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Comments
Keep in mind that this is a do-able thing with no ramps, if you've done it before.
Some of my best road-trip memories (regardless of vehicle) are the oil-change moments. You've got to stop, shut down the engine and (like it or not) listen to and watch what's at arm's reach.
To tighten them, btw, I use an oil filter wrench w/electrical tape on the inside to keep from marring the plating. Works good.
If you have $65 + s&h you shouldn't have a problem with this one.
Take care.
Joe W.
A quick summary of the concensus, as I understand it (if I'm misrepresenting, I'm sure someone will add their comments): Miatas are fine on snow and ice. The chief problems are 1)light weight & 2) low clearance. Because the clearance is low and the weight is light, you can't drive in 7 or 8 inches of powder, see. To improve traction, most agree it is a good idea to add Blizzaks or some such snow treads if you're in the snow belt (like you and I are), and (divided opinion here) some people feel it is a good idea to add a 50 lb bag of stuff to the trunk for weight. In addition, I might carry a folding shovel and a bag of cat litter for traction if needed.
If the car will be parked outside, the soft top will get lots of wear w/ snow load and ice so you might need to make plans to replace it more often than you would that on a summer car -- or that may give you the excuse you want to buy a hard top for somewhere around $1800 (you could go through several soft tops for that, so it's not necessary).
Hope that helps.
Take care.
Joe W.
Also any ideas of where to add more sound if I did decide on the Miata. Please help, very confused right now.
If you can afford it, there is no better time to get a nice Miata as your second car.
For sound systems, try Clearwater, systems designed specifically for the Miata.
Is it a practical car? Sure. No problem. And in a pinch you can add the optional SUV cab w/ AWD and a video system for those in the third seat. (This does, however, slow it down somewhat.)
Take care.
Joe W.
Anyone have Miata nightmares? Shouldn't be any parts availability problems?
Thanks Again
Billy
Miatas are a pretty troublefree car, so unless you have that small percentage of statistical failure that is unavoidable with mass production (or any production for that matter), there are no "nightmares". Anyway, this is what warranties are for. Some cars are expected to break, and be repaired for free. No problem!
Joe: it's been since Friday but I do think that the 2001 Miata will be well equipped and racers will have to strip them. Mazda's hand was forced by Toyota here, since the MR2-S is setup this way. Logistics are much simpler when cars come with just about everything, and that could actually cancel out the increased costs of the components used.
-Colin
I know you're right, Colin, dogonnit. I wish marketers weren't so much in control sometimes.
militaryman should probably check out some of the topics in "Smart Shopper" here at TH and some of the tutorials in shopping at Edmund's. Might help.
Take care.
Joe W.
Mr Shiftright - thanks for the info. on the timing-belt. I figure the Miatas are good quality overall and wasn't really worried about the warranty. I just wanted to make sure there weren't a lot of Porsche/Jaguar maintenance costs for brake pads, etc.
Also - how much different is the car with the suspension package? Is it a much harder ride? what sort of cornering/handling improvement - 2%?, 5%?, 10%?
Anybody hear if Teal is the only new color for 2001? How about a Rally Yellow - that would be a nice incentive for me to buy one.
Take care.
Joe W>
On another topic, I've been looking at the 2000 SE. It looks pretty good. I was wondering if anyone knows what is in store for 2001. I know there was one reference to autoexpress.com but I did't find much info. When I spoke to the dealer, he mentioned a possible increase in HP for 2001. Any thoughts?
They are attached via bolts, trim anchors and supersticky doublesided tape (along with a rail piece held in place via trim screws in the three holes drilled through the rockers).
The lines of the car are great without the tack on hoohahs, it's a shame the marketing folks thought they had to add value with the junk.
The Lincoln LS forum is being monitored by a number of Ford people who are in a position to provide sound info., and help owners get problems corrected.
Does anyone know how to get this message to Mazda?
jpscatena@t-one.net
Thanks
P.S. Waiting to order a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria (240 horsepower with the handling & Performance package), and I can put the Miata in the trunk if I have to take it in for service for this!
Yep. Buy a used one .... almost 500,000 available.
TAke care.
Joe W.
Lahens
Looks: both look quite different, Toyota is modern and fresh and will attract more attention. Mazda more classic looking but familar.
Handling: very similar, Toyota has the slight edge on the track, but the Mazda may feel better balanced on the road.
Acceleration: Toyota is faster by about .5--8 seconds to 60 due to more modern engine and less drivetrain loss.
Interior: Toyota is more roomy on the inside, Mazda may be snug
Storage: Both are skimpy but Mazda has a real trunk and has twice the storage space. Toyota has awkward storage behind seats and a front cubbyhole.
