Jalopnik Buyer's Guide: Mazda Miata Edition

"Raphmoe" (raphmoe)
09/16/2014 at 13:10 • Filed to: buyers guide, readers ride, mazda, miata, Na miata

Hello readers, welcome to a new segment about buying cars.

I have spent some time researching various cars and automotive tastes found amongst the internet at large and Jalopnik proper. My first foray in to a buyers guide will be for the Mazda Miata; produced from 1912-1999, the NA Mazda Miata is the best, and finest sports car money can buy. It is timeless (hence the 1912 birth year; yes, it's an exaggeration, lighten up); it is classic, it is fun.

Consisting of a rear wheel drive platform with a proper engine in the front the Miata is available with it's own oars which allow you to row your own way through pure driving pleasure of five gears. Also available on some NA Miata's was a LSD which is a good way to meet the Walrus King and the Fairy Witch of Knottingham who will teach you how to limit the slip on the rear wheels while aggressively hooning the car like a true jalop.

The NA Miata came in three engine variants; the 1.6L or the 1.8L 4cylinder, and to be honest there is literally no difference between one or the other. Yes, if you look at "numbers" the 1.8 has a few more single digits of Torque, but after 15-20 years this means nothing. The third engine option is an LS1 V8 from our friends at General Motors; pure, raw, power - the engine for true Jalops.

With the background complete, here is the buyers guide:

1) Know nothing about cars. Just buy a Miata.

2) Look for cars without rust, rust is a deal breaker and should be avoided.

3) Avoid cars from sketchy used car dealers; they mark up the car and will rip you off and sell you a car that is over priced and a turd. In general, car dealerships are a necessary evil (when buying new), if you're buying used avoid them like the Ebola plague virus.

4) Browse craigslist and be patient; Mazda made over a million Miatas, the right unicorn is there, she will bless you with her rainbow farts in due time, do not rush beauty.

5) Have a budget. This is important and life, for everything but especially when buying used cars. Know how much you can spend, and know how much maintenace is.

6) Read the forums! miata.net clubroadster.net !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! these are your friends, they will help.

7) Make sure to buy a car while high on LSD; the Torsen created by the drug will (as mentioned above) help you drive more aggressively. This Torsen is found on some 1.6 and some 1.8 cars; and even the V8 - be careful! Make sure you get the right one.

8) Pick a color you like.

9) Make sure the soft top is in good condition; leaks in a convertible are bad! Buy a hard top asap; this is critical to make the car a year round daily driver.

10) Ask fellow Jalops in oppo to look for cars in their area; don't be afraid to travel for a good deal.

Those are my top 10 tips; sound off in Kinja below if you have more. Thanks for reading.

DISCUSSION (39)

For Sweden > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:13

How important is it that the car come with a hardtop?

mcseanerson > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:14

I thought 1.6 only had vlsd.

anothermiatafanboy > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:15

Just sold my 1996 Last night. 65,000 original miles, clean carfax, I was the second owner. Came with hardtop and winter wheels and tires. Sold for 4500. I got fleeced. There are deals to be had!

Raphmoe > For Sweden
09/16/2014 at 13:15

It should not be the deal breaker decision, so, it is probably only somewhat important in the decision. Keep in mind hard tops can be found for "around $1,000" sometimes you are lucky and can find one in the $500-$700 range (buy it then); making sure the soft top is in good condition is more important than buying with a hardtop.

Raphmoe > anothermiatafanboy
09/16/2014 at 13:16

i hope it went to a good home!

Raphmoe > mcseanerson
09/16/2014 at 13:17

lsd does come in different forms, this is true.

anothermiatafanboy > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:18

Went to an 18 year old kid for a first car. I had to give him a deal. Im building Jalops here, people!!

mcseanerson > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:19

Yeah the vlsd is garbage, most 1.6 guys raid 1.8 cars for the lsd.

mcseanerson > anothermiatafanboy
09/16/2014 at 13:20

Man you did get fleeced.

Raphmoe > mcseanerson
09/16/2014 at 13:20

Agreed, Torsen is superior.

waymoe > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:21

Will they give me a 72 month loan on a $3k car?

anothermiatafanboy > mcseanerson
09/16/2014 at 13:23

Ik. In my defense the rear quarters were rusting on the white car which looked terrible. Aaaaand the softtop was garbage. Brakes were about done as well.

Raphmoe > waymoe
09/16/2014 at 13:24

Yes they will. But you should not do that; it is financially irresponsible to view a car as an investment.

Corz > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:27

That's not entirely accurate...

For Sweden > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:27

What if it is a spotless first-generation Oldsmobile Tornado?

waymoe > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:28

Im investing in my impending lucrative autocross career

Raphmoe > For Sweden
09/16/2014 at 13:29

the finger of god?

Raphmoe > waymoe
09/16/2014 at 13:32

good luck! that is a noble endeavour.

waymoe > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 13:34

What about grossly underestimating the amount of time, money, and skill required to do most work on the car?

