Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)

dgraves1 · February 2003

I cna't vouch for this for smoke but some of the enzyme based deodorizers like Febreeze or nature's Miracle (sold in pet stores) may help with the smoke. I don't remember if they claim that. They do wonders on vomit. (I have three kids and a dog, that's how I know).

windup_bird · February 2003

Try Ebay. You can get a brand-new one for $150-170. It was originally for Mazda Tribute. miataforum.com has a lot of discussion on this. I got one myself. It's a steal!

cuteeric17 · February 2003

I saw a green Miata with a hard top today. Very nice.

lngtonge18 · February 2003

I ordered my new top from AAbestco on Saturday (its a 1 piece buckskin vinyl top with glass window and no zippers). I should get it in 2 weeks. I will be installing it myself with help from a friend so I will let you know how it goes. It should make my 92 red Miata look almost new. Wish me luck!

ateixeira · February 2003

Very cool, I might get the same thing.

I heard the window with a zipper was heavy and awkward to zip/unzip, so it sounds like you made the right choice.

Please take notes and share! Good luck. :-)

-juice

pjreporter · February 2003

I'm a reporter with a major business daily and I write a weekly auto feature. I'm looking for MR2 Spyder drivers/owners to share their experiences with me -- which could get you a quick mention in the paper. Person[s] must be willing to answer about 5 questions on their personal experience with the car, give their job title and where they work. Interested? Please email me at LANETEF@YAHOO.COM

dgraves1 · February 2003

There aren't too many Spyder owners on Edmunds as far as I know. You might want to check at www.board.mr2faq.com or www.spyderchat.com.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2003

phreporter--

You should check in with our PR lady

jfallon@edmunds.com

dtran2149 · February 2003

These are the lowest national listings I could find (from dealers) that seems reasonable (i.e. low mileage):

Leather:
http://www.getauto.com/cardetail.html?vin=JM1NB3530X0133839

Non-leather:
http://www.getauto.com/cardetail.html?vin=JM1NB3531X0112921

Seems like prices in TX are lower than average. You could always take a $200 flight and drive it back. . .

dgraves1 · February 2003

Did you notice that the first one (red) is an automatic? The second one didn't work for me.

dtran2149 · February 2003

Here it is again.

http://www.getauto.com/cardetail.html?vin=JM1NB3531X0112921

Hopefully it works. Not sure what happened the first time. This second listing is stick shift.

I was posting primarily to give an indication of what seemed "like a good offer." Of course, from here you should be able to knock off $1k more in this environment (consumer sentiment low, war worries, winter time, etc.). Normally, I do the following searches when I want to get prices:

1) Carmax - this is my starting point for "standardized retail pricing." Typically the best dealer prices will be about $1k off for every $10k of Carmax car price. This leads me to. . .

2) www.getauto.com - this national listing of dealers lets me quickly sort through and get a sense of availability (not just supply but also colors, options, etc. - what's common, what's rare, interesting insights). Best dealer prices are getting closer to. . .

3) www.autotrader.com and cars.com - I use this then to refine and find good regional specimens
of the private seller market.

Also, Ebay Motors is always interesting to look at but for alot of cars their prices are a little high (i.e. sophisticated seller going the extra mile wants to be compensated). I like older sellers looking to sell their 3rd cars that do business the old fashioned way. When I bought my Miata some time ago, I went this route.

ateixeira · February 2003

Quick, buy it before I steal it out from under you. ;-)

But seriously, I've been considering a '99 and that meets my target price easily. It's a deal unless it has hidden damage.

-juice

dtran2149 · February 2003

I would call that dealer and have them send the Carfax to you on their dime. Then I would include in the negotiation an inspection by a third party structured as follows:

1) they pay for the 3rd party inspection but you promise to buy the car if it passes.

Not sure if they would do it, but you talk to the manager and tell him you are coming from out of town, etc. (show it's a major inconvenience and a leap of faith on your part) he should be willing to do something along those lines. If not, he/she's not the dealer for you and continue searching. Remember - patient capital always wins!

dtran2149 · February 2003

Right now is a good time to visit Austin. South by Southwest is an annual event that showcases music, entertainment, movies, and the like in early March. Norah Jones actually performed there last year before all the Grammy hype. See austin360.com for details. It would be a nice weekend trip w/ low risk.

Another method I have used is to call friends I have who live in or close to that city to do a once-over on the car. Even if they're not car experts, they can give you the run down on the basic condition and they can make simple observations regarding whether the car has possibly been wrecked and the like.

ateixeira · February 2003

Actually there was a free Carfax offer just a couple of days ago, I used it on my '93 just to make sure the previous owner was honest (he was).

