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Falken Ziex ZE-912s are alright. They're a bit noisy, but I can't complain. I've had my set since November 2007 and paid 112 shipped for 4 of them (you're not going to get them that low, 50% off + free shipping) and they've been decent. Discount Tire: $55 a pop in 185/60R14
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Jan 1, 2010 19:49
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meltie posted:Most of the bars aren't attached to the hood any longer. The hood material slides back over the bars so the upper edge of the window drops down, then the bars fold in over the window. Ah, it's beginning to make more sense now. Thank you!  The Third Man posted:Thanks for the info. I'm relatively poor and don't drive much in the winter, but I want to be able to if I need to, so I figure a nice set of all seasons would be ideal. I also don't think I'm an experienced enough driver to really be able to use a good set of summer tires, so combined with the lack of disposable income, all seasons make sense to me. The short of it is that the Miata doesn't drive spectacularly through snow/slush even with snow tires, but summer tires on any car in that situation just doesn't work. On the other hand, summer tires on a Miata in the summer, with the top down, are an absolute joy. If you can drive a different car in the winter when the weather is terrible, I strongly encourage you to put summer tires on the Miata. You don't need to be an experienced driver; you'll become one as you push the car to the limit. For example, I found that I can go into wide turns at 40 mph and stay on the road, although the [summer] tires squeal all the way.  If you really don't drive in snow/slush then it becomes more difficult to justify the cost, as you're likely looking at $400 for a new set of [steel] rims & [snow] tires, but the rims will realistically last forever unless you hit a curb or something at speed and dent one, and the tires will last a long time. So it's a decent amount of cash upfront but is justifiable since you're amortizing it over several years. My snow tires are between 5 and 10 years old (I'm not the original owner) and still look good & perform well; they will rot before I ever wear out the treads. If you don't mind the upfront cost knowing it will last you several years, go this route. I actually don't even know what winter tires I have; I'll take a look the next time I'm out there. They're fine in the winter, although it's easy to slip, however I know how the Miata handles and have done fine with them. They are noisy as gently caress, though. These are my summer tires: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ta&autoModClar= I really can't complain about them, and they're likely to last me a number of years (they're almost 2 years old now) with the driving I do. I recommend them, but have no problem trying something new when I eventually replace them. Just for reference, these are the tires I'd consider at the moment (not the all-season ones): http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireS...&sortCode=37900 Note that they're largely in the $60-70 range; not bad for the performance they provide. You can check Craigslist or eBay for sets of rims and/or tires if you're concerned about cost. This is the sort of thing you'd be looking for: http://racine.craigslist.org/pts/1499411294.html SA Mart or a Miata Goon from this thread would also be a possibility.
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Jan 1, 2010 21:10
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Atomizer posted:Ah, it's beginning to make more sense now. Thank you! It's OK - i've just had a hood made for me (£260 including fitting and VAT, for mohair  ) and it confused me how it was going to work too!
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Jan 1, 2010 22:30
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I am going down tomorrow to purchase this car unless the salesguy fucks me over. I negotiated the price down to $14,805 "out the door", I may even go up to $15,500 out the door. Do you guys think its a fair price? KBB has this car with this low miles listed at almost $18,000. http://tinyurl.com/y8lmodh I have test driven it and everything felt OK, no rattles or weird noises. I checked the majority of the guide on http://www.miata.net/faq/usedmx5.html and there were no signs of damage or anything like that. The body is in excellent conditon, and so is the interior. My questions for you guys are: 1. Is this a fair price? I know its a 05 MSM, and they are very rare, something like 5000 made in 2005. 2. If I buy it, which I am going to the dealer tomorrow, is it a good idea to change all the fluids or not? I already have 4 quarts of Royal Purple 5W-30 synthetic and a filter. My 2003 Kia Spectra has the same engine, and according to FRAM's webpage, they use the same filters. My filter's a NAPA Gold, not a FRAM, since I read that FRAMs are basically a cardboard tube stuffed in a lovely metal cylinder.
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Jan 2, 2010 06:41
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15k will buy you an 06 or 07 NC. The MSM isn't a great turbo platform, it's really half-assed. Don't use FRAM or NAPA GOLD, buy a Mazda filter, they're 6 bucks.
