MIATA THREAD - My Third Gear Syncro Is On Grindr

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > MIATA THREAD - My Third Gear Syncro Is On Grindr

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

grover posted:

Does the miata stereo play mp3s/can I put in standard aftermarket radios?

if your plan is to modify the soundsystem in any way, i can't stress enough to not get one with the Bose system. i got a '99 LS with it and there really isn't a easy way that i've seen to install better speakers without spending a fair bit of cash. and i'm really not very happy with it.

i managed to put in a different CD player without much hassle but i don't know if that was luck or what.

velocityJE fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Oct 27, 2007

# ¿ Oct 27, 2007 22:06

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# ¿ May 5, 2024 12:59

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

prezbuluskey posted:

Is the MX-5 a good first car for a budget of $8000?

I'd say most definitely, provided it fits your needs. Fun, cheap to insure, reliable. Asking AI if a Miata is a good choice for a car is kinda like asking is the world round, though :lol:

# ¿ Oct 29, 2007 03:31

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

destructo posted:

poo poo guys, Bell just put out a kit to rival the cheap Greddy one link.

Looks like ~5/6psi with quality parts for ~$1700, which is a drat good deal, not to mention it's easily upgradeable. I know what I'm doing come ~July this summer .

Holy crap, I'm saving up for this for my '99, wish they'd announce the price already. I have a few questions though. Given that I'm somewhat proficient at car work, could I install and set it up on my own? Also, does that kit have everything necessary to run 5-6 psi safely on my '99, or would I need to do ECU upgrades and such? What kind of power would it make at that pressure?

# ¿ Nov 12, 2007 02:29

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

leica posted:

Yes, a used NB Miata top is the whole shebang, top on frame, and you can do it yourself in about an hour.

Any new top is just the top alone and takes a good amount of labor to install it onto the frame. Not a recommended DIY and is not cheap to have done.

A used OEM NB top is better than most new aftermarket tops, and you can do it yourself, so you save a good amount of money and you get the luxury of not having to gently caress with the rear window ever again.

Where's a good place to find a used top? I'm probably gonna need a new one in a year or so.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2007 03:16

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

So I get in my car to leave work yesterday, and I discover the driver's side window won't roll down. It's a '99, power windows and it was kinda rainy. D'ya think this is something I can fix myself? This is a huge bother for me, and I'd like to fix it ASAP.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2008 03:19

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

My original softtop is looking pretty rough. I was looking on Miata.net's classified board and found this; http://www.miata.net/cgi-bin/isc/cl...prevaction=show about 4 hours away. Same color as my car and as far as I can tell, same year (1999). He's asking $1200, thoughts? I'm gonna need a new top either way.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2009 16:43

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Shlomo Palestein posted:

Bear in mind his soft top is about to bite it, by his description. I was in the same boat, and if I hadn't gotten the hardtop when I did, I'd almost certainly have been replacing a soaked/moldy interior last spring. I just got lucky and found a hardtop cheap; if I found a soft-on-frame for $600 before, I'd have bought that instead, but things sort of worked in reverse.

Yeah, mine kind of is on it's last legs. It's not completely terrible and I've patched a couple small holes and while it'll probably last the winter I do need something fairly soon.

The fact I wouldn't have to get it repainted is appealing as well.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2009 00:49

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Guinness posted:

While certainly not cheap, but cheaper than a hard top, I was able to replace my factory soft top (14 years old at the time) with a brand new Robbins soft top with a zipperless glass window for around $900. I bought the top myself from Moss Motors (IIRC) for around $430 with some 15% off coupon, and then had it installed at the best convertible specialty shop in town for around another $450. You could install it yourself, but it's a pain in the rear end and to me it was worth the peace of mind to know it was done by the best in the business. The quality is just as good, if not better, than the OEM soft top in my opinion, plus the zipperless glass windows is a HUGE improvement over the acrylic window. The new top has gone through 2 relatively harsh winters without any problems or leaks or anything, and I have full confidence it will make it through many more.

I don't care about the cabin noise (honestly, I kind of prefer being able to hear everything), and preserving the convenience of just being able to drop the top on the odd nice winter day for a brisk top-down adventure is great. Plus if your car is a "rare" color like mine (Merlot Mica), it saves you the enormous hassle of finding a matching hard top or having to get a hardtop resprayed.

In a nutshell, a good soft top will stand up just fine to rain and snow while costing quite a bit less than a hard top.

eh, 300 dollars difference + the hard top makes the car look a bit sportier, i think i'll spring for it.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2009 03:35

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Hog Obituary posted:

You guys don't do hill starts with the handbrake when you're still getting used to the engagement point?

aint you fucks ever heard of heel/toe

i bought a hardtop but it ain't OEM. the rear latch points look funny to me, i'll post pics later

# ¿ Jan 16, 2010 20:34

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Blackdawgg posted:

Went to bleed the clutch today and on the first go the clutch went down and refused to build up pressure again. Time for a new slave cylinder.

