Has anyone noticed how whimpy the speakers sound with the radio faded to the rear speakers in their '04 Miata? They practically whisper and can barely be heard with the top down. Has anyone modified or amplified these rear speakers to give them a little more oomph? I sorely miss the headrest speakers in the seats of my old '95 Miata.
. . . maybe Lava Orange is just leftover Evolution Orange. Poor Evo Orange didn't sell very well (at least here on the left coast), and then Mazda dropped it saying it was only meant as a limited-time offering. I'll bet they still have quite a bit lying around.
So the 2005 Miata will still be a second-gen model. When is Mazda going to introduce the third-generation? And is it going to be the Ibuki? I guess I've been out of the loop for a while.
I say keep it simple, use more aluminum and make it lighter, not heavier. Keep it affordable and small, perhaps more fuel efficient (look at the MR2's EPA figures).
If they turn the Miata into another 280ZX I'm gonna scream. Just freshen it up and work on the chassis, brakes, etc. The car definitely does not need more HP...well, maybe a small bump just for marketing.
I agree with juice that they should expand it a little (room wise) so people above 5' 9" can actaully fit without contortions. Kinda like what they did with some of the Cobra kit cars. Looks the same, but the cabin is bigger.
Oh yeah, add a tilt wheel please. And a real overdirve 6th gear would be nice for highway use. maybe portholes for the convertible top (blind spots and all).
Push the wheels out to the corners, a longer wheelbase with the same overall length will address the leg room issue and keep weight down.
Use aluminum for the hood and trunk lid, and perhaps some of the unsprung parts. Aim to get weight back down to where it was originally, in 1990. The current HP will be more than fine.
Maybe bump it up to 150hp for marketing purposes, like shifty suggests.
They could cut 40-50 pounds at any time by simply using an aluminum engine block instead of the cast iron one!
I'd give it more power through more revs. Though the tach shows 7k, the excitement is pretty much done well before that on a naturally aspirated Miata. If they're sticking with the turbo as their performance trend (mistake IMO, it's heavy), then at least put some real power behind it to justify its existence.
The Miata would rule the world with an S2000 engine. Say that's too expensive: a '92 Integra GS-R's 1.8L would be plenty, 160 HP at 8,000 rpm or so.
Aluminum hood, trunk, engine block, et al. -- sounds like an aftermarket enterprise in the making. ("Enlightened Miatas" -- I like the sound of that.) If you guys are talking about saving, say, eighty pounds on a 2450-pound car, that's significant. The Miata has a weight-to-power ratio of about 17.25 lbs/hp. At 2370 with the power bumped up to 150, each horse needs to push only 15.8 lbs.
You tall guys do know the trick of removing the sun visors, right? I'm 6-1 and mine came off right away. Don't miss 'em at all. Their absense improves visibility a little, makes the top a little easier to latch and unlatch and, hey, I even saved a couple of pounds. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that's not gonna help the legroom. I'm not that turned around.)
And if it's lighter, everything else works better - suspensions, brakes, gas mileage, etc.
My sun visors were gone the first week. Those tow hooks also. I've even put spacers under the front of the seat track to support my knees better. Didn't go as far as removing the seat padding, though. Is that hard?
I'd say the only reason that people remove seat padding is to get their helmeted heads under the roll bar to pass the broomstick test. I can't see why to do this if you don't track your car. Juice if you go to that other site that I'm not allowed to mention that ends with .net you'll find a how-to cut your seat foam article with pictures. Only downside to doing it is if you don't like the results you need to buy a new seat.
Hello, I am a new Miata owner I just bought a used 2002 today. It seems to be a solid car and the Mazda warranty is nice.
The car only has 11K on it but I think it was always outside. The black dash and steering wheel have this white to them. I am not sure if it is fade or not maybe but seems strange on a two year old car. I was wondering if anyone has had this and knows what it is. I tried standard cleaners but it still seems to be there. Even the black vinyl one the sides of the seats and the door panels seem to have this white to them.
I had thought that maybe it was air bag dust but I can find no evidence they deployed or that the car was in an accident. The only thing I can say is the one front wheel did hit a pothole because I can see the dent in the rim. Maybe the air bags deployed from a pothole? But if it was air bad dust it should clean off that is why I think it is fade.
First of all, congrats on your purchase. You'll have loads of fun this summer.
I'm no expert on air bags, but a comment I've heard from several corners is that it takes a significant impact to deploy the airbags and that it has to be a direct frontal impact. (I suspect the manufacturers never want to be sued over a unintentional deployment.) I've never heard of a pothole causing a bag to blow, but I defer to anyone with more expertise or (god forbid)experience.
