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Pimpsolo
Jun 6, 2004



Fuuuuck. Can anyone advise me as to whether I should let my Miata finally hit the hay?

I was in a drive though a few days ago and was really bored. I put the clutch in and kinda moved the car from first to second, to third, to fourth, to fifth, to reverse, and then back to neutral relatively slowly. (Okay, maybe I'm an idiot for that) When I engaged the clutch, the car jerked hard and stalled because it was still in reverse even though the stick was in neutral. I started it back up, and the stick was still movable though the gears, but it was still in reverse. I tried to put it in third, and the shifter just STUCK, it's now impossible to move and still in reverse. I tried the little trick of popping it out of reverse from the reverse light switch, but it was stuck.

I brought it to my mechanic who advised we drop the tranny, take a look in the gear box, and get everything back in place. His price $400.

Normally this would be an easy decision but keep in mind the following:

Every body panel on the car has some body damage, rear quarter panel and back are especially severe. Terrible aftermarket paint job. Rust on the windshield frame. Top has tears and holes all over, rear window zipper disintegrated, thus, the interior has been soaked several times, and is now a little moldy. The leather is torn. Ac broken. Generally seeps oil from anywhere it can. Vaccume leak somewhere, exhaust leaks for sure. Springs and shocks originals, and all shot. The car has become somewhat of a joke, but I love her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X9PQxkUsRw

Is $400 a fair price? The labor seems to be almost exactly the same as just replacing the clutch, if not a little less, so $400 seems really high to me. I have VERY minimal experience actually working on cars but it seems to me that I'm a smart guy who can follow instructions, and that this is my chance to leap into working on my own car. Would I be completely in over my head? I could almost spend an indefinite amount of time fixing it because I've already decided to buy another car.

My options are as follows:
  1. Sell the car to someone who wants to fix it (but what's a good price? the car is rock solid reliable with respect to its drive train, save for this.)
  2. Work on it myself, and keep it for when I whenever I have the urge to drive an awesome beater, but possibly drop the transmission and have no idea WHAT THE gently caress is going on when I open the gearbox, and never be able to put it back togather.
  3. Find a cheaper mechanic who might quote me $200, but get inside and go "Oh well, actually needs a new tranny, and gear box, and clutch, total: $1500." (but it doesn't actually need all that.)
I'm leaning towards option 2, but the downside to that is staggering. This poor car seems to be begging to be taken out of commission.

"Ahghghlhbob just let me DIE!"

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Pimpsolo fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Oct 18, 2007

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Sudden Infant Def Syndrome
Oct 2, 2004

Gear Head posted:

What is AI's opinion on mismatched hardtops? Black top on white car, red on white, etc. And why isn't an OEM making cheap hardtops :mad:

A red Miata with a black hardtop and the windshield frame painted black looks awesome. I've seen pictures, and I really like it.

Edit: Here's a blue one with a black hood as well. Looks kinda neat. Would look better with black headlight covers.

Sudden Infant Def Syndrome fucked around with this message at 17:11 on Oct 18, 2007

destructo
Apr 29, 2006

Gear Head posted:

What is AI's opinion on mismatched hardtops? Black top on white car, red on white, etc. And why isn't an OEM making cheap hardtops :mad:
You tell me:

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
What a good all-season for potential snow driving. It doesn't snow much in NC, but I'd rather not have my Azenis out on the road when it does.

Tai-Pan
Feb 10, 2001

Tai-Pan posted:

Crap. So my '91 has started to develop a "stiffness" between 1 and 2. I assumed this was the synchro going out, but I had hoped switching over to GM Synchromesh might make it go away.

Anything I can do to prevent it from dying on me? What is the normal cost for a rebuild?


Bumping my own question.
Is there any other option or am I looking at a rebuild?

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Tai-Pan posted:

Bumping my own question.
Is there any other option or am I looking at a rebuild?

To both you and pimpsolo (too many *pimp* usernames with Miatas): You can buy a good used 1.8 gearbox for $200 or so on eBay or from car-part.com. Seems like that would make more sense than a rebuild to me.

IOwnCalculus fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Oct 18, 2007

mobn
May 23, 2005

by Ozmaugh

Sudden Infant Def Syndrome posted:

A red Miata with a black hardtop and the windshield frame painted black looks awesome. I've seen pictures, and I really like it.

Edit: Here's a blue one with a black hood as well. Looks kinda neat. Would look better with black headlight covers.


Is that some sort of fake intake on the headlight cover? It's a shame, 'cuz with just the two-tone that thing'd have been gorgeous. I'm thinking about getting a black hardtop for mine, but I don't think I'd paint the windshield frame.

