT (fully topless when top-down),


This is still the Miata I really want if I was spending mid-teens $$$.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

^ Low-mid 20s now 🥲


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> This is still the Miata I really want if I was spending mid-teens $$$.


Back in 2019, after I had sold my NA to buy my ND2, My dad decided to sell his NA and get a newer Miata. He was originally looking at NDs, But he decided to go for an NC because it had more interior space.

We ended up finding him this 2013 PRHT club with 8000 miles for about $18,000. At the time, that was used ND money, but this fit his life a lot better and he was happier with the low mileage.

If I bought another NC, it would be this exact spec, like my dad’s.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

nyexx said:


> ^ Low-mid 20s now 🥲


I know, I know... I'm in denial. 😭


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

As much as I love the concept of the Miata, I do want to say that only the ND grabs me and makes me want one. The NB and NC really don't do it for me like the ND does.

But thanks guys. I think overall, the RF is probably the one we want to go with for the reasons I listed - I do enjoy the structure behind me, and I enjoy the security and the added winterability of the RF.

But I do enjoy the ST looks....


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Out of storage.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> I had the same decision as you. I went with soft top. Here's my reasons:
> {snip}


And now for the opposing view!

For reference, my first Miata was a 2017 RF (one of the first RFs) and it replaced a BMW M5. At the time, I also had a GTI. The GTI gave way to a Golf R and then the 2017 RF gave way to a 2019 (ND2). (I have a third car now, but that's an outlier.)

For me, living in a place that has winter, the retractable hardtop is perfection. In the winter, it's a cozy place to be. In the summer, I'm not aware of the structure behind/above me, so the "targa bar" doesn't bother me in the least. (Similarly, I find I don't enjoy the sunroof in some cars if they start too far behind the driver.)

I have a one-car garage, so the Miata is an outdoor car. Given the commentary in this thread about soft top replacements, I wouldn't want to go down that path. Additionally, I go into Boston somewhat often. I don't worry about vandalism or breakins with the hard top.

So now you've got two sides to consider!!


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## The_Real_Stack (Oct 19, 2016)

Sporin said:


> Out of storage.


I have “replace the top on the S2000” on my list for one of these years. But I’ve heard horror stories about it on the S, I’m going to pay to have someone do it. All in it’s probably a $1500 +/- job and it’s a hard sell when I almost never drive the car top up (why bother when I have the perfect bad weather DD?) so it’s just an anal “have to make the car perfect” thing. And my car is faaaar from perfect so it’s just another job on the list. But one of these days…


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Maximum_Download said:


> As much as I love the concept of the Miata, I do want to say that only the ND grabs me and makes me want one. The NB and NC really don't do it for me like the ND does.
> 
> But thanks guys. I think overall, the RF is probably the one we want to go with for the reasons I listed - I do enjoy the structure behind me, and I enjoy the security and the added winterability of the RF.
> 
> But I do enjoy the ST looks....


Definitely can't go wrong with either but I can definitely see the draw of the RF for you fine folks that have winter. I wanted the quintessential Miata experience and being in LA, dropping the top in a matter of seconds is the way to go IMO.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

RF owner here. 
I went with the RF because I love the look with the top up and down. I have said this before on other threads. The RF gives you the best of both worlds. When I have the top open I don't feel like I have some kind of structure behind me I look up and all I see is open sky. With the top up its a nice place to be in more insulated from the elements outside. 
Can't go wrong either way


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The_Real_Stack said:


> I have “replace the top on the S2000” on my list for one of these years. But I’ve heard horror stories about it on the S, I’m going to pay to have someone do it. All in it’s probably a $1500 +/- job and it’s a hard sell when I almost never drive the car top up (why bother when I have the perfect bad weather DD?) so it’s just an anal “have to make the car perfect” thing. And my car is faaaar from perfect so it’s just another job on the list. But one of these days…


My wife has already requested that I don't start seven Miata projects at once and take the car off the road for too long. We barely got to drive it last year thanks to a lot of construction in our neighborhood (we had deeply rutted mud/dirt roads all summer), she wants to drive it a lot more this year.

If I can get the (trashed) rear window to zip up again I'll likely put that off until we get a week or 2 or rain mid-summer before diving into that project. I am going to do the interior tear out and shampoo though, plus new mats. Realy tidy it up.

I wish hardtops weren't so friggin' expensive. I love the look of the Miata with the soft top frame completely removed. I park in the garage anyway, then I could just run the hardtop in the shoulder seasons. Maybe get a waterproof cover/cockpit tonneau(?) for other times. But with good hardtops now costing nearly what I paid for the car 4 years ago....


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

ooooo, maybe something like this.






904-551 Interior Cockpit Cover | MossMiata


904-551 Interior Cockpit Cover|<p>Protect your interior without the bulk of a full tonneau cover. Installs in seconds, use when your convertible top is down. <br><br> This cover is not designed for cars with a roll bar installed. If you have a roll bar, w




mossmiata.com














Then I can remove the whole frame and take my time swapping the top onto it. Run this in the meantime for the rare times when it might be parked here at work and we get an afternoon shower.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

kiznarsh said:


> Definitely can't go wrong with either but I can definitely see the draw of the RF for you fine folks that have winter. I wanted the quintessential Miata experience and being in LA, dropping the top in a matter of seconds is the way to go IMO.


If I lived in L.A. it would be soft top only, full send. 

I will say the power RF top is pretty slick and makes the car a total no-brainer.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

The RF has the advantage of looking so slick with the top up, a tidy little coupe.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I am sure you guys have seen the Savagegeese Miata retrospectives. The ND installment has the vehicle dynamics lead going over the car on a hoist, showing all the detail changes and engineering challenges to creating the ND. It's really special if you haven't seen it....and I recommend watching the entire video series.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Maximum_Download said:


> I wanted to jump in here with the hive mind. We have finally reached a point where 1 car isn't working for us now that I am starting to travel and get back out in the business world, and we're starting to shop for a second car. I have been considering everything from a GR86 up to a Giulia Quadrifoglio and everything in between.
> 
> Wife and I test drove a Miata RF GT yesterday and I think we're sold on that for a second vehicle. IT was a used ND2, and it was a total RIOT. And, I fit in it as a 6 foot 2 guy, which I was surprised about. I will be breaking my "no 2 seater" rule, but as long as we use it as an occasional run-around car, I think the Miata fits our life. (which is something I never thought I could say)
> 
> ...


I hear the highway buffeting isn't pleasant with the RF, might want to make sure your test drive included high-speed highway top down driving just to check.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> Then I can remove the whole frame and take my time swapping the top onto it. Run this in the meantime for the rare times when it might be parked here at work and we get an afternoon shower.


I had one of those for my NA. I used it as the outdoor winter storage cover for the top so that it wasn't exposed to the elements 24/7. I don't see how it's a good substitute for a soft top during any sort of precipitation. It would be good if you wanted to keep the sun off the interior during periods of being parked in the sun. It would be hard to keep it anchored during any sort of wind either (it will flap around)

Interestingly, MM sells that as a convertible top cover. I got mine from the PO, so I don't know where he got it from.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Lawrider said:


> I hear the highway buffeting isn't pleasant with the RF, might want to make sure your test drive included high-speed highway top down driving just to check.


I have heard that too. But I have also heard it's more of a trade off. You get wind buffeting on the RF when the top is down, but you get a crazy din in the soft top when the top is up. So it's pick your poison.

Unfortunately, supply of Miatas around here are, shall we say, thin. I was lucky enough to find a dealer that had two used NDs on the lot, and we drove the RF. The dealer is down in downtown Chicago, so no highway driving at all. I was about to drive the ST when the wife steered me to the RF. One reason was looks, but the other was because we have 6 months of cold, nasty weather here and a soft top will make the car much less livable - and thus more likely to be sold later on.

I fully intend to put winter wheels and tires on this thing and drive it all year long.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stevo12 said:


> I had one of those for my NA. I used it as the outdoor winter storage cover for the top so that it wasn't exposed to the elements 24/7. I don't see how it's a good substitute for a soft top during any sort of precipitation. It would be good if you wanted to keep the sun off the interior during periods of being parked in the sun. It would be hard to keep it anchored during any sort of wind either (it will flap around)
> 
> Interestingly, MM sells that as a convertible top cover. I got mine from the PO, so I don't know where he got it from.


Thanks, I would only be using it temporarily but the more I look the more I think it's not worth it at all.


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## The_Real_Stack (Oct 19, 2016)

Sporin said:


> Thanks, I would only be using it temporarily but the more I look the more I think it's not worth it at all.


Something like this would be cool as hell.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

How is that held on the dash? Screw in posts for grommets in the cover?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

kiznarsh said:


> How is that held on the dash? Screw in posts for grommets in the cover?


They are screwed in or pop rivets. I think rivets (my friend had them his NA. If you look closely at a stock NA/NB (I think) dashboard, you can see markings for where to place the rivets.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I think I figured out my issue with the RF. I just realized the windshield surround is body colored on the RF:










On a regular soft top Club, the windshield surround is blacked out:










Need to think about some black wrap for that surround somehow without ruining the lines....

But that Soul Red....my gawd....drool...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> I think I figured out my issue with the RF. I just realized the windshield surround is body colored on the RF:
> 
> View attachment 176102
> 
> ...


You should be able to wrap the windshield surrounds relatively easily. 

Another option is _replacing them_ with the black ones. The windshield surround panels are plastic and replaceable. However, they are hard to take off non-destructively. The clips often break (most people find this out when they need a windshield replacement). But you can just buy the black pieces and swap them.





__





A-Pillar in black gloss on the MX-5 RF - MX-5 Miata Forum


A-Pillar in black gloss on the MX-5 RF ND General discussion




forum.miata.net







https://www.miata.net/garage/tsb/Service%20Caution%20when%20installing%20Windshield%20Garnish.pdf




And Soul Red Crystal. Absolutely gorgeous. I get plenty of compliments on the color.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I'm terrible with Photoshop, but learning enough to be dangerous.

I tried messing around, and I think I like what I see. I am going to get the car PPF'd and Ceramic Coated, and...well, it wouldn't be a lot of work to swap the clear PPF for a little gloss black:

Original image from Miata.net (and identical to what I plan to order):











PS'd image - wrapped windshield header, wrapped roof panels back to the "buttress":


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

The_Real_Stack said:


> I have “replace the top on the S2000” on my list for one of these years. But I’ve heard horror stories about it on the S, I’m going to pay to have someone do it. All in it’s probably a $1500 +/- job and it’s a hard sell when I almost never drive the car top up (why bother when I have the perfect bad weather DD?) so it’s just an anal “have to make the car perfect” thing. And my car is faaaar from perfect so it’s just another job on the list. But one of these days…


I hear you. I only drive my car on nice days because I’m trying to limp it along until I can get the car into the body shop to fix the rusty sills (common Miata problem). My soft top isn’t that bad. It’s still water tight. It just doesn’t look that nice and the plastic rear window isn’t so clear anymore. Even so, I have a mint hard top, if needed. So the soft top replacement is just on the to do list so it looks good when the car has fresh paint. Alas, the car will always be a project/ rolling restoration and the to do list is dynamically sorted.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Maximum_Download said:


> I'm terrible with Photoshop, but learning enough to be dangerous.
> 
> I tried messing around, and I think I like what I see. I am going to get the car PPF'd and Ceramic Coated, and...well, it wouldn't be a lot of work to swap the clear PPF for a little gloss black:
> 
> {snip}


Not sure about the 2022s, but on my 2019 (ND2) GT, I have the GT-S package which included Bilstein shocks, a limited slip diff, front suspension brace, and a black roof. 

For the top, there's a ridge on both sides of the three roof sections that's about three or four inches up from the top of the window. It runs longitudinally from the windshield to the back window. The entire center section (between the ridges) is black on all three panels (but not the windshield surround).

I'd grab a photo for you, but the lighting on my driveway isn't good enough at night. Lemme know if you still want to see a photo.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

MBrown said:


> Not sure about the 2022s, but on my 2019 (ND2) GT, I have the GT-S package which included Bilstein shocks, a limited slip diff, front suspension brace, and a black roof.
> 
> For the top, there's a ridge on both sides of the three roof sections that's about three or four inches up from the top of the window. It runs longitudinally from the windshield to the back window. The entire center section (between the ridges) is black on all three panels (but not the windshield surround).
> 
> I'd grab a photo for you, but the lighting on my driveway isn't good enough at night. Lemme know if you still want to see a photo.


If you don't mind, and only at your convenience? 

Please and thank you!


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> I wish hardtops weren't so friggin' expensive.



Just buy a hardtop. It's $1500-2500 depending on quality and color (I'd pay the most for matching color and red is pretty common) and it will NEVER go down in price. It's probably the most liquid asset you can own. I bet you could sell a HT for money in 24hrs if you had to. 

BUY A HARDTOP


Oh and that "cockpit cover" is near worthless. Just get a decent ~$60 full car cover that will stay on the car and go on and off easily.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Diamond Dave said:


> Just buy a hardtop. It's $1500-2500 depending on quality and color (I'd pay the most for matching color and red is pretty common) and it will NEVER go down in price. It's probably the most liquid asset you can own. I bet you could sell a HT for money in 24hrs if you had to.
> 
> BUY A HARDTOP
> 
> Oh and that "cockpit cover" is near worthless. Just get a decent ~$60 full car cover that will stay on the car and go on and off easily.


I had a hardtop on my NC and my NA. The NC's hardtop I bought new and the NA came with it. If you want a hardtop, just get it. Back when I got my NA, the hardtops were $700-$800 for a nice one.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> Just buy a hardtop. It's $1500-2500 depending on quality and color (I'd pay the most for matching color and red is pretty common) and it will NEVER go down in price. It's probably the most liquid asset you can own. I bet you could sell a HT for money in 24hrs if you had to.
> 
> BUY A HARDTOP
> 
> ...


The downside of them being so expensive these days is that it increases the chances for theft even more so. There are solutions, from Spec Miata brackets and tamper resistant hardware to commercial off the shelf locking latches like the Talon Hardtop Security System. See also The Hardtop Security Project Part 1 and Part 2.

Personally, I’m just selective about where I go and when. And I minimize parking my car places other than my secure home garage. I hope that reduces the likelihood of a brazen theft during daylight hours in places where there are lots of potential witnesses.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

This video gives a better overall sense of the balance of sound from the engine intake and exhaust. Mic1 in cowl area near windshield wipers. Mic2 with lavalier taped to rear bumper driver side 36” from exhaust pipe outlet. There’s still some occasional clipping even with the 30dB pad. So I might have to try the safety channel route and stitch the sound together in post processing. This video is the shorter version.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Maximum_Download said:


> If you don't mind, and only at your convenience?
> 
> Please and thank you!


RE: Black roof on 2019 GT-S...

The pictures aren't great, but I hope they'll help.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

MBrown said:


> RE: Black roof on 2019 GT-S...
> 
> The pictures aren't great, but I hope they'll help.


This is the right way to do it.

I would not black out the windshield surround on an RF.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Reading the instructions and I’m already really glad I sprung for the pre-attached rain rail.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

freedomgli said:


> The downside of them being so expensive these days is that it increases the chances for theft even more so.


That's not untrue, but a bit more fallacy than reality. If you park your car outside, you have a higher risk of having your rimz or stereo stolen than a HT stolen. Besides, Sporin isn't a poor - he parks in a garage.




kiznarsh said:


> How is that held on the dash? Screw in posts for grommets in the cover?


They're called Tenax screws. The factory dash has nearly imperceptible plastic plugs that you remove and then screw in a 2" Tenax stud just like the tenax stud on your B-pillar near the seatbelt where the factory boot cover attaches.

The tonneau for a Miata is overrated. I have always had a full tonneau and they work "OK" in a few situations but never great in any single situation. I used to get a lot of seat time in a Datsun Roadster and the airflow for that car was great - the tonneau kept the cockpit very still at speed so it was like driving with a warm cloud below your neck. On a Miata, they're just too smooth and air goes everywhere. I also used mine when my top was ripped when I parked and it just gets messy with pollen, dust,or whatever else and then it's just a large dirty thing. 




Sporin said:


> Reading the instructions and I’m already really glad I sprung for the pre-attached rain rail.


I'll be curious how this turns out. I've got the cloth zippered rear window top that I need to install on mine.





freedomgli said:


> ITB video


Sounds brilliant! I didn't know you had ITB's. A great example of why a clean & sorted Miata can be the perfect lifetime car. It makes all the right sounds and it provides a tremendously rewarding connection with the road.


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## AutoBear (Oct 31, 2014)

I just sold my Miata. I have a feeling i'm going to regret this later.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Got the old top of. Need to do some cleanup and drill out some river remnants. 

Will spend a couple evenings after work this week getting the new one on.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Diamond Dave said:


> Sounds brilliant! I didn't know you had ITB's. A great example of why a clean & sorted Miata can be the perfect lifetime car. It makes all the right sounds and it provides a tremendously rewarding connection with the road.


Exactly. With this build I’ve focused on driver engagement and subjective feeling over outright performance.

There are a million ways to make a Miata faster. But many power adders alter the fundamental character in a way that makes them less Miata and more AC Cobra or TVR Griffith. With too much power you end up granny shifting early, riding the wave of torque, or speeding recklessly. 

My car is slow in an absolute sense, but it is very fun and playful to drive. It encourages you to use all the revs, to perfect all your control inputs and your line to maintain momentum. The great thing is it’s fun at sane speeds. My BMW 428i convertible is way faster but it serves a totally different purpose - comfortable family cruiser.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

The heater in the ND is crazy hot, I drove my ST all winter in Canada.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

sandwich-chris said:


> The heater in the ND is crazy hot, I drove my ST all winter in Canada.


It burns my knuckles when I have the vents pointed at my hands. And the heated seats on the Recaros also work _really_ well. I'm surprised at what temps I can get the car out top-down in.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

Smigelski said:


> It burns my knuckles when I have the vents pointed at my hands. And the heated seats on the Recaros also work _really_ well. I'm surprised at what temps I can get the car out top-down in.


Agreed, anything above freezing is tolerable, especially if it's sunny.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

sandwich-chris said:


> Agreed, anything above freezing is tolerable, especially if it's sunny.


You guys up in Canada must be a hardier lot! Here in the Boston area, I rarely put the top down unless it's 45F or warmer. 

"Rarely" but not "never". There was that ONE day when it was 23F and I thought I'd try it. Nearly froze my @$$ off on the way to the office!


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

MBrown said:


> You guys up in Canada must be a hardier lot! Here in the Boston area, I rarely put the top down unless it's 45F or warmer.
> 
> "Rarely" but not "never". There was that ONE day when it was 23F and I thought I'd try it. Nearly froze my @$$ off on the way to the office!


You just need a warm hat and you're good to go.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

So I did a thing this weekend....


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Yeah! Excited for you!


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Zillon said:


> This is the right way to do it.
> 
> I would not black out the windshield surround on an RF.


I think I am agreeing with you, now that I see how it looks.

Oh well, it was a thought.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Maximum_Download said:


> I think I am agreeing with you, now that I see how it looks.
> 
> Oh well, it was a thought.


I think if you were dead set on blacking out the windshield surround, you could do something like this:


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Sporin said:


> Yeah! Excited for you!


Thanks! I am breaking 2 cardinal rules here at Casa de Train - No 2 seaters, and no long term car ownership.

This one will likely be a keeper. We need a second car, and I was all set to put an order in for a CT4 Blackwing when my wife asked me why we weren't considering a Miata. Apparently, she has always wanted a convertible and never said anything. The downsides of the Miata - no back seat - can be dealt with, and the fun factor is off-the-charts compared to any sports sedan. Running costs are dirt cheap compared to nearly any other car I was looking at, and insurance is HALF.

So yeah. I ordered a new Miata. I am still in shock.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Zillon said:


> I think if you were dead set on blacking out the windshield surround, you could do something like this:


That's not really doing it for me either. Think maybe I should leave well enough alone stock.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Congrats! What's the expected wait time these days?


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Thanks all - I am really stoked. I never thought I was going to be able to buy such a specialized vehicle.

As for timeframe...not sure, yet. I gave the deposit on Friday. Because it's a Club, which is order-only and not stocked, there's a convoluted process that involves submitting a lead (that's the screen cap, above), which the dealer then validates, and puts the order in. I submitted all the paperwork Friday morning and he's going to get back to me with an ETA. From what I am seeing and hearing, 4 months or so, but production is significantly constrained.

But it's less-than-half the price of everything else that I was looking at, and it's going to be more fun than any of them, so I am happy.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> Thanks all - I am really stoked. I never thought I was going to be able to buy such a specialized vehicle.
> 
> As for timeframe...not sure, yet. I gave the deposit on Friday. Because it's a Club, which is order-only and not stocked, there's a convoluted process that involves submitting a lead (that's the screen cap, above), which the dealer then validates, and puts the order in. I submitted all the paperwork Friday morning and he's going to get back to me with an ETA. From what I am seeing and hearing, 4 months or so, but production is significantly constrained.
> 
> But it's less-than-half the price of everything else that I was looking at, and it's going to be more fun than any of them, so I am happy.


I also wonder in what direction the Chicago Area gets its Mazda deliveries from? Do they come from the West Coast or the East Coast? I'd assume the West, which would also help speed up how soon you might get your car.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Accessible fun > speed and power, always.

You won't be disappointed.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Zillon said:


> Accessible fun > speed and power, always.
> 
> You won't be disappointed.


This is what drove my decision. 

Above the Miata, I was considering a Mustang GT/Mach 1, a BMW M2, Audi RS3, Cadillac CT4 V Blackwing, BMW M3 (kind of....god that thing is hideous), and an Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio. There is the CT5V BW and some Porsches over that, but those aren't really realistic for me price wise.

I have had plenty of stupid-fast cars, but a lot of them were pretty boring when driven around town (Golf R, I am looking at you). I want something fun, and fun at any speed.

It also helps that they finally made the Miata a looker (to my eyes anyway), and I appreciate the engineering that went into the car (savagegeese's ND retrospecitve).

So that's the story.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I also wonder in what direction the Chicago Area gets its Mazda deliveries from? Do they come from the West Coast or the East Coast? I'd assume the West, which would also help speed up how soon you might get your car.


No idea. The Audi came in through Houston, but I am not sure where the Miata comes in from.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Maximum_Download said:


> This is what drove my decision.
> 
> Above the Miata, I was considering a Mustang GT/Mach 1, a BMW M2, Audi RS3, Cadillac CT4 V Blackwing, BMW M3 (kind of....god that thing is hideous), and an Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio. There is the CT5V BW and some Porsches over that, but those aren't really realistic for me price wise.
> 
> ...