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Jan 2, 2010 07:08
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Phone posted:15k will buy you an 06 or 07 NC. The MSM isn't a great turbo platform, it's really half-assed. Don't use FRAM or NAPA GOLD, buy a Mazda filter, they're 6 bucks. Just wondering, why is it half assed? Are there going to be any reliability issues, or its just not all it can be? Also, where can I get a Mazda filter? A dealership? Internet? http://www.mazdaparts.org/mazdaoilfilter.html
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Jan 2, 2010 08:07
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The fuel cutoff is at 6500rpm instead of 7000rpm, and the boost kicks in at 4000; there's only 2.5k of "go fast" in the car. The IC is the size of a navel orange, so there's massive heat soak issues. Apparently the head in the US MSMs have softer valve springs than the Japanese one (6.5k vs 7k). And in order to fix heat soak issues and to be able to be in boost for more than 1 second at 4k, you basically need to rip out and replace of the turbo parts. What do you want to do with this car? Do you want something that's fast and that you can do autocross with? Are you just looking for a nice around-town car that you can impress dates with when you get into the little boost that's available?
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Jan 2, 2010 08:29
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Something faster than the stock engine, but not looking for an auto-crosser nor looking to impress anyone. Not looking to upgrade the engine anyways, just have something with more kick than what I have. I'm OK with doing the work on the car down the road if necessary.
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Jan 2, 2010 08:35
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The NC is newer, more comfortable, faster, and probably cheaper than that MSM.
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Jan 2, 2010 08:36
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Care to point out any examples around zip 98012? I already told the dealer I was coming down tomorrow if they give it to me at 14800, but its not a contract and they could always try to gently caress me over. I haven't gone to test drive this: http://tinyurl.com/y8lyelo but it seems like there's got to be something going on for it to be that cheap with that many miles. How about this one? http://preview.tinyurl.com/ydbt36r PS. I am not DEAD SET on the MSM, but it seems like it's a nice car. Are there any disadvantages between an NB and an NC?
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Jan 2, 2010 08:42
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The black NC looks like it's pretty decent. Drive the car and find out what you like better. I'd personally take the 2006 over the Mazdaspeed because you're paying less money and you're getting a newer car.
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Jan 2, 2010 08:48
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Ok, I am going to take your advice and go test drive both of the black NCs, and see how they feel. PS. What about this one? http://tinyurl.com/yadfuwl Bought 3 cars from this dealership and I could get them to throw in the 30,000 service in. Only thing is, can I get rid of the ugly ugly trunk rack without leaving marks?
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Jan 2, 2010 08:54
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Phone posted:15k will buy you an 06 or 07 NC. The MSM isn't a great turbo platform, it's really half-assed. Don't use FRAM or NAPA GOLD, buy a Mazda filter, they're 6 bucks. This is the first time I've ever heard someone say DON'T use a NAPA Gold filter. NAPA filters are made by Wix and are good quality. 
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Jan 2, 2010 09:21
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I thought so too, Wix and Purolator are supposed to be the better ones, when compared to FRAM and such. http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterstudy.html
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Jan 2, 2010 09:31
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Phone posted:Falken Ziex ZE-912s are alright. They're a bit noisy, but I can't complain. I've had my set since November 2007 and paid 112 shipped for 4 of them (you're not going to get them that low, 50% off + free shipping) and they've been decent. Just had my local discount tire order a set for me, ~350 bucks installed  Oh well, I need em badly gently caress money The Third Man fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Jan 2, 2010 |
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Jan 2, 2010 20:16
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Thanks to Phone's advice, I went and bought this:  Click here for the full 1536x2048 image. A 2007 Miata "Touring", it's a huge upgrade from what I had before (Kia Spectra), and it definitely feels nicer than a 2005 Mazdaspeed Miata I test drove. I even like the cloth seats better, more comfy and not freezing when cold. Only problem so far that I can find with it, that I didn't find out during test drive, was there seems to be something grinding or dragging on the rear passenger's side wheel. The car did have a lot of rust on the rotors, like if it hadn't been driven in a few weeks. Anything I should look for or just give it a few days and see if it goes away? Also, where can I purchase a hardtop with defroster? I've shopped online but they are all around $2,000 plus a testicle for shipping, and they don't mention anything about NC's, they are all 2005 or earlier.
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Jan 3, 2010 23:31
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It's going to cost you, but they're about 3k from Mazda. Call up your local Mazda dealership and inquire as to how many big ones they want. e: mazdausa.com says $3099 for a hardtop. Phone fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Jan 3, 2010 |
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Jan 3, 2010 23:43
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Phone posted:It's going to cost you, but they're about 3k from Mazda. Call up your local Mazda dealership and inquire as to how many big ones they want. $2695 from Rosenthal Mazda, plus shipping of course: http://finishlineperformance.com/store/product.php?productid=16848&cat=326&page=1 Curious, does your NC have the 6-disc changer? My '08 Touring does, but my dad's 07, which has everything else from the Touring trim, does not, and he wanted to know if he should.
