CivicsRdBest

I really want an S2000, but realistically, I won't be able to afford even a used one any time soon, so I want an old Miata. I'm thinking of getting one of the first gen ones because they have that cool flip up headlight thing. I drive my cousin's 240SX right now and RWD rocks. It too has the old style flip up headlights, but those cars are popular in the drifting scene so I doubt I'll be able to find one.

I'm not going to replace the Civic or anything, I just need a car for those moments that I'm away from home. I currently live in an apartment closer to my campus. I need something that can handle traffic easily and I'll probably get snow tires for winter. Of course gas is another issue.

I would like an older Miata, like mentioned preferably first gen, but I wouldn't mind a decent 2nd gen one. I KNOW I can't afford a 3rd gen one. Do you have any thoughts/opinions about it? A lot of people think they're girly cars, do you agree? Do you know how reliable those things are? I am looking for something dirt cheap and I want something I consider cool. I want to get something under $6k, becuase I'll be paying for the monthly, but I'll get my parents to pay for insurance.

mugenman

iTrader: (12)

if the miata falls thru u could always get a 2nd gen mr2 those are really cool but good luck with it.

thegent

I had a discussion with my bro recently about what's important in a car and which one I would get if I had 1 mil to spend on only one car. I've realised that for a street car, you need the CRS formula.. Comfort (how you feel inside the car and about it), reliability (how often it craps up on you) and safety (how well it's made to keep you away from crashes and alive, should you happen to crash..) I chose the SLK-350 (the automatic 7-speed one) because I can't take 4-seaters (except my low-budget vic) and for a lesser budget I chose the miata.

Go for it!

dirtySAMURAI

iTrader: (31)

i heart my miata. '92 with 70k miles. got it for 4g and it runs better than the civic. it's a little loud, but hey, it's 13 years old.

the reliability factor is a touchy subject because the previous owner may have taken excellent care of the car, or could have driven it into a ditch and rebuilt it. just make sure that you get all the receipts for oil changes and regular maintenance stuff. there are also 2 different engines in the 90-97 line of miatas - 1.6 liter and 1.8 liter. the 1.8 liter also has 2 different horsepower ratings, i think '94-'95 had the 120 hp engine and the 96-97 had a 130 hp engine.

http://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf

more information and specs in a cool little pdf file.

if you want more information about miata's, join the miata forum (www.miata.net)

dannn

iTrader: (7)

v8 swap into miata
monstermiata.com

micks7thgen

iTrader: (1)

my uncle owns 6 miatas 1 is a 3rd gen but the rest are 1st and 2nd gens. they are good toy cars. you can do a little work to them and they are quick. i like those cars always fun to drive and the flip up lights can be a pain the older models had problems with the motors burning out. my only concern with them are that they are not safe in wrecks because of their size.

02cvcEX

iTrader: (1)

yeah s2000s are badass. i drove my friend's s2k and didn't want to give back the keys =) but as for miata, i'm still wanting to test drive one to get the feel of it .. IMO, miatas don't look that bad

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

my dad bought a red 92 last year and its pimp. Way faster than the civic, and it still runs great. The ONLY thing that went wrong was the clutch but thats pretty good for 10+ yrs old.

nookiemonster

Well the Miata is the best selling sports roadster of all time (guiness book of world records.) The 3rd gen is by far the best yet, but I would hands down choose the 1st gen over the 2nd.

I bought an S2K, but you bet your ***** if I couldn't afford the S2K I woulda bought a miata. As far as it being girly tell them it's girly when the front wheels power your car. Throw on a clean mazdaspeed lip kit, roll bar, some good rubber, light weight wheels, and racing seats and ask them how girly the car is then.

I love Miatas. The closest thing to a street legal go kart you can get next to the elise. I'll be honest with you, they feel even more connected to the driver and to the road than the S2K...but I still chose the s2K for obvious reasons....

Buy it and enjoy yourself. For the price, you can't beat it. And the engines in those things take boost very well.

MajinB

iTrader: (21)

i think its a girly car. ive only known one guy who owned one and he got **** for it all the time. but in saying that, you could always trick it out, change the doors so they are 1 inch thin handles. the convertable part saves you some weight on the car itself. btw there have been s2k motor swaps into a miata body. thats something to ponder on. if you think its girly, don't get one. if you don't care, good luck. you should look into an mx-3 or something like that. those came in v6s and are pretty cheap.

manahoonie

lol. funny you mention the miata, s2k, and 240sx. cause i got three friends who have all those cars!!! (well, the 240 is actually converted truelly to a silvia (the front half))

dirtySAMURAI

iTrader: (31)

2.0 liter (f20c) vs 5.0 liter (v8 swap). hmm.....

MajinB

iTrader: (21)

yeah let me tell ya, 9k redline vs. 6500 (maybe???) on a v8. i pick the 9k.

dirtySAMURAI

iTrader: (31)

there are too many differences between the swaps. the v8 swap is easier than the f20 swap from what i read, but the f20 would make for an excellent drifter's engine.

dannn

iTrader: (7)

i like the idea of the v8 swap since its just something different
my teacher got a couple ford 302s for free and is thinking of doing the swap

if i wanted an f20 i would probably just get the s2k

pbfoot

iTrader: (2)

i <3 my nb. it is awesome! as far as enjoyment of driving, hands down best ive driven so far. hp is one thing, but its hard to top a great handling car that hugs any corner you come accross, top down, just cruisin...it is the best.

