but isnt 0% better than getting 3000 cash back? the edmunds calculator says the only way it's worth taking the cash is if they offer 5000 cash back... i wasnt looking at the mazdaspeed miata... it's nice, but i've already got a turbo charged car. i need a good daily driver... the wrx is a weekend car only (super stiff jdm sti spec c suspension, azenis, loud exhaust, catless)
You are "usually" better off taking the cash (when it is available) and getting a low-interest loan at a bank or credit union. With the 2005's starting to show up, you shold be able to get a good deal on a 2004, even if there is no current rebate in place. I would guess at least $2000 off sticker, which should cover your negative equity. I would be happy with a deal that got me out the door like that.
i just drove home in a 2003 miata shinsen edition... picked it up for 18888+taxes, including about 2000 neg equity... payments are 400 for 60 mos at 7%... but i'll be refinancing that soon. dealer offered a 6yr/60k bumper to bumper warranty mi included in the price.. i'd rather get lojack but i guess that was their way of making some money on the deal. i figured it wasnt a bad deal b/c the edmunds tmv is right around 20k for this car w/ 10800 mi.
i've always wanted a convertible. but finding a 03 shinsen wasn't too bad... i actually wasn't looking for a particular version, but i didn't really want the LS, and didn't care much for the 6spd... it seems like the consensus is that the 5spd's gears are pretty good, and the 6 spd just makes you shift more.
while the intake already looks pretty decent- it attempts to block sucking in too much air from the hood but from the fender, are there gains to be had? any opinions on good performing exhaust that's not too loud?
I have Nittos on my 96 M edition, 195-50-15's. I realize they are crappy tires now, but need to get practical and not the ultra extreme performance 20K mi treadlife-type tire, cuz I live in Ohio and this gets driven most days in all weather. Plus I can't replace tires q 20 K mi. I see some press on the Goodyear GT HR--probably some trade-off in true performance but increased tread life I hope. Anybody have them? What tire SHOULD I get considering I see lots of rain a maybe lite snow...
Hmm let's see...lots of rain and light snow...I still recommend summer tires (Yokohama ES100's were quite good) and then a separate set of steel rims with some snow tires for the winter. I'm not convinced there there exists an "all-season" tire that will make me feel secure in a Miata in the snow.
Figure about $500-700 for an extra set of rims / snow tires that will give you about 3-4 seasons of good safe snow driving. Compare that to "saving" the $500-700 and getting some no-season tires, that will not perform nearly as well in the dry (80% of your driving probably) as summer tires, and then the white knuckle driving you'll endure slipping and sliding your way to work without snow tires in your sub 2,500 lb rear wheel drive sports car.
Or do what I do...buy an OTM for days when driving conditions get bad or you need to transport something besides yourself and a 6-pack of beer LOL.
I just had the top of my 1990 Miata cut while parked in my underground garage. It was cut in a rectangular shape involving most of the middle part. We have 3 Miatas in our complex and all were cut and broken into. What is the estimated cost to replace including a new window? Any suggestions for repair shops. I live in coastal southern Orange County (Calif.).
Check here for a list of miata clubs in California - http://www.miata.net/clubs/ca.html Local clubs can point you to trusted top replacement vendors.
Quite a few people go ahead and put tops from the latest Miata models (M2) on their early model (M1) cars. This will get a glass window for you. You can get good used late model tops at many salvage yards for $400 - $600 including the frame. The replacement procedure is a 2-4 hour job, depending on how mechanically skilled you are. This is comparable to buying a new replacement top for your car and having it installed. Search a www.car-parts.com for a 1999 or later "roof" to see what is available.
and sorry to hear that. I don't even lock my doors for that exact reason.
The M2 top's advantage is that you don't have to unzip the window first. But I think the window itself is smaller, isn't it?
I have a '93, it has the plastic window, which I replaced with a Robbins top with glass. You still need to unzip, but it's OK, no big deal. I'm very happy with the top.
Performance Buyers Club in VA installed my new top for $800, and it's been perfect.
