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ethanol posted:I've been driving my miata around in the vermont snow with blizzaks and holy poo poo it may be a world better than the summers but a little extra throttle and I face down death and/or become a drifting champion. It still feels perfectly safe though since regaining grip is as easy as letting off the gas and the car snaps in. I love this car but I may be dead soon In the winter the correct way to corner a Miata is with your right foot and a dab of countersteering. I DD'd mine for 3 winters and I ski patrol, I have found memories of plowing the highway at 50 mph (snow coming over the hood is always fun!) as well as blowing a bunch of red lights early in the morning because I wasn't confident I would be able to get going again. I credit winter driving the car for being completely comfortable in oversteer situations, it's certainly helped when the back stepped out at a bit over 100 mph on track.
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Jan 8, 2015 21:52
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So about a year to a year and a half ago I ghetto rigged a top that was on a frame that cost me $50. Its starting to leak now and Im thinking of replacing it. Local shop will do it for $250 in labor and from what Ive done in the past, that seems like a deal. What tops does everyone like these days? Robbins dont seem that well made to me.
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Jan 14, 2015 14:55
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On the topic of tops, I have a small hole in the driver's side that I'd like to patch. What's the recommended way to do this? It's a small tear, but getting to be about the length of a dime.
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Jan 14, 2015 17:39
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Sadi posted:What tops does everyone like these days? Robbins dont seem that well made to me. Unfortunately, Robbins is the best you're gonna do. Not perfect fitment but oh well, you're not gonna do better unless you find a late NB top/frame in good condition or something.
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Jan 14, 2015 17:47
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Could someone please help id these brakes? It's a 2002 with 15" wheels so I think they're not sport but they don't match any of the illustrations either:  As one of the rear ones just started grinding already I'd rather not order the wrong one.
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Jan 15, 2015 10:51
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It's a non OEM pad in what probably is a standard caliper based on the year and wheel size. It's real hard to tell the difference between the sport and standard rear calipers, I even went out and checked to see if I could see anything obviously different between my 2 sets. Take a picture of the front calipers, they're clearly different between the sport and standard ones. Here's the 949 ID guide 
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Jan 15, 2015 15:04
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Thanks, that's a much better. Looks like these are sport then, hmm. Anyway, none of the local part stores seem to have any pads in stock so I might need to go to the dealer  Edit: Wait, are the rear brakes supposed to be larger than the front, 276mm vs 270 
mobby_6kl fucked around with this message at 10:30 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 09:51
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Yes. Front sport brakes - 270 mm Rear sport brakes - 276 mm Front standard brakes - 255 mm Rear standard brakes - 251 mm There's a different proportioning valve between them to make sure they both brake evenly. I thought there were graphs of them out there, but I couldn't find them. craig588 fucked around with this message at 11:56 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 11:42
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And sport brakes became standard after 2003 iirc, so you can look for pads for these years instead.
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Jan 16, 2015 19:54
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Don't forget that while the rear rotor has a larger overall diameter it's swept area is smaller than the front rotor, resulting in lower braking force.
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Jan 16, 2015 20:32
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Ugh, the AC compressor that I had replaced 6 months ago failed again - leaking all over the place. I had bought the parts at Rockauto and hired a shop do it in my old town because it was $300+ cheaper than going with their (identical Four Seasons remanufactured) parts, but of course now I can't take it back to them and have them fix it under shop warranty. Gotta send the compressor back to Rock Auto, buy a new dryer and expansion valve and start all over with a new shop. I also need to do engine mounts soon. DIY or take to shop?
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Jan 18, 2015 02:50
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blk posted:I also need to do engine mounts soon. DIY or take to shop? I'm gonna DIY mine next paycheck. It'll be my first time doing the engine mounts on anything but it looks simple enough that I wouldn't like to pay what it costs to have somebody else to do it.
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Jan 18, 2015 16:51
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RillAkBea posted:I'm gonna DIY mine next paycheck. It'll be my first time doing the engine mounts on anything but it looks simple enough that I wouldn't like to pay what it costs to have somebody else to do it. Keep the thread updated with your progress/thoughts/whatever please. This is on my 'eventually' list as well.
