You should buy yourself that 96. You won't be sorry. You can install or have installed a airbag cut off switch. http://www.airbagoptions.com A friend of mine installed one of their kits in his 95. As far as the hardtop goes I don't really know how hard they are to find, but I have seen some in the classifieds at http://miata.net That site is the holy grail of Miatadom. Check them out.
Mine stays down, 'cause I'm lucky enough to go from car port at home to garage at work. I'm even considering closing the car port in so I never have to put the top up.
Peter - check your state laws. I found out that in MD, kids have to be 13 years old to ride in front in a 2 seater. I was a bit shocked, but a friend checked (Boxster owner) and that's what she told me. I was bummed 'cause I have a 2 year old and had specifically bought a '93 because it had no passenger air bag.
Hard tops are not hard to find. You may need luck to match colors, but they are always available.
The '93 has the 1.6l engine, 116hp, 25/30 mpg, one air bag, but it is lighter. The '96 had the 1.8l engine, 128hp (IIRC), 22/27mpg, and dual bags. The interior is a little different, and there is more chassis bracing and bigger brakes.
Have had my 01SE BRG for almost a month now, and it's been a blast. One thing I noticed, though, is that the paintjob is very delicate. Apparently, Mazda does not clearcoat BRG - unlike the 01 metallics/micas, red and black. It easily scratches/abrades, and watermarks have been a problem, even with meticulous care and two coats of Meguiar's wax. Anyone with the same problems? Would be grateful for any suggestions.
I can't believe that law about kids up to 13 years old. That is ridiculous! Plenty of kids in the 10-13 year old range are as big as many adult women. My oldest son is 10 years old and at 5 feet tall and 90 lbs is already bigger than some women. And he's not an exceptionally large kid. There was another ten year old on his baseball team who was 5'4" and 170 lbs. Just when I thought California was nuts for raising the requirements for car seats from 4 years old and 40 lbs to 6 years old and 60 lbs, I find there are states out there that are even more absurd. It must be an overreaction to all the hype about kids and airbags. I guess they forgot that not all cars have passenger air bags. I too had narrowed myself down to pre-93 for this reason.
I could not believe it either. The Boxster owner went to the MVA in MD to ask about it, and that's what they said. I'm curious to know if anyone else heard that, or if any states have a similar law.
When I read your post I went "Ding-Ding" on the not-all-cars-have-dual-air-bags thought.
Ray: try a water blade to dry the car after cleaning to prevent water marks.
it appears that $6000 in atlanta can get me a 1993/94 model at around 60k-90k. Is this going to last me? I'm planning to use the car to teach myself and my girlfriend how to drive stick (yes i know, it's about time i learned!), so i figure a used car would be best in, and what better used car than a miata
any suggestions for a $6000 miata "beater" (year, mileage) would be much appreciated! thanks all! Also, what mechanical problems are most associated with the 93/94 model years so i can look out for those as well?
In 1975, I learned to drive a stick with a '69 MGB. I paid $1000, about $6000 in todays money.
My advice is don't focus just on 93/94. Any year from 90-97 is good. 90-early 91 had a nose crank issue, not a showstopper. I found a bunch of good Miatas back in March, I was focused from about 7-$10k. The Miata is strange beast high mileage is not necessarily a killer. Try autorader.com and the AJC website. You can find several good ones to look at every weekend. MazdOnly does prepurchase inspections for $60.
Hi, I agree that Miatas with high mileage should not be a deterrant. We were living in Atlanta in '99 when we bought a used '94 with high mileage for $5000. This was excellent money spent, as since then, it has seen tons more miles and is still going strong. We are hoping it will last to the 200,000 mile mark, and at 138,000 miles now, it looks like it will. Good luck. You will enjoy having the stick with the Miata. Beth
It is an very good independent Mazda shop in Chamblee. R Speed in Marietta is also good. Some dealers don't like to do prepurchase inspection, afraid of being treated as if they are liable if something is overlooked.