i have a 99 (1st year of the redesign and best of the nb's from my research). i liked the na's, but this is my only car and a daily driver, so i was looking for newer since that was more likely more reliable. i paid $10k out the door, 40k miles when i took it. awesome awesome little car.

on that note, it is a TIIIIIIIIIIIIINY car. if you can keep your civic, do it. because i cant fit **** in my miata. im trying to mail something to my sister right now and the only way i can get the package to the post office is w/ the top down and i have to hold the thing so it doesnt fly away. there is practically no trunk space...that is a tough one to adjust to.

if you want a project car, go w/ the na, they are cheap, reliable, awesome, and fun. and you can definitely find one in decent condition if you look. anyone that says its a girly car knows squat about cars.

dre2600

The V6 on the MX3 is almost the smallest production V6 put into any car ever. It should've been a 4 cylinder, but along the way someone forgot to carry a decimal or something design calculations and it got 6. The MX3 and MX5 (Miata) are not at all comparable cars.

Mazda is trying to remarket the Miata to men, they've even officially renamed it stateside to the MX-5 to garner a less girly market and they redesigned the whole damn thing.

I'd take 1st gen over 2nd gen myself, 1st gen is wee bit lighter if I'm not mistaken?

nookiemonster

why? cuz it's a honda? That car FLIES with a v8 in it. And you won't need to wind the revs past 6 to feel anything. The power will be there ALL the time in ANY gear.

Personally I'd choose the F20 only for handling and weight distribution, but my ultimate choice would be to boost the stock motor. Cheaper, and infinitely more tuneable. You'll get a better balance, more power, and a helluva lot more options that way.

The F20 is too much work for a meagre gain. The V8 loses all the reasons why the Miata is so great. But in the end it's your car, do what you have to.

dirtySAMURAI

iTrader: (31)

2100lbs (na) vs 2300lbs (nb) vs 2600lbs (nc)

MajinB

iTrader: (21)

"someone" forgot to carry a decimal? lol is that sarcasm? or what? mx-3 ain't that bad. and i wasn't comparing to the miata. just suggesting alternatives to it. my problem with the new miata is this- if you could own an s2k for the same price, wtf would you get a miata?

dirtySAMURAI

iTrader: (31)

it's the original import roadster.

nookiemonster

Yes absolutely, the 1st gen was more hard nosed, more roadster, and ultimately more sports car. The 2nd gen was great but it got a little soft.

As for the MX3 comment, it is the smallest V6 ever produced, which is kinda cool I suppose, but the thing is FWD. The Miata is a superior sports car for this reason alone. The MX3 does not have the handling feel, steering response, riggid chassis, nor the balance of the Miata. For someone to even bring that car into this conversation is of no significance whatsoever other than the fact that it is also a Mazda.

If it's not a Miata, 323 GTX/GT-R, MS6 or a rotary, then it's another FWD prelude/integra fighter. Whoop dee doo. Nothing special. I like Mazda's designs, but in a discussion about true sports cars, anything powered by the front wheels really shouldn't be a factor. Sorry.

By the way, I was at Mazda the other day. The 3rd gen Miata fully loaded is a touch under 27 large. There is no way in hell you'll get an S2K for that price.

There's plenty of advantages in picking the Miata over an S2K. Steering response, feel, and braking to name a few. The S2K's brakes are disappointing sorry to say. But the S2K has a few advantages as well...power, superb gear box, and near Miata feel and response.

MajinB

iTrader: (21)

hey NOOKIEMONSTER, i never heard of a miata with a V8 swap before. HTF would you fir it in the engine bay? like i said, ive seen s2k swaps and it was a tight fit in itself. and would the v8 make it front heavy?

dirtySAMURAI

iTrader: (31)

it's been done time and time again. there's even a link posted to the monster miata page.

the v8 WOULD make the front heavy, but not by much. someone on the miata forum weighed in all the parts of their original miata engine (4 cylinder 1.8 liter) against the ls6 (v8 corvette engine i think? please correct me if i'm wrong), and they found out the ls6 was only heavier by maybe 30 lbs.

nookiemonster

Yes, heavier by 30-40 lbs or so from what I recall. However, you guys must realize that weight and weight distribution are two seperate things. The miata has always been designed around balance and feel. The V8 is not much heavier than the original motor, however, the V8 has alot more mass and volume. The weight is not spread as evenly across the chassis as it was with the original I4. The result is a car that understeers like a bitch. Cool drag racer, terrible road/auto-x car.

The I4 engine can fit behind the front axle, whereas the V8 cannot...50/50 weight distribution is lost...

dannn

iTrader: (7)

to comment on the girly car thing

go to an autocross event and tell that to the guys there

05_ CivicJDM

iTrader: (3)

I'd definately look into the Miata. There are so many options on how u could go with it as far as tuning, handling and looks. Good luck w/ your search...

CivicsRdBest

As far as engine tuning goes, I probably won't do much if I ever get my hands on one. I'd like to do more suspension tuning becuase I'm assuming a first gen Miata (NA as someone mentioned) will be beaten on. I don't see me doing any swaps, but maybe someday, if I ever get lucky I might put a supercharger in...

I can't seem to find any that are low in mileage and that fit my budget.

Anyway, now pbfoot has me worried becuase it does seem to get tinier every time I see one. I believe there is another car that is smaller, the Lotus Elise.

Day_Tripper

I heard a statistic that 85% of all miatas ever produced are still on the road so aparently they are built quite well

Day_Tripper

w3rd... heres some pics from an event I went to
supercharged and kills everything... sounds like a wind up car...








Miatas are closet monsters