I'm still puzzled over the white dust, though. You may want to steer clear of any DEA agents until you figure it out.
Seriously, the dash on the second-generation Miata (like yours) is a really flat, non-glare black, but you're obviously talking about something more than that. If you suspect a overdose of sunlight, there should be a pattern to the fading; some areas of the interior are naturally more shaded, like the underside of the instrument binacle.
The Miata is well-supported on the Web -- both for aftermarket shopping and for technical advice.
Have fun, Poor Richard
p.s. Could the car have sat in the hot sun with the top up for a long period of time? Does anyone think this could cause the vinyl to fade?
Thanks. Today I bought some armor all cleaning wipes. With a ton of scrubbing I think I got it all off. It was not fade because like you said it had no pattern. It seemed like the stuff was mostly on the steering wheel and secondly on the rest of the dash but more on the knobs and buttons. So I think maybe it was some type of hand cream the previous owner used. As they touched things (steering wheel the most) it transferred and dried in the sun. Maybe the dealer tried to clean it and smeared it all over. I did a through check of the car and all the serial # tags match so no new parts so most likely no air bag deployment (unless it was from a pot hole). I called the dealer and the salesman said the used car manager will take care of the rim and tire. The dent is big I just did not notice it because it must have been facing down. It was not until I got home that I saw it facing up. The tire has what looks like a bubble but that could just be from the rim.
Let me ask a second question just so I am sure I don’t have a suspension problem from the pot hole. With this car sometimes I think it is wobbling but I think at those times the road may have ripples in it (our roads are not that smooth). With these cars do you feel the road more then say a standard passenger car. I think with the very low profile tires that may be it but I thought I would ask.
Doug, get the wheel trued and the tire replaced or, at least, balanced before doing anything else. Yes, you will feel the road more than in a larger, heavier car, but it shouldn't be a scary kind of road-feel. Find a stretch of smooth road so you'll know exactly what to tell the dealer. Consider a test drive in a new Miata so you'll have a reference point.
Yeah, the MazdaSpeed Miatas aren't exactly turbo-ing out of the dealerships. There are even a couple listed on e-Bay. One (item 2482934635), titanium with the red cloth interior has 14 miles on the clock; after four days, six people have bid it up to $18,100. It has 19 hours left and the dealer has lowered the reserve price and is offering a $1500 discount to current Mazda owners. It's still "reserve not met."
Another (item 2482593805), red with red cloth, ended at $17,600 (after seven days) even though it had been driven only 3 miles. That dealer, too, is offering $1500 to current Mazda owners.
That hints to Mazda that more power is not necessarily what people are looking for in the next generation. Make it lighter, push the wheels out to the corners, and keep it like the original - simple and light, pure fun.
They can't even blame price for slow sales, didn't the turbo come out at a relative bargain price?
Doug: I get sap stains once in a while. It's a nasty white residue that's also very sticky, so dust gets on it. If you wash the car it goes back to white, only to go brown again in a day or two.
I got some on the inside, which I cleaned with wipes, but yesterday I noticed them on the outside after washing her. So I need to use some elbow grease and perhaps Simple Green or a degreaser of some sort to get it out.
Are any of you guys familar w/ the S-plan pricing? I'm eligible for it through my work, however, I've seen on ford's website that the mazdaspeed vehicles are not eligible. Does anyone know if you can buy a MS Miata under the s-plan?
I just got back from the dealer about the bent rim. They had a mechanic look at the car to determine what was needed. The mechanic determined that the front rim and tire are shot from the pothole and he found that the rear rim is also dented but not as bad.
The dealer is ordering me 2 new rims and 2 new tires. When the rims and tires are in, they will install them, balance the other 2, and check the alignment. All at no charge! I did not even have to ask they offered no hassle.
I guess buying a certified used Mazda from a reputable dealer pays off.
Juice I did find pine needles in the edges of the top and in the cow. So pine trees were near by. But the outside is clean only the inside not sure. Judging by the dings they repaired I think the owner worked in a shopping mall. So I am not sure what exactly he did or what he got on the inside of the car.
As for the S-Plan I have that at work also and some cars are excluded. Why not go to www.fordpartner.com and sign up to see what you can get with your work.
The MiataSpeed had financing incentives from day one....just no cash incentives like the regular miata. We were allocated 16 MiataSpeeds and we have 4 left....not flying off the shelves but doing well for us. I'm amazed how many of the Speed buyers didnt realize the financing was available.