Check their web site. If not, it might have been through MyPoints.com.

-juice

Mr_Shiftright · February 2003

Now you know not to count 100% on Carfax, right? I guess I told you guys about the Miata I bought that had records for $18,000 in body work and came out clean on Carfax?

dtran2149 · February 2003

I agree that Carfax is a pre-requisite (necessary but not sufficient). Per the previous post, the idea was to get a 3rd party inspection (preferably no money out of pocket).

Here's another question for Miata-philes:

Two used cars:
1) 1994-1995 Miata w/ less than 60k miles
Price range is probably $5000-$7500

2) 1999 Miata w/ less than 40k miles
Price range is probably $9500-$12500

Is the difference worth it? I had a 94 Miata that was great. I also test drove a 99 as well and liked it but thought getting an older first generation car in great condition was a better value at the time. Now that the price difference is only $4k or so, is it better to go for the 1999? The difference in value due to mileages in the example is probably worth $2k alone so it's actually only $2k in difference in terms of the actual car.

ateixeira · February 2003

Shifty - my Miata was hit and fixed right away but it too didn't register on Carfax.

Let's see, you're talking 128hp vs. 140hp IIRC, plus the barn doors are gone, and glass vs. vinyl on the window.

Unless you prefer the older generation for some reason, I think the $2 grand extra is worth it.

-juice ('93 C package)

lngtonge18 · March 2003

I got my new top delivered today. It looks to be very high quality. The buckskin color appears to be a lighter creamy tan color than what the original Miatas came with, but I will leave final judgement to when I see it on the car. The graining is different as well, but I purposely ordered the pinpoint vinyl because I thought the uniformity of the design would look better and the small grain would stay cleaner. The glass window will be a definite improvement. The window appears to be longer but skinnier than the plastic one. Hopefully, rear visibility won't be affected. The green tint was a nice touch. Overall, I'm very impressed with the quality construction of the top. I'll let everyone know how the installation goes in a couple of weeks.

ateixeira · March 2003

Sounds good, I'll look forward to hearing about it. Hope the weather cooperates.

-juice

redkey1 · March 2003

Can you fit a set of golf clubs in a miata trunk?

ateixeira · March 2003

Not mine.

I have seen a hitch mounted rack that hold 2 bags, but you'll exceed the payload in a big way with 2 people and 2 sets of clubs.

Besides, the way Miatas are driven, those clubs would be all over the place in the trunk! :-)

-juice

cuteeric17 · March 2003

I've been posting in the other Miata discussion, but since there seem to be a few more people circulating around here I'll ask a couple of questions that are lingering in my mind. First off, how does a WORKING student (college) look in one of these? And secondly, how much space is there in the trunk with the rag top down and the hardtop on?

kymike · March 2003

I think that the Miata is a practical car for a college student. It is economical and very reliable. Both of those qualities will make car ownership less of a worry during college.

The trunk is not extremely large. On the older models, you can't get a full set of golf clubs in the trunk. Lowering the top does not intrude at all on the trunk space.

redkey1 · March 2003

What year do you have to get to fit a full set of clubs in the trunk?

ateixeira · March 2003

There are a couple of aftermarket exhaust systems that leave room for you to mount the spare under the trunk. That would leave a bit more room, so as long as your golf bag isn't one of the huge ones it might fit inside.

I think the trunk got bigger on the '99 models. The '90-'97 trunks are smaller. The battery and spare tire are in there.

How would you look in one? Like you're having a blast.

-juice

dverespey · March 2003

I used to keep my clubs in the trunk of my 93 without any problem.

It wasn't one of those Rodney sized bags mind you.

redkey1 · March 2003

I read that 99's can hold 2 bags and have more legroom (I'm 6'2), so I am looking at those. Only problem is they ara bit more expensive and I'd have to go a lot cheaper on a winter beater. (my aim is to get a used convertible and a used subaru awd for the winter and get rid of my jeep). I would rather spend less on the convertible and a little more on the winter car because of the climate (It is the middle of march and there is snow forecast for this afternoon in Boston) but not if I can't fit or toss my clubs in the trunk.

ateixeira · March 2003

Sounds familiar. I have a '93 Miata bought used, and a '98 Forester. They make a *great* team, complement each other perfectly. Their strengths tend to be the opposite of each other. Highly recommended.

At 6'2", though, that's tough. I'm tight and I'm 6'. I'd really get a '99 with lots of miles, they're dipping under $10 grand now.

