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Gear Head posted:A new top can cost as much as $800 installed. As much? More like at least. When I was getting top install quotes, the going rate was $500+ just for the labor. If you bought a top through the shop (don't do this) you'd be looking at least $1100 all said and done. It ran me $950 to buy my own Robbins top and get it installed, and that was on the cheaper end of the spectrum.
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Feb 3, 2008 01:53
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Schwack posted:Just do it yourself, like a real man. Although, theres a good chance you will feel like less of a man midway through the install. Unless you do the NB top install, which I hear is easier. Finding a great condition NB top would have been much more hassle and not much cheaper than the Robbins no-zip glass top I bought (a smidge over $400 shipped). I also needed to have it replaced ASAP, as my old top had been cut. And some thing are just worth paying other people to do. I would have invariably spent the whole weekend trying to fight with the top (that requires a bit of retrofitting and such) and I'd undoubtedly get stuck on stupid little things multiple times. Instead, now I have (had, 6 months ago) a brand new glass window top that is every bit as nice as an OEM and was installed and fitted perfectly by someone who has installed hundreds of tops before. If you really want to do it yourself, then by all means go ahead. But for me, I'd rather avoid that headache and pay a professional for that job.
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Feb 3, 2008 02:06
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Phone posted:Well, considering that Miata Take 2's heater hose blew within 80 miles and under a day of owning it, I'm really on edge. The Torsen LSD is such a great differential. I'm so so glad that Mazda didn't cheap out and only offer open diffs (or continue to offer only crappy viscous LSDs) like so many manufacturers seem to do today ( Non-M BMWs and Porsche Boxster/Cayman  ). The difference in feel when hard driving in a Torsen equipped Miata versus an open-diff equipped Miata is pretty noticeable, especially when doing parking lot shenanigans.  And yeah, my car makes all sorts of noises. Without any real sound deadening you hear EVERYTHING, for better or for worse. It is a little unnerving at first, but you get used to it. It's quite the raw experience.
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Feb 5, 2008 08:51
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brosef deluxe posted:Oh god, I know this feeling. I am a bundle of neurosis about my car. The lifter noise in my NA on a cold morning makes me wonder when one of my connecting rods is going to exit the block, or whether the heater hose is going to burst and allow me to cook my engine without even knowing it. My transmission whines, so it's obviously going to fall out, blow up, kill a child, and leave me stranded. If it makes you feel any better, mine does the same things and I sometimes think the same thoughts, despite not actually having any real symptoms of intense wear or failure. We can be car hypochondriacs together. 
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Feb 5, 2008 22:36
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Mo Hawk posted:I love it when people look at my mileage counter and go: "Wow, 170.000 kilometers, and it still runs! How much does it cost in repairs every year?" 170,000 km is like just over 100,000 miles, right? Any car I buy better drat well still be running fine after 100,000 miles. It really makes you wonder how people treat their cars if they're amazed at a well-running 100k+ mile car made in the past 20 years. Even 170k miles isn't a lot if taken care of. It's up there, but it's far from death and/or money pit status (especially for a Miata).
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Feb 6, 2008 23:28
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Slopehead posted:Do to live in Texas and will you sell it to me without that $500 boost? Seriously, I am on a budget here and this Miata that I linked actually breaks it by close to $400. Not to poo poo on you buying a Miata or anything, but it sounds like you can't really afford to buy one. I understand buying on a budget and all, but a few hundred bucks isn't much and it could potentially get you a MUCH nicer car. Maybe you should wait a few more weeks or whatever to save up a bit more cash. Can you afford to do a full tune-up when you buy the car (plugs, wires, filters, fluids, maybe brakes)? That's at least $150 right there if you do it yourself with good parts/oils, and more if you pay a mechanic. What's going to happen when the clutch burns up, or the timing belt snaps, or the top leaks, all right after you buy the car? These are 10+ year old used cars with many miles and no warranty, and often with spotty, or zero, service history (The one you linked has none). Sure they're generally reliable cars, but they're still used cars. If you can't afford a couple hundred extra bucks, you're probably shopping beyond what you can actually afford to buy and properly upkeep. I know markets vary a lot, but at least in my area, a good condition Miata of any vintage is out of your price range. Any NA around me below $4500-5000 is almost guaranteed to come without any sort of history and likely has, or will soon develop, problems. Maybe you've accounted for all this and I'm just being an rear end in a top hat, but cars cost a good bit of money to keep up properly, and buying any used car is a gamble on what kind of maintenance issues you're going to run in to. An auction vehicle with no history at all is hardly what I would call a safe bet, either. Guinness fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Feb 12, 2008 |
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Feb 12, 2008 05:54
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Slopehead posted:I looked at the car for a few minutes before going and getting the salesman so I wouldn't be distracted with his frantic chatter. First thing I noticed looking under the car was Good eye! A little bit of research and knowledge of things to look for goes a long way. In a way it disgusts me to know that they were trying to pawn off a car in that condition, but at the same time it warms my heart to hear that you rightfully told them to shove it up their rear end. With enough patience, the right car will come along. You'll know it when you see it.
