For the 90-93 Miata with the 1.6 liter and 5 speed, you can expect 0-60 in 9.2 sec. For the 94-97 with the 1.8 liter and 5 speed, you can expect 0-60 between 8.0-8.8 sec. The 99-03 Miata gets to 60 in about 7.5-8.0 seconds.
Have any of you guys installed aftermarket spoilers before?
It asks for a color option if I wanted it factory painted. But how do I find out the color code of my car? I've checked the door panel and other markings, but no indication of a color code.
Also, do these spoilers require drilling for installation? Do we need to drill into the trunk to anchor the spoiler? Wouldn't we need to prime the drilled area to prevent rusting?
The price of the spoiler is decent and I think it gives a nice flair to the car.
I wasn't trying to be mean or anything its just that if you've ever driven a truly fast car (like a C5 Corvette or something) you'll realize that thinking about how fast the Miata is becomes a bit silly (IMO).
I thought that when I bought my Miata that I had a pretty fast little car. Then I got to spend the weekend with my father-in-law's 50th anniversary C5 roadster. I no longer worry about how fast my Miata is, I love it for what it is (see my previous post). lol
lol@thel - I didn't take your post to be mean or anything. Besides, I was just wondering if this car was a speedster or was just smiply fun. I guess I have my answer now.
I have currently been an owner of BMW's to date. Yesterday went test driving with a friend for his new car. He was checking out the new 6 so I took the opportunity to take out the miata for a spin. Top down it really was a fun ride. I came out grinning and I had not driven a stick in ages...yet it was all very very smooth.
I inquired about the pricing and the guy mentioned invoice and that he would show me the price he paid for the car etc...I just wanted to know is invoice a good deal or can you negotiate it for below invoice?
I'd say that invoice was a fair price when you add to it the 0% financing as I did. make sure that you also get a little extra for you trade (if you have one). I got a couple of thousand over normal trade-in for mine a few months ago b/c dealers want to really move Miatas off the lot.
Is the Miata due for a redesign next year or so? I ask cause you mentioned that the dealers really want to move Miatas off the lot..?
Sorry for my complete ignorance on this subject..As I mentioned the thought of driving a mazda never entered my mind till the random test drive yesterday...
is still at least a couple of years away and there is very little verifiable info about it. The reason dealers want to move Miatas so much is that demand is not very high for 2-seater roadsters in this SUV-crazed world.
Due to low demand, Miatas do not command premium prices like other low supply roadsters like the S2K.
There is simply no way you can get more fun for your buck than by getting a Miata.
What a lot of great info. out here!!! My head is swimming! Due to the likelihood of an upcoming layoff we're thinking about getting rid of our car that we're still paying on. I was bummed but thought that this may be an opportunity to get the Miata I've been wanting for a long time. I really want new but we want to get something inexpensive and from many of your posts it looks like there are a lot of happy owners of older Miatas. I think we're looking to pay around $6k and I'd prefer to find one with a hard top.
With all that, here are my questions... 1. Is it possible to find a hard top for an older Miata if it doesn't come with? 2. What years would you look at for around $6k 3. What should we expect for maintenance expenses on a slightly older car? My husband has been good at fixing and maintaining our previous older autos so we wouldn't have to take it to a shop but wondering if they have lots of little problems.
You should first go visit http://www.miata.net You will find all the information about Miata you will ever need on there. Having said that, to answer your questions. 1. All Miata hardtops are the same. Well, let me qualify that, apart from some latter version having electric defroster, they will fit all the years of Miatas. I have a red hardtop from a 90 and it fits just fine on my 99. (Provided you have the proper hardware on the car for attaching the hardtop. You can buy the necessary hardware at local or mail order Mazda parts place). 2. Irrespective of money, I would find the lowest milage, best condition Miatas I can get my hands on. 90-93 have the smaller 1.6L engine, but by this time, most of them have higher milage. On the flip side, you can bargain a little bit on a slightly higher milage model. The earlier cars also seemed to be slightly more "tossable" because of the smaller engine. You will get different opinions on which to get, but shop around. Find one in good condition (mechanical wise) which brings us to.... 3. There really isn't much to go wrong on the car. There is a whole checklist of what you should look for in a used Miata on the mentioned website. Check there. Expense wise, it is amazingly inexpensive to upkeep. If you are slightly mechanically inclined, you should have no problem doing work on it yourself. Compared to front drive cars, the engine bay is quite roomy.
