View Full Version : got myself a Miata
Woo hoo! I finally bit the bullet and got myself a Miata. I've been looking for an inexpensive car, good on gas (14.5mpg out of my Titan just ain't fun), something maybe even fun to drive. Well, after checking out lots of Accords, Preludes, Del Sols, Integras, Civics (notice a pattern?), I found something a bit off that path, a 97 Miata. They have a huge following, are rear wheel drive, and handle pretty well, so now I'll have a sporty gas-sipping convertible :wtg:
I'll be picking it up either tomorrow or Wednesday :party1:
...and yes, pics coming soon :smilebig:
jason 41
03-17-2008, 04:35 PM
Sweet you can turn it into a racecar!
JMP781
03-17-2008, 06:25 PM
You know, there is a girl at my office that is going to be selling hers soon and I was thinking about buying it but i'm concerned how well it will hold up in a crash. They're not that big and wonder if I would get smashed if I was hit by a SUV or truck. It's not in the best shape, could use a good compounding and waxing and tune up for sure but I could get it dirt cheap.
You know, there is a girl at my office that is going to be selling hers soon and I was thinking about buying it but i'm concerned how well it will hold up in a crash. They're not that big and wonder if I would get smashed if I was hit by a SUV or truck. It's not in the best shape, could use a good compounding and waxing and tune up for sure but I could get it dirt cheap.
I doubt they hold up great, but something tells me it's better than a bike :smilebig: What's she selling hers for? The one that I'm buying isn't in great shape either...
JMP781
03-17-2008, 08:43 PM
I agree, it will definitely hold up better than a bike. It has 130k and needs some work that she doesn't have time to do. She travels everyday for work and needs something dependable so she's looking at some possible purchases now. Not sure what she will be asking but it shouldn't be much.
Gatman
03-17-2008, 09:25 PM
Ha, I see after you saw all those miatas @ the autocross you finally had to get one huh? Some of those things were hauling ass around that track...did you get some good pictures?
Ha, I see after you saw all those miatas @ the autocross you finally had to get one huh? Some of those things were hauling ass around that track...did you get some good pictures?
I've liked Miatas almost as long as they've been out, 90 or 91 is when I first read about them I think. It took a certain set of circumstances for me to get one at this point in time. Here's hoping that it'll last me a long time...
You know, there is a girl at my office that is going to be selling hers soon and I was thinking about buying it but i'm concerned how well it will hold up in a crash. They're not that big and wonder if I would get smashed if I was hit by a SUV or truck. It's not in the best shape, could use a good compounding and waxing and tune up for sure but I could get it dirt cheap.
Im sure it will hold up a lot better than if you were on your bike and got hit by an SUV :shrug:
thehammer69
03-17-2008, 10:58 PM
Good for you Mike. Is it the one you mentioned seeing on Craig's list? I looked it up after getting home Saturday, and I considered checking it out for a brief moment until I realized I have enough cars in my garage/driveway and need to sell the Z28 before acquiring another.
The great thing about Miata's is that there are a ton of cheap used parts out there for them so they are cheap to fix and upkeep. They are pretty easy to work on too.
Anyway, now you don't have an excuse not to Autocross...
Hammer
Good for you Mike. Is it the one you mentioned seeing on Craig's list?
Not exactly. That really cheap one was gone by the time I went home and called... part of me is thinking I should've called right when I spotted it, maybe 30 minutes after it was posted on Friday night.
The great thing about Miata's is that there are a ton of cheap used parts out there for them so they are cheap to fix and upkeep. They are pretty easy to work on too.
Yepper, that's what my research indicated. I have and have looked over portions of the factory manual, as well as the wealth of information on miata.net. The prospect of having this car has already reawakened the grease-monkey in me :smilebig:
Anyway, now you don't have an excuse not to Autocross...
I knew that going in and it was part of my decision... AND I knew you'd chime in and say that :lmao: This will be my first FR, too; my previous car was a 380hp AWD, and all before it were FF.
SUM650
03-17-2008, 11:22 PM
I see after you saw all those miatas @ the autocross you finally had to get one huh? Some of those things were hauling ass around that track...
I was thinking the samething. Convertible, low cost, good gas, super modable for auto cross. Sounds like a no brainer decision to me. Mk please call me so I can come check it out once you pick it up!
thehammer69
03-17-2008, 11:49 PM
I knew that going in and it was part of my decision... AND I knew you'd chime in and say that :lmao: This will be my first FR, too; my previous car was a 380hp AWD, and all before it were FF.
Follow my advice if you decide to Autocross...
Keep it relatively stock and therefore running in it's respective stock class. You will learn more this way and save money too. Basically the only mods you can do in the stock classes are:
1. Shocks (no more than two adjusters on the shocks)
2. Front sway bar
3. Air filter (it has to be a stock replacement style)
4. Cat back exhaust.
5. Harness bar and harnesses.
6. Race compound "DOT legal" tires (Note: don't do this until you are fast on regular street tires)
7. Lighter wheels (Note: wheel size needs to stay the same as OEM)
8. Aggressive Autocross Alignment using only factory adjusters.
I've done all those except 4 & 7. Number 7 may be my next
move.