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Feb 13, 2008 04:18
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Slopehead posted:and why is a torson swap needed? For just regular road driving, it's far from a requirement. However when doing some hard driving or autox/track driving, it is a noticeable improvement. Even when attacking some twisty mountain roads, an open diff isn't going to ruin your fun. If all you're looking for out the Miata is a fun, reliable daily driver and/or weekend cruiser, then I wouldn't be too concerned about an LSD. Even if you end up getting into more performance oriented driving, a Torsen swap isn't especially difficult.
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Feb 13, 2008 05:08
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Why can't you wait and keep shopping? If you really want a Miata and you settle for something else, you're going to regret it. That's what happened to me.
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Feb 15, 2008 02:22
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Schwack posted:Its a breath of fresh air for me, really. A lot of geezers at least know their poo poo. I agree. While sometimes Miata.net irritates me to no end, at least there's not nearly as much sheer stupidity on there as most other car/brand-specific forums. Coming from bimmerforums it is a welcome change. It may not be as "exciting" with all the geezers, but they tend to know what they're talking about. I don't tend to read the miata.net forum very regularly, but it's a great technical resource. Not very entertaining, like AI, though.
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Feb 15, 2008 04:56
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compton rear end terry posted:What should it cost to install a soft top? So far I have called 2 places and they want $600 not including the top. At that price it looks like I will have to do it with some friends. I am in the Dallas area if anyone knows of a good place. I paid about a hair over $500 all said and done solely for the top install in Seattle, at one of the highest rated convertible shops. I bought the top on my own for about $400. Most of the quotes I got were in the $500-700 range just for the install, so your quotes are not out of the ordinary. The guys over on Miata.net are completely delusional when they say expect to pay $300 for a top install. That $300 price they keep throwing around must be at least 10 years out of date. Guinness fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Mar 3, 2008 |
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Mar 3, 2008 22:04
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Luxmore posted:It might be time to call a lawyer. I definitely agree. Don't let the insurance company weasel out of honoring the insurance policy that you pay for. Situations like this are exactly why you pay for insurance in the first place.
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Mar 6, 2008 09:17
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destructo posted:don't even get me started on Seattle. Oh man, I feel you there. I'm also in Seattle, and I swear the market price for decent Miatas around here is at least 50% higher than the rest of the country. Which isn't so bad once you have one, but it loving sucks when you're trying to buy one.
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Mar 8, 2008 08:18
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Schwack posted:I noticed this when I was browsing their pricing forums. They dont seem to live in areas where the demand is high at all. One car I went to look at had 7 people with appointments all in the same day, 3 days after the listing was posted. poo poo, when I was looking about a year ago, it was not uncommon AT ALL for listed cars to be sold the same day. About 1 in 3 cars I inquired about got sold before I even had a chance to go see them - and I usually tried to see them the same or next day. I can only assume they sold for near/at asking price if they're selling that quickly, too. And this was in January/February, in Seattle... during the peak of the rainy season.
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Mar 8, 2008 09:06
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Gear Head posted:My '93 is getting close to 90k miles. Is there any scheduled maintenance I should have done? http://www.miata.net/garage/mainttips.html
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Mar 22, 2008 00:10
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If he's convinced he's going to get 16.5 for it, it's going to take a cold kick in the balls from reality for him to realize that it's not going to happen. Although I can't really fault him for holding out just to test the waters. If somebody comes along in a few days and gives him 16.5 for it, then he just made $1500 more on the sale. If he's not in a hurry to sell it, it only makes sense to turn down low offers for a little while. If he doesn't sell it within 2 weeks he'll come to realize he might be asking to much for his particular market.