0% for 36 months 1.9% for 48 months 2.9% for 60 months.
Thanks for clarifying AudiA8q! 4 left is doing pretty well! Good luck selling the rest. Are you guys selling the MazdaSpeeds at sticker or are you discounting?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
I guess you could remove foam from the seat back to gain more leg room. Seems to me that you'd replace a pain in the legs with a pain in the back. Juice don't buy a 99 or newer Miata. They have less leg room than the earlier NA cars.
Also had the white staining talked about here. Mine was mostly on the door & steering wheel. Lots of scrubbing cleaned them up. I'm also guessing it was hand lotion or sun block.
Well this weekend I did the meesy job of putting in Redline MTL into my tranny and my shifter turret. I would have to say that it was well worth the investment. The shifts are now like butta'! They were slightly notchy before but now they are quite smooth and effortless. The gears engage much more smoothly as well.
I just bought my 90 Miata about 6-7 weeks ago with about 123,000 miles on it and I don't know how long it had been since the gear oil was changed but I'm glad now that I didn't wait.
Next on the list is to put some Redline into the rear differential...that should be much less messy than the tranny though LOL!
I just bought a 96 M edition (my first Miata) with 96K miles on it. Seems in very mint condition (I am putting all new brakes on it myself next weekend as they are the orig brakes!) however owner said to "watch the oil between changes" I do this anyway, but was wondering what defines a "high mileage" Miata? I really want to get (at least)another 50 K out of this car--possible? Are there cars with >150K and more out there? How 'bout some feedback on this, My other car is a '95 Maxima (5sp) with 112K and a 96 Accord with 116K (oh yea, I have a 91 Voyager MiniVan with 176K). High mileage hasn't scared me in the past, but appreciate any experience with Miata--
If you figure that the average life of a car is around ten years give or take, and that 12K a year is average more or less, than anything over 120K is, I think, in people's minds anyway, semi-scary mileage.
In reality, I don't see why a Miata couldn't go to 150K or even 175K if it is well cared for. After that, for ANY car, major component failure is a risk. Stuff wears out, it's not a "defect", just natural death.
My rule is, the older the car, the more you should spend on maintenance, and the greater the frequency.
Worst thing I've ever seen happen to ultra-high mileage Miatas is cylinder head work and general cosmetic and paint deterioration.
I looked at a '94 with 175K on it a year and a half ago. Exterior and interior looked like they had 25K on it, and the engine compartment was super clean (this was a 1-owner private sale). About the only fialure was the cooling system. I don't recall if it was the water pump (I think so) or radiater the went, but something was replaced. Other than that, normal maintenance and it ran fine.
Still went for 3K in the middle of December in NJ, so people aren't afraid of them. There is also a market for cheap Miata chassis to be converted to race cars.
Anyone know of Miata message boards that have active but free classifieds? I found the one .net site, but they charged a fair amount to post an ad. Any other recommendations (shoot me an Email, I think I'm public) would be appreciated.
Too bad there isn't a carmax nearby to shop it at (it's a 2001, so still fairly new).
Well a 175K car, no matter who made it, is a big risk and you're wise to pay bottom dollar for it. Since you can probably sell a clean Miata body with a bad engine to someone who wants to build a Spec car for $1,500, paying $3K for a high miler isn't too bad a risk.
Look at it this way. If I told you "my car threw a rod", you'd feel badly for me, but if I told you "my car threw a rod at 175K", you'd probably say "well, too bad, but you got your money's worth already".
Also one of the benefits of simple design and light weight. Less to go wrong, and less stress on components. Plus, people tended to take care of the better then your average blah mobile.
I generally offer different advice about high mileage cars to consumers than I do to auto enthusiasts.
I also have a lot of confidence in high mileage Miatas. I've seen cylinder heads and transmissions give up (mostly due to neglect), but never a bottom end.
I'd guess if you lumped all modern gas engines together, about 175K-225K is life expectancy. That's where the odds are.
Have just bought a '99 that was owned by a really nice guy who was absolutely anal- kept it in a garage with a cover over it, and only has 24 thousand miles!
It replaced my '95, which came to a sad (ie wrecked...)end.
Here's my dilemma. This is, by far, the fanciest car I've ever owned. (The '95 Miata was the first car I had in 6 years that had power steering...) And it has these beautiful Leather Seats...
How do I keep them looking good? I live in Raleigh, NC, and am hoping to keep the top down for a good part of the summer. Don't want to have to worry about my interior.
