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rhombus
Apr 20, 2002

Elysium posted:

What's the best NA replacement battery these days?

Not sure if it is the best, but I did a bit of research, and this one works for me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038N1VD6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

edit - Recent reviews look not so good, though. I bought mine around the start of the year and it has been fine so far.

rhombus fucked around with this message at 22:57 on Sep 5, 2018

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Voltage
Sep 4, 2004

MALT LIQUOR!
I just got a duralast gold at autozone and it worked perfectly, direct fit.

Don Lapre
Mar 28, 2001

If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
Deka gold agm. Make sure you get an agm battery.

Shai-Hulud
Jul 10, 2008

But it feels so right!
Lipstick Apathy
So, thinking about replacing my mashed up rear bumper with this aftermarket one:



Its cheaper, doesnt look to bad for an aftermarket one and i could skip reattaching the "mazda" and "mx-5" lettering that the PO got rid of.
Terrible idea?

Elmnt80
Dec 30, 2012


Don Lapre posted:

Deka gold agm. Make sure you get an agm battery.

Alternately, the oreilly miata battery is the same battery with the super start label on it if thats easier to get.

Theophany
Jul 22, 2014

SUCCHIAMI IL MIO CAZZO DA DIETRO, RANA RAGAZZO



2022 FIA Formula 1 WDC

Shai-Hulud posted:

So, thinking about replacing my mashed up rear bumper with this aftermarket one:



Its cheaper, doesnt look to bad for an aftermarket one and i could skip reattaching the "mazda" and "mx-5" lettering that the PO got rid of.
Terrible idea?

Looks nice imo, a terrible idea would be some fast and furious lovecraftian nightmare.

sirr0bin
Aug 16, 2004
damn you! let the rabbits wear glasses!

Elysium posted:

What's the best NA replacement battery these days?

This is the one I am running in mine and no issues so far

https://www.batterymart.com/p-12v-mazda-miata-battery.html

BloodBag
Sep 20, 2008

WITNESS ME!



sirr0bin posted:

This is the one I am running in mine and no issues so far

https://www.batterymart.com/p-12v-mazda-miata-battery.html

:same:

mine's from batteries plus and has a huge duracell sticker on it. The guys at the store thought I was joking buying a lawn and garden battery for a car.

Wibla
Feb 16, 2011

Have anyone tried lifepo4 batteries in the miata?

ionn
Jan 23, 2004

Din morsa.
Grimey Drawer
Beware, a Miata E/N post:

A couple years ago, I started gathering parts and doing prep work to jam a turbo into my 97. Before getting much further in terms of installation than an ECU and injectors (tuning that stuff for N/A), I realised I would like a 6-speed, an LSD and a VVT engine. So, I went out and bought a 2002 1.8 Sport, and reverted the NA to stock to sell it. I still have all the parts (most of which still fit), and still want to turbo the NB instead. In the meantime I've also learned to TIG weld probably just well enough for intercooler and exhaust things.

The target is to get to 200-ish crank horsepower, which should be doable at like half a bar of boost on this engine with the GT2560R I have, still on regular pump gas. Whatever insanity I may grow after that is not my responsibility at present, but even if people run those power levels barely changing anything I do want to prep the engine a bit for this. It's mostly street driven, but I want it to be able to handle the occasional trackday.
It likely needs a new clutch soon anyway, as it's by all accounts the original almost 150000km clutch, and the throwout bearing is starting to annoy me with its chirping. A wise man here said it's as easy to pull the engine+gearbox out as to drop just the gearbox. Seeing as I can arrange a hoist but don't really have a good floor to jack it up high on, that sounds like another point in the favour of that idea. I want to pull it all out after it's parked for the season in a couple months, work on it during winter and have it reinstalled by spring. I basically want to just go through all the straightforward "while I'm in there" things that it just might be time for, and whatever preparatory steps for turbocharging there are (within reason).