Return Of JimmyJars
Jun 24, 2006

by FactsAreUseless

Gear Head posted:

What is AI's opinion on mismatched hardtops? Black top on white car, red on white, etc. And why isn't an OEM making cheap hardtops :mad:
Two tone Miatas look amazing. Vex's NB is blue/black two tone.

vex
Oct 18, 2002

TurboThather fan club President. LOL DSM

Gear Head posted:

What is AI's opinion on mismatched hardtops? Black top on white car, red on white, etc. And why isn't an OEM making cheap hardtops :mad:

I have a twilight blue mica '99 with a black hardtop and black a-pillars. I'm pretty fond of the two-tone, although the blue is dark enough that a lot of people don't even notice that it's two colors.

edit:

mobn posted:

Is that some sort of fake intake on the headlight cover? It's a shame, 'cuz with just the two-tone that thing'd have been gorgeous. I'm thinking about getting a black hardtop for mine, but I don't think I'd paint the windshield frame.

I'm pretty sure it's functional. They're fairly common.

vex fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Oct 18, 2007

PancakeTransmission
May 27, 2007

You gotta improvise, Lisa: cloves, Tom Collins mix, frozen pie crust...


Plaster Town Cop

destructo posted:

You tell me:


Oh man, that looks great. I'm still trying to decide how I should get mine painted. The old paint has to be replaced since it's peeling, and I was thinking of just getting it all black. But some of these two-tone cars look awesome (though I don't have the spoiler or giant fenders to go with it). I also like the Black Cherry Mica colour, so hard to decide :( No real rush, but it'll be in the next 3 or so months.

Are brake scoops on the nose actually useful, when there is no track work involved?

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





When you say peeling paint I assume you have an NA, in which case the correct color is not Black Cherry - it's Merlot:

Return Of JimmyJars
Jun 24, 2006

by FactsAreUseless

PancakeTransmission posted:


Are brake scoops on the nose actually useful, when there is no track work involved?

The airbox/intake is right behind the driver side headlight. Yes it is useful.

meatpimp
May 15, 2004

Psst -- Wanna buy

:) EVERYWHERE :)
some high-quality thread's DESTROYED!

:kheldragar:

Pimpsolo posted:

:words: about transmission

Last time I put a transmission in, it took me less than 45 minutes. You can pick those transmissions up for under $200. It's an afternoon job and the only "extra" tools you need are a set of socket extensions that will get you about 20" of extension and a wobble.

Even if you weren't to do it yourself, you should be able to find someone to swap the transmission for about $200, getting you a new transmission, installed, for about $400.

quote:

:words: about mismatched hardtops

Until I sold the hardtop, I had a black hardtop on my red car. Gave it a very cool look and, if I would have kept the top, I was going to paint the windshield header black to give it a cohesive look.

I think a black top would work with most colors. There are some color combinations that would really look terrible, though.

angor
Nov 14, 2003
teen angst
A little while ago, my top got slashed. I took the car to Unique Auto Upholstery in Scottsdale, AZ, and they ordered a new top from Mazda. It finally came in on Tuesday. I took the car in in the morning, and then I noticed that there was a detailing place right next door. I had them do a full detail after the top was put on. I took a few shots while it was parked outside the detail shop.
This is what it looks like now...















There was also a fully race prepped STi and a black Murcielago that I managed to snap a few pics of, if anyone is interested.

Savington
Apr 9, 2007
I'm not Stinkmeister, this title is here so waar can tell the difference between Stinkmeister and myself in mafia games.

meatpimp posted:

Last time I put a transmission in, it took me less than 45 minutes. You can pick those transmissions up for under $200. It's an afternoon job and the only "extra" tools you need are a set of socket extensions that will get you about 20" of extension and a wobble.


You are a god. Having removed the tranny from my '94 on jackstands, and having removed the motor and tranny together from the '92 I parted out, I think it's easier to remove the entire engine to get to the transmission. It just isn't a pleasant work environment at all.

Ziploc
Sep 19, 2006
MX-5

Gear Head posted:

What is AI's opinion on mismatched hardtops? Black top on white car, red on white, etc. And why isn't an OEM making cheap hardtops :mad:

I have a BRG on a Marina Mica. You almost can't tell.

Ziploc
Sep 19, 2006
MX-5

Pimpsolo posted:



Fuuuuck. Can anyone advise me as to whether I should let my Miata finally hit the hay?

Stop what you are doing. The reverse thing is a common problem.

Read:http://www.miata.net/garage/stuckreverse.html

PancakeTransmission
May 27, 2007

You gotta improvise, Lisa: cloves, Tom Collins mix, frozen pie crust...


