Which Miata to buy?
 

Thinking of swapping my second car for a Miata... anyone know much about them? Is there a preferred model for track days? Learning to wrench? Any models or options to avoid?

Appreciate any responses..

All are great...

Good question, probably best answered over there : http://forum.miata.net/vb/
That being said, I absolutely loved my MK 2.5 with the 6MT. Tons of performance parts available and cheap consumables (tires, pads, etc.).

I know others will chime in...

I'd first suggest combing through miata.net for basic information. I'm not a huge fan of their forum, but the info on that site is excellent. Miata's are classified in their 3 distict body styles - NA ('89-'97); NB ('99-'05); NC ('06-present). Within the NA category, there's the NA1 ('89-'93) that has a 1.6L engine; and the NA2 ('93-'97). Within the NB category, there's the NB1 ('99-'01) and NB 2('02-'05) various small changes, the front end is the most telling.

I stared my Miata life with a NB1, then bought a NA1 that got a stupid big homebrew turbo; and now I have another NA1 that's more of a driving project car. I've not had much experience with the NC, but I hear it has been a worthy successor to the NA & NB.

Personally, I think that the NB Miata's are the best value for what you get, but you really can't go wroung with any of them. I'd say stay away from the 1.6 cars, due do the possibility of the SNC issue, but if you come across a great deal, I'd still say jump on it.

There's a lot more I could type, but I'm late for a meeting at work, I'll let other's chime in... Definitely check out www.miata.net for info...

The NA Miata (89-97) is one of the easiest cars out there to work on. It's well-designed and doesn't have a ton of crazy electronic bits to fail. It's light and a ton of fun to drive hard. Plus, it'll take the abuse and when it doesn't parts are abundant and cheap. They're easy to strip and quick at the track for what they are.

I prefer the 1.8L in the 94-97 models over the earlier 1.6L, but you have plenty of options with or without AC and Power Steering, power windows, or a Torsen LSD. The M-Edition models are especially well-optioned. Power windows are the one option I'd say to maybe avoid as the regulators fail and are about $80-100 each, but don't base your car decision off of this. Also don't get an automatic, obviously.

If you do get a 1.6L, watch out for the short-nose crank wobble. Some will already have it addressed, but I feel like for someone concerned about learning, that's an issue it's better to avoid altogether.

The NB (99-05) is almost as pleasant to work on, but it does have a few more electronic components. It's a great car.

The NC is nicer inside and somehow barely gained any size or weight. It's much more expensive and a bit less approachable for a novice, though. Also, that power hardtop... yum.

Track day bro?

Seriously though, the Mazdaspeed NB was one of the most fun cars I've ever driven.

Find a 1.8L NA (94-96) or a 99-05 NB. The 1.6 cars are getting long in the tooth and there are more engine parts around for the 1.8 cars. I would avoid the 97 NA as it was the only one that was OBD2 and if you ever want to do anything to the ECU its a pain.

Finding one that someone has already mildly setup for track use is pretty easy to do. Find one with a a good diff, there is a sticky post somewhere on Miata.net about how to tell based on the Vin if it has a limit slip diff. Good suspension, brakes, bolt on power mods and sticky tires and you have a cheap, fun, reliable and cost effective track car. Good luck!

1.8L NA, classic looking body, love the tail lights

This one
http://exomotive.com/wp-content/uplo...t4-640x426.jpg

If you're thinking about doing track days with a Miata, you will likely need a roll bar. Make sure to look at the rules for the groups you want to run with. Most allow convertibles with roll bars, but some don't allow convertibles at all.

Also consider whether you would want to drive this car on the street and whether you would be ok with a roll bar and no helmet.

Thanks for all the responses! Posted the same question on Miata.net and not one response :mad0260:
Its probably a bit silly even looking right now as it is the season of high prices for convertibles..

The car will be the primary commuter with track day dbl duty.

When talking convertibles and track days... even with the hardtop are there the same rules for roll bars etc? (I am guessing yes as the roof isn't structural..)

