Miata Musings

"CAR_IS_MI" (car-is-mi)
10/15/2015 at 23:39 • Filed to: Miata

So I have officially owned a Miata for 3 days. Enclosed, you will find my thoughts and musings thus far.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata. A cult classic by many accounts. A “chick car” to those among us whom believe the ideal mode of transportation to and from the tanning salon is an F450 with 18” of lift and tires borrowed from their cousin in Nebraskas’ tractor. A car that is often unappreciated and yet overly appreciated at the same time.

So where do I start when writing an article about a Miata on a site that believes Japanese Jesus rode down from heaven on a flying Brontosaurs and sculpted the Miata from the sands of the earth?

Probably at the beginning.

Mr.TheEngineer was born on a... wait, wait, wait; I’ll skip a head a bit.

I first discovered the Miata in the mid 90’s when I first discovered my obsession with cars. I became enamored with small convertibles at a young age; Miata, Z3, SLK, etc. Then I grew up and decided, like most kids, that big power was what it was all about.

This particular Miata is my first forte into Miata’s, having never driven one or ridden in one, other than to move one on the lot of the car dealer I work at, until now. And having heard many misnomers in both directions pertaining to many of the cars I had purchased in the past, I went into this expecting literally nothing.

With my vehicular history, the Miata had(has) some big shoes to live up to.

When I was presented with the opportunity to buy this car, I was a bit hesitant. To start, white is not my first choice. And a small convertible not known for being powerful, well, lets just say I wasn’t rushing to the block with my cash in my hand.

But a quick once over showed this car to be a supreme example with only 46,000 original miles, a new, OEM replacement top with glass window, and an interior as clean as my Ferrari’s. At the money I paid for this, I literally could not say no. A sporty car that I can cruise around in and use as a dd that gets great gas mileage (compared to everything else I own) and is this clean. Fine.

So enough of the backstory. Buying vehicles from auction can often have its downsides. Such as the Jeep I recently purchased, which I later found was missing an upper rear shock mount and was likely driven like that for some time (evidence by the fact that the PO attempted to zip tie the shock in place...).

The good news is, I have 72 hours from purchase to dispute any major concerns that were not disclosed, for either a discount, or a full refund. What this means to me is that for 72 hours, I drive the absolute piss out of my purchases.

My first finding with the Miata was ‘wow, at 6 feet tall I still have to adjust the seat forward’ followed up by ‘really, no adjustable steering column’.

But neither of those things are major.

Next I discovered that the Miata has a two position throttle; idle and go. Yes, thats right, big surprise, 10% throttle and 100% throttle amount to the same rate of acceleration.

I am sure that exactly zero people have an open mouthed, gaping jaw look at this revelation.

Braking:

Not surprisingly excellent. The car weighs virtually nothing, so even the small, non-sport package brakes, can stop this car at the twinge of your big toe.

Add some sport rotors and proper pads and this thing would be... not-un-stoppable.

Handling:

So the big reveal. Everyone talks about how great an AutoX car these are even in factory form. Looking at the massive gap in the rear which challenges my Jeeps 4 inches of lift, I expected the suspension to ride a bit soft for a sports car. And I was right. I intentionally took the only rough road in the area to test the bangs and bumps. It rode softer than my S4 in comfort mode.

With a suspension that soft, how can this car be an AutoX legend?

Lets throw it into some turns and find out. My first thought; damn this things got a lot of body roll. But the surprising thing was, the car was pointed and predictable. There was no feeling of oversteer. No feeling of understeer. I told it where to go and it went. No loss of traction. No fishtailing. Just beautiful, predictable cornering.

So I took it out to one of my favorite, abandoned, non-public roads where I often take the liberty of testing the handling capabilities of my cars (before someone cries wolf, I know the owner of aforementioned property and yes, I have his permission to play on his roadway). Now part of this road has a sweeping 180 degree right hander that then turns into a chicane of a sorts. The only car that has ever impressed me on this set of turns is my 360 Modena.

