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

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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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.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2007 16:52

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 12:24

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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destructo posted:

gently caress that, the miles are too high, and the timing belt really needs to be done every 60k or so, the California thing is a state law, there has to be a good reason why Mazda recommends it every 60k.

That said, if it goes, you're just stranded for a bit -- non-interference engine ahoy!

Try and knock him down at least $500 for the timing belt job.

From what I can tell, most Miatas will go to 100k if you don't bother to do the belt at 60k. It's a gamble, certainly, but not much of one.

Replacing it isn't (overly) hard either. Unless you're doing the water pump, I can't imagine it costing more than $200. If you're fairly handy with tools, you can do it yourself.

# ¿ Nov 3, 2007 10:53

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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grover posted:

I just can't peg your miata guys. I made a comment a few months ago about miatas being underpowered cars and was jumped on about how wrong I was, how fast they were, etc. Now I'm hearing the exact opposite? LOL! And no, it's not a dealbreaker. It's less power than I had expected, but there's still an engine under the hood.

Please tell me a Miata can at least take a PT Cruiser in a quarter mile though?

It really depends on how you phrase it. A lot of people will say the Miata is "slow" when they say it's underpowered. There's also usually a misunderstanding on how the Miata is fast.

Let me explain it in an easy to understand way. An F1 car is very fast, and a top fuel dragster is also very fast, but they are fast in completely different ways. An F1 car in a drag race is going to get embarrassed, just as a top fuel car is going to look awfully slow at Nurburgring. So which car is faster? Which one is "better"?

If you're expecting to romp on the throttle and judge speed that way, the Miata will seem awfully slow. On the other hand, get it on some twisty roads, and there's little you can't keep up with. On a racetrack, I've passed cars with three times the horsepower as my bone-stock 2000 Miata. For the money, it's pretty much impossible to go faster around a track.

But if you're wanting to do quarter mile racing, you're looking at the wrong car. That's just not the Miata's forte.

And I hate to say it, but please, please, please don't buy an automatic Miata. Mazda doesn't make very good automatics, and the Miata is effectively ruined with one. It will actually hurt your resale value. If you want an automatic and fast 0-60 times, get something else, as you'll only be disappointed.

However, if you want to learn how to drive, and go fast around a racetrack, I'm not sure there's a better car to learn on than a manual Miata. And if you do get a manual, you'll get over your "I can't drive stick very well" problem in about a week.

grover posted:

I noticed in the NC documentation that it require premium fuel. What's the drawback to using regular 87 octane? I imagine the computer would automatically adjust timing, etc, to compensate and prevent pinging- loss of power? Additional engine wear?

I downloaded the Boxster owner's manual last night, too. Several things stood out as rather frightening- for example, the only way to get to a dead battery is via electronic means to open the trunk. So, if it dies, you have to use this special trunk-opening stud in the fuse box to "jump open" the trunk with another car (or battery) to get to the battery. So, I'm leaning more towards the miata now Guess that's incentive to keep jumper cables in the glove box, huh?

The NC takes premium? That's news to me, but appears to be true. You do realize the Boxster also takes premium, right? If you don't put premium in it, you will see reduced power, and you will be causing some damage to the engine due to pre-ignition and sub-optimal timing. The engine will adjust, but there is still going to be some pinging and knock before the sensors can detect it -- and on very hot days when you're trying to use all the power, it's going to ping like crazy anyway. One tank of gas probably isn't going to be a big deal, but a lifetime of poor quality gas? Personally, I wouldn't do it.

I have 2006 Porsche Cayman S. Yes, there are some "unique" issues with the Boxster. Maintenence is also going to cost a little more due to the inaccessability of the engine. Most things can be reached from underneath, but if they need to access the top of the engine, you're going to be spending mega-bucks.

Still, I think the Boxster is a better fit for you than the Miata. It's going to have more power and respond better to an automatic transmission. It's more of a GT car, while the Miata is closer to bare-bones sports car. If you want a sports car, it's hard to go wrong with a Miata, but it doesn't sound like that's what you want at all -- it sounds like you want a convertible you can cruise around in and "punch it" in between stop lights.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2007 16:19

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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IOwnCalculus posted:

Wow, that's terrible. At least the Corvette gives you a mechanical cable override in the event you're unlucky enough to drain your battery.

