In which I throw meat to the wolves (help me buy a Miata)

After many years I've finally accepted The Answer, and I've sold off my loveable but inappropriate Integra and have a ~$5000 budget for an NB Miata. I've been targeting an 01+ LS because it seems to have a lot of nice upgrades -- bigger brakes, variable valve timing, better seats (from what GRM says), stiffer chassis, etc. I'm liking the idea of having some creature comforts, as driving to and from the track in a gutted Honda for 7 years has left a bad taste in my mouth. And then I found this:

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/4962035625.html

I like that it has a roll bar and some other mods already installed -- quite the bargain for stuff I was going to buy anyway. Low miles for the price, too. But manual locks and crank windows? Normally I would applaud whoever ordered this thing as being the ultimate enthusiast, but will I just be annoyed after a while that I have to reach across the car to drop the passenger window? Any other opinions on this specific car?

The 99 Sport package is a weapon in E Street autocross. It has extra bracing, the stiffest stock springs, an LSD, and no frills. The biggest annoyances I have with mine are no power windows and no cruise control.

That car isn't legal in street or STR (radiator) so unless you plan on finding a boat anchor header, I wouldn't plan on competitive autocross. It is, however, just a racing seat away from being a great track toy.

That is a very clean example and it is a reasonable price. I won't own a car without cruise and power windows again though (Exocet excluded).

That's an uncommon car, and priced very well, in my opinion. I think you should at least drive it.

Don't rule out the 99-00 cars, either. In practice, i haven't found the 01-05 cars to be any noticeable amount faster. The difference in bracing between NB1 (99-00) and NB2 (01-05) is pretty negligible, and you'll want to remove it all and install some FM Frame rails anyways.

The brakes and headlights are the two major upgrades between the two, in my opinion. Luckily, it's not terribly hard to swap the Sport brakes onto the NB1, and classy-looking HID retrofits are easy. (Or just swap the NB2 fascia on.)

NB1s are often/usually cheaper as well.

But yeah. Go drive that car. It's awesome.

Did you mention if this is your DD or just a track toy? My NA Miata has crank windows and manual locks. But it's just a track day toy so it's not a big deal. For a DD though, I'd get the power options.

Kinda related story... I'm driving my Miata one evening and a middle-aged guy in a brand new $60K+ Mercedes pulls up beside me at the stop light. He signals that he wants to talk to me. So I reach across the passenger seat and crank down the passenger side window (which we are both laughing about). He just wanted to say that he liked my car and asked if I take it to the track regularly, haha. Go figure that the middle-aged guy in a high dollar Mercedes would like my track-rat Miata, haha. Kinda made my day.

bigmackloud wrote: Did you mention if this is your DD or just a track toy?

Not a DD but I'd like to have a fun car that I can actually enjoy commuting in if the weather's nice. At least, that's the idea. 20 years ago I would have insisted that power windows were for the weak of heart, but I haven't cranked a window since I was in my early 20s.

When I bought my '96 about 15 years ago, I was specifically looking for a base model ... no air, no power windows or locks, no nuthin'. Even steel wheels. I preferred basic bare bones like my British sports cars were, and are. It's never been a problem for me to crank a window up or down, or manually lock the doors. I still have the steelies on, repainted without trim rings. It's lowered and I love the car. It's a 3-season DD.

steronz wrote:

bigmackloud wrote: Did you mention if this is your DD or just a track toy?

Not a DD but I'd like to have a fun car that I can actually enjoy commuting in if the weather's nice. At least, that's the idea. 20 years ago I would have insisted that power windows were for the weak of heart, but I haven't cranked a window since I was in my early 20s.

Miatas are really small inside. The windows are easy to reach.

That said, they aren't really any lighter (in fact, i think they were heavier in the NAs). But i suppose it's one less thing to break.

Swank Force One wrote: Miatas are really small inside. The windows are easy to reach.

Very true. It's really not a big deal to roll down the driver's window. The passenger side, while you can reach it, gets a bit more tricky once you have race seats. I don't think it should be a deal breaker either way. find the car that's right for you and accept whatever it has. :)

It is a 1-owner car, but the previous owner did some modifications? It has never been abused, but the engine was replaced due to overheating? Some red flags there.

pinchvalve wrote: It is a 1-owner car, but the previous owner did some modifications? It has never been abused, but the engine was replaced due to overheating? Some red flags there.

Doubt it overheated. I'm guessing thrust bearing failure.

None of it really matters. That's a unicorn. If it looks as nice as it does in pictures, and drives nice, it's a great price.

haha, if you choose to pass on it, I'm sending it to my brother in DC.

I have a 95 with manual windows, added a kit to get power locks (its not hard, remove door cards, route some wires through the doors and under the dash with a splice or two).

AC would be a nice option to have in the summer.

I have power steering and would think it desirable for an auto-x ride, but thats me.

Looks good, I'd pull the trigger.

I daily and autocross a 97, manual everything, no AC. The only part I really mind is the steering, the NA manual rack is surprisingly heavy. I did the same with a slightly higher model 97 (power steering and windows, AC) last year. I miss the steering, don't miss the windows. It is a small car, easy peasy to lean over and roll them down. AC has yet to be really missed, we'll see. The latter 97 is being built into an Exocet right now.