It's an impressive little car; Mazda did it right.

I was super-tempted to order a base soft-top and put a LSD in it and be done when I worked at Mazda - I drove one back all the way from Longuysland for a customer of mine (did a dealer swap for it since he didn't want any options other than the red paint), and I think I got 42 MPG. It was incredible in terms of comfort on the smaller 16" wheels, and the fuel efficiency.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Zillon said:


> It's an impressive little car; Mazda did it right.
> 
> I was super-tempted to order a base soft-top and put a LSD in it and be done when I worked at Mazda - I drove one back all the way from Longuysland for a customer of mine (did a dealer swap for it since he didn't want any options other than the red paint), and I think I got 42 MPG. It was incredible in terms of comfort on the smaller 16" wheels, and the fuel efficiency.


My dad and I do road trips with ours. His NC PRHT Club and my ND2 ST Club. We fill up the cars at the same gas station and hit the road with me leading the way. His gas tank is 12.7 gallons; mine is 11.9 gallons. His car is _always_ the car limiting factor for range, and it's not even close. He'll radio to me that he's at a quarter tank and I'm just below half. And when we fill up, he's in the low-to-mid 30s mpg range and I'm in the upper 30s to low 40s mpgs. And this is on straight highway runs, so we are following the same route at the same speeds. 

It's really amazing how efficient they made the ND over the NC


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

I pound on mine constantly and I'm averaging 8L/100KM (~30mpg) lifetime, in my old CTR I was lucky to drop below 14L/100KM.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I am really looking forward to owning a car that is inexpensive to own and to run, but is still fun. The Miata is the only car I can really think of that doesn't scare me to own for 10 years.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Smigelski said:


> My dad and I do road trips with ours. His NC PRHT Club and my ND2 ST Club. We fill up the cars at the same gas station and hit the road with me leading the way. His gas tank is 12.7 gallons; mine is 11.9 gallons. His car is _always_ the car limiting factor for range, and it's not even close. He'll radio to me that he's at a quarter tank and I'm just below half. And when we fill up, he's in the low-to-mid 30s mpg range and I'm in the upper 30s to low 40s mpgs. And this is on straight highway runs, so we are following the same route at the same speeds.
> 
> It's really amazing how efficient they made the ND over the NC


He's drafting behind you and still getting worse gas mileage?

Crazy cakes.

Make sure he's more than 2 seconds behind you for cleaner air.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Please forgive the pic whoring, but I have fallen completely in love with Soul Red Crystal.

I have looked at hundreds of pictures of the RF Club in this color, and nearly all of them are ever so slightly different depending on the way the light hits the color.

Amazing.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> Please forgive the pic whoring, but I have fallen completely in love with Soul Red Crystal.
> 
> I have looked at hundreds of pictures of the RF Club in this color, and nearly all of them are ever so slightly different depending on the way the light hits the color.
> 
> ...


Something similar:


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Gorgeous.


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## Techun (Dec 27, 2006)

http://imgur.com/a/neDYsQ5


I wasn't sure what to expect but at 149k I expected more....gunk.

First time replacing the vcg and it seems like no leaks after a drive around the block.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Things getting real....


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

Maximum_Download said:


> Things getting real....


Nice. You won't regret it one bit. I've had my ND Club for six years now and it's just as much fun as day one. I even used it to commute 50 miles each way to work. It was great being able to decompress after a 12 hour shift in the hospital. Most of the stress of the day was gone after only a few miles with the top down. It made me look forward to warm days. Enjoy.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

Maximum_Download said:


> No idea. The Audi came in through Houston, but I am not sure where the Miata comes in from.


Would be interesting to know if you find out. San Fran, Houston, and NY/NJ would seem to be the options:











Smigelski said:


> It's really amazing how efficient they made the ND over the NC


Skyactiv is no joke. They use a really cool 4-2-1 header that is long and phased to help the cylinder empty. Thus cylinder temperatures stay low enough to run very high compression and maximize thermal efficiency. Plus direct injection and such. Great motors; my sister could drive her old Mazda 3 sedan normally on the highway and get low to mid 40s.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Ports appear to be Tacoma or San Diego for west coast, and Jacksonville and Baltimore for east cost.

Whether my car will jump off in Jacksonville or Baltimore is an open question, but I am assuming we will be using an east coast port as I am east of the Mississippi.

I found that info here, and it's interesting reading:








DIY: Tracking Your Mazda From Japan To The U.S.


I have only researched tracking for Japan made Mazda 3's, those with the 2.5L motors, e.g. Touring 2.5 and GT's (whereas those with the 2.0L motor are made in Mexico). However, if you are getting another Mazda manufactured in Japan, you can use this thread to track your vehicle. For some, ship...




www.mazda3revolution.com


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

ghost03 said:


> Skyactiv is no joke. They use a really cool 4-2-1 header that is long and phased to help the cylinder empty. Thus cylinder temperatures stay low enough to run very high compression and maximize thermal efficiency. Plus direct injection and such. Great motors; my sister could drive her old Mazda 3 sedan normally on the highway and get low to mid 40s.


Our '13 Mazda3 hatchback was actually the worst-rated (for fuel mileage) of the OG Skyactiv Mazda3 crowd. Manuals got worse mileage than automatics, hatchbacks got worse mileage than sedans (obv).

Still, we *averaged* 35 MPG lifetime over 125,000 miles and suffered no DI-related maladies during our ownership. It ran, drove, and consumed fuel (no oil) the same as it did Day 1 as it did at the end. No carbon issues, not one misfire. We gave it whatever 87 octane was available at the time (never stopped to consider if it was Tier 1 fuel or whatnot). Fuel filter was integral to the tank, so that was never changed. It was a really good appliance motor.

I was in for a shock when I bought my 2.0L Golf last fall and still haven't achieved 30 MPG. I truly got spoiled with that little hatchback because it was cheap and easy to own.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> Our '13 Mazda3 hatchback was actually the worst-rated (for fuel mileage) of the OG Skyactiv Mazda3 crowd. Manuals got worse mileage than automatics, hatchbacks got worse mileage than sedans (obv).
> 
> Still, we *averaged* 35 MPG lifetime over 125,000 miles and suffered no DI-related maladies during our ownership. It ran, drove, and consumed fuel (no oil) the same as it did Day 1 as it did at the end. No carbon issues, not one misfire. We gave it whatever 87 octane was available at the time (never stopped to consider if it was Tier 1 fuel or whatnot). Fuel filter was integral to the tank, so that was never changed. It was a really good appliance motor.
> 
> I was in for a shock when I bought my 2.0L Golf last fall and still haven't achieved 30 MPG. I truly got spoiled with that little hatchback because it was cheap and easy to own.


Everything I have read seems to imply the Miata is the Prius of sports cars - meaning they never break, they don't have malfunctions, they get incredible fuel economy, and they are as close to Camry-like in terms of "worry" as it gets.

Which is going to be refreshing.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> Everything I have read seems to imply the Miata is the Prius of sports cars - meaning they never break, they don't have malfunctions, they get incredible fuel economy, and they are as close to Camry-like in terms of "worry" as it gets.
> 
> Which is going to be refreshing.


For me, it's a real first-world dilemma. I love Miatas (I'm on my third), but I also love other sports cars and sporty cars (and I've had a bunch of them as well). One of my goals is (of course) a 911 (or maybe a C8, or maybe a 718), but it also scares me a bit. As you said, Miatas are extremely reliable, their fun as hell, and they have low consumables (I can get a full set of Pilot Sport 4S tires installed for ~$800). A 911 _should_ be reliable, but _as reliable as_ a Miata? I don't know about that. And the cost of consumables will be way up. Is the 'fun' of a 911 (etc), enough to compensate? 

The Miata is a bit Guilt-Free™ since I can own it and not have to worry about it needing X or Y that costs $$$ in the near future. The more expensive sports cars make the ownership a tad more stressful.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> For me, it's a real first-world dilemma. I love Miatas (I'm on my third), but I also love other sports cars and sporty cars (and I've had a bunch of them as well). One of my goals is (of course) a 911 (or maybe a C8, or maybe a 718), but it also scares me a bit. As you said, Miatas are extremely reliable, their fun as hell, and they have low consumables (I can get a full set of Pilot Sport 4S tires installed for ~$800). A 911 _should_ be reliable, but _as reliable as_ a Miata? I don't know about that. And the cost of consumables will be way up. Is the 'fun' of a 911 (etc), enough to compensate?
> 
> The Miata is a bit Guilt-Free™ since I can own it and not have to worry about it needing X or Y that costs $$$ in the near future. The more expensive sports cars make the ownership a tad more stressful.


It's a lot more than "a tad". Sports cars should get driven, and if I spent 718 money on a 718, guess what I am doing with it? Nothing. I am polishing it in the garage with a diaper because I would be afraid something would happen to it.

I have found that much over $40,000, toys sit in the garage and get gravity to them. You walk out there, you are acutely aware they are there and you spent all this money on them and they are not being used. Or something breaks on them and it draws attention to itself in a "why do we have that when we could have gone on vacation" sort of way.

I don't want that. I want a fun car that is guilt free.

And frankly, nobody has been able to answer the "fun for dollar" question - one I have had for a long time. Case in point: Is a Miata less fun than a Golf R? Or a 718? 

Put another way, if I spend $XX,XXX more is it worth it? I am not sure there is a lot of headroom over a Miata in the fun department.


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## The_Real_Stack (Oct 19, 2016)

The fear about the Miata is that it’s no doubt fun, but is it fun in IL? I’m not so sure. My S2000 is fun but I don’t drive it nearly as much as I should because it isn’t that fun on decaying surface streets with 90* turns and no twisty 2 lanes anywhere. In the S2000, winding it out to 9k is at least amusing, but in the Miata the engine is probably the least amusing part of the car. This is the main concern I’d have with owning a Miata in this part of the country.


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## Sold Over Sticker (Nov 29, 2009)

The_Real_Stack said:


> The fear about the Miata is that it’s no doubt fun, but is it fun in IL? I’m not so sure. My S2000 is fun but I don’t drive it nearly as much as I should because it isn’t that fun on decaying surface streets with 90* turns and no twisty 2 lanes anywhere. In the S2000, winding it out to 9k is at least amusing, but in the Miata the engine is probably the least amusing part of the car. This is the main concern I’d have with owning a Miata in this part of the country.


I have a fix for you. Buy a Miata. Leave it with me. I'll make sure it comes up to temp once a week for at least an hour. Then when you fly out here, you can enjoy your Miata as well.


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## The_Real_Stack (Oct 19, 2016)

Sold Over Sticker said:


> I have a fix for you. Buy a Miata. Leave it with me. I'll make sure it comes up to temp once a week for at least an hour. Then when you fly out here, you can enjoy your Miata as well.


Except I’ve never been to that part of the country. Plans to go someday but haven’t made it there yet.


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## Sold Over Sticker (Nov 29, 2009)

The_Real_Stack said:


> Except I’ve never been to that part of the country. Plans to go someday but haven’t made it there yet.


That's no big deal. Your Miata will be well taken care of until you get here.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

The_Real_Stack said:


> The fear about the Miata is that it’s no doubt fun, but is it fun in IL? I’m not so sure. My S2000 is fun but I don’t drive it nearly as much as I should because it isn’t that fun on decaying surface streets with 90* turns and no twisty 2 lanes anywhere. In the S2000, winding it out to 9k is at least amusing, but in the Miata the engine is probably the least amusing part of the car. This is the main concern I’d have with owning a Miata in this part of the country.


The requirements are fun to drive, RWD, and playful. Eliminate the FWD contenders (and I am pretty over the FWD and hot hatch crowd) and there just ain't much out there that you can buy new that's a lot of fun to drive daily. In escalating price, we open with the GR86 and Miata, move up to the pony cars, and everything after that is BMW M2 and up money.

It's just a second car intended to be a fun runaround. I think it will be fine for that.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> The requirements are fun to drive, RWD, and playful. Eliminate the FWD contenders (and I am pretty over the FWD and hot hatch crowd) and there just ain't much out there that you can buy new that's a lot of fun to drive daily. In escalating price, we open with the GR86 and Miata, move up to the pony cars, and everything after that is BMW M2 and up money.
> 
> *It's just a second car intended to be a fun runaround. * I think it will be fine for that.


The nice thing with the Miata is that it's a convertible. That helps make it interesting to drive even when you aren't attacking back roads.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> The nice thing with the Miata is that it's a convertible. That helps make it interesting to drive even when you aren't attacking back roads.


...and I have never once owned one. Dropping the top on my way to the airport for a work trip sounds like fun.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

On a different topic, I stumbled across this pic. It shows what a mild lowering can do for the car, visually. The hub-to-fender measurements were as follows:


Left Front: Before: 14 7/16" After: 13 4/16"
Right Front: Before: 14 10/16" After: 13 4/16"
Left Rear: Before: 14 8/16" After: 13 10/16"
Right Rear: Before: 14 12/16" After: 13 8/16"


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

That looks awesome. What suspension did you do?

I am eyeing sway bars front and rear....


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## masa8888 (May 5, 2003)

Anybody > 6 feet tall here that comfortably fit in a ND RF? I'm 6' 1" and guessing the soft top is my only option.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

masa8888 said:


> Anybody > 6 feet tall here that comfortably fit in a ND RF? I'm 6' 1" and guessing the soft top is my only option.


Me. 6 foot 3, and I fit with a half-inch or so to spare when the roof is closed. I am tall-torso, also.

I recommend finding one to sit in. That's the advice that was given to me, and I fit comfortably in the car. If I had a bigger hairstyle though, that would change.


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## Sold Over Sticker (Nov 29, 2009)

masa8888 said:


> Anybody > 6 feet tall here that comfortably fit in a ND RF? I'm 6' 1" and guessing the soft top is my only option.


I'm 6'2'' with long legs, and when I drove Kian's before he bought it, I barely fit. Couldn't get my knees far away from the steering wheel. I think it's highly based on body type, and where you are tall.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

For those of us in the sweet spot height range of 5'7" to 170 cm, the Miata fits like a glove.


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## Lexi (Jun 18, 2000)

Here's my "new to me" NC1, it's an 2007 in Marble White, 6sp with LSD and still in 4x4 mode. The 13 Club wheels were the first order of business as it came with a forgettable set of 16's. Bought it last fall and stored it right away until the snow was gone. As such I only have few days of driving under my belt but I'm enjoying it already. The previous toy was a C5 Z06 so this is a big change, still plenty of fun in a different way. The top down experience really makes the car, still learning how to pull the top back up by myself, there's a technique to it.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

masa8888 said:


> Anybody > 6 feet tall here that comfortably fit in a ND RF? I'm 6' 1" and guessing the soft top is my only option.



Just recently they started making them with telescoping steering wheels so that makes fitting in them easier. Also for the taller folks there are aftermarket seat brackets that lower the seats enough to make someone like you fit in.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Maximum_Download said:


> It's a lot more than "a tad". Sports cars should get driven, and if I spent 718 money on a 718, guess what I am doing with it? Nothing. I am polishing it in the garage with a diaper because I would be afraid something would happen to it.
> 
> I have found that much over $40,000, toys sit in the garage and get gravity to them. You walk out there, you are acutely aware they are there and you spent all this money on them and they are not being used. Or something breaks on them and it draws attention to itself in a "why do we have that when we could have gone on vacation" sort of way.
> 
> ...


I'll go against the grain and say that while I haven't always thought that Miata is the answer to everything, I will concede that there is really no other alternative for it for a fairly narrow set of needs/wants. It's a certain experience that blends well with low cost of ownership

There are Miata owners that drive their cars like a daily driver, and there are Miata owners who treat their car like you would a 718 and only polish it with a diaper. On the flipside I know plenty of folks who own Porsches and drive the sh*t out of them, costs be damned. My Grandfather was one of them, he had a couple 911s back in the '70s that he would run to 150-200k miles.

At the end of the day, if your experiences are heavily influenced by how much you've spent, then you're probably right that there's no better value quotient than a Miata when you take the total cost of ownership into consideration. But those who have the means to support their habits for other types of cars, if you spend Miata money and get less than what you want out of the experience, has it really produced the highest value for you?

Just food for thought. I'd promised my wife when I sold my NA that we would get another Miata at some point. Ever since the ND came out I've wanted to have one because I believe it was a true return to the NA formula. Just waiting for the kiddo to grow a little more, for the bank account to better absorb the cost of the purchase before (I hope) to surprise my wife with one.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> That looks awesome. What suspension did you do?
> 
> I am eyeing sway bars front and rear....


I was debating between a Flyin' Miata spring/shock set up and the FM Fox coil overs. I went for the Fox coil overs and I've been happy with them!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Lexi said:


> Here's my "new to me" NC1, it's an 2007 in Marble White, 6sp with LSD and still in 4x4 mode. The 13 Club wheels were the first order of business as it came with a forgettable set of 16's. Bought it last fall and stored it right away until the snow was gone. As such I only have few days of driving under my belt but I'm enjoying it already. The previous toy was a C5 Z06 so this is a big change, still plenty of fun in a different way. The top down experience really makes the car, still learning how to pull the top back up by myself, there's a technique to it.
> 
> 
> View attachment 180059



Nice car! My first Miata was a 2006 Galaxy Grey, which I put on the full Mazdaspeed suspension and got some RPF-1s. I even bought a brand-new-at-the-time hard top for it:


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Stevo12 said:


> I'll go against the grain and say that while I haven't always thought that Miata is the answer to everything, I will concede that there is really no other alternative for it for a fairly narrow set of needs/wants. It's a certain experience that blends well with low cost of ownership
> 
> There are Miata owners that drive their cars like a daily driver, and there are Miata owners who treat their car like you would a 718 and only polish it with a diaper. On the flipside I know plenty of folks who own Porsches and drive the sh*t out of them, costs be damned. My Grandfather was one of them, he had a couple 911s back in the '70s that he would run to 150-200k miles.
> 
> ...


I really appreciate that. 

I guess for me, I can easily afford a Miata, but the prices for things I want that are above it escalate very quickly, and it becomes a point of spend vs. reward. In my case, all roads led back to Miata for what I wanted to do with it.

Though the things I would do for a 911 GTS Targa......


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

My Dad took his 2020 Miata RF for its 30K service today. Nearly all of those miles are just fun miles for him (vs. commuting). He loves it.


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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

amusante1002 said:


> My Dad took his 2020 Miata RF for its 30K service today. Nearly all of those miles are just fun miles for him (vs. commuting). He loves it.


I keep forgetting this car is related to someone on here. I have seen it several times around town


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

amusante1002 said:


> My Dad took his 2020 Miata RF for its 30K service today. Nearly all of those miles are just fun miles for him (vs. commuting). He loves it.


30k miles on a 2020? And nearly all fun miles? Damn. I have 10k on my 2019.


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

iamnotemo said:


> I keep forgetting this car is related to someone on here. I have seen it several times around town


He's in Christiansburg. You'll know it's him from his LGA2ROA plate, as he moved from CT to VA a few years ago.



Smigelski said:


> 30k miles on a 2020? And nearly all fun miles? Damn. I have 10k on my 2019.


I'm with you, he loves to just get out and drive it. This is coming from a man that had S4s and TTs for the last 15 years too.


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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

amusante1002 said:


> He's in Christiansburg. You'll know it's him from his LGA2ROA plate, as he moved from CT to VA a few years ago.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm with you, he loves to just get out and drive it. This is coming from a man that had S4s and TTs for the last 15 years too.


I have friends that live in Christiansburg (because Blacksburg is to expnsive) So I've def seen it, I feel like maybe out in Floyd too?


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

The_Real_Stack said:


> The fear about the Miata is that it’s no doubt fun, but is it fun in IL? I’m not so sure. My S2000 is fun but I don’t drive it nearly as much as I should because it isn’t that fun on decaying surface streets with 90* turns and no twisty 2 lanes anywhere. In the S2000, winding it out to 9k is at least amusing, but in the Miata the engine is probably the least amusing part of the car. This is the main concern I’d have with owning a Miata in this part of the country.


Go drive an ND2. It's no 9k RPM screamer, but it's got character.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Mine (2019 RF GT) got its summer tires and mats back yesterday. I celebrated with a good wash and I'm hoping to get it waxed today. Planning to attend a Massachusetts Miata Club Meet and Greet at an ice cream shop this afternoon. First event of the season with the Miata!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Decided _not_ to spend the nicest day of the year so far wrenching or working. Went for a nice ride instead and finally broke 100k miles.


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

iamnotemo said:


> I have friends that live in Christiansburg (because Blacksburg is to expnsive) So I've def seen it, I feel like maybe out in Floyd too?


I asked him and he made it seem like he's never really been to Floyd, must be another Miata guy


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

It's an hour long, so I haven't listened yet, but this should be fun...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> It's an hour long, so I haven't listened yet, but this should be fun...


I listened to it yesterday (as a podcast) while doing some work around the house. They talk about their recent 625-mile "rally"/backroad drive they did with their old cars (E30 and Porsche 930) and a couple of friends - one that owns both a stock ND2 and also a modded NC3 Club (Ohlins/PS4S, etc) and discussing which of them is "better" for 9/10ths -10/10ths backroads bombing. The guy that owns both Miatas was on the trip with both cars (and another friend) and they were all swapping cars to figure out which one of them to keep. (They also talked about different aspects of the rally in the previous episode of the podcast.)

On the podcast, they complained about how slidey the rear of the ND2 was when at 8/10ths - 10/10ths on the road, but loved how fun it was around town at 3-4 tenths. They also criticized the 'tone' of the ND2's motor, saying that it lacked character and occasion. The steering of the ND2 was criticized as well as not being as communicative as it could be.

The NC3 on the other hand, they praised the planted feeling of the car (and mentioned how it wasn't a fair comparison due to the mods), but in comparison, they loved the NC3's updated 2.0L engine (forged internals, etc) because of its sense of presence and how it feels as it gets closer to redline. They also appreciated the steering on the NC3.

In the end, between these two specific cars, they thought that the ND2 was the better 'daily driver' due to its more fun nature at a lower speed, it's better interior and infotainment, and general livability. They liked the NC3, as-is, for back-road hustling.

In regards to which one to keep, they mentioned the owner had 1.5x the cost of the NC3 into the ND2, _and_ if the guy wanted to keep the ND2, he'd _need_ suspension and tires, so he's better off selling the ND2.

In conclusion, they decided he should sell both and buy a $6,000 E30. They also decided they don't really like NB Miatas much at all.