Actually, it's not as bad as it sounds, you can use those terminals to jump the battery. So, really, rather than putting the jumpers right on the battery, you just put them on two studs in the passenger compartment.

But yes, if the battery is dead, you don't have a car or battery to jump from, and no one's trapped in the trunk (there's the default interior trunk release), then no, you're not getting in there.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2007 22:25

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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mobn posted:

I am 6'3.25" and I fit in my NA just fine. It all has to do with your proportions. If you have too much leg or too much torso you will not fit, but if you're pretty evenly distributed you'll be fine.

NA's seem to have the most room, NB's the least.

I'm 5'9", which is fortunate as I am "stereotypical American male" and everything is designed to fit me. I have the seat in my NB almost to the firewall and I can't recline it. I can wear a helmet in the car without rubbing the roof.

All that said, anything over that height is all about porportions. Some people who are 6'1" fit and others need a foamectomy. Then there's my 6'1" brother who is all torso and he won't fit without a racing seat that's bolted to the floor. Then again, he didn't fit in my Corvette either. Or my Mustang.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2008 00:53

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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Slopehead posted:

If this is indeed the M and has leather seats it would be right in the TMV and a great deal, right?

I believe that it is the M-Edition, as it has an AC which does not come standard on the base model. Also if you look carefully the seats appear to be leather which would be another indicator of an M-Edition.

No, it is not an M-edition.

All first gen special and M-editions had tan leather and a tan top (other than the 1991 SE, which had tan leather interior and a black top). So, that's the first thing to look for. However, tan (and only tan) leather was available as a factory option, so that's not completely conclusive. All special editions were painted in a color that was not available on any other Miata. For 1996, that special color was Starlight Blue Mica, which often looks like black in photos. However, this car does not have the right wheels either and is missing the "M" badge on the front fenders. There's absolutely nothing on this car that would normally be found only on an M-edition car.

# ¿ Feb 12, 2008 01:08

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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pik_d posted:

While it takes away from the roadster mantra that the Miata has always had, would it likely make a better "sports" car?

The best sports cars are sports cars that started life as a convertible sports car and became a coupe. The weight penalty isn't significant and the chassis becomes unbelievably stiff.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2008 23:13

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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ManiacMatt posted:

So is it possible to find a NB miata in the Golden Horshoe area of Ontario for under 3-4k or will it be about dying when I get it. Also, how you people find driving the miata in the snow with snow tires.

Right now I'm just been comparing it to my neon which has been a tank in the winter so far as long as I take it slow and that's just with all seasons. The other question is what is the trunk space like, or should I invest in a little trailer type thing if I were to say go camping.

I would be surprised to find an NB anywhere for 3-4k that isn't absolutely beat to poo poo.

I don't do extensive driving in the snow, but the few times my Miata's been out in it, it didn't seem to be a problem. Granted, you shouldn't go too deep in the stuff, as the Miata has low ground clearance and you'll have to learn a new set of handling skills as it's rear wheel drive, but it won't kill you or anything.

Trunk space is small. You can get a little more room by leaving the top up and packing on the rear shelf or leaving the top down and (carefully!) stacking on top of it. The passenger's seat is also useful if you don't have a passenger. I can pack for two people for a long weekend, but if you need lots of gear, it's not going to fit. If you do use the trunk, packing it like it's a suitcase (rather than suitcase > trunk) will make the most of your room.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2008 21:25

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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AkrisD posted:

The OEM NB windblocker is not really that effective. It's just not tall enough to interrupt the flow of air. I guess it might change a slight amount at highway speeds but it's hardly noticeable to me.

Have you actually removed it? I find most people who say this really mean "I don't really notice a difference when I flip the top piece up and down." That little part doesn't make much difference, but the windblocker itself does -- particularly if you like to ride with the top down in cooler weather, as it keeps airflow in the lower parts of the car at a minimum.

But there are a few who are expecting the windblocker to give Lexus-like performance -- ie, I won't feel a hair on my head move when it's up -- and that's not at all what it does.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2008 17:08

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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IOwnCalculus posted:

While ultimately we need to bite the bullet and buy a new top, tires are due first - so what cleaners do you guys recommend so I can remove the last evidence that some bored douchebags took advantage of our recently gateless gated community? (Part of me suspects that these kids may be the same ones who are repeatedly ramming through the gates and driving up the HOA fees.)