Yes. The M2 top has a no-zip window. I believe that the M1 frame can be modified to accept an aftermarket no-zip window, but if I went this route, I would go for a used M2 top in good condition. I just wanted to mention that the M2 frame would fit the M1 to add another option.
Are other people disappointed with the sound (or lack of sound) produced by the Bose windblocker speakers in their 2004 Miatas? Does anyone have a solution for increasing the volume of these rear speakers so you can actually hear them?
can you post a picture of this windblocker speaker, I have heard about this on the Mazdaspeed Miata, but I didn't know it was available on regular Miatas as well.
I keep getting water inside my door panels and floor boards, even after replacing the top and removing the bottom floorplugs. I've cleaned out the door holes, and the convertible top chute on each side. The company that put on the new top (I thought that would solve the problem) tried to find a leak and couldn't. They resealed the rubber mouldings. There doesn't seem to be any gaps along the windowstriping. When I turn left, the water gushes out of the lower passenger front area. The floor is always wet.
You could have debris in the drain holes for the fresh air vents (under the wiper blades). Can you pour water in there (not too much!) and see the water draining behind the front tire?
Also, has anyone ever worked INSIDE your door. if they did, and forget to replace the plastic sheeting (moisture barrier), that'll cause this too.
I don't have a Miata in front of me but I think these observations apply.
Does the passenger floor get wet when it is not raining? Is it always on that side? It may be an A/C cooling unit drain tube that is clogged or came loose under the dash.
hi. I have a 95. lately the roof leaks. when i get in the car in the morning the seats are wet just from the dew that accumulates on the roof. i think the water is coming from where the top of the window meets the rubber. anyone else experience this and what can be done to fix it? thanks.
After a year and a half, I finally talked my wife into getting a miata. Had my heart set on a nice new 5-sp LS. There seems to be a large amount of mazdaspeed miatas in the inventories of the dealers that I have searched. I realize that there are some cosmetic differences between the two cars, but my main concern is the turbo charged engine. Can anyone tell me how dependable they are for the long run? (I will probably have this car for at least 10 years.) Are there any special start up or shut down procedures that have to be followed? thanks
it should be no different at all, but obviously you're asking a bit early for long-term or high mileage reports from other forum members.
the engine is not stressed that much, it's only a bit more output. somewhere beyond 100k miles you'll have to overhaul the turbocharger, just like the engine will need an overhaul to return like-new performance. but odds are both will run for a long time.
start-up: don't drive until the coolant needle starts to move. don't drive hard until 5 minutes after the coolant temp reaches normal-- this is approximately when oil temp reaches normal and the engine is really ready to party down.
shut-down: if you use synthetic oil, which I would highly highly recommend on a turbocharged car, you have no real need to cool-down the engine with prolonged idling if you've just been driving fairly normal in the minutes before you park. if you've just flogged it pretty hard, then you would want to idle for 2-3 minutes and let the turbocharger cool off. an aftermarket turbo timer is mostly irrelevant these days, but some people install them anyway.
So I am on the verge of buying my second Miata (99 10th anniversary edition). I found it at a local dealership and got the price down below TMV, but found that the top is leaky when I went to check it out (thank god for the early socal rainy season this year!). There was a lot of water in the passenger foot well, and I could see where it was dripping from the window sill onto the seat a little bit as well (the seat wasn't wet though). I had to replace the top on my last Miata (which is why I knew to check under the floor mats), but I can't figure out if the problem is in the weather stripping or the top itself.
There was also a lot of condensation in the trunk area and a little inch diameter spot of water as well. The carpet back there seemed dry, but is this most likely a sign of a cracked rain rail?
I've done the paperwork, but am waiting to take delivery on it until they get the leak repaired. They will let me run the car through their car-wash to make sure it is really fixed before I pick it up.
What do you guys think? Should I take the car only if it gets a new top or could this just be a weather stripping problem?
Yeah, fixing the leak is one thing, what about the potential for early rust, though?
It could be that cable that we discussed earlier. My driver side one broke, and that created a very slow leak along the window. It was never enough to get the carpets wet, which tells me that one had a more serious leak.