Unfortunately you have take a look at the actual magazine to read the half page article as they don't have it on their web site (just the table of contents).
Suzzie, I second Karl's suggestion to look at miata.net. Pretty much everything under the sun related to the Miata can be found there. You can't beat the fun per $ for a used Miata. The Miata is the largest selling convertible ever, hence the high supply. It's also a slow time of year for selling ragtops so better deals can be had buying used or new right now.
Ugh, just found a hairline crack in my original top, a '93 C package. Bummer.
It's pretty tiny for now, though I'm sure it'll spread. Should I do a temporary patch for now, to keep it dry? I can park in a car port at home and a garage at work, so it's not critical to have the top unless I'm driving it in the rain (which is almost never).
Here's how I see my options:
a. get a hard top b. get a new soft top c. patch the old soft top and milk it a little longer d. free sunroof!
What do you guys think? This is a 3rd vehicle, not a primary car and not one I need to drive every day.
You seem to really like your Miata even though it is only a 3rd car. It sounds like it is in great shape for its age as well. I would resist the urge to skimp on it and just fork over a few hundred for a new top. New tops are easy to find and don't cost that much.
Drove the Miata to work this morning since it has been cold and I haven't driven it for a week or so. It was still cold this morning but I really wanted to get my Miata some "excercise". Sure enough, it began snowing an hour ago or so. I still have the factory "summer" tires on it so it should be a fun drive home tonight! Hopefully the forecast will be correct and we'll only get less than an inch, but its snowing pretty hard out there. It was nice knowing you all.
Quality soft tops for a Miata are not THAT cheap are they, I mean if you include labor? Out my way, you are in for $800-$1,200 if you want a good quality top and a good fitment.
There are repair materials that might work. I'd milk it for at least another season.
Hard tops look good but most of them are getting dusty in people's garages. You might search on Ebay for a used one. I got my Alfa hardtop there (and promptly sold it in 6 months---I live in California, and it's superfluous in my climate).
If you get Miata Magazine, about every other page has tops available for various prices (vinyl, cnavas, etc.). I doubt labor will cost $400-800 to install a top.
If I had a quality Miata like Juice and not some old beater, I would plunk down the $500-700 for a new top if it needed to be replaced.
But it's up to jusice to decide how beat up is old top is and how much it is worth to him to maintain his car the way he sees fit.
I prolly have to fix it to sell it, eventually, so might as well get a new top and be the one to enjoy it, no? Maybe get a glass rear window that I can actually see through while I'm at it?
It wasn't in bad shape, honestly. Better than you'd have the right to expect for a 10 year old top. Though it's a tan one, and wasn't cleaned regularly, so it was discolored. The windows has some scratches but would have lasted a couple more years at least.
thel: can you take a bus/train/subway home, or get a ride? I'd seriously consider it if you can leave your car where it's parked now.
Dang, we sure are having big changes in weather here in northern Florida. Saturday morning, it was around 19 and Sunday it was 22. Monday, I was able to take the hardtop off, drop the softtop and enjoy upper 60s and bright sunshine. Now, on Friday morning it's supposed to drop to 15! Jeez. I can't wait till spring comes around! At least it was nice to get one winter top down day while everyone else was sloshin around in rain or snow
I live and work in a very rural area. No new-fangelled public transportation here.
I'll just drive real slow, pray that the road crews have cleared the way before I go home and that some mullet-head doesn't make me into a grease stain with his giant 4X4.
Directly above my head. Murphy's Law: if it rains even a tiny bit, it'll pour water directly onto my head.
