Why You Shouldn’t Buy An NA Miata

"colorfulyawn" (colorfulyawn) 09/16/2014 at 22:41 • Filed to: Miata

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Over the last half-decade or so, Mazda’s Miata has been enjoying something of a reboot of its reputation. Long derided as a car unfit for those packing chest hair, the new line is that it’s a hot, affordable little roadster that offers all of the joys of sports-car motoring without the headaches induced by owning something old and British or Italian. And when the cars were new, that was true.

The problem is that now, after 25-18 years on the road, those first-generation cars are old enough to be about as unreliable as an MGB, but harder and more expensive to fix. I’m going to throw a number out here.

$6,795.

That’s what I’ve spent just on repairing things that failed or were worn out on my NA Miata since buying it. And I found a pretty good one. It had been decently well-maintained, looked good and ran strong when I bought it. I knew it had a couple of issues (ratty top, noisy rear wheel bearing) even before I handed my money over, but compared to the other Miatas I’d found in my area and general price range, this was by far the best of the bunch. It wasn’t even the most expensive.

My choice back then was between buying this Miata outright with the insurance check from my beloved stolen Integra, gradually fixing it up, or use that money as a down payment on a used S2000 and tie myself to a monthly car payment. Since I wanted to be free to make career moves, and desperately wanted to leave Texas for good, I chose the former. It didn’t hurt that I felt the tossable, 2,100-lb. NA Miata was much more fun to drive everyday than the more formidable S2000.

I don’t exactly regret that decision. But it came with a price. And that $6,795 is a running tab. Running. Which is more than I can say for my Miata at the moment.

About a month ago I was happily cruising along on the 101 when I felt something odd. The engine bogged for about half a second going uphill near Calabasas. Felt like my left foot accidentally pushed the clutch pedal about 1/3 in, then let out. It didn’t do it again for a while, but after a few days the problem came back, stronger this time. Now it felt like hitting the rev limiter, despite being well below the 7,100-rpm fuel cut.

I went through the list of cheap and obvious suspects first. Replaced the fuel filter, the plugs, the wires. The problem was intermittent, and difficult to pin down, but it always came back. I had my local shop take another look at it, and they pulled a code, checked things out, and the only thing they could find was a dirty connection at the CAS, which they cleaned. The car ran beautifully for another two days.

Today, they pulled that same code again. Bad CAS signal. That could mean one of three things: Either I have a bad CAS, a bad ECU, or a shorting wire somewhere between those two. The cost, if I have the shop do the work, is near enough to $1,000 whether it’s the CAS or the ECU. And there’s no guarantee that it’s one and not the other, so I could conceivably waste a grand on replacing the wrong part.

Kinda makes me miss adjusting carbs and replacing points when I think about it.

And the joys of multiple aging electronic components is not the extent of the fun. The car is generally good, but the way it’s put together makes for some time-consuming repair jobs. For example, if I were to find I needed to replace my fuel tank, well, that would be extremely bad luck for me, because the fuel tanks on these cars are bolted in from both the top and bottom. You have to drop the entire rear subframe to do the job, and that’s not something most people want to tackle in a driveway.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love my car, and it’s still fantastic to drive, when it’s running right. And yeah, I’m impressed as all hell that these things commonly went 20+ years before the problems started cropping up. But old machinery and electronics eventually always fail, and now my car is about as reliable as a two-year-old Mercedes. The popular notion of NA Miatas as bulletproof does not fare well under the harsh light of reality.

You definitely want to drive one. But unless you 1, are are an experienced, competent wrencher with the tools and space to tackle most automotive work, and 2, have a very reliable second car, I do not recommend owning an early Miata. These cars are now borderline antiques, and they require care. And if you’re looking for something easy to introduce yourself to working on cars, almost anything from the carbureted era is going to be easier to diagnose and fix when problems arise.

Buyers beware.

For those of you who are interested, here’s the list of parts I’ve replaced to keep the car safe and running. This is by no means a complete list of what I’ve spent on the car, only the stuff that would make it dangerous or undriveable if neglected. Some of the work, I did myself. Some of it, I paid for. I’ve included the labor for which I paid in my total, but did not add anything for labor I performed myself.

