Yes, another "tell me about it" thread.
Within a few months, I will be moving from LA to the inland empire, where residences offering parking for multiple cars are a viable option within my price range.
So, tell me about the Club PRHT. I drove one last year, and loved its dynamics. I also like the little styling changes that abrade the car's soft design cues. I'm hoping that the ND's introduction will drive down the NC's pricing.
Regarding the PRHT: any reliability concerns? Is the weight addition an issue, or is it negligible? I want something I can keep around for 10 years with minimal expenses. The Focus has been pretty good to me.
The 2013-15 Miatas have the best suspensions of all the NCs. I suspect the Club prices will soften thanks to the ND if you find a dealer who's stuck with one - but it's always possible that the change in target demographics will make the NC more desirable to some people. The ND is aimed at a younger buyer, and those who have been buying NCs may not necessarily find it to their taste. Plus there's that whole power thing, which is freaking out the easily freaked.
The weight addition isn't that bad, really. Certainly doesn't ruin the car, and it makes for a nice little coupe with no loss of trunk room. I've not heard of any reliability problems with the tops. When FM needed a car for CARB testing, we didn't really consider anything but a PRHT Club. And surprise surprise, the boss man has bonded with it and I suspect it will never leave.
Biggest problems with the PRHT: Roll bars have been a challenge (a problem recently solved) and it's a lot harder to roll the rear fenders due to extra structure.
A coworker recently picked one up. I like it. Even though I'm not usually big on white cars, it looks really good with the 'Club' treatment. About the only drawbacks I can come up with for the PRHT, are the higher cost of buy-in and the extra few seconds it takes (while required to be parked) to put the top up/down. For a DD anywhere that has less than perfect weather for at least half the year, it really does seem to make pretty good sense.
Driven5 wrote:
A coworker recently picked one up. I like it. Even though I'm not usually big on white cars, it looks really good with the 'Club' treatment. About the only drawbacks I can come up with for the PRHT, are the higher cost of buy-in and the extra few seconds it takes (while required to be parked) to put the top up/down. For a DD anywhere that has less than perfect weather for at least half the year, it really does seem to make pretty good sense.
The club looks great in white. I think it's the best color for it
I'd consider maybe getting a soft top Club, then removing the soft top and permanently bolting a Garage Vary hard top to it.
I've spent a lot of time in the PRHT MX-5s and love them. If I was to purchase a newer car for fun, it would be my choice. Even though I'm a big fan of the frizbee twins, I'm also a wind in the hair kinda guy--- so the MX-5 wins.
Slightly used you can find them for $25K or so. With their excellent reliability record, I wouldn't think twice. The suspension is nicely sorted--- responsive without beating you up.
The top fits well, keeps out heavy rain, and is much more difficult to break into. I'm a big fan--- especially with the new model coming out--- these will be a bargain!
Swank Force One wrote:
I'd consider maybe getting a soft top Club, then removing the soft top and permanently bolting a Garage Vary hard top to it.
If you do that, there is an incredible amount of interior room freed up behind the seats.
Keith Tanner wrote:
Swank Force One wrote:
I'd consider maybe getting a soft top Club, then removing the soft top and permanently bolting a Garage Vary hard top to it.
If you do that, there is an incredible amount of interior room freed up behind the seats.
Yep! That was the thought process. I like the PRHT because well... it doesn't look like a convertible or have the things about a soft top that i hate.
But the PRHT takes up space and adds complexity. Why not pay less for the soft top and use the money to buy a hardtop, remove soft top.
End up lighter than a PRHT with more space.
Joe Gearin wrote:
I've spent a lot of time in the PRHT MX-5s and love them. If I was to purchase a newer car for fun, it would be my choice. Even though I'm a big fan of the frizbee twins, I'm also a wind in the hair kinda guy--- so the MX-5 wins.
Slightly used you can find them for $25K or so. With their excellent reliability record, I wouldn't think twice. The suspension is nicely sorted--- responsive without beating you up.
The top fits well, keeps out heavy rain, and is much more difficult to break into. I'm a big fan--- especially with the new model coming out--- these will be a bargain!
Around here, you can drive away with a PRHT brand new for about $27k. 
Swank Force One wrote:
Keith Tanner wrote:
Swank Force One wrote:
I'd consider maybe getting a soft top Club, then removing the soft top and permanently bolting a Garage Vary hard top to it.
If you do that, there is an incredible amount of interior room freed up behind the seats.
Yep! That was the thought process. I like the PRHT because well... it doesn't look like a convertible or have the things about a soft top that i hate.
But the PRHT takes up space and adds complexity. Why not pay less for the soft top and use the money to buy a hardtop, remove soft top.
End up lighter than a PRHT with more space.
Why not? Because there are those who like to switch back and forth. I have a permanent hardtop on my street Miata, but when I drive the PRHT cars I have a tendency to drop the top because it's just so easy. Pulling a removable hardtop is less convenient and not an option when you're out somewhere and the weather turns nice - or, if you're out somewhere without the hardtop and the weather goes sour. The PRHT is still a convertible, a no-soft-top car with a hardtop is effectively a coupe.
Well yeah. I meant for me, specifically, as a bonafide convertible hater. 
I like convertibles, just not how they look with the soft top in the up position.
So question to Keith; which would you rather have, a stock Club or something like a '07 / '08 etc. with a Flyin Miata 1.5 kit? Are the later cars that much better that they are worth the extra cost?
Well, the 1.5 kit is for a 1990-97, so it won't fit well on an 07-08 
But yes, the FM suspension is still better than the factory 13-15 setup in my opinion. It's just not as dramatic a difference as it was on the early cars.
I guess otherwise it comes down to option choices. If there's a color or package you really want from a given year, then that's the year to get. If you like the oval mouth or the HAPPY FACE or the mellower face, then you go for one of those years. The earlier NCs were appealing to an older demographic and may be optioned accordingly, the Club is closer to what gearheads are always saying they're looking for.
There is no NC in my garage, I haven't met one I liked well enough to put my own money into yet. We discussed this in another recent thread.
