In our world, the answer to almost every question is Miata.
Looking for a great sports car for date night? Miata.
Looking for an easy-to-drive, inexpensive car to autocross? Miata.
Looking for a terrific entry-level road racing car with parts support and lots of competition? Miata.
The Miata came into my life in February of 1989. We were doing a …
Sorry for your loss-your cousin sounds like a impressive guy.
Feels like a Classic Motorsports project. I always get a kick out of projects that incorporate period-correct aftermarket parts.
Period correct aftermarket is the answer answer here. Let everyone see what performance looked like in 1995.
Appleseed said:Period correct aftermarket is the answer answer here. Let everyone see what performance looked like in 1995.
this ! Simple bolt on parts only. And drive and conserve it as much as possible.
It's actually perfect--unmolested, pretty, but not collector-grade so you can drive it. As someone that daily drives the crap out of a clean 1991 BRG, it's a good place to be. They need shocks; swaybars and exhaust is nice. And then drive it. Actually, given the ride height in that photo, I'm guessing the suspension is already aftermarket. Clean, driveable, mostly-stock NA Miatas are becoming rarer than both collectors cars and hacked up crapcans.
Yes period correct mild mods and take it to every Radwood show you can find.
GRM has the white Miata to go hog wild with.
And remember high mileage 944s in good shape bring big dollars today. Keep this one nice, clean, and make all mods reversible and it'll gain value fast no matter the mileage. Clean NAs are rare now.
Immediately sell it for way more than rational to some Miata fan who fits in such a car.
I'd probably refresh anything it needed, add some simple bolt-ons that are easily reversible, and park it in the garage next to the other cars that I don't drive often enough (including another red early 90s Mazda).
I'd pull and store the stock engine, suspension bits and ECU.
Then I'd call Keith and a crew, build a BP, go with mild boost in the 240hp range, fox suspension and megasquirt.
Everything would be reverseable within 2 weekends worth of effort.
if it were me...id upgrade when replacement is necessary, but overall keep it close to factory intent.
now granted Ive never owned & at current prices...probably never be able to own an na/nb miata.
You very well know what they CAN be like. to someone like me...id want to know and feel what the original fuss is all about ;)
Sell it for a million dollars
I like the idea of period correct modifications. Based on the feedback that David Wallens reports when he takes his NA to the Orlando Roadster nights, period correct modifications have a lot of appeal right now.
Do you guys need me to post the 1996 Flyin' Miata catalog so you can see what period modifications looked like? I've got quite a collection from all the aftermarket of that era.
Spoiler: a lot of it isn't as good as what we have now :)
In reply to Keith Tanner :
You mean the original FM springs and KYB AGXs aren't as good as the Fox coil overs?
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Do it! It would be cool to see how far the platform has come.
I guess the one area I'd avoid going period correct is the ECU stuff. Piggy back thing-a-majigs to adjust the timing and rising rate FPRs sound horrible.
The original FM springs aren't as good as the current ones! We revisited them in 2006 and got more useful travel along with improved metallurgy and better corrosion resistance. There was no equivalent to the Fox in 1996, people just didn't spend that sort of money on suspension.
I'm thinking of things like the turbo kits. You got less power, less durability, worse driveability and harder installation for considerably more money. I haven't done the math for a while but I'm pretty sure it was at least half again as much. And that was accomplished without going overseas for parts.
What's really missing these days is stick-on wood veneer to "class up" the interior.
I found the 1999 edition on PDF, so about the time Tim's car would have been out of warranty. Note the System IV turbo which is roughly equivalent to our Stage 1 today (emissions legal, stock ECU). $3395 then is $5743 today. The current Stage 1 is $3913.
I'll post it in a bit when I get to a laptop.
I have always wanted. turbocharged Miata.
In reply to Berck :
All that, plus a street flywheel. Then I could have a sunny-day driver and save the ND for the rest.
I promised to upload the 1998 catalog and then I didn't. So here it is. Note that of the six people on staff at the time, two are still with us, one retired a few years back and two retired a bit over a year ago. The guy who did the catalog wasn't actually on staff at the time :)
https://www.flyinmiata.com/pub/FMcontent/pdf/1998_catalog.pdf
I also found the 2006 for a peek at what things looked like 15 years ago. 2006 was right before the majority of our current staff joined us, so there are only three current staff members pictured - Tami was taking some time off to start a family at the time.
https://www.flyinmiata.com/pub/FMcontent/pdf/FM_catalog_2006-all.pdf
The 1996 catalog was never turned into a PDF, it was all film and Quark in those days.
Coincidence! I too have just been 'gifted' a 2000 MX-5, now awaiting documentation to register it here in upstate NY. Having been parked and sitting for two years but all original and complete- do i just clean up and make sellable or do simple upgrades and drive and enjoy?? And tracking the car in the future is not out of the question either! I will be along for the ride with your new project!
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Thanks for posting that. So good! The FM III! My first Dealer Alternative order was 1998. Shift boots, I think. Funny--I've seen the photo of Skip's Sunburst in porta potty a zillion times, but just now noticed Christy Hopkins has the photo credit. She's still waving flags for Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing and is a Miata driver, even.
Tim, the FM turbo Miata will bring a smile to your face every time.
I bought one last summer (NB1) with a FM kit that was installed way back in 2002. The cars has lived on 6 psi of boost for about 20 years and 60,000 miles. Not crazy performance but a whole lot more fun to drive with the extra power and awesome sounds.
The owner had the original dot matrix printed receipt from FM along with the piggyback ECU install and tuning guide.
So much fun! That's what it's all about.
Period correct SSR wheels too. They have become my favorite Miata wheel.
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