Yes, if you track your Miata, you don't want to cheap out on your safety.
The hard top offers zero protection if you flip the car.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIzF9F9SXLU"]Mazda Miata Flips At Very High Speed - YouTube[/ame]

Plus a real roll bar will stiffen the car, which is always nice on track.

The real concern with a rollbar is that it can lead to high risk of head injury if you hit your head, in even a small collision (such as a rear-ending or drifting into a curb - see video at the bottom of this post). The stock seats are often too low to keep your head from hitting the rollbar unless you're really short. Even with SFI padding on the bar, it's going to hurt to hit your head. A lot.

In short, you need taller seats to protect the back of your head. Probably racing seats. But when you put racing seats in, your stock seat belts can lose their effectiveness. And even if you're careful during installation, almost every bolt-in rollbar compresses the seat belt tower in the Miata, which renders the belt retractors mostly useless. Harnesses may sound like a good idea, but you should really never use them on the the street. In an accident that's almost guaranteed whiplash and possibly more serious damage. (On the track, they say you should use a HANS device with harnesses).

Plus, racing seats can make it really hard to get in and out due to the steering wheel position. One option is to put a new steering wheel and quick release hub on. But you're sacrificing the airbag. Do you trust a 15-25 year old airbag anyway? That's up to you.

In short, you should get a rollbar. I would recommend good quality racing seats that give you room to use your stock seat belts on the street. It's not the best but it's probably a less dangerous balance.

Oh, and here's a good example of someone being stupid and consequently causing their passenger to hit his head on the rollbar. Ouch.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBRe9b4dsxo"]Miata drift fail crash into wall plus whining - YouTube[/ame]

Of course not, that's like coming on here and posting 'what's the difference between the FRS and BRZ?' It's been answered a million times and people are sick of it. Honestly reading the Wiki article is a good idea, lots of info there.

Most people think that the car got better and better, more well sorted, more reliable, leading you right to an NC. The only comment there is that if you want to do track days avoid the power retracting hardtop option, it doesn't leave room for a roll bar that passes the broomstick test if you're of even average height and many organizations don't allow it on track days, but for the soft top it's probably the most refined and reliable Miata you can get your hands on.

If you're going for the path of least resistance NB's are probably the safe bet right now, a little newer than the NA's, a little less beat, cheaper than the NC's and with so many produced you won't have much trouble finding parts.

NA is the lightest rawest generation, basically a tin can with a rag on top. Others have talked about the difference between the 1.6L and the 1.8L, all I know is it gets a little trickier every day to find a nice 1.8L while the earlier cars seem to take a bit longer to move and are priced pretty well in comparison.

For my money, I'd buy the cleanest NA I could find, at most that's what, $5k-$7k, if you hunt and are willing to take one that's a little tired here and there you can drive away for $4k in something relatively reliable. Based on what I can tell adding power and all the goodies (LSD) isn't too back/bank breaking but at the end of the day you'll still be getting run over by fox bodies and late model sedans.

This is pretty much my armchair quarterback opinion so I'm incredibly detached from reality sitting behind my keyboard browsing craigslist.

I agree with @strat61caster.

I think you should aim for something in good condition, straight with good paint and probably 100,000 miles or so. And a good soft top. You might pay $4000-$4500 for a NA that meets these criteria, but it will more than make up the difference from most $2000 NA's. For a little bit more, you can probably get an NB and I'd recommend the same criteria.

There's very little that you should "look for" specifically when shopping. Buy from someone who knows the maintenance history (especially timing belt/water pump), or be ready to do those jobs when you buy it if they don't know the history. The soft top is a major pain to change yourself (and will cost $300 in parts + $300 or more in installation for a decent one), but most other mechanical jobs are pretty straightforward and can be done in a weekend without too much swearing.

I miss my 96 M-Edition but unfortunately I didn't have any place to park it. I sold it for dirt cheap last month and miss it terribly.

When I was looking into convertibles, the conclusion I came to was that for a dual-purpose track/street car, you're better off going with a coupe. Only three exceptions to that:

1) You're willing to drive with a rollbar and no helmet on the street, potentially endangering yourself (and a passenger).