The Miata, just as predictable, just as smooth, and, nearly as fast (through the turns) as the 360. Granted, the 360 has much more power so it was slightly faster, but it was damn close.

Color me impressed.

Overall, I am a fan of the Miata. It needs more power, not much more, somewhere in the way of 215 - 225 would be perfect, the handling can be improved upon for the track, but at the loss of the comfort on the street.

But if you are looking for a fun street car that wont break the bank, or, if you’re looking for a track toy on a budget, Miata Is (in fact) Always The Answer.

DISCUSSION (15)

Chariotoflove > CAR_IS_MI
10/15/2015 at 23:46

This made me yearn even more for the day when I will be able to sit behind the wheel of my own Miata! Good write up.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 00:21

upgrade suspension first and you will thank me. I went with FlyinMiata’s most basic coilover set with new sway bars and the handling is amazing. gives up some ride quality but I don’t care about that when I fling it into corners

CAR_IS_MI > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
10/16/2015 at 00:37

I was looking at their extreme kit with the adjustable dampeners. I like how they do the dual spring setup, the only other company that does something similar (at least form my research so far) is H&R with their progressive rate springs, but their dampeners are not adjustable. I really like the Ohlins setup, but since this will remain mostly street use, I’ll more than likely end up with the FMs. I will also be installing their turbo kit...

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 02:48

Yea FM uses their own dampening valving i believe. Also they have great customer service. Contact them with any questions and they answer them very well

MPA > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 11:58

I’ve had 4 Miatas, and concur that they need more power - I sold all 4 because day to day, they’re just kinda boring and slow. but I do love them.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 12:03

OK I’m not a Miata guy, but I’m really glad you’re enjoying it.

That being said why does the jump always have to be Miata or lifted F450?! Why is there no middle ground?

CAR_IS_MI > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
10/16/2015 at 12:07

Because the middle ground is full of Montegos...

Tapas > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 12:13

So...2JZ swap?

Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 12:53

Easy.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/speed-on-a-bud…

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 13:02

Hahaha, good answer.

daender > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 14:09

I agree with your thoughts 100%. That said, the no fishtailing aspect might stem from your NB2 not having a LSD (I’m just guessing since it looks like a 100% base-model). Now if you’re wanting 225 at the crank, then you’re looking at once fun as heck Miata with a better power-to-weight ratio than a S2000. If you have the budget, then I recommend consider scoring a “ square-top ” intake manifold from a non-USDM car and deleting those VTCS emission butterfly flaps to help it breath better. As for the 6’0” issue, I recommend a “foamectomy” but leave some of the cushioning intact so you’re not directly sitting on the skeleton of the seat.

Garrett Davis > CAR_IS_MI
10/16/2015 at 17:23

Great read! I’ve gone back and forth about a thousand times on whether I should buy one or not. Mostly the decision comes down to whether I can come across a clean one with a decent hard top on it. I really don’t care for convertibles and the annoyances/cost that come with aging soft tops, and buying a hard top is too expensive.

Also, that would mean a second 2 seater sports car for me, and that’s just not practical.

But Miata...

CAR_IS_MI > daender
10/17/2015 at 02:00

Yea it is an open diff, and I dont mind the seat position overly much

CAR_IS_MI > Garrett Davis
10/17/2015 at 02:03

Lol. I have three 2 seater sports cars and a 2 seater Jeep. I fail to see the issue. On the other hand finding a clean Miata with a hardtop is a bit tougher.

Garrett Davis > CAR_IS_MI
10/17/2015 at 09:58

Oh yes, they are tough to find, and usually they have been very well taken care of and their owners are asking a premium.

I guess I should mention that right now I ONLY have the two seated sports car. It’s my daily driver right now and if I get something else, its going to be my new commuter, because I hate how many miles I’m putting on my Z.

I’ve been considering anything from a Crown Vic to an XJ Cherokee to a Miata to a first gen Insight. I should probably get something with some storage space and at least four seats.