Price: good luck finding a MR2 anywhere under $24K whereas Miatas can be had heavily discounted. In real world, you can get a comparably equipped Miata for thousands less than a MR2.
Shifter: Mazda shifter is one of the best. Toyota is "more remote" and has longer throw.
Aftermarket: Lots of aftermarket parts are available for the Miata, Toyota is too new.
Reliability: Toyota should win here.
If you can wait until late fall or spring, Mazda's 2001 model has numerous improvements including more power, bigger wheels, revised front end, new seats, improved handling, more standard equipment.
I believe that the Miata is a better all-around car but the Toyota is a bit better if you want to race it.
Ray
Thanks,
Lahens
couldn't resist all the refernce to American muscle car....
you guys have a nice forum here. I've been monitoring as I may be a Miata buyer soon.
thanks,
Shon
You might enjoy topic 1732, this topic, for a pretty inconclusive dissection of the two cars.
So far as deals are concerned, I don't think you'll find any discount at all off of MSRP on the Toyota for the next year or so. The run and import is limited. But the Mazda discounts and content is considerably higher at this time since there are 500,000 or so of them on the road.
Good luck with your choice.
Take care.
Joe W.
Now to all the Miata folks - excuse my dislike for stupidity. Not only that, that's just the type of attitude, that is the biggest negative about buying an F-body. That and cops who are looking for these cars, especially the older ones, because a bunch of loudmouth idiots are driving around drinking.
The Host
Fbodies and Miatas are two different worlds, and two completely different kinds of fun. None is better then the other, even if the Fbodies tend to come with a dose of uneccesary attitude.
I had a '98 Camaro V-6 before and people at work or family, all had the "mid-life" crisis comments. To me it was a good-looking, sporty car at a reasonable price.
Now in considering whether to buy a 2001 F-Body and enjoy the "power" fun, or a Miata "toss-around" fun, I'm sitting here picking up on stereotypes. I try and come here to Townhall to hear about people's modifications, maintenance and repairs, or links to next year's models.
Pure-Evil: Just thought of a joke: why is a Miata better than a Camaro for picking up chicks? Answer - because if they don't fit in the Miata I would sing that old Polka favorite - "She's too Fat for Me".
kernick, don't let anyone talk you out of getting what you want by saying you're having a mid-life crisis. One of my bosses is, I would guess in his 60's, and he drives a Corvette! And he has no superiority attitudes or anything. Get what makes you happy. I'm sure a Miata is fun to drive. I would guess it's pretty light, so that would make it feel pretty peppy.
For all you Miata owners, I read an article a while back and it said that the Miata uses 90% of its capability in city traffic. The article treated that comment as a positive. Maybe I interpreted it wrong, but I was thinking, that would kind of suck. Is this true?
And there is more to the notion of using 90% of a car's capabilities in traffic than you're picking up on. You need to spend some time with people that really race (not bench racers - or straight liner racers) and glean some knowledge. That's your assignment this week. :-)
BTW, you can use up all of an F-body convertible's handling capabilities going over a set of railroad tracks. (Cowl shake? How much can you stand? ;-)
Oh by the way, if you want an F-body, better go quick, because it won't be around for long.
And yes Karl1973, point well taken. I wonder what GM is going to replace the F-body with, if anything. Maybe if I don't get it, I'll check into this FM Turbo option. With that package, your Miata must fly! To tell the truth, I have actually been seriously considering a Miata.
I will drop some hints though. Racing is generally done in pretty evenly matched classes. There shouldn't be a huge equipment edge. So where do you get an edge?
Don't know if you've ever heard of the Scarab cars (but being a Cheby fan you should be- see http://www.webcom.com/tomkat/scarab/kb33.html ). We had Burt Levy at breakfast this morning (he's written a couple of racing novels, writes a column for Vintage Motorsports magazine, http://www.vintagemotorsport.com/
and mooches drives in race cars). He ran the 'continuation' Scarab last weekend at a fairly tight track. This Scarab, #5 of 3 total, has a 600 HP Chevy small block and disc brakes (the original used drums - huge honking aluminum finned jobs). This is a great car for a fast course like Road America. He said that, on the track he was running, there was only one place he could really use the HP, the rest of the time it felt like he was wrestling a bear in a phone booth. At one point he waved a puny little bathtub (356) Porsche by. (And that paragraph contains another clue.)
Sub-assignment, who drove the Meister Brauser sponsered Scarab?
BTW, I already have next week's assignment ready. :-) Both yours and mine. I get a Sierra to test drive and then a Z06. You get to tackle defining 'unsprung weight'. (Sorry, can't trade places... ;-)