Raphmoe > waymoe
09/16/2014 at 13:35

Time is money; the more time you spend on the car the more value the car has.

Raphmoe > Corz
09/16/2014 at 13:40

as with most things on the internet, salt is required for proper consumption.

Skater Dad > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 14:49

Another buying tip: Check under the carpet on the shelf behind the seats. If the rain rail is leaking, the padding will be nasty and there might be surface rust on some bolt-on steel panels.

Not hard to replace the rain rail, but it could be a good bargaining chip.

MachineReplica > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 14:57

Please no, this is not a good buyers guide. As a Miata owner and somebody that spent months looking for one while ridint their motorcycle to work, in winter, with the temp in the 20's, I am pretty good at Miata buying.

Exactly zero 1.6 cars came with a Torsen diff, or really any diff worth having. Not all V8 Miatas are worth having. If it doesn't handle well and has a V8, save your money and get a fox body convertible. You don't need a hard top to have a year round daily driver. The soft top is just fine, provided it doesn't leak.

Do you even own a Miata?

Raphmoe > MachineReplica
09/16/2014 at 15:00

Some of them came with a LSD that was not Torsen, I stated this.

I said only buy a good V8 Miata. Saving for a fox body is your opinion, not mine.

I said that a non leaky good condition soft top is the most important thing, and then a hard top.

Friend, do you even read?

Bryce Womeldurf > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 15:03

Patience is key, couldn't agree more. I looked for 6 months and thought that was long enough... It wasn't long enough. But I still like my car, warts and all. Limited slip is less of a big deal if you have good tires on it. I'd like a limited slip, but it can wait. I put more importance on getting a 1.8 with my NA. I'd also add to check the trunk, the area closest to the backs of the seats, but still in the trunk. Smell for fuel. If it does smell of fuel, it likely needs a new filler hose, which is cheap and easy to change, not a big deal. The bigger deal is that if/when the rain rails and drains overflow, they overflow into the trunk from there and can cause rust behind the removable panel on the driver's side and behind the spare tire on the passenger side. Another place to check for rust is inside the front fenders, behind the tires. Research how to clean them so that when you check the car out, with the owner's permission, you can check inside the fenders for rust. And then when you buy, clean them every 6 months.

Raphmoe > Bryce Womeldurf
09/16/2014 at 15:22

thanks friend for the input; I will be revising my buying guides as I find out more information from owners. I do not understand why some owners obsess over the LSD and others do not. Agreed on the rust; it should be a major no go but if it's there it can be cleaned up in some spots. What year is your miata; how do you like it?

Bryce Womeldurf > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 15:43

It's a '95. I'll be honest that it's put a big hole in my pocket and people have tried to talk me into selling it, but it still puts a big smile on my face every time I drive it. It had been almost four years since I'd had a car of my own. My wife and I commute in her Volkswagen but I missed having something of my own. And it had been about 15 years since I owned a car with a stick shift, so I really missed that along with having a throttle cable. I made the dealership mistake and on top of that bought out of town, and the car ended up being in worse state of maintenance than it initially appeared. It overheated and blew the head gasket on the way home. So the car immediately doubled in cost.

Since then, I've worked through replacing the fluids, the brake hoses, rebuilding the shifter. About to put new tires on it this week and finally an alignment. After that, I need to study up on AC repair, because it needs a new evaporator, expansion valve, and drier and I can't afford for a shop to do the labor. Just found out about that a couple of weeks back, which was kind of a bummer. That was when I was told to sell it. But I'm still willing to work on it, so I don't plan on throwing away half of the value of the car to avoid a little work and start all over again with a different car. It had AC when I bought it but it stopped working soon after the top end rebuild, so I have hope that the compressor might still be okay. And we're already past the hottest part of the year at least, so in another month it will hopefully be sweater weather. Eventually, I want to autocross it, but I need to finish replacing coolant hoses first.

Raphmoe > Bryce Womeldurf
09/16/2014 at 16:07

Well, from what I know the '95 is a good year, so that's good. If the car overheated on the way home did you end up calling and reaming out the dealership? I would hope there are some laws to protect consumers from such shady practices like that. I am sorry to hear it doubled in cost; did you get a good price initially so the doubling wasn't a major burden? The miata market can be a fickle beast. Used cars are always a gamble which is why I am writing to help fellow jalops such as yourself.

I do not have experience on AC repair but am sure there are jalops on here who can help you out with it for sure. Autocrossing will probably make it all worth it in the end and put an even bigger smile on your face.

wkiernan > For Sweden
09/16/2014 at 16:32

Depends on whether a.) you ever have to drive in snow, and b.) you want to race it. I don't have a hardtop, but other Floridians with hardtops have told me that when you have the hardtop on, you'll find yourself driving in fine weather and thinking "Now would be a perfect time to drop the top! but wait, I can't."

MachineReplica > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 16:36

Except it says and I quote "This Torsen is found on some 1.6 and some 1.8 cars..." "Buy a hard top asap: this is critical to make your car a year round daily driver."