New right rear wheel bearing

New clutch

New flasher relay

New top

New timing belt/water pump

New brakes (incl. rotors, pads, lines, master cylinder, and paint repair from leaking MC)

New right rear caliper (twice, first OEM Mazda replacement failed after 1 year)

New cursed water plug

New seatbelt receivers

New radiator

New power steering pump

New PCV valve

New fuel filter

New shocks

New springs (stock ones were soft and sagging)

New suspension bushings

New ball joints

New tie rod ends

New alignment bolts

Hours of diagnostic work

StoneCold > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:46

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And it's a California car. Can't blame being left in the rain for it's condition. Or are you in one the wetter parts?

yamahog > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:47

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Not to mention your girlfriend will get tired of seeing a silly Miata in her driveway and having more wheels and tires than a warehouse in her basement and decide to just throw you out of the house.

I mean yes, the maintenance.

Louros > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:48

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Top tip: buy an NB instead.

colorfulyawn > StoneCold 09/16/2014 at 22:50

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It was a Dallas car for the first 21 years of its life, actually. Probably always somebody's second car, too, judging from the mileage when I bought it.

Mathias Rios > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:50

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What I get from this article is basically... wrench on your own car and save thousands?

colorfulyawn > Louros 09/16/2014 at 22:50

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That'll buy you another few years, at least.

colorfulyawn > Mathias Rios 09/16/2014 at 22:51

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Only if you have the right tools, and are good at wrenching on cars. Otherwise, you could end up costing yourself more.

Squid > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:52

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Get yourself a new CAS and o-ring, put the new CAS in. If problem persists get your multimeter out and check the resistance of the wires to the CAS and see if a Miata.neter can get you a wiring diagram and the specs for the wires. If problem still persists, source a used ECU from Treasure coast or one of the other Miata recyclers and replace the ECU, it should be fairly easy and a whole lot less than another grand.

Also suspension should just be replaced after 15-20 years of use so that really isn't a big surprise. Sorry your NA has become a money pit. How many miles do you have on it?

Louros > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:53

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Maybe. In any case, your experience seems rather atypical. I've owned four Miatas and they have all been nothing but reliable.

The Transporter > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:54

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I don't want to be a stickler, but this sounds less NA Miata specific and more 25 year old car specific.

Dsscats > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:54

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Top Tip: Get a pre purchase inspection and WALK AWAY.

JGrabowMSt > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:59

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Well, it could be argued whether we're good at it, but Mathias and I can wrench on cars. I think we save a lot of money in the process.

There are plenty of jobs we can't do though.

I actually had to move some stuff, and nearly lost my lunch after getting hit with the smell of old burned ATF. It was bad, really bad.

StoneCold > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 22:59

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That's even more disheartening. You have some massive bad luck to have all this to replace on a dry, low mileage car :/

Hope you get the right fix in! And I totally agree with your statement about ageing electronics vs ageing mechanical parts. That's why I'm always defensive when someone says to change my Ford 302s from carbs to cheap Fox-body era fuel injection. There's so many things that could go wrong that I can't fix on those. Stuck float, though? Clogged jets? You can find out in minutes.

colorfulyawn > Dsscats 09/16/2014 at 23:00

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At best, it's an 18-year-old car. Try finding any car that old that doesn't need work, or won't need it soon.

colorfulyawn > The Transporter 09/16/2014 at 23:01

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That's a fair assessment.

colorfulyawn > JGrabowMSt 09/16/2014 at 23:02

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I do some of my own wrenching, myself. But the older I get, the less tolerance I have for it.

colorfulyawn > Louros 09/16/2014 at 23:03

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But how old were they at the time?

colorfulyawn > Squid 09/16/2014 at 23:05

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It's at 177,000 or so now.

And yeah, that's basically what I'm planning to do. Not really looking forward to it, but if the ECU really is bad, it's probably MSPNP time. I'd like to ditch the AFM anyway.

JGrabowMSt > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 23:06

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I feel you, it's understandable. My dad (at almost 70) can change 4 spark plugs in his Crosstrek in about the time it takes me to pull all 16 from my wagon, drive to the parts store, buy 16 plugs, go back home, and then put them all in.

ATF is just the worst smelling thing to me. In the future, I don't even think I would do a trans fluid change myself. It's that bad.

Squid > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 23:09

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I don't know if the MSPNP's are smog legal in CA, but that would be the route to go if you plan F/I in your cars future. But really the MSPNP could end up being a headache. Oh also see if you can find a spec miata guy that has a spare ECU laying around, there are quite a bit of those guys that go to button willow and that reside in the SoCal area.

