Should I sell my RX-8 to buy an NA Miata?

This decision is keeping me up at night Please give me your opinions.

Here's my situation. I have a 2007 RX-8 with only 29,000 miles on it. I owe about $13,000 on a pretty low interest loan. I'm thinking of buying a 1994 Miata with 59,000 miles, perfect condition with a hard top for $6,000. I can afford to keep the RX-8 without any problems but the idea of not having a payment is attractive.

I love the RX-8. Its been a fabulous car. I look forward to driving it every chance I get. However, I would like to become more involved with track events and autocross and I think it would get pretty expensive to run. Plus, the Miata would be a project for me. I would be doing suspension upgrades, maybe adding an intake and exhaust, roll bar etc... I wouldn't be able to do that kind of thing on the RX-8.

I use my car to commute about 140 miles round trip to work but I only do it once a week. Can I rely on a 17 year old Miata? Is an NA with suspension upgrades a more fun car to drive on the street/track than a stock RX-8?

This whole idea started when I got a ride in a 1994 Miata with suspension and r compounds at Sebring. I was blown away by how well that car handled the corners!

Thanks for your help guys.

Yes.

Edit: Now that I've actually read your post, its still yes

I'd suggest finding a way to do both. Having a newer car as a DD is a big plus, as is not beating on the car you depend on to get to work everyday.

Thanks for the replies. Keep em coming.

I would really like to just have one car. That's part of my problem. Down the road I could see buying a truck and using the car just for the track but that's a long way off.

One more thing, mileage on the RX-8 is about 18-20. Pretty bad compared to the 28 or so I would expect from the Miata.

I've used a 90 Miata as a DD in the not very distant past so it's doable.

I'm just curious as to why you're saying you can't mod the RX8?

Too expensive to mod for me. I could use the money that goes to the RX-8 payment on the mods for the Miata. Plus, I thought that it'd be a lot more expensive to run the RX-8 on the track.

In your shoes, I would sell the RX-8 and buy that Miata. IMO, the positives outweigh the negatives...if that helps you sleep any better . (That big ones being - no car payment & cheaper running costs vs. slight reduction in comfort and practicality.)

So if you managed to sell the RX8 for $13k, you have $6k lying around to get a Miata?

I've got about $6k in my '90 NA - I got the car for about 3 then did everything it needed, all at once. If something was being replaced I used uprated stuff. The FM stage 2.5 suspension is absolutely tolerable for a DD - and with a header/cat/exhaust + intake it makes decent HP and gets terrific gas mileage.

I hadn't planned on driving it much as I have but it's so easy to get along with and so much fun. A Miata as DD just makes life a little better - I say do it.

Unless you're severely limited in your parking options, I'd swing both.

Taking a car to the track is like taking money to a casino - you don't play with what you can't afford to lose. In other words, you don't race your only DD.

Eventually, you'll want to do things to your race car that make it not as fun to drive on the street. A/C stops being that thing that keeps you comfy, and starts being an easy 40+ lbs you can lose from the front end. Springrates start climbing, which turns potholes into sledgehammers aimed right at your kidneys. Tires start being bought with grip in mind, not mileage, and you're lucky to get 5k miles out of a set. (or you have to find a place to store an extra set of wheels/tires). Rearward visibility goes out the window as a cage goes in. Et Cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

It's much easier in the long run to not have to compromise to keep your street car competitive and your race car street friendly.

I have an NA. I have an RX7. Keep the RX8. Keep the rest of the money in the bank for a rainy day or paydown some of your loan.

How much would you want for the RX-7? What color,and trim level? Mileage?

Chris

From what you describe, I'd say no, keep the RX8. I've had 3 Miatas, including my current DD, an NC GT. I love it to death. And sure, you can use an NA as a DD, many people have and still do. All that said, here's why I say no...

First, If you mod the thing heavily for autox/track duty, you may be unhappy with it as a commuter. The NA in stock form is already somewhat bumpy, buzzy, etc...I admit that's part of it's charm, but if you amplify it all and try to daily drive it, you may not like it. Plus, while it's not a luxury car by any stretch, the RX has more creature comforts than an NA. Make sure you could live with it daily.

Second, just remember, if you plunk down $6k on the NA, and add in all the mods, you're risking significant cash on the track. Probably not an issue with autox, but definitely for track events. Obviously, the same is true with the RX8, but you don't seem inclined to track it.

