School me on Miata's

[NigelStu]

Perzbnez, nice looking ride!

SlapDash - Pick that one up! Use the hard-top and whatever else you need from the car and sell the rest for $1500....

[SlapDash]

Ha, that was the plan, but it sold in two shakes of a lamb's tail, or whatever the hell that saying is...

It had an LSD too...

[Boris3]

I've got a 93 and tracked it for several years but my best advice is to go over to miata.net and start reading. Good forum with a lot of information. Also the spec miata forums.

The go kart references are spot on, and the precision of the steering inputs versus the e30 is very noticeable. Very much a momentum car. The rush of going flat out through the kink at Road America with no braking and no lift is something I'll never forget...and something I 'm still not ready to try with the e30.

The 90-93 has the 1.6 and is a slightly lighter car. Avoid the 1990 due to a shortnose crank issue. The 1992 and later start to add some frame bracing that was missing in the early models but there is a big aftermarket and its easy to find what you need. The 1.8 starts in 1994. Naturally aspirated engines are pretty much bullet proof and pull up to red line, but they tend to eat plug wires, have oil leaks around the CAS but easy to fix, and you need to watch heater core hoses. All sort of turbo and SC options but like any boost lead to a slippery slope.

There are different packages, a base, an A package (power steering, AC, manual windows), and so on as well as some specialty models (R package, LE package).

To track for fun: pick up a roll bar (HardDog models by Bethania Garage is popular), track pads, sticky tires, suspension (again all sorts of options from Flyin Mita basic shock and spring packages to Konis and Ground Control coilovers, and several much higher cost options), sway bars (Flyin Miata again or Racing Beat front bar for autocross).

The one issue though is seating and your body size. Tall torso means playing with seating to get helmet clearance with your rollbar. Options here range from shaving out seat foam, a Sparco tube frame seat (I used an older Momo and still needed to be lower), and Spec Miata guys tend to bolt aluminum seats to the floor pan to get low. If you are under 5'10" you have more options and this will be less of an issue.

Rust: rocker panels (drains get clogged)

I ended up switching to the e30 when some DE organizations around here started to require full cages for convertibles rather than just roll bar. No regrets. I also find the field of vision works better for me in an e30, but this could have been a function of my seating position and roll bar setup.

Pricing on the NAs: check the miata.net forum pricing thread but you can get into a miata in good shape for under $3000, less depending on location. Next few months also are a good time to buy depending on location. Winter's coming.

Or, just go nuts and pick up a race prepped spec miata for $8-10k. :mrgreen:

[88SuperETABD]

Miata's are tiny and fun! my buddy used to do spec miata until he wanted more power, he had a 1.8 na miata. he stroked it to 1.9 then threw a turbo on there. was around 200 whp, super fast/fun. then with lots of tuning and + on the boost. he's at 300+whp. Its scary now. But overall. pretty awesome car,

he's selling his. i think like 15k. but its ready for the track and will SHIT on STI's, m3's, etc.

[etxxz]

what's wrong with e30's? just as cheap to build. similar in performance. and you already have one..

[gverelli]

Thank you very much everyone for all the opinions and advice, I have been checking out miata.net and already learning so much. As for parts, performance and maintenance parts are so cheap and available which is nice. I already read a couple of threads where people said to get a post 94 na, as the chassis is much stiffer, and some sport packs came with larger brakes. I have been looking around for post 94 and already they are much more expensive. So will have to see which direction I take as well as how serious I want to make this car.

[gverelli]

what's wrong with e30's? just as cheap to build. similar in performance. and you already have one..

I thought of it already, but I need something different (Don't worry not selling my car hehe), just want a change up. I do not want this to turn into a serious $$ project, just something to shoot around with and not care as much. I daily my e30 and track it now, but maybe it's time for it to take a break. I would do only the basics to the miata and not dish out all kinds of money, so that I can still sell it later down the line. Unfortunately the e30 is staying till the end with me :). That being said, I want something smaller and nimbler, at 1280kg, my car is FAR from light and nimble. My friends 318 feels way more balanced, that's why I was lead to a miata as an alternative. If i got another e30, I would end up falling for it all over again, and I don't need two money pits if you know what I mean lol. I don't want attachment to come with the new budget, I always tell myself my next e30 will be an m3, and whether I get one in 5 years or 25 years, I'll have to wait until then. Just hope you get where Im coming from, I love my car too much to just keep it as a beater.

[gverelli]

Sorry double post

[etxxz]

i agree. that's why i also have two vehicles. word of advice though, if you can buy a car that is done, you'll save a lot of time and money.. mostly time. People are selling track cars, gear and even trailers right and left. Having a beater is fun. My e30 is more like a toy car than anything.

i just thought miatas were a little ... :giggle: ... and small, but hey they have a purpose. I did find out this last year, i could have bought an e36 track car for the same $ i've put in my e30 over the last 3 years.. to make it essentially an e36M, packaged inside an e30 shell

[JrCamacho]

my buddy has a '95 miata M-edition, and its a blast to drive, good exhaust note too, best of all his had 100k exactly, and he bought it for 2200. thing was immaculate, new top too

[L8 apexr]

As much as it pains me to say it miata's are just too damned good not to want one.I've never owned one but I've co-driven them at autox a couple times and even stone stock on streets they are great.
I used a miata as a donor for scratch built autox I built last year,used the uprights,brakes and rear end and so far its worked out well with the car taking FTD at every including its 1st time out a year ago.
No body,


With body/wings,


Vid from the last event,set FTD by just under 3 seconds.1st time out with the wings,mucked with the balance so some changes have been made for the next event.


This thing is why I leave the E30 in the garage on race days.

http://youtu.be/HNpzN9iLb2E

[Hey_You]

Ford 5.0 + Miata = Only Reason to own one :P

[SlapDash]

Ford 5.0 + Miata = Only Reason to own one :P

Blasphemy!

Well, if you do the Monster Miata conversion, you have to get two, to keep one pure.

[Mr. Tasty]

I have always toyed the idea of picking up a NA, they have always appealed to me, aesthetically, and the way they drive. Although, I wouldn't want to swap a big 5.0 into it. Seems like it would throw the balance off.

[Jean]

I love seeing CSP class miatas race! They carry some speed into corners and easily fit 275/35/15s under the body!!! Their suspension is just plain better than any e30.

L8 apexr - that thing is sweet! What does it weight? I sat in a passenger seat of the super 7 this past weekend, talk about on rails!