I forgot to say...This is a better car to learn AX with than your previous car. Much easier to learn to drive smooth and carry corner speed with a less power intensive car.
Hammer
I'll probably lay off the mods for a while, and just concentrate on maintenance and restoring the looks. Unless I run into a pot full of gold, my over-the-top-modding days are done.
The WRX wasn't at all easy to drive in my first autox. Inexperience + technical course + turbo lag + plowing front end + weird steering characteristics made for a tough few runs. Still had a blast though. The WRX did much better later, at Roebling, at the Gap, and the twisties in New England, etc.
thehammer69
03-18-2008, 08:38 AM
I'll probably lay off the mods for a while, and just concentrate on maintenance and restoring the looks. Unless I run into a pot full of gold, my over-the-top-modding days are done.
I just made that list to show what the maximum you can do in the "stock" classes. I would though at least start with a good set of shocks (Bilsteins) as I'm guessing the ones on your car probably have seen better days. Start modding later when you need to bridge the gap to the really fast drivers that your unmodded set-up won't let you catch up to.
Damn, this is a sweet little car :wtg:
...here are a few pics I took today. I also got some of Barry's R1:
http://mkfotos.com/albums/Miata.R1/
thehammer69
03-23-2008, 10:14 PM
You should bring it down to Savannah this coming Sunday. Coastal Empire will be holding an Auto-X at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
You should bring it down to Savannah this coming Sunday. Coastal Empire will be holding an Auto-X at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
There'll be a large Miata meet at Myrtle Beach though... hmm...
...by the way, Barry drove it and liked it. We then did two laps around the same parking lot as the 50's; by the second lap I had the car sliding every which way on its cheap ass tires. It was a blast! :evillaugh:
thehammer69
03-23-2008, 10:53 PM
What a dilemma...to hang with waxers or racers? You know what I think...
Hammer
thehammer69
03-23-2008, 10:58 PM
plus you can bring it to Myrtle Beach the next weekend for a SCR auto-x
Heh heh, "waxers"... out of the 250+ cars expected, many are autox's. The events always start too early, and the weekend after next I have to work (every other weekend) :crap:
There were several very tasty Miatas at the meet. I only hung out for a couple of hours, but the drive to MB was a test drive of sorts for me anyways - I wanted to see how the car is on longer drives, and get a better idea of highway gas mileage. On my regular tank, mostly driving around town, I got about 28.5mpg; not stellar, but twice as good as my Titan, and way more fun.
I did a major service last night, right at 133,000 miles - timing belt, idlers, water pump, accessory belts, PCV, air and fuel filters, etc. The car still runs :wtg:
Turbo storm
03-31-2008, 08:27 AM
mostly driving around town
So what did it do on the hwy???
mandingo
03-31-2008, 09:46 AM
Mike K. + 300hp WRX = First time ever being scared at the gap. :eek:
So what did it do on the hwy???
By the way my gas gauge has moved going to and from MB, I'm guessing 32 or so.
Mike K. + 300hp WRX = First time ever being scared at the gap. :eek:
:evillaugh:
:lol:
Very cool, Mike. Let me know if you need a hand with anything on the little beast.
dizzyg44
05-21-2008, 10:23 PM
Holy thread revival batman.........
just picked up a nice '95 M model today........Damn this thing is a blast to drive!
Funny thing is the day before yesterday I went to look at another one that was at a dealer.....before speaking with anyone there I went to the bank to get cash so that I could haggle easier having green in hand.
When I get back to the dealer the car was gone on a test drive (4 people test rode in the time of me just going to the bank and back). While we were in the parking lot waiting for the car my wife says "honey, does that truck look familiar?"
It was our own landlord on the test drive, damn woman bought the car right out from under me :confused::) (we both live on the same property of 8 acres).
Oh well, I thanked her today though for saving me about 1700 bucks :evillaugh:
even funnier, when my landlord came home this evening she said "you bought that car from so and so, didn't ya?" I said yeah, "I test drove that, it handles nice, she wanted 3500 right? that's a good deal"
I laughed, I got it down to 3000!
of course my landlord couldn't get nothing down on hers (from a dealer) not even the standard tacked on fees (and hers is only the 1.6L).....I got mine from an individual (so the price paid may not have matched the paperwork :smilebig:)
So now we have 2 new Miatas in the driveway........waiting on the dumbass to come pick up my old Spider 2k I just sold, gotta '97 sebring 'vert on the super cheap as well needs a little work if anyone is interested.
Congrats :)
I've done some work to mine so far. Just today I found that my new setup understeers, something I definitely don't like so I'll have to look into fixing it.
