NA Miatas Aren't Unreliable: People Are

"mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/" (mxxxxxm24)
09/17/2014 at 19:26 • Filed to: Arisu, Miata

I felt it necessary to write this article, because somehow people confuse cars that aren’t maintained properly over their life, with cars that aren’t reliable.

When you look at a car like the NA Miata, in the range of 18-25 years old: that’s a long time. A long time for parts to wear out and a long time for people to neglect their Miata. So when I see a post like the front paged: Why You Shouldn’t Buy An NA Miata, I cringe. Either it was titled this way as “click bait” or the article’s author somehow expected a car that was seemingly neglected for 25 years to somehow not have a fair amount of wear.

The NA Miata is most definitely a reliable car, with one (well two) of the most reliable engines around to this day. It is not however perfect and it is not completely impervious to the sands of time. Nor is the Miata impervious to human error.

Now that the Miata is creeping into that classic car category; its survival is becoming increasingly dependent upon its owners care (or lack there of). I know I’m preaching to the quire as it were, but I felt this had to be said.

For example: take my 1996 Miata. I was so thrilled to find a low mileage Miata in one of my favorite colors/packages, that I may have overlooked some of the red flags. I overlooked the fact that the owner didn’t have any maintenance records on it. I also overlooked the rocker rust, which ended up costing me 0ver $1,300. The soft top’s needing to be replaced didn’t concern me so much, because it also came with the original hard top.

These were just what I was aware of and since I didn’t have maintenance records; I expected there would be more issues that would creep up. Here’s a list of what I’ve had to do to maintain my ‘96 M:

-rocker rust

-valve cover gasket

-shifter rebuild/transmission fluid

-air filter (I discovered the previous owner had been running with out one)

-oil/filter changes

-replace/tighten missing bolts (some very crucial; like the ignition coil)

-clean mass airflow sensor

Things I should replace/will soon:

-exhaust and cat (a little rusty/slight rattle on occasion)

-shocks (worn but functional)

-soft top (but I have the hard top and don’t need it really)

-maybe replace some of the other fluids? Diff fluid prob.

-anything else would be cosmetic/performance upgades

As you can see, even a miata that may have found its way into the hands of a few unreliable owners can pull through with basic maintenance for the most part. I daily my 18 year old Miata and I push it too, as I am fairly confident she can take it. And take it, she does!

The lesson here and from the fore mentioned front paged article is:

A. Any classic/older car will have some wear and tear.

B. Don’t trust previous owners. Get as much information as you can before making a purchase. If you don’t, that’s on you and you alone. Venting on Oppo about it won’t make it better, but apparently it will get you front paged.

DISCUSSION (37)

Kanaric > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:28

The guy's reliability issues from the earlier thread is just general 20 year old car stuff. Any car that old is going to have issues. It's got nothing to do with Miatas or whatever.

Nerd-Vol > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:30

Yessir!

Who would have thought that a 25 year old car would have the issues of a 25 year old car?

Proud 1995 NA owner.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:31

Its something that needs to be mentioned though. If people on Jalopnik are recommending a NA Miata over brand new cars or much newer cars, which some people do, its something that needs to be added to the conversation.

Dsscats > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:32

EXAXTLY. Almost all of those problems would have been solved had he have been more attentive or, better, get a PPI! It will save you thousands!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Dsscats
09/17/2014 at 19:35

PPI?

NaturallyAspirated > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:38

I have to raise an eyebrow at the guy claiming he spend $7k on that stuff. I did all that to my '90 Miata and didn't spend anywhere near that much.

Of course, I have the knowledge and skills necessary to do all the work myself, and I did a lot of research to find the best value whenever I had to buy parts.

But the fact that he was quoted $1000 just to "troubleshoot" the CAS tells me he, uh, isn't doing a lot of shopping around?

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
09/17/2014 at 19:41

I agree. I'm not saying don't share individual stories, just that he approached it in a manner I found unsettling.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
09/17/2014 at 19:43

This. He wasn't saying it's unreliable per se, just that with age there may or may not be repair demons lurking in the shadows, and the *chances* of major outlay in terms of repair count increase with age. Even a perfectly maintained car *might* have rubber age issues or wiring harness decay, or dozens of other gremlins of elderliness. I took it as "don't cross-shop old cars with expectation of cheapness if you can't take risks, because there are risks involved"

Dsscats > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:43

Pre purchase inspection. They run anywhere from $50-$250ish for this type if car. They poke around everywhere and inspect various mechanical bits to make sure everything is in order.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > NaturallyAspirated
09/17/2014 at 19:43

Exactly I was quoted over $1000 to put shocks on my car at a performance shop. I politely thank the man for his time, when I should have laughed at him and hung up.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Dsscats
09/17/2014 at 19:45

Oh ok got ya. That would be money well spent in almost every case.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:46

Well, have you seen how the Miata is portrayed around here? You'd think it would beat an NHRA drag racer in a straight line, an F1 car in the corners, and is more durable than a WRC rally car. If he just said, "hey, miatas arent all that great. mines had these issues" he would have been mostly ignored and gotten a few "lol answers always miata!"

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
09/17/2014 at 19:51

That may be, but a more honest title like: The Miata Is Too A Classic Car. I Have the Bills to Prove It would have been a better choice.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 19:58

He had two options, be negative or promote the circle jerk. Clearly he had no interest in promoting the circle jerk and wasnt entirely please with his car. By saying "The Miata is too a Classic Car" suggests that many have suggested it is not, which is not a common saying here, which makes it unnecessary. Its a good thing to have dissenting opinions to promote discussion. Maybe some people around here never considered the extra things you need to worry about when purchasing a NA Miata, or any older car, you cant be so stuck in your opinion that you dismiss those that disagree with you.

