My father-in-law has a 92 Miata with BBS wheels (car came from the factory with them). He lost one of the center caps. Has anybody replaced one of these on a BBS wheel before? Can a Mazda dealer get one for him, or do we need to go through a seller of BBS wheels? Any idea what the cost might be? Any help is appreciated.
The first thing you need is the factory filter wrench that fits a 3/8" drive. I still have a scar from the first time I tried it without one, but with practice you can get to the filter from the top (with the right tools). Obviously, you still have to get at the pan drain, and ramps help to get things up to a better working height.
Keep in mind that this is a do-able thing with no ramps, if you've done it before.
Some of my best road-trip memories (regardless of vehicle) are the oil-change moments. You've got to stop, shut down the engine and (like it or not) listen to and watch what's at arm's reach.
My wife and I are thinking of getting a Miata. We are living in Michigan and I am wondering if the Miata can stay on the road in winter. We can't afford to have one car sit in the garage.....we will have to use it all year around. Has anyone had winter driving experience w/ this car?
Go on Yahoo and in their United Kingdom web page check out autoexpress.com and you will find more info on the 2001. Mazda is upgrading the suspension and apparently enlarging some of the interior compartments to hold CD's.
Actually, the caps are available via aftermarket. Maybe the dealer, too. Go to Miata.net, marketplace, and try Moss Motors, Performance Buyers Club, Miata Marketing, or some other that handles lots of non-performance stuff. When I replaced one about two years ago it cost me around $65.
To tighten them, btw, I use an oil filter wrench w/electrical tape on the inside to keep from marring the plating. Works good.
If you have $65 + s&h you shouldn't have a problem with this one.
If you do a search in this topic as well as its earlier incarnations, bauersox, you should find lots of info and tips on winter use of a Miata.
A quick summary of the concensus, as I understand it (if I'm misrepresenting, I'm sure someone will add their comments): Miatas are fine on snow and ice. The chief problems are 1)light weight & 2) low clearance. Because the clearance is low and the weight is light, you can't drive in 7 or 8 inches of powder, see. To improve traction, most agree it is a good idea to add Blizzaks or some such snow treads if you're in the snow belt (like you and I are), and (divided opinion here) some people feel it is a good idea to add a 50 lb bag of stuff to the trunk for weight. In addition, I might carry a folding shovel and a bag of cat litter for traction if needed.
If the car will be parked outside, the soft top will get lots of wear w/ snow load and ice so you might need to make plans to replace it more often than you would that on a summer car -- or that may give you the excuse you want to buy a hard top for somewhere around $1800 (you could go through several soft tops for that, so it's not necessary).
I recently starting shopping for a new vehicle Im 25 yrs old married with no kids. Dont plan on any for a couple more years. Wife drives SUV. I first though I wanted a truck(toyota prerunner) untill I noticed the price of the Mazda Miata. Took it for a test drive and fell in love with it. Need help in deciding if it is practical to have a Miata as a second vehicle. Or is this a vehicle that I should buy later as a "TOY". Also any ideas of where to add more sound if I did decide on the Miata. Please help, very confused right now.
Do it now!! Buy it NOW!!! Before the "critters" arrive and does "college tuitions" sound scary?? *smile* If you can afford it, there is no better time to get a nice Miata as your second car.
For sound systems, try Clearwater, systems designed specifically for the Miata.
Is it a practical car? Sure. No problem. And in a pinch you can add the optional SUV cab w/ AWD and a video system for those in the third seat. (This does, however, slow it down somewhat.)
Being a prospective owner (2001 model), I was wondering what maintenance costs are on the later models? I assume that the engine has a timing-belt... what have you folks paid? My Subaru was $169, which is reasonable. A person my wife works with has a Millenia, and it was like $1,000 ... she said they basically have to pull the engine. Anyone have Miata nightmares? Shouldn't be any parts availability problems?
Out here in California a Miata timing belt is about $300-400. The Millennia is a V-6 so more complex and a tighter fit all around.