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

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Maybe I'm just used to being poor and buying old heaps but this doesn't sound bad at all to me. My 95 has some sort of issue which may be main bearings or it may be something else. I can't afford to fix it right now and in my current situation pulling the motor and replacing the bearings may cost me almost as much as putting in a good running used motor. So for now I drive it, every day.

colorfulyawn > Squid 09/16/2014 at 23:15

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It's not technically smog legal, but being OBD1, there's not really any way they could tell, and as long as it's tuned right, it should run at least as clean as the stock ECU. If tuned, it could even run significantly cleaner, as the stock ECU runs pig rich on these things.

Louros > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 23:17

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1990 with 101k miles bought in 2011

1997 with 103k miles bought in 2013

1999 with 112k miles bought in 2014

1999 with 39k miles bought a week ago

All of them have been relatively old.

Ike B > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 23:21

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Those are wear parts. C'mon. I'm cheap and I consider those things normal to go bad. Then again the average age of a car I own is 20-25 years and I haven't had a mechanic touch any of them in 14 years.

My NA Miata (before a minivan hit it while parked and totaled it) only ever broke one thing, the AC compressor clutch bearing. Everything else ran great, at about 180,000 miles or so. And that car turned like 4,500rpm on the freeway so it's a miracle any accessory bearings lasted that long.

It was also a 1990 so I had to do the long nose crank fix with that ludicrously expensive metal filler paste. Still had horrible torque, but a hell of a lot of fun to drive. I threw that thing around like a rag doll and it never wore tires at all.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 23:25

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Be glad the Idle Air Control Valve on the throttle body isn't bad yet. New ones are like $400, and used ones are spotty at best and still over $200.

slmdrdstr > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 23:26

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My miata, owned for 4 years when I had just graduated high school, 120k when I bought it , 220k when sold. Maintenance list:

Wheel bearing

Thermostat

Timing belt/water pump

Regular oil change.

A Virginia daily driver before I owned it. You got screwed, man. Sell it and try again.

colorfulyawn > Louros 09/16/2014 at 23:28

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Mine's a 1990 with 177,000 miles.

colorfulyawn > Ike B 09/16/2014 at 23:31

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You're right. My point isn't that these are horrible cars. It's that they're old cars, and like all old cars, they need more care than new ones.

colorfulyawn > slmdrdstr 09/16/2014 at 23:34

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I wouldn't say I got screwed, exactly. I bought the car in August 2008, right when gas first spiked over the $4/gallon mark, and anything Japanese with a 4-cylinder was commanding higher than usual prices. You should've seen some of the dogs I looked at before I found this one.

707Miata > colorfulyawn 09/16/2014 at 23:44

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Pretty much everything I learned about working on cars, I learned on my Miata. From suspension to chassis to engine work. Especially with these types of cars, learning how to work on them is key. You'll run yourself into the ground going to a shop having little stupid things repaired for an exorbitant amount of money. Plus, when you're doing the work yourself, there are little ways around expensive repairs if you understand the way things work. Take, for example...

I had the same problem you were having. Engine would suddenly lose power and sound like it was missing. I traced the problem down to a wiring harness, the one from the CAS to the injectors. One of the wires was SLIGHTLY loose in the connectors. Playing around with the connector would have the engine return to normal. So instead of buying a new connector/wiring harness, I simply cut off both connector heads and spliced the wires together. No problem since. I will, sometime this week, solder it to make it more permanent. Throwing parts at a problem will leave your wallet empty and your problems ever present

DanPadge > The Transporter 09/16/2014 at 23:49

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Seriously! Almost 200,000 miles and 25 years means that you will be replacing things on a weekly basis no matter what car it is. There will always be something wearing out and frustrating issues like what you described. You have to be at peace with the idea of wrenching on it most every weekend and always waiting on parts in the mail or the mechanic will see more of your car than you do and you'll go broke.

hike > The Transporter 09/16/2014 at 23:49

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That's what I was thinking. A lot of this stuff is just typical for an old car. I think it's really just a reminder that even Miata's age.

colorfulyawn > 707Miata 09/16/2014 at 23:51

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This is true. The thing is, not everybody is patient or skilled enough to work on cars successfully. I've been doing it for 23 years now, and I still consider myself borderline.

colorfulyawn > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig 09/16/2014 at 23:52

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Yet is the operative word here. Someday, it will go bad.

colorfulyawn > hike 09/17/2014 at 00:59

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That's exactly what it is. It's also a comment on how the older sports cars with a reputation for needing work are a bit easier to diagnose and work on, since their electronics and fueling systems are much simpler.