Is it a 10AM or 10AE? A link I found on miata.net says it is called a 10AM. Not that it really matters.
Well I didn't see anything I thought looked like rust starting in the trunk (but then I am no rust expert). Should I be able to pull up the carpet on the passenger side to check over there?
One thing I forgot to mention before is that I could see where the top was patched once on the drivers side of the car (the opposite side of the leak). Looks like it might have been slashed. The patch looks solid, but maybe this cable was also damaged at that time. Is it easy to determine if this cable you are talking about is broken?
How would one go about arranging a third party inspection when the car is sitting on a big dealer lot? Would I just ask them to let me drive it over to a shop myself?
yes, that's exactly it. you will have to pay for the inspections out of your own pocket but the few hundred dollars will be WELL SPENT.
in 1998-99, they were referred to as the 10th Anniversary Edition. everyone then called them the 10AE. I particularly remember them because the leftovers of the very long '99 model year were still around well into '00 and my (then) wife (now ex-) almost bought one but it sold. they got down into the $18k range and I'm talking virtually undriven cars, not ones with 500+ test drive miles.
A patched top may or may not hold. I would really either negotiate to have the top replaced with a OEM replacement or factor a replacement into your offer. You never know when it will start leaking again. This alternative should not be much more expensive than all of the resources being spent to repair / inspect the top.
Saturday I purchased a '96 Miata from a dealership in a nearby city. I want to thank this forum for all the info and Edmund's in general for the pricing help. I did check other sites, but this one is the best. I spent today waxing, cleaning and DRIVING!!!!
10AE is nice, I might trade up my '93 for one of those later on.
Sorry but I never saw the cable until it was broken and basically poked me in the head (literally). That was the final straw - I went ahead and replaced the entire top, rain rail, and the cable on that side.
Paid $800, BTW, but my top is a different design with a window you unzip. Your '99 does not need to be unzipped to fold. The rain rail might be new enough to save, so it might even cost you a bit less.
I used PBC (Performance Buyers Club) in VA. They were great.
Been awhile since I've been able to post but here goes.
I finally got around to replacing my shift boots in my 1990 MX-5. It has 130,000 miles so not surprisingly, the two rubber shift boots in my shifter were long gone.
It was incredibly simple. Step 1: order them from local Mazda dealer. Step 2: Remove a few 10 mm screws the get the center console loose. Step 3: Remove the shift knob. Step 4: Remove the shifter. Step 5: Remove the old shift boots...one of them had to be cut away with a knife. Step 6: lube up the shifter shaft with some motor oil to get the small shift boot to go ont easier (a lot of people complain that this is difficult, but mine with on easily). Step 7: Replace the "big" shift boot and replace the insulation, console and shift knob...you're done.
While you have the shifter off you may want to check the conidtion of your turret lube. Mine had none so I replaced it with Redline MTL. I've heard of others using all sorts of stuff from motor oil to petroleum jelly. In retrospect, I would NOT have used MTL...it stinks too much.
If you haven't checked yours recently and you've got some miles on your Miata, you may want to spend a half hour or so and check out yours.
Funny you should mention that. Before I replaced the shift boots, I refilled the turret with Redline MTL the same time I replaced the tranny fluid and the rear differential fluid (used Redline 75W90 for that). After the job, I had that tranny fluid stink premeating my interior. After I replaced the shift boots, the stink was gone...I guess those boots are useful afterall.
I have new tires (Falkens) to put on, and wondered if an all-wheel alignment is something that can be done on the Miata (96 M). Also, the dealer said my car is overdue for a 90K service visit. Anybody know what is recommended done at 90K? (currently has 98K on it now).
I recently bought that 99 10AE Miata I was talking about earlier. The top seems to be a non-issue.
What IS an issue is the check engine light. It went on when I hit first the highway on my way home after taking delivery. We immediately turned around and took the vehicle back to them. The dealer promised to stand behind their vehicle and took it in for service and hooked us up with a free rental. A few days later they call and say it was the catalytic converter and they replaced it and we could go pick it up.
After getting the car back we drove it for several days when the light went on again. Brought it back. Again they gave us a free rental. This time they say it was the oxygen sensor and they replaced it. Picked up the car this evening.