If Ranch did such a good job on removing the dirt, why not coat the top in Ranch, let it sit, then rinse? Just a thought.

I'm having similar troubles with my top, and it's tan, so it's even worse. I have found that slightly diluted Simple Green and a stiff brush work pretty good.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2008 18:23

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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IOwnCalculus posted:

I thought you had sold your last Miata? Guess not

Went on eBay today. I finally broke down and decided to get rid of it for real.

I'll really miss it. I spent a full tank of gas last night just saying goodbye.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2008 05:49

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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For anyone interested, my 2000 SE is up on eBay.

It's got a spec miata suspension, a hard dog hard core rollbar, stainless steel brake lines, and polyurethane bushings. It's also got a lifetime alignment down at Firestone, so you can realign it for free whenever you like.

# ¿ Apr 25, 2008 19:42

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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Amir posted:

I need a new suspension setup because my stock shocks puked a long time ago. I'm not really sure what to get as I don't understand much about suspension components, specifically how to figure out what kind of ride height I'm going to get and other things like that.

From my limited knowledge, I've put together 2 plans:
code:
-FM stage 2 ($789)
-FCM mounts ($279)
-FCM bumpstops ($84)
==================
[b][i]Total: $1152[/b][/i]

*OR*

-Stock springs ($0)
-eBay Illuminas ($365)
-FM sways ($199)
-FCM mounts ($279)
-FCM bumpstops ($84)
==================
[b][i]Total: $927[/b][/i]
Feel free to suggest something entirely different. Also, FM sells "upper shock" and FCM sells "shock mounts" -- are these the same thing? Why does FM only give 2 but FCM offers 4?

For the record, my Spec Miata suspension, which included bumpstops, Bilstein coilovers (adjustable perch height, rebuildable), Eibach springs, and Eibach adjustable sways was $1300. Just a thought. I have no idea how extreme you want to go, but when I did it, it was pretty much the best bang for my buck.

For the record, it's stiff, but not so much that it causes the CD player to skip or girlfriends to complain.

# ¿ Apr 25, 2008 19:56

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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destructo posted:

Kia also used the same engine in some models, they're cheap as gently caress.

Mazda/Ford put variations of that motor in everything. It's incredibly common. Here's a list of all the cars that use the 1.8L version found in the 94+ NA Miatas:

1989-1994 Mazda Familia GT (European & Australian Market)
1989-1994 Ford Laser TX3 (Australian Market)
1990-1994 Mazda Protege LX (with VICS)
1990-1991 and 1993 Mazda Protege GT (Canadian Market)
1990-1993 Mazda 323 (European Market)
1992-1993 Ford Escort LX-E
1991-1996 Ford Escort GT
1991-1996 Mercury Tracer LTS
1994-1997 Kia Sephia GS
1997 Kia Sephia RS
1994-1998 Mazda Familia (Japanese Market)
1994-1997 Mazda MX-5/Miata (this did not have VICS until 1999)

# ¿ Jul 17, 2008 14:49

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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GoblinBomb posted:

Any suggestions re: wheels and suspension?

The KYB's are a good choice if you plan to go do some racing sometime in the future. They're adjustable, so they won't beat you up on the road, but will be acceptable when you want the car to be a little more responsive. They're reasonable too, so they won't break the bank. If you want to go cheaper, go with Tokiko Illuminas.

Honestly, at 170k, just about anything is going to be better than what you've got on there. You generally don't notice how bad shocks are because they happen gradually.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2008 18:49

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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IOwnCalculus posted:

My '99 ticks pretty loudly, but my sister-in-law's '95M ticks really goddamn loudly, enough so that even being a BP I think it might need a valve adjustment. But it keeps on running like it should...

I am convinced that the B-series engine is nigh-well unkillable. At 24 hours of Lemons, we did the following:

1. Ran it within an inch of its life for one full race.
2. Did minimal repair to fix power issues.
3. PUNCHED A GODDAMN 6" HOLE IN THE BLOCK WHEN A CONNECTING ROD FAILED.
4. Ran it on 3 cylinders for a while.
5. Drained it of oil, sent it back on the track.
6. Ran it approximately three miles under race conditions until it finally seized again.