Squid > JGrabowMSt 09/17/2014 at 02:47

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Dude, wait until you smell some friction modifier used in some LSDs. . . You think Mercon or Dextron or any other ATF smell bad? Oh man friction modifier is so much worse. Soooo soooo much worse. It was so bad that we used to fuck with each other by putting a dab of it on a guys shirt so it stuck with him all day. You haven't smelled bad until you have wiffed some of that shit, new or used. . .

Squid > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 02:49

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I forgot they don't even check the ECU on OBDI cars. The smog machines don't understand dumb computer language. . . Hopefully the CAS fixes it for you, but it probably would do you good to replace it anyways if it hasn't been replaced before.

JGrabowMSt > Squid 09/17/2014 at 08:37

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i dont even want to know. 10 year old burned atf4+ is bad enough.

Strange Noises Alou > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 09:16

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I feel your pain. I've got electrical gremlins in my CRX. new ECU, main relay, distributor, fuel pump...

thought we had it licked, but it didn't start one morning. has started fine since, every day, but just that one completely inexplicable non-start has the CRX off the list for "car I'd drive to Montana and back". sucks because 40mpg would beat any of my other options.

Patrick George > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 09:29

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I didn't know (or somehow forgot) you have a 78704 license plate. That's great.

colorfulyawn > Patrick George 09/17/2014 at 10:29

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It's sort of my own private joke about all the California plates one sees in Austin. But yeah, I'm totally repping the 04 out here.

Coty > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:35

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Alternatively:

Don't buy an old car if you don't want to have to ever fix anything.

91LRowner > JGrabowMSt 09/17/2014 at 10:36

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This is all Blasphemy

05LGT > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:37

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Oh hey I just sold me NA that was the same color and had the same 6UL wheels! Mine was supercharged and just never ran right after I disconnected the battery once, and I suspect something shorted in the wiring harness somewhere...

Quasistellar > Mathias Rios 09/17/2014 at 10:38

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Yeah, this applies to pretty much any 18-25 year old car. Sure, you don't make car payments, but you start making unexpected repairs every other month. So you have to ask yourself what you value more: time, money, or some balance of the two.

Value your time more? Buy/lease a car with a warranty and fugghetaboudit.

Value your money? Buy an old car that's fairly simple to work on.

Value neither or have an endless supply of both? Buy an old exotic basket case!

Redbulldidlo > Louros 09/17/2014 at 10:39

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Is there a reason you're buying one seemingly every year?

colorfulyawn > Coty 09/17/2014 at 10:40

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Fair enough.

tobythesandwich > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:40

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I enjoy the sidebar picture from Better Off Dead. The article? Not so much.

Gary Yogurt > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:40

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This a 25 year-old mechanical/electrical thing that travels the earth in all sorts of weather at what were once perceived as ludicrous speeds—-and it's powered by explosions. I would hope the contents of this article are obvious to any potential purchaser of a 25 year-old car.

drdude > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:40

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HOWEVER.. if you ARE an experienced, competent wrencher with the tools and space to tackle most automotive work, and have reliable second transportation.. its a good deal on a fun little car.. Just toss in an aluminum LSx V8 when the 4banger blows and you have a budget supercar...

solracer > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:41

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My 1990 Miata has almost 300,000 miles and is still on the OEM suspension bushings and springs. Besides that I've done everything on your list at one time or another but IMHO it's almost all regular maintenance and doesn't represent the car's reliability. What you're really saying is don't buy a Miata that hasn't been maintained and I guess that's good advice but that doesn't mean there aren't thousands of NAs for sale out there that have been well-maintained. I'd stick to one-owner cars where the owner is a Miata club member as mist if the ones I know are anal to a fault. Then you'll get a good car and I bet you'd only spend an extra $500 - $1000 which as you found would be worth it.

stigshift > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:42

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A friend of mine bought his first new car, a CTS-V coupe manual a year and a half ago, and basically gave me his '90 Miata with 202k on it. I've put 6K on it since. I've changed the oil twice, and the radiator cap. Yeah, it needs cosmetics, and a top, but what a sweet car to drive!

colorfulyawn > drdude 09/17/2014 at 10:42

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Totally true.

drdude > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:42

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how long have you had it?

