Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)

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Comments

  • perunestperunest Member Posts: 42
    I have a 1990 Miata, built in September 1989. The key is reversible.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I guess it's a combination of my key and my locks being worn out. I tried my key in the passenger lock which was probably rarely used and it works fine both ways. I guess I need to make a copy of the good key before I'm left stranded with a key that won't turn the ignition!
  • kevin777kevin777 Member Posts: 1
    2001 Mazda Miata L with Emerald Mica and Tan Leather
    MSRP $25,355
    Options: 6 speed and rear spoiler
    Standard: Leather, Air, CD, BOSE, PW/PL,Cruise, 16in wheels with locks, fog lights, power mirrors, torsen limited slip diff.

    My questions are:
    1. Dealer is offering $21,500. Is that a good deal? Considering he has ove 10 2001s, would'nt $19,500 be more reasonable?
    2. He told me the car has ABS, but I don't see it on the equipment list? Is he mistaken or what?
    3. Does this car come with Sports suspension or did it start with 2002 model?

    Post ASAP!! I want the car!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I vote buy it.

    Why? I checked a local no-haggle dealer, and they have a 2002 that MSRPs for $25450 (close to yours) that is selling for $23,015.

    So a $1500 discount for a left over seems more than reasonable, it's a bargain.

    I'd buy it. If you are flexible, wait until he's got 3 left and then go back, but I doubt he can go much lower to be honest.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    re: ABS

    turn the key to the on position and wait for the dummy lights on the instrument panel. if you see ABS, the car has it. you can also pop the hood and look for the ABS controller, it's unmistakable with numerous brake hardlines all over it.

    -Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It looks like a Rubic's cube with maybe 8 brake lines leading into it. ;-)

    -juice

    PS I seriously doubt it has ABS if you can't find it on the Monroney sticker
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Well, apparently, the other key is now acting up as well (won't turn the ignition without a fight). It looks as if I'm going to have to replace the ignition. Anyone had to do this? How much is the part? How difficult to replace on your own?
  • bjrichbjrich Member Posts: 125
    I think that the first thing I would do we be go to a local Key Shop that does nothing but keys and tell them your problem. They might be able to help you. If this doesn't work, then go to the Mazda Dealer and talk to the head service guy and see what he has to say. Then, if the cost is really out of sight, go to the library and dig out the necessary info on replacing the whole works and see how complicated that is.. Actually, it might be best to do the library route first.Good luck. Bob
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Well, the ignition switch would cost $177 from Mazda. That sure is expensive! You can't buy the tumbler separate. It also looks like you need to pull the steering wheel off to replace it, since it has a sleeve that surrounds the steering column shaft. That makes the job more difficult since there is an airbag to worry about.
  • mainsail2mainsail2 Member Posts: 77
    I've been looking for an outside cover for my 1992 that would be good for HOT climates (Florida). My poor little car is going to have to sit outside for much of the hot, rainy season. So far the seemingly best prices I've found are in mmmiata.com and jcwhitney.com. Are there any other sources that I should not overlook price wise?
  • zoombazoomba Member Posts: 2
    So what prompted me into buying a new 2002 base model miata last weekend?...PLAYSTATION-GT3...
    I found that this car was the most fun to drive in this auto-simulation game. The game was also handy for choosing and displaying colors-crystal blue..
    I have previously owned a 69 spitefire convertible and a 87 toyota mr-2 tbar coupe and sold both in time for more practical transportation...haha...the kids are now 21 and in their own vehicles...kiss practical byebye.
    Tested a 02 mustang gt convert....very cushy but the windshield was right in my face and made it feel non-convertiblish. I'm selling my V-star 1100 motorcycle as I'm tired of the lonely rides...I can now talk to my wife beside me without the annoying helmet and leathers.
    I feel the miata is closer to a gocart ride rather than a motorcycle ride- bikes have a center of gravity closer to that of a halfton driver...thus I feel safer and more in control in the miata... I enjoyed reading 950 prior messages in this site...feel like family!
  • bjrichbjrich Member Posts: 125
    Your brother by birth, our crystal Blue Mica. 01. has just turned over 20,000 miles and love it more all the time.Just added a cd changer in the trunk and have some great jazz put in place.Enjoy! Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Funny how video games affect purchases. I've heard of several cases of WRX buyers that first "tested" their cars that way, too.

    Congrats, base models are great, you don't need all the bells and whistles in a pure sports car.

    -juice
  • freddy_kfreddy_k Member Posts: 376
    Purchasing a car based on a Video game (my favorate game I might add) is a strange and foolish thing to do.