I spoke to a friend who I helped buy his first Miata. His neighbor also has one, and just got a new top for a little over $500, so I'm going to check it out to see the quality of the top and installation, and if I like it I'll go to the same place.
In the meantime, should I use anything to seal it? If so, what?
-juice
PS On a lighter note, I'm mentioned in the Wall Street Journal today, in the "Me & My Car" section on page D4, the print copy. And the (short) feature is about the Miata and its owners.
juice - What's to enjoy about a new top? The enjoyment comes when it's tucked away. I'd see if an auto upholstery shop can fix it up for you. I'd bet they can do soemthing decent that would be not particularly noticable form 20 feet away.
Here's a soft top review from our local Miata club technical advisor www.mthoodmiata.org/tech_stuff/aabestco.htm. Looks like he had pretty good luck and the price seems reasonable.
I got home with about 1-2 inches of snow on the ground. The highway was clear, but the city streets and my county road were terrifying. This was the most horrifying experience I have ever had behind the wheel. Everytime I let off the gas, the rear end would try to come swinging around from the right side. On the county roads, I never got out of 2nd gear and stayed under 20 mph.
I can sympathize with your adventure. We had a nasty ice storm here in December. Driving slowly and carefully, I gently let off the gas and the rear prompty began drifting around. I rotated 100 degrees and slid off the road. I got out, checked for damage (none), looked left and right for witnesses, and backed onto the road. I proceeded home s l o w l y, tensely, and uneventfully. Miatas with summer tires are zero fun on icy roads. But they're lots of fun in empty, icy parking lots!
I recently picked up a Lexus SC300. I was gonna sell the 92 Miata as I don't need two cars. But honestly, I can't get myself to part with it. Insurance is only $50 a month for it, and I'll wind up saving that much money in gas alone. The Miata is maintenance free and a pleasure to drive ... and definitely not worth selling for a few grand.
I've decided to keep the Miata and use it as my commuter car. I'll use the Lex to work the senoritas. ha, ha.
But the back window is shot. There's more tape on it than plastic now. I have the hard top on for now, and am contemplating whether to replace the soft top when the weather turns. A local shop quoted me $650 to replace the entire top and rear window. But I may keep the hard top on for one season and then get the soft top fixed next year. Though I'm sure I'm not gonna be happy about that decision when the sun starts to shine and it gets warmer.
When I replace my top you can have my plastic window, though it's a tan top so it might not match. But the thing is, once you've done all that work, you might as well replace it with a new one.
I want summer tires for my Miata, too, next time around. Though I could use public transportation if that ever happened to me. Usually I just drive my Subie when the weather turns, though.
I've ordered tires from Tire Rack and a whole Plus one set from Discount Tire Direct. In both cases prices were substantially lower and I was quite satisfied in the end.
First post no more lerking I used the T. R. last summer for the Miata. I had a set of 4 195/50/15 HR sent to the local shop. When they came in I drove over and had them installed. The whole process was painless and have heard the same from others. I will be doing this again when need be.
That AAbestco offers a top with glass window without zipper for older Miatas. It says there is no modification required to the frame. Do you know how this is possible?? I thought the only way you could add a glass window that doesn't zip down is by modifying the assembly some to include extra pieces. If nothing special is involved, these guys are going to get my business since I can get a no hassle zip free glass window top for the same price as the Robbins top with zipper and plastic window (rain rail included for both).
I'm curious about the same thing. In fact that's the one I'd get if it fits.
Also, how difficult is the install? Is this something I could do myself? I'm relatively handy, but by no means an expert. I've done the tranny and diffy oils, and didn't find those hard, but I've never worked on any top mechanisms or any upholstery.
Thanx for the hook up with DiscountTireDirect.com.
Great prices on rims ... with mounting and balancing included when we buy a set of tires along with it.
Free FedEx too.
Man, can't get any better.
Do you guys think 15" tires really make that much of a difference? A set of decent rims ($100 ea) along with tires ($70 ea) is gonna run $680. That's alot of loot for tires.