Miatas are a pretty troublefree car, so unless you have that small percentage of statistical failure that is unavoidable with mass production (or any production for that matter), there are no "nightmares". Anyway, this is what warranties are for. Some cars are expected to break, and be repaired for free. No problem!
Hey everybody, greeting from Korea. I can't wait until I get back to the states for a while. I am good to go on the Miata after some initial worry about the changing model for 2001. I prefer basic and I will most likely opt for the base with the suspension package and appearance package. I may consider the convenience package but I really only want the extra speakers and I can probably get those after market and cheaper. I really like cloth seats and the black rather than the tan top. Looks like according to TMV I should look at about $21,200 plus tax and title. Does this sound about right? I will also be trading so there is another chance to get screwed. Any reputable brokers any one knows of? I have heard that that is getting more popular. Let me know if any further developments are happening. Also, if there are any dealer tricks I should be wary of. Even after a lot of research I usually buy a car and then throw up from the antagonizing "dealing" process. Oh well, at least this time the car is worth the trouble. Thanks for y'alls help.
Militaryman... Hopefully it changes for 2001, but for 2000 you can't get Base with suspension and appearance. For whatever reason, those two are mutually exclusive... my wife initially thought she wanted that setup. After really looking at two new Miatae with and without the appearance package, we greatly preferred the clean look anyway.
Joe: it's been since Friday but I do think that the 2001 Miata will be well equipped and racers will have to strip them. Mazda's hand was forced by Toyota here, since the MR2-S is setup this way. Logistics are much simpler when cars come with just about everything, and that could actually cancel out the increased costs of the components used.
Billy, those who are used to me here must think I'm advertising for miata.net, but it will help you find lots of stuff, like sound equip, to spend your fortune on. Go to www.miata.net, look under the marketplace, and a number of the dealers listed will offer the equipment. Since there's no difference, you can pretty much shop for price.
I know you're right, Colin, dogonnit. I wish marketers weren't so much in control sometimes.
militaryman should probably check out some of the topics in "Smart Shopper" here at TH and some of the tutorials in shopping at Edmund's. Might help.
In Boston base 2000 Miatas are advertised for $16,995 after rebate and discounts. Don't know if that's delivered. The dealer also has others at $4100 discount. The other area dealers make for some price competition. I would draw a big 200 or so mile radius around my house and shop around.
Mr Shiftright - thanks for the info. on the timing-belt. I figure the Miatas are good quality overall and wasn't really worried about the warranty. I just wanted to make sure there weren't a lot of Porsche/Jaguar maintenance costs for brake pads, etc. Also - how much different is the car with the suspension package? Is it a much harder ride? what sort of cornering/handling improvement - 2%?, 5%?, 10%?
Anybody hear if Teal is the only new color for 2001? How about a Rally Yellow - that would be a nice incentive for me to buy one.
Thanks for all the info. $16,900 sounds really good. By the way, in Korea there are no good cars to look at. Everything here is Hyundai, Samsung etc. Koreans don't care for the Japanese much it seems Anyway, I miss the driving car lots that you see in the states. Most cars driven here are passed onto the airmans relacement when they leave for just a 6 pack of beer. I will definitely look for the best deals, but dealers in my area don't exactly have the best reputation and when you know all the facts it really ruins their day. Again, can we discuss brokers or dealer alternatives. I really hate the feeling that comes with dealing. I want to do my research, get a fair price and walk away without thinking I just crossed the DMZ to get a decent deal. Can we talk about use of brokers or maybe a name of an honest dealer. Driving 200 miles or so isn't a problem if I can have a truly desirable experience buying a tremendously desirable car.
kernick, you might be interested in all the pix and article in appreciation of the sunburst yellow limited ed. that was issued in '92; the article is the cover for the latest issue of Miata Magazine. Interesting: the color was discontinued due to low interest; now, people seem to like yellow. I still think it makes the driver look like a meter reader for the power company.
Greetings. I'm new on this board. I can confirm an earlier reference to a rebate. I visited a local Mazda dealer this past weekend and they are offering $1000 dealer incentive plus $3000 customer cash on 1999 Miatas. However, from what I can tell, there are none left in my area.