My current plan for what to do:
  • New clutch, obviously (with the related bits including slave cylinder). The one I can find nearby (=decent shipping cost) that appeals to me is the Exedy "stage 1 organic" clutch, which supposedly can take 40% more load than the stock one, and even stock should be able to take my intended power level. Would gladly go for a Flyin Miata one but their shipping rates to europeland are crazy. I mainly just want "whatever's good", doesn't need to be sportier in any way and needs to be street driveable by normal humans.
  • All crank and cam seals. Maybe do the gearbox seals too, at least the input one?
  • Do the turbo oil return. I'll have the opportunity to pull the pan and make sure it's done properly rather than do it blind with the pan on the engine. Maybe there's a better spot to put that if I'm not restricted by having a subframe and oil pickup to worry about?
  • Coolant reroute. A turbo install being to a large degree an exercise in heat management, I want the best possible situation here. All new coolant hoses, even the ones that would still fit, because old.
  • Since I have the NB2 "cleverly restricted" head gasket, change back to an NB1 gasket that works better with the coolant reroute. Might be just generally time for a fresh head gasket anyway before adding any boost. No idea what gasket to get, I keep hearing "Cometic", and would in that case have to figure out what thickness I need. Or just go with a regular OEM-alike one?
  • And since I'm then pulling the head, might as well get ARP head studs. Not that I would need it at this boost level, but I need to replace the old ones anyway and I like the idea of studs over bolts.
  • Obviously then all the oil pan seals, manifold gaskets, valve cover seal, timing belt + water pump as I have to take all that stuff off anyway. The timing bits are pretty new, but the rest is likely 16 years old.
  • Something something oil. I need to make an oil feed for the turbo somewhere, and would also like to add a "proper" sender for oil pressure as well as oil temp. It would also be nice to have the ability to add an oil cooler (even if I might not do it right now). Is an oil filter relocation kit the answer? I do not enjoy the stock filter location but I can live with it, but it would also add all the things needed for the rest of it. I guess I could also just go with a sandwich adapter thing, but my limited experience with those is that it only makes changing the filter harder.

Things I'm unsure about :
  • Oil pump. Should I leave it be, replace it with another while-i'm-in-there OEM pump, or should I go for some kind of "upgraded" pump? I've read different things, and I don't know. I won't raise the redline or anything, and the turbo should be a very small extra "oil load".
  • The head (valve seats, valve guide seals, lifters, all that). I have no reason to suspect anything is wrong here, and if it isn't I might as well not gently caress with it. I don't even have any lifter tick on this thing.
  • Bottom end. For these power levels the stock internals should be plenty, and replacing that is $$$ (at least here). As long as nothing seems visibly bad (cylinder walls + I can pop off a bearing or two and have a look), I would prefer to leave it be and not risk loving it up.
  • Flywheel. Unless it's badly worn I figured I'll keep the stock one. I don't know what it's like shifting with a lighter flywheel, but I would be sad if it gets harder to drive on the street from it or idle gets all wonky. Acceleration benefits in 1st gear is of very little consequence to me (3rd gear is best gear).
The engine isn't burning any significant amounts of oil, there's no noticeable blow-by. I'll do a compression test as well, and if that is good I don't see any reason to suspect anything is wrong with the head or bottom-end on this engine.

(Not part of this episode: All the "outside" bits like fuel system, ECU, wideband o2, turbo exhaust, intercooler, radiator and such)

Dear internet, what is wrong with my plan? What is missing in terms of "while-i'm-in-there" items, what should I leave alone, how far off the rails am I here?

craig588
Nov 19, 2005

by Nyc_Tattoo
I kept the same oil pump while not raising the RPM and have had no problems with light autocross use and 30,000 miles. I went to the 10 pound "too light" flywheel at the same time as I changed seals and the clutch and I also have had no problems with it, people can borrow the car and not have any difficulty. I think the stock flywheel is too heavy for the 1.8. My VVT engine hasn't been opened yet so it has the stock head gasket and I leave the heat on 1 to get some airflow though the heatercore but not warm up the car.