I may stick with the stock tires, and just pick up a nice set of rims. The TSW Sting's are nice, but the Rage 5.0's in silver are nice too ... and cheaper.
9inarow - You may want to do a little research on the weights of the wheels. Generally, the cheap wheels at places like tirerack and DTD are going to be fairly heavy, which is generally not a good thing in a lightweight car like the Miata.
I replaced my discolored rear window last year. There are directions on miata.net for removal of just the window section. Took it to an auto upholstery shop, and they sewed a new one in for $75. It was about 3 hrs work, but its good as new now.
Try contacting Eric Vaillancourt, Mt. Hood Miata Club's technical advisor at: miataonly@attbi.com. I know he had to replace the whole top and I don't know about the window replacement only. I'm sure Eric will be able to help though. He really knows everything possible about the Miata.
I'm hoping my garaged 99 won't need a top for many years to come.
Got mine yesterday..LS..six speed..6 disc..silver/black. Been drivin on some isolated back roads...this car is a blast to drive! And I am not even goin that fast... Handlin is great..Keep thinkin if I should have gone for the suspension pkg or not?..
That's great! Don't sweat the suspension package, you'll save yourself some "saddle sores" in the long haul LOL. Just wait until the warm weather (>41 degrees or so) and you get to put the top down! Its been in the teens here lately and I haven't had the top down for weeks meself.
A local dealer told me you cannot order a hardtop on an '03 LS model because the new canvas (vs vinyl)top that comes standard on the LS model creases when stored for more than a few days. Has anyone heard about or had experience with this?
Barbara Streisand to me. Any 2001 BRG owners out there that can confirm that you don't have to have the top up all the time to keep it from creasing? You can get a hardtop via the aftermarket or just get one from another model year, it should fit fine.
The issue isn't whether a hardtop will fit. You're right. An after market or ealier model hardtop will fit just fine. Rather, the canvas is apparently not as resiliant as the vinyl and Mazda doens't want to be responsible for how it will wear when a hardtop is used. That's way Mazda won't build an '03 LS with a hardtop.
Shows the hard top as being an available option for the LS, for what its worth. I think that if MAzda really says that the canvas top isn't as sturdy and can't be folded for a long time then they took a major step back.
The reasons I doubt this is the case are multiple
1. I've never heard of any 01 SE owners complain that they could not put there tops down for extended amounts of time
2. Aftermarket canvas tops are more expensive than vinyl. Odd if they are truly of lower quality.
3. I used to do marine upholstery when I was a yonker and 99% of the bimini tops and boat covers we made were out of Sunbrella (esentially canvas) and they see far more time folded up than any Miata top would (even mine, he he) and there were NEVER any complaints about premature wear on our tops. Sunbrella was top-of-the-line, far superior to vinyl.
My guess is that your Mazda dealer knows that hardtops are available but he'she doesn't have one and they don't want you going somewhere else to find one so they fed you a line of BS about how the LS doesn't have a hardtop.
My advice, go to another dealer for a second opinion or better yet, try Mazdausa.com and use the locate feature to search local dealer inventories for an LS with a hardtop in your area.
Comments
This may be an old topic, but I'm thinking of throwing a wing spoiler onto my 92 Miata.
I'll probably go with the one found on SpoilerDepot:
http://www.spoilerdepot.com/Catalog.asp?A=10&S=1990-98%20Miata&idModel=45&idB=
Have any of you guys installed aftermarket spoilers before?
It asks for a color option if I wanted it factory painted. But how do I find out the color code of my car? I've checked the door panel and other markings, but no indication of a color code.
Also, do these spoilers require drilling for installation? Do we need to drill into the trunk to anchor the spoiler? Wouldn't we need to prime the drilled area to prevent rusting?
The price of the spoiler is decent and I think it gives a nice flair to the car.
Any help would be appreciated.
And yes, it will probably require drilling some hole in the trunk lid.