6,795 / 12 months = 566/mo
6,795 / 24 months = 283/mo
6,795 / 36 months = 188/mo

Fragile_this_side_up > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:42

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The only thing i see on this list that i wouldn't do myself is replace the rear wheel bearing. even then, i'd pull the assembly and take it to the shop. Why would you replace a power steering pump when you could just de-power the rack instead??

colorfulyawn > drdude 09/17/2014 at 10:43

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Six years and one month.

Gary Yogurt > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:44

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Be a little more brave than that. Acquire tools and knowledge. I don't think anyone jumps into the old car game to truly save money.

TheChafing > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:45

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So, you bought a used car, and then had to do some work on it? How did you not know this going in?

I've done almost every single thing on your list to my 2005 BMW, and I think I've paid less than half of $6750. Granted, it took hours of sweaty labor in my garage, but I wouldn't be a jalop if I didn't enjoy almost every minute of it.

Look mah no hands(^*_*)^ > Louros 09/17/2014 at 10:46

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popup headlights>

colorfulyawn > solracer 09/17/2014 at 10:46

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I really wouldn't trust any suspension bushings with that many miles, in any car. As for the springs, those were mostly a matter of, "might as well while the rest of the suspension is apart." The stockers were sagging, though.

DatASSun > Patrick George 09/17/2014 at 10:47

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Ya'll sound like some true south ATX Jalops. Do we all shop at the same H.E.B !? !?! !?! soco oltorf

Pending Approval > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:47

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That area code is like 4 square blocks, pretty good chance we were neighbors.

tsmit > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:47

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all of this seems cheap and easy compared to a modern sports car

Salmanorguk > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:47

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I think youve just been unfortunate, unfortunately.

I bought my first ever car last September and it was a....1990 Eunos with 60000 miles, all for the princely sum of £1100.

In the year Ive had it Ive only had to give it:

1 x service (as the owner had kept it dry stored for 4 years prior to 2013)

1 x hood replacement (this has just become an issue in the last month - in London we had a mini monsoon that put a small tear in the zipout rear)

Thats it - total cost for those two is less than £600!

However Ive also spent about £300 on trinkets (nice wooden steering wheel, gear stick, etc) but these were defo not needed in making it work.

yamahog > yamahog 09/17/2014 at 10:48

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To clarify, since this has been frontpaged:

This is an oppo joke, I was the girlfriend in question tired of seeing CrzRsn's silly Miata and tires in my driveway and he has since moved into his own apartment with appropriate garage space.

colorfulyawn > TheChafing 09/17/2014 at 10:48

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Where did I say I didn't expect to work on the car?

And I must not be a Jalop, because I thoroughly despise every second of working on a car.

colorfulyawn > tsmit 09/17/2014 at 10:49

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It is all relative.

sngd > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:49

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Well... I do see some reasoning behind your post, but my personal experience.

"But unless you 1, are are an experienced, competent wrencher with the tools and space to tackle most automotive work, and 2, have a very reliable second car, I do not recommend owning an early Miata. "

I am the worst wrencher in the world. I know as much about wrenching as I know on how to perform open heart surgery, and I'm not a doctor. My first car is an Alfa Romeo, which since I bought it 3 years ago, has spent almost 6 months in the auto shop.

I searched for a NA miata for almost 1 year. I bought a NA Miata. I use it as a semi-daily-driver.

So far i've spent €1001,76. But I've spent it, because I bought a Koni Sport kit, a big brake kit, some racing ignition leads and iridium spark plugs. I didn't need any of those items... I bought them just because I wanted the car to be even better.

And, all in all, for the price I paid + the extras (which I have not yet fitted), it leaves me very happy to do my daily commute... My only problem is that it has to rain for me to be able to pull some decent powerslides.. :)

Super 8 > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:51

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I am all for wrenching on it yourself, but do the research and don't just start replacing parts if you THINK it COULD be the problem. Sit in the forums, and see what has been done before. There's no need to buy parts unless you are 99% sure they need to be replaced. Remove them and test them if they are suspect. Could save a lot of $$

colorfulyawn > Salmanorguk 09/17/2014 at 10:51

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Sixty thousand miles is pretty low, though. Most NAs these days are going to be in the six-digit range.

Ry-bones, FiST pilot > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:52

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As unreliable as an MGB? That's enough hyperbole for one day.