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Mar 27, 2008 01:04
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Etrips posted:Anyone? From Miata.net, here: http://www.miata.net/garage/mainttips.html, the 30k mile maintenance schedule includes: quote:Let's look at the 30,000 mile maintenance. For just that stuff, $600 is pretty larcenous, so you could probably get the same service performed at an independent shop for a fair amount less. Or you could do it yourself for parts cost ($100 or so). Although the Miata.net garage article is aimed more specifically at NA/NB Miatas, and not so much the NC. I don't know if you have an NC or not, but even so I imagine the 30k maintenance isn't much different.
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Mar 27, 2008 22:30
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Etrips posted:It's a pretty big list that they have.. Will post it when I get home. But is most of it just "Check x, Check y, Check z" and very little actual "Replace x, flush y, adjust z"? Because that's not really any real amount of labor or skill. What year is your car?
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Mar 27, 2008 23:08
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Amir posted:It's on the sidewall. No, no! Don't do this! The tire pressure on the sidewall is the maximum tire pressure. You do not want to be anywhere near this. Look inside the door jamb for suggested factory tire pressures (my stock 195/55 R15 suggests 28psi), but you have quite a bit of wiggle room on that. For daily driving, I prefer to bump my tire pressures up to around 32psi or so all around for a bit less rolling resistance.
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Apr 11, 2008 23:33
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The NC with the covered tail lights looks so great. That one cheap little alteration makes such a huge aesthetic difference. I've really warmed up to the NC and I really wish I could afford one. I'm in love with my NA, and the NC just looks like a more aggressive, more modern NA. And it's considerably quicker. Ah, I wish I weren't a broke student.
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Apr 13, 2008 22:36
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aksuur posted:How hard is it to do an oil change for a Miata (02 if it matters)? A relative was telling me the splash guard needs to be taken off (8 bolts), and I can see the oil filter is in a tough spot. Any comments? It's stupid easy. Either crank the steering wheel all the way to the left, or just take off the passenger side front wheel (I recommend just taking it off, you're already jacking the car up anyway and it gives lots more room/leverage). There's more than enough room to reach in through the wheel well. At least there is on my NA, I would assume the NB is nearly identical. I don't have particularly long or limber arms, and I can get the filter on/off with ease using this method.
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Apr 16, 2008 09:05
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Ziploc posted:0-100mph in about 5 seconds? Really? No poo poo, that's faster than a Veyron, which does 0-100mph in 5.5 seconds. The seller is talking completely out of his rear end. He's just making poo poo up.
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Apr 21, 2008 22:50
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That is some proper carnage. What a drag, Savington, that right after you get your engine almost totally sorted out that you blow apart your rear end. It's time to buy some parts!  But you're definitely living the dream, man. I've owned my Miata almost a year and a half now, and I'm really starting to get the "it's too slow" feeling. I still have a shitload of fun with it, especially as summer approaches, but you make me want to turbo my car so bad. Well, except for the whole differential-blowing shenanigans.
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Apr 28, 2008 07:33
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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX posted:But the rotor cannot move, douchbag. The wheel is holding it in place. Have you ever removed a rotor on a miata? Read, comprehend, then post. Amir is asking/saying that getting anti-seize all over the rotor surface by putting too much between the hub and rotor would be a BAD thing for your braking ability, and hence would put you into a tree.
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Apr 30, 2008 21:11
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phootnote posted:why do some people store their miatas in the winter? is it bc they have another car for the winter specifically? miatas do not run so well in the winter? i don't know, and i am just curious for your reasons. Miatas don't have any more trouble than any other car running in the winter in a mechanical sense. However, they just aren't the most practical or comfortable car for cold/wet climates. And if you're in a snowy climate, a low-riding lightweight RWD convertible isn't exactly the first type of car that springs to mind for getting around. For many people, their Miata is their weekend/summer fun car, brought out mostly to cruise the boulevards or attack the mountain roads in the sun. That said, plenty of people do drive their Miatas year round. My Miata is my only car, and I drive it year round in Seattle with just the soft top. I do have a garage to park it in, though, so at least it doesn't get constant exposure to the elements. We're not a snowy climate at all though, just lots of rain. But I know many AIers drive their Miatas in snowy climates year round, too. Guinness fucked around with this message at 07:06 on May 1, 2008 |
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May 1, 2008 07:04
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cods posted:Performance/driveability wise, what's the difference between the 1.6 vs. the 1.8? If I can find a lower mileage 93' or a higher mileage 94+ for the same price, is there any reason I should go for the 1.8? Any interior size difference? Most of it's already been said, but the 94+ have the bigger engine with a bit more power, beefier rear end (and Torsen option!), bigger brakes, a little bit more chassis stiffening, and a few other minor changes. If you want to see a complete option list of every model from every year, check out this spreadsheet: http://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf Personally, I prefer the 1.8L to 1.6L, along with the other small revisions that came with the 94 refresh. I've got a 95 M-Edition and absolutely love it. I've driven several 1.6s and several 1.8s, and I just prefer the way the 1.8 drives over the 1.6. That said, if you find a great condition 90-93 I wouldn't turn it down just because it has the 1.6L motor.