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Jan 18, 2015 19:33
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I've been planning my dive into Miataland for the better part of a year now and saw a decent '04 Mazdaspeed pop up. Are there generally any issues with the MS specials (turbo and associated crap) vs the regular ones, along the lines of "craps out over time and requires endless little fiddly bits to fix" to "oh, it's fine until the turbo grenades at 125K like clockwork" or anything? The car in question has something like 75K on it now. This is, of course, assuming a competent PO (car appears to be stock). Anyone have experiences good or bad with NB Mazdaspeed reliability?
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Jan 24, 2015 03:40
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SimianNinja posted:I've been planning my dive into Miataland for the better part of a year now and saw a decent '04 Mazdaspeed pop up. Are there generally any issues with the MS specials (turbo and associated crap) vs the regular ones, along the lines of "craps out over time and requires endless little fiddly bits to fix" to "oh, it's fine until the turbo grenades at 125K like clockwork" or anything? The car in question has something like 75K on it now. This is, of course, assuming a competent PO (car appears to be stock). Anyone have experiences good or bad with NB Mazdaspeed reliability? I have an 05 MSM, before that I had a 97. Love(d) both of them, and really they're not that different. I like the turbo, the extra gear, and all the extra "newer" things that my MSM has, and it's been as bulletproof as the NA. It has about 100k miles now. It's bone stock, except for this: http://www.gromaudio.com/store/bt3_adapters/mazda_02-08_aux-in_mp3_bluetooth_ipod_iphone_adapter.html which comes highly recommended; it makes the factory HU (a "Bose" unit with a little amp) usable and the mod is invisible (I have it tucked into the dash to the left of the HU.) One of these days I'll get around to installing a boost gauge. The only thing I don't like on the MSM is how the rev limiter is lowered to 6500; I was used to 7200 on the NA, and when the turbo kicks in at 3500 you really have to be ready to shift quickly because it rockets to 6500. Then again, it's a Miata, so shifting quickly is not a problem.  You can obviously mod it and ultimately increase the rev limiter but I haven't gone that far yet. Maybe someday.I know the MSM gets poo poo for what it is, but I like it. It has lots of nice premium features from the factory, which you'll particularly appreciate as it's your first Miata (because you don't know yet how heavily you want to get into modding.) I'll point out that the soft top is really loving nice, as in not only better than the worn-out vinyl top on my NA but also most likely better than the Robbins I was going to replace it with. I put the car in storage over the Winter because it's in great shape and I loving hate rust. As far as maintenance goes, I can't say I've ever had to repair anything. I did the typical scheduled stuff, belts, water pump, plugs, fluids. I guess the valve cover gasket counts. It has a small oil leak (like my NA did, although that was from the valve cover gasket) that equates to a dozen drops of oil over ~6 months in storage (I put cardboard underneath) so after it comes out of storage I'll have that fixed. I put synthetic oil in it, and let it idle for a minute after driving before stopping the motor. It really is a low-maintenance car. I guess I also have to get an alignment in the Spring. The only major "issue" I can think of is with the 17" stock rims that a lot of people hate and swap out anyway; in the PO's hands, it ended up with three bent (and un-straighten-able) rims. Two of those he had replaced and the last one (which was present when I bought it) I took care of. Fun fact: scrap Aluminium is worth like 5% of what the rim sells for!  A lot of people seem to like the 6ULs, and if I get another bent rim I might swap out the whole set for those.I really like the Lava Orange Mica paint! 
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Jan 24, 2015 06:34
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I really wish that I'd dropped the extra cash for a MSM some days.
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Jan 24, 2015 06:38
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Rhyno posted:I really wish that I'd dropped the extra cash for a MSM some days. To be fair, having any Miata is A-OK by me. The only reason I even have it is because my NA got rear-ended and totaled (also the other reason I don't drive a Miata in the Winter anymore) so I was in the market for a new one (I knew immediately that I needed another Miata) and this one happened to come along. I'd still be happy with any other Miata, the MSM is just a top-trim-level, loaded one. If anything, the NA was slightly easier to work on (just being older and simpler) and with the MSM I'm more apprehensive about doing stuff to it; there's a feeling that I should keep it as stock as possible. If I hadn't found this one I'd be driving some other NB, just without the little turbo. As long as you have a Miata you've got like 95% of the experience.  Really, though, there are few things more liberating to drive than any Miata; a motorcycle is one of them, but I can't quite justify 2 cars and a bike, especially with the bike & Miata being redundant and only usable ~1/2 the year.  Oh yeah, I also need new tires in the Spring; I drive it really aggressively and was starting to slide during hard cornering, including a fishtailing recovery one time.  Still very controllable and predictable though, it's just a Miata!