On another topic, I've been looking at the 2000 SE. It looks pretty good. I was wondering if anyone knows what is in store for 2001. I know there was one reference to autoexpress.com but I did't find much info. When I spoke to the dealer, he mentioned a possible increase in HP for 2001. Any thoughts?
Scroll back a few responses, there's lots of info on the 2001. In a sentence, there are quite a few changes in store for the 2001 model including 15 HP increase and a refreshening of the front end, and more standard equipment.
I'm thinking of buying a 2001 Miata LS but I hate the appearance package. As far as I could tell from looking at it at the dealer, it looks like it just bolts on. Has anyone tried to remove the appearance package and if so is it pretty easy?
I just got a 2000 LS and tried removing the appearance package. DON'T DO IT, at least not until you've lined up a decent body shop to fill the three holes they drilled in the rocker panel below the doors (razzlefrackin%$#!J%).
They are attached via bolts, trim anchors and supersticky doublesided tape (along with a rail piece held in place via trim screws in the three holes drilled through the rockers).
The lines of the car are great without the tack on hoohahs, it's a shame the marketing folks thought they had to add value with the junk.
Does anyone have any information on prices for th 2001 models? Will they be keeping the "standard" features they started in 3/00 ie:a/c, fog lights, mags, wind blocker? Thanks
Do any of the veterans of the Miata forum know if Mazda people are monitoring this forum?
The Lincoln LS forum is being monitored by a number of Ford people who are in a position to provide sound info., and help owners get problems corrected.
Does anyone know how to get this message to Mazda?
The blue soft top on my 1999 10AE has some tiny white specs on it. I can't tell if it's some kind of paint over spray or if the blue dye is spotting. Anyone else see this phenomenon?
Drove the Miata up to Lake Erie for the weekend. When I started it to go home, the airbag light started flashing, the pattern is 4 flashes in a row, then it pauses, does it again. Anyone have any idea what this means? I am assuming it is a self-diagnostic message, but cannot find anything on it.
Thanks
P.S. Waiting to order a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria (240 horsepower with the handling & Performance package), and I can put the Miata in the trunk if I have to take it in for service for this!
I have this belief that ignorant macho fools like this pure_evil are most likely 4'10" 90 lb goof ball 27 year old virgins who have a need to sound tough in places where nobody can see them.
Looks: both look quite different, Toyota is modern and fresh and will attract more attention. Mazda more classic looking but familar. Handling: very similar, Toyota has the slight edge on the track, but the Mazda may feel better balanced on the road. Acceleration: Toyota is faster by about .5--8 seconds to 60 due to more modern engine and less drivetrain loss. Interior: Toyota is more roomy on the inside, Mazda may be snug Storage: Both are skimpy but Mazda has a real trunk and has twice the storage space. Toyota has awkward storage behind seats and a front cubbyhole. Price: good luck finding a MR2 anywhere under $24K whereas Miatas can be had heavily discounted. In real world, you can get a comparably equipped Miata for thousands less than a MR2. Shifter: Mazda shifter is one of the best. Toyota is "more remote" and has longer throw. Aftermarket: Lots of aftermarket parts are available for the Miata, Toyota is too new. Reliability: Toyota should win here.
If you can wait until late fall or spring, Mazda's 2001 model has numerous improvements including more power, bigger wheels, revised front end, new seats, improved handling, more standard equipment.
I believe that the Miata is a better all-around car but the Toyota is a bit better if you want to race it. Ray
Hey Freddie_K, you read me like a book! You're a little off, though. I'm actually 4'9", 135 lbs (I need to cut back on the 'ole Big Macs and fries). Furthermore, I'm actually a 30 year old virgin. Wow, I'm even more a loser than you thought, huh? And yes, I'm a coward. This way I can diss people and not get, in this case, a gang of dandy boys coming after me. But anyway, good call! You saw through my charade! Oh, you know what the other thing is, I don't even own a Camaro or Firebird! I own a 1994 Ford Escort! How's that for a loser!
lahans, I think you should drive both to find out what suits you. If you go only on style you probably won't be terribly happy. (It's about the car, right?)
