Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)

bjrich

Waste of money; at 141,000 original was doing fine.
Was feeling pretty good this morning, and was rather entrapped by a bunch of 18 wheelers;
Got on the pedal, hit 100Mph and pulling hard.
First time ever. 01 LE at 15,000 miles.
Loved it!
Bob

knhill

I can lock up my 99 brakes, depending on the asphalt and tires. The Kumhos are much easier to lock up, and break loose under acceleration, than the OEM Michelin Pilots. More fun for me!

Now, in the rain, those brakes are terrible. If I'm driving in heavy rain on the highway the first time I hit the brakes nothing happens and I get alot of pedal resistance. I have to pump the pedal to get some braking effect. Not good.

maltb

"The Kumhos are much easier to lock up, and break loose under acceleration, than the OEM Michelin Pilots. More fun for me!"

I guess we have different ideas of fun. I kinda like a car to stick.

davidb72

I am just about ready to order a set of Kuhmo's for Autocross this year. These are the D.O.T. racing tires though.

ateixeira

Do they make a 14" size? My rims are 14s.

-juice

j2kbarlow

Gald your clutch is still going strong at 141k - mine's not. It's definitely slipping. As I said, it's been getting worse for the last 40k - time to replace.

lngtonge18

What are these E-code headlights you are talking about? Where do you get them, how much, and how difficult to install? I couldn't get your profile to pull up, juice, but I would like to see a pic of it. My email is walk2camp@aol.com. I did see some upgrade sealed beam units, which claim to be twice as bright and last longer too. I was thinking of getting those since the passenger bulb looks a bit yellow when on. Would they be worth it? Also, what horns do you suggest? Is there a way to add a dual horn setup (one high pitched and one low)? The loudest and best horn I ever had was on my 84 RX7. People jumped at the sound of that dual horn setup and knew not to pull out in front of me. I was disappointed to say the least in the wimpy one on the Miata. Good old cost cutting measures.

I'm down at my friends house right now. I was able to drive the whole way with the top down. It was so fun! I only got a minor sunburn on my nose and cheeks. The car rode smooth and was perfectly happy cruising at 80. I even briefly hit 95 and the wind buffeting wasn't bad at all. It didn't drink a drop of oil and the oil still looks clean, so this engine is in great condition still. My only gripe is the way too short 5th gear. 4200 rpms at 80??! Talk about sucking gas down, although 28 mpg isn't horrible. I would think the trannys wouldn't last real long with such high stress. I know my 84 GTI, which is also known for its short gearing (4000 at 80), blew the 5th gear right off the shaft doing 75. Of course, this tranny was known for this problem because VW, in its infinite wisdom, decided to save a few cents per car by deleting a clip that was supposed to keep the gear in place. The high rpms on the highway causes the gear to self destruct after 150-170k miles of wear. Any such known problems like this with the Miata? Oh, my friend absolutely loved the car. Now he wants one, hehehehe I finally trumped the Jones. Funny, it took buying a 10 year old used car to do it.

smars

The e-codes are legal in Europe but not in the US. They make it safe to go 150 mph on the autobahn, but DOT has not "seen the light" to make them lagal here. They have a lens that focuses the light and a separate high intensity bulb.There is a sharp "cut-off" of the light so the beam projects with almost a horizontal pattern. You get a tremendous amount of light compared to the stock sealed beams with the same wattage. I bought my Hella E-codes from Susquehanna MotorSports for less than $70 shipping included. It may sound expensive, but worth it, if you care about seeing where you are going at night.

I was concerned about passing the NC inspection with e-codes, so I waited until after I got an inspection to install them. I asked the guy doing the inspection if he would have noticed that they weren't DOT legal. He said he had 2 miatas with e-codes on both of them, and that no one would look for that during an inspection (at least in NC).

It took all of about 20 minutes to remove the sealed beams and replace with the e-codes. Just make sure you don't touch the bulbs with your fingers, they say it significantly shortens their life if the oils from your skin get on them.

davidb72

I'll second the opinion that they are a worthwhile upgrade. My father found me some Bosch E-Code motorcycle lamps that we installed in my Miata. All I can say is wow it is truly like night and day! You can get different wattage bulbs to put in them, I have 80 watt low beam with 100 watt high beam and when I hit the high beams it is like daylight.