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Jan 24, 2015 06:59
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I have an '06 GT with every option and it's non turbo motor makes more HP than the MSM and I love the car. But every time I see an MSM I get a tingle.
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Jan 24, 2015 07:02
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The MSM is a solid car. The chassis is brilliant, the engine and engine management leaves a lot to be desired. The gearing is also a bit off (6-speed with 4.1 rear end).Rhyno posted:I really wish that I'd dropped the extra cash for a MSM some days. No you don't.
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Jan 24, 2015 07:04
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Phone posted:The MSM is a solid car. The chassis is brilliant, the engine and engine management leaves a lot to be desired. The gearing is also a bit off (6-speed with 4.1 rear end). YOU'RE NOT MY REAL MOTHER.
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Jan 24, 2015 07:06
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Changed the water temperature sensor today. I did it after driving to the dealership to pick the part up so I burnt my fingers a lot trying to get at it but oh god was it worth it. Instantly cleared up every single problem I'd been having. I seriously wish I'd tried the weird LED OBD code thing earlier. All that's left is mounts, suspension and a new soft top when I can afford it then I can stop spending money on this thing for a while.
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Jan 25, 2015 12:38
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What is the goon approved ski rack option? Classic Carrier? Car is a 2014 prht. I'm probably okay with strapping a ski bag across a baggage rack but I'd like something more solid if possible.
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Jan 26, 2015 14:20
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So how shady is it if you contact a guy about a craigslist car and ask for the VIN and he replies ""i have the vin but don't want to provide all that info. if interested you will come see the car and its title.."" p.s. are there any cheap carfax options or alternatives these days? $40 for a single report? I remember when it was like $10. Elysium fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Jan 26, 2015 |
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Jan 26, 2015 19:24
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Some people are convinced that you can totally steal something or ruin their credit or some poo poo, despite the fact that the VIN is visible to any passerby on any remotely modern car. The couple I bought my WJ from were in this boat.
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Jan 26, 2015 19:58
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IOwnCalculus posted:Some people are convinced that you can totally steal something or ruin their credit or some poo poo, despite the fact that the VIN is visible to any passerby on any remotely modern car. The couple I bought my WJ from were in this boat. The mentality is that you can somehow produce a fake title for the car if you have the VIN.
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Jan 26, 2015 20:03
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Rhyno posted:I have an '06 GT with every option and it's non turbo motor makes more HP than the MSM and I love the car. But every time I see an MSM I get a tingle. Technically the MSM's motor is rated higher but they're close enough. It makes for an interesting choice: would you rather have the NA motor or the slightly more powerful turbo one? To be honest I do like feeling the turbo kick in but I could see plenty of people disliking it. The one "feature" I wish I had was the PRHT, of course. Not that I drive it in the Winter, as I said, but I'd still prefer it. I do still have the hardtop from my last Miata in storage, although it's a different color.  Elysium posted:So how shady is it if you contact a guy about a craigslist car and ask for the VIN and he replies ""i have the vin but don't want to provide all that info. if interested you will come see the car and its title.."" I'd be concerned if a seller refuses to provide the VIN. He could just be unnecessarily paranoid, but it's also very likely he's hiding something. I ran into more than a few rebuilt cars the last time I was looking, and also I've seen what might've been a rebuilt bike (the very last digit of the VIN was stamped over with an "X".) Tell the guy you'll need to see the VIN first (so you don't waste your time) otherwise just walk away. I guess AutoCheck is a little cheaper option than CarFax, and I'm assuming they're pretty comparable. Either one can only show you the records that are reported, so be a little skeptical about the results. My State's DMV will actually let you run a VIN online and check the title status, so you can quickly and freely spot obvious rebuilds. Other than that, just do the 30-day option for CarFax/AutoCheck if you're actively searching for a car (as opposed to just doing it casually.)
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Jan 27, 2015 01:34
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Don't forget to google the vin too, I've come up with some gems doing that before.