Shop around wolfy, and you'll find a suitable used one. They are plentiful. Make sure to drive each and pick the one that feels best to you. To be safe, you could have a mechanic have a look-see too.
The 90-93s have the 1.6l engine, and the 94 and later got a 1.8l. You may want to drive both to see if you have a preference before buying. The bigger engine has more torque, but the early models were a little lighter.
I found a 99 Miata today for an amazing price because of high mileage, but not high enough to deter me. It had everything I wanted, 5 spd, leather pkg, a hard top etc. and it was one of the two colors I want (midnight blue, the other is red with tan). A called to make sure it was still their and took off. Over an hour of traffic later I arrive to find it was sold twenty minutes earlier. I am sooo disappointed. Sorry for whining, but the people in this forum are probably the only ones who can understand!
FWIW, I have leather and would prefer cloth on such a sporting vehicle. Mine's not heated so it's cold in winter, sticky and hot in summer. Gimme cloth any day, which is also more grippy.
Are you almost done with the lease on that ZX2 and ready to make the plunge? How cheap was it? I have been amazed at how cheap the '99s are now. There were several in this past weeks "Sports Car Trader" (this is a local used sports car magazine, associated with AutoTrader). I saw some very nice looking ones with reasonable milage for under $13K US. I must avoid look at that magazine anymore. My wife would kill me if I started sports car shopping again.
Are we married to the same woman? Ever since I gave back my 1995 Miata when the lease ended in 1998, I've been fighting the urge to get into another one. I'll tell my wife I'm over it, and then sneak over to dealerships to check out new and used Miatas. Now that these used M2 prices are coming down to the low teens, I too have been getting the urge to sink further into debt. I wish I never owned one. It's better to not know what you are missing when it's not in the family budget. We need a freak July snow storm, quickly!
I've actually got a year left but I've worked out an arrangement with the leasing company used by the company I work for so I don't lose money. I was considering a new one but I have plans to buy a place to live sooner or later and I'm trying to keep the payments the same as they are now, but I also won't go older then the 99 restyling. This 99 was $19k canadian with 80k km on it (50k miles). I typically see similar cars ranging anywhere from $23k to $30k. I'm finaly actively looking now and I'm just waiting for a deal I can get my hands on. I've never heard of the sports car trader, if we have one I haven't noticed it. I've also got the same problem of torturing myself with these magazines :-)
ateixeira- I would actually pass up the leather as well for the same reasons if I could but I want the other options offered in the package. Eventually I plan to add the blistien shocks of the sport package.
I actually prefer cloth over leather too. I'm not sure about the leather in the Miata, but in many other cars I've owned the leather ends up looking really worn after a few years. In my search for an '01 it was tough to find a base model with only the suspension package. It seems that most dealers were stocking only LS models. Maybe, this was due to the hp fiasco. I did wish that I could have bought mine without a/c (to save weight).
Hi Mark, I have a question for you regarding Buck's Grills. You suggested to me before I should get one and I am ready to place the order. They are beautiful. Was just wondering if they are hard to install or if it would be better for me to have Buck install for me. I live only a few hours from Atlanta so it would be easy for me to drive over one Saturday. I am a female but I am pretty good repairing and putting things together. Thanks for your opinion on this!
Also, I am interested in help anyone could give me regarding dash kits. Where is the best place to order from and actually see the kits before ordering.
often because most people dont care for their leather.. how many people do you know rub and condition their leather at least once a month? that's what it takes if you're in the dry/hot climates. Leather needs to be conditioned constantly to stay supple. Like a baseball glove that's always oiled, it could last a long time. 99% of my friends/family never ever condition their leather from the day they buy it to the day they sell it.
An effort I'd rather not deal with really. The Miatas leather seems pretty rugged anywa, And I'm sure it can take a rainfall accident. Its the higher quality material that wears out quickly.