    Even if you did get lucky and end up with one of the worlds best cars ;-)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I have a chance to buy a '93 Miata that has low compression on one cylinder. Any big deal to yank the head off this engine or is it pretty straightforward without needing special tools, etc? I have a good machine shop in the area.
  • zoombazoomba Member Posts: 2
    A note to bjrich- nice photo on your's...to the others I just wanted to clarify my purchase-
    needed a third car anyway, wanted a convertible, forgot about the Miata (is it pronounced MYata or Meata)until playstation, then I took test drives on a base 5 speed and a loaded LS 6speed, the test drives sold the car, as we had to order one anyway I used playstion to compare colors etc. Now that the sale is a done deal I've just sold my highway motorcyle as this car also replaces it (other foolery)...I pickup the car in 1 hour and have the sunny afternoon off......byebye :)
  • freddy_kfreddy_k Member Posts: 376
    Miata.net!
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    The head bolts require a 12-point 12mm socket.
  • phankanephankane Member Posts: 57
    Is it time for Mazda to introduce new model of Miata? it is 5 years already.
    Anyone know anything about its' successor?
  • verozahlverozahl Member Posts: 574
    The dad says the current model is perfect. It only leads the market, you know.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    12 pt. 12mm socket? (rummage, rummage....)

    Yeah, I got that. Okay, I'm ready.
  • freddy_kfreddy_k Member Posts: 376
    Rumours have it that the next one, possibly 2004, will be based on the RX8. It looks like it will probably gain size, weight, and power, and I have a feeling that the existing Miata lovers won't be happy if this is true.
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    If I was shopping for a car using the videogame, I would pass on the Miata. Doing that GT3 license stage with the Miata LS was painful, the car felt so slow. Of course, in the real world, it's a different matter.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Shifty: the Miata is cake to work on. I have a 1993 myself, and it's so reliable it's almost boring. My wrenching is limited to maintenance only.

    Those have the 1.6l engine, efficient but not as torquey as the 1994 and on models. They got the rear chassis brace but not the front (easy and under $40 if you want to do that). The brake rotots are a little small, though, if you plan on autocrossing.

    What else? They are pre-OBD, so mods are a cinch and no CELs. The oil pressure gauge actually works, I think that was the last year before the dummy gauge replaced them.

    I've been 100% happy with my Crystal White "C" Package.

    -juice
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    thanks, juice. Hmm...I'm not a big fan of chassis bracing unless it is welded in, but I'll check into it if I do indeed get the car. I have no problem with small displacement as I am in no way shy about putting my foot into the radiator shroud when I have to.
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    Shifty owning a Japanese car?! Careful there, you may be stepping on a slippery slope that leads to owning an Accord.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    with a name like Shiftright, how could one not assume that he has a Miata?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    An Accord ----hahahahahaha...........

    I've always been a Miata fan actually but never owned one because of the tightness of the driver's cockpit. I would really need to change the seats or something, but I think I could work it out. I only need about 2 more inches to be comfortable. I think about $2,000 in mods would give me the Miata I really want.
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    Oh, and I wouldn't worry about the low compression on one piston. A Miata on three cylinders ought to feel a lot like your Alfa. ;D
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    I can't believe you'd actually buy a Japanese car. I thought the RX-7 was (in your words) the only beautiful car Japan ever produced - so why buy an Ugly Miata now?

    Is it possible to gain additional legroom or headroom with different seats in a Miata? I had to scratch it off my list due to lack of overall room, and I recall (scratching my head here) that there wasn't a lot of give in the seat cushion or bolstering in order to create more room with aftermarket seats...?
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    Does a car have to be beautiful to be worth owning?
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    logic1 - Too easy a set up for an Aztek comment.

    sphinx - Admittedly, Shifty has always said nice things about the Miata. The only thing he won't give it is "soul". Maybe a Miata with three cylinders has enough soul for him.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    That would imply that Miatas have a cylinder with negative soul, such that a loss of compression in said cylinder results in positive net soul. It's too bad you can't dyno soul.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    So then dgraves your position is that a car is either beautiful or butt-ugly?

    I have a Miata and have never really thought about its looks. I like the way it drives. I can think of a lot of cars that would be fun to drive but would not stop me from looking at the driver if she were pretty.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Shifty: I raised the front of my seat with some washers, and that helped some. Others go further and remove some padding from the seat.

    I'll admit it's cramped.

    -juice
  • freddy_kfreddy_k Member Posts: 376
    Is remove the sun visors, which apparently are right in the line of sight. I wouldn't know, At 5'6 my Miata fits like a glove anyway.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Done that, too. I'm in the process of installing interior lights in the hole left by their absence.

    -juice
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I always thought the Miata was pretty, never ever ever called it ugly. At the very worst, one could say its styling is an unabashed tribute to a Lotus, but then if you have to more or less copy something, that particular Lotus design was a good choice.