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Jan 27, 2015 03:08
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leica posted:Don't forget to google the vin too, I've come up with some gems doing that before. I love doing this. You can find old cached ads from when it was for sale and some awful forum posts. I use it for work frequently when people tell me how much they paid for a car, and the dealer ad is still up with a lower price.
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Jan 27, 2015 04:15
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I googled the vin for a minivan once, and it turned up the salvage auction page complete with pictures of the totaled van, then the dealer add for it all fixed up with no mention of the rebuilt title of course.
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Jan 27, 2015 04:49
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What plugs and wires do I want for my 1.8 NA?
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Jan 28, 2015 06:54
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NGK V Powers and NGK blue wires. It'll cost you about $50 for everything (spark plugs are $1.60 a pop, the wires run about $40-45).
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Jan 28, 2015 07:23
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I bought these plugs and wires. You can also get the BKR5E-11 plugs as well. Supposedly the colder rating of 6 is better if you do extended highway driving vs. the hotter 5 is better for short city driving. No idea whether one can practically tell the difference in that case, but there it is. Be sure to check the 1.1mm gap as well.
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Jan 28, 2015 08:53
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I'm pretty sure I have a bad pilot bearing (I get squealing when I push in the clutch and select a gear, and it goes away when I release the clutch). I would prefer to wait until the clutch goes bad so I can replace everything in one go though. What's the worst that can happen if I leave it alone for a while?
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Jan 29, 2015 00:16
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It grenades and destroys the input shaft on your transmission?
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Jan 29, 2015 00:20
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Atomizer posted:I guess AutoCheck is a little cheaper option than CarFax, and I'm assuming they're pretty comparable. Either one can only show you the records that are reported, so be a little skeptical about the results. My State's DMV will actually let you run a VIN online and check the title status, so you can quickly and freely spot obvious rebuilds. Other than that, just do the 30-day option for CarFax/AutoCheck if you're actively searching for a car (as opposed to just doing it casually.) Autocheck completely missed an accident in 2002 on my Ranger. It mysteriously appeared when I re-ran it a week later (unlimited account). I didn't pursue anything because the seller told me about it, and I could see where they had elected to bend the A/C condenser brackets back into place instead of replacing them, but... yeah, I won't trust them again. Definitely do your state's one as well, there can be state liens against the car and/or the seller that prevent you from transferring the title, but won't show up on any Carfax / Autocheck. Hikaki posted:I'm pretty sure I have a bad pilot bearing (I get squealing when I push in the clutch and select a gear, and it goes away when I release the clutch). I would prefer to wait until the clutch goes bad so I can replace everything in one go though. If you're willing to spend $clutch as well, just loving do it now. Whatever dollar value you associate with the remaining life on your clutch is less than the dollar value of replacing more poo poo from a grenaded bearing that you let go for too long. The only time this might not be the case would be if your clutch is some nearly-new unit, in which case just reuse it!
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Jan 29, 2015 00:28
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Geoj posted:Don't forget that while the rear rotor has a larger overall diameter it's swept area is smaller than the front rotor, resulting in lower braking force. Swept area has nothing to do with braking force, HTH
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Jan 29, 2015 01:30
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Savington posted:Swept area has nothing to do with braking force, HTH So sixteenth inch wide brake pads will exert the same braking force as 3 inch wide pads, assuming the overall rotor diameter is the same?
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Jan 29, 2015 02:03
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IOwnCalculus posted:Autocheck completely missed an accident in 2002 on my Ranger. It mysteriously appeared when I re-ran it a week later (unlimited account). I personally like Autocheck more but take all of them with a giant grain of salt. Cars can total but be under the reporting threshold to the state and it won't reflect on Carfax/Autocheck. Had 2 accidents never show on my Speed3 - one before I got it and the other during the time I had it. They're all pretty unreliable.
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Jan 29, 2015 02:04
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IOwnCalculus posted:Whatever dollar value you associate with the remaining life on your clutch is less than the dollar value of replacing more poo poo from a grenaded bearing that you let go for too long. Yeah you're right, the kit is only like 100 bucks, and it's not like the current one is brand new. I would be stupid not to just do it.
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Jan 29, 2015 02:43
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Geoj posted:So sixteenth inch wide brake pads will exert the same braking force as 3 inch wide pads, assuming the overall rotor diameter is the same? Until they overheat, sure.
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Jan 29, 2015 03:37
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