You can get a '98 Forester for about $10 grand or so, too, so $20k buys you a purty nice fleet.

Here's a bonus - the Forester's cargo area is big enough for me to fit my clubs and the cart/wheels without even folding it up! :-)

-juice

pinecove · March 2003

I've got a 2001 Miata with only 6000 miles in mint condition that I need to sell - likely will buy Mazda6. Dealers have insulted me with their trade-in offers (around $11K-12K). Can anyone suggest the best way to sell a classic sports car with low miles for a fair price. BTW - a set of golf clubs will fit in the trunk.

B-

ateixeira · March 2003

I'll give you $11-12k for it. Cash. I'll even pick it up. :-)

Kidding. I'd go with volume, what publication reaches the most potential buyers in your area? In DC it's the Washington Post.

I would guesstimate that it's worth about 20% less than a new one's current price (NOT what you paid, you are competing with current new models).

So go price a 2003 with rebates and all, then reduce 20%. You might have to deal down to 30% less.

The problem is there is very little time left on the warranty, and your price is going to require a loan for most buyers. Used car loans carry higher rates and there's no dealer to arrange financing for the buyer in this case.

Good luck.

-juice

pinecove · March 2003

I've got a 2001 Miata with only 6000 miles in mint condition that I need to sell - likely will buy Mazda6. Dealers have insulted me with their trade-in offers (around $11K-12K). Can anyone suggest the best way to sell a classic sports car with low miles for a fair price. BTW - a set of golf clubs will fit in the trunk.

B-

petro33 · March 2003

I was looking for a new car (Miata or MR2) last year. One of the tests was golf clubs in the trunk. I could not get the clubs on the trunk of the Miata with the golf cart attached. I came close but I would have to take it apart to fit. Not that the MR2 spyder I bougnt would accomidate the clubs, I had trouble fitting golf balls in its trunk! What I did was purchase a rack for the back and strap the clubs on. It looks a lot like my '63 MGB. I did not consider luggage, other than the golf clubs as a deciding factor in purchasing the car. I have an SUV for other duties!

ateixeira · March 2003

Here's an example. Fitzmall.com sells Miatas locally at no-haggle prices. They have a new 2003 6 speed, pretty well equipped, for $23,180 including freight.

So, that puts my guesstimate at $16,226 to $18,544. Now that I think about it, you'd be lucky to get 70% of the value.

But yeah, the dealer is trying to rip you off. He's offering about HALF the original cost after just 6k miles? If depreciation is that steep I'd avoid the 6 as well!

-juice

dverespey · March 2003

Well you do have to take into account how flat the used market is right now. But, comapring the numbers above it does look like a rip.

ateixeira · March 2003

You could try to sell it on Miata.net, the enthusiast site.

But keep it! The 6 has FWD disease.

-juice

thel · March 2003

Sometimes a necessary evil I suppose. Try autotrader.com as well. While the dealer quoted a price that does seem a bit low, I wouldn't expect that much more for it. I was to sell my 02 LS with 10,000 I'd probably ask about $18,500 and take somewhere in the high $17's. Now I will go slap myself silly for even mentioning selling my beloved Miata with spring in the air. >:(

dgraves1 · March 2003

Well according to Edmunds, which I have always found to be fairly accurate on market prices, a base 2001 Miata with 6,000 miles is worth about $13K in a private party sale. This sounds about right to me considering that this is a nearly 3 year old model and new ones are being advertised for under $18K.

Kirstie_H · March 2003

Join us tonight, 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for another round of automotive trivia and member-to-member chat. Test your skills (or multiple choice guessing ability) against other Town Hall members.

http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html

Hope to see you there!

gtshome · March 2003

I just got myself a 1993 Miata in Brazil and was wondering if any of you could help me. I'm trying to figure out how low the Miata is supposed to be and whether I need to work on the suspension (we really do not have that many of them over here).

After driving the car for about a day, I am a bit shocked to see poorly it reacts to bumps and how many times the car scrapes speed bumps and even my garage ramp. I'm not sure if the previous owner lowered ride height deliberately.

I know you probably have much better pavement over there and you probably don't have to deal with these conditions, but does anyone know if this is supposed to happen?

In theory the car has only 17000 miles, and I wasn't expecting to have to change the suspension, but just in case the veredic is "man... you have to change it all..." does anyone know of an internet site where I can find OEM shocks and suspension parts?

Thanks... Abraco,
gts

ateixeira · March 2003

Coincidencia, sou do Brasil e tambem tenho um 1993, so que moro nos EUA.