Right before I got home guess what went on again?!?!?
I thought AutoZone did that, too. They run free diagnostics because most people are likely to buy the parts needed to address the problem at the store.
it's franchised though, so maybe his local stores just don't participate. I'm pretty darned sure I had codes pulled from my dad's 4Runner last summer at Autozone. but there's an O'Reilly's right across the street so it was definitely one of the two.
Yes, they are the Ziex 512s. They are MUCH quieter than the Nittos I had, but I can tell they are "softer". I needed something for rain/inclement weather here in Ohio, and hopefully these will do the trick. Very cheap at Edgeracing.com!!
Comments
you missed their September incentives, they had $3000 rebate on Mazdaspeed Miatas!
hope i got a decent deal...
while the intake already looks pretty decent- it attempts to block sucking in too much air from the hood but from the fender, are there gains to be had? any opinions on good performing exhaust that's not too loud?
I suggest that you go to the tirerack.com site to read their tire recommendations and reviews for more information.
Figure about $500-700 for an extra set of rims / snow tires that will give you about 3-4 seasons of good safe snow driving. Compare that to "saving" the $500-700 and getting some no-season tires, that will not perform nearly as well in the dry (80% of your driving probably) as summer tires, and then the white knuckle driving you'll endure slipping and sliding your way to work without snow tires in your sub 2,500 lb rear wheel drive sports car.
Or do what I do...buy an OTM for days when driving conditions get bad or you need to transport something besides yourself and a 6-pack of beer LOL.
Check the reviews.
-juice
Thanks
Quite a few people go ahead and put tops from the latest Miata models (M2) on their early model (M1) cars. This will get a glass window for you. You can get good used late model tops at many salvage yards for $400 - $600 including the frame. The replacement procedure is a 2-4 hour job, depending on how mechanically skilled you are. This is comparable to buying a new replacement top for your car and having it installed. Search a www.car-parts.com for a 1999 or later "roof" to see what is available.
The M2 top's advantage is that you don't have to unzip the window first. But I think the window itself is smaller, isn't it?
I have a '93, it has the plastic window, which I replaced with a Robbins top with glass. You still need to unzip, but it's OK, no big deal. I'm very happy with the top.
Performance Buyers Club in VA installed my new top for $800, and it's been perfect.
-juice
Thanks,
Don 2004 Silver Miata w/6-speed
Does anyone else have this problem?
Also, has anyone ever worked INSIDE your door. if they did, and forget to replace the plastic sheeting (moisture barrier), that'll cause this too.
I don't have a Miata in front of me but I think these observations apply.
Mine broke and I didn't even know what it was. It leaked very slightly, until I replaced the whole top. The installer pointed it out to me.
So check those cables! There is one on each side I think.
-juice
PS It was $80 extra to replace it, installed
Are there any special start up or shut down procedures that have to be followed? thanks
the engine is not stressed that much, it's only a bit more output. somewhere beyond 100k miles you'll have to overhaul the turbocharger, just like the engine will need an overhaul to return like-new performance. but odds are both will run for a long time.
start-up: don't drive until the coolant needle starts to move. don't drive hard until 5 minutes after the coolant temp reaches normal-- this is approximately when oil temp reaches normal and the engine is really ready to party down.
shut-down: if you use synthetic oil, which I would highly highly recommend on a turbocharged car, you have no real need to cool-down the engine with prolonged idling if you've just been driving fairly normal in the minutes before you park. if you've just flogged it pretty hard, then you would want to idle for 2-3 minutes and let the turbocharger cool off. an aftermarket turbo timer is mostly irrelevant these days, but some people install them anyway.
~Colin
You probably do this anyway, hopefully, for pedestrian safety. :-)
-juice
There was also a lot of condensation in the trunk area and a little inch diameter spot of water as well. The carpet back there seemed dry, but is this most likely a sign of a cracked rain rail?
I've done the paperwork, but am waiting to take delivery on it until they get the leak repaired. They will let me run the car through their car-wash to make sure it is really fixed before I pick it up.
