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Dammit, can't get to see it until monday now, and the guy has other people looking at it, it's probably gonna be sold now 
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Feb 12, 2012 00:23
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| # ? May 24, 2024 13:23 |
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Every guy always has "other people looking at it."
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Feb 12, 2012 22:24
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Ugh, I'm a dipshit and left the handbrake on when I was trying to electric starter my car into the garage. x 100
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Feb 12, 2012 23:06
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Tactical Bonnet posted:Every guy always has "other people looking at it." Yeah right. He says somebody is supposed to bring him cash tomorrow, but whatever. Not like I won't find another one, they're all over the place here and the prices have been really low lately, check this one out in Orlando: http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/2846072628.html Looks clean as hell for $2500.
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Feb 13, 2012 00:30
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leica posted:Yeah right. He says somebody is supposed to bring him cash tomorrow, but whatever. Not like I won't find another one, they're all over the place here and the prices have been really low lately, check this one out in Orlando: 
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Feb 13, 2012 01:46
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Have you checked your headlight fluid 
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Feb 13, 2012 03:14
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I have a 2002 Miata. I live in Minnesota, so have been using a 1997 Malibu as my winter car, which I drive for the 4-5 months we have snow on the ground here (well, most years). The Malibu has served me faithfully, but I live in fear that it is going to blow up anytime or need some repair that just isn't worth it (just had to get the brakes fixed for $800. That sucked). Naturally, I have been looking at replacing it. I have also grown tired of having the Malibu parked out in my driveway all summer long (I only have a 2-car garage and the wife takes the other stall. During the winter I store the Miata in my aunt's garage, but keep the Malibu in my driveway during the summer), so have been looking at consolidating down to 1 car. I want something fun that I can drive year-round, so have been considering cars like the WRX or MS3, but am not quite convinced on what I want to do. Mostly I just don't want to spend the money on another car. I also love my Miata and am really reluctant to give it up yet. A thought hit me today: What if I just got rid of the Malibu, kept the Miata as my year-round car, and used some of the money I had been saving for a new car to just get a set of good winter tires? I live in the city and don't have a long drive to work, but have never driven the Miata, or any RWD car, in the winter. You do have times where the snow drifts up before the snowplows can remove it from the roads. I kind of hate to expose it to all the salt and crap that covers cars during the winter here after keeping it clean all this time. I will have to sell it someday, I'm just not ready now. Maybe the salt won't be so bad... Is this a terrible idea? Does anyone else drive their Miata in the snow? How does it handle? You don't see many Miatas here in the winter, but I have seen it done. Doesn't mean it's a good idea though? What do goons think?
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Feb 14, 2012 01:31
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Winter tires and religious underside cleaning and you should be fine. I've heard plenty of stories of miata people cruising past 4WD SUV's in the snow and laughing.
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Feb 14, 2012 01:53
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Miatas are great in the snow on snow tires. They are an absolute blast with extremely easy overstrear control on snow and ice (with proper tires). As long as the snow isn't high enough to turn the bumper into a snow plow you are fine. Just stay on top of the underbody cleaning, they will rust. Personally I gave up driving the miata in the winter and got a beater jeep instead, mainly just to extend the life of the miata. Keep in mind 2 cars will only cost slightly more than 1 to maintain. You can't drive both at the same time, so they only wear out half as fast.
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Feb 14, 2012 02:01
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Protip: use old, balding snow tires for extra doriftu. How do you guys do the underbody cleaning? It's only snowed properly once so far this year so there wasn't much salt/crap on the roads but now they're covered with this disgusting salty slush. If I'm driving home->work->home mostly, I do have a hose outside I can use to wash the car down. But if it's below freezing, I'll just end up with a bunch of ice on the car, driveway, and the street...
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Feb 14, 2012 14:39
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mobby_6kl posted:Protip: use old, balding snow tires for extra doriftu. There's some drive through car washes that have an advanced underbody spray option, it's like 50 cents more at the one I found locally.