Suburban Dad
Jan 10, 2007


Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself




ionn posted:

Dear internet, what is wrong with my plan? What is missing in terms of "while-i'm-in-there" items, what should I leave alone, how far off the rails am I here?

IMO, I would have just kept the other engine for simplicity. :v: How many miles on the engine? What's the compression ratio of the VVT engine? IIRC they're higher than BPs in the NA's. Do you have to swap the HG for the coolant reroute (only owned an NA that I turbo'd)? Because that's a big can of worms and extra poo poo and expense I'd pass on if possible (HG, ARP HW, taking off the timing stuff that's new enough, etc). I would even leave the oil pan on as to not disturb the RTV if it isn't leaking. From the factory that poo poo is like glue on most cars, and getting it factory perfect ain't likely for us mortals. I use the same protocol for cam/crank seals. Don't gently caress with it unless it's leaking, otherwise I'd probably have to go in again where I hosed it up the first time. :v: On the pan, I drilled into a spot that wasn't directly below the turbo (only advantage to removing it in this case, and being 100% sure you get all the shavings but that wasn't an issue for me) but nowhere near the pickup and it was fine. I wouldn't bother doing the slave since it's easy to do in vehicle, assuming there's no issue with it currently.

I would change the rear main if it's weeping, and the little input shaft area gaskets right behind the TOB if the 6 speed has those. Overall I'd keep it simple and do much less than you're planning and then build an engine on the side if you decide you want to get crazy and throw a billion dollars in parts at it. The idea of a half built engine (like what you're planning somewhat, IMO) is a bit silly to me.

What's engine management look like these days for VVT engines?

ionn
Jan 23, 2004

Din morsa.
Grimey Drawer

craig588 posted:

I went to the 10 pound "too light" flywheel at the same time as I changed seals and the clutch and I also have had no problems with it, people can borrow the car and not have any difficulty. I think the stock flywheel is too heavy for the 1.8.

I've never driven one with a lighter flywheel, but if it is still reasonably easy to start (I mean, it's super smooth and nice stock, so a little "worse" won't be a big deal) maybe I should go for that. It's pretty expensive, but I'm at the deep end of the pool anyway with regards to sanity and money.

Larrymer posted:

IMO, I would have just kept the other engine for simplicity. :v: How many miles on the engine? What's the compression ratio of the VVT engine? IIRC they're higher than BPs in the NA's. Do you have to swap the HG for the coolant reroute (only owned an NA that I turbo'd)? Because that's a big can of worms and extra poo poo and expense I'd pass on if possible (HG, ARP HW, taking off the timing stuff that's new enough, etc). I would even leave the oil pan on as to not disturb the RTV if it isn't leaking. From the factory that poo poo is like glue on most cars, and getting it factory perfect ain't likely for us mortals. I use the same protocol for cam/crank seals. Don't gently caress with it unless it's leaking, otherwise I'd probably have to go in again where I hosed it up the first time. :v: On the pan, I drilled into a spot that wasn't directly below the turbo (only advantage to removing it in this case, and being 100% sure you get all the shavings but that wasn't an issue for me) but nowhere near the pickup and it was fine. I wouldn't bother doing the slave since it's easy to do in vehicle, assuming there's no issue with it currently.

I would change the rear main if it's weeping, and the little input shaft area gaskets right behind the TOB if the 6 speed has those. Overall I'd keep it simple and do much less than you're planning and then build an engine on the side if you decide you want to get crazy and throw a billion dollars in parts at it. The idea of a half built engine (like what you're planning somewhat, IMO) is a bit silly to me.

What's engine management look like these days for VVT engines?