I took a bit of issue with the episode, mainly because, while they were comparing _this_ ND to _this_ NC, they were kind of generalizing between the two generations and I feel that that's not really fair because of how an aftermarket suspension (and tires) transforms _any_ Miata (which is why so many of us enthusiasts do that mod to our cars). The NC3 probably had a performance alignment as well and the ND2 had any random alignment that came from the factory (the stock alignment specs are _very_ wide). The engine of the ND2 is really smooth, which, along with the dull-as-dishwater exhaust, make it feel like it lacks presence. That's also why I put a new axle-back on my car.

Bias: I own an ND2 with suspension mods, I owned an NC1 with suspension mods, and my dad owns a stock NC3 PRHT.


When others listen to the podcast/show, I'd be interested in hearing your takes on the show.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

A lot warmer this morning—yesterday it was 30 degrees when I left the house.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Sporin said:


> A lot warmer this morning—yesterday it was 30 degrees when I left the house.
> 
> View attachment 184173


And here I thought that the tops go can _up_ on Miatas and not just down...

/s

Seriously, though, I've done the same thing. And now that I'm going to have to start going back to the office once per week, I'll have to start doing it a bit more.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm currently topless, took the old one off, but haven't had time to install the new one yet, just a bare frame there. 










We were/are replacing the top specifically so I could commute in it this summer to save gas and also because we have about 5 weeks where our son is home and need a 3rd car for many days. But like most things I do, it's taking me 3x as long to do it as it should  

It's just way too nice (once it warms up each day) to not drive the convertible, and each morning is getting warmer. The ride home after work is exquisite.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I listened to it yesterday (as a podcast) while doing some work around the house. They talk about their recent 625-mile "rally"/backroad drive they did with their old cars (E30 and Porsche 930) and a couple of friends - one that owns both a stock ND2 and also a modded NC3 Club (Ohlins/PS4S, etc) and discussing which of them is "better" for 9/10ths -10/10ths backroads bombing. The guy that owns both Miatas was on the trip with both cars (and another friend) and they were all swapping cars to figure out which one of them to keep. (They also talked about different aspects of the rally in the previous episode of the podcast.)
> 
> On the podcast, they complained about how slidey the rear of the ND2 was when at 8/10ths - 10/10ths on the road, but loved how fun it was around town at 3-4 tenths. They also criticized the 'tone' of the ND2's motor, saying that it lacked character and occasion. The steering of the ND2 was criticized as well as not being as communicative as it could be.
> 
> ...



I haven't listened to it yet, but I just have a basic objection to the line of reasoning. I am not a "throw huge money at an old bucket of a car" guy. I like E30s, but I am not choosing one over a shiny new ND2, and I don't give a damn how many mods you throw at an old E30.

Additionally, Jason (to his credit) is a pretty hard core German car guy, and has always loved E30s. It's like me bringing a Taurus SHO to this conversation - fundamentally different cars and I will always bring a bias with me because I love SHOs (and yes, I know I am comparing apples to llamas here, but bear with me).

So it's good conversation, but I agree with you, I don't think it really gets us anywhere.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

My tuned NC2 with a full header-back exhaust, performance alignment, and 17x9s was sublime. My friends' NC1 with a 2.5 swap in full track spec is a riot. Stock ND1 is capable but the drivetrain is a bit dull, ND2 engine is a huge improvement; it really wakes up in the top end of the rev range. I'd really like to drive an ND2 with suspension/exhaust someday.

That all being said, I decided that I'm just not a convertible guy (especially not one with full leather seats) and sold it - and somehow the fates aligned and my old MINI fell back into my lap within 24 hours. Still not quite sure how that happened.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> I'm currently topless, took the old one off, but haven't had time to install the new one yet, just a bare frame there.


Everyone should experience the bliss of owning a "Miata Jeep" at some point. A pure utilitarian convertible that you don't need to worry about anything happening to it or what kind of weather you'll get stuck in. That's a car you'll put a ton of miles on.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Sporin said:


> I'm currently topless, took the old one off, but haven't had time to install the new one yet, just a bare frame there.


I really don't want to read this from you. Like, ever again.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> I listened to it yesterday (as a podcast) while doing some work around the house. They talk about their recent 625-mile "rally"/backroad drive they did with their old cars (E30 and Porsche 930) and a couple of friends - one that owns both a stock ND2 and also a modded NC3 Club (Ohlins/PS4S, etc) and discussing which of them is "better" for 9/10ths -10/10ths backroads bombing. The guy that owns both Miatas was on the trip with both cars (and another friend) and they were all swapping cars to figure out which one of them to keep. (They also talked about different aspects of the rally in the previous episode of the podcast.)
> 
> On the podcast, they complained about how slidey the rear of the ND2 was when at 8/10ths - 10/10ths on the road, but loved how fun it was around town at 3-4 tenths. They also criticized the 'tone' of the ND2's motor, saying that it lacked character and occasion. The steering of the ND2 was criticized as well as not being as communicative as it could be.
> 
> ...


Your review nailed it on the head. They said that the modified NC was better than the _bone stock_ ND, so it's not really a fair comparison. I don't drive at 10/10ths pretty much ever, so i'm looking for validation from the professional idiot (his words, not mine) but for some reason Jason just has an axe to grind with miatas. Who knows. I am happy they said that an ND Club in Soul Red (George) Mica with the BBR package was the one to get. 

So perhaps I DO want validation.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> Your review nailed it on the head. They said that the modified NC was better than the _bone stock_ ND, so it's not really a fair comparison. I don't drive at 10/10ths pretty much ever, so i'm looking for validation from the professional idiot (his words, not mine) but for some reason Jason just has an axe to grind with miatas. Who knows. I am happy they said that an ND Club in Soul Red (George) Mica with the BBR package was the one to get.
> 
> So perhaps I DO want validation.



I get that they can only make content with the cars they had on-hand, but they really did seem to generalize their specific examples to _all_ NC3s and ND2s.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> I get that they can only make content with the cars they had on-hand, but they really did seem to generalize their specific examples to _all_ NC3s and ND2s.


100%. Still was cool to hear them TRY to talk about something that wasn't a BMW for an hour. They did their best.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> 100%. Still was cool to hear *them TRY to talk about something that wasn't a BMW for an hour.* They did their best.


That's wholly inaccurate. They also talk about Porsches. 🍺


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)




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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

Nice. It's good that you were able to get in before the order cutoff. You'll love it. I know mine has been fantastic.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Thanks. Apparently I JUST made it.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Maximum_Download said:


> Thanks. Apparently I JUST made it.


Congrats, mind telling us why you went with the RF variant? Any chance you test drove one at highway speeds with the top down? Always curious what people think. 

Being in Michigan, the RF would make the winters here (this would be a DD) better, but folks seem to not like the RF top down experience as much as the softtop.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

Lawrider said:


> Being in Michigan, the RF would make the winters here (this would be a DD) better, but folks seem to not like the RF top down experience as much as the softtop.


I always wonder about this. Do that many people really daily miatas or other sports cars/convertibles through the winter in the snowbelt?

I used to daily my miata year round. Rain, snow, whatever. But I live near Seattle. While it gets "cold" here, and it does snow, AND I put snow tires on the miata, at most I was driving it through 6-7 inches snow over a couple days, and positive 2 digit but still freezing temps. Even drove it with the top down at 20 degrees and snowing, just to say I did.

But I just can't imaging dailying it when its been snowing for weeks and snow is still falling, plus being in the negatives pre-wind chill.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Lawrider said:


> Congrats, mind telling us why you went with the RF variant? Any chance you test drove one at highway speeds with the top down? Always curious what people think.
> 
> Being in Michigan, the RF would make the winters here (this would be a DD) better, but folks seem to not like the RF top down experience as much as the softtop.


So I can tell you the reality of my situation. Yours may be different, and I will summarize in my usual 1, 2, 3 logic...

1. This is a second car, a fun runaround. The point is to buy this with cash and keep it a very long time. It will be used to run errands, fun drives, and just be a second car to the primary family car.
2. We will be driving it year round in the north burbs of Chicago. That means 6 months of winter.
3. The RF will be warmer and quieter with the top up, which - let's be honest - is most of the time we will be driving it. We are going to have, at best, 4-5 months of potential top down motoring, and of those, quite a few will be rainy or we won't be driving the car at all. I don't anticipate long top down drives at highway speeds.
4. With the top down, I am sure the buffeting is worse, but I was not able to determine how much when I drove one - the only one I could find was down in the city and that meant city driving. Test drives around here are hard to do because of weather and horrifically thin inventory. Once we saw the RF and drove it, it kind of sold itself with the retractable hard top.
5. My preference is the soft top, but I just don't think it's the right choice for us here given we will be driving it during the winter.
6. I did get the car up to about 45 - 50 mph with the top down and windows up and it was quite pleasant, even in 45 degree weather.

I keep thinking "should I have gotten the soft top?" but the reality is the RF is the better car with the top up, based on what I have seen, heard, and read.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Lawrider said:


> Congrats, mind telling us why you went with the RF variant? Any chance you test drove one at highway speeds with the top down?


I always wondered about this complaint from people. RF owner here and I live in LA where the weather is not an issue 98% of the time. I almost always drive with the top up on the freeway, for me there is nothing appealing about being in a LA area freeway with the top down. 
With that said when I do drive with the top down. Most of the time i have the windows up and it’s a nice place to be in. Maybe ignorance is bliss but i can’t imagine the experience is good on a soft top at 80-85 mph on a LA freeway


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

With how we use it, 2000-3000 miles a year, our "toy" is firmly in 'top always down' mode. So the extra cost of an RF was never really an option. Although we both love the body lines. We sat in one a few days before we bought and agreed it felt a little claustrophobic.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

I don't want to start the argument again, but, IMO, an RF isn't really a miata. It's something great, but not what the platform was meant to be. I would also say the same about a hardtop S2000.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

MAC said:


> I don't want to start the argument again, but, IMO, an RF isn't really a miata. It's something great, but not what the platform was meant to be. I would also say the same about a hardtop S2000.


I can respect that, but my counterpoint is without the RF, I wouldn't have bought a Miata. So at the end of the day, what's more important, a philosophical disagreement, or another Miata sale?


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Maximum_Download said:


> I can respect that, but my counterpoint is without the RF, I wouldn't have bought a Miata. So at the end of the day, what's more important, a philosophical disagreement, or another Miata sale?


Mazda is certainly happy. The RF has done a very good job of getting them sales they may not have gotten.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

MAC said:


> Mazda is certainly happy. The RF has done a very good job of getting them sales they may not have gotten.


If I ever move to Southern Cali, I'd go buy a soft top instantly. But for now, the RF means there's a Miata in my garage where there wouldn't be otherwise.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

Maximum_Download said:


> If I ever move to Southern Cali, I'd go buy a soft top instantly. But for now, the RF means there's a Miata in my garage where there wouldn't be otherwise.


It's all good and helps Mazda justify keeping the car in production. The RF is defintely not for me but I don't fault anyone who wants one. In the Miata club I used to be associated with, there were lots of NC & ND hardtops. In fact, a majority of those hardtops were automatics. Absolutely not what I would choose but it's not my money. Buy what you like.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

MAC said:


> I don't want to start the argument again, but, IMO, an RF isn't really a miata. It's something great, but not what the platform was meant to be. I would also say the same about a hardtop S2000.


If it was AWD or turbocharged or 4-seat or AT-only or whatever I'd say sure. But it's an extra hundred pounds. That's less than the difference a 1.8 w/hardtop has over a 1.6 ragtop. If an RF isn't a Miata then my VVT SM car must not be either. 😂


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Doedrums said:


> It's all good and helps Mazda justify keeping the car in production. The RF is defintely not for me but I don't fault anyone who wants one. In the Miata club I used to be associated with, there were lots of NC & ND hardtops. In fact, a majority of those hardtops were automatics. Absolutely not what I would choose but it's not my money. Buy what you like.


I think lost in the conversation is two things:

1. Where you live
2. How you will be using it

I have 1 rule in my house - toys are to be used. (It used to be no 2 seaters, but we threw that one out). I see no point to car if it sits in a garage doing f-all for 6 months because you can't drive it.

In areas with winter, the RF just (to me anyway) made more sense. It's still a real car that can be used when it's 20 degrees outside, and I don't see the soft top being able to do that as well.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

Maximum_Download said:


> In areas with winter, the RF just (to me anyway) made more sense. It's still a real car that can be used when it's 20 degrees outside, and I don't see the soft top being able to do that as well.


Hard tops also make way sense if you intend to ever park it in any downtown environment. Takes 10 seconds to slash a soft top and get inside the car, and doesn't make noise like breaking a window, e.g., this sad image I pulled from Reddit.  If you buy an RF, a lot less reason to ruin Miata-date-night-in-the-city worrrying about where you parked.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

And, there's also the problem with canvas roofs being a finite thing. Eventually you will need to replace that canvas roof (especially if you use the thing like a car and it sits outside, top up and down a lot, etc.).

Boat canvas in temperate mid-latitude climates lasts about 10-15 years with regular use and winter storage inside, 5-7 if it's outside year round. On a convertible, do the math...


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

dunhamjr said:


> I always wonder about this. Do that many people really daily miatas or other sports cars/convertibles through the winter in the snowbelt?
> 
> I used to daily my miata year round. Rain, snow, whatever. But I live near Seattle. While it gets "cold" here, and it does snow, AND I put snow tires on the miata, at most I was driving it through 6-7 inches snow over a couple days, and positive 2 digit but still freezing temps. Even drove it with the top down at 20 degrees and snowing, just to say I did.
> 
> But I just can't imaging dailying it when its been snowing for weeks and snow is still falling, plus being in the negatives pre-wind chill.


I did for a few years. I DD'd my 94 Miata year-round in Chicago, even after a full big-turbo/full suspension, etc... It got worse for the snowplow effect with an aggressive front air dam (RS Aizawa one) but with the R lip, it was fine because at least in Chicago, the plows do get the snow off the road. I ran the softtop (canvas, plastic rear window) and it wore pretty well but went hardtop 24/7 when i had the car repainted. As you know the heaters are massively effective in a Miata thanks to the small interior space, and they aren't drafty. 

Now that i am in Michigan, it would be hell, they don't plow as often, and some streets might not get plowed for several days after a major storm. I have gotten a WRX stuck trying to get down my residential street. Got a FiST stuck on a different residential street. Both times centered and stuck on snow in the road. So now, there is no way i could lower a car here...but I am planning on a new twin for my next DD. If i get a Twin i plan on keeping my current GLI so i suppose on storm days i can take the GLI, but i will go with meaty 16 inch winters.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Thanks for the detailed answer Max_Dow. I didn't realize what you meant about getting the order in time until i hopped on the website and it said sold out for the RF. Damn. 

Love the look of the RF, but the simple purity of the convertible is so nice. I wish it was more of a PRHT ala the NC, but oh well. I went from loving the convertible experience to running a HT on my old Miata 24/7, and not liking the attention from a convertible. Funny thing is i never had a bad interaction in the Miata that was due to the droptop, just the typical fast cars harassing a slow car stuff (one of which finally made me go full big turbo).

I am torn between a twin and a Miata for a DD. In my case, 140 miles a day, all highway, that may change in a year. Dropping the top on a hot summer evening around 6:00pm or later and blasting home with a Goodwin RoadsterSport Race exhaust blaring away sounds intoxicating.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Lawrider said:


> Thanks for the detailed answer Max_Dow. I didn't realize what you meant about getting the order in time until i hopped on the website and it said sold out for the RF. Damn.
> 
> Love the look of the RF, but the simple purity of the convertible is so nice. I wish it was more of a PRHT ala the NC, but oh well. I went from loving the convertible experience to running a HT on my old Miata 24/7, and not liking the attention from a convertible. Funny thing is i never had a bad interaction in the Miata that was due to the droptop, just the typical fast cars harassing a slow car stuff (one of which finally made me go full big turbo).
> 
> I am torn between a twin and a Miata for a DD. In my case, 140 miles a day, all highway, that may change in a year. Dropping the top on a hot summer evening around 6:00pm or later and blasting home with a Goodwin RoadsterSport Race exhaust blaring away sounds intoxicating.


Not just the RF. All Clubs are sold out, RF and soft top.

The Miata works for me because cars have gotten too big, too heavy, and too dependent on serious speed for fun. The Miata is a throwback to the days when cars were an absolute ball even at 30 mph, and I want that feeling again. I want a car where the thought of selling it to someone else is just not an option. And we just need a second car of some kind....running errands, quick trips, and just being wheels for the days when someone else has the family car. They don't happen often in my household, but they are getting more and more frequent and renting a car is way too inconvenient.


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

Maximum_Download said:


> The Miata works for me because cars have gotten too big, too heavy, and too dependent on serious speed for fun. The Miata is a throwback to the days when cars were an absolute ball even at 30 mph...


This is it for me. It perfectly sums up why I DD my ND. Even used it for commuting 100 miles a day 3 days a week during good weather. It's like a go kart for adults. It feels alive at normal speeds. 



Maximum_Download said:


> I think lost in the conversation is two things:
> 
> 1. Where you live
> 2. How you will be using it
> ...


Most definitely but I've driven mine in all kinds of winter temps as long as there is no ice or snow. I also live in an area that has extremely mild winters as a rule. Every few years we'll have a significant snow event but some years we have nothing. Bottom line, you pay your money and you make your choice. Enjoy that choice.


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## paarkr (8 mo ago)

dont need... just want 💗


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

And my car now has a birthday! Dealer just contacted me: 6/15 is when she rolls down the line.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Maximum_Download said:


> Thanks. Apparently I JUST made it.


Me too! I was so worried I was somehow going to be left off the order list.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Hah, I knew that was you on the FB group.

You should have a production date by now....do you?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Top Replacement update: Stalled, but ongoing.

Need to grab one of these tomorrow at HF to move forward.









Ratcheting Right Angle Multi-Bit Screwdriver Set, 8 Piece


Amazing deals on this 8Pc Right Angle Screwdriver Set at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.




www.harborfreight.com





In hindsight, I made my life a little more difficult by doing the "leave frame on the car" method but I think it's going to turn out great. Should be 100% installed by Sat. night.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Roxy got a bath after getting caught in the rain coming home from getting aligned the other day. Sway bars installed yesterday and changed out the trans fluid today. She's fully state of the art now.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Maximum_Download said:


> Hah, I knew that was you on the FB group.
> 
> You should have a production date by now....do you?


I don't. Did you get yours from the dealer? Or from an email from Mazda?


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

VTECeateR said:


> I don't. Did you get yours from the dealer? Or from an email from Mazda?


I got the email from my dealer a few days after that confirmation email.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

MAC said:


> Roxy got a bath after getting caught in the rain coming home from getting aligned the other day. Sway bars installed yesterday and changed out the trans fluid today. She's fully state of the art now.
> View attachment 189413


Jesus tapdancing Christ that is beautiful.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

So… I’ve been stalled in my new top installation. 

It’s the bottom of the “b-pillar” where it’s so fiddly. Thought I was making really good progress today as I finally got those screws in. —- Until I realized I didn’t install a very necessary clip that will necessitate undoing my big success steps from earlier.



So now, since I have to undo stuff anyway, I think I’m going to remove the whole frame and do it that way. Most of the install instructions videos online recommend removing the frame as it makes it infinitely easier to reach the spots that I’m having trouble with. I was trying to do the no frame removal version but I feel like that ship has sailed. This will be a big step backwards but I think it will make the following steps forward much easier and faster.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

That’s the ticket.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Gave it a nice bath last night, first wash since taking it out of storage.










It's really noticeable how much quieter it is without the folded top banging up and down over every bump.  If I had a hardtop, I'd just reinstall all the carpet back there and leave it naked for a while.

But now that I can access everything easily on the table, instead of in the car, I should be able to make quick work of getting the new soft top installed, finally.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

MAC said:


> Roxy got a bath after getting caught in the rain coming home from getting aligned the other day. Sway bars installed yesterday and changed out the trans fluid today. She's fully state of the art now.
> View attachment 189413


God ****. Soul Red......mmmmmm....

Are you running stock suspension? ANd how do the sway bars do - any ride degredation?

I know body roll is a feature and not a bug in the Miata, but that's right at the top of the list of mods when I get around to it.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

Got my old ****box back!

Was busy this weekend installing parts I purchases 2-4 yrs ago and righting some wrongs from my first round of ownership. Hopefully we see track time again, soon.










And that Soul Red has me rethinking my life choices! Gorgeous car @MAC


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Maximum_Download said:


> God ****. Soul Red......mmmmmm....
> 
> Are you running stock suspension? ANd how do the sway bars do - any ride degredation?
> 
> I know body roll is a feature and not a bug in the Miata, but that's right at the top of the list of mods when I get around to it.


Just Progress springs on the stock Bilsteins. No ride quality difference. Honestly don't think the bars make much difference. It's most noticable during slower speed tight transitions like you'd do in autocross. Spirited back road driving not so much.

Putting the Motorcraft unicorn tears in the trans is the best $ I've spent on the car so far


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

MAC said:


> Just Progress springs on the stock Bilsteins. No ride quality difference. Honestly don't think the bars make much difference. It's most noticable during slower speed tight transitions like you'd do in autocross. Spirited back road driving not so much


I am waiting to drive the car longer term before I make an assessment on the suspension. I keep hearing springs/shocks/bars being the best mod for these cars, and the body roll will likely not be something I am going to put up with. But I want to get an assessment first before I make a decision.

Already gave Chicago Auto Pros a heads up that once the car comes in it's going in for a paint correction and a front clip PPF. I will ceramic coat it myself once it gets home.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Maximum_Download said:


> I am waiting to drive the car longer term before I make an assessment on the suspension. I keep hearing springs/shocks/bars being the best mod for these cars, and the body roll will likely not be something I am going to put up with. But I want to get an assessment first before I make a decision.


The springs fixed most of the unwanted body roll. I kinda just bought the bars on a whim.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

HOw did you settle on the springs? I would like to retain the Bilsteins if possible.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

MAC said:


> Just Progress springs on the stock Bilsteins. No ride quality difference. Honestly don't think the bars make much difference. It's most noticable during slower speed tight transitions like you'd do in autocross. Spirited back road driving not so much.
> 
> Putting the Motorcraft unicorn tears in the trans is the best $ I've spent on the car so far


I have the same setup with the Progress Tech sway bars and springs and I definitely noticed an improvement with just the bars (did them first) at all speeds. The springs helped of course too.

Ultimately I recommend upgrading both.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Maximum_Download said:


> HOw did you settle on the springs? I would like to retain the Bilsteins if possible.


