![]() 07/16/2017 at 20:49 • Filed to: $950MiataProject | ![]() | ![]() |
I just took the Miata out for the first shakedown. This was an hour long drive (4x longer than any previous drive since I’ve owned it). It’s really, really good. The clutch is still borked so I never went more than half throttle but the damn thing is just so unbelievably stable.
Things I’ve learned today:
The Good:
That whole “it’s a momentum car” thing is absolutely true and it’s glorious
The 1.6 actually sounds pretty good
30mph feels like 100mph in any other car
60mph feels like:
The car is incredibly planted around corners
80mph is a ton of wind buffetting but is much more stable than my Ralliart (even despite not having an alignment on the Miata yet)
This whole top-down thing is the world’s greatest way to see California and the Exocet will be even better
The Bad
The engineers put the radio in so that you could listen to it at stoplights, nothing more
The brakes are a little mushy so the new master cylinder should cure that (coming tomorrow)
I suck at hill starts (this is my first manual)
I realized that my face is at the same level as most motorcyclists hips
I’ll be keeping sunblock the car - I got a sunburn in a 1 hour drive
In general, this is how I feel about driving it:
![]() 07/16/2017 at 21:25 |
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If the new master cylinder doesn’t help with the brake pedal feel, then maybe fab up your own brace?
Also, you might want to source a quick and cheap NA Miata wiper arm with the little winglet on the driver’s side. Supposedly it helps push wind over the driver’s head at highway speeds.
![]() 07/16/2017 at 21:39 |
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Oh wow, I had no idea that flex would affect brake feel. Thanks! If the replacement doesn’t fix it, I’ll look into that. Looks like Flyin’ Miata sells a pre-fabbed bracket.
I actually have a winglet!
![]() 07/16/2017 at 21:54 |
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I got a little taste of what you say in my first and only Miata test drive.All the hype is true. Good luck and enjoy!