The engine in my car has done 0 miles and a bit less than 148000 km. :v: The old NA was at about 230000km. Nothing at all seemed wrong with that one either, but given what I wanted out of it and the cost of parts vs entire cars, it just made sense to change out the whole car and sell the old one.
Compression of the VVT engine is 9.5:1 vs 9.0:1 for the NA8. So, a bit higher, but still not horribly high. If I ever decide to do a "fully built" engine I might get at least another engine block to do that on. But at least in my mind, doing engine internals is still a couple steps beyond everything else I'm considering (including removing the head), in both money and effort.

I could very well leave the oil pan on there. I don't think it is leaking at all (haven't seen any leaks, but that's with the engine in the car) and removing it does seem like a bit of a pain. I still have the chance to pull it off if I gently caress up the oil return drilling manoeuvre or so. The manifold I have puts the turbo at basically the same height as the exhaust ports, which is high up enough that it shouldn't really matter where I put the return so I have no reason not to go with the "regular" spot if it's as good as any other. Leaving the pan on also would prevent me from needlessly loving around with the main/rod bearings.

However, as for the "rotating seals", I still do want to change those (it would take more people to talk me out of it, that is). I've read of more than one person having their engine start seeping oil the moment they add a bit of crankcase pressure. I have changed stuff like that before (including most of it on the same kind of engine), I find the only really hard part is access which is why now seems like the time. Sure, rear main is easier with the carrier out, but as long as I don't have to stick my head up a car to do it I'm fine with it. Also new seals are cheap. I could leave the front seals as they are reasonably easy to get to in the car, but now I have the chance to do it in easy indoor comfort with no rush.
As I am not boosting the gearbox itself, that's really the one I'm wondering if I should leave alone. Seems easy enough to do though.

The head gasket I don't strictly need to change, but the coolant reroute is not as effective without doing it. It should solve all the cooling issues of cylinders 3 and 4, while making it worse for #1. I don't know where on the scale of "cooling goodness" a reroute with NB2 gasket vs reroute with NB1 gasket vs no reroute, and in the absence of solid data opinions are allover the place. My general impression is that for people who just street drive it and the occasional 2-minute autocross run you probably don't even need the reroute let alone a head gasket to go with it, but for a 20-30 minute trackday stint good cooling is a much more pressing issue, and the cost of a headgasket is tiny compared to ruining an engine.
The idea of pulling the head does not really scare me that badly, I've done that before and gotten away with it so far (just not on a Mazda yet). I am leaning towards a OEM (or OEM-alike decent aftermarket) gasket though, it seems perfectly fine unless you do crazy boost levels or larger bore. To me the risk of loving up a head gasket change, especially if I can do it with the engine out, seems less than the risk of overheating something.

The service records say the timing belt + pump was changed at 130000km in 2010, so while it has done very little driving it is still 8 years old. The belt has to come off if I'm to get to the seals anyway, and I could change just the belt and leave the other bits in place. I think the factory interval is 5 or 6 years which sounds ridiculously conservative, but a belt alone is like $15-20.

For engine management, I have a Megasquirt MS3-Pro. I got it a few years ago just to be able to migrate it to a different car later, and it turned out to be correct (and between Miatas it was briefly running a Nissan KA24E engine too). Not like I really need all the bells and whistles it has, but I like having lots of options for electronic shenanigans. I am probably adding per-cylinder EGT to this thing, and want to have a few more sensors in the system (various pressures and temperatures).

Suburban Dad
Jan 10, 2007


Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself





Fair enough, just my 2 cents. Or whatever that equates to in your currency. :) Can that version of MS3 control the VVT? That's the only thing I wasn't sure of but haven't followed up in a long time. Another thing you mentioned reminded me, get a PCV valve that is good for boost. I remember swapping to a different one since the stock miata one probably won't keep boost out of the crankcase. I think there was some OEM part I used that was from a vehicle that had a turbo BP (323 GTX/R?) that I used. Otherwise you can find check valves that would work online, I remember adding a better one for my DSM that was all of 2 dollars. Are you planning on tracking it? Seems like you're alluding to that...