Plaster Town Cop

IOwnCalculus posted:

When you say peeling paint I assume you have an NA, in which case the correct color is not Black Cherry - it's Merlot:


Yeah, it's an NA. But it's white, I was just going to get it all removed and repainted a different colour. I like Black Cherry more than Merlot. Who says I wanted correct colour? :) (Otherwise, being a '90, I'd only have red, white, blue and silver to choose from.)

Return Of JimmyJars posted:

The airbox/intake is right behind the driver side headlight. Yes it is useful.
I was asking about the small scoops on the nose for cooling the brakes, not the headlight scoop for air intake. Unless you quoted the wrong person?

Krakkles
May 5, 2003

mobn posted:

Two-tone can work is you match the right colors.
djcommie has been telling me since day one to put a red top on my mariner blue '91.

I dunno. Maybe.

Tai-Pan
Feb 10, 2001

IOwnCalculus posted:

To both you and pimpsolo (too many *pimp* usernames with Miatas): You can buy a good used 1.8 gearbox for $200 or so on eBay or from car-part.com. Seems like that would make more sense than a rebuild to me.

How do you know if a tranny is any good online?

Also 45 minutes to swap it? What sort of miata maintenance machine are you?

Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

Tai-Pan posted:

How do you know if a tranny is any good online?

Also 45 minutes to swap it? What sort of miata maintenance machine are you?

You can try planet Miata, I think they have some sort of guarantee.

And 45 minutes is no stretch if you have done it a few times, the Miata trans is probably one of the easiest in existence to remove/replace. The NB gets to be a pain though with all the bracing underneath.

Schwack
Jan 31, 2003

Someone needs to stop this! Sherman has lost his mind! Peyton is completely unable to defend himself out there!
Help! Ive found a car, but I dont know if I should pull the trigger on it. Its a 96 M edition with 87k on it. Basically its in great condition except for three things:

The backing of the gauge cluster has been replaced and looks tacky as hell. I know this isnt a big problem, but he also replaced the backing on HVAC with this carbon fiber crap and the shift knob as well.
These next two are the real problems though.


Scratched up DS rear bumper.

and the biggie:

A big loving dent from someone dropping a bike on it.

I talked to fellow goon XFDRaven and he thinks a shop would charge about $1000 to fix all this, plus the cost of a new deck lid. I want to call around and get some quotes, but I wont have a phone until later tonight and I figured I would ask all the Miata dudes here.

The guy wants $5800 for it, but I dont think its worth that much with all these issues. What would be a fair price to offer? $5000?

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





That car might be worth $5800 if it was absolutely spotless. I'd start at $4500.

Schwack
Jan 31, 2003

Someone needs to stop this! Sherman has lost his mind! Peyton is completely unable to defend himself out there!
Haha, now how do I tell the seller that? He insists he has a ton of interest at 5800 and will only knock off $100. Guess I'll have to pass on this one.

Guinness
Sep 15, 2004

Schwack posted:

Haha, now how do I tell the seller that? He insists he has a ton of interest at 5800 and will only knock off $100. Guess I'll have to pass on this one.

Just tell the seller that if he's willing to come down to contact you, and then just move on. If he's bullshitting, eventually he'll get back to you. If not, then lucky him for making a sale. There are better NAs for $6000 out there.

Schwack
Jan 31, 2003

Someone needs to stop this! Sherman has lost his mind! Peyton is completely unable to defend himself out there!
Thats what I did. Basically told him I wouldnt be able to buy his car at that price, but if he decides to move down in the future he knows where to find me, haha.

How about this one? It seems crazy overpriced, but otherwise in amazing shape.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=232439360

Guinness
Sep 15, 2004

Schwack posted:

Thats what I did. Basically told him I wouldnt be able to buy his car at that price, but if he decides to move down in the future he knows where to find me, haha.

How about this one? It seems crazy overpriced, but otherwise in amazing shape.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=232439360

What's so crazy overpriced about it? At least here in Seattle, that's a great deal, assuming it is in great shape and has records.

Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

Schwack posted:

Thats what I did. Basically told him I wouldnt be able to buy his car at that price, but if he decides to move down in the future he knows where to find me, haha.

How about this one? It seems crazy overpriced, but otherwise in amazing shape.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=232439360

That's a fair price for sure. 94's are coveted because the are the only Miata with a 1.8 and OBD-1. In 95 they went to OBDII.

mobn
May 23, 2005

by Ozmaugh

leica posted:

That's a fair price for sure. 94's are coveted because the are the only Miata with a 1.8 and OBD-1. In 95 they went to OBDII.

