School me on Miatas.

[XvillainousX]

I have own and tracked both cars. E30s by a country mile is a better car off the shelf. No matter what year 325i or iS you cant go wrong tracking the car other than the late model fuel starvation which is easily remedied.

Whereas miata have gremlin years. Albeit pulley wobble & thrust bearing issues. 1.6 model have brakes the size of coke can. Then there's the engine. It has an engine that was designed for fwd cars so you have to reroute the cooling to the back of the motor forward. Otherwise the rear 2 cylinders dont get enough cooling. How did mazda make a performance motor out of an engine that was designed for economy? The geared the F out of it. So mpg is crap. Then there's the diff. Lets say you buy a used car and you need to replace the diff cover gasket.. You have to remove the diff from the car because the output flanges come out the dam cover.. nice mazda. Man this list is endless.

Now lets look at a typical trackday suspension setup of both cars without a cage..
E30 - 450 / 550 spring setup..
Miata 450 / 250 spring setup..

I just wish they dropped the weight of race e30 to the same weight as spec miatas..
SpecE30 weight 2700
SpecMiata weight 2350

[InuFaye]

Went and drove it last night, gonna pick it up tonight.

Gonna need some paint, but thats about it.

96' M Edition.

Torsen-LSD. 2 Owner car by an old couple.

[z31maniac]

I have own and tracked both cars. E30s by a country mile is a better car off the shelf. No matter what year 325i or iS you cant go wrong tracking the car other than the late model fuel starvation which is easily remedied.

Whereas miata have gremlin years. Albeit pulley wobble & thrust bearing issues. 1.6 model have brakes the size of coke can. Then there's the engine. It has an engine that was designed for fwd cars so you have to reroute the cooling to the back of the motor forward. Otherwise the rear 2 cylinders dont get enough cooling. How did mazda make a performance motor out of an engine that was designed for economy? The geared the F out of it. So mpg is crap. Then there's the diff. Lets say you buy a used car and you need to replace the diff cover gasket.. You have to remove the diff from the car because the output flanges come out the dam cover.. nice mazda. Man this list is endless.

Now lets look at a typical trackday suspension setup of both cars without a cage..
E30 - 450 / 550 spring setup..
Miata 450 / 250 spring setup..

I just wish they dropped the weight of race e30 to the same weight as spec miatas..
SpecE30 weight 2700
SpecMiata weight 2350

Meh, the short nose crank thing is oveblown. At this point it's only a problem on cars where the TB was re-installed incorrectly.

Brakes are easily remedied since the 1990-2005 cars are all interchangeable, a set of NB sport brakes (same as on the MazdaSpeed for example) are going on mine while I'm rebuilding the suspension.

Reroute isn't necessary on a stock car with bolt-ons, even for tracking it.

I get the same mileage in my 1.6 31-32mpg, as I did in my 318is.

Good thing the diff is super easy to drop.

The suspension, while more pieces than an E30, is pretty straight forward and easy to work on.


I'm not exactly what you are trying to imply by comparing spring rates on cars that weigh 600lbs apart, and have vastly different suspension setups.

[ReallyDirtyThirty]

I bought my '92 Smurf Blue Miata three weeks ago and I couldn't be any happier. Its a great car, seems reliable, handles incredibly, and weighs 2000 lbs. So far the hardest thing I've had to do since buying my Miata was calling my dad and telling him I was gay. Other than that, its been a great car to own.

Did I mention my roommate drives a Boxster? Its Blue too. Sometimes he gets in his Blue Boxster and I get in my Blue Miata and we drive to Hooters and drink Sea Breezes. Its a FABULOUS time.

[slammin.e28]

i bought my '92 smurf blue miata three weeks ago and i couldn't be any happier. Its a great car, seems reliable, handles incredibly, and weighs 2000 lbs. So far the hardest thing i've had to do since buying my miata was calling my dad and telling him i was gay. Other than that, its been a great car to own.

Did i mention my roommate drives a boxster? Its blue too. Sometimes he gets in his blue boxster and i get in my blue miata and we drive to hooters and drink sea breezes. Its a fabulous time.

bahahahahahahahaahhhhhhhhh!!!!