Mark Schmidt > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:52

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I have two NA spec Miata's the entire reason that I track these cars is because they are stupid cheap to run.

Motor $300

transmission $250,

Brakes $150

Tires $850

CAS sensor $28

ECU $125

Timing belt and rollers $100

Wrenching on the cars is simple once you commit to doing it.

I will give you that they are notorious for CAS, Coils, and sometimes ECU issues. But everything is so cheap and available that it is pretty quick to find and replace parts.

I can't buy a set of brakes for my Porsche or GTI for what a motor costs for my Miata.

From what I understand S2000 parts are very hard to come by and take NSX money.

I understand your frustration but do the wrenching yourself and learn your car the NA Miata is still one of the best bang for your buck cars ever made.

Old-Busted-Hotness > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:52

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Congratulations on your new MGB!

Fuel_of_Satan > Mathias Rios 09/17/2014 at 10:52

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Basically yes, but even as a trained mechanic (Though no longer working as one) there are a couple of these jobs I wouldn't take on in my driveway with a basic toolkit.

New top. I don't have the patience for that sort of thing.

Rear wheel bearing. Though I could invest in a cheap hydraulic press or even a damn vice and get it done myself, it's just too much effort compared what a shop charges to replace it. Though that is considering the implications of doing it on my Mercedes, not a Miata.

Springs and shocks. Only because I haven't invested in a spring tensioner yet, shocks might work if they're not coilovers.

Various bushings. Maybe not the case on Miata's, but I'll be damned if I'm ever changing the rear "subframe" bushings on my Mercedes.

Clutch, maybe. I suppose with a pair of long jack stands a lot is achieved, but my driveway is gravel so I think not.

Hours of diagnostic work. That might turn into hundreds of hours if you have to learn how each bit works before figuring out what's wrong with it.

But the article says he did do some of the work himself, but I'm guessing at least these things were left to someone else.

Volvosaurus-Rex > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:53

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It probably would have been cheaper for you to rent a garage and buy the tools. Looking at the parts list, you must have paid a pretty penny in labor. I bought a 1990 E30, and I find it to be a very straightforward affair. Yes, I am frequently fixing things, and yes, it seems to sit more than it is driven, but that's why I bought it. I enjoy being out in the garage familiarizing myself with the car. Sometimes it is a pain in the ass, sure, but it is a rewarding experience that anyone with a car 20+ years old has found.

The best part about these cars is that while they may be cross shopped by college kids without much to their name, they can also be shopped by recent college grads, who have a little bit to their name and would like to enrich their car hobby with a fun car to tinker with. These kinds of cars are great for that as a second car.

If you only can have one car (and need it for your job/making a living), you should probably get something reliable.

PureHate > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:53

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Shit... you're being raped with repair costs. The best thing about a Miata (other than how well it drives) is how easy it is to work on. I have absolutely no trouble working on it and everything I do have trouble with - there's an online tutorial for. Parts are also easy to come by and you can usually get a great deal.

1k$ to fix/replace the CAS/ECU/short issue? I swapped in a 1.8l for less than that. You could even just buy the parts and do it yourself. The CAS is easily accessible on the top of the motor and the ECU is easily accessible at the passenger foot-well. Testing for a short shouldn't be that hard either since all the wiring is right on the top there. The hardest thing you may have to do is to take off the valve cover so you can take out the CAS (if you need to replace it).

I daily drive my '90 smurf now and wouldn't have it any other way. I have a 2010 VW Golf that just sits because I'd rather drive the Miata. That and also because it's potentially going to combust any minute after I start driving it but we won't get into that...

Takuro Spirit > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:53

1

CAS... crank angle sensor? I am sorry. Those be a tad expensive.

If you need a Mazda Parts hookup, let me know. I run a parts department and can help you out with costs if you wanna go OE.

J "oppo" Zeke > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:54

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With 177K mileage is just as much of an issue as use. Especially if it sat for a long stretch then started getting used regularly again.