Check out miataturbo.net if you haven't. Most of the guys who tracked turbo miatas went back to NA since there's so many issues with heat management on track. It can work but it's a lot more :effort:. You will need a good oil cooler with a thermostatic valve if you do street driving, proper ducting, probably a hood vent, V bands for your manifold to turbo connection or inconel fasteners, a fat rear end radiator and probably a bunch of other stuff. Maybe less since you're planning less power but it isn't insignificant. Savington is the best expert on this forum about it, he runs a shop (Trackspeed Engineering I think) that knows miatas and had a turbo track car himself.

ionn
Jan 23, 2004

Din morsa.
Grimey Drawer

Larrymer posted:

Fair enough, just my 2 cents. Or whatever that equates to in your currency. :)

SEK 0.18 :sweden:

In total, I think I'm talked out of removing the oil pan, still set on doing all the seals and likely the head gasket, and very much on the fence about a lighter flywheel (money vs benefit vs drawbacks).

The MS3 can control VVT, yes. It's even closed-loop, all fancy-like.

I have a Mazda 323 GT-X PCV valve which is supposed to be the real deal. The stock one might be fine for my rather modest boost levels, but it's cheap and easy enough (though I had to pay like $20 to get it shipped here). Also have a thicker radiator going in, as well as a tiny Suzuki Capuccino washer bottle that fits behind the space behind the firewall, as the stock one sits right on top of the exhaust manifold (and some other bits and bobs). Haven't sorted out the manifold/turbo fasteners yet, but I'm thinking inconel bits and lockwire. Maybe upgraded stuff for the manifold-to-head things too. I do fully expect to make an exhaust, have it break, and reiterate until it works, but welding is fun.

I'm not planning on any actual racing with this thing, just the occasional trackday or maybe a Nürburgring roadtrip (I told myself when I was there with the NA that there was little point bringing it back until it had a turbo). It should mean no "full blast" stints longer than 20 or so minutes, so while that's not a super long sustained period of heat it would certainly make things hotter, which is why I want to spend all that effort on the head gasket to improve water flow. I don't know if my driving habits + power levels are manageable without an oil cooler, but if I need one that's where I'm heading I guess, but I'd like to wait with that until the intercooler piping is in place (but keeping the oil filter in mind while doing that of course).
Not sure if I need a thermostat. I don't drive this car in winter, and if oil temps won't get high enough anyway I can just cover off the little radiator if I'm not on a track. That would enable me to just get an oil filter relocation thingy now, and add an oil cooler later if needed and I know where it can go.

I do frequent MiataTurbo.net too. It's a lovely bunch of some very clever people, some that come off as just evil if they're in that mood, and a bunch of noobs like me.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
Usually turbo cars with non optimal cooling can do bursts of a few minutes at a time. You wind up doing something like 5 minutes of pushing hard requiring a cool down lap or two to get the oil and water temps to drop back down. On the street you can only get away with 30-45 seconds of full on go mode at a time, the same with autocross.

Considering that you're not planning on doing a reroute or swapping out the head gasket for the 94-00, I'd be very cautious of whenever you decide to go do a track day.

craig588
Nov 19, 2005

by Nyc_Tattoo
My flywheel was free because the original owner bought the 10 pound one then decided to go with the 12 pound one before installing it. I don't really notice a dramatic performance difference from the stock one, 300 dollars is a lot for arguable performance changes, but the drivablity on the street is just as good and that's all I can advocate for.

ionn
Jan 23, 2004

Din morsa.
Grimey Drawer

craig588 posted:

My flywheel was free because the original owner bought the 10 pound one then decided to go with the 12 pound one before installing it. I don't really notice a dramatic performance difference from the stock one, 300 dollars is a lot for arguable performance changes, but the drivablity on the street is just as good and that's all I can advocate for.

If street drivability is just as good, I'll just have to ponder the value of having it vs the cost of buying it (here it would be closer to $500 to get one, and I've only seen the 4.5kg/10lbs ones).