You could install the grill yourself. The kit is the grill, plastic spacers, and wire ties. Put the spacers in place, pull the wire ties through, pull tight, cut off the ends. Having said that, after I emailed Buck, he came over, put it on himself, took some pictures for his website, mine is the black one. It is a quality piece. Good luck. ) http://communities.msn.com/BuckDesign/9097diamondforwardprofilenew.msnw Dash kits, read good things about the products from this company.
as i read about the improvements to the 99 miata (glass rearwindow!) i'm thinking, hey, let's take a plunge! Now i'm debating, which is actually the better model? Magazine reviews show that the 2001 model (even with variable timing) has actually lower performance numbers! Since i'm going to be spending around $19k-22k anyway, which is the "better" car (all options on the 99 and '01 being equal)?
i just purchased a 2001 SE and i love this car. i can't compare it directly to the 2000/1999 models. however, i feel the power is enough for the fun-factor. sure it can use a few extra ponies, but so can just about every car, barring the high-end imports.
nice thing about miatas, like the other imports, after the warranty goes, one can bolt-on an array of aftermarket toys to bump-up the horsepower without hurting the reliability.
Something just hit me .... I added a kick [non-permissible content removed] boom box and amp in the trunk of my Miata yesterday. The sound system is thumpin' now.
But I just realized something ... what happens if I get a flat tire? There's NO space left in the trunk ... barely enough for a duffle bag.
Have any of you guys had to deal with this? If I get a flat tire and have to put on the spare, where do I store the full sized tire? This can be trouble if I'm taking a long trip.
The Miata is a great car, but sometimes the impracticality of it hits me hard.
Eddie
PS: for all you guys contemplating used Miatas, I'd definitely agree not to let year or mileage be a deterant. I picked up a 92 in early March with 60K miles on it ... not terrible but alittle old. It's worth every penny. The car has been absolutely a thrill to drive ... and the requests by young ladies in the office for me to take them to the beach has my weekend schedule full for the rest of the summer. Insane.
Eddie, here's 2 thoughts: Carry a can of fix-a-flat. Consider joining AAA (I think we pay $25 yr). My last flat, I picked up a nail somewhere, luckily the tire went flat in my own driveway, not on the road. Anyway, if you need to put the donut on, the full size tire might have to go in the passenger seat in a crunch.
Leather vs Cloth seats, this doesn't matter much either. Cloth has advantages in a Miata, you don't slide around so much. For our seats, I apply a leather conditioner or dressing monthly, just to keep it slightly moist.
I'm hunting around for a new '01 Miata LS with 6spd. and ABS, but the dealers here in atlanta are telling me that the 6spd. models are not being ordered with ABS (only the automatics come with it), because the miata is a sporty car and ABS is undesirable and unnecessary in a car with a manual trans.
Is this true or are the dealers pulling my leg to make a sale? I've always been told that having ABS is an extra measure of security (especially in these wet atlanta winters) that one should always ask for if available.
I'm not sure about how they package them, but mine doesn't have ABS and I'm okay with that. The brakes are quite easy to modulate, and it's a very light car to begin with.
OTOH, I don't drive mine in foul weather, and the cars I do drive have ABS.
I would love to hear further explanation of why ABS is unnecessary in a car with manual transmission. I have never heard anyone say that and cannot fathom what the rationale could be.
The post which mentioned the degree to which the trunk is compromised by big-time audio stuff reminded me how I made space in my MGB for important things. In my case if was a Kennedy machinist's chest (love them MGB's), but it could just as easily have been an amplifier.
Point being, putting the spare tire or any other weather-resistant item on a luggage rack mounted on top of the trunk (boot) lid buys one significant useful dry space inside.
I'm 6'2" and drove over 200K miles in either an MGB or a Miata (remarkably similar interior rooom), and encourange one and all to use these cars for their intended purpose -- long distance touring.
Thanks Mark for the information on Buck's Grills and the dash kits. I think I will give him a call tomorrow and order one. your instructions sounded very simple.
