"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
11/11/2015 at 19:55 • Filed to: None
3
0|
"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
11/11/2015 at 19:55 • Filed to: None | 3
| 0 |
This week marks one full year of Miata ownership! So in order to celebrate this milestone, I will put together my favorite pictures to tell the story thus far!
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It began in the snow. I went Miata shopping in November so that I could get a slightly better price on a clean car. The guy I bought it from was planning to store it for the winter and then just bring it down to Florida and keep it there full time as an extra car. He already had another Miata and multiple other cars here in NJ, so off went this one!
After bringing it home on a two hour journey of learning manual transmission on the way, I put snow tires on it almost right away so that I wouldn’t die over the winter. This was going to be my only car so being able to handle at least some snow would be necessary. It had all seasons on it but I really wanted to be safe. I am very happy with that decision!
Next I decided to add some practicality. The trunk space is certainly what one could describe as spartan so some additional storage space was in order. I went to Raceland and had a luggage rack shipped for a total cost of about $170. I think it looks nice so I tend to leave it on always. I can fit a full sized suitcase or my skiis. I have also used it to carry a tire when needing to swap out my snows.
I’ve also even gotten my bike rack on there for some mountain biking. I kinda want to get a tow hitch do that I can use both the bike and luggage racks concurrently. But I haven’t been biking much since I’ve gotten more into hiking and driving.
Once spring hit, my girlfriend and I have gone on a few adventures with my Miata. First we drove to Florida via Skyline drive and back via the Blue Ridge parkway. Then I went up to Watkins Glen for a weekend. Followed by a great trip up to Ontario, Canada. And additionally many camping trips in Northern Nj/PA and a couple wild rides at Bear Mountain.
Starting in July, I did 5 autocross weekends. This included one two-day autocross to start off and another two day event with one of the days being a test and tune. That test and tune alone had about 35 runs that day! So in total I have done approximately 70 runs throughout my first year on a totally stock Miata with all season tires. The experience was great and now I definitely need new summer tires for the coming Spring!
I even got to drive an NA Miata in some fun runs. The cars are definitely different levels of power but they feel almost exactly the same on the course. That car had summer tires though and it was night and day the way the handling changed because of it. I’m probably not going to get the best tires out there (too expensive, don’t last that long on the street) but I will definitely be getting decent summers ASAP.
I have found one of the coolest Miata ownership characteristics is the community. I have met Miata owners from all walks of life, with different interests, and different Miatas to suit them. It has been fun going to meets, participating in fun drives, and just talking cars with similarly minded people.
Now that the leaves are falling and winter is soon to settle in, many Miatas will be heading for a long slumber until the March-April time frame. But mine will be getting the snow tires back on soon and I will be hustling up to Vermont monthly for skiing at Sugarbush. Sure I will end up driving less the next few months but I will still be having some top down fun, just with slightly more clothes on.