Phone posted:

Considering that you're not planning on doing a reroute or swapping out the head gasket for the 94-00

That is precisely what I am planning on doing :)
The thing I'm unsure about is wether or not to go for an oil cooler right away. If I will almost certainly need an oil cooler anyway, I'd probably get a complete filter relocation + cooler kit (with our without thermostat) now, install the things on the engine, and just have a bypass hose until I can mount the radiator thingy.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
Sorry about getting mixed up.

You have to figure out precisely what you want to do with the car and how many times you want to go in and redo work. If you want to have a fast street car, go nuts because the finer details can be glossed over for now, but decisions you make now will have to be reconsidered if you decide to get serious about wanting to track the car. The main question will be how much time do you want to be wrenching on your car in the paddock versus driving.

It's also recommended to switch over to the MS3 before doing additional work because it allows you to debug a less complex set of changes and also provides an avenue for getting familiar with the software.

um excuse me
Jan 1, 2016

by Fluffdaddy
Changed the brakes on the NA with Brembo blank rotors and Stoptech street pads. The rear pads or rotors were too large. I had to remove .010" from each pad before it would fit. The pads measured .505" total thickness before I cut them back.

craig588
Nov 19, 2005

by Nyc_Tattoo
I think the idea is that since they get smaller they start out really large. I've never had new brakes that went on easy, but tolerances probably made brand new pads and brand new rotors just a little too big if both were on the large side.

Don Lapre
Mar 28, 2001

If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

um excuse me posted:

Changed the brakes on the NA with Brembo blank rotors and Stoptech street pads. The rear pads or rotors were too large. I had to remove .010" from each pad before it would fit. The pads measured .505" total thickness before I cut them back.

Interesting, Did you make sure the rear top caliper pin was screwed in all the way? If its barely threaded out of the carrier it could cause that.

um excuse me
Jan 1, 2016

by Fluffdaddy
Yea I tightened it, loosened it, shoved the piston all the way back and opened the bleed screw. I was pretty determined the problem was me until I went and measured everything.

CerealKilla420
Jan 3, 2014

"I need a handle man..."
Has someone posted a buyers guide for used NAs? I'm looking at buying one for a budget of about $5k and I'm not sure what to look for exactly. I've seen a few of them in my area for sale that look decent but I'm afraid to pull the trigger because I assume they just cleaned off/detailed the valve cover.

I've only been looking at bone stock NAs because I assume that any modifications indicate that it was driven hard/abused or just ruined by redneck engineering.

um excuse me
Jan 1, 2016

by Fluffdaddy
I'd absolutely say keep looking for stock stuff. $5000 is very nice Miata territory. Walk away from rust, beat up interiors, bad paint, engine fuckery, and mileage over 100kmi.

Suburban Dad
Jan 10, 2007


Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself




um excuse me posted:

I'd absolutely say keep looking for stock stuff. $5000 is very nice Miata territory. Walk away from rust, beat up interiors, bad paint, engine fuckery, and mileage over 100kmi.

Alternatively, just get away from rusty ones or ones with worn out soft tops if you aren't the adventurous type. The engines and gearboxes last a long time and are easy to fix. There's a ton of terribly modded ones, I'd only skip the ones that are aesthetically hosed, though.

mariooncrack
Dec 27, 2008
In addition to what was said above, timing belt every 60k miles
NAs are also known for shimmying on the highway around 65+. I think it just means it needs an alignment.

Most of these things apply to a NB too if you can't find a good NA. They're very similar.

n8r
Jul 3, 2003

I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

um excuse me posted:

I'd absolutely say keep looking for stock stuff. $5000 is very nice Miata territory. Walk away from rust, beat up interiors, bad paint, engine fuckery, and mileage over 100kmi.

How many decent shape NAs are even out there that are under 100k? At best you're talking a 21 year old car now. Condition is far more important than miles at this point regardless. The NA is a stupidly reliable car so 100k+ shouldn't concern you if everything else looks good.

um excuse me
Jan 1, 2016

by Fluffdaddy
I see examples under 90kmi frequently, 80 kmi less frequently, and 70kmi rarely. The lowest NA I recall seeing this year was 52kmi, the buyer was looking for $10k and you know what, he probably got it since I have yet to see another.