Thanks again for your help! Have fun on the 4th with your top down!
i plan to upgrade the stock stereo/speaker in the miata, nothing fancy, but i just want competent work. can anyone suggest an installer? or is hifi buys the best we have in atlanta?
It is not a common site to see a manual transmission Miata equipped with ABS. Almost all automatic Miata's I have seen come equipped with ABS. Mazda caters to the racing community with the Miata. ABS hinders the ability of the driver to "hang" the tail out in a corner, should he or she please. The role of ABS is questionable in today's insurance market. Some insurance providers are dropping their ABS discounts, and many more are investigating the actual benefits provided by ABS.
ABS is only beneficial if the driver steers the vehicle in a panic stop. The vast majority of drivers do not. In the situation where the driver does not, or cannot, steer around an object, the shortest stopping distance would be the most beneficial for the driver. In most cases, ABS increases the stopping distance of a vehicle by a few feet. Those few feet can make a huge difference in a collision.
However, I have sold Mazda's and was the lot/inventory manager at a Mazda dealership. I have seen manual transmission Miata's equipped with ABS. They do exist, although they are far and few between. I have seen ABS equipped on both 5-spd and 6-spd equipped Miata's. Try another Mazda dealership and insist that you will not buy a Miata without ABS. If they want the sale, they will try to locate a vehicle for you. If they give you attitude, go to another dealership.
If you are on Roswell Road in Alpharetta at that Hi-Fi Buys, then go north just a little farther. On the right is a place that installed our CD/Cassette stereo, headrest speakers, door speakers, and cruise control.
The only thing is we haven't been in Atlanta for almost a year & I can't remember the exact name. It's something patriotic, like American Stereo or American Electronics. But it's just past the Hi-Fi Buys on Roswell Road, Alpharetta. They also sell Cell Phones, etc. Hey, maybe it was American Cellular.
Anyhow, they were less expensive than Hi-Fi Buys and knew about Miatas, as they do alot of work for Roswell Mazda just down the road. They did a great job with our installations.
Mark, i hear ya. Nothing more vulnerable than a nice stereo with your top down, so my initial plan is to keep the stock head unit and add a 2 ch. amp and upgrade the door speakers, stuff thieves wont notice. I hope the stock head unit will deter them from looking further. Where did they steal your car? i'll have to make sure to avoid those areas!
thanks for the tip Beth! as a matter of fact, I may be picking up my miata at the roswell mazda! so while i'm there, i'll make sure to look for the audio place.
btw, is the 2001 miata also equipped with the HR speakers? so it's literally in the headrest of the chair? that's so strange...
The nice thing about ABS is that it can modulate each of the 4 brakes separately (if it is a true 4-channel 4-sensor system). Well tuned ABS can therefore stop shorter than even a pro, because even a pro can only apply braking force until the first of the 4 wheels lock up, i.e. the weakest link. Since the 4 wheels may have different levels of grip, he can't match ABS' performance unless he installs four seperate brake pedals and is a quadriped.
Having said that, the Miata is light and the brakes are easy to modulate, so it's much less important than in, say, a big SUV with rear drum brakes - a vehicle that will tend to lock up and lose directional stability.
A few weeks ago I was plowed into by a Saturn with no ABS. I was in my Subaru Forester, with ABS, and managed to stop short and straight despite heavy rains, ABS pulsing away. She slammed the brakes and got sideways, causing rather substantial damage to her new car, and $1200 to mine.
I know exactly how that woman feels! Unfortunately, instead of a lightweight saturn, i was in an '85 Olds Cutlass Supreme (4 wheel drum brakes), going downhill on a very wet cold road, and when i braked everything locked up and my car started spinning, literally doing a 360 and throwing 5 cars off the road. Let's just say my dad's insurance limit was $250,000 and that was "just enough" to cover everyone's damages and injuries (thankfully no critical injuries). After that we replaced all our cars with ABS equipped ones.