I thought that when I bought my Miata that I had a pretty fast little car. Then I got to spend the weekend with my father-in-law's 50th anniversary C5 roadster. I no longer worry about how fast my Miata is, I love it for what it is (see my previous post). lol
I have currently been an owner of BMW's to date. Yesterday went test driving with a friend for his new car. He was checking out the new 6 so I took the opportunity to take out the miata for a spin. Top down it really was a fun ride. I came out grinning and I had not driven a stick in ages...yet it was all very very smooth.
I inquired about the pricing and the guy mentioned invoice and that he would show me the price he paid for the car etc...I just wanted to know is invoice a good deal or can you negotiate it for below invoice?
Is the Miata due for a redesign next year or so? I ask cause you mentioned that the dealers really want to move Miatas off the lot..?
Sorry for my complete ignorance on this subject..As I mentioned the thought of driving a mazda never entered my mind till the random test drive yesterday...
Due to low demand, Miatas do not command premium prices like other low supply roadsters like the S2K.
There is simply no way you can get more fun for your buck than by getting a Miata.
With all that, here are my questions...
1. Is it possible to find a hard top for an older Miata if it doesn't come with?
2. What years would you look at for around $6k
3. What should we expect for maintenance expenses on a slightly older car? My husband has been good at fixing and maintaining our previous older autos so we wouldn't have to take it to a shop but wondering if they have lots of little problems.
Thanks very much!
Having said that, to answer your questions.
1. All Miata hardtops are the same. Well, let me qualify that, apart from some latter version having electric defroster, they will fit all the years of Miatas. I have a red hardtop from a 90 and it fits just fine on my 99. (Provided you have the proper hardware on the car for attaching the hardtop. You can buy the necessary hardware at local or mail order Mazda parts place).
2. Irrespective of money, I would find the lowest milage, best condition Miatas I can get my hands on. 90-93 have the smaller 1.6L engine, but by this time, most of them have higher milage. On the flip side, you can bargain a little bit on a slightly higher milage model. The earlier cars also seemed to be slightly more "tossable" because of the smaller engine.
You will get different opinions on which to get, but shop around. Find one in good condition (mechanical wise) which brings us to....
3. There really isn't much to go wrong on the car. There is a whole checklist of what you should look for in a used Miata on the mentioned website. Check there. Expense wise, it is amazingly inexpensive to upkeep. If you are slightly mechanically inclined, you should have no problem doing work on it yourself. Compared to front drive cars, the engine bay is quite roomy.
http://www.motortrend.com/toc/
Unfortunately you have take a look at the actual magazine to read the half page article as they don't have it on their web site (just the table of contents).
Suzzie, I second Karl's suggestion to look at miata.net. Pretty much everything under the sun related to the Miata can be found there. You can't beat the fun per $ for a used Miata. The Miata is the largest selling convertible ever, hence the high supply. It's also a slow time of year for selling ragtops so better deals can be had buying used or new right now.
It's pretty tiny for now, though I'm sure it'll spread. Should I do a temporary patch for now, to keep it dry? I can park in a car port at home and a garage at work, so it's not critical to have the top unless I'm driving it in the rain (which is almost never).
Here's how I see my options:
a. get a hard top
b. get a new soft top
c. patch the old soft top and milk it a little longer
d. free sunroof!
What do you guys think? This is a 3rd vehicle, not a primary car and not one I need to drive every day.
-juice
There are repair materials that might work. I'd milk it for at least another season.
Hard tops look good but most of them are getting dusty in people's garages. You might search on Ebay for a used one. I got my Alfa hardtop there (and promptly sold it in 6 months---I live in California, and it's superfluous in my climate).
If I had a quality Miata like Juice and not some old beater, I would plunk down the $500-700 for a new top if it needed to be replaced.
But it's up to jusice to decide how beat up is old top is and how much it is worth to him to maintain his car the way he sees fit.
It wasn't in bad shape, honestly. Better than you'd have the right to expect for a 10 year old top. Though it's a tan one, and wasn't cleaned regularly, so it was discolored. The windows has some scratches but would have lasted a couple more years at least.
thel: can you take a bus/train/subway home, or get a ride? I'd seriously consider it if you can leave your car where it's parked now.