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May 2, 2008 20:28
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1995 77,000 miles Last fill-up: 24.06 mpg Personal Best: 27.11 mpg (all highway, 80mph+, top down - not the most aerodynamic, I realize) Personal Worst: 19.46 mpg I have a feeling my O2 sensor is dying, or something. I already cleaned my MAF and replaced the air filter, plugs, wires, etc. My lifetime average (1.5 years, 6000 miles) is 23 mpg, and I would not consider myself to be driving over-the-top aggressively. Not like a grandma, but I'm not street racing everywhere. Guinness fucked around with this message at 05:07 on Jun 9, 2008 |
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Jun 9, 2008 05:01
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Chauncey posted:^^^Since I screwed up my MAF trying to clean it and posted about it on the last page. How exactly do you clean it? What I mean is what exactly is there to clean. It's just a flapper valve then above that a spring with a circuit board type thingy and some electrical connectors. In 1994, Miatas switched to a MAF sensor from the old AFM sensor. You're talking about the AFM sensor.
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Jun 9, 2008 05:14
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Ulf posted:I'm betting that a lot of the people getting lovely mileage live out west with 75+MPH freeways, and that the people getting 30 MPG have 1.6Ls that never exceed 60MPH. I almost always do 80+ on the freeway, often with the top down, and will net around 27-28mpg if its just straight freeway driving. My car definitely has no problem achieving its expected mileage on the freeway. I'm sure I could pull 30+ if I didn't go faster than 65 and had the top up. My last short roadtrip (~175 mile roundtrip) was all highway doing 85-95 the entire time with the top down and I averaged 27.3mpg for just that trip. It's just in the city that my mileage gets absolutely murdered (more than would be expected). Averaging 22 city while driving a 2200 pound, 1.8L NA 4-banger on 195mm tires seems a little wrong. Granted, I'm not keeping efficiency at the forefront of my mind, but I'm far from street racing most often. I usually shift around 3500ish RPM to avoid open loop, and cruise at around 2000-2200 RPM, whatever gear that may be. I could maybe eek an extra 1-2mpg out of it if I drove it like an utter grandma, but all these people claiming to get near-30mpg city absolutely astounds me and I almost don't believe them. Guinness fucked around with this message at 06:42 on Jun 12, 2008 |
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Jun 12, 2008 06:38
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I've noticed recently (since it's slowly becoming top-down weather) that when I go over bumps or cracks in the road, a quiet sort of metal-on-metal clank is coming from the front of the car, I think. It happens as the front wheels hit whatever jarring imperfection in the road. I'm thinking/hoping it's just that something like a brake dust shield or similar is loose and knocking around. The car otherwise drives like it always has, no shimmying, no shaking, no weird handling characteristics. I'm due for an oil/trans/diff fluid change, so I'll be lifting up the car soon and I'll try to find any play in any parts then. But does anyone have any guesses as to the most likely culprits might? Frank Dillinger posted:I'm still looking around for a miata, and have seen some really nice 10th anniversary editions. however, a lot of them have "style bar" rollover protectors. i seem to remember them being referred to as "rat-traps". is there any truth to this? If you end up buying one with a style bar, just take it off and replace it with the factory seatbelt tower brace (which hopefully the seller has kept). I wouldn't want a fake rollbar on my car, either. The only downside is that some style bars require cutting part of the plastic around the seatbelt towers, so it may or may not bother you with the style bar removed.