Just from seeing tons of people with clubs recommending them. And Goodwin racing has a lot of in depth info on their site about all the stuff they carry. I trusted them


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## Senior Member (Jul 2, 2016)




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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

Senior Member said:


>


If he traded for a Miata he'd have a place to store a dictionary.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> I am waiting to drive the car longer term before I make an assessment on the suspension. I keep hearing springs/shocks/bars being the best mod for these cars, and the body roll will likely not be something I am going to put up with. But I want to get an assessment first before I make a decision.
> 
> Already gave Chicago Auto Pros a heads up that once the car comes in it's going in for a paint correction and a front clip PPF. I will ceramic coat it myself once it gets home.


I went with the FM Fox coil overs. Before I even bought the car, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to stand the stock wheel gap, so I had done my research prior to ordering. I wasn't planning on getting the suspension right away, but a couple of weeks after getting the car, I got furloughed, so it was as good a time any to place the order. I installed the suspension with about 200 miles on the odometer. I don't feel like there's any need for sway bars for me.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Maximum_Download said:


> I am waiting to drive the car longer term before I make an assessment on the suspension. I keep hearing springs/shocks/bars being the best mod for these cars, and the body roll will likely not be something I am going to put up with. But I want to get an assessment first before I make a decision.
> 
> Already gave Chicago Auto Pros a heads up that once the car comes in it's going in for a paint correction and a front clip PPF. I will ceramic coat it myself once it gets home.



I'm kind of in the same boat. My car recently turned 1 with 7k miles. I just feel like I am not ready to do a more significant modification in relation to the small little things I have done. Based on all of my research and my good friend who has owned a couple of miatas, I plan on splurging for the Xidas with the Touring string rate. For what I understand they are just sublime.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Noticed a bunch of Miatas for sale around me (NH, VT, MA). All for what I would consider too if market prices of $6k-$10k for NAs and NBs in decent condition. 

Seems like a lot of folks just looking to cash out.


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## redwe-in-wi (Dec 20, 2001)

Corrected the paint on my 2013 Club Edition last week. Only at 34k miles. I need to drive it more.


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## The_Real_Stack (Oct 19, 2016)

Listened to the Carmudgeon episode about Miatas vs E30s last night walking the dog and surprised to hear they both vastly preferred the NC2/NC3 over the ND/ND2.


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

Got these for my Dad for Father's day. Not sure he'll actually use them, but they were about the best looking ones I could find.










For this baby:


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

The_Real_Stack said:


> Listened to the Carmudgeon episode about Miatas vs E30s last night walking the dog and surprised to hear they both vastly preferred the NC2/NC3 over the ND/ND2.


Not a fair fight. The NC was modded.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

In other news....my car actually exists!


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Gave her a wash and took some pics by the local golf course


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

^^ I saw your pics over on Miata.net. Gorgeous color combo.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Finally made some progress on the new top. I haven’t been super motivated because it’s a fair weather car and we’ve had a lot of great weather. 

Completed the most fiddly bits today that totally stymied me with the frame on the car. 

All that’s left is the front edge which requires glue and I’m not dealing with that in this weather.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I Bought a Pristine, Single-Owner Miata For $10


How a single raffle ticket turned this Eurosnob into “A Miata Guy.”




www.roadandtrack.com


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## VRhooptie (Jul 24, 2009)

Drove it for the first time in over two months. Moved and it's no longer parked with me...

Thinking of selling it since I don't have a garage anymore. Anyone interested 😁?

Untitled by Vr6 Hooptie, on Flickr


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## fizay (Oct 10, 2008)

She's a beaut! I let my NB go due to market conditions, no garage space and the fact that I got a motorcycle. It's the right choice for me, but damn I still regret it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

My clutch was acting a little weird all of a sudden the other day. Engagement was very low. It was going in and out of gear fine and wasn't slipping or anything. It was sitting for a couple weeks and it was very noticeably different feel than when I had put it away last. I drove it about 20 miles and parked it in the garage. 

Today I jump in it to move it and it won’t go into gear. Clutch pedal has almost no restistance. 

Master and slave reservoirs are both full. The Slave cylinder was new last year and appears to be acting as it supposed to. I had my wife push it while I watched the slave cylinder action and looked for leaks. Zero leaks anywhere.

What should I check next? Appreciate any suggestions, thanks. 

In brighter news, my wife also helped me on the new top and it’s nearly done. Got the front edge glued and fastened. Got the frame back on the car. As soon as the glue dries I can attach the rain rail and a few more small pieces and it’s done!


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Update. I put it in gear while it was turned off - started it up - backed out of the garage no problem. Clutch in, put it in 1st, drives forward no issue. 

I don't know what the heck went wrong earlier it would definitely not go into gear. The clutch point still feels too low (all of a sudden compared to how it has felt for years. So something's up with it but I don't think it's the clutch.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

In even greater news, my wife put in a few hours in the garage with me today and we finished the top!! I literally could not have done out without her.  (what a p.i.t.a., I’ll never do that again)

As expected, it needs some time in the sun to stretch but it looks awesome. From the day we bought it, the rear window was trashed. Because it was a fair weather car, so we just lived with it. Now, with that big clear Robbins panorama window, the car looks like a million bucks.


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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

Well done to both of you on the top. I've done one in my life and I will pay someone if it ever needs to happen again.

For the clutch, could there be air getting into the system? Cracked line, cap or reservoir ?


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

It has to be something hydraulic.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Just got an update. My car was offloaded from the Meridian Ace in Tacoma on Friday, and now we wait for the port installed options and the train ride to the Midwest.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Sporin said:


> Update. I put it in gear while it was turned off - started it up - backed out of the garage no problem. Clutch in, put it in 1st, drives forward no issue.
> 
> I don't know what the heck went wrong earlier it would definitely not go into gear. The clutch point still feels too low (all of a sudden compared to how it has felt for years. So something's up with it but I don't think it's the clutch.


The fluid in the clutch master cylinder is really dirty. Given that it's 28 year old part (presumably) and it only cost $20 to replace it, seems like a good idea regardless. Then I'll bleed out the whole system and I cross my fingers that fixes it. 

Just ordered the Exexy oem replacement. It will be here Thursday.


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## Stevo12 (Jul 28, 2015)

Sporin said:


> The fluid in the clutch master cylinder is really dirty. Given that it's 28 year old part (presumably) and it only cost $20 to replace it, seems like a good idea regardless. Then I'll bleed out the whole system and I cross my fingers that fixes it.
> 
> Just ordered the Exexy oem replacement. It will be here Thursday.


Replacement hydraulics on NAs can be hit or miss. Exedy is a good choice. Clutch fluid gets dirty very quickly. Mine usually got dirty after ~6 months of daily driving.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Sporin said:


> In even greater news, my wife put in a few hours in the garage with me today and we finished the top!! (what a p.i.t.a., I’ll never do that again)


Not inspiring. I have this on my list of things to do this summer.


As for your clutch


Sporin said:


> Clutch pedal has almost no restistance.


I suggest re-bleed the system. It isn't out of the realm of possibility that the new(er) slave could malfunction.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Spent a little time finishing up the trim pieces tonight. Got the rear deck carpet and all the little clips back in. 

It’s supposed to be hot and sunny this weekend so with any luck I’ll get the top stretched the last couple of inches. 

New clutch master arrived. I sprayed the old nuts with some PB Blaster, it’s almost certainly the OEM piece. I’ll pick up some fresh DOT3 in the morning and it looks like an easy enough job.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Sporin said:


> Spent a little time finishing up the trim pieces tonight. Got the rear deck carpet and all the little clips back in.
> 
> It’s supposed to be hot and sunny this weekend so with any luck I’ll get the top stretched the last couple of inches.
> 
> New clutch master arrived. I sprayed the old nuts with some PB Blaster, it’s almost certainly the OEM piece. I’ll pick up some fresh DOT3 in the morning and it looks like an easy enough job.


Miata master cylinders are notorious for internal leaks and Miata slave cylinders are notorious for external leaks. Pulling back the rubber boot on the slave will help diagnose but they can still leak enough to impact operations without obvious gross leaks. Either way, replace them both at same time. 

I always recommend replacing the master cylinder, hydraulic line and slave cylinder at the same time unless you’re strictly budget limited. And always buy the best quality parts. There is so much aftermarket JUNK being sold at every auto parts store and online. There’s few things more deflating than having to redo an annoying job and spend good money after bad. Exedy is generally good.









SuperMiata | 949 Racing







supermiata.com


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

New clutch master and fluid are in. Clutch pedal now feels 100% like it used to. Good pedal pressure, take up point no longer on the floor. In and out of all gears easily. Never found a leak but it could have been internal I guess. Success!

I replaced the slave cylinder and upgraded that went into it last year. Given the age of the MC I’m not surprised it was giving up the ghost, I should have done them both at the same time.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Latched! Hoping a day sitting in my sunny parking lot tomorrow loosens things up a bit.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

New clutch MC caused the cheap (replaced the OEM just 3 years ago) SC to pop. Got that fixed. It was a 🤬 to bleed but we got there finally.

Back on the road. Gorgeous day here in Vermont so we just drove around for about 4 hours. 

She’s got some in perfections but I’m just really happy with this car and how we’ve updated and improved it from its “tired” beginnings 6 years ago when we bought it. Lots of fixes, updates, and deferred maintenance items. She just sang over the road today. Good times.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

It's utterly amazing how the simple act of dropping the top on a Miata can completely change your mood.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

I have had my ND2 Club for about a month now and I'm still looking for excuses to go drive it. They definitely need exhaust but once that was sorted (and after I swapped the shift knob for the Type R, burn your hand off edition) every drive is a joy. Except when the shifter is as hot as a iron skillet. So enjoy the slight photo dump of my favorite pics from my first month of ownership.

PXL_20220809_205541818 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_20220809_230244_571_2 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr



PXL_20220809_200450567_2 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

PXL_20220903_192306578_2 (2) by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

PXL_20220906_163617426.PORTRAIT_2 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

PXL_20220903_192214724_2 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr

IMG_1658_2 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Maximum_Download said:


> It's utterly amazing how the simple act of dropping the top on a Miata can completely change your mood.


You got that right. It's been around 110 degrees here so the top has mostly been up during the afternoons, but my drive to work is perfection...~75 degrees, no need for a heater or AC.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

VTECeateR said:


> You got that right. It's been around 110 degrees here so the top has mostly been up during the afternoons, but my drive to work is perfection...~75 degrees, no need for a heater or AC.


In our house we call it "convertible therapy."


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

ghost03 said:


> In our house we call it "convertible therapy."


I haven't had a car I've wanted to 'just drive' since my last 1994 Miata which I sold in 2020. Even in utter hell-like conditions, I'm still looking forward to my drive home today (expected to be 112 degrees).


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

FYI when I had my Miata with a metal voodoo, i found a cool golf club sock and cut it down - and made it a knob cover for when parked. Nice thing is you get massive variety of options to choose from let alone something 'classy' like a crown royal purple suede bag. I did that with most manual cars I have had since i am partial to metal knobs.

Lovely pics VTE. Is that a straight up CTR knob with no gates on top? Please provide more info.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Lawrider said:


> FYI when I had my Miata with a metal voodoo, i found a cool golf club sock and cut it down - and made it a knob cover for when parked. Nice thing is you get massive variety of options to choose from let alone something 'classy' like a crown royal purple suede bag. I did that with most manual cars I have had since i am partial to metal knobs.
> 
> Lovely pics VTE. Is that a straight up CTR knob with no gates on top? Please provide more info.


It is the Jass Performance 'Type-R' knob purchased at Moss. It's so hot today I literally unscrewed it and took it with me.


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## The_Real_Stack (Oct 19, 2016)

ghost03 said:


> In our house we call it "convertible therapy."


When I get too crabby my wife tells me to go take a drive because she knows I’ll come back in a better mood.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

VTECeateR said:


> It's so hot today I literally unscrewed it and took it with me.


Then you could polish your knob at your desk.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

The_Real_Stack said:


> When I get too crabby my wife tells me to go take a drive because she knows I’ll come back in a better mood.


…can we use that line here too? 😜


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## The_Real_Stack (Oct 19, 2016)

ghost03 said:


> …can we use that line here too? 😜


When I’m crabby here I’m almost always at work.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I never did update this thread, but my Miata came in:










More pics and info here:









Garage remodel, Phase 1: Add a splash of color


The garage was looking a little dour, so I decided to do a light remodel. Figured a little splash of paint ought to do it, so I went looking around for the right hue. Thankfully, I found one, bought the paint, and I finished the job this evening. I think it really livens the garage up...




www.vwvortex.com





It's in for PPF at the moment, but when it comes back it will be ready for Daily duty.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

Red looks so good and PPF is almost a must with these cars. Mine's a lease, so I don't really care, but the front end is already starting to look tired after just 18 months.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

sandwich-chris said:


> Red looks so good and PPF is almost a must with these cars. Mine's a lease, so I don't really care, but the front end is already starting to look tired after just 18 months.


Once I started doing research on the paint, PPF quickly became mandatory. 

And unfortunately, I already got my first stone chip on the front end - likely on the way home from the dealer. I got some touch up paint and I am having the PPF folks do the correction and the chip fill.


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## sit on my face (Jul 15, 2009)

pics of my club I picked up in December


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

I got mine today with 6 miles on it. Third one -- a 2022 after a 2019 and a 2017.

New one on the left; old one on the right.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

At the rate we're going, there's going to be more people on this forum that have red clubs than VWs soon 😁


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

MAC said:


> At the rate we're going, there's going to be more people on this forum that have red clubs than VWs soon


volkswagens aren't really geared towards enthusiasts anymore, sadly.

like a lot of guys here (i think), I started with Volkswagens, fell in love with them, but gradually moved on to something else, Mazdas in my case.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

MBrown said:


> I got mine today with 6 miles on it. Third one -- a 2022 after a 2019 and a 2017.
> 
> New one on the left; old one on the right.



HEY you got it!! Congrats!


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Pointless update...the poly gray club that was incoming to my local dealer was sold (expected) and no ETA on the order banks for 2023 opening, sales also said he cannot locate any Clubs (makes sense as they were order-only). The wait continues.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

VTECeateR said:


> I have had my ND2 Club for about a month now and I'm still looking for excuses to go drive it. They definitely need exhaust but once that was sorted (and after I swapped the shift knob for the Type R, burn your hand off edition) every drive is a joy. Except when the shifter is as hot as a iron skillet.


Have you ever looked at the Cravenspeed shift knobs? I got one for my 3 (Miata is the same) and I couldn't imagine the car without it now. Doesn't get hot and still has that weighted feel. There are a bunch of different accent colors and shift patterns or you can have it custom engraved. They also have a short throw kit and a well cover thingie so you can dispense with the boot if you want. It's super clean looking. 

I don't shill for a lot of companies but Cravenspeed is one, they make a ton of cool **** especially for Mazdas and Minis.

Here's mine:


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

Maximum_Download said:


> I never did update this thread, but my Miata came in:
> 
> View attachment 218591
> 
> ...


That color is unreal. Unfortunately, I can't do a Miata because I have two kids to haul around, but my 3 is that color and somebody's complimenting me on it at least a couple times a week. If I had this car in my 20s I would've pulled so much tail, LOL


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Roboturner913 said:


> Have you ever looked at the Cravenspeed shift knobs? I got one for my 3 (Miata is the same) and I couldn't imagine the car without it now. Doesn't get hot and still has that weighted feel. There are a bunch of different accent colors and shift patterns or you can have it custom engraved. They also have a short throw kit and a well cover thingie so you can dispense with the boot if you want. It's super clean looking.
> 
> I don't shill for a lot of companies but Cravenspeed is one, they make a ton of cool **** especially for Mazdas and Minis.
> 
> Here's mine:


That's cool! Is that a CX-5?


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

I dig the red speedo overlay that Cravenspeed makes, and i would definitely do their brake light blinker (that only blinks on hard braking) that has a built-in pitch sensor. Back in the day Voodoo knobs were wonderful, I believe the original gentleman that made them has passed on.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

VTECeateR said:


> That's cool! Is that a CX-5?





VTECeateR said:


> That's cool! Is that a CX-5?


3rd gen 3, 2.5 GT


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Roboturner913 said:


> That color is unreal. Unfortunately, I can't do a Miata because I have two kids to haul around, but my 3 is that color and somebody's complimenting me on it at least a couple times a week. If I had this car in my 20s I would've pulled so much tail, LOL


My yellow S2000 pulled so many teenage boys (#nopedo). The soul red miata has been a mix of older ladies and boomer dudes so far. No tail either way😂


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

MAC said:


> My yellow S2000 pulled so many teenage boys (#nopedo). The soul red miata has been a mix of older ladies and boomer dudes so far. No tail either way😂


I've gotten compliments mostly on the paint. But I didn't buy a hairdresser car to impress anyone but myself.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

VTECeateR said:


> I've gotten compliments mostly on the paint. But I didn't buy a hairdresser car to impress anyone but myself.


How is it on the highway at say 80 mph? I'm hoping maybe once my oldest son gets old enough to drive I'll be able to splurge and get myself a two-seater, but I also tend to take a lot of long (800 miles) trips so I need something that's pretty stable at higher speeds.


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## LoudTIGER (Aug 12, 2002)

Roboturner913 said:


> How is it on the highway at say 80 mph? I'm hoping maybe once my oldest son gets old enough to drive I'll be able to splurge and get myself a two-seater, but I also tend to take a lot of long (800 miles) trips so I need something that's pretty stable at higher speeds.


I drove a 2016 ND for 800 miles over 5 days a few weeks ago and thought it was too buzzy and noisy from the soft-top. It's stable, but noise is a concern, especially if you have a passenger and want to carry a conversation easily.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Roboturner913 said:


> How is it on the highway at say 80 mph? I'm hoping maybe once my oldest son gets old enough to drive I'll be able to splurge and get myself a two-seater, but I also tend to take a lot of long (800 miles) trips so I need something that's pretty stable at higher speeds.


Unless these 800 mile trips are done with the top down, it's not going to be fun. The dynamat I added in the trunk helps but still noisy.

But top down and windows up is fine on the highway and doesn't require raising your voice too much to converse with the passenger.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Roboturner913 said:


> Have you ever looked at the Cravenspeed shift knobs? I got one for my 3 (Miata is the same) and I couldn't imagine the car without it now. Doesn't get hot and still has that weighted feel. There are a bunch of different accent colors and shift patterns or you can have it custom engraved. They also have a short throw kit and a well cover thingie so you can dispense with the boot if you want. It's super clean looking.
> 
> I don't shill for a lot of companies but Cravenspeed is one, they make a ton of cool **** especially for Mazdas and Minis.
> 
> Here's mine:


I've always liked the Cravenspeed knob, but I hate the 'CS' part of the center of the shift pattern (I also don't like Flyin Miata's version). I went so far as to "design" a shift pattern in Powerpoint. I never bought, though.














Roboturner913 said:


> How is it on the highway at say 80 mph? I'm hoping maybe once my oldest son gets old enough to drive I'll be able to splurge and get myself a two-seater, but I also tend to take a lot of long (800 miles) trips so I need something that's pretty stable at higher speeds.


I've taken mine on a few long road trips (Annapolis <-> Myrtle Beach, Annapolis <-> VA <-> Tail of the Dragon), I put 2000 miles on it in a long weekend. It's "fine" on the highway. Not the best, for sure, but I didn't notice any extra fatigue. A long trip is way more fun off-highway. Wind management in the ND is a lot better than in the previous cars (especially NA/NBs), but having the top down at highway speeds for hours on end can get tiring. It's fairly noisy with the top up or down, but it's much more pleasant with the top up on long drives.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

People on the ND group on Facebook are talking alot about adding little canards to the quarter window trim to reduce the air buffeting in the cabin. Some people say it's a miracle. This guy used a stick-on "spoiler" material from amazon. Another guy said the stick-on window seal felt you use on a home door works really well.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

I just realized I haven't driven my car with the top up yet, except for pulling it in the garage after washing it. Lol. 
The day we got it in March was one of those random 80 degree spring days. Came home all the way from Baltimore to philly burbs with the top down.
No way it's worse with the top up than the S2000. That was a torture device.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Roboturner913 said:


> How is it on the highway at say 80 mph? I'm hoping maybe once my oldest son gets old enough to drive I'll be able to splurge and get myself a two-seater, but I also tend to take a lot of long (800 miles) trips so I need something that's pretty stable at higher speeds.


You’ll want something with a folding hardtop or a triple layer insulated soft top, like a Porsche Boxster or BMW Z4.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

freedomgli said:


> You’ll want something with a folding hardtop or a triple layer insulated soft top, like a Porsche Boxster or BMW Z4.


The Grand Touring models of the ND are supposed to have a thicker/more layered soft top than the Club and Sport. I've never confirmed that for myself, though.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Roboturner913 said:


> That color is unreal. Unfortunately, I can't do a Miata because I have two kids to haul around, but my 3 is that color and somebody's complimenting me on it at least a couple times a week. If I had this car in my 20s I would've pulled so much tail, LOL


The color is INSANE. This is after a paint correction, ceramic coating, and a spray wax top coat:


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

that stick-on lip is kinda cool!


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

New wind deflector update. This guy made these. Best solution so far.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MAC said:


> New wind deflector update. This guy made these. Best solution so far.
> View attachment 219348


Who is "this guy" ?

Also, do they mainly help with the top up/windows down? Or do they do something with top down/windows down? I haven't really noticed buffeting problem, but usually the top and windows are either all up or all down when I drive my soft top.


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## aethelwulf (Mar 3, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> The Grand Touring models of the ND are supposed to have a thicker/more layered soft top than the Club and Sport. I've never confirmed that for myself, though.


I've got a GT-S model with the extra sound deadening in the top. It's a bit quieter with the top up than the clubs/sports I've driven, not a ton different, but it is a noticable improvement from my experience. Overall, I've been very pleased with how good the top is, easy to operate and light years ahead of my NA top. I recently did a ~1000 mile road trip in the Miata and I find it to be a hard ok on the highway. I will also be putting now wheels and tires on this week, which should help with some of the road noise.


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

MAC said:


> People on the ND group on Facebook are talking alot about adding little canards to the quarter window trim to reduce the air buffeting in the cabin. Some people say it's a miracle.


It's interesting that you mention it. Before the Miata, my only Roadster experience were highly turned Datsun Roadsters with late model Nissan SR20 engines. Then after I got my Sunburst Miata, I noticed that the Datsuns were so much more relaxed at speed and I could only point to the "rough" edge they cut in the wind. I think I might try these little canard things when my BRG SR20 gets out of the shop.