It seems the best bets are either low-mileage garage queens assuming you have the stomach to replace all the dried up plastic and rubber bits that will rear their heads eventually, or a constantly-maintained high-miler that has been driven regularly for its life and religiously maintained. The cars that have many years but inconsistent mileage (driven heavily for a bunch of years then sat) have given me the biggest headaches.

colorfulyawn > Super 8 09/17/2014 at 10:55

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Forums weren't much help. If anything, they just added to the pile of possibilities. I'm going to work on it myself this time, out of necessity. But I don't really have the patience to work on cars, especially with this trial and error stuff.

colorfulyawn > Takuro Spirit 09/17/2014 at 10:57

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Thanks! Yeah, it's the sensor driven off the back of the intake cam, whatever the parts catalog calls it. I've seen a few names for it.

yamahog > Redbulldidlo 09/17/2014 at 10:57

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Track day, bro!

dogisbadob > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:57

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Something tells me that S2000's won't have these kinds of problems when they're as old as NA's.

Honda and Toyota make awesome cars that will last forever.

Your Miata is fixed or repaired daily

llamaguy > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:58

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Shocks, brakes, radiator, bushing, and especially clutch all look like prime upgrade opportunity, not repairs! Big brake kit? "Yes Honey, all the calipers were shot and the pads were worn, not to mention the glazed rotors. It's all about safety!"

anothermiatafanboy > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:58

1

A contrasting story: I bought a 1996 NA in WISCONSIN with 65,000 original, one owner miles. I paid $5000. I have owned it for two years, DDing it through two WI winters. I paid $150 for a remanufactured Clutch master cylinder and replaced brake pads, and other than that it has cost me only gas and oil. It has given me some of the most fun I have had in a car, and taught me invaluable lessons about driving, and I would do it all over again.

alexcat > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:58

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I think your a dumbass. Drrrrr I bought a used car and it had maintenance that because I have no clue how to do the work cost me more than I paid to own the car. lmfao

newburner5 > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:58

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Hi,

Let me run down my repair list for my 2005 Mazda3 with 157+k on the clock.

T-Stat and hoses

Water Pump - went out when car was still under warranty no cost to me

Belts - done same time water pump was done.

Both front wheel bearings

Both front struts and well as new top hats/bearings

Brakes - rotors and pads

All three engine/trans mounts

Some hose with a valve, the name escapes me, that was $130 from mazda.

Things that need to be done.

A/C - Been broken for over a year now, too cheap to pay for it to get fixed, dealer wants $1700, and too lazy to DIY...would still be out close to a grand doing it myself. I probably will do it this winter see if I can't get an out of season deal on the line cleaning and recharge. These compressors tend to give up the ghost around 120k.

Clutch should probably be done at some point in the future.

Cracked windshield

I did not include fluids and spark plugs. My previous car was 94 Protege that I had intended to turbo with a JDM GTX swap, but a truck saw it totaled and I picked up the Mazda3 for relatively cheap. I spent many a weekend at the pull-a-part for the protege, it was a fun car and good to learn how to turn a wrench. I still suck at troubleshooting but I can replace a part with the best of them.

AmericanWhalingLeague > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 10:58

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With all due respect, here are the items that are on your list that are "do - it - yourself." How do I know? I have an NA as well and I did them myself. No, I'm not bragging. This is an easy car to work on.
- Clutch including pilot bearing
- Clutch master and slave.
- Fuel filter
- PCV valve
- Timing Belt and Water pump. Some guys pull the radiator for this job. I didn't.
- New brakes ... rotors, pads, master cylinder.

I'm not sure why you even included the flasher relay. The convertible top though, I'd leave that to a professional. But the wheel bearings, you could do that.

I think you're over-reacting. It's an old car. Stuff needs to be replaced.

phee_the_emcee > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:00

2

hey man, i had an NA and the CAS replacement is a fairly simple job. you just need a mirror and some time so that you can get the orientation right. There is a prong on the cam and a ridge inside the cas that allows you to align it. rent a timing light from advance auto or autozone. its a 3-4 hour job if you take your time and there are guides all over the internet. I will recommend buying a new rubber seal for it too since the cas tends to leak. while you are in there make sure the oil didnt leak on the heater hose and cause it to rot. good luck and PM me if you need any help

wuzilla > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:00

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Any one that starts a relationship with a 20+ year old car thinking it will be a reliable daily driver is an idiot. Not to say that you're an idiot - I'm more commenting on the proliferation of similar articles and commenters on here (OMG, my $600 Lexus is a piece of crap and is costing me money!?)

You have a good point on the labor requirements. An NA Miata, like any car from the early 90's, is getting into that "Car-is-a-disposable-appliance" era where things are just not as easy to work on for the general shade-tree mechanic.

colorfulyawn > Volvosaurus-Rex 09/17/2014 at 11:01

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I hate tinkering. Despite that, I've done a fair amount of work on the car myself. But some jobs I won't mess with, and yeah, I did pay too much for some of the work. When I first moved out here, I hadn't found a trustworthy shop yet, and ended up having a local dealership do some work on it. Big mistake, that.