2) You pick a car that has an approved OEM rollbar (i.e., S2000 or Boxster) and you're short enough to clear broomstick.

3) You pick a car that has an approved OEM rollbar and can be fitted with an easily removeable rollbar extender (Boxster + BK rollbar extender).

And obviously if your local tracks/clubs don't allow convertibles, you'll have to stick with a coupe.

I'm starting to notice that early NB's are starting to cross prices with early NA's when comparing equivalent quality cars, I've seen a couple '99-'01 Miata's around $4k with the worst feature being the paint or some needed maintenance.

But I completely agree, $2k can get you a car that might get you home but it could be a nightmare after that, it really isn't that expensive to pick one up that doesn't need very much other than routine maintenance.

Can you get a hard top for any of them, though?

I believe you can buy a hardtop for all of them.

I'd buy the one that looks like a Tic Tac

An OEM hardtop will fit both the NA and NB. They're pretty expensive - a good-condition OEM hardtop will go for about $1000 these days. They're very worth it if that's what you want, though. Aftermarket tops generally don't fit quite right (ask me how I know), and anything with broken glass is an awful idea (ask me how I know). Make sure you get locking side latches. Even though some are very expensive, $150-200 on locks will save someone from stealing your $1000 top in 15 seconds flat.

Personally, I think hardtops aren't worth it. They're not hard to take on and off, but it's not really a one-person job unless you have a pulley. I had one and I missed open-top driving a lot because I had no place to store the top if I took it off.

I've had my '90 Miata (the NA with 1.6L) for eight years now. Love the thing. I've driven a couple of 1.8L NAs and an NB (and NC too) and it would be hard to go wrong with any of them. I've autocrossed mine quite a bit, but never done any track days with it, although I did sell my hard top to a friend so he could do track days with it. I think the sweet spot for price, modability, ease of working on it yourself, and performance potential is a '94-95 1.8L NA Miata. The 96-97 NA Miatas had OBDII which has some advantages and disadvantages.

For a dedicated track car that is street legal, sounds like it's worth it. For day to day driving and cruising with some occasional track, I'm keeping the BRZ.

Lots of great info on here from previous owners & I echo just about everything that's been said thus far...

Depending on how mechinically inclined you are - don't be scared off by the $2k Miata's. They are incredibly easy & cheap to work on. I have friends that have never done anything mechanical ever that have purchased beat up NA's. They are having no issues doing fixes themselves as they encounter them. There are so many detailed write up's on the 'net that you'd be hard pressed to not find what you need. But with all that said, try and find the cleanest car you can afford...

On the hardtop issue, I echo fourvalleys opinion... If you do happen to get a hardtop, definitely get the Beatrush side latches & look up RevLimiter's how-to on locking it up. As far as removing it - it's not difficult, and it's a one person operation for an average person.

It's a one person operation to remove a hardtop by yourself if you have long arms and a strong chest. You're just taking a pretty huge risk of scratching your trunk if you do it by yourself. I have average length arms and a strong chest and I wasn't ever comfortable doing it myself. No problem carrying it or moving it on my own but the way you have to set it on the car or take it off was too awkward for me to even think about doing it alone.

And I agree on the $2k miatas, but if you're looking to go straight to the track, get something reliable so you don't have to worry as much about the little things. Just my opinion.

That's fair, but a $2k Miata probably has a decent to-do list before I'd feel safe pushing it or relying on it, belts, brakes, tires, full fluid flush, maybe a cracked windshield or some terrible paint, a leaky top, wrecked clutch, balky trans, garbage seats, an electrical gremlin, a bad bearing, water pump and any other number of things that can go bad on a car 20+ years old and you'd be well over the price of buying a clean one that was well maintained or low mileage.

Of course if it's a track rat you're not going to bother much but if you'd like to take a pretty lady on a weekend trip it might be worth considering spending the extra cash up front.

That's a completely valid point, I am a bit bigger than most (6'2" with a 6'2" wingspan), so I could have an advantage over most in that regard.