This is the latest 1966 Roadster for anyone that likes old cars.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> Who is "this guy" ?
> 
> Also, do they mainly help with the top up/windows down? Or do they do something with top down/windows down? I haven't really noticed buffeting problem, but usually the top and windows are either all up or all down when I drive my soft top.


Just a guy on Facebook. 

The issue is mainly the roof open/windows down turbulence in the RF on the highway. But a few people who have experimented said they reduced it quite a bit for the softtops too.


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## Stangy (Mar 16, 2007)

Had my 91 BRG out!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I took my ND to work yesterday. I’m still amazed at the paint. I haven’t washed the car in a while, and it still looks good with a layer of dust.


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

After considering a Miata for years I finally bought one this summer. I bought the best I could afford, given prices of used cars lately. I found a low mileage (126k-considering its age) Classic Red NA. It's a leather package car with the ever important LSD and working AC. I've spent time waxing the paint and taking care of deferred maintainance. The biggest job was replacing the shock with koni strt parts on stock springs. I found a set of FM sway bars too that I've installed . It's my new autoX car after campaigning a 1988 Fox wagon for the last decade or more. Here's my 66 MGB with the 'yata.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Boomers lovin on roxy at C+C 😁








Ran into someone with the other Advans I really like


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Car looks great with those wheels Mac!

Boomers love the miata


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Smigelski said:


> I took my ND to work yesterday. I’m still amazed at the paint. I haven’t washed the car in a while, and it still looks good with a layer of dust.


That stance is perfection.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

This color, after a paint correction and a ceramic coating, is absolutely insane.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Zillon said:


> That stance is perfection.




For those interested: It's the OEM BBS wheels (17x7) with 15mm spacers front, 20 mm rear (OEM 205/45/17 tires). The ride height (from center of the hub to the fender) 13 1/8" front and 13 3/8" rear on the Flyin' Miata Fox coil overs. I've been wanting to replace the tires with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, (in 215/45/17), but I've been trying to wear out these some more before I do.


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## aethelwulf (Mar 3, 2004)

Just got home from the tire store. I finally managed to do enough damage to the stock tires that I decided it was time to replace them. 17x8 Konig Hypergrams, weighing in at a svelte 16.3lbs/each, wrapped in some Michelin PS4S's. I think they look great, thought I'm sure some will take issue with my stock ride height. I was surprised how much quieter and more compliant the ride home was compared to what I'm used to. I can't wait to get a few miles on the new setup to see how it handles.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Smigelski said:


> For those interested: It's the OEM BBS wheels (17x8) with 15mm spacers front, 20 mm rear (OEM 205/45/17 tires). The ride height (from center of the hub to the fender) 13 1/8" front and 13 3/8" rear on the Flyin' Miata Fox coil overs. I've been wanting to replace the tires with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, (in 215/45/17), but I've been trying to wear out these some more before I do.



I learned something new today. I always thought the oem BBS were 17x7


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VR6GURU said:


> I learned something new today. I always thought the oem BBS were 17x7


Nah, you're right. I mistyped. They are 17x7. I edited the original post. 

When I first got the car, I was considering getting 17x9 6ULs (or similar). Eventually, the look of the BBS wheels won me over, and I bought the spacers. If the OEM wheels were 17x8s from the factory, I never would have considered changing them.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> For those interested: It's the OEM BBS wheels (17x7) with 15mm spacers front, 20 mm rear (OEM 205/45/17 tires). The ride height (from center of the hub to the fender) 13 1/8" front and 13 3/8" rear on the Flyin' Miata Fox coil overs. I've been wanting to replace the tires with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, (in 215/45/17), but I've been trying to wear out these some more before I do.


You know who to message if you decide you want different coilovers at some point 😁


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Lawrider said:


> Pointless update...the poly gray club that was incoming to my local dealer was sold (expected) and no ETA on the order banks for 2023 opening, sales also said he cannot locate any Clubs (makes sense as they were order-only). The wait continues.


@Lawrider heads up - there's an unclaimed Soul Red Club coming into a dealer in NY. (mx5er posts here too, but cross posting from Miata.net)






2022 ST Club available! - MX-5 Miata Forum


2022 ST Club available! ND General discussion




forum.miata.net


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Maximum_Download said:


> @Lawrider heads up - there's an unclaimed Soul Red Club coming into a dealer in NY. (mx5er posts here too, but cross posting from Miata.net)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you sir. Additional info for folks here, it looks like people on miata.net are expecting 2023 order banks to open in December, with potential deliveries in February. There seems to be some discussion over whether 2023 production numbers will be lower than previous years, something about production having dropped from 10,000 to 7,000 due to shortages.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I think what's happening is Mazda looks at their parts inventory, extrapolates out how many Miatas they can make from that, and whatever that is it is.

So in short - if you want a new Miata, get in line NOW.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

mike in SC said:


> Here's my 66 MGB with the 'yata.


Both look great! My dad’s MGB he had when I was a kid is what got me into Miatas in the first place.


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

freedomgli said:


> Both look great! My dad’s MGB he had when I was a kid is what got me into Miatas in the first place.


My Dad bought the MGB for my Mom about 30 years ago. I bought it from her and have enjoyed it tremendously. The B is why I bought my Miata too. I use the Miata for autoX, something i'm not too keen on doing long term with the B, though it ought to be fun occasionally.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Put the kid to bed last night, told the wife she was on her own for a bit, grabbed the keys to the Miata and went for a top down moonlight drive.

It was about 60 degrees, had the heated seats on, and was just cruising around town. I was also able to stretch the RPM ranges a little bit since I am half-way to break in miles, and took a few corners for fun.

I get it now. I see why this car is magic.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> Put the kid to bed last night, told the wife she was on her own for a bit, grabbed the keys to the Miata and went for a top down moonlight drive.
> 
> It was about 60 degrees, had the heated seats on, and was just cruising around town. I was also able to stretch the RPM ranges a little bit since I am half-way to break in miles, and took a few corners for fun.
> 
> I get it now. I see why this car is magic.




Also, the ND is my first Miata with heated seats. The Recaro heat is _amazing._ I've found that they work really well, and they can really stretch the top-down driving season later in the year and begin the top-down driving season sooner in the spring. I wouldn't have thought that the heated seats would have made that much of a difference, but they do.

Every now and again I put the idea in my head of selling my Miata - mainly because of a young baby and not really driving the car as much as I'd like to. But every time I do drive it, man, it is great. I love the mods I've done to it, it looks great, and drives great. It's the perfect size for a sports car. I always turn back and look at the car after parking it. I take pictures of it in my work parking lot. I love this damn thing.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Also, the ND is my first Miata with heated seats. The Recaro heat is _amazing._ I've found that they work really well, and they can really stretch the top-down driving season later in the year and begin the top-down driving season sooner in the spring. I wouldn't have thought that the heated seats would have made that much of a difference, but they do.
> 
> Every now and again I put the idea in my head of selling my Miata - mainly because of a young baby and not really driving the car as much as I'd like to. But every time I do drive it, man, it is great. I love the mods I've done to it, it looks great, and drives great. It's the perfect size for a sports car. I always turn back and look at the car after parking it. I take pictures of it in my work parking lot. I love this damn thing.


Same. I still struggle with the lack of practicality, until I tell myself it's a second car - a tender to the SUV yacht, a super-efficient urban runaround. Then, when you add the fun on top of that...it's basically unbeatable.


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## aethelwulf (Mar 3, 2004)

Maximum_Download said:


> Put the kid to bed last night, told the wife she was on her own for a bit, grabbed the keys to the Miata and went for a top down moonlight drive.
> 
> It was about 60 degrees, had the heated seats on, and was just cruising around town. I was also able to stretch the RPM ranges a little bit since I am half-way to break in miles, and took a few corners for fun.
> 
> I get it now. I see why this car is magic.


Sounds like perfect Miata weather to me. It only gets better after break-in; 5k+ rpm is my happy place.



Maximum_Download said:


> Same. I still struggle with the lack of practicality, until I tell myself it's a second car - a tender to the SUV yacht, a super-efficient urban runaround. Then, when you add the fun on top of that...it's basically unbeatable.


I agree. Glad to hear you're enjoying it so much despite your previous apprehension.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Thanks. And yes, the Recaros are amazing - I wish other companies knew how to do heated seats like these. I have a lot of back pain and they really help.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

Maximum_Download said:


> Put the kid to bed last night, told the wife she was on her own for a bit, grabbed the keys to the Miata and went for a top down moonlight drive.
> 
> It was about 60 degrees, had the heated seats on, and was just cruising around town. I was also able to stretch the RPM ranges a little bit since I am half-way to break in miles, and took a few corners for fun.
> 
> I get it now. I see why this car is magic.


very nice.
might do this if I don't fall asleep at 8:45pm


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

worth_fixing said:


> very nice.
> might do this if I don't fall asleep at 8:45pm


I feel attacked.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Also, the ND is my first Miata with heated seats. The Recaro heat is _amazing._ I've found that they work really well, and they can really stretch the top-down driving season later in the year and begin the top-down driving season sooner in the spring. I wouldn't have thought that the heated seats would have made that much of a difference, but they do.
> 
> Every now and again I put the idea in my head of selling my Miata - mainly because of a young baby and not really driving the car as much as I'd like to. But every time I do drive it, man, it is great. I love the mods I've done to it, it looks great, and drives great. It's the perfect size for a sports car. I always turn back and look at the car after parking it. I take pictures of it in my work parking lot. I love this damn thing.


It's a terrible car. No glovebox is a deal-breaker. Sell it to me.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Lawrider said:


> It's a terrible car. No glovebox is a deal-breaker. Sell it to me.


It's a deal breaker, for sure. But there is a consolation! I bought and love this thing:









Central Console Shelf


Central Console Shelf is made from aluminum with a black silicone coating. Central Console Shelf will fit in the compartment between the seats in Mazda MX-5 2016+ and Fiat 124 Spider 2017+ Designed and produced by MX5things.



mx5things.com





It slots in the center cubby and provides a shelf for my sunglass case to sit so I don't have to constantly fish for it in the depths of the cubby. (I actually bought an older version that's made out of ABS plastic. This one is now aluminum.


















Oh, I also highly recommend anyone with an ND go to mx5things.com and check it out. The guy designs/makes all of the ND parts you see on the website and he does a great job with everything. The owner is also very active on miata.net.


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

I finally saw my Dad's RF in person for the first time and it is truly shocking how small these cars are. I guess I haven't really seen many new Miata's in person, but sitting in it, it really does feel like a go-kart. I never got to drive it, as I had been drinking a bit, but I loved it nonetheless.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> It's a deal breaker, for sure. But there is a consolation! I bought and love this thing:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I already installed the MX5things DRL controller.  I wanted some more light at night, because it IS a very small car.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

amusante1002 said:


> I finally saw my Dad's RF in person for the first time and it is truly shocking how small these cars are. I guess I haven't really seen many new Miata's in person, but sitting in it, it really does feel like a go-kart. I never got to drive it, as I had been drinking a bit, but I loved it nonetheless.


After owning Miatas for the past 15 years, their size does warp your perceptions of what size cars should be. I always have the notion of 'upgrading' my Miata to a Cayman/Boxster/911/C8/similar. But every time I get up close to one of those cars in person (_especially _the C8), my first reaction is "Damn, this is a big car!!" Like, holy buckets, the C8 is 28" longer and 8" wider than an ND. (Strangely, the C8 and ND are the same height.) 28" and 8" don't seem like a lot, but visually, the difference is huge. A 992 isn't much smaller than a C8.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I have always been attracted to small cars, and driving my Miata reminds me why that's the case. It's more simple, direct, and honest, with less distractions than a larger car. It's easier to park, less size to worry about, and overall just more enjoyable to wheel around town in.


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## Khyron (Dec 5, 2001)

You guys are all bastards. Resisted for 20 years on here - going to test drive my first Miata on Saturday (ND).


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Khyron said:


> You guys are all bastards. Resisted for 20 years on here - going to test drive my first Miata on Saturday (ND).


Resistance is futile.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

kiznarsh said:


> Resistance is futile.


22 years here for me, but I broke down and surrendered to M.I.A.T.A. five years ago.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

Khyron said:


> You guys are all bastards. Resisted for 20 years on here - going to test drive my first Miata on Saturday (ND).


enjoy your new Miata


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Khyron said:


> You guys are all bastards. Resisted for 20 years on here - going to test drive my first Miata on Saturday (ND).


Bring your checkbook.


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## Mihail_88 (Nov 15, 2013)

I am European so I must be used to small cars but apart from small it's very low/has a short stance. Don't you feel weird sitting that low?
And is it comfortable for a 6' person?


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

VTECeateR said:


> Yep....it's settled.....I want one of these cars.


I posted that May 24th, 2012. 

Ten years (almost) to the day that I received this email from Mazda:









So far, it's been a great decision. The 1st rain of the season is coming Sunday/Monday so let's see how my thoughts 'evolve' after I get a drive in the wet stuff.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Mihail_88 said:


> I am European so I must be used to small cars but apart from small it's very low/has a short stance. Don't you feel weird sitting that low?
> And is it comfortable for a 6' person?


I'm on the bigger side (6', ~250lb) and once I'm in I'm golden. it's the getting in and out that is the only pita, but I consider it part of my therapy after surviving a ~2001 Honda Civic to the leg/ribs/psyche.



















After this, getting my big butt in and out of a miata is a pleasure.


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## 4MotionMongrel (Apr 7, 2006)

VTECeateR said:


> I posted that May 24th, 2012.
> 
> Ten years (almost) to the day that I received this email from Mazda:
> View attachment 221286
> ...


That red, WOW!!!!!!


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Its such a gorgeous color I feel it's my duty to keep it looking perfect as often as possible. 



4MotionMongrel said:


> That red, WOW!!!!!!


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

MBrown said:


> 22 years here for me, but I broke down and surrendered to M.I.A.T.A. five years ago.


Congrats, i see you miata.net and i believe you just swapped into a fresh model?


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

4MotionMongrel said:


> That red, WOW!!!!!!


These bastards having been pulling that trick for a long time. Lure people in to threads to talk about Miatas and then ambush you with a face full of soul red. Unfortunately, 99% of the time, it works everytime, lol.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Maximum_Download said:


> I have always been attracted to small cars, and driving my Miata reminds me why that's the case. It's more simple, direct, and honest, with less distractions than a larger car. It's easier to park, less size to worry about, and overall just more enjoyable to wheel around town in.


100%. Few years ago drove a Ecoboost Mustang and a FiST back-to-back (was deciding between the two) and as a small/light car fan there was no contest even though RWD trumps FWD.

The thing about small/light is they are fun even doing nothing sporting - just puttering along. You feel that lack of weight, you feel how light and agile they are, its like wearing a good pair of cross trainers compared to a boot. 

Miatas amplify that, but anything small and light is just cheerful.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Lawrider said:


> Congrats, i see you miata.net and i believe you just swapped into a fresh model?


Yup, replaced a 2019 with a 2022.
Good catch!!


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Lawrider said:


> These bastards having been pulling that trick for a long time. Lure people in to threads to talk about Miatas and then ambush you with a face full of soul red. Unfortunately, 99% of the time, it works everytime, lol.


Treat yo self! (I was hours away from buying a white one when this popped up )


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

There's a guy in boston selling a 21 base club with some primo mods. If you like the parts he bought as much as I do, this is a decent deal. Advans with pilots, ohlins/sake bomb coils, fujisubo exhaust - all "said to be" 1000 miles old. This is so mean looking 😍. If I was still looking I'd be heading up 95 right now.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

MAC said:


> There's a guy in boston selling a 21 base club with some primo mods. If you like the parts he bought as much as I do, this is a decent deal. Advans with pilots, ohlins/sake bomb coils, fujisubo exhaust - all "said to be" 1000 miles old. This is so mean looking 😍. If I was still looking I'd be heading up 95 right now.
> View attachment 221420
> 
> View attachment 221419


Looking good. I'm a fan of the RG-D2's. Do you know if those are 16 or 17's?


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

VR6GURU said:


> Looking good. I'm a fan of the RG-D2's. Do you know if those are 16 or 17's?


Those are 17s. I love them but they don't clear the brembos without a 5mm spacer. If you don't have them, like that guy, the offset is literally perfection.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

VTECeateR said:


> View attachment 221287


I, in no way shape or form, need a new Miata. But I absolutely love this red.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

A quick wash last evening.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

christ that's a nice ND.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

worth_fixing said:


> christ that's a nice ND.



I just looked it up. It's hard to believe that the ND was revealed _eight years ago _(Sept 3, 2014) and the car still looks fresh and modern without any kind of real refresh. I still look back at it every time I park it. The only thing that dates the car is the interior screen.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I just looked it up. It's hard to believe that the ND was revealed _eight years ago _(Sept 3, 2014) and the car still looks fresh and modern without any kind of real refresh. I still look back at it every time I park it. The only thing that dates the car is the interior screen.



...and even then it's not that bad. I am getting used to the infotainment and as long as I stick with CarPlay I am fine.

The car still looks and feels fresh.


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## Khyron (Dec 5, 2001)

So the test drive was great! Car fits me like a glove and the wife loved it too (as a 3rd car). The used dealer has it priced bat-**** crazy so not even considering picking it up (plus it's a GT). It's certainly not fast but that "feels fast" feeling is a real thing for sure. And with no track around here anymore, a tall geared Cayman would likely just land me in jail. So as soon as the 2023 order book opens I'll go for a club/gs-p with recaros in blue if they make one otherwise that sweet red everyone seems to own.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Khyron said:


> So the test drive was great! Car fits me like a glove and the wife loved it too (as a 3rd car). The used dealer has it priced bat-**** crazy so not even considering picking it up (plus it's a GT). It's certainly not fast but that "feels fast" feeling is a real thing for sure. And with no track around here anymore, a tall geared Cayman would likely just land me in jail. So as soon as the 2023 order book opens I'll go for a club/gs-p with recaros in blue if they make one otherwise *that sweet red everyone seems to own.*


While Soul Red Crystal certainly is amazing, I bet a lot of people get 'pushed' into the color just because it's the only _fun_ or _bright_ color available. The ND color palette has changed a bit over the years, but here's the current list of choices from the configurator.










Soul Red, Machine Gray, Snowflake White Perl, Polymetal Gray, Jet Black, Platinum Quartz, and Deep Crystal Blue.

In addition to Soul Red, Machine Gray is a color that looks really good in person, and plays with the light in interesting ways in the sun. Polymetal Gray has some blue overtones and also looks neat and different. Neither is bright or fun, as a lot of people probably want sports cars to be.

The problem with bright colors is that all bright colors don't appeal to all buyers, so having several different bright colors cuts down your buyer pool. And when you have a niche car like the Miata and a small manufacturer like Mazda, I can see why they keep the color palette 'broad spectrum' to appeal to most interested parties.

Mazda _used_ to offer a bunch of interesting colors and one-year-only colors, which are highly sought after today. Hell, in 2002 Mazda offered _two _yellows. One was metallic and one wasn't. 

This is a list of 'special editions' (and colors) Mazda has offered, but the article was written in 2015, so it doesn't capture later models like the orange 2019 30th anniversary model.


https://jalopnik.com/your-guide-to-every-special-edition-mazda-miata-ever-so-1675339097


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Khyron said:


> So the test drive was great! Car fits me like a glove and the wife loved it too (as a 3rd car). The used dealer has it priced bat-**** crazy so not even considering picking it up (plus it's a GT). It's certainly not fast but that "feels fast" feeling is a real thing for sure. And with no track around here anymore, a tall geared Cayman would likely just land me in jail. So as soon as the 2023 order book opens I'll go for a club/gs-p with recaros in blue if they make one otherwise that sweet red everyone seems to own.


I would call it quick - certainly it would scare a Mk6 GTI in a drag race, which for me is plenty quick.

But yeah, the "feels fast" think is a real thing, and it's refreshing.


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## Khyron (Dec 5, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> While Soul Red Crystal certainly is amazing, I bet a lot of people get 'pushed' into the color just because it's the only _fun_ or _bright_ color available. The ND color palette has changed a bit over the years, but here's the current list of choices from the configurator.
> 
> View attachment 221882
> 
> ...



Ugh Canada, looks like the colors are way more limited for the non-GT models - fingers crossed they change it for 2023. I'd love a green but those are slim odds! But you're right, the greys both looks really good too.


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## aethelwulf (Mar 3, 2004)

I really wish there were more fun ND colors. I've never been a fan of red cars, and while Soul Red looks fantastic, it still isn't a color I really wanted to own. One of the reasons I got a GT model was that I couldn't get blue otherwise.  Sometimes I regret not spending the effort to find a 30th anniversary orange one, but I like the brown top over blue I've got as well.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> I just looked it up. It's hard to believe that the ND was revealed _eight years ago _(Sept 3, 2014) and the car still looks fresh and modern without any kind of real refresh. I still look back at it every time I park it. The only thing that dates the car is the interior screen.





Maximum_Download said:


> ...and even then it's not that bad. I am getting used to the infotainment and as long as I stick with CarPlay I am fine.
> The car still looks and feels fresh.


The screen/interface is clunky - but it is useable with carplay and not really a big deal. I tend to not even mess with the radio on short drives, I just turn the volume down completely.

I have limited experience using the phone in it while driving. seems to be loud and clear even with the top down.



Smigelski said:


> While Soul Red Crystal certainly is amazing, I bet a lot of people get 'pushed' into the color just because it's the only _fun_ or _bright_ color available. The ND color palette has changed a bit over the years, but here's the current list of choices from the configurator.


If I could choose, I would have had soul red or the anniversary orange. However - my better half's 2 requirements with this purchase were 1: heated seats, and 2: not red. so, machine grey it was(the only color I wanted at the time was soul red as the orange hadn't come out, yet). Pretty easy choice at that point and it does look good when all cleaned up.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Tornado2dr said:


> The screen/interface is clunky - but it is useable with carplay and not really a big deal. I tend to not even mess with the radio on short drives, I just turn the volume down completely.
> 
> I have limited experience using the phone in it while driving. seems to be loud and clear even with the top down.


The backdating of CarPlay to non-CarPlay models was announced in Fall of 2018. At the time, the 2019 NDs didn't come with CarPlay, but they could be retrofitted with a ~$170 module/cables. Before my 2019 came in, I had the CarPlay USB module sitting in my garage. But on the day I picked up the car from the dealer, they were advertising the module plus installation for $400. I was buying the car in the morning and taking it home later that day, so I just had the dealership add it. It was sooo nice taking my first ride with it home with CarPlay working. I ended up installing the module I had bought in my friend's 2016 ND.