Wibla
Feb 16, 2011

Check the front frame rails carefully if you are considering an NB, the design there is poo poo and rusts horribly.

CerealKilla420
Jan 3, 2014

"I need a handle man..."

n8r posted:

How many decent shape NAs are even out there that are under 100k? At best you're talking a 21 year old car now. Condition is far more important than miles at this point regardless. The NA is a stupidly reliable car so 100k+ shouldn't concern you if everything else looks good.

I live in the American south (not Florida) so none of the NAs I'm looking at have any rust (or very minimal if they're from another part of the country). Basically in my area finding a rustless NA is very easy and I wouldn't look at rusted out ones anyways.

I'm not worried about mileage tbh all of the cars I've owned I've bought at >150kmi and I've never had terrible luck. I've heard that the NA is reliable so I trust that so long as there's nothing terribly busted with it and it's unmolested the engine will keep going. I'm also factoring in the enivitable cost of new breaks, wheels, tires, and potentially bushings and other small (non-engine rebuild) related repairs.


Wibla posted:

Check the front frame rails carefully if you are considering an NB, the design there is poo poo and rusts horribly.

I'm not considering a NB, I'm only looking at NAs right now but good to know. Is there anything particularly weak about the NA frame or undercarriage I should look for?

craig588
Nov 19, 2005

by Nyc_Tattoo
The rear quarter panels can't be replaced easily, but being from the south shouldn't make them an issue. (The fronts are easy)

Decide early if you want to make it a race car or a cheap car. Get good parts or cheap parts, not a mixture because that'll make it an expensive bad car.

CerealKilla420
Jan 3, 2014

"I need a handle man..."

craig588 posted:

The rear quarter panels can't be replaced easily, but being from the south shouldn't make them an issue. (The fronts are easy)

Decide early if you want to make it a race car or a cheap car. Get good parts or cheap parts, not a mixture because that'll make it an expensive bad car.

Ok good to know. Right now I'm leaning towards cheap daily driver. I have no intention of turning it into a race-car just something fun to drive around that I can also keep as a backup should my old beater Accord fail me.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





mariooncrack posted:

In addition to what was said above, timing belt every 60k miles
NAs are also known for shimmying on the highway around 65+. I think it just means it needs an alignment.

Most of these things apply to a NB too if you can't find a good NA. They're very similar.

I ran my NB's timing belt to 100k with no issue, but if you do that then don't expect to just slap a belt on it and run - replace everything while you're in there. Idlers, water pump, etc. Shimmy >60mph for me was always tire balance, the Miata seems extra sensitive to it.

um excuse me
Jan 1, 2016

by Fluffdaddy
Shimmy how? I got my car aligned and it fixed a lot of issues. I still feel a vibration in the steering wheel. Is that normal? Is it a driveline balance issue? The wheels were balanced less than 3 months ago.

FatCow
Apr 22, 2002
I MAP THE FUCK OUT OF PEOPLE
Who cares about mileage. I race a 176k mile (3k track miles on it now) motor. Only thing I've done from oil pan to valve cover gasket is swap on a HG from a NA. Shocks are going to be toast on anything you buy unless they were replaced and, outside of motor mounts, the rubber bits hold up pretty well on these cars.

BloodBag
Sep 20, 2008

WITNESS ME!



64bit_Dophins posted:

I live in the American south (not Florida) so none of the NAs I'm looking at have any rust (or very minimal if they're from another part of the country). Basically in my area finding a rustless NA is very easy and I wouldn't look at rusted out ones anyways.

I'm not worried about mileage tbh all of the cars I've owned I've bought at >150kmi and I've never had terrible luck. I've heard that the NA is reliable so I trust that so long as there's nothing terribly busted with it and it's unmolested the engine will keep going. I'm also factoring in the enivitable cost of new breaks, wheels, tires, and potentially bushings and other small (non-engine rebuild) related repairs.