-juice
Juice, where did the hairline crack form?
I'll just drive real slow, pray that the road crews have cleared the way before I go home and that some mullet-head doesn't make me into a grease stain with his giant 4X4.
I spoke to a friend who I helped buy his first Miata. His neighbor also has one, and just got a new top for a little over $500, so I'm going to check it out to see the quality of the top and installation, and if I like it I'll go to the same place.
In the meantime, should I use anything to seal it? If so, what?
-juice
PS On a lighter note, I'm mentioned in the Wall Street Journal today, in the "Me & My Car" section on page D4, the print copy. And the (short) feature is about the Miata and its owners.
Duct tape? LOL
-juice
Here's a soft top review from our local Miata club technical advisor www.mthoodmiata.org/tech_stuff/aabestco.htm. Looks like he had pretty good luck and the price seems reasonable.
-Eric
-juice
Well I'm off to change my shorts, bye for now!
I've decided to keep the Miata and use it as my commuter car. I'll use the Lex to work the senoritas. ha, ha.
But the back window is shot. There's more tape on it than plastic now. I have the hard top on for now, and am contemplating whether to replace the soft top when the weather turns. A local shop quoted me $650 to replace the entire top and rear window. But I may keep the hard top on for one season and then get the soft top fixed next year. Though I'm sure I'm not gonna be happy about that decision when the sun starts to shine and it gets warmer.
I may replace the 14" stock rims and move up a notch to 15". The TSW Sting rims from MMMiata look nice.
I want summer tires for my Miata, too, next time around. Though I could use public transportation if that ever happened to me. Usually I just drive my Subie when the weather turns, though.
I've ordered tires from Tire Rack and a whole Plus one set from Discount Tire Direct. In both cases prices were substantially lower and I was quite satisfied in the end.
-juice
I used the T. R. last summer for the Miata. I had a set of 4 195/50/15 HR sent to the local shop. When they came in I drove over and had them installed. The whole process was painless and have heard the same from others. I will be doing this again when need be.
Also, how difficult is the install? Is this something I could do myself? I'm relatively handy, but by no means an expert. I've done the tranny and diffy oils, and didn't find those hard, but I've never worked on any top mechanisms or any upholstery.
-juice
Great prices on rims ... with mounting and balancing included when we buy a set of tires along with it.
Free FedEx too.
Man, can't get any better.
Do you guys think 15" tires really make that much of a difference? A set of decent rims ($100 ea) along with tires ($70 ea) is gonna run $680. That's alot of loot for tires.
I may stick with the stock tires, and just pick up a nice set of rims. The TSW Sting's are nice, but the Rage 5.0's in silver are nice too ... and cheaper.
You really don't want to put an 18 lb wheel on with the stock suspension. Ask for the weight of those rims you're shopping for.
3 hours just for the window, and an expert doing the work? I'd better leave it up to them, then.
-juice
http://www.wheelweights.net/
I'm hoping my garaged 99 won't need a top for many years to come.
Eric S.
http://www.miata.net/faq/wheel_weights.html#weight
And tire weights
http://www.miata.net/faq/tire_weights.html
The reasons I doubt this is the case are multiple
1. I've never heard of any 01 SE owners complain that they could not put there tops down for extended amounts of time
2. Aftermarket canvas tops are more expensive than vinyl. Odd if they are truly of lower quality.
3. I used to do marine upholstery when I was a yonker and 99% of the bimini tops and boat covers we made were out of Sunbrella (esentially canvas) and they see far more time folded up than any Miata top would (even mine, he he) and there were NEVER any complaints about premature wear on our tops. Sunbrella was top-of-the-line, far superior to vinyl.
My guess is that your Mazda dealer knows that hardtops are available but he'she doesn't have one and they don't want you going somewhere else to find one so they fed you a line of BS about how the LS doesn't have a hardtop.
My advice, go to another dealer for a second opinion or better yet, try Mazdausa.com and use the locate feature to search local dealer inventories for an LS with a hardtop in your area.