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Comments
Driving around in a Corvette is fun...but frustrating. You shift into second, hit the gas and low and behold, you have to slow down for the 70 mph zone! Arrghh.
But it's nice to wind out the engine like that.
-juice
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1- - &category=6327&item=2459657050&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBW- - A%3AIT
IIRC, that's the one that you can use like a targa, or as a full convertible. That was a cool feature.
She's VERY clean, too. Wow. 108k miles, hard to believe.
Gotta love a full set of gauges, too.
-juice
BTW, I've got the same BBS Honeycomb wheels on my '92 LE. )
Thel: That 8k redline is pretty cool isn't it? The 89-91 convertibles had a high output rotary with more power (160 instead of 147). Torque is 140 instead of 100 in the Miata. So even though the car is heavier, it should have pretty good spunk. The sound of a rotary firing up is definitely unique and their smoothness is untouchable. I can't wait to drive it home on Saturday!
Thanks guys for all the kind words about my new car. This helps me feel better about making such a frivolous purchase
Do you think, when you're 80, and telling your grandkids about cars you've owned, that you'll regret such a fun purchase?
I doubt it.
-juice
To answer your Qs. The RX7, in my opinion, is larger and more comfortable than a Miata. The rotary engine revs freely and you will just enjoy tweaking the throttle like a GP racer and impress your gf/neigbors if you get the manual shift. (I cannot understand people who get an automatic Miata, RX7 or a Porsche Boxter!!) Yes, the rotary may require more visits to the mechanic than the Miata (none of my Miatas needed anything more than the normal oil and filter change). You will also need a mechanic who SPECIALIZES in RX7s. Your ordinary "Japanese Cars Garage" will ruin your RX7. If I lose my current Miata I will look out for a low mileage 1990 or 1991 RX7 convertible..... BTW my 1995 "M" Miata had BBS wheels. I did not particularly like them....they are difficult to keep clean.
I keep looking at the pics on ebay and just can't believe it's actually my car. I have now bought 2 of the dream cars from my childhood. I always looked at the RX7 convertible and thought to myself, "man, I'd love to be seen driving that car". It's just so sporty and exclusive. I've only seen maybe 3 on the road.
As for the BBS wheels, I know they will be a big annoyance to clean, but I must admit, they look hot on this car. They kind of give the car an aggressive, yet refined and elegant look. I don't think regular spoke wheels would look as good.
Anyway, I'll let you guys know my impressions once I get it home and compare it to my 92 Miata.
HOWEVER, I just found a tear in my vinyl window, the top was already old and cracking, so that's the final straw. It'll be replaced soon.
-juice
Mine is a 1993, so I can't really complain, that's 11-12 years or so of life from the original top. The previous owner didn't really take good care of it, the tan top was badly stained when I got it.
The new one will have a glass window with a defroster.
-juice
-juice
Hey, just called Performance Buyers Club to order a new top. They install Robbins tops, and most of the feedback on those is good.
A new vinyl top, glass window, tan color, plus installation, will run $799. I just don't have the time with two little kids running around, or the patience. If we still had an empty nest, then maybe.
Any how, price seems decent, I think the MSRP on the OE top is about that much by itself, before install.
No rear defrost, though. That made it pricey, he'd have to run wires, install relays, etc. I think it'll be fine without it because I don't drive it in rain or snow, for that I use my Subie.
-juice
They ordered the top, and will call me when it comes in. I'll drop it off, probably Wednesday, to get the new top installed.
-juice
Can't complain, I've spent next to nothing on this car in 3 years, and it's a 1993. Even after the $800 it may be the least costly car (in terms of repairs) I've owned that was that old.
-juice
From my experiences with friends the non-turbo rotary engines are very durable. It was the added heat that killed the 13B rotaries at 60K in the 3rd gen cars.
Keith R.