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Jun 20, 2008 18:11
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Ziploc posted:Check your brake pads. They are probably loose and rattling around a bit. Thanks, I'll be sure to check them. Do you mean that the brake pads are just loose in the caliper? Is it easy to tighten? I'm sure it'll be intuitive when I look, but just trying to know what to expect. quote:10th anniversary does not equal M editon. NBs do not have seat belt tower bars. Some did have wind deflectors though. Ah, didn't realize NBs don't have the seatbelt tower brace. I've got an NA with one, so I just figured they continued on with it.
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Jun 20, 2008 20:30
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Ziploc posted:I haven't bothered to check why mine rattle. Sometimes the springs just disappear or you forget to put them back in when you change the pads. Theres not really anything you can adjust if the springs are missing. Can you replace the springs?
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Jun 20, 2008 22:23
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The easiest way to get at the oil filter is by either cranking the wheels all the way to the left, or just removing the front passenger wheel. You can get at it through the wheel well very, very easily. Takes me 15 minutes to do an oil change now.
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Jun 24, 2008 07:06
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Schwack posted:Ive got pretty big arms/hands and I can just reach down and under (from the top of the engine) just fine, how tight are you guys torquing these things on, haha. I have tiny hands, and I most definitely cannot even get my hand on the oil filter going at it from the top, let alone actually twist it off and replace it.
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Jun 24, 2008 07:45
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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX posted:Its possible. I've found that it is easiest if you stand backwards and have the back of your hand facing toward your body and the palm towards the engine when inserting your hand, that way you dont have to twist around as much once you are in there. Oh, and I recommend a glove to protect from hot engine parts. I have large hands and I can do it pretty easily... I think different people have different views on what is impossible and what you just have to take your time on. Maybe, but I've found it's a hell of a lot easier to just go through the wheel well. PLENTY of room that way. No contortion acts or careful hand/arm/body placement. I'm already lifting the car up, so it's no difference to me.
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Jun 24, 2008 17:53
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I'm amazed at the deals you guys can find on Miatas in other parts of the country. That's a $6500 car in my area, at least. Especially in July.
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Jul 3, 2008 00:06
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terrorist posted:The time has come for me to buy new wheels for my miata since the 13 inchers aren't cutting it anymore. I want to move up to a size that will put me at a more comfortable cruising RPM on the highway (come on, 4000 RPM for 65 is NOT fun). Changing wheel size won't change your cruising RPM since you'll have to run lower profile tires. I suppose you could probably fit something a little bigger than stock without rubbing if your car isn't lowered, but it'll gently caress up your speedometer and odometer reading, be heavier, and not even make any real cruising RPM difference. And 4000RPM is 80mph in my car, pretty much on the dot. Even if yours is a 1.6L, there's no way that your car is cruising at 4000RPM at 65mph unless you have a gearbox or differential with non-factory gearing or a hilariously undersized wheel+tire combination. Use this to calculate what size tires you need on different sized wheels: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
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Jul 8, 2008 05:58
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I'm looking to replace the windshield on my 95 pretty soon here. It has 13 years of pitting, sandblasting, tiny chips, and other imperfections that make it a pain in the rear end to look through on a bright day. It isn't broken or cracked or anything, but it's just time. I got quoted $185 by a mobile windshield replacement guy that one of my coworkers has used a couple times. Does that sound about right? I don't really know what something like this should run, but it sounds reasonable-ish to me. Comments?
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Jul 9, 2008 22:17
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Savington posted:Contact your insurance company. Tell them it's badly pitted and you'd like it replaced, and they'll usually do it for free. I don't have comprehensive/glass coverage on my car.
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Jul 10, 2008 00:46
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I accidentally left my parking lights on in my '95 today at work, so I needed a jump to get home. No problem there. For a couple minutes after getting the jump, my car was idling pretty low and rough, like 400-500rpm. The ECU corrected itself pretty quick and it's back to "normal" now, so I'm not too concerned. But is the ECU having to readjust itself so drastically normal? Is it a sign of something that is out of spec? For what it's worth, the car has 78k miles, new plugs, wires, and air filter within the last 4000 miles, and I just changed the oil, seafoamed, and cleaned the MAF sensor a couple hundred miles ago. It otherwise is running perfectly. It's probably nothing but I'm kind of a hypochondriac about these things.
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Jul 30, 2008 03:19
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