You might enjoy topic 1732, this topic, for a pretty inconclusive dissection of the two cars.
So far as deals are concerned, I don't think you'll find any discount at all off of MSRP on the Toyota for the next year or so. The run and import is limited. But the Mazda discounts and content is considerably higher at this time since there are 500,000 or so of them on the road.
I want to be just like you ... smart, witty, and charming. So I'm going to forget the Miata / F-Body choice, and get an Escort like you. Maybe if I'm lucky I could even get a Festiva! I'll also spend my free time going into websites and post things, which I have no interest in. Yep if it weren't for the Internet, people like us would just have to sit around and try and light our farts for entertainment, huh? Now to all the Miata folks - excuse my dislike for stupidity. Not only that, that's just the type of attitude, that is the biggest negative about buying an F-body. That and cops who are looking for these cars, especially the older ones, because a bunch of loudmouth idiots are driving around drinking.
Gentlemen, genglemen,....this topic is about Miatas....so unless you want to be writing in disappearing ink, please stick to the discussion of this wonderful car and enjoy yourselves.
Ok, I'll behave now. Kernick, I noticed on your profile that you were in the market for a Firebird. I'm actually in the market for a Camaro Z28. I find it interesting that you have narrowed down your decision to two cars (I'm assuming) that seem so different. I view the Firebird/Camaro as falling under the typical American muscle car formula--get as much bang for the buck. In the case of the F-Bodies, you're basically buying an engine, so elements such as interior design/quality suffers. The Miata, on the other hand, has a completely different formula. For me personally, I'm willing to skimp on interior quality in order to get the LS1 Corvette engine (detuned of course). My first choice in cars would be a Corvette, but I can't afford one, so I'm getting the next best thing. I'm just curious how you narrowed your decision down to these two cars. What features are you looking for in your next car?
Tell me what you expect people to think when you march right on into a rather friendly topic and start blabbering on about how all guy Miata fans are Gay, giving stupid, useless, and completely ignorant opinions about the Miata that have nothing at all to do with the car.
Fbodies and Miatas are two different worlds, and two completely different kinds of fun. None is better then the other, even if the Fbodies tend to come with a dose of uneccesary attitude.
Thank you Mr. Shiftright. Maybe I'm just getting tired of all the stereotypes everyone has. As you can see I have picked up one too - concerning the type of people who drive the older Camaros and Firebirds. I had a '98 Camaro V-6 before and people at work or family, all had the "mid-life" crisis comments. To me it was a good-looking, sporty car at a reasonable price. Now in considering whether to buy a 2001 F-Body and enjoy the "power" fun, or a Miata "toss-around" fun, I'm sitting here picking up on stereotypes. I try and come here to Townhall to hear about people's modifications, maintenance and repairs, or links to next year's models.
Pure-Evil: Just thought of a joke: why is a Miata better than a Camaro for picking up chicks? Answer - because if they don't fit in the Miata I would sing that old Polka favorite - "She's too Fat for Me".
Well, freddie_k, I expected people to act as they did. My comments were idiotic, I was just having some fun. I guess I expect people to laugh it off, because I don't have any problem with gays. I live in Hawaii, so when they had the whole thing where they were trying to make gay marriages legal, I totally supported it. So if you were offended, I apologize. Geez, people are so serious! Man, I was rolling reading the responses I was getting!
kernick, don't let anyone talk you out of getting what you want by saying you're having a mid-life crisis. One of my bosses is, I would guess in his 60's, and he drives a Corvette! And he has no superiority attitudes or anything. Get what makes you happy. I'm sure a Miata is fun to drive. I would guess it's pretty light, so that would make it feel pretty peppy.
For all you Miata owners, I read an article a while back and it said that the Miata uses 90% of its capability in city traffic. The article treated that comment as a positive. Maybe I interpreted it wrong, but I was thinking, that would kind of suck. Is this true?
No a Miata won't use 90% of it's capabilities in city traffic. A Hyundai Accent will though...
