Maybe it is different in Chicago, but in Northern California spec Miata has gotten very competitive. I have talked to people with 10k just in the motor to get a handful of hp. Not everyone spends that kind of money, but the people who are competitive do. And I have met several people at the track who have blown motors, etc. and their Miatas got expensive really fast, even though they are not really competing for wins.

E30 spec, though not as fast nor as glamorous a series, is a relative bargain in that a competitive car can be built for 5-7k if you do most of the work yourself and find a good deal on the donor car, or 10k-ish if you have it built. The best part is that when you break stuff, which you will do, for the most part you just stop at pick and pull and get parts. Some of the fastest people are running 150,000 plus mile motors they got from the junkyard and just installed. The more miles the better because the loose engines make a little bit more power. You can buy a fully built, ready to race with logbook used spec car for under 10k if you don't want the hassle of building one and getting it logged. The one that is currently setting records out here was in that price range when it was built.

5-10k for a car that you can win races with if you are good enough, versus 10k to build a car that will put you at the back of the pack even if you are pretty good and will cost at least 20k to be competitive. Out here, E30 is a bargain.

However, that is out here in NorCal. It all depends on what people are running where you are at and how competitive you want your car to be. I am also not bashing on Miatas, my friend has one he is building for AX and it is a hoot. It has just gotten more expensive as the popularity increased. And if you are not out there to win, then I do not see the point in going wheel to wheel.


Amby, keep us posted on what you decide to get and how it works out

Well the deal with the car I posted fell through, the seller wasn't willing to give me time to get the car checked by a mechanic and get an insurance quote but I've been looking for other AE86s in Calgary.

Two words amby: spec miata.

There are millions of them, they're cheap, spec cars are only lightly modified so they're cheap to run, and the shell is only worth like $500 so if you wad it up into a corner a weekend with an engine hoist can get you a new runner. And they're fun as ***** to drive.

Only problem is I haven't seen a single spec Miata in Calgary.

Stop living in the wrong country you damn lumberjack.

I found a 93 Mazdaspeed Miata for 7500$.

Um... there was no 93' mazdaspeed.

It says it's an imported vehicle.

Here it is http://www.canadatrader.com/result/d...2&pgno=1&srt=1.

There's also a 92 for 6500$. Both the 93 and 92 have less than 60000 miles on them. Alternatively there's a 1990 for 5900$. Obviously all the prices are negotiable. What I'm wondering is how a roll bar works in a miata, does it require that you completely remove the soft top (thus needing a tarp for rain)?

No, you can have a bar in a soft top, google hard dog roll bars.

And those prices are insanity for a first gen, you can pay that for a 00' here in the US.

Also, IDK WTF a mazdaspeed is but it certainly isn't an actual mazdaspeed miata, which came out in like 03' with a turbo. Those are normal 1.6 cars.

I checked the prices against an average for Canadian Miatas and they're basically dead on. If our dollar was still on par with the US dollar I'd consider going to the US to buy one. I'm not interested in the ones I posted earlier since the sellers don't seem to know what the **** they're actually selling. I did find a 1991 imported Miata with 59000 KMs (37000 miles) for 6500$.

Yeah those prices are INSANE. My friend bought a clean 90' for $1000 here in the summer.

BTW don't get a 90', they have crank problems. Only real issue with any of them is the 90'.

If spec miata is too expensive, I would suggest an already prepped spec RX-7 from the early 80's.

those corollas are great to drive but can be a real PITA to maintain.

www.club4ag.com is a great source of information. a lot of knowledgeable people there. but also a lot of idiots.

as far as aftermarket support...there is a lot of it. most of it is not big name stuff but people in the community that make parts.

techno toy tuning
battle version
illegal garage

those guys make great suspension and engine parts for them like RCAs, tension rods, camber plates, 4-links, short shifters, pulleys, shifter bushings, test pipes, velocity stacks, intake manifold adapters, and really just about all things suspension related. either they make it or can source it from japan. some of them even fabricate items using new parts from other cars. i know illegal garage makes a one piece aluminum drive shaft using u joints and yokes from brand new parts that belong to the older supras.

TRD still makes a lot of parts it too. headers, suspension, and other things.

plus you can still get all the maintenance items and body panels from the parts department at the local toyota dealership. sometimes you have to bring in the part number yourself and they'll order it for you. the main thing is having the part number on hand when you walk in. they are pretty easy to find on the forums too.

HKS still makes their Hi-Power catback for about $450.

a few other major companies still make exhausts too.

cusco and a few other major suspension companies offer solutions too.

even the junkyard. ive picked up multiple sets of older 4-lug supra rims 14x7 for $25 a set...i just had to remove the valve stem cores to make the tires "bad" so they wouldnt charge me for them. various interior parts can be found in good condition for cheap too.

a lot of cheaper and better solutions are available using stock parts off other cars too. well i wouldnt say a lot but there are solutions.

another great thing is...14 inch rims are ideal for this car which means...cheaper tires. you can find falken azenis for around $60 a piece.

weir performance offers GREAT service for the rear end. they can supply you with just about any setup you want and great mail-in installation services. there was a dood who just couldnt solve the roaring problem with the rear end. he sent in his whole rear end assembly including axles and had final gear upped from 4.3 to 4.77, the whole rear assembly came back completely free of unwanted noise with a turn around time of one week.

as far as swaps go, there is pretty much a solution for whatever you want like 20v, 3sge, sr20, and 13b. i remember seeing people offering motor mount kits, tranny mount kits, bellhousing adapters, and wire harness services.

for the 20v its pretty straight forward. depending on how clean you want the swap to be. i know illegal garage can source for you water pipe kit and distrubitor relocation kits. T3 offers custom crank pulleys set up for distributorless ignition setups. one of the guys on MR2 forums and pheonix tuning offers wire harness services at a reasonable price with great reviews.

like i said, there is a lot available for you. you just have to talk to people who are really involved in the community and not just the fan boys of drifting and initial d. ive owned two corollas. the first i sold back in 2004 to buy the evo. although i didnt regret it, i missed the corolla a lot. so i bought my second one early 2007 and i dont plan on ever selling both my cars. especially since i just "paid" off the evo.

hopefully everything i wrote is easily understood. i get distracted during long posts and end up leaving words out or typing in parts of conversations. and im too lazy to proof read.

if you have any other questions im willing to help.

ohh and whoever said they dont come with LSD is absolutely wrong. well he's partially wrong. the corolla comes in two trims, GTS and SR5. however, the GTS itself comes in two trims, both twin cam and fuel injected. the difference between the two is...one is a "true" GTS with LSD. the other has SR5 interior and does NOT have LSD.

two ways to verify LSD visually is VIN or it says LSD on the differential cover.

you'll be able to tell which interior trim you have too. GTS seats are more "race" inspired...and heavy with inflatable lumbar support and adjustable "rib cage" support.

okay im done now. hope this helps with your decision.