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Feb 14, 2012 16:14
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I'm just starting to research Miatas, because for awhile I thought I'd never want one. Well, I've been driving a '92 Jeep Cherokee for awhile. With its monocoque, durable 4WD, harsh but capable automatic, and utterly invincible straight six it has always been my favorite of all the off-road capable vehicles. Beautifully utilitarian, compact, and even with all its rattles and its flaws, I thought for the longest time I'd be happy with just that. Well, last week I drove an '02 MX-5. And I think I have found another vehicle that does everything it was meant to do absolutely perfectly. It was the most fun I think I have legally had on public roads - And I think I'm hooked. I love small, reliable, cheap cars that I can maintain on my own with a toolbox and some patience. An early-to-mid 90's MX-5 seems to fit the bill. What I want to find out, hopefully from you guys, is what year and model you think is the purest expression of the Miata? I'm in love with that laguna seca blue... but I think the chances of finding one under $3500 are slim. Maybe an M-edition? Did the US ever get the OEM hardtop? What do you guys recommend? FreelanceSocialist fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Feb 14, 2012 |
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Feb 14, 2012 21:04
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There's really no bad choice. I loved our '99, but I also love my sister-in-law's '95M (and had it been for sale when we bought the '99, I probably would've bought it instead). Some choices are somewhat less good than others, the Mazdaspeed Miata in particular. If you really want a turbo Miata, an aftermarket turbo is better. Of course, you said early-to-mid NA, not late NB  Personally, I'd go for a '96 or '97 because they come with all of the upgrades ever put on the NA by Mazda, plus they're OBDII which is a good thing for emissions for me. OBDI cars can be more desirable if you want to eventually add power, which makes the '94 and '95 1.8L cars attractive. If you want to go cheap, the 1.6L cars are the cheapest of all, and the only ones to "avoid" (not really) are the very early ones with a short-nose crank. Even then, it only really becomes a problem if someone fucks up the timing belt replacement. If I was buying another Miata, I would look at price and condition long before mileage or year. Those are what really matters; a properly kept Miata will be brilliant whether it has 20,000 miles or 200,000 miles.
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Feb 14, 2012 21:26
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I'd be interested to see what others say. I know someone who has owned a few spanning NAs and NBs and he ended up with a 1.6 NA, not for any monetary reasons. He thought the newer models were better all around cars but the earlier ones were better drivers. I don't know if he ever owned a 1.8 NA though.
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Feb 14, 2012 21:44
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Okay, so first-gen is "NA"? I'm comfortable doing a turbo install myself, but I feel like I won't really need one. I don't need that much power. Is there any downside to a 1.8L? Was the Torsen differential the better option on the NAs?
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Feb 14, 2012 21:48
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The torsens are really good and really stout. A 20 year old viscous diff probably has one foot in the grave. You can refer to this page to see which cars came with the LSDs, they're listed near the bottom. 94-97 R package cars are the most racecar-ish, light weight, no power steering, no ac, manual everything, but at the same time it's really not difficult at all to convert any miata trim level into any other. The only real exception to this would be antilock brakes, which are a complete nightmare to retrofit to a non ABS car. The 1.8 cars have a more comprehensive aftermarket, more interesting upgrade paths, if you care. Also better brakes.
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Feb 14, 2012 21:58
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Normally I'd be Googling more of this stuff, but the cafe I am at is timing out and generally being lovely - posting seems to go through if I disable image loading. Anyway, did the R packages have ABS?
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Feb 14, 2012 22:05
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The 1994 is sought after because it has the 1.8L engine, more chassis bracing that firmed up the car, a real oil pressure gauge (for the last time), and introduced the Torsen differential. It's also OBD1 and the engine itself is 8.8:1 and has a nice spot that was meant to be tapped for an oil line to a turbo. At the end of the day, there are incremental upgrades here and there and all of the years do have specific quirks. For example, the early NBs eat coilpacks, the 1994 Miata has a 4 pin coilpack that isn't interchangeable with any other year because it reads the tach from the coil (and costs ~$300), the 1990 and 1991 have the short nose crank threat, the later NA models can be hit or miss as to whether or not it has a torsen. e: ABS? Most cars didn't and you need to be super vigilant about finding one with ABS. The former president of the local car club drove 800-900 miles for a 2000 Miata with ABS. Miata.net has a nice PDF with all of the 90-97 packages and features.
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Feb 14, 2012 22:10
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The ABS availability is good news - I don't want it. In your opinion, would it be worth it to find a '94 or '95 in reasonable shape and make my own modifications to bring it closer to the R package, or should I just try to find an R? Any reason to pay more for the M-editions?
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Feb 14, 2012 22:16
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The cars are moderately old, it's really another case of just finding whatever is in the best condition for your budget really.
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Feb 14, 2012 22:23
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So my 2002 with the 6speed, factory Enkeis, and ABS would be a sought after combination?
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Feb 14, 2012 22:39
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Sockington posted:So my 2002 with the 6speed, factory Enkeis, and ABS would be a sought after combination? If that was black or blue I'd be super jealous instead of just jealous I'm having a hell of a time finding a black 6speed with ABS.
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Feb 15, 2012 00:16
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Nodoze posted:If that was black or blue I'd be super jealous instead of just jealous I have a black '99 with Torsen and ABS, but I lack the enkeis and a 6 speed. I had a chance to drive a 6speed, and honestly prefer the 5.
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Feb 15, 2012 00:24
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Rhyno posted:There's some drive through car washes that have an advanced underbody spray option, it's like 50 cents more at the one I found locally. The only car washes around here are the touchless car washes with the high pressure jets. Is that a problem with the softtop? I sometimes get some water leaking around the tops of the windows when I drive in a heavy rain, so I haven't been inclined to see what would happen if I subjected it to a full power spray around the side. The dealership I bought it from gives free car washes to its customers and they have the traditional scrub brush style wash, so I usually get it done there (when I don't do it by hand), but I don't think they do the underbody spray.