I love the '94s because they get the 1.8 and Torsen, but they hadn't started gaining weight like a divorcee eating her feelings yet.

destructo
Apr 29, 2006

Schwack posted:

How about this one? It seems crazy overpriced, but otherwise in amazing shape.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=232439360
That's overpriced? I bought my '90 with a hardtop and 69k miles for $4700 and that was a steal in Wisconsin. The lady got twenty phone calls after mine.

Schwack
Jan 31, 2003

Someone needs to stop this! Sherman has lost his mind! Peyton is completely unable to defend himself out there!
Oh god damnit. I listed the wrong one.

THIS is the one that seems overpriced. Im calling on the red one tomorrow morning.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=226566530



Also, what does this mean:
Washington Motor Vehicle Dept.
Seattle, WA
Title #0228712105 Title issued or updated
New owner reported
Exempt from odometer reporting
Vehicle color noted as Red

n8r
Jul 3, 2003

I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar
I think cars over 10 years old are exempt from odometer reporting. That seems normal to me.

Schwack
Jan 31, 2003

Someone needs to stop this! Sherman has lost his mind! Peyton is completely unable to defend himself out there!

Guinness posted:

What's so crazy overpriced about it? At least here in Seattle, that's a great deal, assuming it is in great shape and has records.

What if there are no records available and its only in good shape? Im going to go take a look at it tomorrow and want to have something to offer them if its not in the condition it appears to be.

einTier
Sep 25, 2003

Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
Approach with caution.

n8r posted:

I think cars over 10 years old are exempt from odometer reporting. That seems normal to me.
This is true for Washington state. When I went to change the title on my '92 Rocky, they wouldn't even list the milage, they just put "exempt". Kind of pissed me off, because it made it look like I had tampered with the odometer or something else suspect. Oh well, I sold the thing for more than I paid for it, so it worked out.

Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

Schwack posted:

Oh god damnit. I listed the wrong one.

THIS is the one that seems overpriced. Im calling on the red one tomorrow morning.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=226566530

Yeah, that one is about 1k overpriced for the mileage. I'd go for the red one if I were you.

Guinness
Sep 15, 2004

leica posted:

Yeah, that one is about 1k overpriced for the mileage. I'd go for the red one if I were you.

Although if he could get it for 6 that'd be a pretty great car for an okay price, in my opinion. I have a thing for M-Editions, though, I guess for the unique colors, wheels, and by virtue of having pretty much every option. Some would say all of that is just junk that you pay extra for, but hey individual preferences. I'm not turning my Miata into a track rat, so I like a bit more creature comforts. I'm personally really not a fan of red and white Miatas, either. :shobon:

But it looks like that one is in California and the buyer is in Seattle? Go for the red one, just for the much simpler transaction.

Return Of JimmyJars
Jun 24, 2006

by FactsAreUseless


Picture taken with my new lens. Imagepup compressed the hell out of the file though :(

AkrisD
Sep 2, 2004
olololol '04 newb hurrrrrrr
This is my lovely Evo orange Miata, my "first" car (I've driven around the family car, but I pay for this one). I got it about 2 months ago and I can say that I love it dearly. Since I'm young, I always lust after big power cars, but insurance was way too loving expensive for the Camaros and TAs I wanted. Anyways, Completely stock for now, but I plan on getting some 15x8 Nickel 6ULs and lowering it a bit, turbocharging comes much later(= girlfriend = broke all the time(also, not gay). This is the car that's supposed to get me to work on my own cars.

I want to paint the insides of the headlights dark gray, but I'm not sure if it'll look good, any photoshop wizards wanna help me out?


The dealer I bought it from drilled the drat plate holes into the bumper when I went to pick it up. Front plate is required in VA, but it looks so much better without it.



A little friendly jibbing. I like the s2k well enough, but it's in a different class from the miata.

Lastly, a shot of the color. It really is brilliant in the right light, unfortunately that light doesn't come around as often as I'd like.

Schwack
Jan 31, 2003

Someone needs to stop this! Sherman has lost his mind! Peyton is completely unable to defend himself out there!

leica posted:

Yeah, that one is about 1k overpriced for the mileage. I'd go for the red one if I were you.

Was beat to poo poo :(

The search continues.

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Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

Schwack posted:

Was beat to poo poo :(

The search continues.

Just be patient until you find the right one for you. There are tons of Miatas out there, so you can afford to be patient. Check out the Miata.net classifieds, they are mostly enthusiast sellers that take good care of their cars.

California, right?

http://tinyurl.com/2r3emd

nice project, could be an easy fix: http://tinyurl.com/2qz6tx

A sunburst yellow (rare color) http://tinyurl.com/2nrsyw

Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Oct 21, 2007

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