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Jan 4, 2010 00:52
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I will see about ordering that hardtop, maybe for local pickup at a dealer, since freight would bring up the prices to almost the same. As for the CD changer, no, it's single CD. It's not even MP3! What could the noise on the rear passenger's wheel general area be? It doesn't matter if I am in gear or not, but speed seems to affect it.
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Jan 4, 2010 01:38
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pacheco posted:
I'd bet either the dust shield has gotten bent and is rubbing on the rotor or a rock has gotten lodged in there. Pull the wheel and see if you see anything rubbing against the rotor besides the brake pads. If it's rock, knock it out of there. If it's the shield, just bend it back.
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Jan 4, 2010 01:57
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It's got warranty for another 10 months according to the salesdude. I will see if its something I can do, and if not, I will have them fix it. Thanks for the advice! Whats the proper torque for the lug nuts? 90nm?
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Jan 4, 2010 03:39
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RE: the hard top - I know I've read that any hard-top will fit any year car, unless that changed sometime recently. General question/musing: what is up with the Miata not having adjustable intermittent wipers? Every other car in the current line-up has it, and (according to a salesman at a local Mazda dealer who is also a miata lover) the MX-5 currently shares the same computer as the RX-8, and that swapping in the wiper stalk from the RX-8 will give you adjustable intermittent. I did this, it works. This means that Mazda made a component for use in exactly one car that REMOVES functionality. What is up with that?
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Jan 4, 2010 17:20
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Anybody want cheap tires? $80 Discount on Falken Azenis RT-615 Also, FML. After spending a week working on my brother's XJ, my NA blew a water pump. Spent yesterday fixing it.. but of course since it was only $12 I bought new cam and crank seals too. Yeah. I figured out about 5 minutes into attempting to remove the crank seal how big of a mistake that was. I was careful... yet still put a tiny mark in the crank. Got it put together... yep got a few drops of oil under the car this morning. WHY THE HELL DID I HAVE TO TOUCH THAT 
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Jan 4, 2010 17:28
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Suddenly nobody hates your crazy cheap Miata quite so much anymore. How much of a mark are we talking about? Can you take care of it with an emery cloth, or do they even make speedisleeves for the BP?
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Jan 4, 2010 18:37
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Ugh, no way I'm taking it back apart again, not until its warmer anyway. Small mark... guess the screwdriver touched the crank at some point.
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Jan 4, 2010 18:46
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Blaise posted:Ugh, no way I'm taking it back apart again, not until its warmer anyway. Small mark... guess the screwdriver touched the crank at some point. televiper posted:RE: the hard top - I know I've read that any hard-top will fit any year car, unless that changed sometime recently.
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Jan 4, 2010 19:11
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Blaise posted:Anybody want cheap tires? $80 Discount on Falken Azenis RT-615 As much as I hate Azenis, it's the only summer tire in the market for 14" these days. Thanks for the heads up.
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Jan 4, 2010 20:05
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destructo posted:Ugh, I was planning on doing this and was balking at buying dentist tools, but I think I will when I finally get around to pulling the front end apart. That's the only way to roll... Taking the crank and cam seals out with a screw driver is just asking for nightmares. It's a bit of a PITA to get them out with dental pics, or similar tools, but the relief of getting them out without gouging anything in the process, thus avoiding annoying oil leaks, is well worth the  they cost.
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Jan 4, 2010 21:24
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Why are you people using screwdrivers and dental tools when you can use a seal puller http://www.amazon.com/SK-Hand-Tools-90150-Puller/dp/B0009KNAJO
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Jan 4, 2010 21:37
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Seal Puller doesn't have enough angle to get at the crank seal. Blaise, I was in the exact same situation. Changed the water pump, swapped the crank seal, hosed it up. Oil leak. Clock is ticking - You have 8 weeks left on your current timing belt. Mine let go on a downshift onto an offramp. Stripped the oil soaked ribs right off the belt.