The 1.8 is worth it for the Torsen alone, unless you plan on modding the car and still using it for auto cross, then maybe stick with a 1.6. There is a big enough difference between the 1.6 (NA6C 1989-1993) and NA8C (1994-1997) that you should know the differences. The NA8C had a passenger airbag, a different dash, different final drive, and the aformentioned Torsen option. Then there is the cockpit brace, additional rear subframe bracing, and (marginally) larger brakes.

You should have also mentioned the M Edition cars which will have every option ticked for their year and as long as they are a manual, the Torsen. They have special paint colors as well, and are worth looking for.

I don't know if you were trying to make a comprehensive buyers guide or not, but just some stuff I certainly would have mentioned.

You are right about the V8 choice, you did specifically mention the LS family of motors.

Bryce Womeldurf > Raphmoe
09/16/2014 at 16:37

Both the '94 and '95 are the best of the NA. Nah, didn't bother with taking it back. I don't think it would have happened on a regular city drive. The highway just pushed it over the edge. Probably a slowing water pump which has since been replaced. I paid $2800 and it was a stock, good but obviously not perfect example. No major just. Stock is difficult to find in Florida for whatever reason, and usually if it is stock, it's in really bad shape. The body is straight. So in the end, I probably paid about what one in good condition would have cost from the beginning anyway. At $3k and under, you sometimes luck out with a good one around here, sometimes they're just total junk (there are far worse for sale around here, which was why I bought from another city). $4k is better $5k and up has to be in better shape. Either low on miles or really well maintained, maybe both. But the price varies greatly on where in the country you buy it.

As for the AC... we'll see. By the book, the dashboard is supposed to be pulled to get to the evaporator, but from what I've read on miata.net, it can be wrestled out of there with just the glove box removed. Supposedly a pain either way, but at least it's nothing essential for driving.

Kinja'd!!!

I'll be sad to see the steelies go, because they looked so good but they're also 18lbs each, the heaviest NA wheel option. I just bought a set of daisies that are almost 6lbs less per corner, that I haven't photographed yet. I'm waiting until I get the new Sumitomos on them before I Plastidip them white to continue my red car/white wheels theme. Eventually, I'd like to go with a set of 6UL or RPF-1 in 15" but that's going to be some money.

Raphmoe > Bryce Womeldurf
09/16/2014 at 17:27

It sounds like a labor of love. Best of luck on keeping her in tip top shape; it is a beautiful red, the paint looks mint.

Raphmoe > MachineReplica
09/16/2014 at 17:29

I am working to get all the information I can, thank you for adding some clarity to it, it is very appreciated. My initial post I was unsure about the Torsen or not. By chance, do you know what paint the M editions were available in?

Miata2016GT > mcseanerson
09/20/2014 at 08:31

Though the Torsen is better, the VLSD is in fact on the 1.6L cars. I have it on my LE and it's just fine. Maybe Torsen is better for the racers?

Miata2016GT > Raphmoe
09/20/2014 at 08:35

Every year is different, and some of the special cars were NOT "M" editions, those started in the NA2 (94-97) models. Some of the most sought after are the 1991 BRG (British Racine Green), the 1993 Limited Edition (LE... what I have), and the 1995 "M" (Merlot). There are several other colors that are highly sought after also, because of their rarity (Sunburst Yellow) but are not special editions.

Miata2016GT > Raphmoe
09/20/2014 at 08:41

IF the car has a hardtop, that adds value to the bottom line of the car because it COULD be sold separately. Personally, all of my NAs have had hardtops. One of the things that people don't mention about them is that they are like a little bit of voodoo magic. They shouldn't really add any measurable rigidity to the structure, per se, but they really do. NA's (even with every brace available) are pretty floppy cars structurally, and the hardtop helps.

MachineReplica > Raphmoe
09/24/2014 at 15:47

Sorry for the late reply, I totally forgot about this!

Each year of the M editions came in different colors. There is a guide on miata.net for each year and their special options, wheels, and colors. Off the top of my head the 95M (which I have) has Merlot Mica paint (dark purple-burgandy-ish), 15x6" BBS wheels (that are very sought after for stock Autocross classes), tweeters in the doors, special seats with adjustable head rests (the only North American Miata to get that), and, like all M editions, a tan interior.

96 M edtion had Starlight Blue Mica paint, which is Mazda speak for blue in the day and pruple at night.

97M edition had a metallic green paint, not quite BRG green though.

97STO (affectionately called Stuff Taken Off edtion by many) was a special blue with a tan interior, and a weird options like power windows, but no cruise control. It definitely got the Torsen, special wheels (that suck) and a few other goodies. These are the rarest special edtion besides the 93 LE which was black with a red leather interior.

Real Madrid FC > MachineReplica
12/01/2015 at 23:06

STO had no torsen

MachineReplica > Real Madrid FC
12/02/2015 at 06:23

I don't know why I put that on there. I've always known the STO didn't get a torsen. Maybe it was a typo and I meant "Definitely did not get a torsen"?