And there is more to the notion of using 90% of a car's capabilities in traffic than you're picking up on. You need to spend some time with people that really race (not bench racers - or straight liner racers) and glean some knowledge. That's your assignment this week. :-)
BTW, you can use up all of an F-body convertible's handling capabilities going over a set of railroad tracks. (Cowl shake? How much can you stand? ;-)
Have you driven a Miata today? If not, see if any of your friends have one, or go for a test drive and then whip it around some twisty roads. Owning a Miata is not the same as owning an F-body. You won't get the acceleration of an F-body in a Miata (unless you spend extra money and get an FM turbo, which would crank about 200hp at the rear wheels) It is nice to see cars trying to tail me disappear on oon-ramps or off ramps, or trying to keep up on backroads. Oh by the way, if you want an F-body, better go quick, because it won't be around for long.
Hugo, what am I not picking up on? I think you're telling me that I did indeed misinterpret the article. Enlighten me! I need to find that article, whatever car it was being compared to (I forgot) used up 60% of its capabilities in city traffic. That's why the comment seemed weird to me. Using my common sense (no comments, please), I figured, well, I'd rather have a car that used up 60% than 90%. But, the article seemed to favor the Miata on this point. So what the hell am I missing, besides a fully functioning brain?
And yes Karl1973, point well taken. I wonder what GM is going to replace the F-body with, if anything. Maybe if I don't get it, I'll check into this FM Turbo option. With that package, your Miata must fly! To tell the truth, I have actually been seriously considering a Miata.
Seek enlightenment by digging and reading (hate to say it, but do it the hard way like the rest of us schmucks did ;-).
I will drop some hints though. Racing is generally done in pretty evenly matched classes. There shouldn't be a huge equipment edge. So where do you get an edge?
Don't know if you've ever heard of the Scarab cars (but being a Cheby fan you should be- see http://www.webcom.com/tomkat/scarab/kb33.html ). We had Burt Levy at breakfast this morning (he's written a couple of racing novels, writes a column for Vintage Motorsports magazine, http://www.vintagemotorsport.com/ and mooches drives in race cars). He ran the 'continuation' Scarab last weekend at a fairly tight track. This Scarab, #5 of 3 total, has a 600 HP Chevy small block and disc brakes (the original used drums - huge honking aluminum finned jobs). This is a great car for a fast course like Road America. He said that, on the track he was running, there was only one place he could really use the HP, the rest of the time it felt like he was wrestling a bear in a phone booth. At one point he waved a puny little bathtub (356) Porsche by. (And that paragraph contains another clue.) Sub-assignment, who drove the Meister Brauser sponsered Scarab?
BTW, I already have next week's assignment ready. :-) Both yours and mine. I get a Sierra to test drive and then a Z06. You get to tackle defining 'unsprung weight'. (Sorry, can't trade places... ;-)
Please help. I want to buy a miata, should I buy the year 2000 or wait for the 2001 model. Anyone got a picture or the URL on the year 2001 model, even some information on it?
Comments
Keep in mind that this is a do-able thing with no ramps, if you've done it before.
Some of my best road-trip memories (regardless of vehicle) are the oil-change moments. You've got to stop, shut down the engine and (like it or not) listen to and watch what's at arm's reach.
To tighten them, btw, I use an oil filter wrench w/electrical tape on the inside to keep from marring the plating. Works good.
If you have $65 + s&h you shouldn't have a problem with this one.
Take care.
Joe W.
A quick summary of the concensus, as I understand it (if I'm misrepresenting, I'm sure someone will add their comments): Miatas are fine on snow and ice. The chief problems are 1)light weight & 2) low clearance. Because the clearance is low and the weight is light, you can't drive in 7 or 8 inches of powder, see. To improve traction, most agree it is a good idea to add Blizzaks or some such snow treads if you're in the snow belt (like you and I are), and (divided opinion here) some people feel it is a good idea to add a 50 lb bag of stuff to the trunk for weight. In addition, I might carry a folding shovel and a bag of cat litter for traction if needed.
