Hadn't looked at Miata prices for a few years and am surprised by how much people are asking for them these days.
Last time I looked, I could find a decent 1.8 for about $3500 around here if I also looked at the SF Bay Area. Seems that that's the going rate for a car with a salvage or rebuilt title, or one that needs paint and/or interior work. Nice ones seem to be in the $5000-$7500 range depending on model an options/accessories. Oopsie.
Yes, I realise that it's the wrong time of the year to shop for Miatas but that was a tad unexpected.
Around here you can get a nice C4 for similar money to any Miata
Hmmmm, people keep saying that, but I am seeing otherwise around the Bay Area. I bought mine 5 years ago for $2750 ('97, 148k miles, Torsion diff), and the PO was asking 3200$.
Here's a (probably) nicer car asking 3800. 2nd owner, 116k.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/1991-mazda-miata-mx-5-5-speed/6567414112.html
Here's a one-owner car for the same price I bought mine for. It's older, but still.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/1990-mazda-miata-5-speed/6543579775.html
I look quite a bit (looking for months for a different Mazda, and all I see are Miatas that I wish I could buy). I just don't see prices that are THAT different from 2012. I see what look like nice cars for $3500. A completely subjective data point of course.
MrChaos said:
Around here you can get a nice C4 for similar money to any Miata
Same here. But I don't think I'd be welcome with open arms if I showed up at Miatas at Laguna Seca with a C4 
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Duke
MegaDork
4/23/18 8:39 p.m.
In 2012 you could buy a ratty Miata driver for $1000-$1200. Now if it actually runs it’s $2000.
In reply to CyberEric :
The red one in San Leandro is actually on my radar 
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I think the '90 would make a good base for a track car build, but in my case I'd need something that's also presentable when I show up at a client site. That kinda ups the bar a bit - if I were to buy the white '90, I'd pretty much have to get it repainted immediately.
I agree that cars that make a good base for a track car are still pretty cheap. It's the nicer ones keep going up in (asking) price. I also don't remember '95 Ms in need of a paint job to go for $4k-$4.5k, but there might just be too many people looking for those.
Jaynen
UltraDork
4/23/18 8:43 p.m.
They seem pretty similar to me my driver that needed some work mostly stock NA was 2400 about 4 yrs ago
In reply to BoxheadTim :
I paid $4750 from a dealer for my 95M with 100k miles and a color matched hardtop in 2016. I likely could ask $6500 now for it.
In reply to Duke :
I bought my last NA in 2011 for $3200 IIRC, and that was in pretty nice condition with a new roof. Yes, it also had some repaired accident damage (PO needed to replace a front fender), but clean title.
In reply to BoxheadTim :
Ah, gotcha. Yeah, my '97 had shot paint too. I don't care about paint really, so that doesn't even register for me, but I get that need to have a car that looks presentable. I haven't had one of "those" in years. :)
Yeah, that red one looks like it fits the bill!
When the new 1990 Miata launched the msrp for a stripped model was $13,500. Add some options and it was quickly $15,000 and they all had some dealer mark up and or fee to get on the waiting list.
Here's a 1990 asking $16,900
On eBay
In reply to John Welsh :
We'll, there's always this 1997 M Edition with 120 miles on the clock...
Funny thing is that I owned a very early 1989/1990 UK market MX-5. The guy who bought it from me actually bought it on behalf of Mazda UK as I found out afterwards.
Thank “slash for Junkers”. All the Craigslist market got smashed, leaving anything that runs as “incredible quality” and “ultra rare”. Around here, the NA’s are like 2-3k in modified stance condition. Untouched examples are around 4-5. The crazy part is you can find a ‘90 with 180k for 3k, and then find a ‘99 with 150k for 5k. It’s like “wtf, man?”
In reply to rustybugkiller :
I think it's not that unreasonable these days, although the interior damage would lead me to believe that it's a little on the expensive side.
NickD
UltraDork
4/24/18 5:23 a.m.
The price has always been high around here in CNY. There isn't a strong Mazda dealer network in the area, and the rust consumed a lot of them. I've seen extremely rusty NBs go for $4k+, even with no rocker panels left. I paid $3900 for my 1990 4 years ago, and it had bent rear suspension (didn't learn until later), some sketchy mechanical work (also didn't find until later, owner wasn't aware of it), a leaky top (was told about that, turns out that top was installed wrong), ugly wheels and paint that was a solid 6/10
I just checked Hagerty's site to see what they had to say. This chart is for a 1990 Miata. 
In reply to Trackmouse :
Yeah, stanced with welded diff and "dorifto scars" is often a good description of the $2k-$3k cars out here, too. I think they took over from the 240SXes as the supply of the non-smashed variety of those dwindled.
While I know that the NB is technically the better car, I still prefer the looks of the NA and also like the seating position better in the NA compared to a non-foamectomied NB. That said, you don't see that many NBs in the $3k range that don't need a lot of help.
Not surprised. The car has passed through the valley of depreciation and is now climbing up the slope of classic. The rats will remain rats, including the $1000 outliers that have always been around but always been rare. The good ones will become more and more valuable but probably never become really pricey. See B, MG.
Meanwhile, the NB is at the bottom of the curve so it's all about condition. Being technically superior but not as classic may mean they never climb as high for the top quality cars.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Looks like that backs up my gut feel regarding the price increases, given that I'm shopping between #2 and #3 conditions.
The scary thing is that I still remember Mazda releasing the first NA (and the upturned noses from a lot of the German motoring press back then) and now they're on Hagerty's price guide. Man do I suddenly feel old.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Interestingly enough, out here it looks like the bottom of the curve for clean title NBs is still higher than I remember the NAs dropping to. A lot of the nice ones are still in the $4500-6500 range.
Either way it might be time to cast aside my inbred cheap tendencies and buy a nice NA for once instead of a nice-ish one. Given that this would be NA #5 I think I should just get a keeper this time.
BoxheadTim said:
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Looks like that backs up my gut feel regarding the price increases, given that I'm shopping between #2 and #3 conditions.
The scary thing is that I still remember Mazda releasing the first NA (and the upturned noses from a lot of the German motoring press back then) and now they're on Hagerty's price guide. Man do I suddenly feel old.
Yeah. Can't wait to get classic car plates on mine. Here in Florida, it's a 30-year cutoff.
David S. Wallens said:
BoxheadTim said:
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Looks like that backs up my gut feel regarding the price increases, given that I'm shopping between #2 and #3 conditions.
The scary thing is that I still remember Mazda releasing the first NA (and the upturned noses from a lot of the German motoring press back then) and now they're on Hagerty's price guide. Man do I suddenly feel old.
Yeah. Can't wait to get classic car plates on mine. Here in Florida, it's a 30-year cutoff.
My parents have Miata #338, built in April 1989. I'm looking forward to throwing it a 30th birthday party in a year.