...Nat claims it still runs, that he started it in his garage when it got it home. I've seen video, but I don't believe it.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2008 22:31

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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jfreder posted:

So I'm thinking about buying a Miata and I'd like to hear people's opinions on NA vs. NB. I think I like the NB styling better but I've also heard that they have less room (I'll obviously need to sit in a few). They also seem to cost 9-10k where as I found a '94 M-Edition with 60k miles for 4.3k. Anyone have some advice to help me make up my mind?

As was said, get whichever you prefer from a styling standpoint, they're roughly the same car under the skin.

I like the NB myself, the interior is a little nicer (though if you're big, it's a tighter fit) and I hate popup headlamps. I'd mention the glass window top on the NB as being better, but you can easily bolt a NB top on a NA if you switch the frame along with the top, so that doesn't really matter.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2008 20:59

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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How handy are you? The Miata is one of the easiest cars to work on.

BusinessWallet posted:

I don't know if this is typical, but after a time I seem to have developed 2 small holes in my top, right where the hinges are on the frame of the top. I guess it had been pinching or something and finally gave in. This was during the summer though, and so I patched it on the inside with duct tape and on the outside i used epoxy to fix 2 vinyl patches on either side. It looks absolutely atrocious. What top should I replace it with, and where is a good place to get it installed? What are typical prices people are paying to have this done?

My 99 did this and Mazda replaced the top under warranty, so I'd say it's an issue with the very early tops. Sucks it happened now, but after 10 years, the top was probably due for a replacement anyway.

Robbins tops are usually considered the best -- even better than the stock top. Make sure you get the right one and consider if you'll ever put a rollbar in this car -- some tops won't work with some rollbars. Get the rain rail, you probably need it anyway and it will save you a lot of labor.

I have no idea where to tell you to take it to have this work done, as it all depends on the area you live in. You can do it yourself, miata.net has instructions, but it's not the easiest thing in the world and you have to take your time and do it right if you want it to look good.

When my top was replaced, the dealer said it would have been ~$2000 including the cost of the top if it hadn't been covered.

quote:

I have a small tear in my drivers side seat, in the side bolster closest to the door. Is there an easy and way of getting this repaired?

Leather or cloth? Either way, see a upholstery shop.

quote:

I received a nice hit an run about a year ago, and never bothered to get it fixed because it was too expensive and my insurance would go up too much if I claimed it. Basically their rear bumper just nudged my drivers side headlamp, and creased the fender just a tad, pushing the headlight so that the tabs broke, and cracked the bumper in that area just a bit as well. I know this is vague, but what would one assume is a reasonable price for an amount of damage like this? You can barely see it from a few yards away but it drives me bonkers.

A lot. Body damage costs a lot these days. You need a bumper cover, a headlight, and possibly a fender at a minimum. You're probably looking at $1500 easy.

If you want to do it on the cheap, do this. Find a 99 or 2000 headlamp assembly on eBay or a junkyard and replace it by hand. It's pretty easy, it's only held in by three or four bolts if I remember correctly. Alternately, you could remove your headlamp and provided it's not seriously damaged, JBWeld the tabs back onto the housing. Again, for the bumper cover, source one on eBay or a junkyard. If you're lucky, you can find one in the same color and you won't have to have it painted ($$$). The fender you might get lucky and can have the dent pulled out by some paintless dent removal company.

quote:

I just rolled over 77K and that the previous owner never did the 60K maintenance that you're supposed to get on these cars. Is my radiator going to explode or anything? What is the cost of this service usually?

The biggest thing about the 60k service is the timing belt replacement and water pump replacement. Figure about $600-1000 for this repair. The repair is slightly involved, but can be done in your garage if you can follow directions and have a decent set of tools. I've seen it done in a couple of hours in a parking lot, if that gives you any idea. The parts will run you about $200, more if you choose to replace the water pump. Seriously consider doing the water pump, because it won't cost you any extra to do it now (other than the part) while it will cost you just as much as the timing belt replacement to do it later.

If you choose not to do this, it won't hurt anything, but if the pump or belt fails, it will strand you wherever you're at. For the record, I waited until 100,000 miles to do mine.

The rest of this service is pretty typical. You need to replace the air filter, the spark plugs and spark plug wires, and you need to replace all the fluids (oil, transmission, differential, brake, coolant).

quote:

There seems to be what sounds like a rock stuck inside the heat shields in my exhaust. It makes this really annoying vibration when I rev, and is most annoying at about 2700 RPM.