If the car will be parked outside, the soft top will get lots of wear w/ snow load and ice so you might need to make plans to replace it more often than you would that on a summer car -- or that may give you the excuse you want to buy a hard top for somewhere around $1800 (you could go through several soft tops for that, so it's not necessary).
Hope that helps.
Take care.
Joe W.
Also any ideas of where to add more sound if I did decide on the Miata. Please help, very confused right now.
If you can afford it, there is no better time to get a nice Miata as your second car.
For sound systems, try Clearwater, systems designed specifically for the Miata.
Is it a practical car? Sure. No problem. And in a pinch you can add the optional SUV cab w/ AWD and a video system for those in the third seat. (This does, however, slow it down somewhat.)
Take care.
Joe W.
Anyone have Miata nightmares? Shouldn't be any parts availability problems?
Thanks Again
Billy
Miatas are a pretty troublefree car, so unless you have that small percentage of statistical failure that is unavoidable with mass production (or any production for that matter), there are no "nightmares". Anyway, this is what warranties are for. Some cars are expected to break, and be repaired for free. No problem!
Joe: it's been since Friday but I do think that the 2001 Miata will be well equipped and racers will have to strip them. Mazda's hand was forced by Toyota here, since the MR2-S is setup this way. Logistics are much simpler when cars come with just about everything, and that could actually cancel out the increased costs of the components used.
-Colin
I know you're right, Colin, dogonnit. I wish marketers weren't so much in control sometimes.
militaryman should probably check out some of the topics in "Smart Shopper" here at TH and some of the tutorials in shopping at Edmund's. Might help.
Take care.
Joe W.
Mr Shiftright - thanks for the info. on the timing-belt. I figure the Miatas are good quality overall and wasn't really worried about the warranty. I just wanted to make sure there weren't a lot of Porsche/Jaguar maintenance costs for brake pads, etc.
Also - how much different is the car with the suspension package? Is it a much harder ride? what sort of cornering/handling improvement - 2%?, 5%?, 10%?
Anybody hear if Teal is the only new color for 2001? How about a Rally Yellow - that would be a nice incentive for me to buy one.
Take care.
Joe W>
On another topic, I've been looking at the 2000 SE. It looks pretty good. I was wondering if anyone knows what is in store for 2001. I know there was one reference to autoexpress.com but I did't find much info. When I spoke to the dealer, he mentioned a possible increase in HP for 2001. Any thoughts?
They are attached via bolts, trim anchors and supersticky doublesided tape (along with a rail piece held in place via trim screws in the three holes drilled through the rockers).
The lines of the car are great without the tack on hoohahs, it's a shame the marketing folks thought they had to add value with the junk.
The Lincoln LS forum is being monitored by a number of Ford people who are in a position to provide sound info., and help owners get problems corrected.
Does anyone know how to get this message to Mazda?
jpscatena@t-one.net
Thanks
P.S. Waiting to order a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria (240 horsepower with the handling & Performance package), and I can put the Miata in the trunk if I have to take it in for service for this!
Yep. Buy a used one .... almost 500,000 available.
TAke care.
Joe W.
Lahens
Looks: both look quite different, Toyota is modern and fresh and will attract more attention. Mazda more classic looking but familar.
Handling: very similar, Toyota has the slight edge on the track, but the Mazda may feel better balanced on the road.
Acceleration: Toyota is faster by about .5--8 seconds to 60 due to more modern engine and less drivetrain loss.
Interior: Toyota is more roomy on the inside, Mazda may be snug
Storage: Both are skimpy but Mazda has a real trunk and has twice the storage space. Toyota has awkward storage behind seats and a front cubbyhole.
Price: good luck finding a MR2 anywhere under $24K whereas Miatas can be had heavily discounted. In real world, you can get a comparably equipped Miata for thousands less than a MR2.
Shifter: Mazda shifter is one of the best. Toyota is "more remote" and has longer throw.
Aftermarket: Lots of aftermarket parts are available for the Miata, Toyota is too new.
Reliability: Toyota should win here.
If you can wait until late fall or spring, Mazda's 2001 model has numerous improvements including more power, bigger wheels, revised front end, new seats, improved handling, more standard equipment.