I'm not considering a NB, I'm only looking at NAs right now but good to know. Is there anything particularly weak about the NA frame or undercarriage I should look for?

Are you competent at working on cars at all? I have a 95 former rustbucket and quite a bit of experience working on cars and the NA is easy compared to lots of others, but if you think owning a 20+ year car is going to be easier just because the mileage is under an arbitrary number you set, then you're in for a rude awakening. If you want a car in great shape, bring money, but the age of the car is going to work against you and likely be less of the 'weekend toy' you're likely seeking and more of a 'it's mostly working except for...'

Tell us about your experience with cars over 150k miles. I for one would like to know about what you consider a terrible time.

um excuse me
Jan 1, 2016

by Fluffdaddy
I'm definitely on the Miatas are easy to work on train as well. Everything is right there. No bending tools around corners to get that bolt you can't see bullshit. No modifying tools or buying one time use specialty items. It's a breath of fresh air compared to the GM and Subaru stuff I usually play with. Not to mention everything is insanely cheap to work on. They made a bazillion NAs so used parts are everywhere and the fan base is a lot of drift bois, track addicts, and stance idiots. Stock parts fly off them onto the market so there's a steady supply. Even new stuff is cheap. Full brake job including lines and fluid was under $400 and my Rival S tires were $85 each installed compared to my WRXs $900 brake job and $150 tires.

Wibla
Feb 16, 2011

Mileage is (mostly) irrelevant as long as the car has been cared for. That being said, a lot of things will need replacement or refurbishment after 20 years, regardless of mileage.

My 10AE has rotting front frame rails, and the original Bilstein suspension could be in better nick, so considering the low prices an RHD car fetches in Norway I might just end up getting a Norwegian/LHD 1.6 NB that's in better mechanical condition and swap over the drivetrain from the 10AE instead of fixing it...

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CerealKilla420
Jan 3, 2014

"I need a handle man..."

BloodBag posted:

Are you competent at working on cars at all? I have a 95 former rustbucket and quite a bit of experience working on cars and the NA is easy compared to lots of others, but if you think owning a 20+ year car is going to be easier just because the mileage is under an arbitrary number you set, then you're in for a rude awakening. If you want a car in great shape, bring money, but the age of the car is going to work against you and likely be less of the 'weekend toy' you're likely seeking and more of a 'it's mostly working except for...'

Tell us about your experience with cars over 150k miles. I for one would like to know about what you consider a terrible time.

I'm not very competent when it comes to working on cars honestly but I'm expecting any NA I get to require a good deal of work over time. I want a car to teach me how to work on cars and I'm not afraid of working on them.

My experience with >150kmi cars are as follows. 2001 BMW 530i e39 that I purchased with 155k miles and drove to 195k miles requiring no maintenance except a new set of tires, brake pads, oil changes, and a real caliper. I then sold it and bought a 2001 Honda Accord that I purchaced at 110k miles and is currently my daily driver sitting at 205k miles. The Accord has had two timing belt jobs, new brakes, new tires (twice), new sparkplugs and sparkplug wiring, a new valve timing chip, and a rear bushing that rusted out when I was living up north. All of these things I would consider regular maintenance.

A terrible time would be my brothers first car which was a 1992 XJ Jeep Cherokee Sport purchased with 220k miles on the original motor for $500. In his defense he put 100k miles on the thing before someone tried and failed to steal it and ripped apart the entire dash effectively totaling it. It ate 3 serpentine belts, caught on fire twice (luckily he had a fire extinguisher to get it under control), had to have the rear diff replaced with a junkyard diff he pulled off of another XJ, failed electric fans so in the summer it would overheat if you were stuck in traffic, and two failed fuel pumps (among other things that I don't remember).

CerealKilla420 fucked around with this message at 15:15 on Sep 19, 2018

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