Go to your local auto parts store and buy some Lexol leather conditioner and cleaner (2 separtate prodcuts). I used it 2-3 times per year on my 02 LS and it worked pretty well. Don't forget to use it on the steering wheel too....don't worry, it won't make the whell too slippery.
Comments
It boggles my mind but quite often I have to go to northern VA to get a better price, and I live in MD.
-juice
In addition to Velocity red and Titanium they will add two new colors. Black and Lava Orange.
-juice
So the 2005 Miata will still be a second-gen model. When is Mazda going to introduce the third-generation? And is it going to be the Ibuki? I guess I've been out of the loop for a while.
Richard
-juice
1. Miata name is gone, it will be the MX-5 only.
2. The body may be reminiscent of the Ibuki, but not quite so...dramatic.
3. Power top may be in the works.
4. Probably no more than 160 hp or so.
5. NC will be a 2006 model.
These are just some of the current scuttlebut that I've heard on the net so take it for what it's worth.
And, no way this car needs a power top. At best, make it an option on the top line model (aka a tourign package)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I say keep it simple, use more aluminum and make it lighter, not heavier. Keep it affordable and small, perhaps more fuel efficient (look at the MR2's EPA figures).
OK, gimme an inch more leg room, that's it. ;-)
-juice
Oh yeah, add a tilt wheel please. And a real overdirve 6th gear would be nice for highway use. maybe portholes for the convertible top (blind spots and all).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Use aluminum for the hood and trunk lid, and perhaps some of the unsprung parts. Aim to get weight back down to where it was originally, in 1990. The current HP will be more than fine.
Maybe bump it up to 150hp for marketing purposes, like shifty suggests.
-juice
I'd give it more power through more revs. Though the tach shows 7k, the excitement is pretty much done well before that on a naturally aspirated Miata. If they're sticking with the turbo as their performance trend (mistake IMO, it's heavy), then at least put some real power behind it to justify its existence.
The Miata would rule the world with an S2000 engine. Say that's too expensive: a '92 Integra GS-R's 1.8L would be plenty, 160 HP at 8,000 rpm or so.
~c
You tall guys do know the trick of removing the sun visors, right? I'm 6-1 and mine came off right away. Don't miss 'em at all. Their absense improves visibility a little, makes the top a little easier to latch and unlatch and, hey, I even saved a couple of pounds. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that's not gonna help the legroom. I'm not that turned around.)
Poor (head over heels) Richard
And if it's lighter, everything else works better - suspensions, brakes, gas mileage, etc.
My sun visors were gone the first week. Those tow hooks also. I've even put spacers under the front of the seat track to support my knees better. Didn't go as far as removing the seat padding, though. Is that hard?
-juice
Chuck
-juice
The car only has 11K on it but I think it was always outside. The black dash and steering wheel have this white to them. I am not sure if it is fade or not maybe but seems strange on a two year old car. I was wondering if anyone has had this and knows what it is. I tried standard cleaners but it still seems to be there. Even the black vinyl one the sides of the seats and the door panels seem to have this white to them.
I had thought that maybe it was air bag dust but I can find no evidence they deployed or that the car was in an accident. The only thing I can say is the one front wheel did hit a pothole because I can see the dent in the rim. Maybe the air bags deployed from a pothole? But if it was air bad dust it should clean off that is why I think it is fade.
What do you think?
Thanks in advance.
I'm no expert on air bags, but a comment I've heard from several corners is that it takes a significant impact to deploy the airbags and that it has to be a direct frontal impact. (I suspect the manufacturers never want to be sued over a unintentional deployment.) I've never heard of a pothole causing a bag to blow, but I defer to anyone with more expertise or (god forbid)experience.
I'm still puzzled over the white dust, though. You may want to steer clear of any DEA agents until you figure it out.
Seriously, the dash on the second-generation Miata (like yours) is a really flat, non-glare black, but you're obviously talking about something more than that. If you suspect a overdose of sunlight, there should be a pattern to the fading; some areas of the interior are naturally more shaded, like the underside of the instrument binacle.
The Miata is well-supported on the Web -- both for aftermarket shopping and for technical advice.
Have fun,
Poor Richard
p.s. Could the car have sat in the hot sun with the top up for a long period of time? Does anyone think this could cause the vinyl to fade?
Let me ask a second question just so I am sure I don’t have a suspension problem from the pot hole. With this car sometimes I think it is wobbling but I think at those times the road may have ripples in it (our roads are not that smooth). With these cars do you feel the road more then say a standard passenger car. I think with the very low profile tires that may be it but I thought I would ask.