Happened to me right after I bought mine. Real easy job, luckily.

# ¿ Feb 14, 2010 22:59

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

destructo posted:

Nice! Glad to hear you didn't have to part it out to get the money.

First-class ghetto engineering. I actually recommend this one quite a bit, fun noise and no drawbacks.

What'd you do here?

# ¿ Jun 27, 2010 22:36

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

destructo posted:

Took off the bottom of the airbox and the snorkel, ziptied the filter to the AFM so it wouldn't fall off.

Cool. How loud is it?

# ¿ Jun 27, 2010 23:23

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

IOwnCalculus posted:

I actually find both the NA and NB considerably more roomy than the S2000. I can't physically fit in an S2K in any way where I could safely drive it.

it's weird, i'm 6'3" all legs, and i found the s2000 to be far from roomy but definitely driveable. i'm a skinny guy though.

my NB is roomier though. but not much.

# ¿ Jul 4, 2010 22:02

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Shauntron posted:

After about half a year of obsessing over craigslist and going on test drives I finally got myself an NB with exactly the trim and color I was looking for!

Seen here parked in front of my Weaklipse.

80k miles and aside from relatively worn tires, it seems to need nothing. I'm in love. Whenever I do replace the tires, I may do the wheels as well- I was thinking something five spoke and flat black. Any suggestions?

I have that exact make/model/trim. Only I have a hardtop

Have fun is my only suggestion

willie_dee posted:

Question:

How much of a step up is an S2000, is it just as good but with a more powerful Vtec engine or does it fall down anywhere in comparison to the Miata?

S2000 has slightly less interior room; I'm 6'3" and while I'm snug in an NB, I was definitely cramped. Other than that it's just as nimble if not moreso, a bit harder to drive (I drove a first gen which like to swap ends) and quite a bit more powerful.

velocityJE fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Nov 3, 2010

# ¿ Nov 3, 2010 01:42

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Shlomo Palestein posted:

Yeah, I had to try a few times, before I got my $600 silver one. I was first in line of something like a dozen people who had called. The guy I bought it from was perplexed.

i got one too

# ¿ Nov 9, 2010 03:34

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

I ran over a curb last night and both my airbags popped, wtf I had just taken off from a stoplight and couldn't have been going over 20. It's a '99 Sport, you think they'll total it? I hear horror stories about airbag replacement pricing. No body damage whatsoever.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2011 02:18

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Ziploc posted:

It probably busted the windshield, dash, and I'm guessing you made some significant contact under the car to trip them off. So rim/suspension damage is likely.

So... Maybe?

No damage except where the air bags exited the dash, and some scuffing on the front lower bumper. I was making a left turn onto a 4 lane highway and cut it too sharp (it was dark) and made contact with the end of the median. The right front wheel does appear damaged but it isn't flat. Meh, appraiser's coming Monday so I guess I'll see.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2011 20:17

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Welp, my '99 Sport is totalled. Hit a curb and the airbags deployed. Buying an S2000, but it's been fun, Mica Green.

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# ¿ Mar 10, 2011 07:26

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Geoj posted:

I'm guessing the adjuster saw two deployed airbags on a 12 year old car...

p much this. heres a low quality shot, there really was no other damage than the cracked mirror in the visor and the face of the head unit flying off :\

# ¿ Mar 12, 2011 02:14

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

dissss posted:

True but my point is the damage may go further and it'd be a mistake to assume its cheaply repairable - certainly would need to be thoroughly checked out

the adjuster said besides the airbags,there may be suspension damage. i am not so in love with this car that i want to deal with a salvage title when i can get a sizeable amount on an S2000, which is better than a miata in every way, than deal with that hassle. i love miatas but still...VA car laws are strict.

also, i never said 'new s2000'. they don't even make them anymore.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2011 06:06

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Previa_fun posted:

Anyone notice their A/C compressor is LOUD when it engages? Mine has an audible THUNK when it cycles.

yeah definitely noticed that on my '99.

# ¿ Jun 1, 2011 00:06

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# ¿ May 5, 2024 12:59

velocityJE: Jul 11, 2001; ~ LOVE FOREVER ~

Sadi posted:

I dont know if it was just the NB seats or what but the NA felt larger to me and I had more head room. For 4-5k you should be able to get a quite nice 100k mile or so NA I would think, maybe even a bit lower mileage. I just bought my NA 2 weeks ago and I have to regrets. I drove my old accord again the other day, it felt like I was driving a land barge, almost felt like the car was drunk to me. There was no steering feel and such a soft rolly ride compared to my NA.

I'm pretty sure the NA is bigger inside, iirc.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 00:27

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