I'll write in English so everyone else can understand.

Yes, the stock suspension is low, but yours does sound like it might be aftermarket. If you want, take a photo and e-mail it to me, and I'll compare it to mine.

Another thing is we could measure the height of the top of the fender on any given wheel, maybe front and rear on the driver side, for reference.

Even if the springs are OK, it sounds like your shocks are toast. There is probably a Monroe fitment for the Miata, I imagine any reputable shop in Brazil would find one.

Here is one dealer that at least used to market OE parts on-line:

http://www.trussvillemazda.com/

Other options? Check out Miata.net, lots of those owners lower their cars and might even have slightly used springs cheap. That's probably the most cost effective option if you have a way to transport it to Brazil.

Hope this helps.

Ate logo.

-juice

gtshome · March 2003

Thanks. I'll send you the picture and the measurements tomorrow. I have to work on my other car now which I almost trashed yesterday in Rio's flooded streets... Funny and I thought the miata was going to be the one to give me trouble in the coming days...
Cheers,
gts

lngtonge18 · March 2003

This weekend the weather was perfect, so I decided to install my new top. It was definitely an experience and the top still needs some finishing touches before it is completed. Warning!! This job involves a lot of trial and error and should not be attempted by those with a short fuse.
Taking the top off was amazingly easy. If you can find someone who will allow you to take off the old top yourself to save money, I highly suggest doing it. With two people (one doing most of the work, the other holding the top and doing other minor things), the old top was off in 1 hour. Directions provided on miata.net were straight forward in this respect. I coudn't believe how quickly and easily the top came off, so I had high hopes that the job would go well but I wasn't so lucky.

The original rain rail looked new but definitely got brittle with age as seen by the 2 inch long split that happened while taking it out of the car. I highly suggest you do not attempt to reuse the rain rail, no matter how good it looks. It is an odd looking piece, basically a plastic sheet that curves around the back of the car with a rubber weatherstipping attached to it to form a U. This ungodly piece caused us hours of heartache and was merely the beginning of problem after problem. The job would have taken 3 hours less time had the rain rail already been attached to the top. If your budget allows the extra expense of Robbins top, I highly recommend saving yourself the trouble. The problem is the rain rail can only sit facing up, as if it was already on the car. The fabric top can't lay on the ground in the same direction and the added weight of the glass window made maneuvering the top into the rain rail's channel even more aggravating. Lining up the holes on the top with the holes on the rain rail adds some more difficulty to the equation. The worse part is the vague directions given on miata.net. This is another area that could have saved some time had the directions been clearer. According to the directions, you are supposed to rivet the top to the rail. However, the rivet gun refused to rivet the two together because there is nothing solid for the rivets to grab onto. It made absolutely no sense! After investigating further online, I discovered a guy who had the same problem and used nylon screws and nuts to attach the top and rain rail. However, he failed to disclose that the screws will only work if the nut is facing the trunk. Of course, we installed it with the screw head facing the trunk and discovered we couldn't put the metal plates covering the rail back on. Thus, we had to haul the top back off the car, take it apart, and do it all over again!! Tempers were rising at this point. We trialed and errored so much, that I was beginning to worry my new rail rail was going to break from all the pressure of taking it in and out of the car (it fits very snugly and requires a lot of bending to get it in place). Putting the metal covers over the rain rail was a problem because some of the threads didn't want to come through the holes far enough to catch a bolt. We finally got it right after about 6-7 hours, but one of the corner bolts refused to go on the thread so that is one of the adjustments I need to make.

The second problem I had was with the rivets holding the cables on. If you make any mistakes and need to drill out a rivet twice, you might as well forget the directions and be prepared to use some ingenuity. This leads me to my third major problem. The top website misleads you into thinking NO MODIFICATION to the top frame is required to use a one piece top. This is, in fact, false. You must drill 6 holes in the back crossbar and 6 in the middle bar in order to attach 4 straps. I had thought the straps were part of the covers to the bars and went ahead and riveted the cables to the front of the frame. I than discovered the directions to the straps and found out I needed to drill out the rivets I just put in so I could get access to the bars in order to drill the holes. I was furious to say the least! It was my fault for not paying attention to the directions provided, but I assumed I didn't need to do this by looking at the old top (which had material sewed into the top to do the same thing the straps do), the directions on miata.net, and remembering the "no modification" ploy. Upon drilling out the rivets a second time, the hole got too big for the rivets!! I now had to bend the metal attachment point out so I could get my fingers and a nut underneath in order to use a nut and bolt combo to hold the cable down.