Great point as well, i was under the impression that the OP was looking for something more akin to building up for track days. I'd always say look for the nicest, cleanest car you can afford, but even then when looking at a used car (especially one that's 7+ years old) always be prepared to replace belts, hoses, fluids, brakes, etc; as they are probably not going to live up to expectations...


:cheers:

Agreed - If the previous owner of a Miata can't give you receipts or proof of work being done, I feel like at the minimum you should be replacing your timing belt, water pump, valve cover gasket, accessory belts, plugs/wires, ALL fluids, and brakes (if you're going to the track). You should also be inspecting the condition of any other wear parts such as tires and hoses. It'll cost you a few hundred bucks (maybe $500-$600) and a weekend of work, but the peace of mind is worth it. A good timing belt kit will usually include all of the gaskets and belts you need.

All of this is easy work, too. Like mentioned above, there are plenty of step-by-step guides (with photos!) online, or you could buy the Enthusiast's Manual (which is super helpful and written more informally).

@Skurj

Go talk to this guy in Mississauga, he works on tons of MX-5s

http://www.daves-garage.ca/Site/Home.html

1994-1997 R-Package Car. Included: Sport Suspension (Bilsteins shocks, heavy-duty rear springs, heavier sway bars), rear spoiler, front air dam, rear skirt, alloy wheels, Torsen limited slip differential The R was not available with power steering, automatic transmission or with A, B, C option packages.

the best year miata to buy is the one in the nicest condition. of the na miatas, the 94 is probably the best. obd1, 1.8, torsen diff in almost all of them, real oil pressure gauge, lighest of the 1.8s. with the nb you have to decide if you want vvti but the 99-00 is really light compared to others and can make more peak power.

if its really a track car, just buy someone elses track car. you can get spec miatas or other track prepped cars for so much less than it would cost to make it yourself. i picked this up for a stock base 90 miata plus 5k http://www.miataturbo.net/cars-sale-...9-000-a-76369/ i could have probably gone cheaper but it seemed fair. check the turbo miata forum for some legitimate track options without all the internet, jdm style overpricing that many of the car forums are subject to.

Well.. I stumbled across a '91 with less than 20,000kms on it. Original everything, including tires except for the rr window in the softtop had been replaced due to fogging. It has only done a few hundred k's in the last 2 years. Interior is mint, body looks mint though the paint needs correction. Runs good, well at least it idles well, no funny noises or smoke. The guy will take $8500 canuck bux...

It would seem a shame to spoil it to mod it, but seeing as most of my mods will just simply be bolt-ons, I can save all of the original parts.

Haven't managed to get out for the test drive yet, or look into service records. I know I'd be looking at spending a day or 2 in the driveway replacing belts, hoses and fluids off the bat. Then likely shocks, so may as well lose some wheel gap when I do that.
Oh its a 91, BRG tan leather, black top, 14" alloys, pdl & pw.. shame it doesn't have AC but there are aftermarket suppliers of that if I can't take the heat of a black top in stop and go..

Still thinkin about it..

I have had 3, a 1991 1.6L NA, 1997 1.8L NA, and 1999 1.8L NB. I liked them all, but if I were to do it all over again I would get another 1994-1997 to build. The 1.6L is pretty damn fun though, that motor makes less power but it just is rev happy, so its fun.

The thing I loved about the Miatas were how easy they were to work on and mod, and since they were cheap I just didn't care about hacking on them. haha.

I like the hardtop convertible model.

I made my choice. Bought a 1999 loaded (no hardtop tho)
high mileage and its had body work done, but the current owner has looked after it. Water pump and timing belt done recently as well as shocks and brakes. Interior is surprisingly good for the mileage, the leather seats have no rips or tears, just wear. Now to plan my autoX build!
Well i don't actually pick it up until Saturday..

You are wrong!

The 1991 British Racing Green are not only the best looking Miata's they are also the fastest!

OKi not really, but I did finally get my suspension in and its great...still waiting on my wheels.

Fatoni is right. The best Miata is the best Miata.

I like the "R" versions a lot, but they can be hard to find.

Congrats! One of my previous Miata's was a '99 LS. I did my first auto-x & my first track day in that car, wish I never sold it...

http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/...iata_front.jpg