RallyWrench > Dsscats
09/17/2014 at 20:39

x eleventy billion. People would be so much better off & happier with their purchases. Often people have us do an evaluation on a car they've already bought, and we joke that's called a "WTF did I just do Inspection" because it often does not end with a happy owner. Always so much better & less painful to get it looked at beforehand by someone who knows the cars.

RallyWrench > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 20:44

I hope this gets front paged, too. Well said.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
09/17/2014 at 20:46

You're Absolutely right. It should be known that as a "classic" the NA Miata and particularly the early NA Miata may have repairs the need doing. All I' am saying if you read my article, is that owners neglecting them are what cause the bigger problems to creep up with age. Don't blame it on the Miata; it is a reliable car.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > RallyWrench
09/17/2014 at 20:50

Thank you. I appreciate it.

His Stigness > Dsscats
09/17/2014 at 23:34

I really don't think that's true. Even if the car wasn't neglected (which I don't think it was, or at least the author didn't portrey it that way), the problems he had/had would still occur. Things wear out, it doesn't matter how reliable the car is. I think the point of the article was to try and stop the perpetuation that old Miata's are perfect and NEVER have issues. The same problem exists with Honda's and Toyota's, people think they will never have problems, but it's just true.

His Stigness > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/17/2014 at 23:37

The car was not neglected by a million people for 25 years, or however old the car was. The author made it clear he bought it knowing what the problem was, and it was only the rear wheel bearing and the top, everything else went wrong under his ownership, which is entirely typical of ANY old car, it doesn't matter where it comes from. The Miata is not bulletproof. Honda's are not bulletproof. Toyota's are not bulletproof. Shit wears out.

Dsscats > His Stigness
09/17/2014 at 23:48

Oh no, I'm not talking about neglect. I'm just saying that an inspection would have found many of the problems before hand.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > His Stigness
09/18/2014 at 00:21

That it does.

mcseanerson > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 00:24

I hit 7k with my '95 in a tunnel today. Going on 240k miles. Paid $2,000 for it.

Kinja'd!!!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > mcseanerson
09/18/2014 at 00:35

Only $2000?! Damn, looks good too.

mcseanerson > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 00:52

Well I did fly to Virginia to drive it because it's nicer than any one I could find in my area.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > mcseanerson
09/18/2014 at 01:07

That's where I went wrong; I limited myself to 100 miles of Cincy. Good call. I will do the same in the future.

His Stigness > Dsscats
09/18/2014 at 01:13

From his narration, and from the problems he had, a PPI wouldn't have found them. Or most of them; the dampers and springs probably would have been revealed. But it also sounds like he did a PPI. I dunno though.

mcseanerson > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 01:23

Even if I intend to purchase local I search nationally so when it comes time to negotiate I have a good idea what a fair price is and can even show examples. Mine had the suspension bushings, clutch, timing belt, and water pump replaced shortly before I bought it and had Direzzas that were about half life left. There is rocker rust but you're going to see that on almost any Miata in Ohio and since I street park and daily drive it even in winter I wasn't worried about something pristine. The frame looked good and that's what mattered to me. The only major repair I've had to do so far is replace the radiator. That cost me $25.

I'm going to buy a set of coilovers but that would have been for pretty much any Miata I bought and I'm going to replace my tires in the near future but the way I see it I'll probably buy new tires every year. Summer one year, winter the next, back and forth or as long as they last. My biggest concern is my engine may be bad but I can either rebuild it or swap in a more lightly used one for around $1k. I also want a roll bar and a new quality soft top, those combined will be around $1k. All combined that's around $6,000, including the price of the car. For a '95 car with a fresh motor, new top, new summer and winter tires, a roll bar, and a good high end suspension I don't think $6k is bad at all. What are you going to buy for $6k that you're not going to do maintenance to?

Yeah any Miata under 3k around Ohio when I was looking in February was pretty much junk.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > mcseanerson
09/18/2014 at 01:30

Yeah I've prob spent about 6k total on mine already and I know I overpaid, but it's still a hell of a bargain when you look at the car you get for the money. It truly is an astounding little car.

mcseanerson > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 01:46

hardtop alone is $1k so if you bought a good runner with decent miles for $5k or have invested in it to make it worth that much you've done good. If I spent more up front I wouldn't be looking at redoing the motor now.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > mcseanerson
09/18/2014 at 10:15

Right. Understood and that hard top was key for me. Just that I've seen some of the deals others have gotten on their Miatas and it seems I probably paid over "market value". Having said that; I'm happy with my purchase and there's no sense looking back now, right?!

mcseanerson > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 10:25

Seeing some deals people get I think I overpaid.

someassemblyrequired > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 11:57

Thanks for saving me from writing an angry article about why you should own an NA because they are so damn reliable. They are great little cars, but they are becoming antiques. Rubber and plastic items begin to fail with time. Though the guy in the original article had a 1990 - with the weird CAS issues I wonder if he has an unaddressed short nose crank that the 90's were famous for. He needs to take it to a proper Miata shop or join a Miata club and stop getting jerked around by people who don't know the car.

Danny Gross > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 11:59

I completely agree with you and I'm ok with that article because maybe it'll push people away from miatas who are just bandwagoning. :)

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Danny Gross
09/18/2014 at 12:34

Maybe it will. I just disagreed with the integrity of how he went about posting his experiences. But you are right; maybe less people will buy/ruin Miatas now!

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
09/18/2014 at 16:45

Since I bought my '91 three years ago, I've done everything on your list except rust-related stuff (Yay CA/AZ car!) and the valve cover gasket. It's a maintenance dream.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
09/18/2014 at 16:50

Midwest is awful!!!