The sharp cutoff of the low beams makes the lights very easy to aim and the 80 watts don't seem to bother anyone, in the the year that they have been installed I haven't had anyone blink at me yet.

knhill

I certainly prefer stickier tires when braking. When tossing the Miata around curves, a little sliding is always fun.

knhill

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/kumho/ku_712.jsp

Looks like the 712 is not available in 14".

eddiesvr4

Wut up guys ... almost convertible weather up here in NYC. Still abit nippy. One more month and the hard top comes down.

Ok, yo tengo una pregunta. Somebody posted here awhile back about a colored wax system that restores the paint to a natural shine. I can't find the post.

Can someone repost the name brand? My Mica Blue 92 still looks good, but the years are slowly catching up to her. The wind scratches are becoming more visible and the blue isn't as dark as I'd like it to be.

Hope all is well with everyone else. Keep the ideas coming. This is a great board...

Eddie

lngtonge18

I was the one who mentioned the colored wax system. It's called Turtle Wax Color Cure car polish. It comes in different colors, such as red, white, black and blue (the wax itself is actually those colors). It brought back the original color and luster to most of my car (mine is bright red). The real badly faded pieces that had turned pink (rear bumper cover and the panel between trunk and bumper) was returned to a flat shade of red. They didn't look as bright as the rest of the car, but now it blends in and looks normal. I was very impressed with how the colored wax worked and I was pretty skeptical that it would be any different from other waxes. It even added red to the nicks in my paint, making it hard to find them to put touch-up paint on. Supposedly if you put enough coats on, it will add layers of red until scratches and nicks are brought up to the same level as the paint and make them less noticeable. I only put one coat on so I can't claim it does that. I would definitely give it a try. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

ateixeira

Thanks for checking, Kay.

Steve summarized the E-code story very well. I used H4 bulbs with 55/60 wattage, same as stock. I'll go ahead and e-mail you a photo, you'll see how they are night-and-day better than the factory sealed beams of the same wattage.

I cannot even imagine what they'd be like with 80/100 watt bulbs. Though the E-codes are glass and metal, so I be they're better able to withstand the heat than other encasements.

-juice

maltb

that if you use 80/100 watt bulbs you should run additional relays with heavier gauge wiring. When I ran Hellas with H4s, I found that going up in wattage didn't make as big as a difference as just getting the light properly focused.

mainsail2

I have 58k and the rear brakes were done by the previous owner. Everything is smooth and straight when braking, but the pads are thin. Do I need to do the rotors, calipers, etc. or leave well enough alone and just do the pads? Let me know what you think.

MarkinAtlanta

I also have a 92 with just slightly less mileage. We just replaced the front pads, the rears are still the originals. Still on the original rotors too. You are coming up on your 60K mile service anyway, maybe you could get it done a little ahead of time and have them check it out at the same time. Have you found a good independant shop in your area that is a Mazda/Miata specialist?

j2kbarlow

I've got a '93 with nearly 120k miles. I've never had to turn the rotors or do anything other than lube the caliper pins. I DO change the pads and fluid regularly. So, if you're not getting any vibration, just do the pad/fluid change. No need to remove braking surface unless there's a problem. Unless of course you're going with bigger brakes...

freddy_k

I finally got my car back, and it looks great, but there is one problem. There seems to be gap in the weather seal which is leaking air when I drive, though it is raining today and it doesn't seem to be leaking water. I phoned the body shop, and they said they noticed this problem and claim that the weather seal is new and just needs some time to be worked in. Can anyone comfirm for me if this is true, or they are full of it?