I believe that the Miata is a better all-around car but the Toyota is a bit better if you want to race it.
Ray
Thanks,
Lahens
couldn't resist all the refernce to American muscle car....
you guys have a nice forum here. I've been monitoring as I may be a Miata buyer soon.
thanks,
Shon
You might enjoy topic 1732, this topic, for a pretty inconclusive dissection of the two cars.
So far as deals are concerned, I don't think you'll find any discount at all off of MSRP on the Toyota for the next year or so. The run and import is limited. But the Mazda discounts and content is considerably higher at this time since there are 500,000 or so of them on the road.
Good luck with your choice.
Take care.
Joe W.
Now to all the Miata folks - excuse my dislike for stupidity. Not only that, that's just the type of attitude, that is the biggest negative about buying an F-body. That and cops who are looking for these cars, especially the older ones, because a bunch of loudmouth idiots are driving around drinking.
The Host
Fbodies and Miatas are two different worlds, and two completely different kinds of fun. None is better then the other, even if the Fbodies tend to come with a dose of uneccesary attitude.
I had a '98 Camaro V-6 before and people at work or family, all had the "mid-life" crisis comments. To me it was a good-looking, sporty car at a reasonable price.
Now in considering whether to buy a 2001 F-Body and enjoy the "power" fun, or a Miata "toss-around" fun, I'm sitting here picking up on stereotypes. I try and come here to Townhall to hear about people's modifications, maintenance and repairs, or links to next year's models.
Pure-Evil: Just thought of a joke: why is a Miata better than a Camaro for picking up chicks? Answer - because if they don't fit in the Miata I would sing that old Polka favorite - "She's too Fat for Me".
kernick, don't let anyone talk you out of getting what you want by saying you're having a mid-life crisis. One of my bosses is, I would guess in his 60's, and he drives a Corvette! And he has no superiority attitudes or anything. Get what makes you happy. I'm sure a Miata is fun to drive. I would guess it's pretty light, so that would make it feel pretty peppy.
For all you Miata owners, I read an article a while back and it said that the Miata uses 90% of its capability in city traffic. The article treated that comment as a positive. Maybe I interpreted it wrong, but I was thinking, that would kind of suck. Is this true?
And there is more to the notion of using 90% of a car's capabilities in traffic than you're picking up on. You need to spend some time with people that really race (not bench racers - or straight liner racers) and glean some knowledge. That's your assignment this week. :-)
BTW, you can use up all of an F-body convertible's handling capabilities going over a set of railroad tracks. (Cowl shake? How much can you stand? ;-)
Oh by the way, if you want an F-body, better go quick, because it won't be around for long.
And yes Karl1973, point well taken. I wonder what GM is going to replace the F-body with, if anything. Maybe if I don't get it, I'll check into this FM Turbo option. With that package, your Miata must fly! To tell the truth, I have actually been seriously considering a Miata.
I will drop some hints though. Racing is generally done in pretty evenly matched classes. There shouldn't be a huge equipment edge. So where do you get an edge?
Don't know if you've ever heard of the Scarab cars (but being a Cheby fan you should be- see http://www.webcom.com/tomkat/scarab/kb33.html ). We had Burt Levy at breakfast this morning (he's written a couple of racing novels, writes a column for Vintage Motorsports magazine, http://www.vintagemotorsport.com/
and mooches drives in race cars). He ran the 'continuation' Scarab last weekend at a fairly tight track. This Scarab, #5 of 3 total, has a 600 HP Chevy small block and disc brakes (the original used drums - huge honking aluminum finned jobs). This is a great car for a fast course like Road America. He said that, on the track he was running, there was only one place he could really use the HP, the rest of the time it felt like he was wrestling a bear in a phone booth. At one point he waved a puny little bathtub (356) Porsche by. (And that paragraph contains another clue.)
Sub-assignment, who drove the Meister Brauser sponsered Scarab?
BTW, I already have next week's assignment ready. :-) Both yours and mine. I get a Sierra to test drive and then a Z06. You get to tackle defining 'unsprung weight'. (Sorry, can't trade places... ;-)