Audio over CarPlay is so much better than Bluetooth. And I'm able to make have good conversations with CarPlay at 70mph with the top down. The headrest speakers help a lot. 



Tornado2dr said:


> If I could choose, I would have had soul red or the anniversary orange. However - my better half's 2 requirements with this purchase were 1: heated seats, and 2: not red. so, machine grey it was(the only color I wanted at the time was soul red as the orange hadn't come out, yet). Pretty easy choice at that point and it does look good when all cleaned up.


When I was originally speccing my car to order it, I was thinking about going with white and then wrapping it something crazy - green, purple, or orange (the 30th hadn't come out yet). My wife actually convinced me to get the red, and I'm glad she did.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Thanks for sharing Miata leads for sale in the thread, guys.

Soul red isn't my jam, but it is nice (I also believe it is about 14lb heavier than the other paints). It looks like Mazda is working on a Soul White type paint from a thread on the miata board. 

I understand the limited color palette, but Mazda offered up more options on the old NAs since every year there was some sort of bright color. I would love to see the older Mariner Blue, British Racing green, and that lovely Merlot Mica from one of the special editions on the ND - pretty much any of the old special edition paints, cycled on a yearly basis. At least on Clubs since they are order-only, so there is no issue with a car sitting on a lot unsold. Seems a lost opportunity to allow more paints for cars that can only be ordered (clubs). 

Seems like now they just keep Soul Red as the special paint with the rest being their standard subdued colors. As a huge fan of Siam Beige from Porsche, i was thinking the beige platinum quartz would be cool, but pics on Miata.net are underwhelming.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

I'm looking at NA's and NB's right now. There are about a dozen within a 100 mile radius of me that don't look like they've been butchered by overenthusiastic teenagers.

What should I be looking for, aside from no rust? Any weak points? I think I'd prefer an NA because I like the interior way better, but it's not a dealbreaker by any means.

I'm willing to put my money and time into one of these over an extended time because it could be my toy for the next decade or so. But not something where I have to dump a ton of cash into it at once.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> IlI still look back at it every time I park it. The only thing that dates the car is the interior screen.


It’s a real looker, and I think the RF is an especially underrated swoopy-coupe.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

Sporin said:


> It’s a real looker, and I think the RF is an especially underrated swoopy-coupe.


 Yeah, those are absolutely beautiful. The roof line and the recessed rear window give it an almost Italian sports car look. I think this is my achievable dream car right now, although it's not likely to happen for another 7-8 years when the kids are out of the house.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> The backdating of CarPlay to non-CarPlay models was announced in Fall of 2018. At the time, the 2019 NDs didn't come with CarPlay, but they could be retrofitted with a ~$170 module/cables. Before my 2019 came in, I had the CarPlay USB module sitting in my garage. But on the day I picked up the car from the dealer, they were advertising the module plus installation for $400. I was buying the car in the morning and taking it home later that day, so I just had the dealership add it. It was sooo nice taking my first ride with it home with CarPlay working. I ended up installing the module I had bought in my friend's 2016 ND.
> 
> Audio over CarPlay is so much better than Bluetooth. And I'm able to make have good conversations with CarPlay at 70mph with the top down. The headrest speakers help a lot.


This is why I did the carplay update to my 2017, I think i did it on the first service in December of '18 (my '17 was a leftover that I bought in may/june of 2018). Well worth it.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Roboturner913 said:


> I'm looking at NA's and NB's right now. There are about a dozen within a 100 mile radius of me that don't look like they've been butchered by overenthusiastic teenagers.
> 
> What should I be looking for, aside from no rust? Any weak points? I think I'd prefer an NA because I like the interior way better, but it's not a dealbreaker by any means.
> 
> I'm willing to put my money and time into one of these over an extended time because it could be my toy for the next decade or so. But not something where I have to dump a ton of cash into it at once.


Generally, the cars are pretty stout. At this age, maintenance records are best. Look for a recent timing belt/water pump service or be prepared to do one soon. Crank pulley wobble is a serious issue, especially with the older NAs. 

There's a pretty good buyer's guide on miata.net that has a lot more detail: https://www.miata.net/garage/Checking Out a Used Miata - Update 2018.pdf


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Smigelski said:


> While Soul Red Crystal certainly is amazing, I bet a lot of people get 'pushed' into the color just because it's the only _fun_ or _bright_ color available. The ND color palette has changed a bit over the years, but here's the current list of choices from the configurator.
> 
> View attachment 221882


I _like_ soul red, but I want color choice, not just red, blue, and variations of gray on a sports car. I also prefer solids over metallics. No, I don't think this would look good in my go-to Kawasaki green, but I think a strong, solid orange color would be outstanding on the ND.



Lawrider said:


> Thanks for sharing Miata leads for sale in the thread, guys.
> 
> Soul red isn't my jam, but it is nice (I also believe it is about 14lb heavier than the other paints). It looks like Mazda is working on a Soul White type paint from a thread on the miata board.
> 
> ...


Exactly this. That BRG was amazing with the brownie-beige interior and top. I think that too would work really well on the ND.


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## aethelwulf (Mar 3, 2004)

Air and water do mix said:


> I _like_ soul red, but I want color choice, not just red, blue, and variations of gray on a sports car. I also prefer solids over metallics. No, I don't think this would look good in my go-to Kawasaki green, but I think a strong, solid orange color would be outstanding on the ND.


Do you not like the 30th orange? I think they look great, though I wish it was more than just a limited edition color.


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## Wimbledon (Nov 25, 2005)

I am approaching a year of ownership of my Fiata and highly recommend it for anyone considering an ND or another sports car. So much fun.

This past weekend, I installed Apple CarPlay and the set of OEM alcantara parts from the European-market cars, all of which probably fit an ND, for anyone who is an alcantara fan.

















(Dash panel, arm rest, shift boot, parking brake boot, gauge cluster cover)


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Air and water do mix said:


> I _like_ soul red, but I want color choice, not just red, blue, and variations of gray on a sports car. I also prefer solids over metallics. No, I don't think this would look good in my go-to Kawasaki green, but I think a strong, solid orange color would be outstanding on the ND.
> 
> 
> 
> Exactly this. That BRG was amazing with the brownie-beige interior and top. I think that too would work really well on the ND.


I've seen a few photos of this wrapped car floating around and I think it's stunning (but still not a bright color)


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

aethelwulf said:


> Do you not like the 30th orange? I think they look great, though I wish it was more than just a limited edition color.


I'm guessing that the 30AE owners are delighted to know that the color makes their cars unique ... and likely more valuable.

I'm not a loud color guy, so maybe my views are distorted. My favorite color has been Carbon Black Metallic, which I had on several BMWs. Depending on the light, it's either black or dark blue. Very cool effect....maybe the blue/black equivalent of Machine Gray Metallic or Soul Red Crystal.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

After the S2000 I have a soft spot for yellow. Wish this was a factory color


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

How about a purple ND?


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Wimbledon said:


> I am approaching a year of ownership of my Fiata and highly recommend it for anyone considering an ND or another sports car. So much fun.
> 
> This past weekend, I installed Apple CarPlay and the set of OEM alcantara parts from the European-market cars, all of which probably fit an ND, for anyone who is an alcantara fan.
> 
> (Dash panel, arm rest, shift boot, parking brake boot, gauge cluster cover)


I like it  . I think the red mirrors are a neat detail.

Question - are your roll hoops the same color as your windsheild surround, and can you let us know what the car's trim level is?

I believe the hoops and windshield trim are a straight swap and silver/charcoal might be a different touch than the gloss black on miatas.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

aethelwulf said:


> Do you not like the 30th orange? I think they look great, though I wish it was more than just a limited edition color.


Absolutely! I'm sure I had seen this color before and failed to actively recall it.



VR6GURU said:


> How about a purple ND?


Not my thang, but I'm glad it exists.


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## EUROIDIOT (4 mo ago)

whats the average height of everyone owning a Miata lol. I remember it was the miata and s2k that i could barely fit in but always wanted to have one laying around.. lol


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

EUROIDIOT said:


> whats the average height of everyone owning a Miata lol. I remember it was the miata and s2k that i could barely fit in but always wanted to have one laying around.. lol


Different people fit differently in different Miatas. It more depends on your specific torso length and inseam length more than overall height. My buddy and I both have NDs, we both are the same height, but he is more leg and I'm more torso, so we fit in the cars very differently. Some folks fit better in NAs than NBs. (Most) NCs have height adjustments on the seats and NDs are on an incline slider where the further back you pull the seat, the lower it gets.

Because its a good segue: here's a 6'8" coworker "fitting" in my NA. LOL.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

EUROIDIOT said:


> whats the average height of everyone owning a Miata lol. I remember it was the miata and s2k that i could barely fit in but always wanted to have one laying around.. lol


I am a lanky 6 foot 2 with a longer torso. I fit fine. If I was 6 foot 3 this would not be the same conversation.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

I'm short-legged barely 6-footer, I'm also fat. I actually fit just fine. My son is a long-legged 6-1 and his head pokes up pretty high.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

EUROIDIOT said:


> whats the average height of everyone owning a Miata lol. I remember it was the miata and s2k that i could barely fit in but always wanted to have one laying around.. lol


5'10 185lbs : short torso, long legs. I fit just fine in my NB2. My brother is only about an inch taller but his torso/leg proportions are pretty different and his hair brushed my ragtop clean.
I fit pretty well in every car I've ever sat in; NA to NZ.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

EUROIDIOT said:


> whats the average height of everyone owning a Miata lol. I remember it was the miata and s2k that i could barely fit in but always wanted to have one laying around.. lol


I fit perfectly at 5'7", both in the NB and ND.

I also love how I can reach the entire windshield from the driver's seat. Oh I missed a spot while cleaning from the inside? Not a problem.


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## Wimbledon (Nov 25, 2005)

Tornado2dr said:


> I like it  . I think the red mirrors are a neat detail.
> 
> Question - are your roll hoops the same color as your windsheild surround, and can you let us know what the car's trim level is?
> 
> I believe the hoops and windshield trim are a straight swap and silver/charcoal might be a different touch than the gloss black on miatas.


Yes, the roll hoops are a painted metallic charcoal that is the same as the windshield surround. All of the 124 Spiders in the Abarth trim are this color. Redline Auto Parts tore down a 124 and an ND and produced a very helpful parts interchange guide, here: Fiat 124 Spider to ND Miata Compatibility / Interchange Guide

According to Redline, the rolls hoops are a direct swap between an ND and a 124. They have a set for sale here: 2017-2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Roll Hoop Covers / Dark Grey / FD012

The red mirrors are factory. They were a factory option on Euro 124s from the beginning of the model run, but you don't see many in the US with the red mirrors because Fiat USA offered that option only on the last 2 model years here in the "Veleno Package."


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## 2 doors (Jun 18, 2003)

Wimbledon said:


> I am approaching a year of ownership of my Fiata and highly recommend it for anyone considering an ND or another sports car. So much fun.
> 
> This past weekend, I installed Apple CarPlay and the set of OEM alcantara parts from the European-market cars, all of which probably fit an ND, for anyone who is an alcantara fan.
> 
> ...


This post sent me straight to Auto Trader looking up 124’s.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Admittedly not a great pic but this shows 6 foot 2 me in the car during delivery. I fit with about 1/2 inch to spare between my hair and the headliner.

My son has no such problems fitting in the car.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Maximum_Download said:


> Admittedly not a great pic but this shows 6 foot 2 me in the car during delivery. I fit with about 1/2 inch to spare between my hair and the headliner.
> 
> My son has no such problems fitting in the car.


...YET!


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

VR6GURU said:


> How about a purple ND?


Looks like a purple/blue colorshift. There's a BRZ at a dealership near my house with that color wrap on bronze Enkeis. I always like when I hit the red light at that street so I can stare at it for a minute.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

5'11" here and I fit just fine. There are aftermarket seat rails to lower the oem seats for those on the taller side.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

Alfa's Montreal Green would look awesome on a Miata.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

sandwich-chris said:


> Alfa's Montreal Green would look awesome on a Miata.
> View attachment 222675


You have my attention.


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## newusername (Jul 26, 2016)

Maximum_Download said:


> Admittedly not a great pic but this shows 6 foot 2 me in the car during delivery. I fit with about 1/2 inch to spare between my hair and the headliner.
> 
> My son has no such problems fitting in the car.


Glad to see I would fit in the RF if I ever choose to go down that route.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> Admittedly not a great pic but this shows 6 foot 2 me in the car during delivery. I fit with about 1/2 inch to spare between my hair and the headliner.
> 
> My son has no such problems fitting in the car.



The strange thing is that I (at 5'9") have about as much clearance as you in an RF. My hair barely brushes the roof (I have a bit more room in my soft top). But the reasons for the similar headroom between the two of us are 

a) I'm mostly torso in length
2) The further forward I move the seat (to accommodate my short legs), the more the seat moves up toward the roof


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> The strange thing is that I (at 5'9") have about as much clearance as you in an RF. My hair barely brushes the roof (I have a bit more room in my soft top). But the reasons for the similar headroom between the two of us are
> 
> a) I'm mostly torso in length
> 2) The further forward I move the seat (to accommodate my short legs), the more the seat moves up toward the roof


I have also found that how you position the drivers seat is of paramount importance. For instance, my instinct is to go seat all the way back. When I do that the recline of the seat is too upright for my liking, and also, interestingly, there's TOO MUCH legroom for me. I can push the clutch all the way down but I am a little too stretched out. 

So I move the drivers seat forward one click, and recline the seat one click. I also push the steering wheel all the way in, so non-telescoped. Bingo. Perfect driving position. I could even click forward one more click on the reach and click the recline back 1 more click and get even more headroom.

So bottom line, most normal people will fit, but you really need to work the driving position to find a comfortable spot.

And the Recaros ARE butt-pinchers. 5 years ago when I was 200 lbs that wasn't a big deal, but now thanks to COVID I am 220 lbs and things are a bit snug.


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Don't forget that the front of the driver's seat in NDs is height adjustable. I'm guessing that helps long-legged drivers adjust a bit better.

At 5'7", I fit easily and so does my 5'9" partner.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MBrown said:


> Don't forget that the front of the driver's seat in NDs is height adjustable. I'm guessing that helps long-legged drivers adjust a bit better.
> 
> At 5'7", I fit easily and so does my 5'9" partner.


I'm not sure what you mean that the 'front is height adjustable.' Can you explain further? Are you talking about the thigh support adjustment?


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> I'm not sure what you mean that the 'front is height adjustable.' Can you explain further? Are you talking about the thigh support adjustment?


Yes


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We’ve got a gorgeous, sunny and crisp-cool fall day here in Vermont. Going to take a drive over to Meredith, New Hampshire and have lunch on the lake. Should see some nice fall colors.

This is the time of year I love the Miata most.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)




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## iamnotemo (May 6, 2003)

Ugh I need to hurry up and move north, it looks like it was gorgeous day to be out and about


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

We have short sports car seasons up here but they are great while they last.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> A quick wash last evening.


That sits absolutely perfect. Do you mind sharing the suspension specs? Are there spacers?


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

yeah, I freaking LOVE this car.

IMG_20220927_204446_291_2 by Andre Thompson, on Flickr


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

VTECeateR said:


> That sits absolutely perfect. Do you mind sharing the suspension specs? Are there spacers?


Pretty sure he said 20mm in the back and 15mm spacers in the front. I agree it’s a perfect setup.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

VTECeateR said:


> That sits absolutely perfect. Do you mind sharing the suspension specs? Are there spacers?


From a few posts back. I know that there are a lot of simultaneous Miata threads going on right now, so I had to remember what thread I posted it in and what thread this was:



Smigelski said:


> For those interested: It's the OEM BBS wheels (17x7) with 15mm spacers front, 20 mm rear (OEM 205/45/17 tires). The ride height (from center of the hub to the fender) 13 1/8" front and 13 3/8" rear on the Flyin' Miata Fox coil overs. I've been wanting to replace the tires with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, (in 215/45/17), but I've been trying to wear out these some more before I do.


And it doesn't scrape anywhere. I can drive it over speed bumps and humps without worry, park it over my Quick Jack. and even the push broom in my garage head fits under the front lip.



kiznarsh said:


> Pretty sure he said 20mm in the back and 15mm spacers in the front. I agree it’s a perfect setup.




I've had the car for almost four years, and I can't stop looking at it. Just everything about it is great. I have about a dozen pictures of my car parked in my work lot - all the pics are at the same time of day with the car in the same spot. And I only go into the office ~once per week. All the pics look the same. But I can't stop turning around and taking pics of it


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

My friend just wrecked his 2016 ND in a relatively minor 'whoopsie-daisy.' But the insurance (surprisingly to me) totalled it out and game him almost $25k for a car that's pretty much been his daily driver for the past seven years. That's not bad, but he's unsure what to do next. 

He's always talked about moving up to an ND2, but his funds are kind of tight right now (he and his wife just moved and are furnishing/decorating their new place). Another ND1 is on the table, but I thought he might want to have a different experience.

I suggested an 86 (he likes the first gen better looks-wise), but he'd rather a roadster. I then thought of the Fiata (Abarth). He's had old Fiat roadsters in the past. It'd be a mostly ND experience, but with a flashable 1.4T and the NC transmission. And they are relatively price-depressed compared to NDs. I suggested he at least test drive one. I think an ND2 would be great for him, but I also think he'd have a hard time finding one for his payout amount (or minimally over).


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

You may have already seen this on FB but TS. This is a great night shot and why not pile on some more soul red crystal love?








I did have the roof down when I was driving, but it was the first time I used the seat heater. It was glorious. I always wished the s2k had that.


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## VTECeateR (Oct 27, 2000)

Smigelski said:


> From a few posts back. I know that there are a lot of simultaneous Miata threads going on right now, so I had to remember what thread I posted it in and what thread this was:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the update. If I end up doing suspension, this will be the setup I mimic. Thanks for the reply.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I am struggling with suspension as well. I love the ride of my car now (it's a Club, so Bilstein shocks) but I want it to be a little flatter cornering.

I am thinking something along the lines of wider tires, stock wheel size, 3MM spacers, and new sway bars. But I don't want to spoil the ride.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Maximum_Download said:


> I am struggling with suspension as well. I love the ride of my car now (it's a Club, so Bilstein shocks) but I want it to be a little flatter cornering.
> 
> I am thinking something along the lines of wider tires, stock wheel size, 3MM spacers, and new sway bars. But I don't want to spoil the ride.


Sway bars shouldn't ruin the ride much, but the car is designed to roll in the corners for camber so you're gonna need a performance alignment if you flatten it out with sway bars.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> I am struggling with suspension as well. I love the ride of my car now (it's a Club, so Bilstein shocks) but I want it to be a little flatter cornering.
> 
> I am thinking something along the lines of wider tires, stock wheel size, 3MM spacers, and new sway bars. But I don't want to spoil the ride.



For me, one thing that bugged me about the ND (and most cheaper cars, TBH), is that the wheel gap was too big. So, before I even bought the car, I planned on lowering it. I was going to wait a little while to do that mod, but a couple of weeks after I bought the car, I got furloughed. I had a lot of spare time on my hands. I bought and installed the FM coilovers with ~200 miles on the odometer. After I installed the coilovers, I feel that there's no need for me to get sway bars at all, so I'll stick with the OEM ones. Did the ride suffer? Eh, I don't know. Since I didn't get a good feel for the ride of the stock suspension before I swapped, the last time I drove a stockly-suspended ND was 2016. But I will say, that on setting a tad softer than FM recommends, _I_ have no issues with the ride quality on the FM Fox coilovers. This is just an FYI in case you have that thought. If you are ever in the Baltimore/Annapolis/DC area, feel free to hit me up for a drive of my car as a test. 

If you are personally fine with the ride height, then sway bars are a good call. They will flatten the car out a good deal on their own, but definitely get a matched set, start at the softest setting (if adjustable) and work your way stiffer until you are happy. Wider (and stickier) tires will also add body roll to your cornering (because more grip), so be prepared to revaluate your sway bar settings on that change. 

You probably weren't thinking this anyway, but for street-driving only, I'd recommend against super-aggressive 200TW tires, like Bridgestone R1-Rs. The grip is great and the car really sticks, but it does seem to mask some of the playfulness of the car at street speeds. Something one tier down (ECS SportContact, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, etc) would be fantastic, and the PS4S has a 30k mile tread wear warranty. 

I'm not sure if 3mm spacers will really get you anything, but I understand that you can't go any wider with swapping wheel studs or going to much wider bolt-on spacers (like I have). You'd probably be better off getting a wheel with a different offset if you are going to get aftermarket wheels anyway.


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

Question for the ND owners...

With the ND chassis getting up there in age, would you still consider a new MX5 in 2022/2023? I'm assuming Mazda will push for 10 years out of this chassis like the previous ones, and there isn't much internet traffic showing any major updates coming to the car. I found out I can get S-Plan pricing with SCCA membership which puts the pricing close enough to used 2019+ cars that I've been tempted to look at a new one. My local dealer participates in S-Plan pricing per my last conversation with a sales rep.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Question for the ND owners...
> 
> With the ND chassis getting up there in age, would you still consider a new MX5 in 2022/2023? I'm assuming Mazda will push for 10 years out of this chassis like the previous ones, and there isn't much internet traffic showing any major updates coming to the car. I found out I can get S-Plan pricing with SCCA membership which puts the pricing close enough to used 2019+ cars that I've been tempted to look at a new one. My local dealer participates in S-Plan pricing per my last conversation with a sales rep.


Yes.

I don't think there are plans for huge upgrades because they got it so right in the first place so I can't think of reasons why someone wouldn't consider one if the Miata experience is what they seek. I think it's widely agreed that stock body roll is a little more than what most people want, but that's an easy fix without sacrificing ride quality. 

Do it.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Question for the ND owners...
> 
> With the ND chassis getting up there in age, would you still consider a new MX5 in 2022/2023? I'm assuming Mazda will push for 10 years out of this chassis like the previous ones, and there isn't much internet traffic showing any major updates coming to the car. I found out I can get S-Plan pricing with SCCA membership which puts the pricing close enough to used 2019+ cars that I've been tempted to look at a new one. My local dealer participates in S-Plan pricing per my last conversation with a sales rep.


100% Yes, I'd consider getting a new ND again. For what the ND2 does, what's a better choice, even this far into its model run? I'd 100% buy a new Miata over something like a $30k Boxster/Cayman.