BTW, it is great to be back in my car again, and coming from the Accent, I feel like I'm driving a Ferrari!

mainsail2

I had the 60,000 mile done already and they found a few other minor things to fix, but not the front brakes. Since everything is running smoothly, I'll take j2kbarlow's advice to just replace the pads and lube the c-pins. These cars appear to hold up real well! Any amazing, "I've got so and so many miles on my Miata and it's still running strong" stories flying around?"

javadoc

Hey gang. I've been looking around at used Miatas, and thought I'd duck in here for an owner's perspective. Basically, I'm looking at the Miata as a third car, the top-down, sunny-day third car. I had a '90 MX-5, but a decade ago, and am leaning towards the earlier 1.6L cars mainly for cost reasons. Any words of wisdom would be graciously appreciated from the Miata owners.

thx,

javadoc (hi malt, I see you're here)

smars

I think if you avoid the short nose crank on the '90s and early '91s (see Miata.net for the exact vins affected on the '91s) you should be OK. I went looking for the 1.6L primarily because they don't have an airbag, and my kids (5 and 7) can ride with me. There are no major issues with any of the M1s other than the early cranks. Miata.net has an excellent "What to look for when you're buying a used Miata" in their garage section.

You might want to look into getting a tonneau. It'll help keep you warmer when you drop the top on those balmy Alaskan Spring days.

ateixeira

"It's like deja-vu all over again" (Yogi Berra)

That's exactly why I chose a '93. It was the last year with a single air bag, and I have a little tot that I'd eventually like to take with me.

If you want that 2nd air bag, the 94s also get bigger brakes, more chassis bracing, and the 1.8l engine. Mileage went from 25/30 to 22/27 on the EPA cycle, though, but they feel more torquey.

I added the chassis bracing to my '93, but I won't bother with the brakes because I don't autocross. Mine's been perfect for about the year and half I've owned it.

-juice

lngtonge18

Did you notice any change by adding the additional chassis braces? Which braces did you add? What name brand did you use? I was thinking about adding the brace between the lower control arm mounts behind the engine, but don't want to waste my money if it doesn't really change anything. I want the Racing Beat brace as it appears to be a lot thicker and more robust then some of the cheap steel pipes.

Also, what kind of horn did you install? Can you add a dual horn setup to the stock one horn wiring?

javadoc

I never knew the early cars had any real issues. I owned a '90 for a bit. Looks like the years to shop for are '92/'93s, since I would want to take my daughter out once in a while, so getting one sans a passenger-side airbag would be a plus. Knowing me, I won't know to leave the car well enough alone and would be shopping the Miata go-fast shops soon enough.

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for a good car, thx!

/java

dgraves1

If you wanted to go a little newer, there is at least one outfit that sells a kit that allows you to install a switch to disable the passenger side airbag. You can find them off miata.net. The kit goes for about $250.

ateixeira

I custom-made a brace with 1" wide C-channel steel, cut to length, drill two holes, bolt on. There was a whole thread on Miata.net about it, and it was quite easy. The 1993 and later models already have a rear brace.

I want to say that the vibes at highway speeds have lessened, but it might be in my head.

I think the '99 and later models have a key to disable to air bag? Can anyone confirm? If I swap, that's what I would get.

-juice

maltb

they have a key switch with an indicator light.

ateixeira

Thanks for confirming. When I can get one for $10 grand in good condition with low miles, I most likely will.

I'll miss my barn doors, though.

-juice

javadoc

Great, I'll start scouring the NW for a good 92/93. Finances (and the d.w.) dictate that I don't try for a newer car, unless I find a newer honey of a car for a song. Juice, you lost me w/ the barn door comment. Inside joke?

/j

j2kbarlow

I've added the Brainstorm front chassis brace and cockpit brace to my '93. They helped but didn't remove all the vibrations. I've had them on for about 6 years and don't plan on removing them.

Java, are Candian spec cars "legal" up in Alaska? If so, the early cars don't have a driver's airbag either. Makes it easier to add a Momo/Nardi steering wheel :O)

ateixeira

Barn Doors = pop-up headlights. I think the styling is cleaner on those models, especially when the lights are off. Plus, there is a button to raise and lower them so you can "wink" at other Miata owners. ;-)

-juice

javadoc

Sure, why not? Anything's legal in the 49th state! Everyone goes there to escape "the Man," or so I hear ;P I'll have to stay tuned to this fine Miata bunch, here. I can see it now, driving down the road, misquitoes in my ear-to-ear grin, frost bite on my ears... but my "Volvo" racing hat would look out of place.