[stamar]

ha sold the 96 with the 1.8 and body damage

about to buy a 92 with bad paint for next to nothing.

this will be the 4th Ive owned, 3 were 1.6 3 were 91s and 92s.

all of the 1.6 handled better than the 1.8, just by coincidence not by design. the 96 is a way better year but mine was tired and it had these dogshit 17 inch wheels.

definitely for the early years most of what he said is right. the wheels are terrible ( but light) the engine is totally unique to the miata so that part is totally wrong. does not exist in another mazda car.

not even closely related to a 1.6 m3 engine or whatever story he wrote. a 1.6 m3 engine has more power the miata was released for gas mileage.

the suspension is weak. long since upgraded by now I bet.

paint is terrible lol flakes off in huge peices.

the 96 you bought though, its ready to go. What did you get it for? I got mine for 2000$ 96 is of course 0bd2 year thatll make a big big difference in diagnosing the little doodads that need to be replaced.

[InuFaye]

ha sold the 96 with the 1.8 and body damage

about to buy a 92 with bad paint for next to nothing.

this will be the 4th Ive owned, 3 were 1.6 3 were 91s and 92s.

all of the 1.6 handled better than the 1.8, just by coincidence not by design. the 96 is a way better year but mine was tired and it had these dogshit 17 inch wheels.

This one still has the stock 5-spoke 15" wheels.
Looking at some 15x8 wheels for the future.

I think im gonna go through it first before I put wheels and tires on it.

Getting a quart of the starlight paint for 40 bucks, that should be plenty to repaint my hood and trunk.

[stamar]

ya as far as tracking I dont even think thats fair.

A miata of any year has way better track times than an e30 of any year.

?????? a spec miata laughs at a spec e30????

Youll notice if you went from e30 to 1.8 miata like I just did too that not having that ass end makes SUCH a huge difference in corners. The thing corners better than anything.

After a few months youll start to notice that the ass end had back seats, and a huge trunk, and it didnt really even slow you down that much lol. Plenty of miata owners want an e30, but only after a few years. tilting the seats back is the best part. could never make the miata a commuter because the seats dont tilt back and im 6 3 240.

Plenty of them have owned e30s. When you go to their forums they are way more polite and respectful about bmws than vice versa.


oh i just wanted to throw in one more thing, that miata rear quarter panels are removable. one more plus very rare in any car. the only other cars Ive seen like that are saturns.
Ive only ever had NA miatas though I havent looked at a nb to see if its still like that.

[z31maniac]

the engine is totally unique to the miata so that part is totally wrong. does not exist in another mazda car.

not even closely related to a 1.6 m3 engine or whatever story he wrote. a 1.6 m3 engine has more power the miata was released for gas mileage.

Sorry, you are completely wrong.

It's the FWD motor, the 1.8 as well (look up "cheap 1.8 escort miata swap). Remember the coolant routing mentioned earlier?

http://www.solomiata.com/Mx5Engine.html

Since you're obviously well-informed.

[stamar]

sorry goofy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miata

The original MX-5 came with a 1.6 L (98 cu in) dual overhead cam inline four-cylinder engine, producing 86 kW (115 bhp) at 6,800 rpm, and 136 N·m (100 lbf·ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The engine employs an electronic fuel injection system using a vane-type air flow meter and an electronic ignition system with a camshaft angle sensor instead of a distributor.[11] This engine, codename B6ZE(RS), was specifically designed for the MX-5 and featured a lightened crankshaft, flywheel, and aluminum sump with cooling fins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_B_engine#B6ZE.28RS.29

there are definitely parts compatible with a b6 engine in a protege...hmmm but its definitely not the same thing.... I wouldnt want to get in a r3v limited argument with a teenager over it but its definitely unique to the miata.
im sure villainous means the bp engine which they do swap. The coolant hoses and fan direction I guess I hear the previous poster about that??? modern cars dont even have mechanical fans anymore anyway.
It doesnt really matter. I didnt actually work on my bp I only had it for 2 weeks but i didnt see it come into play. It looked exactly like the other 5 rwd 4 cylinder cars Ive had..... I guess thats an insignificant disadvantage....? The majority of bp miata owners dont care...
sorry I had to correct whoever didnt have their story straight. Whatever link you have obviously confused you so I wont click it.

the bp is in proteges and escorts definitely. More like what you were saying about being a fwd engine.

but it is definitely in a shitload more miatas. I cant even put a figure on it, 95% of bps were in the mazda miata NA.

as far as being informed? I got my first miata na 4 years ago, I knew all this stuff years ago. If anything I know 10 times as much as about miatas as e30s Ive owned 3 son. Where as this is my first bmw.