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Jan 5, 2010 05:54
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Chimin in to say that angled picks made getting the seal out a breeze. Didnt scratch any of them because I'm a cool guy 
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Jan 5, 2010 06:03
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televiper posted:General question/musing: what is up with the Miata not having adjustable intermittent wipers? Every other car in the current line-up has it, and (according to a salesman at a local Mazda dealer who is also a miata lover) the MX-5 currently shares the same computer as the RX-8, and that swapping in the wiper stalk from the RX-8 will give you adjustable intermittent. I did this, it works. the gently caress? this has annoyed me greatly with my '99, but christ, a car built in 2009 without intermittent wipers? Incidentally, is it at all possible to do the same trick and get intermittent wipers in my 99 (NA)? rx parts again perhaps?
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Jan 5, 2010 10:36
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Headlight gremlins, yay. Go out to work, passenger headlamp is out. Get out of work, passenger headlamp is still out. Gun it on the freeway on-ramp, notice that the passenger headlamp is now working! I guess God didn't want me to go home and buy Hella E-Codes.
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Jan 5, 2010 11:00
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iscariot posted:Seal Puller doesn't have enough angle to get at the crank seal. Whatttt? You gotta be kidding. It's barely leaking...   Guess I'll try to set aside a day to do that one of these weekends. What do I do with the scratch on the crank?
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Jan 5, 2010 15:50
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Phone posted:As much as I hate Azenis, it's the only summer tire in the market for 14" these days. Thanks for the heads up. Why do you hate them? Too harsh for street use? I haven't used the RT-615 but I had 215s on my neon during the summer during highschool. BTW will running them on 14x5.5 daisies be alright or should I spend a few bucks more to get 14x6 wheels from a newer miata?
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Jan 5, 2010 15:55
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quick question, what size Bosch ICONs fit an NA miata? I can't find a sizing chart or something for the life of me and my blades are poo poo and need replacing.
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Jan 5, 2010 17:08
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Phone posted:Headlight gremlins, yay. Go out to work, passenger headlamp is out. Get out of work, passenger headlamp is still out. Gun it on the freeway on-ramp, notice that the passenger headlamp is now working! Plugs getting loose/worn. I've got the same issue with my left brake light. It comes and goes. Every few months, I have to use a small screw driver to bend the metal contacts back out a bit to give them a little more contact with the bulb. I'd imagine it's the same thing with your wayward headlight. That or you're a little out of balance, giving the front just enough vibration to cause it to work loose. Just a guess... If you get the E-Codes though, let me know how you like them... I've been looking on and off at those for a while now, just never found enough convincing to buy them.
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Jan 5, 2010 17:22
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The computer at work tells me that my NA uses 18s on both sides, but that leaves a lot of wiper out fo contact with the passenger side of the windshield. I was thinking of maybe going 18 driver, 16 passenger, but I'm curious as to what lengths other people use, or if the overhang on the far side is just something everyone deals with.
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Jan 5, 2010 17:24
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The Third Man posted:quick question, what size Bosch ICONs fit an NA miata? I can't find a sizing chart or something for the life of me and my blades are poo poo and need replacing. You know, you can go to any Advance, Autozone, Napa, and even most Wal-Marts and just punch in the year, make and model of your car and it'll tell you what the factory blade size is... OTOH, according to a quick google of "Miata Wiper Blade Size", RainEx's Website says all Miatas are 18 inch on both sides, as does Moss Motors Tactical Bonnet posted:The computer at work tells me that my NA uses 18s on both sides, but that leaves a lot of wiper out fo contact with the passenger side of the windshield. I was thinking of maybe going 18 driver, 16 passenger, but I'm curious as to what lengths other people use, or if the overhang on the far side is just something everyone deals with. I use 18s on each side and have no real issues with it. I've been using these frameless blades since early this year and they've been great. RSpeed has them on sale right now for 18.95/pair which, I believe, is what I paid for them earlier. From what I've seen online, the Bosch ICONs are about $15-$19 PER BLADE, which is what the RSpeed ones sell for normally too... So I'd just buy the ones from RSpeed and try them out. $19 is better than $36 if you decide you don't like them, and actually, since they're on sale now, I may just go ahead and buy another set to have on hand when I replace the ones I've got.
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Jan 5, 2010 17:35
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The high-beams worked just fine, I'm guessing just a bit of a bad connection.Blaise posted:Why do you hate them? Too harsh for street use? I haven't used the RT-615 but I had 215s on my neon during the summer during highschool.  Seriously though, it's a poo poo tire when compared to the Hankook R-S2, but the R-S2 is no longer being made.
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Jan 5, 2010 18:43
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