Thanks
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
Yeah, the MazdaSpeed Miatas aren't exactly turbo-ing out of the dealerships. There are even a couple listed on e-Bay. One (item 2482934635), titanium with the red cloth interior has 14 miles on the clock; after four days, six people have bid it up to $18,100. It has 19 hours left and the dealer has lowered the reserve price and is offering a $1500 discount to current Mazda owners. It's still "reserve not met."
Another (item 2482593805), red with red cloth, ended at $17,600 (after seven days) even though it had been driven only 3 miles. That dealer, too, is offering $1500 to current Mazda owners.
Poor Richard
They can't even blame price for slow sales, didn't the turbo come out at a relative bargain price?
Doug: I get sap stains once in a while. It's a nasty white residue that's also very sticky, so dust gets on it. If you wash the car it goes back to white, only to go brown again in a day or two.
I got some on the inside, which I cleaned with wipes, but yesterday I noticed them on the outside after washing her. So I need to use some elbow grease and perhaps Simple Green or a degreaser of some sort to get it out.
No more parking under trees!
-juice
The dealer is ordering me 2 new rims and 2 new tires. When the rims and tires are in, they will install them, balance the other 2, and check the alignment. All at no charge! I did not even have to ask they offered no hassle.
I guess buying a certified used Mazda from a reputable dealer pays off.
Juice I did find pine needles in the edges of the top and in the cow. So pine trees were near by. But the outside is clean only the inside not sure. Judging by the dings they repaired I think the owner worked in a shopping mall. So I am not sure what exactly he did or what he got on the inside of the car.
As for the S-Plan I have that at work also and some cars are excluded. Why not go to www.fordpartner.com and sign up to see what you can get with your work.
Doug
Funny - right now mine's the opposite, inside is cleaner.
-juice
0% for 36 months
1.9% for 48 months
2.9% for 60 months.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
Also had the white staining talked about here. Mine was mostly on the door & steering wheel. Lots of scrubbing cleaned them up. I'm also guessing it was hand lotion or sun block.
Chuck
I just bought my 90 Miata about 6-7 weeks ago with about 123,000 miles on it and I don't know how long it had been since the gear oil was changed but I'm glad now that I didn't wait.
Next on the list is to put some Redline into the rear differential...that should be much less messy than the tranny though LOL!
Almost all of our buyers have been current or previous Miata owners.
Rear diffy oil is a cinch if you've done the tranny.
-juice
In reality, I don't see why a Miata couldn't go to 150K or even 175K if it is well cared for. After that, for ANY car, major component failure is a risk. Stuff wears out, it's not a "defect", just natural death.
My rule is, the older the car, the more you should spend on maintenance, and the greater the frequency.
Worst thing I've ever seen happen to ultra-high mileage Miatas is cylinder head work and general cosmetic and paint deterioration.
I think things like the A/C compressor or the water pump will fail and if the repairs are higher than the value of the car then they retire it.
-juice
Still went for 3K in the middle of December in NJ, so people aren't afraid of them. There is also a market for cheap Miata chassis to be converted to race cars.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Too bad there isn't a carmax nearby to shop it at (it's a 2001, so still fairly new).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
http://www.craigslist.org/
-juice
Look at it this way. If I told you "my car threw a rod", you'd feel badly for me, but if I told you "my car threw a rod at 175K", you'd probably say "well, too bad, but you got your money's worth already".
I think the early cars were way over engineered and with routine maintenance can be driven for a very long time.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I mentioned my clutch slave was leaky and got about 5 people offering advice almost right away. It was fixed quickly and for $10.74.
-juice
I also have a lot of confidence in high mileage Miatas. I've seen cylinder heads and transmissions give up (mostly due to neglect), but never a bottom end.
I'd guess if you lumped all modern gas engines together, about 175K-225K is life expectancy. That's where the odds are.
Have just bought a '99 that was owned by a really nice guy who was absolutely anal- kept it in a garage with a cover over it, and only has 24 thousand miles!
It replaced my '95, which came to a sad (ie wrecked...)end.
Here's my dilemma. This is, by far, the fanciest car I've ever owned. (The '95 Miata was the first car I had in 6 years that had power steering...) And it has these beautiful Leather Seats...
How do I keep them looking good? I live in Raleigh, NC, and am hoping to keep the top down for a good part of the summer. Don't want to have to worry about my interior.
Thanks for any input you might have!
Cameron