What do you guys think? Should I take the car only if it gets a new top or could this just be a weather stripping problem?
but if everything is solid, the 10AE is my favorite Miata.
~c
It could be that cable that we discussed earlier. My driver side one broke, and that created a very slow leak along the window. It was never enough to get the carpets wet, which tells me that one had a more serious leak.
-juice
Well I didn't see anything I thought looked like rust starting in the trunk (but then I am no rust expert). Should I be able to pull up the carpet on the passenger side to check over there?
One thing I forgot to mention before is that I could see where the top was patched once on the drivers side of the car (the opposite side of the leak). Looks like it might have been slashed. The patch looks solid, but maybe this cable was also damaged at that time. Is it easy to determine if this cable you are talking about is broken?
How would one go about arranging a third party inspection when the car is sitting on a big dealer lot? Would I just ask them to let me drive it over to a shop myself?
in 1998-99, they were referred to as the 10th Anniversary Edition. everyone then called them the 10AE.
~Colin
10AE is nice, I might trade up my '93 for one of those later on.
Sorry but I never saw the cable until it was broken and basically poked me in the head (literally). That was the final straw - I went ahead and replaced the entire top, rain rail, and the cable on that side.
Paid $800, BTW, but my top is a different design with a window you unzip. Your '99 does not need to be unzipped to fold. The rain rail might be new enough to save, so it might even cost you a bit less.
I used PBC (Performance Buyers Club) in VA. They were great.
-juice
I finally got around to replacing my shift boots in my 1990 MX-5. It has 130,000 miles so not surprisingly, the two rubber shift boots in my shifter were long gone.
It was incredibly simple. Step 1: order them from local Mazda dealer. Step 2: Remove a few 10 mm screws the get the center console loose. Step 3: Remove the shift knob. Step 4: Remove the shifter. Step 5: Remove the old shift boots...one of them had to be cut away with a knife. Step 6: lube up the shifter shaft with some motor oil to get the small shift boot to go ont easier (a lot of people complain that this is difficult, but mine with on easily). Step 7: Replace the "big" shift boot and replace the insulation, console and shift knob...you're done.
While you have the shifter off you may want to check the conidtion of your turret lube. Mine had none so I replaced it with Redline MTL. I've heard of others using all sorts of stuff from motor oil to petroleum jelly. In retrospect, I would NOT have used MTL...it stinks too much.
If you haven't checked yours recently and you've got some miles on your Miata, you may want to spend a half hour or so and check out yours.
Mine avoids me for about 3 days.
-juice
* fuel filter
* air filter
* oil change plus filter
* bleed brakes
* rotate tires (they're off anyway)
* coolant flush
* spark plugs
* spark plug wires
* gear oil
* differential oil
* PCV valve
* O2 sensor
Sound about right folks?
For 60k and 120k I'd do all the same stuff plus the belts.
-juice
They grip so much better than my old tires that I felt some tramlining at first. It took some adjusting!
-juice
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
What IS an issue is the check engine light. It went on when I hit first the highway on my way home after taking delivery. We immediately turned around and took the vehicle back to them. The dealer promised to stand behind their vehicle and took it in for service and hooked us up with a free rental. A few days later they call and say it was the catalytic converter and they replaced it and we could go pick it up.
After getting the car back we drove it for several days when the light went on again. Brought it back. Again they gave us a free rental. This time they say it was the oxygen sensor and they replaced it. Picked up the car this evening.
Right before I got home guess what went on again?!?!?
ugh
Man I am sick of this. Any thoughts?
it might be a useful second opinion...
~Colin
My conversation with others on another forum leads me to think that this may be a coil pack issue. Guess I'll get them to check that out.
Hang in there, once this is sorted out it'll just be a bad memory.
You may want to ask them to do a longer test drive after the next fix. If they get another MIL, let them diagnose it themselves.
-juice
either way, glad you have a new lead and good luck! keep us posted.
~Colin
-juice
~c
They've been great in the rain so far. I don't drive my Miata in the snow because I own a Forester that'll do circles around it when it's snowing.
-juice