The most fun I've had in a while...
 

This may sound a bit strange to some of you, but here it goes anyways.

Anybody ever driven a Mazda Miata? Wow, those things are a blast to drive.

I've driven Corvettes, STIs, Evos, Jaguars, BMWs, pretty much anything that you can think of (short of true exotics). By far the Miata is the most fun car I have driven.

Maybe it is just the fact that it handles like a Lotus for the price of a Geo.

Either way, I am looking to buy one from a car lot here in town (test drove it 3 days ago). It is in really good shape: all original paint from what I can tell, runs good, most of the interior is in good shape, and it has a new exhaust on it that sounds pretty nice.

There are a few things that need work, but nothing too major. Needs new carpet, floor mats, and the seats need reupholstered (all of which I am professionally trained to do, so that makes it really easy on me). The stereo in it is an old JVC tape deck with a Pyramid booster/equalizer (anybody remember those? Eww) the drains the battery if you forget to turn it off. So it is needless to say that the stereo would be one of the first things replaced.

Plans for mods? Sure, a few. Suspension, brakes, racing seats and harnesses, wheels and tires, and maybe a Speester top.

Any suggestions or other personal experiences with Miatas would be appreciated.

It's a Great sports car. A lot of SCCA guys race those. Great for a track!!

I've seen a race built miata out run evos on the track. Just like smarsenal said that a bunch of dudes in the SCCA run those.

wow...I really want one..

what kind of engines go into them?

^ Early generations have a 1600 till 94 I believe then they are 2000. Either way they are both gutless wonders. If they came with something like an S2000 motor that would be better!!! I have a 92 FWIW all stock on 14" tires. Next to an Evo FORGET IT!!!!

Thats cool but the amount of **** I get would skyrocket if I was caught in a Miata.

you can get a mazdaspeed miata those come 1.8 turbo {thumbup}

+1 and they're easy to lighten, not that they are heavy or anything. 2440lbs skinny

Yeah, they are fairly light, and easy to make even lighter. I have quite a few plans for if I get it.

It is a 1990, so it has the 1.6 DOHC. I never accused the car of being fast, but a small turbo (Saab has some nice ones) would be just the ticket to make it fly.

Very fun, very for sale :)

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...a/poconon8.jpg

Scorke

Brakes need nothing but fluid lines and pads like our cars unless you are bolting lead to it, in terms of suspension some mild shocks and springs are fine unless your going for huge rubber.

In terms of power, find another car or come to accept it :)

Scorke

Great for autocross, a friend of mine just traded his Miata for the Mazdaspeed version, from what I can tell he's in love..

Neversatisfied,

Off course I have. Mine was a 92' Miata and I purchased 3 years ago but sold it after having it for about 8-10 weeks.

The car was a blast to drive, fun and great on gas mileage but it was indeed one of the slowest cars I ever owned in my life. I almost bought a Greddy td04-15G turbokit for it but never did, the car was simply to slow for me.

I used to get beat up by minivans on traffic lights, I use to watch old fat woman driving beat up vans that used to leave me in the dust on a traffic light, the Miata had absolutely no torque.

In my personal life, the determine factor on why I sold my Miata was one night in which a Mexican dude left me in the dust on a Ford Bronco all full of mud. Not only he beat me bad but also all his mud was falling on my car which had the top down. This was very embarassing and I promise myself to never ever get an "all show no go car", the Miata was a clear example of it and that is why it didn't last.

Carlos

Cool little cars but, Miata vs big truck on the road=UR DEAD!

I have had my 1994 1.8 liter Miata for 4 years and more than a few forced induction kits, rollbar, harness, and race seats. I use mine predominantly for autocross events in CSP, I cannot make a lot of track days because of work conflicts. The car is without a doubt a very very very slow car in a straight line, pathetic in fact. I believe my 94 with a strong tail wind will hit 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds. The car will never be fast and handle well I have seen guys take the car and try to turn it into something akin to a miniature Corvette I know I was one of them. FI kits turn the Miata into a point and shoot car which ruins the driving experience. I am back to naturally aspirated and I couldn’t be happier to have my nimble 2000 pound car back all 100 whp worth and almost forgot the 87 ft pounds of torque. The car I have now with Advance Design custom coilovers and 700# springs and 7 pound 13x8.5 wheels and race rubber is more than enough to beat pretty much anything that shows up to regional events all for about 6 grand including car stock engine and all.

I got over the horsepower thing I have driven enough fast cars that they all start to feel the same. My personal high water mark for horsepower and autocross was a 700 whp Mustang Cobra on street tires it wasn’t hard to drive just very tiring.

Please do yourself a favor and think long and hard about your need for the feeling of straight-line speed. I guarantee if you like power your fun test drive will be overshadowed by constantly wanting to modify the engine and you will most likely sell it a few months later. Also the car rattles, buzzes, and creaks when you start to modify them the NVH levels are very high with these cars. The feeling of being on the highway and a civic is in the next lane and you are looking up at it is a scary thing also considering all the Ford Expeditions and F series super duties that are roaming around.

Pro’s

Cheap to own and maintain
Strong after market
Mazdaspeed Motorsports support
Miata.net for questions
Very fast for autocross
Will not get stolen
Low compression engines with piston oil squirters (12 psi on a daily driver is easy)


Con’s

Loud
Ride will get exponentially worse with modifications
Loud
Cramped interior
Cant use as a daily driver
No room
Slow on the track except tighter courses
5th gear on the highway going 80 at 4,000 rpm gets old real fast
Motors do not make power with NA mods intake, header, exhaust 10 horsepower maybe!