The fourth problem I ran into was the holes on the side of the top behind the passenger side window weren't aligned with the holes on the frame. I had to drill new holes into the top to align it properly. This is one of a few noticeable flaws in the top.

The fifth problem still persists. Gluing the front edge of the top wasn't too hard but the driver's side of the top wasn't aligned right and caused a lip to form. It's also putting too much stress on the seam. I tried to fix the alignment tonight but wasn't totally successful, so I think I'm going to have to take the front edge off and reglue the whole thing.

The last problem was definitely perplexing and quite scary. After the top was reattached, the dang thing was so tight that it looked like it was made too small or we did something wrong. The top refused to latch even with 2 people pulling down on it as hard as they could! We adjusted the latches as far out as they would go and finally got it latched as one pulled down on the front from inside the car and the other sat on the trunk and pushed forward on the frame. Thankfully, it looks like it stretched some after sitting in the sun today since it latched much easier. However, all the stress looks like it caused a small section of the fabric to separate slightly from the middle of the bottom of the glass window. I don't think it will leak, but it doesn't look right and doesn't make me feel too good about the quality of the top. I also noticed a teeny tiny pin prick of light coming though one of the threads at the 3rd crossbar. I hope the vinyl will expand and close it up. The one thing that doesn't sit right with me is the fit of the fabric around the back of the side windows. They stick outward towards the side of car and simply don't look right. This is one of the other adjustments I need to make.

Overall, I have spent close to 10 hours installing the top and I still have another hour or so of adjustments to do. The tan top does look beautiful on my red car and the crystal clear glass window is wonderful. I just wish someone would have described the top installation process better so I wouldn't have had to use so much trial and error. I hope my experience comes in handy for someone....

lngtonge18 · March 2003

I forgot to mention that with the one piece top, you can no longer throw the top back carelessly. As you lower the top, you must pull the third crossbar forward to give enough room for the window to fold into the well. If you don't, the crossbar gets caught on the top of the window and attempts to crush it. It's not a big deal, but does require more attention. Throwing the top back at a stoplight is no longer a quick 5 second job

gtshome · March 2003

ateixeira,
Here go the measurements... All taken in the driver side with no passenger or load.

1. Floor to highest point in front fender: 59cm (23in. 3/16)
2. Top of tire to highest point in front fender: 5cm (1in. 15/16)
3. Floor to hihgest point in rear fender: 62cm (24in. 3/8)
4. Top of tire to highest point in rear fender: 6cm (2in. 3/8)
5. Floor to car body (under the driver seat): 14cm (5in. 1/2) with no passenger and 12cm (4in. 3/4) when I am in it.

Please, let me know if this is too far from Miata reality. And if I may, here goes a question... How do you know my shocks are shot?

As for the pictures I am working on getting a digital camera. How can I send you the pics?

Obrigado antecipado,
gts

ateixeira · March 2003

How? Because you described bottoming out on pot holes and ramps, and because mine are also shot and I have far fewer miles than you probably do (just 40k on mine).

You can e-mail me pix to de_juice_man@hotmail.com.

-juice

ateixeira · March 2003

OK, here are mine:

1. 23 9/16"
2. 2 9/16"
3. 24 7/8"
4. 2 5/8"
5. 6 1/2" w/no passenger

So, the delta (difference) is:

1. +3/8"
2. +5/8"
3. +1/2"
4. +1/4"
5. +1"

The way we measured may be a little different for 2 and 4, but I think 1 and 3 would be pretty accurate.

By the way, I have 185/60R14 tires, stock suspension.

So I'd estimate your car is lowered about 1/2" or so. That's not a lot, so they might have cut the springs or installed and aftermarket systems that lowers it only a little bit.

-juice

gtshome · March 2003

gtshome · March 2003

Oops. Sorry. Thanks a lot. I've just received two books on the miata and may now start to fiddle with it. First order of business will be the suspension then. I am sure I can find a way to raise the car by 1/2 inch. I have found a camera as well, I should be able to send you the pics during the week end. I am really starting to love the car (less than a week's use)... Next stop oil change. Does anyone have a strong view on when to change the oil filter?
Obrigado Juice.
Abraco,
gts

kymike · March 2003

I change all fluids in the car when I buy a used car (unless I know the history of fluid changes). That way, I know what my fluid change intervals should be -

Oil/filter - every 3000 miles
Brake/clutch fluid - every two years
Coolant - every two years
Transmission - every 25000-30000 miles

Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)

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