If you really want to get into track events, make sure it's something you can afford to wad up. Maybe try finding a lower cost NA or something else, while still keeping the RX.

do whatever it takes to have no loan. Even if it means driving a 30 year old pickup.

Are you a tinkerer? If so, keep the RX8. You'll quickly wind up spending a lot of moolah on the Miata. I bought a 96 Miata a few years ago that had 120k on it. Everything worked perfectly, until I caught the bug again. If I needed a DD that got good mileage and reliability, the Miata you mentioned would be a safe bet, but the price seems a bit high.

Thanks for the input.

I think too many people are thinking you would turn the Miata into a race car. A nice DD that occasionally sees a track day doesn't have to be stripped and uncomfortable unless you want it to be. Nor does it have to be expensive. Shop around for deals, modify prudently, and don't go to extremes and there is no reason not to enjoy a mildly prepped Miata for years to come.

The Miata would be a DD that I use for an occasional track day (maybe 3 or 4 a year). That's exactly what the RX-8 is for but I hate to run it on the track for fear that I'll ruin it. While I wouldn't want to crash the Miata either, it'd be an easier pill to swallow than crashing the RX-8. The Miata being a DD is why I'm looking at such a low mileage (expensive) example.

Ideally, I'd keep the RX, buy a truck for towing, and get a much cheaper Miata for the track. That's what I'd do if I didn't have wife, kiteboard gear, surfboard, motorcycle, and everything else. Maybe I should find a hobby to get rid of.

Eardleyf1 wrote: Ideally, I'd keep the RX, buy a truck for towing, and get a much cheaper Miata for the track. That's what I'd do if I didn't have wife, kiteboard gear, surfboard, motorcycle, and everything else. Maybe I should find a hobby to get rid of.

Wife.

haha, I knew that was coming.

ReverendDexter wrote: Unless you're severely limited in your parking options, I'd swing both. Taking a car to the track is like taking money to a casino - you don't play with what you can't afford to lose. In other words, you don't race your only DD.

I'm with the Reverend on this one. When my Miata was my DD, I was (unconsciously) much more careful with it at the track than when I knew I didn't have to drive it home. Even if you think you're a few years off from racing it regularly, you'll always have that "I can't berk the car up too much" mentality when driving it.

Even though my GTX wasn't my DD, it was a rare enough car that I drove it pretty conservatively until I got the second one. Once I had another waiting in the wings, I drove my GTX like it was completely expendable. ;)

Also, if you're planning on this being a project car that you're doing the work on - there's always going to be a time when something takes longer than the weekend you had planned for it.

So, yeah, keep the RX-8 and buy the Miata!

FWIW, I was in a very similar boat as you this spring. Wife, 3 young kids, blah, blah, blah. My '06 Miata is my DD. Like your RX8, I've got a loan on it. Like you, I want to do 3-4 track events per year. Don't want to wreck the Miata, not to mention I have to add a roll bar to it, which wouldn't be too cheap.

I wound up buying a retired SCCA ITB car for under $1000. It's got a full cage, log book, etc... My minivan has enough oomph to tow it on a dolly for the 3-4 events per year I want to do. I haven't gotten it on the track yet, and I actually may not until next year. I used up most of the race budget on the car itself, plus brakes for it, etc... But even if it is next year, now I've got a car I can go have a blast with, and if something happens, I can afford to walk away from it.

Nothing wrong with using a DD for a few track events per year, but if you really like your RX8, could you convince the wife to let you get an inexpensive track toy?

i say lose the rx8, get the miata and make it as badass as possible and dd the motorcycle

I have driven a DD Miata on track and my current track only car is more fun. Not worrying about how to get to work on Monday if something breaks is great.

I say sell the RX-8 to get out of that loan. Buy a Miata, but not that Miata. I know it's low mileage, but you could easily find an NB with decent mileage for less.

I'd do similar to what Clayfish did. Rather than $7k-$8k on a Miata (which is what you'll end up spending when you're done), spend half on a higher mileage Miata (which will probably be me worn, but equally dependable after replacing engine rubber) and half on an appliance. Maybe a van or a truck.

I'm not sure I'd tell you to jump into a full race car (which won't be street legal) right off the bat. If you want to do more track events, that is a great value. But it's nice to have a fun car to zip around town.