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Feb 15, 2012 00:25
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TrueChaos posted:I have a black '99 with Torsen and ABS, but I lack the enkeis and a 6 speed. I had a chance to drive a 6speed, and honestly prefer the 5. My mini is a 6 speed and I like it a lot 
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Feb 15, 2012 00:28
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Sockington posted:So my 2002 with the 6speed, factory Enkeis, and ABS would be a sought after combination? God front plates are a menace.
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Feb 15, 2012 00:30
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MN-Ghost posted:The only car washes around here are the touchless car washes with the high pressure jets. Is that a problem with the softtop? I sometimes get some water leaking around the tops of the windows when I drive in a heavy rain, so I haven't been inclined to see what would happen if I subjected it to a full power spray around the side. The dealership I bought it from gives free car washes to its customers and they have the traditional scrub brush style wash, so I usually get it done there (when I don't do it by hand), but I don't think they do the underbody spray. Argh, don't use a scrubber type wash if you value your paint at all. For the soft top if you are getting leaks in rain you'll get a ton of water in a touchless. Try grabbing some shin-etsu grease from honda and put it on the seals, should help some. My soft top tends to only leak from upward angled jets, which a touchless will have, so I get a bit wet with a soft top that doesn't otherwise leak in the rain. I wouldn't think a bit of pressure from the touchless wash would really do much damage to the seals though.
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Feb 15, 2012 01:00
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Sockington posted:So my 2002 with the 6speed, factory Enkeis, and ABS would be a sought after combination? Most of the value of the special edition Miatas is in the eyes of the owners, not of the buyers. It's a nice combination, especially the wheels, but I think the color would detract from most buyers rather than attract them.
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Feb 15, 2012 02:13
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n8r posted:Most of the value of the special edition Miatas is in the eyes of the owners, not of the buyers. It's a nice combination, especially the wheels, but I think the color would detract from most buyers rather than attract them.
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Feb 15, 2012 02:17
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Yeah, I didn't mention the colour. Parents got a great deal on it as it had been sitting on the dealer's lot for a bit. Didn't know about the weight bit though. Better get some dubs to lighten things up. Sockington fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Feb 15, 2012 |
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Feb 15, 2012 02:17
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destructo posted:The wheels are the worst part actually, they're boat anchors. Was gonna post this, I remember seeing them on a Miata wheel weight list and being kinda shocked at how (relatively) heavy they were. I'd just get a set of old hollow spokes for autocross if anything, those wheels look too nice and are too unique to that package. [edit] said list: http://www.miata.net/faq/wheel_weights.html Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Feb 15, 2012 |
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Feb 15, 2012 07:30
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heh you think those are heavy, the stock wheels on my mini are like 24lbs each
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Feb 15, 2012 07:37
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n8r posted:Most of the value of the special edition Miatas is in the eyes of the owners, not of the buyers. It's a nice combination, especially the wheels, but I think the color would detract from most buyers rather than attract them. That color is loving sexy. I detest most yellow cars, but that particular Miata looks better than any NB I've seen. It really highlights the curves of the car far more than most of the other colors offered.
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Feb 15, 2012 07:42
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oRenj9 posted:That color is loving sexy. I detest most yellow cars, but that particular Miata looks better than any NB I've seen. It really highlights the curves of the car far more than most of the other colors offered.  Yay, at least I'm not the only one who thinks the colour is fine. Very polarizing colour though - hate it or enjoy it. Looks like it might finally get to 50,000miles this week too. Not bad for a 10year old Miata. Sockington fucked around with this message at 12:08 on Feb 15, 2012 |
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Feb 15, 2012 11:58
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I really like that color yellow. I just wish Mazda's top color options weren't black or tan only. I think a few colors would look waaaaay better with a gray top.
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Feb 15, 2012 13:42
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So I'm ready and willing to get a new miata, but these bay area prices are killing me. For example http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2830202808.html Seems like a good car although its way over the blue book price. I've messaged the owner to see if I can maybe haggle for what kbb says, but is there something I'm missing or do people just think their convertibles are unique snowflakes and so they price them accordingly?
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Feb 18, 2012 17:05
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That's actually pretty reasonable, just make sure that the paint isn't dust and that the maintenance is up to date (namely timing belt & water pump).
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Feb 18, 2012 17:08
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Wish I could have gotten mine for that price.
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Feb 18, 2012 20:33
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KBB tends to give crazy prices on miatas sometimes. I've checked in the past and got some silly numbers back, like $500 for a 94 in good condition. Looks like they've got it closer now, but I still don't trust KBB. 5400 isn't too bad for that, i'd probably aim for closer to 5000 for that example, any lower and they go quick.
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Feb 18, 2012 21:05
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| # ? May 24, 2024 13:23 |
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Ninjafix posted:So I'm ready and willing to get a new miata, but these bay area prices are killing me. KBB/NADA means nothing to Miata pricing. That is a very fair price for that car and I wouldn't offer too much less.
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Feb 19, 2012 02:29
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