The second gen GR86/BRZ is the Miata's only serious competitor, and the only other car I'd be looking at in the ~$30,000 sports car world. And even then, it kind of boils down to prefer.

If you have a dealer willing to do S-Plan, that might be the best deal you are going to get on a new Miata for a while. I believe that they cut down on production numbers.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

was this already posted? must have been.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Question for the ND owners...
> 
> With the ND chassis getting up there in age, would you still consider a new MX5 in 2022/2023? I'm assuming Mazda will push for 10 years out of this chassis like the previous ones, and there isn't much internet traffic showing any major updates coming to the car. I found out I can get S-Plan pricing with SCCA membership which puts the pricing close enough to used 2019+ cars that I've been tempted to look at a new one. My local dealer participates in S-Plan pricing per my last conversation with a sales rep.


100%.

Call me crazy, but I'd do a base ND2 and add a LSD and a little suspension work and be done. It's even better with 16s IMO.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Question for the ND owners...
> 
> With the ND chassis getting up there in age, would you still consider a new MX5 in 2022/2023? I'm assuming Mazda will push for 10 years out of this chassis like the previous ones, and there isn't much internet traffic showing any major updates coming to the car. I found out I can get S-Plan pricing with SCCA membership which puts the pricing close enough to used 2019+ cars that I've been tempted to look at a new one. My local dealer participates in S-Plan pricing per my last conversation with a sales rep.



Not only yes, but I just did. I bought a 2022 RF Club.

Why?
1. It still feels and looks fresh. I get compliments and looks regularly, and some people still aren't sure it's a Miata.
2. The handling and chassis is still unmatched, nearly at any price. Seriously, it's not a slam dunk to go to a Boxster at this point - I would need to think long and hard about it.
3. It's nearly Prius-levels of "I don't worry about it" in terms of reliability, service costs, and maintenance. Consumables are cheap. Modifications are cheap and easy. It's nearly bulletproof.
4. What else out there does what this car does? At any price?

So yes. Frankly, all they need to do is update the infotainment and the car can stay on sale for another decade as far as I am concerned.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Question for the ND owners...
> 
> With the ND chassis getting up there in age, would you still consider a new MX5 in 2022/2023? I'm assuming Mazda will push for 10 years out of this chassis like the previous ones, and there isn't much internet traffic showing any major updates coming to the car. I found out I can get S-Plan pricing with SCCA membership which puts the pricing close enough to used 2019+ cars that I've been tempted to look at a new one. My local dealer participates in S-Plan pricing per my last conversation with a sales rep.


Absolutely. New platform isn't coming for a long time and they're not going to make it more "hardcore" and alienate the thousands of buyers that will never modify them.
The more I poke around my ND the more impressed I am at how they managed "complication" and performance where it was important (the rear suspension is a standout) with weight savings.


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## Khyron (Dec 5, 2001)

I'm pretty set on buying a new 2023 club and I hope they don't change much other than add a blue or green! I love the GR86 but already had an FRS before and have never tried a 2 seater convertible before. I could buy a new Cayman/Boxter but we have 0 tracks anywhere within 3 hours so all my fun has to be on the public roads. I still think my old 85 supra was one of the most fun cars on the street and the miata is a pretty similar feeling.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Khyron said:


> I'm pretty set on buying a new 2023 club and I hope they don't change much other than add a blue or green! I love the GR86 but already had an FRS before and have never tried a 2 seater convertible before. I could buy a new Cayman/Boxter but we have 0 tracks anywhere within 3 hours so all my fun has to be on the public roads. I still think my old 85 supra was one of the most fun cars on the street and the miata is a pretty similar feeling.


I believe the focus on track days is a little over-emphasized. I want the car to be fun on public roads, where you will spend 95% of your time. And I think too many cars are focusing on numbers and losing the plot when it comes to driving around town.

And that's why I bought a Miata. I have been completely satisfied...when I get to drive it. My wife has been driving it a LOT these days - to the point where it's mostly her car now.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

To pile on to the answers to Nitro, yes. I am trying to buy a Miata. Might just buy used since order banks haven't opened, but the car is pretty much perfect. To go any lighter would add substantial cost, and the Miata executes on its mission perfectly. It's never going to be a practical car, it will always be a small 2-seater. With the ND2's engine update, there really isn't anything that is lacking other than the infotainment. If anything, the age of the platform has allowed them to iron out any wrinkles (like the transmission).

The NC got a nice visual update for the NC3 (NC3s look far better than the NC2 and the frumpy NC1), and like the ND2, the NC2's biggest update was the revised motor. I was hoping for a ND3 to come for 2023 as the ND2 saw the motor as its main update, but not sure if Mazda plans one at this time. Made sense to do a ND update every ~4x years with a ~12x year total life, or thereabouts...but with BEVs and the loss of (presumably) a partner for development of the future NE Miata, maybe they will just let it continue with little updating until it can be BEV'd or hybrid'ized.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

MAC said:


> Absolutely. New platform isn't coming for a long time and they're not going to make it more "hardcore" and alienate the thousands of buyers that will never modify them.
> The more I poke around my ND the more impressed I am at how they managed "complication" and performance where it was important (the rear suspension is a standout) with weight savings.


One thing I do wish they would do is drop the Sport model, make the Club the default model, leave the GTs for the wine-and-cheese crowd, and replace the club with an R model that does away with the body roll and offer up a more hardcore experience considering how many enthusiasts are swapping out suspensions on these cars. A nice coilover setup (hell work with Flyin Miata) the nice brakes/recaros package, 4-point rollbar. Id opt for that model if it existed.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

Maximum_Download said:


> I believe the focus on track days is a little over-emphasized. I want the car to be fun on public roads, where you will spend 95% of your time. And I think too many cars are focusing on numbers and losing the plot when it comes to driving around town.


And even if it isn't over-emphasized. I just about live at the track these days and sold my Cayman for a Miata and a trailer with no regrets. The chassis' are different but in a lot of ways comparable, without aids (mine is an NB racecar w/ABS delete) and with low power you learn faster and deeper, and you can replace parts that inevitably break or wear more easily and for a lot less money.

I've actually never driven a Miata on the street and I still love them.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> I believe the focus on track days is a little over-emphasized. I want the car to be fun on public roads, where you will spend 95% of your time. And I think too many cars are focusing on numbers and losing the plot when it comes to driving around town.
> 
> And that's why I bought a Miata. I have been completely satisfied...when I get to drive it. My wife has been driving it a LOT these days - to the point where it's mostly her car now.


I agree with this. The to speed limit for second gear on baser 718s is something like 72mph. For the GT4 second gear goes to ~84mph, I think. You aren't going to be able to run through the gears very much on the street with something like that.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I agree with this. The to speed limit for second gear on baser 718s is something like 72mph. For the GT4 second gear goes to ~84mph, I think. You aren't going to be able to run through the gears very much on the street with something like that.


Here in Chicagoland, the only place you will get to run through the first 2-3 gears in a car like that is on the tollway.

Once.

If you're lucky.


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## rsclyrt (Jul 25, 2005)

Coming up on 2 years owning my ND2 Club RF, and I am officially converted. I simply do not understand why everyone doesn't have one already. There are so few new cars that check all the boxes that the Miata does; I don't see how the ND2 won't end up as a future classic/collectable. 

If I were to do it all over again, the only thing I'd do different is wait for a special edition/color. Since the Miatas run on roughly a 10 year model cycle, I think we're due for some sort of special edition before they end the current model. Maybe 2024 for a 35AE or at least an exciting color? 

The only negative thing I have to say about the car is that, due to the size, other drivers don't see you as well, and as a driver it's difficult to see around large cars.


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## nyexx (Dec 12, 2014)

I should have bought an ND2


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## MBrown (Aug 1, 2000)

I'm a little into my second month on my third RF GT, so I say go for it. (First one was a 2017 shortly after the RF was introduced. Second was a 2019, bringing the ND2 improvements -- see below. Third is a 2022.

Definitely stick to 2019+ to get the ND2 and its improved engine. If you're going for the GT with a manual, that'll also get you an LSD, Bilstein shocks, and a front suspension brace. Meaningful improvement over the earlier cars.


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## 2 doors (Jun 18, 2003)

rsclyrt said:


> I simply do not understand why everyone doesn't have one already.


I don't know why I torture myself coming into this thread and reading things like this. Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket.


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## sicklyscott (Jun 24, 2002)

What's the rollbar situation like for the ND (RF and soft top)?


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

sicklyscott said:


> What's the rollbar situation like for the ND (RF and soft top)?


Everyone gets the hard dog. Takes a whole day to put one in a soft top. Have no idea how long for an RF but if it's in there you can't open the roof anymore.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

Zillon said:


> 100%.
> 
> Call me crazy, but I'd do a base ND2 and add a LSD and a little suspension work and be done. It's even better with 16s IMO.


The base model gets a pass from me... the plastic steering wheel and the cheap upper door trim is pretty bad. I have a GT but if I could do it again, I'd get the GSP with Recaro/Brembo sport pack (it has a different name in Canada vs US). 

Having owned and daily driven a Miata for coming up on two years, I have two main complaints:
The paint is pretty bad, I would recommend PPF on the front plus the door sills. Mine is black so maybe that's why it looks so bad? It's also a lease, so I don't baby it or care that much, but if I owned it, I wouldn't be impressed.
There should be a two mode traction control. The TC is so intrusive it's annoying, a minor slip angle and its slamming on the brakes and cutting power, but if you switch it off, it's completely off which then makes me a bit nervous especially in the rain. An middle option that would allow a little bit of slip before reigning you in would be perfect from my POV.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

sandwich-chris said:


> The base model gets a pass from me... the plastic steering wheel and the cheap upper door trim is pretty bad. I have a GT but if I could do it again, I'd get the GSP with Recaro/Brembo sport pack (it has a different name in Canada vs US).
> 
> Having owned and daily driven a Miata for coming up on two years, I have two main complaints:
> The paint is pretty bad, I would recommend PPF on the front plus the door sills. Mine is black so maybe that's why it looks so bad? It's also a lease, so I don't baby it or care that much, but if I owned it, I wouldn't be impressed.
> There should be a two mode traction control. The TC is so intrusive it's annoying, a minor slip angle and its slamming on the brakes and cutting power, but if you switch it off, it's completely off which then makes me a bit nervous especially in the rain. An middle option that would allow a little bit of slip before reigning you in would be perfect from my POV.


[edit] Steering wheel is leather wrapped in the base model in the US. I thought it was, my visit to the Mazda website confirmed it.

I just think the base model is wholly unappreciated - I sold these for a couple years, so I've driven them all. The playfulness of the base car on surface streets was really intoxicating.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

sicklyscott said:


> What's the rollbar situation like for the ND (RF and soft top)?


This requires thought and planning on your part.

Short answer, a rollbar can be installed in either, but in the RF, once you do a rollbar, the top can never be put down again.

If you will be doing track events and require a rollbar, the soft top is recommended.

Since I don't plan on doing that and I live in a climate where ice and snow is a reality, the RF made more sense for me.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

sandwich-chris said:


> The base model gets a pass from me... the plastic steering wheel and the cheap upper door trim is pretty bad. I have a GT but if I could do it again, I'd get the GSP with Recaro/Brembo sport pack (it has a different name in Canada vs US).
> 
> Having owned and daily driven a Miata for coming up on two years, I have two main complaints:
> The paint is pretty bad, I would recommend PPF on the front plus the door sills. Mine is black so maybe that's why it looks so bad? It's also a lease, so I don't baby it or care that much, but if I owned it, I wouldn't be impressed.
> There should be a two mode traction control. The TC is so intrusive it's annoying, a minor slip angle and its slamming on the brakes and cutting power, but if you switch it off, it's completely off which then makes me a bit nervous especially in the rain. An middle option that would allow a little bit of slip before reigning you in would be perfect from my POV.


The paint is a big concern if you care about those sorts of things (I do).

I knew Soul Red Crystal was the problem child of the paint lineup so I budgeted for PPF. It still didn't save me from getting a paint chip on the hood literally on the ride home from the dealer. I had the PPF place fill the chip in and then PPF over the top of it, and you can barely see it is there.

You need PPF on this car. Non-negotiable.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Fabulous Fall day.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Maximum_Download said:


> You need PPF on this car. Non-negotiable.


I am rolling the dice. At 2000 miles a year and very little highway driving, I just can't stomach paying as much for front end ppf as a hood/bumper/fenders respray will cost down the road.


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

MAC said:


> I am rolling the dice. At 2000 miles a year and very little highway driving, I just can't stomach paying as much for front end ppf as a hood/bumper/fenders respray will cost down the road.


I kinda wished the PO did when he bought it new but it already had some rock chips when I got mine and I’ve added more in my canyon and road trip driving.

Fortunately I’ve come to terms with it and it no longer bothers me, allowing me to enjoy it more.


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## Nitroracer17 (Apr 8, 2014)

Thanks for the feedback guys! I wasn't sure if the ND was starting to show its age, but apparently they are doing just fine. Now to make hard decisions like RF vs soft top, club vs GT, etc. For me this will be almost exclusively a fun backroads and street car, I can't bring myself to track something with a loan on it.


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## worth_fixing (Dec 23, 2009)

Nitroracer17 said:


> Thanks for the feedback guys! I wasn't sure if the ND was starting to show its age, but apparently they are doing just fine. Now to make hard decisions like RF vs soft top, club vs GT, etc. For me this will be almost exclusively a fun backroads and street car, I can't bring myself to track something with a loan on it.


my person opinion; Clubsport (I think our equivalent trim here is GS-P...I much prefer 'Clubsport' as a trim name but whatever)
I have a hard time justifying getting anything over the bottom barrel base trim these days, but our GS-P gets, over the base GS :

Bilstein sport dampers;
Limited slip diff;
Stut tower brace;
Other notable things for which I don't place much value.
for $4,000 CAD more.

I don't know. It could be wrth it, but I'd have to try the Sport-enhanced ND over the non-sport-enhanced ND. It could be worth the $4k, but that's still a lot of money.

I love the RF and I love that it exists, but I prefer the lighter and more raw soft top ND for less $.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

worth_fixing said:


> my person opinion; Clubsport (I think our equivalent trim here is GS-P...I much prefer 'Clubsport' as a trim name but whatever)
> I have a hard time justifying getting anything over the bottom barrel base trim these days, but our GS-P gets, over the base GS :
> 
> Bilstein sport dampers;
> ...



That's the great thing about the Miata - to each their own.

And, if you plan on modding, then the base model makes a heck of a lotta sense.


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## Stangy (Mar 16, 2007)

Tucked little buddy in for the winter. A bit early but she is getting a brake refresh (braided lines, pads, rotors, and a caliper service) for fun. #zoomzoom









New Momo Prototipo 350m. Feel great in my hands - exactly what i was looking for. Went wood originally to match the Nardi accents but it did not provide the grip i was wanting.









A bit shocked by the size difference between the BRG and the S2000. The dumped S2000 looked like it was in another weight class.









The BRG beside our families classic BRG 1967 Austin Healey 3000 MK3


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Taking a Live Photo and making it into a gif experiment:


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Smigelski said:


>


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/WhyWomenLiveLonger/comments/y71rfl


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Last time I gave it a bath


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

MAC said:


> I am rolling the dice. At 2000 miles a year and very little highway driving, I just can't stomach paying as much for front end ppf as a hood/bumper/fenders respray will cost down the road.


I can show you some pics of my 3 that might change your mind. LOL.

I really don't mind because I bought the thing used, but the the front bumper looks like it came from a 20 year old car instead of a 7 year old one. Wheels too....peeling and bubbling everywhere. Car looks a hot mess, but at least it was cheap.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

VR6GURU said:


> Last time I gave it a bath


My goodness, that is beautiful.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Roboturner913 said:


> I can show you some pics of my 3 that might change your mind. LOL.
> 
> I really don't mind because I bought the thing used, but the the front bumper looks like it came from a 20 year old car instead of a 7 year old one. Wheels too....peeling and bubbling everywhere. Car looks a hot mess, but at least it was cheap.


You're not getting it. The car will have about 18,000 miles on it after 7 years, MAYBE 20. By then, the ppf may need to be replaced. So then I'm, what, $5-6k into it?
The car will never get driven on a road with sand or salt thrown all over it, and will never (purposely) get driven in the rain.
If I'm going to light 2-3k on fire, I'll do it the next time I get a brand new daily.


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## Air and water do mix (Aug 5, 2004)

Roboturner913 said:


> My goodness, that is beautiful.


And the license plate is great!


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Pointless update...Mazda dealer says order banks aren't open, no idea when they will. I am seeing now 2020 Clubs going for about what one would new. A couple local Miatas dropped their asking price 2k a couple days ago. Just no white ones around, and most of them are RFs and gray/red, which I don't want, but Carmax does have a couple extremely low mileage red club softops (like one under 3k odo, the other around 7k odo). 

The same dealer claims BRZ banks open in November.

I am living vicariously through this thread and youtube ND2 driving vids.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

MAC said:


> You're not getting it. The car will have about 18,000 miles on it after 7 years, MAYBE 20. By then, the ppf may need to be replaced. So then I'm, what, $5-6k into it?
> The car will never get driven on a road with sand or salt thrown all over it, and will never (purposely) get driven in the rain.
> If I'm going to light 2-3k on fire, I'll do it the next time I get a brand new daily.


I agree with this sentiment. About the only thing I'd consider in your case is perhaps the front half of the hood, at most.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

MAC said:


> You're not getting it. The car will have about 18,000 miles on it after 7 years, MAYBE 20. By then, the ppf may need to be replaced. So then I'm, what, $5-6k into it?
> The car will never get driven on a road with sand or salt thrown all over it, and will never (purposely) get driven in the rain.
> If I'm going to light 2-3k on fire, I'll do it the next time I get a brand new daily.


fair enough


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

I was reading something earlier about how they do clear vinyl wraps now, that would probably be significantly cheaper than PPF especially if you were only doing the front clip. That might only cost a few hundred dollars.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

I spent the money and put PPF on my entire ND (in stages). No regrets, even with only 11k miles on the car. It all depends on your priorities. I don't fault others for not getting it.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Stored up today, a bit early but with my upcoming travel today was the best day for us.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> I spent the money and put PPF on my entire ND (in stages). No regrets, even with only 11k miles on the car. It all depends on your priorities. I don't fault others for not getting it.


Agreed. My Miata is going to be a full on year-round daily, so it made sense to PPF the car. In my case I did the front clip and the mirror cups and called it a day, and it came out to $2500ish all in.

I will say that paint quality on NDs are BAD. They are thin, brittle, and chip if you look at them wrong. If you care about this sort of thing (and I do) then PPF the car sooner rather than later. There are cars on Miata.net that had to be repainted already due to bad stone chips.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

Maximum_Download said:


> I will say that paint quality on NDs are BAD.


Mazda paint in general is terrible and has been for decades. Their secondary slogan after "zoom zoom" should be "We STILL don't give a **** about paint." This is a 6 inch section of my front bumper, and it's got craters like that pretty much all the way across. Car is only 7 years old.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Roboturner913 said:


> Mazda paint in general is terrible and has been for decades. Their secondary slogan after "zoom zoom" should be "We STILL don't give a **** about paint." This is a 6 inch section of my front bumper, and it's got craters like that pretty much all the way across. Car is only 7 years old.
> 
> View attachment 230880


Any car would have paint damage from a scrape like that.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Roboturner913 said:


> Mazda paint in general is terrible and has been for decades. Their secondary slogan after "zoom zoom" should be "We STILL don't give a **** about paint." This is a 6 inch section of my front bumper, and it's got craters like that pretty much all the way across. Car is only 7 years old.
> 
> View attachment 230880


How old was is when you drove into a wall? 🙄


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

MAC said:


> How old was is when you drove into a wall? 🙄


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## 2 doors (Jun 18, 2003)

My B-I-L is looking at 2008 Miata Sport with 99k miles. Any gotchas with these at that age/mileage?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

2 doors said:


> My B-I-L is looking at 2008 Miata Sport with 99k miles. Any gotchas with these at that age/mileage?


That's an NC1 with the non-forged pistons, crank, etc, and the slightly weaker transmission. I don't think there's too many problems with those, beyond the cracking coolant expansion tanks. The car may have a 5 speed or 6 speed manual (I think 6). The early 6 speed had some issues (synchros?), but I think that was minimal.

I had an '06, and it had some issues (lack of top drain filters, tearing top straps), but they addressed them by time the '08s were out.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

2 doors said:


> My B-I-L is looking at 2008 Miata Sport with 99k miles. Any gotchas with these at that age/mileage?


No moreso than other convertibles. There might be some small things (coolant reservoir iirc?) but if the soft top is good, send it.


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## 2 doors (Jun 18, 2003)

Smigelski said:


> That's an NC1 with the non-forged pistons, crank, etc, and the slightly weaker transmission. I don't think there's too many problems with those, beyond the cracking coolant expansion tanks. The car may have a 5 speed or 6 speed manual (I think 6). The early 6 speed had some issues (synchros?), but I think that was minimal.
> 
> I had an '06, and it had some issues (lack of top drain filters, tearing top straps), but they addressed them by time the '08s were out.


Thanks! Pictures show 5 speed. 

I thought I heard something about NCs where people turn them into 2.5L engines. Is that just for more power or to fix a failure?


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

2 doors said:


> Thanks! Pictures show 5 speed.
> 
> I thought I heard something about NCs where people turn them into 2.5L engines. Is that just for more power or to fix a failure?


Torque and power. Miata engines last a long time even in harsh conditions which is part of why they’re raced so much. They just work.

Biggest problem with these cars is that once you own one you get indoctrinated into the Cult of Miata.


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## Roboturner913 (Feb 16, 2010)

2 doors said:


> Thanks! Pictures show 5 speed.
> 
> I thought I heard something about NCs where people turn them into 2.5L engines. Is that just for more power or to fix a failure?


The 2.5 is a much torquier engine than the 2.0, and there are tons of them available. And since you can re-use a lot of 2.0 parts, it's a cheap swap. I assume that's the reason for its popularity.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

ghost03 said:


> Torque and power. Miata engines last a long time even in harsh conditions which is part of why they’re raced so much. They just work.
> 
> Biggest problem with these cars is that once you own one you get indoctrinated into the Cult of Miata.


This. David Coleman (manager of the Miata program, I think, or head of Dynamcs, can't remember his title) did a very in depth review with Savagegeese, where he stated the stock ND2 engine is designed to maintain oiling at over 1g sustained. He then said normal street cars never do that.