Anyway, I will now proceed with my comparison of these 2 convertibles. The RX7 blows the Miata away in the looks department. My car is absolutely stunning in person. I was asked about the car the first day I had it as I went into an auto parts store. I noticed people craning their necks to take a gander and a few people have compared it to an older Ferrari (I think the car is very similar in the front to the Lotus Elan and Esprit). The attention the car gets is having 2 effects on me: 1. I'm beaming with pride 2. I'm scared it will attract the wrong kind of attention. The RX7 also feels more grown up and buttoned down then the Miata, especially on the highway. This car impressed me so much while riding on the highway at 80-100 mph. 5th gear on this car is what the Miata should have. At an indicated 100mph, the car revs at 4k (at 80 it revs at 3300). This leads to a wonderfully relaxed highway cruising machine. It felt just as tight and solid as a coupe and it held the road extremely well (hydroplaning resistance is also better). It wasn't attracted to semis, the steering was firm, the ride was comfortable yet very tightly controlled, and no shaking was evident. I'm sure all this is due in part to the heavier weight and stronger frame. And the Rx7 is a good bit heavier (it weighs about 2880). This car feels so stout that I don't see the need in adding any extra braces, like I did in the Miata. You can see where the weight went: the body panels are thick and look substantial; the trunk lid is heavy, so heavy it required the use of 2 gas struts to hold it up. The Miata feels like a flimsy, nervous, ultra light toy with thin dent prone panels and a shaky structure compared to the RX7. The Rx7 is roomier and doesn't feel near as confining as the Miata and the trunk is deeper, luxuriously lined, has a light, and no obstructions (the battery is up front where God intended and the spare tire is cleverly located behind the front seats) which makes it much more useful. The top is a high quality cloth, no bars are exposed inside, wind noise is well muted, and there is a standard flip up windblocker. The windshield cross bar has a padded vinyl covering. The sun visors are twice the size of the Miata's. The brakes have 4 pistons up front and the rotors are plenty big. The interior lights up better at night (by golly a real dome light!!) and nighttime illumination is clearly superior thanks to the brighter square headlights (the barndoors are smaller so they stay out of your line of sight better) and fog lamps. The seats are more cushy and comfortable to me, but the other half thinks the Miata is better. That pretty much sums up the pluses for the RX7.
Now lets discuss where the Miata excels. The Miata feels more tossable and spunky, although the RX7 still has a nice tight turning radius and grips the road better thanks to the bigger tires, firmer shocks, and wider stance. The 1.6 engine is quick to rev and feels fast thanks to the ultra short gearing. The RX7, on the other hand, is deceptively quick. It feels slow off the line, doesn't rev as quick (I'm still investigating whether the throttle cable is adjusted right), and never gives you the feeling of thrust. In reality, it goes pretty quick because when you think you are going 40, you are really going 60. The Miata's doors are much smaller, making it easier to get out of tight spots whereas the RX7's are real long, open wide, and the windshiled is more steeply raked, making egress more difficult. The Miata's dash is more modern, simplistic, and less imposing. However, the RX7 has more gauges, no droopy eyeball vents, and no flashing airbag light. Now, for the clincher....Mazda appears to have dropped the ball with electronic reliability in the RX7. Not only does my car need a new power passenger window regulator, but also a new wiper switch (the wiper only works on low speed) and the idle is a bit wacky (it bounces around sometimes exactly like my Miata did that one time). The headlight switch and logicon AC control panel are other common failures on these cars. These parts are exotic car expensive too!!! A new regulator will cost me $343, but get this: the wiper switch costs a whopping $424 from Mazdatrix and $522 from the dealer. It is one big switch that controls the wiper/washer, hazard, and main cruise control button. How on earth they think this is worth that much money is beyond me. The Logicon unit costs over $500 and the headlight switch costs about the same as the window regulator. I'm shocked at how expensive these parts are and that they are common problems considering the Miata didn't run into any of this (though the Miata has airbag problems). The good thing is, the previous owner already ran into the headlight switch problem so its been replaced. I just can't believe Japanese electronics were so badly designed that they fail at a measly 100k. Besides the eletrical issues, my RX7 runs great. It fires right up and runs smooth. It looks like it will be a reliable running car.
You might ask, knowing what I know now, would I still buy the RX7 over the Miata. I think the answer is still hell yea! I get excited everytime I look at the car and part of the fun of owning a weekend car is fixing it up. And driving a unique car is very intoxicating. But this car is definitely not gonna be as worry free and cheap to own as my Miata.
p.s. The 2nd gen RX7s were definitely high tech cars for their day. Can you believe my car has a "heat hazard" warning light that reads "overheat exh system". This light is to warn you when the catalytic converters are overheating. I've never heard of any other car having such a warning system. The headrest speakers also have separate lit controls in the center console. Each passenger could vary the volume of the speakers independently of the other person. It also had a "surround" sound button. Sadly, my speakers aren't hooked up to the new stereo although the wires are waiting to run into the seats. Last but not least, the guy kept the original sticker for my car. It was badly tattered, but can you believe how much this car stickered for in 1990?? Over $27,000!!! Wow! No wonder not very many were sold
BTW, how does the top work on the RX7?