Comments
Good luck
Chuck
Mine stays down, 'cause I'm lucky enough to go from car port at home to garage at work. I'm even considering closing the car port in so I never have to put the top up.
Peter - check your state laws. I found out that in MD, kids have to be 13 years old to ride in front in a 2 seater. I was a bit shocked, but a friend checked (Boxster owner) and that's what she told me. I was bummed 'cause I have a 2 year old and had specifically bought a '93 because it had no passenger air bag.
Hard tops are not hard to find. You may need luck to match colors, but they are always available.
The '93 has the 1.6l engine, 116hp, 25/30 mpg, one air bag, but it is lighter. The '96 had the 1.8l engine, 128hp (IIRC), 22/27mpg, and dual bags. The interior is a little different, and there is more chassis bracing and bigger brakes.
-juice
ray
It must be an overreaction to all the hype about kids and airbags. I guess they forgot that not all cars have passenger air bags. I too had narrowed myself down to pre-93 for this reason.
When I read your post I went "Ding-Ding" on the not-all-cars-have-dual-air-bags thought.
Ray: try a water blade to dry the car after cleaning to prevent water marks.
-juice
any suggestions for a $6000 miata "beater" (year, mileage) would be much appreciated! thanks all! Also, what mechanical problems are most associated with the 93/94 model years so i can look out for those as well?
My advice is don't focus just on 93/94. Any year from 90-97 is good. 90-early 91 had a nose crank issue, not a showstopper. I found a bunch of good Miatas back in March, I was focused from about 7-$10k. The Miata is strange beast high mileage is not necessarily a killer. Try autorader.com and the AJC website. You can find several good ones to look at every weekend. MazdOnly does prepurchase inspections for $60.
I agree that Miatas with high mileage should not be a deterrant. We were living in Atlanta in '99 when we bought a used '94 with high mileage for $5000.
This was excellent money spent, as since then, it has seen tons more miles and is still going strong. We are hoping it will last to the 200,000 mile mark, and at 138,000 miles now, it looks like it will.
Good luck. You will enjoy having the stick with the Miata.
Beth
The 90-93s have the 1.6l engine, and the 94 and later got a 1.8l. You may want to drive both to see if you have a preference before buying. The bigger engine has more torque, but the early models were a little lighter.
Good luck.
-juice
Sorry for whining, but the people in this forum are probably the only ones who can understand!
FWIW, I have leather and would prefer cloth on such a sporting vehicle. Mine's not heated so it's cold in winter, sticky and hot in summer. Gimme cloth any day, which is also more grippy.
-juice
I'll tell my wife I'm over it, and then sneak over to dealerships to check out new and used Miatas. Now that these used M2 prices are coming down to the low teens, I too have been getting the urge to sink further into debt.
I wish I never owned one. It's better to not know what you are missing when it's not in the family budget.
We need a freak July snow storm, quickly!
I've never heard of the sports car trader, if we have one I haven't noticed it.
I've also got the same problem of torturing myself with these magazines :-)
ateixeira- I would actually pass up the leather as well for the same reasons if I could but I want the other options offered in the package. Eventually I plan to add the blistien shocks of the sport package.
Also, I am interested in help anyone could give me regarding dash kits. Where is the best place to order from and actually see the kits before ordering.
Happy driving!
The Miatas leather seems pretty rugged anywa, And I'm sure it can take a rainfall accident. Its the higher quality material that wears out quickly.
http://communities.msn.com/BuckDesign/9097diamondforwardprofilenew.msnw
Dash kits, read good things about the products from this company.
http://www.wooddashfactory.com/pages/orders/orders2.cfm?make=21
thanks for the input!
nice thing about miatas, like the other imports, after the warranty goes, one can bolt-on an array of aftermarket toys to bump-up the horsepower without hurting the reliability.
good luck. :-)
I just wish it were heated for winter. In summer, it can get a bit sticky, too, so perforated, too.
-juice
But I just realized something ... what happens if I get a flat tire? There's NO space left in the trunk ... barely enough for a duffle bag.