[stamar]

Whats even more obnoxious about this contradiction is I owned a mazda protege AND a miata at the same damn time!!!!!!!!!!!!
Was on the protege forum where people talked about putting the bp in the protege all day.

Both right in front of me lol!!!!!!! 1.6 liter engine.... not compatible. Not the same thing. the 1.6 in the miata is only in the miata. Self evident, well known. Not the same apearance. Certain amount of parts compatible but very few.

whereas the 1.6 in the protege, that is in several different mazda vehicles over years. There are not a lot of people that owned both lol and Im one.

whats cool about this twat is he actually contradicted me, and he contradicted the person I contradicted. Aparently were both wrong on something and hes the one whos informed. Like Ive said before this is the only place on the net where contradicting is considered a conversation.

[stamar]

Sorry, you are completely wrong.

. Remember the coolant routing mentioned earlier?

http://www.solomiata.com/Mx5Engine.html

Since you're obviously well-informed.

you know whats even more retarded about you..... no neither miata has coolant routed from the back to the front.

Whatever the hell he was talking about needs a lot more explanation.

And no, spec miatas are not like that. In fact, there are no miatas like that, with re routed cooling. Thats stupid.


Ok, but somehow, it made sense to you so you brought it up like its some secret hip miata people talk about. Where as all of them who would even read that would say wtf are you talking about?

Some like obscure turbo miata somewhere thats in a magazine has the cooling routed from back to front. Not the other 900,000 miatas in the world.

Dip. Dont even post I already know its stupid and you just disapeared.

( and if the fucking cylinders in the back were suddenly getting coolant before the cylinders in the front.... the ones in the front would now be exactly as overheated as the ones in the back were. Its just too stupid for words dont even try. and it wouldnt have anytihng to fucking do with it being ina fwd car somewhere else in hte world either. I dont know how people with autism can type honestly. )

[z31maniac]

No the coolant isn't routed back to front, that's why they sell kits to change it improve cylinder cooling for the rear.

http://flyinmiata.com/index.php?deptid=4532&parentid=0&stocknumber=09-60000%20%201990-93

But you've obviously got it all figured out, I bow to your superior knowledge.

[ohthejosh]

I dont know jack shiit bout Miata's and not trying to have an argument but was bored. I find that both of you may be stating facts and are having an argument about nothing LOL Feel free to poke as many holes in my post, but just felt like researching stuff since its a slow day on r3v

Stamar is right on the fact that the majority of NA miatas use the B6ZE(rs) therefore would not have the cooling issue since it was developed specifically for the NA Miata. But some did come with a retuned protege engine ;)

According to Motortrend and their review of the 1989 Miata when it came out, they were informed that the engine was a retuned 1.6 that was used in the 323. And was reoriented to be longitudinal vs latitudinal therefor possibly creating the aforementioned rear to front cylinder cooling issue?

The iron-blocked motor is derived from the turbocharged engine used in the 323 GTX all-wheel-drive car. It's been extensively retuned to run at normal atmospheric pressure, and plopped down in the engine compartment longitudinally instead of transversely as in the 323.

http://www.motortrend.com/classic/roadtests/8907_1989_mazda__mx_5_miata/viewall.html

Also per Wikipedia, the 1989 323 aka familia aka protege had the B6T engine
which had FWD variants as well

B6T

1.6 L (1,597 cc) B6T - (78.0x83.6 mm) - The ubiquitous turbocharged, fuel-injected and intercooled 16-valve DOHC B6, released in 1985 and used in numerous models worldwide including the 1985-1989 Mazda Familia BFMR/BFMP (turbo), 1985-1989 Ford Laser TX3 turbo, and 1991-1994 Mercury Capri XR2. This engine was most commonly found mated to a 4WD drivetrain although FWD models were also available.
Power and torque outputs varied across markets due to emission and fuel standards. The B6T available in North America came with 132 hp (98 kW) and 136 lb·ft (184 N·m). The Japanese version was slightly more powerful, producing 140 PS (103 kW) and 19.0 kg·m (186 N·m) due to better intake manifold design and its ability to run 100 octane fuel. For the special rally homologation BFMR Familia GT-Ae model released in 1987, power and torque were raised to 150 PS (110 kW) and 20.0 kg·m (196 N·m) respectively through the use of a slightly different turbocharger; engine internals remained otherwise identical.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_B_engine#B6ZE.28RS.29

[z31maniac]

Just saying, if the cooling issue isn't there, why do they sell kits to reroute the cooling to fix it?