I should whisper so Blanca doesn't hear me and get jealous. ;-)
-juice
-juice
Still, is was worth it! )
-juice
Anyone see the front-mount intercooler on the MSM? The thing is tiny! Kind of funny looking if you ask me, but I'd cover it up with a Buck's Diamond Grille anyway...
Then again, if I find a resonably priced NB sport package or PEP that may change....
Keith R.
Good news is it's an easy fix and costs $10 or so for a rebuild kit. I took detailed photos so if that's it you're in luck, I can e-mail them to you.
Let me know if you want those pics.
That Mazdaspeed Miata sounds impressive.
-juice
ateixeira, could you please email me those pics? I want to see how bad of a location the cylinder is in. Look below for the email. Thanks a bunch!
By chance is anyone interested in buying a brand new tan softtop with glass window or a red hardtop without the rear defroster lines? The softtop is still in its box. They sent it as a warranty replacement for the faulty first one but I don't need the top now. The hardtop is faded to a dull red/pink hue and has a minor scratch on the rear glass (bottom left corner). Otherwise, the weatherstripping and latches are in good shape. Email me at walk2camp@aol.com if you have any interest in these items.
OH MAN, my new top just arrived *today* at Performance Buyers Club. Tan top with glass! I'm dropping the car off tonight or tomorrow to get it put in.
Not sure about a hard top, I tend to drive my Subaru when the weather is bad, so I'm pretty much always top-down in the Miata.
E-mailing you right now...
-juice
You might test the clutch by lugging the engine in 4th or 5th gear under a load (slight incline). It might slip then and show itself. But if it's a worn pressure plate it may not slip. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait and see what develops.
BUT...BUT...no harm in checking the slave cylinder. IT could screw up the clutch application enough to create weirdness. You could get lucky and cure the symptoms by replacing it. Hard for me to say without hearing it firsthand.
-juice
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4289876491
You have to register, I think.
Pics show the area with the front passenger wheel removed, the car jacked up for space to work. I used a rebuild kit I got from NAPA autoparts, it was $10.74.
It's held in place with two bolts IIRC. Removing it is not hard, access is just a little tight.
Once it's out, you'll see a pic with the old one and new one next to each other, the old one was absolutely spent, rubber basically rotting. The fluid was dark and clowdy, should probably have been bled before (it was 10 years old but with just 40k miles or so).
I used acquarium tubing, the stuff you use to connect aerators. I had some extra lying around but any hardware store or fish store would have it. I used a baby food jar to keep the tip under brake fluid so it would not suck air back up into the system.
Once that is setup, I used a turkey baster (hint: do NOT use your wife's!) to remove the old fluid from the reservoir, as you see in the last pic. Then fill it up with new, light, clear, wonderful brake fluid. Then get someone to pump the clutch pedal slowly, you'll see the level go down, you gotta keep topping it off.
The air and old fluid will drain into that cup. I think a bigger jar would help, mine filled up. But you do see the dark/old fluid draining and the new, clear fluid replacing it, it's kind of cool actually.
Well, to me, my wife was not impressed. )
-juice
I know you got rid of the Aerio SX you had, (which is what I still have and still enjoy), and replaced it with a Tiburon V6. I think you still have the Lancer you preferred to the Aerio. Apparently you also have a Diamante, (I occasionally lurk around over there as I used to own a '93 Diamante wagon - great car), and according to this forum, you have a Miata and an RX7.
Nothing wrong with all this, of course, I'm just curious if you are more than one person.
-juice
It's just me and the other half to enjoy all these cars. The Tiburon is my main ride. The Miata is my fun open-air cruiser, but the RX7 convertible will take her place. The Diamante is the other half's main car, though we do switch often. The GTI is just my "classic" car (I put maybe 1k a year on her). What can I say...I love cars and have a difficult time parting with them. Since I have no kids, I feel I should enjoy my favorite hobby while its financially possible and I'm young enough to have fun.
p.s. I've also owned an 84 Mazda RX7, 85 Audi 5000, 85 Honda Civic Wagon, 87 VW Fox, 92 Nissan Stanza, 93 Diamante, 97.5 Nissan Altima Limited, and a 2000 Hyundai Accent, not to mention the 02 Lancer and 03 Suzuki Aerio SX (all of these were owned in a 6 year time frame). Without question, the worst car durability-wise was the Civic, with the Audi a close second. I had the best luck with the Fox, RX7, and Lancer, although the Diamante, Altima, and Accent were all very good cars.
The Miata is at Performance Buyers Club right now getting a new top, yet I have the Forester and didn't have to rent a car. Happens all the time, I use them all quite often. Last year the Forester got 9k miles and the Miata about 6k miles.
-juice