Have any of you guys had to deal with this? If I get a flat tire and have to put on the spare, where do I store the full sized tire? This can be trouble if I'm taking a long trip.
The Miata is a great car, but sometimes the impracticality of it hits me hard.
Eddie
PS: for all you guys contemplating used Miatas, I'd definitely agree not to let year or mileage be a deterant. I picked up a 92 in early March with 60K miles on it ... not terrible but alittle old. It's worth every penny. The car has been absolutely a thrill to drive ... and the requests by young ladies in the office for me to take them to the beach has my weekend schedule full for the rest of the summer. Insane.
I would carry a repair kit and a portable air compressor. Anything worse and you can rely on AAA and your cell phone.
-juice
Leather vs Cloth seats, this doesn't matter much either. Cloth has advantages in a Miata, you don't slide around so much. For our seats, I apply a leather conditioner or dressing monthly, just to keep it slightly moist.
Is this true or are the dealers pulling my leg to make a sale? I've always been told that having ABS is an extra measure of security (especially in these wet atlanta winters) that one should always ask for if available.
Thanks for your insights!
OTOH, I don't drive mine in foul weather, and the cars I do drive have ABS.
-juice
-juice
Point being, putting the spare tire or any other weather-resistant item on a luggage rack mounted on top of the trunk (boot) lid buys one significant useful dry space inside.
I'm 6'2" and drove over 200K miles in either an MGB or a Miata (remarkably similar interior rooom), and encourange one and all to use these cars for their intended purpose -- long distance touring.
Thanks again for your help! Have fun on the 4th with your top down!
ABS is only beneficial if the driver steers the vehicle in a panic stop. The vast majority of drivers do not. In the situation where the driver does not, or cannot, steer around an object, the shortest stopping distance would be the most beneficial for the driver. In most cases, ABS increases the stopping distance of a vehicle by a few feet. Those few feet can make a huge difference in a collision.
However, I have sold Mazda's and was the lot/inventory manager at a Mazda dealership. I have seen manual transmission Miata's equipped with ABS. They do exist, although they are far and few between. I have seen ABS equipped on both 5-spd and 6-spd equipped Miata's. Try another Mazda dealership and insist that you will not buy a Miata without ABS. If they want the sale, they will try to locate a vehicle for you. If they give you attitude, go to another dealership.
If you are on Roswell Road in Alpharetta at that Hi-Fi Buys, then go north just a little farther. On the right is a place that installed our CD/Cassette stereo, headrest speakers, door speakers, and cruise control.
The only thing is we haven't been in Atlanta for almost a year & I can't remember the exact name. It's something patriotic, like American Stereo or American Electronics. But it's just past the Hi-Fi Buys on Roswell Road, Alpharetta. They also sell Cell Phones, etc. Hey, maybe it was American Cellular.
Anyhow, they were less expensive than Hi-Fi Buys and knew about Miatas, as they do alot of work for Roswell Mazda just down the road. They did a great job with our installations.
Hope this made some sense.
Beth
http://convertiblencats.homestead.com/carindex.html
thanks for the tip Beth! as a matter of fact, I may be picking up my miata at the roswell mazda! so while i'm there, i'll make sure to look for the audio place.
btw, is the 2001 miata also equipped with the HR speakers? so it's literally in the headrest of the chair? that's so strange...
lol it's getting late
Having said that, the Miata is light and the brakes are easy to modulate, so it's much less important than in, say, a big SUV with rear drum brakes - a vehicle that will tend to lock up and lose directional stability.
A few weeks ago I was plowed into by a Saturn with no ABS. I was in my Subaru Forester, with ABS, and managed to stop short and straight despite heavy rains, ABS pulsing away. She slammed the brakes and got sideways, causing rather substantial damage to her new car, and $1200 to mine.
However, she's a novice and it was a panic stop.
-juice
OK, just give us a defeat button for the track! ;-)
-juice