Krautastic > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:01

0

Reasons you *should* buy a miata:

Kurt Bradley > Patrick George 09/17/2014 at 11:02

1

As a resident of 78704, I love this.

TheChafing > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:03

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I guess you didn't say it outright, but that definitely is what I took away from your post, that you were rather unhappy that your supposedly reliable car wasn't that reliable.

Regardless, I'd urge you to get some tools and learn to do at least some of that yourself. I always find that turning wrenches gives me a much greater appreciation for whatever piece of machinery I'm working on than merely riding/driving/operating it. I've always figured every feels this way, to some degree.

Mark Schmidt > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:04

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There isn't a single special tool that I can think of that you need for a miata.

A timing light. you do need one of those.

AmericanWhalingLeague > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:04

1

I think that depends on where you live. I'm in New Jersey, and there's almost always a low-mileage garage denizen in need of adoption, somewhere near.

tsmit > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:04

1

oh i hear ya, as i'm working on restoring an NA miata right now as well but with the amount of parts and enthusiast out there things are about as cheap as you can get for any sports car. The miata we got was $500, wrecked and sat for 5 years. So far the parts total is under $500, though will probably hit about 2k-3k when were done still cheaper than any newish sports car you can buy.

Dest > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:04

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Why you shouldn't buy an NA Miata:

Bryce Womeldurf > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:04

1

After reading this, I feel lucky that my only major headache was a blown head gasket. I've spent a similar sum on my '95, but that included the car. I avoided the earlier NAs because for one, I wanted the small additional power of the 1.8 and I also was afraid of running into the short nose crank issues. Similar to yours, it was the best one I could find at the time, and I even went to another city to get it. Stock, 128k miles when I bought it, but the coolant hadn't have been flushed in forever and I think a slowing water pump may have been what pushed it over the edge on the way home. It's in great running shape now, I just have to work on the AC. My list of things done goes:

New head gasket (with the head resurfaced)

New water pump

New timing belt

New radiator

New coolant hoses slowly being changed by me

New oil cooler

New thermostat

Braided brake lines changed by me

Rebuilt the shifter and changed the trans and diff fluids myself

To get the AC system to a level where the compressor can be tested, I'm going to have to change the evaporator, drier, and expansion valve, but I'm going to attempt to change those on my own, which will save a ton of money. I just got new tires for it yesterday that will be going on this week along with getting it aligned. It probably could use a new top, but I've patched it well enough that it should be good for another year or so. The driver's side door seal does need a change, but the car barely sees any wet weather so it's less of a concern right now. Pads and rotors are ugly but functioning fine. I'd like to get new pieces so I could get rid of the surface rust on the rotors and maybe some more aggressive pads, but neither are really a need at this point.

colorfulyawn > AmericanWhalingLeague 09/17/2014 at 11:05

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That relay was $80.

That reminds me, I did replace the clutch master and slave cylinders, too. Myself.

I won't do anything that requires me to be under a car on jack stands. No clutch jobs for me. And I have the SNC, so I don't want to mess with the T-belt.

gla2yyz > colorfulyawn 09/17/2014 at 11:06

1

When I bought my '94 M Edition it was a poster child for deferred maintenance and I knew getting into it I'd pay a few pennies in repairs. I also had the CAS go but not without it leaving me stranded 100 km from home. It took the mechanics ages to diagnose the problem as no check engine light was on. It turned out one of the six...SIX...previous owners had removed the bulb for the check engine light!! After replacing it, having it immediately light up, and pulling the code it was a simple matter of diagnosis.
In the two years I owned it I replaced the following:

CAS

clutch slave

clutch pedal (the spring seized and the pedal literally snapped in two!)

brake pads and rotors

PCV valve

new ignition switch (after a failed rebuild attempt - brittle plastic tabs!)

Removal and thorough cleaning of the power window switches

And I got shot of it as the wheel bearings were whining, an intermittent check engine was coming on and off (I think a bad cat) and the car was rusting away. Fortunately I only lost $800 from my initial purchase price so not as bad as all that. My '05 Mazdaspeed Miata is in far better condition and the experience I had wrenching on the old one should allow me to do most of the repairs myself. SHOULD.