I can't remember if the heat shields can be tightened, but either way, this is a pretty easy fix. You need to be able to get under the car while someone revs it to 2700 rpm, and then you can see what's rattling. It might just be a rock trapped somewhere, or you might need to bend the heatshield away from whatever it's rattling against. Alternately, you could remove it altogether.

As someone said, it's probably more likely your catalytic converter, especially given your CEL problems and the odd noises you say the exhaust makes. A catback won't fix your problem though, as it only replaces the exhaust after the catalytic converter. Headers are almost wasted on the Miata.

quote:

This car is one of those dreaded CA emissions miatas and had i known this ahead of time i wouldn't have bought it. I rolled off the lot with this car almost 2 years ago and literally miles later the check engine light came on. It's been on since I've owned it, and it's always because of some damned exhaust issue. For months, it was the O2 sensor, the one closest to the exhaust manifold which I replaced, and the CEL turned off for about a month. I was ecstatic, until it turned right back on again, being the same issue. Anyone have any ideas? The exhaust is starting to sound more and more lovely lately, anyone know of a good catback solution? All I can really find for my model year is just the muffler itself, not the full exhaust. I might even buy headers to eliminate the problem all together, but it would make me so happy to get that goddamn check engine light off for good. I've even considered just selling it and getting a new car because it literally drives me that crazy.

Go to AutoZone and have them pull the code. They'll do it for free, then we can tell you what's wrong and what you need to fix. I remember I couldn't get my CEL to go off for any length of time until I pulled the intake manifold and thoroughly cleaned it. You can reset the light by pulling the main cabin fuse -- but it will also blank your radio.

einTier fucked around with this message at 08:18 on Jan 7, 2009

# ¿ Jan 7, 2009 08:16

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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pacheco posted:

What could the noise on the rear passenger's wheel general area be? It doesn't matter if I am in gear or not, but speed seems to affect it.

It could be a sticking caliper or a bad bearing, but judging by the year of this car and the overall reliability of Miatas, that would be surprising.

I'd bet either the dust shield has gotten bent and is rubbing on the rotor or a rock has gotten lodged in there. Pull the wheel and see if you see anything rubbing against the rotor besides the brake pads. If it's rock, knock it out of there. If it's the shield, just bend it back.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2010 01:57

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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Atomizer posted:

Yeah, I get leaking through my soft top where the foam splits to allow the top to collapse. Not sure what to do to fix this (aside from the necessary top replacement in the next couple of years); I'll have to take some photos in the spring when the hardtop is removed.

Replace the rubber bits. They dry out, get just a little harder than they should be and start leaking. It sounds dumb, but I had the same problem and was given the same advice and that fixed it.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2010 06:34

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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A thing happened over the weekend.

When I woke up Saturday, I had no idea that was going to be the day that I was going to be a Miata owner again. It's my fourth one, but my girlfriend's first. 1992 Sunburst Yellow with about 150,000 miles on the stock suspension.

First order of business definitely is a new suspension. It amazes me how wrecked the handling is with such blown shocks. Criminal, almost. It also needs a new driver's seat, some tender love and care, and a few odds and ends. But mostly, it's structurally solid and only cost me $3,000.

It's the car I can't seem to get away from. I get rid of them and they just keep following me home.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2012 00:36

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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Granite Octopus posted:

That's a great colour, and the polished(?) wheels go well with it. Very tidy

Yeah, they're polished wheels off of a 10 AE. Personally, I don't think they really go with the car, but the girlfriend likes them and since we bought the car together and the car needs several other things before wheels, they'll be on there for the foreseeable future.

I'm waiting for a friend to get back from some time away so that I can pick through his family's Miata junkyard and hopefully scrounge up a few missing and broken pieces. Nothing big, but there are a few things that could use some freshening up. 150k and 20 years tends to be hard on any car. Hopefully, he has a rollbar somewhere.

But really, it's that drat suspension I'm going to have to do something about. It's really the major flaw in an otherwise exceptional automobile. Having driven track prepped Miatas, it's hard to realize what the car is capable of. After that, I need to find a Torsen. The VLSD is completely blown.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2012 01:01

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 12:24

einTier: Sep 25, 2003; Charming, friendly, and possessed by demons.
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It's amazing how an underpowered 20 year old car with blown suspension can still put a smile on your face. I had completely forgotten just how good these cars really are.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2012 16:48

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