If you want to autocross it, I'd check with your local region to see if they're sticklers. A radiator shouldn't exclude you from STR, it does by the book, but there's not a real performance gain so hopefully the other drivers will just let it slide. Alternatively, swap the exhaust and radiator back to stock and have fun in ES. I quite enjoy that class, I actually run in our bump group so I compete with all the stock classes and love it. I can't catch the Focus STs, but otherwise it's a decently competitive car at the regional level. A 99 would do even better.

I don't do much autocross, my weekend thrills are in HPDE form; if this is an autocross unicorn it's going to be wasted on me :(

But I still like it :) Starting to come around on the creature comfort things. I sent the seller a bunch of questions, we'll see what he says. This would be a fly and buy for me so I'll have to rely on a friend to scope it out.

Nice looking car. All the stock bits still available. Extra motor. And with that beautiful dark green color, you'll probably be thrilled it has A/C!

Have you bought it yet? If not, why not?

steronz wrote: I don't do much autocross, my weekend thrills are in HPDE form; if this is an autocross unicorn it's going to be wasted on me :( But I still like it :) Starting to come around on the creature comfort things. I sent the seller a bunch of questions, we'll see what he says. This would be a fly and buy for me so I'll have to rely on a friend to scope it out.

It's an autox unicorn because it has all the performance parts without the weight of some of the sillier creature comforts.

Same things makes it good for track work.

Price seems good taking the ad at face value.

BTW my Miata has power windows and, if I had the choice, I would totally take manual windows. The power windows in Miatas tend to SUCK. The motors lose power and then the windows take half an hour to roll down (no joke).

Its actually comical. At an autocross, when the flag dude needs to tell you something, you stare at him and hit the button to roll down the window. You proceed to just stare awkwardly into his soul as the window slowly creeps its way down. 20 minutes later, you ask "what?"

Anyways yeah, manual windows. You get the teeny, tiny weight savings of no electric motors, AND if you want the window down, you reach over and crank like a frenzied honey-badger and that sucker is down in a matter of seconds!

The power windows do kinda suck. Hint - check the switch in the console. They'll burn out over time, and you can usually improve the windows by simply sanding the terminals clean.

Power windows in the NA were 1 lb heavier in the door than the manual ones, BTW. I did eventually add power windows to the race Miata because the cage meant you had to open the door to crank the manual ones. Not convenient. The street Miata has manual windows, no problem.

Power locks are a convenience, but I sure wouldn't pass up a good car because of them.

A 1999 with a new engine did likely have a thrust bearing problem. Unless you rupture your radiator, it's pretty hard to fail a Miata engine with an overheat.

Keith Tanner wrote: The power windows do kinda suck. Hint - check the switch in the console. They'll burn out over time, and you can usually improve the windows by simply sanding the terminals clean. Power windows in the NA were 1 lb heavier in the door than the manual ones, BTW. I did eventually add power windows to the race Miata because the cage meant you had to open the door to crank the manual ones. Not convenient. The street Miata has manual windows, no problem. Power locks are a convenience, but I sure wouldn't pass up a good car because of them. A 1999 with a new engine did likely have a thrust bearing problem. Unless you rupture your radiator, it's pretty hard to fail a Miata engine with an overheat.

Well, the ad says the car went 50K on the original engine, and as I understand it most of the 99 TSB thrust bearing failures happened at < 20K.

Personally I would find hand-crank windows annoying. The locks are not significant, the 99 only has a power lock on the passenger side anyway. There's no remote, the passenger lock just does what the driver one does, so you're still opening the door by putting in a metal key and turning a mechanical lock. There isn't even a security chip in the 99 key.

Either of those can likely be retrofitted at fairly low cost if you buy the car and decide you really wanted it.

The excessive EGR codes are a surprise to me -- I haven't heard of those happening due to exhaust mods before. I was going to raise red flags about it having a Maryland plate and California smog until I realized that even though it's listed as being in "Pasadena", there's one of those in Maryland too. :)

Keith Tanner wrote: A 1999 with a new engine did likely have a thrust bearing problem. Unless you rupture your radiator, it's pretty hard to fail a Miata engine with an overheat.

Well, there is a shiny new aluminum radiator in it, so I'm guessing that's exactly what happened.

steronz wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: A 1999 with a new engine did likely have a thrust bearing problem. Unless you rupture your radiator, it's pretty hard to fail a Miata engine with an overheat.

Well, there is a shiny new aluminum radiator in it, so I'm guessing that's exactly what happened.

What are you waiting for? Go Cat Go! I'm pretty sure that unicorn won't be around long.

The enabling is strong in this one :)

Definitely buy that. Shoot I want it and I'm not really looking for a Miata!

steronz wrote: The enabling is strong in this one :)

Well then, let me add to it. I picked up a 2000, love it. Fantastic car, lots of fun. Go ahead. Drink the Kool-Aid.

Looks clean. Locally at least, that would be a pretty decent price. If "locally" included Baltimore, you and I might be fighting over this one.