That kind of attention to detail in the engineering process is one of the reasons I fell for the Miata in the first place.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

2 doors said:


> Thanks! Pictures show 5 speed.
> 
> I thought I heard something about NCs where people turn them into 2.5L engines. Is that just for more power or to fix a failure?


The early 5 speed is stronger than the early 6 speed (and the 5 speed has a higher 5th than the 6th gear in the 6 speed).

The 2.5L swap is popular for all the reasons mentioned, not because of a typical failure mode of the 2.0L. I'd love to a try a 2.5L Miata. I think it would be rad.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

2 doors said:


> My B-I-L is looking at 2008 Miata Sport with 99k miles. Any gotchas with these at that age/mileage?


He may not care but 08 is the last year of the "super cute" front bumper NC. The refresh starts in 09. I actually like the simpler look of the early cars. Other than that, it's stout like all miatas. The NC does have some random parts bin cost cutting that fanatics whine about. The 5 lug hubs and wheels being the most whined about.
I'd just point out the styling change and let him decide if it makes a difference. A decent 09 shouldn't be much more.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> The early 5 speed is stronger than the early 6 speed (and the 5 speed has a higher 5th than the 6th gear in the 6 speed).
> 
> The 2.5L swap is popular for all the reasons mentioned, not because of a typical failure mode of the 2.0L. I'd love to a try a 2.5L Miata. I think it would be rad.


The 2.5 from the cx5, etc? I didn't know it bolted into the longitudinal layout easily


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## 2 doors (Jun 18, 2003)

MAC said:


> He may not care but 08 is the last year of the "super cute" front bumper NC. The refresh starts in 09. I actually like the simpler look of the early cars. Other than that, it's stout like all miatas. The NC does have some random parts bin cost cutting that fanatics whine about. The 5 lug hubs and wheels being the most whined about.
> I'd just point out the styling change and let him decide if it makes a difference. A decent 09 shouldn't be much more.


Thanks. I think he’s shopping condition, availability, and price more so than a specific year. This one is at a Mazda dealer that he has family ties to. Personally I like the last version of the NC the best visually.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MAC said:


> The 2.5 from the cx5, etc? I didn't know it bolted into the longitudinal layout easily


Yeah, I know there's some small complications, like swapping over the oil pan and crank pulley, but overall it's not a bad swap to do, apparently.


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## OMGK20 (Mar 8, 2005)

Are Miatas still a CL favorite ?
What is the preferred gen? NA or NB?


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

OMGK20 said:


> Are Miatas still a CL favorite ?
> What is the preferred gen? NA or NB?


Absolutely. We don't hear much about NBs here, but that's probably because they are similar to NAs (yet aren't as old/interesting).

NAs are always popular, NDs are extremely popular, and folks are coming around to the goodness of the NCs after being hated for years for being 'big' and 'boats.'


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

OMGK20 said:


> Are Miatas still a CL favorite ?
> What is the preferred gen? NA or NB?


Either, they're pretty similar.

NA is a bit more analog; it has 1.6 and 1.8; the 1.8s are a stronger pulling motor and are well liked.
NB has 1.8 and 1.8 VVT; I wouldn't bother with a regular 1.8 as those are the SM ringer due to the ruleset/intake restrictor. VVT is probably the best overall, but just a touch more modern than the NA and without the adorable pop up headlights.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

ghost03 said:


> Either, they're pretty similar.
> 
> NA is a bit more analog; it has 1.6 and 1.8; the 1.8s are a stronger pulling motor and are well liked.


I may be in the minority, but I liked the 1.6L a lot better than the 1.8L in the NAs (though I do get why Mazda changed). I just feel that the 1.6L "tries harder." It's easier to rev, faster to rev, and just seems more eager. The 1.8L definitely feels torquier and pulls harder, but I liked the feeling of the 1.6L.

I had a 1.6L NA and my dad had a 1.8L NA, so I've had a lot of seat time in both. 

At one point, while doing other work, I decided to "go nuts" and get the valves ported and polished on my 1.6L. Man, that was awesome. The car rev'd even faster, felt smoother (maybe that was in my head), and had more power. It was great.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

I loved my NC2. A boat it was not.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Zillon said:


> I loved my NC2. A boat it was not.


Agreed, it was an RX-8 based car that was awesome, and the availability of a 2.5 swap alongside the fact the PHRT was a real droptop...the want is strong. The only reason I am not chasing down an NC3 Club PRHT is they are rare, and the prices now are so damned high that getting one plus a 2.5 swap is like new ND2 money.


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

Arg. The problem with Miatas is that when you have one you just one another. And I'm pretty sure if I get a second I'll want a third.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Hate to be the bearer of bad influence, buuuuuut: Goodwin Racing -- Black Friday Sale


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

ghost03 said:


> Arg. The problem with Miatas is that when you have one you just one another. And I'm pretty sure if I get a second I'll want a third.


I have not driven my ND2 RF Club in 2 weeks. My wife is driving it exclusively, and now calls it "hers".


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

Maximum_Download said:


> I have not driven my ND2 RF Club in 2 weeks. My wife is driving it exclusively, and now calls it "hers".


Crubs and fents, here we come!


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

Maximum_Download said:


> I have not driven my ND2 RF Club in 2 weeks. My wife is driving it exclusively, and now calls it "hers".


Time for his and hers! An NA or NB would be a nice contrast I think?


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## jmlmr2 (Dec 21, 2012)

MAC said:


> The 2.5 from the cx5, etc? I didn't know it bolted into the longitudinal layout easily


It's the 2.5 Duratec mainly from Ford applications (Fusion, Escape possibly?) Same engine family as the stock 2.0L as it came from the period when Ford owned Mazda. External dimensions are nearly identical but for the height, which requires removal of the balance shafts from the 2.5 and use of the Miata 2.0L oil pan in order to get it to fit. Miata accessories are all swapped over to the 2.5. The 2.0L exhaust manifold fits, but the intake manifold needs massaging for best results. 

Because the 2.5 was made for a family sedan it's set up for all low/midrange power, so upgraded cams are a must if you want to have any sort of top-end in the powerband. On my son's car we went with the most aggressive cams you can run with stock pistons, along with upgraded springs & retainers. Even with those aggressive cams it doesn't have the top end the 2.0 had, but nobody cares because the torque difference is bananas...with the 2.5L it chirps third in the dry. Moving from a tuned 2.0L with headers to the tuned/cammed 2.5L added 10-15hp and 30-40 ft-lbs of torque (our 2.0 was dead when we had it swapped so I don't have dyno charts from the same dyno for both engines.) It's now ~190 wheel hp & tq, with usable power from below 2000rpm all the way to fuel cut at ~7200.

Also, if you're anywhere near San Antonio, TX, Dynotronics does the swaps for a truly unbelievably low price. Even in the Philly suburbs where I am, it was the same price or less to ship the car round trip to TX versus having it done by a local shop (with nowhere near the experience with that platform that Dynotronics has.)


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## DrewSXR (Jul 26, 2000)

New color for 2023 USDM: Zircon Sand


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

DrewSXR said:


> New color for 2023 USDM: Zircon Sand


Camry beige miatas is the answer to a question no one asked. They teased some sort of metallic burgundy on the new cx9 - why not that?🙄


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## Khyron (Dec 5, 2001)

I will be ordering a manual club/sport pack, question is red like everyone else or go with white. I'm fine with no changes from 22!! Why couldn't it be green instead of ... beige. Yeesh.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

Khyron said:


> I will be ordering a manual club/sport pack, question is red like everyone else or go with white. I'm fine with no changes from 22!! Why couldn't it be green instead of ... beige. Yeesh.


Yea, the color choices are almost Tesla levels of sad


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Khyron said:


> I will be ordering a manual club/sport pack, question is red like everyone else or go with white. I'm fine with no changes from 22!! Why couldn't it be green instead of ... beige. Yeesh.


It sucks that red is the only option that pops. White was the 2nd choice my wife and I both agreed on. I like white because you can use any wheel color and it looks great.
Polymetal gray was my actual second choice, because it does have an interesting color shift, but wifey said hell no to a gray sports car. She's right


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

They need to go back to the earlier colors.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

^ A Laguna Blue R was (and still is) one of my favorite NAs.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

MAC said:


> It sucks that red is the only option that pops. White was the 2nd choice my wife and I both agreed on. I like white because you can use any wheel color and it looks great.
> Polymetal gray was my actual second choice, because it does have an interesting color shift, but wifey said hell no to a gray sports car. She's right


Black looks good if you plan on doing some minor mods. I saw a black Club with red pinstriping on the aero kit that looked awesome.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

If they did sunburst yellow for '23 my wife would be on board with ordering a new one and selling our '21.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> Black looks good if you plan on doing some minor mods. I saw a black Club with red pinstriping on the aero kit that looked awesome.


I think I found an image of that car...


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MAC said:


> If they did sunburst yellow for '23 my wife would be on board with ordering a new one and selling our '21.


Seeing some wrapped cars makes me support this idea:


















I also love the idea of a dark green that I think I posted a few pages back:


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## KO7 (Oct 20, 2013)

Khyron said:


> I will be ordering a manual club/sport pack, question is red like everyone else or go with white. I'm fine with no changes from 22!! Why couldn't it be green instead of ... beige. Yeesh.


I’m curious to see if I’d fit into those sport pack Recaro seats. An ND2/ND3/NE Miata is my backup plan if my 2025 Type R allocation is a bust.

As for the colour: I’m not a red car guy but I do love the Soul Red. I would personally either get white or blue myself.


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## LoudTIGER (Aug 12, 2002)

made the mistake of browsing this thread while up early for work. anybody looking to sell their ND2?


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

LoudTIGER said:


> made the mistake of browsing this thread while up early for work. anybody looking to sell their ND2?


I’ll sell you mine for a MkIV with 200k miles if you got one.


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## Khyron (Dec 5, 2001)

KO7 said:


> I’m curious to see if I’d fit into those sport pack Recaro seats. An ND2/ND3/NE Miata is my backup plan if my 2025 Type R allocation is a bust.
> 
> As for the colour: I’m not a red car guy but I do love the Soul Red. I would personally either get white or blue myself.


So last year, the blue was not avail on the club/GS-P - just white, grey, more grey, black, soul red. If they offer the crystal blue mica on the clubs this year (which it looks like might happen) I'll jump on that for sure. I like soul red, but I have a red golf R already.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> Seeing some wrapped cars makes me support this idea:
> 
> View attachment 237715
> 
> ...


Oh wow. That green looks amazing.


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## Zillon (Jun 30, 2005)

DrewSXR said:


> New color for 2023 USDM: Zircon Sand


Yawn.

Where's the BRG, Mazda?


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

That Zircon Sand is horrid. Sports cars shouldn't be beige.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Maximum_Download said:


> That Zircon Sand is horrid. Sports cars shouldn't be beige.


My guess is that they already had the color availalbe for other cars and are somewhat trying to take it "upmarket" with the rest of the brand. But I agree with you.

On a similar note, a couple of years ago, Mazda updated the fonts for their badges on the back of the cars. It's more upright and 'fancy.' I think it looks great on the CX-5, CX-9, etc. But it doesn't seem to really fit on the ND.

Here are a couple of hastily-googled pics:

Old: Sporty and italicized











New: Upright and 'fancy'


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## ghost03 (Oct 22, 2007)

Just leaving this here.


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

My car has the updated badges. They don't bother me that bad, but I do like the older font.


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## Sporin (Feb 17, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> Seeing some wrapped cars makes me support this idea:
> 
> View attachment 237715
> 
> ...


Those both look great.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

That Zircon sand color new for 2023 is all kinds of good looking, deeper and richer than the truly beige looking Champaign platinum something or other color that is currently offered. I would get white (my favorite) but that Zircon is a close second. I am trying to order a 2023 as well, but i am seeing lightly used Miatas dropping 3k in price recently...if they keep dropping, might be worth considering a 2021 or 2022 with low miles.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Maximum_Download said:


> My car has the updated badges. They don't bother me that bad, but I do like the older font.


I'd be content with badges that smelled like farts if they just attached with tape and there were no holes in the bumper 😄


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

I don't know how most dealers are handling it, but if you want to order a 23 club and not deal with any add-ons or markup, I know a guy at a Philly area dealer that is great. Pm me if you want his digits. Ordering starts soon. All clubs are build to order only again.


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

Lawrider said:


> That Zircon sand color new for 2023 is all kinds of good looking, deeper and richer than the truly beige looking Champaign platinum something or other color that is currently offered. I would get white (my favorite) but that Zircon is a close second. I am trying to order a 2023 as well, but i am seeing lightly used Miatas dropping 3k in price recently...if they keep dropping, might be worth considering a 2021 or 2022 with low miles.


OK, sure, for sake of argument, let's say Zircon is a great color (it's not). The problem is that Mazda already offer Platinum Quart Metallic, meaning there are now TWO beige colors. Two beige, two grey, black, white, dark blue and soul red. Brutal.


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## KO7 (Oct 20, 2013)

Khyron said:


> So last year, the blue was not avail on the club/GS-P - just white, grey, more grey, black, soul red. If they offer the crystal blue mica on the clubs this year (which it looks like might happen) I'll jump on that for sure. I like soul red, but I have a red golf R already.


Oh yeah that’s right, it’s been a while since I’ve played around on the Mazda Canada configurator while dreaming of one myself. If I could forgo the Recaro/BBS/Brembo package, my dream spec would be the GT with Blue paint and the white leather interior, and then spec the optional black wheels choice (or just get aftermarket wheels while using the stock gunmetals as winters).


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

KO7 said:


> Oh yeah that’s right, it’s been a while since I’ve played around on the Mazda Canada configurator while dreaming of one myself. If I could forgo the Recaro/BBS/Brembo package, my dream spec would be the GT with Blue paint and the white leather interior, and then spec the optional black wheels choice (or just get aftermarket wheels while using the stock gunmetals as winters).


Is the white leather on blue still an option in Canada? It appears to be just a 1 year combo here. 
I was already contemplating an RF and when I saw the combo I looked all over So Cal to find one and find one I did.


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## KO7 (Oct 20, 2013)

VR6GURU said:


> Is the white leather on blue still an option in Canada? It appears to be just a 1 year combo here.
> I was already contemplating an RF and when I saw the combo I looked all over So Cal to find one and find one I did.


Hmm I just checked the configurator, and the 2023s aren’t up yet. Could very well be a one-year one-off only.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

Lawrider said:


> That Zircon sand color new for 2023 is all kinds of good looking, deeper and richer than the truly beige looking Champaign platinum something or other color that is currently offered. I would get white (my favorite) but that Zircon is a close second. I am trying to order a 2023 as well, but i am seeing lightly used Miatas dropping 3k in price recently...if they keep dropping, might be worth considering a 2021 or 2022 with low miles.


A friend of mine with an NB and an NC started looking at NDs. Last week he found a 2021 Club soft top (no BBS/Recaro/Brembo) with ~8k miles on it. The dealership was asking $36k (!) for it. My friend offered ~$33k and they didn't bite. He realized that the MSRP on 2023 Clubs is ~$31k (plus destination), so he's going to wait to put an order in when the 2023 order banks open up in January.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

sandwich-chris said:


> OK, sure, for sake of argument, let's say Zircon is a great color (it's not). The problem is that Mazda already offer Platinum Quart Metallic, meaning there are now TWO beige colors. Two beige, two grey, black, white, dark blue and soul red. Brutal.


I agree 100%, and it is utterly ludicrous that a sports car has two beiges - but it looks like all Mazda does is offer one color palette choice across their range, so we get this Zircon. On miata.net the pics that were shared and info from the UK market, i believe, suggested it comes with a brown top.

With Clubs being order-only, they should offer up either a couple order-only/Club colors, or a paint to match program - they could just group all the (Mariner Blue) orders on a quarterly basis and paint them if they can't be flexible enough to do it on-the-fly. Seems a wasted opportunity as there are several old colors I would love (Mariner Blue) and pay for (Mariner Blue). 

My favorite after white is Porsche's Siam Beige - and this Zircon looks a bit closer to it from this one pic.


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Smigelski said:


> A friend of mine with an NB and an NC started looking at NDs. Last week he found a 2021 Club soft top (no BBS/Recaro/Brembo) with ~8k miles on it. The dealership was asking $36k (!) for it. My friend offered ~$33k and they didn't bite. He realized that the MSRP on 2023 Clubs is ~$31k (plus destination), so he's going to wait to put an order in when the 2023 order banks open up in January.


This is where I am at as well. Ordering a new one will be possibly cheaper that the used 21s and 20s. I did see at least 2019s start dropping to the 30k range but then you have no warranty and no KPS, so that makes me want to wait. Carvana has a few 20 and 21 Miatas, asking in that 32-33k range - but at least for me in Michigan, Carvana can't deliver/sell here due to their recent problems.


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## Tornado2dr (Mar 31, 2001)

Smigelski said:


> A friend of mine with an NB and an NC started looking at NDs. Last week he found a 2021 Club soft top (no BBS/Recaro/Brembo) with ~8k miles on it. The dealership was asking $36k (!) for it. My friend offered ~$33k and they didn't bite. He realized that the MSRP on 2023 Clubs is ~$31k (plus destination), so he's going to wait to put an order in when the 2023 order banks open up in January.


Raises hand - my 2017 GT has 7800 miles on it. pre-nd2 but whatever. you offer me 31 and i'll take it!


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

It was a chilly morning going into work today. But the car still looks good, even if it’s dusty.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Installed the wheels this morning. Soon the springs will be installed


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## kindofblue59 (Oct 29, 2011)

Blue and bronze = hnngh love it

Regarding colors, agree with yall: if they really wanted to infuse some more sales I do think that a mariner blue and/or sunburst yellow "heritage edition" (maybe do little things eg change the color of the seatbelts) would sell like hotcakes. I understand it's pretty expensive to set up new paint colors at the factory, but you wouldnt have to do any engineering etc.

Im biased, I have a 30AE that I bought _because_ its orange.

Have to see it in person but as crazy as people go for chalk 911s maybe this wont be so bad, it does look good on the bigger SUV:








edit: looks like its going to be pretty light dependent:


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## Diamond Dave (Mar 24, 2001)

Back in the air after a prolonged hibernation. Haltec incoming.


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

It was time for my yearly/winter maintenance routine. Usually I change the oil, rotate the tires, and clean the wheels/barrels and the brake calipers while the wheels are off. I also check the torque on the wheel spacers while I’m at it.

Since the car just turned four years old, I decided to replace the transmission and differential fluids along with doing a full brake fluid flush for the first time. The car has ~11,500 miles on it.

There’s something neat about having the car up in the air with the wheels off. It feels like”work is getting done” or something.












The emergency brake cables give a nice resting place for my pneumatic brake bleeder hose. 











For anyone curious, the BBS wheels are indeed _not_ black - just a dark grey (and metallic!):












Even wet, the car looks pretty good:


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

I put new winter shoes on and got to experience the "car in the air with wheels off" feeling.

I love my BBS wheels, so to keep them nice I got these:










I have to say, she is WAYYYYY tail-happy now on dry pavement. WHEEEEEE!!!!!!


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

Just went out on a coffee run with the new shoes on.

WHOOOOO-WEEEE is she #$$ happy with these tires. It's a freaking riot. 

I had the biggest grin on my face coming home, and now I don't remember what I even got for coffee....


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## Lawrider (May 16, 2010)

Maximum_Download said:


> Just went out on a coffee run with the new shoes on.
> 
> WHOOOOO-WEEEE is she #$$ happy with these tires. It's a freaking riot.
> 
> I had the biggest grin on my face coming home, and now I don't remember what I even got for coffee....


Nothing more fun than a Miata on snows, in the winter. When I had mine I would head to the big empty parking lots that i knew didn't have those concrete berms (so just wide open asphalt) and play.


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## silverspeedbuggy (Aug 8, 2001)

Paging @Maximum_Download, and, well, everyone who loves the RF. 





Car Shirts and Apparel for Enthusiasts | blipshift


Crowdsourced car shirts, apparel, and accessories created by fellow auto enthusiasts. New tee designs available every day, only for a limited time.




www.blipshift.com


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## Maximum_Download (May 17, 2010)

silverspeedbuggy said:


> Paging @Maximum_Download, and, well, everyone who loves the RF.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oooh, and my Taurus SHO shirt is starting to see some wear....


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## amusante1002 (Jul 5, 2016)

silverspeedbuggy said:


> Paging @Maximum_Download, and, well, everyone who loves the RF.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Just bought for my Dad since he has the matching RF, thank you!


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## sandwich-chris (Oct 13, 2008)

Mine was pretty dirty the other day, it's cleanish at the moment.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

silverspeedbuggy said:


> Paging @Maximum_Download, and, well, everyone who loves the RF.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks just ordered mine. Too bad it doesn't come in deep crystal blue


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Ouch


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MAC said:


> Ouch
> View attachment 248498


Well, that's totaled  I'm glad it's not yours.


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Smigelski said:


> Well, that's totaled  I'm glad it's not yours.


Me too. Be careful out there. Chasing insta cred is bad.


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## VR6GURU (Dec 11, 2002)

Progress springs installed and alignment done


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## Fined (Sep 3, 2013)

^^^^^ That hits the spot


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

VR6GURU said:


> Progress springs installed and alignment done


Looks great, love those wheels

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk


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## dhvag (May 6, 2003)

MAC said:


> Ouch
> View attachment 248498


Pretty sure that belonged to user slowhatch 😢


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Painted my rear caliper carriers. Used Por-15 caliper paint, which is a dead on match for Brembo's red. It's a brush on paint that levels itself when it dries, as promised. (Caliper is oem paint, carrier is Por15 paint)

















I was "this" close to ordering a kenstyle steering wheel last week, but my name got pulled to buy a pretty hard to get watch, so there went that $ (Halios Seaforth for those that partake in watch geekery).


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## Smigelski (Dec 9, 2008)

MAC said:


> Painted my rear caliper carriers. Used Por-15 caliper paint, which is a dead on match for Brembo's red. It's a brush on paint that levels itself when it dries, as promised. (Caliper is oem paint, carrier is Por15 paint)
> View attachment 249098
> 
> View attachment 249097
> ...


I was today years old when I realized the rear caliper carrier wasn't painted on the Brembo-equipped NDs. You did a really good job! That looks OEM, for sure!

And congrats on the watch! It's always great to get 'the call,' and the Seaforth is a great watch. Not to derail ( well, maybe a little), what version/color did you get?


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## MAC (Dec 9, 1999)

Blue, fixed bezel, titanium


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