    I prefer the last generation RX-7 looks only because it is more original. In black on black, oh, man, that car is gorgeous. But it shares with the Miata the classic simplicity and uncluttered lines that I like in a sports car. No junk added on. Naked like a racing horse.

    I do think that the Miata needs a bigger dose of personality as do most Japanese cars. They are made with efficiency in mind and they are designed to be overall crowd pleasers. Think of a Miata as someone at a party trying to offend no one. They are pleasantly popular but we are more apt to remember the wild man who fired the revolver into the ceiling. Of course, the wild man gets invited to fewer parties---not a good sales strategy for an inexpensive car.

    I believe a 3 cylinder Miata might beat my Alfa, that's no joke. But I really don't care, and never cared, how much HP a sports car has, as long as the power to weight is satisfactory, the car performs well, sounds good, feels good, looks good, handles well--you know, does all the things that a Miata is so much better at than most so-called 'sports' cars. Having a distinct personality is a plus but not a requirement for me. One can always "personalize" a car with custom work.

    For Miata, I'd get rid of the "can 'o gnats" exhaust note. Some more induction noise would be fun, too. If I had the spare change, I'd go to this guy in our neck of the woods who makes custom dashboards. That would be a big plus for me, as I really really don't like Japanese car interiors except the S2000 is growing on me.

    So things like that. I think the redesign was an attempt to address some of the cars more mundane aspects. Bit more power, bolder design, a bit more noise--this is all to the good.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The Miata's styling is clean, basic, pure. Very no-nonsense. Not gorgeous but far from ugly.

    My favorite thing to do in this car is when an SUV is tailgating me at the beginning of a highway on- or off-ramp, and I steadily pull away on the long, winding turn. Almost always he's not even in my rear view mirrors when I merge.

    Miata has just about the strongest aftermarket out there. There are several vendors that speciliaze in this particular car. You can get all sorts of upgrades, performance and cosmetic, and the prices are actually far less than it would be for most other cars. There are half a million on the road so there are economies of scale to be had.

    -juice
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Miata aftermarket is amazing, which is one of the things that appeals to me. I've always tried to own sports cars that had the best aftermarkets, like MGB and Alfa. Lots of competition between vendors, which is great news for us owners.

    I wonder if those older "shell seats" would work in a Miata? They are very simple sturdy and thin buckets, with a kind of curved back but no real bolsters in the seat. It would sure help leg room.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    My primo car love is the Porsche 356. I always saw a little bit of that in the Miata. I bought stiffer anti-sway bars and upgraded to Pirelli tires. Otherwise, I've pretty much left my Miata as purchased. I get a lot of mail from the aftermarket suppliers and must say I am impressed. You could basically build your own Miat through the mail if you were so inclined.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Even that bastion of MG parts, Moss Motors, sells Miata parts.
  • freddy_kfreddy_k Member Posts: 376
    It's funny how how I'll hear the Miata called 'boring' and 'dull' yet these simple and clean lines are what I love most about the design, and why I hope they don't mess with it much more then they already have. The car speaks for itself and doesn't need a bold design to prove its worth.
    The fact is I drive a car for me and don't really like to stand out in the crowd, and I thought the Miatas design was perfect for that. Man, was I wrong - the amounts of compliments and stares I get is well above and beyond what I expected.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'd be interested in those seats, too, Shifty.

    -juice
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    The "guys" let me know you were thing about buying a Miata. As you probably know, I'm on my second one....great cars! Soooo much more dependable than the MG'S I fondly remember!

    I wonder how many miles are on that '93?

    Those engines are almopst impossible to kill.

    Somehow, I suspect it may be a bit of carbon causing that low compression and not a burned valve. I would try a "carbon blast" treatment.

    Run some carbon treatment through the intake.

    I once watched an old timer de-carbon a Chevy with a bottle of water down the carb. I thought the engine would blow but he seemed to know what he was doing...you should have seen what came out of the tailpipe!

    When he was done, it idled like a purring kitten!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I redline mine regularly, at least once per tankful, to keep carbon deposits from forming.

    It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it!

    -juice
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    It is just so cool being in that little car with the top down, power on demand, and everything a driver could really want being done well, that I never even stop to worry about whether it is pretty or not. I like the looks of it myself. Others may think as they will.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think the car is very pretty indeed.

    I don't think carbon could account for a significant drop in compression. If I do get the car I'll do a cylinder leakdown test before I buy it, because I'm not going to put a new engine in. I will do a head though.

    Unfortunately, the car is black, but on the other hand most of them aren't, and since there are a lot of Miatas around, having an odd color might be okay.
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