/j

ateixeira

The heater cranks. It'll keep you toasty. Also, lower the driver window, but keep the passenger window up. It creates a turbulence and keeps off of you. Then wear gloves and a hat, and you're good at any temps above 40 degrees F.

You'll only have bugs on your teeth if you're 6'7".

-juice

smars

I knew I had the information somewhere! The 91's past and including VIN 209447 came with the "long nose crank" and shouldn't be prone to the crank shaft failure. The '91s don't have the rear or front braces, but they can be easily added.

lngtonge18

Miata.net sure has lots of interesting little tidbits of info. I discovered that my hardtop must be a 91 version because it doesn't have the headliner and rear defroster. Can someone with an M1 hardtop tell me what the back latches attach to? My hardtop doesn't have the hardware for the latches to attach to. I see a bolt on each side near where the latches are. Is there some kind of bracket that attaches at these bolts? It still fits snugly enough as you can push up on the top and it doesn't move, but it does squeak when you hit bumps. I was just wondering where I might get the brackets and if it's just a simple bolt on part? I also had no idea about the special batteries for the Miata. My car has been turning over slowly but it has yet to conk out on me. It appears to be a regular battery, but I'm not sure. Would the original one say Panasonic on the top? How worried would I need to be if it is a regular battery? I also discovered I had headrest speakers. I thought that was only on the special editions or the ones with leather. It doesn't matter though as they aren't hooked up and at least one is missing. I'm all excited about reading all the little differences between each year. Miata mania is overtaking me!! LOL

postoak

since they came up with the "loctite" repair/preventive measure. I've got a '91 with the shortnose crank and 171,000 miles on it and I'm not too worried. The loctite fix is cheaper than a lot of other things you might need done on your Miata.

For those who don't know, the loctite fix consists of pulling off the crankshaft pulley, replacing the front oil seal, installing a new woodruff key, and loctiting it in place with 252 loctite (the red, "permanent" kind). You replace the pulley and install a new crank bolt, which you also loctite in place. If memory serves, there are people who have done this after the crank failed and have gone 100,000 trouble free miles. The repair works so well that now it is being done as a preventive.

javadoc

... what is this? I'm assuming it just has to do w/the number of main bearings for the crank? I.e., it's short, therefore two fewer bearings? I'm sure this would be my auto-x car, so the more bullet-proof the better!

thx,

java

postoak

that was too small and, more importantly a key that wasn't fully supported. On a small percentage of these cars, the keyway would "smear" (that is, enlarge itself). In the early days, this was considered catastrophic, but no longer. You can read all about it here:

http://www.miata.net/garage/crankshaft.html

Keep in mind that this document was written long ago. The loctite repair is mentioned only very briefly at the end, probably just recently added, but by all accounts, it works, and works well.

smars

The headrest speakers could be added to any of the M-1s, as all the seats have the cut outs. I think they came with the "B" package on the early years. Interestingly, the first few years had the wiring harness to these speakers cross phased, so the music output didn't sound to great. The radio mfg also thought that Mazda wanted these speakers to function as tweeters instead of full range. I believe that Mazda didn't catch this until around '94. I'm glad they put a lot more time and effort into the mechanical side of things than they did on the audio.

There's a guy on Miata.net (Jeff Anderson) that will fix the radio to function as intended, replace the little bulbs that tend to burn out, and send you directions to correctly phase the speaker wiring. I sent my radio to him and added the speakers and wiring harness from PBC. Now I can actually hear the music (and feel the bass) with the top down at highway speeds.