Scootimus
05-22-2008, 02:15 AM
Put some 380's out front and it will never understeer.
mudrunr
05-22-2008, 04:24 AM
Hey congrats on the new lil ride. Their is a guy that I work with that is in a Miata club here local that if need questions answered they can most likely answer them. If you want I can the clubs name for you. Then if want to get away from the gas mileage and go to performance and power then you can check this out.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hsh4cEhEWlg
:evillaugh:
People have dropped C6 (Vette), Mustang, Supra TT, Honda S2000, and other engines in Miatas :wtg:
Kat_Mac
05-22-2008, 10:54 AM
Hey, Mike, may I borrow the Miata this weekend? I wanna cruise with my leathers on.
OriginalOne
05-22-2008, 11:10 AM
5.0 HO mustang motors with their head package is only putting out 250 hp? Thats lame. If I had the money/time I would definitely have an LS1/2/6 Miata. That;s probably so much fun to drive!
I think a supercharged S2000 engine (and tranny of course) would be pretty close to ideal. As much fun as 600hp sounds, having the weight of a full sized V8 up there would drastically change the car's handling.
MrDude_1
05-22-2008, 02:53 PM
I think a supercharged S2000 engine (and tranny of course) would be pretty close to ideal. As much fun as 600hp sounds, having the weight of a full sized V8 up there would drastically change the car's handling.
i could get you a V8 that weighs less then the I4 you have in there now.... 6+ liters of displacement too....
only thing is, you'll still be adding about 75lbs, because you need a stronger trans... and then another 20 or more with whatever rear end/axle solution you come up with.
i think the ideal engine would be something like a turbo ecotec.... modern I4 motor, with a good powerspread for road racing and autoX.... IMO the S2000 is too peaky to be useful on anything except large road course abuse.
unfast1
05-22-2008, 03:19 PM
Would somebody 6'3 fit in a Miata? I am really looking for something to drive daily and not drink the gas that my Hemi enjoys so much.
MrDude_1
05-22-2008, 03:25 PM
Would somebody 6'3 fit in a Miata? I am really looking for something to drive daily and not drink the gas that my Hemi enjoys so much.
with the top down, everyone fits... :lol:
seriously though, at 6'3", you'll be looking thru the top of the windshield frame.. theres some mods you can do that lower the stock seats a bit, but its still going to be low on headroom.
Would somebody 6'3 fit in a Miata? I am really looking for something to drive daily and not drink the gas that my Hemi enjoys so much.
You're welcome to give mine a try, not to mention simply test driving a new one at the dealer.
dizzyg44
05-24-2008, 10:05 PM
Thought you might like this, just a rough trial before I make a final one which will be a hair taller and wider.....
Homebrew wind screen
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/dizzyg44/2c65dc78.jpg
Make two :smilebig:
...if I were to make one, though, it'd have to be a little different to fit with the rollbar :crap:
dizzyg44
05-24-2008, 11:01 PM
can do.....
Which roll bar do you have? we might be able to work something up
can do.....
Which roll bar do you have? we might be able to work something up
One of these: http://www.bossfrog.biz/m-double.htm
http://www.bossfrog.biz/images/cust%20Koczian.JPG
http://www.bossfrog.biz/cust%20pics.htm
Booty Freak
05-24-2008, 11:10 PM
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee42/CBRChilly/miata.jpg
dizzyg44
05-24-2008, 11:17 PM
niiiccceeeee.........
Little tip, at lowes, they sell the lexan by the premeasured sheet regardless of how you have them cut it. There was a bunch of odd sizes of scrap mixed in, if you ask they will let you have it (at least the one in MtP per Danny in windows/doors section).
The only I had to buy was a 2 dollar plexiglass knife.....
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee42/CBRChilly/miata.jpg
Heh heh, yeah, I think my best friend showed me that when I first got my Miata. I'll gladly allow my little skateboard to be underestimated by the clueless :wtg:
niiiccceeeee.........
Little tip, at lowes, they sell the lexan by the premeasured sheet regardless of how you have them cut it. There was a bunch of odd sizes of scrap mixed in, if you ask they will let you have it (at least the one in MtP per Danny in windows/doors section).
The only I had to buy was a 2 dollar plexiglass knife.....
Cool, thanks. I'll probably be going there later today anyways.
Professor Fate
05-25-2008, 06:52 AM
Mr Mike you need to ditch the stock wheels for a set of Minilites! They look good on everything from Mini Coopers, early Camaros and Miatas.
http://www.minilitewheels.com/
So I sold my Miata almost exactly a year ago. Well I just bought myself an even nicer 93 :smilebig:
Scootimus
10-13-2009, 11:11 AM
LOL. They are fun little cars.
Turbo storm
10-13-2009, 12:37 PM
Well I just bought myself an even nicer 93 :smilebig:
Here we go again!
You gonna need another trailer hitch for it?
Here we go again!
You gonna need another trailer hitch for it?
:lmao:
Hope not... shouldn't have sold the one you made me :wall:
...although making another one would probably be a easier, wouldn't it? :chin:
Turbo storm
10-13-2009, 01:17 PM
...although making another one would probably be a easier, wouldn't it? :chin:
I still have the pieces that were unbolted from your other one. It could be a good starting point.
dizzyg44
10-13-2009, 05:53 PM
Awesomez.....
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