As for the battery, I'd make sure you had the gel type. You really don't want the liquid type, since its in the trunk. The original Panasonics have been known to last up to 8-10 years. When I bought my '92 it had the "wet cell" type. One of the first things I did was order a replacement Westco gel type. I think they are about $80 shipped. You might want to go to miata.net and do a search on "replacement battery" because I seem to remember that there is another replacement gel type that was getting positive reviews.

lngtonge18

Another friend of mine just bought a 91 Miata that was traded in at Carmax where he works. Since he worked there, he got it at cost, which was around $2250. An excellent deal considering it's an A package with cold AC and a CD player and only has 107k. The top is in great condition as well. This Miata must have been one of the few that actually ran into the short crank problem. There is a bill in the glovebox for $2800 and it mentions the replacement of the crankshaft. This was done around 90k. Hopefully they did the proper upgrades so he doesn't need to worry about it failing again.

dam65

I own a '96 MX-5. I have not been able to use it that much, as it is a 3rd vehicle in the family. Total of 8K miles on it - in mint condition. I'm looking at turning this into a jet ski for my summer house. Any thoughts on the price range that I could get for this vehicle. I figure there is some premium over standard blue-book, as it is essentially a new car still.

Thanks!

ateixeira

I have a Westco Battery and have also seen them at several places for $80. They are small and light, so I'd stick with those.

KBB or Edmunds can price it out. Both include a credit for low mileage. The credit is relatively high - you may have trouble selling it for as much as they say it's worth, actually.

I bought a '93 with 26k miles, the blue book at the time, with mileage credits, was $11,400, but I "stole it" for $7,800. That was full asking price, by the way, it was just low. But I doubt anyone would have paid the full $11,400, because at that price range they're looking for cars 4-5 years newer. Good luck.

-juice

lngtonge18

I looked closer at the battery in my trunk. It appears to be the original battery! It still has a sticker on it that says distributed by Mazda and it has the rubber hose to distribute the gas to the outside, so it must be the Panasonic battery. I'm shocked to think this could actually be a 10 year old battery that still starts the car in 32 degree weather. If these batteries tend to last so long, why don't other cars carry them? I would pay $80-120 to have a battery that only needs changing once, if at all, the entire time I owned the car. As I said, the engine does turn over slowly, so I think the battery is just about dead. I called a local battery store that specializes in motocycle batteries, gel cells, etc. He said he carried 3 different gel type batteries for the Miata, ranging in price from 49-69 (the difference being the length of the warranty). Do you think thats a good way to go? The $69 one had a 5 year warranty. I thought it was a good deal since it is not a wet cell and yet is at least $10 cheaper then the Westco. Any thoughts? What brand could the battery possibly be? What cranking amps should I look for for good starts as low as 20 degrees?

skid3

I bought a 91 Sentra SE-R new and it still has the original battery.

nativetex44

In the second week of February, I was hit from behind while stopped at a red light by a BMW SUV. The BMW was probably going about 6 - 7 miles per hour, but the only damage done to my bumper was the driver's license plate engraved in my bumper and a few small scratches. The bumper was not dented at all. Since I have only had my Miata since November, I am going to get the damage repaired. I was very impressed with the way my little toy car held up to a much bigger vehicle.

When I was shopping for my Miata (the funnest car I have ever had), my husband tried his best to talk me out of buying as he calls it "a motorcycle on four wheels". I have not regretted purchasing my car and after my accident, I know I made the right choice.

MarkinAtlanta

My wife wanted a Miata. And I initially was against the idea, from a safety standpoint. Then I started reading and talking to people firsthand accounts of how well it holds up, and did a 180 degree change. It is a little tank.

ateixeira

I think your Panasonic lasting 10 years is the exception, not the rule. Mine was replaced before I bought it, used.

Miatas don't need a lot of CCAs, so the small, light battery is fine. I wouldn't put one on a big V6 or V8, though.

Way to stick up for your wants and needs, Jamie. Glad to hear it held up well against a sport/brute.

-juice

j2kbarlow

Mine lasted 8.5 years and 115,000 miles. Prolly would've lasted a little longer if my three year old hadn't left the interior lights turned on a couple of times and totally discharged the battery :O)

Ingtonge - go ahead and replace your battery while you still have choice. I tried to milk my battery for the last 1000 miles and I had to settle for the wet replacement Mazda is currently selling - I had to jump my car to even get to the dealer. Since it's my daily driver, I couldn't wait around to have a gel shipped. I'll live with the wet cell until it starts getting flaky or leaky (which is a pain since I never had to think about the battery before).

maltb

"Distributed by Mazda", it's not the original. It's a replacement battery from a Mazda dealer.