Thanks For All Your Guys' Help With That Miata I Posted About Last Week

"SVTyler" (svtyler) 09/12/2018 at 17:55 • Filed to: None

1

13

Went and saw it: t op and seats were ripped, it had been in a “low-speed” crash and had a front quarter replaced, brakes pulled to one side, and there was a weird metallic buzzing from the front of the car at specific RPMs : (

The main thing that sketched me out was the dude selling it. Super nice guy and really honest once we talked in person, but the vibe I got was that he had no real interest in the Miata apart from it being a source of funding for his project Jeep Wrangler. You could tell it was just a possession to him, not something he had personally lovingly and meticulously maintained over the years which, if I’m buying an ‘enthusiast’ car with no service records, is what I was looking for. He had apparently inherited it from his dad who did all the work on the car himself but had no receipts or records or anything so I didn’t even bother to ask when stuff like the timing belt and brakes had last been replaced because the dude clearly had no idea about... well, anything. For all I know the car is perfectly fine and would go years with no problems whatsoever, but I’d still want to preemptively replace all the problem areas just to be safe, which is honestly more work than I’m willing to put into a car this time around.

Weirdly I was also a bit let down by the driving experience. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a Miata so it was great, but I guess the Internet has hyped up Miatas so much that maybe I went in with too high of expectations. Honestly it felt negligibly better than my Focus (around town at least, there were no curvy roads within a half hour’s drive so take that as you will). Few hundred pounds lighter with a shorter shifter and RWD sure, but not so far off that I walked away feeling like I had missed out on something when I was car-shopping 7 years ago. I was honestly worried that it’d be so good I’d do the same thing as when I bought my Focus and I would either impulsively buy it because I *had* to have it, or not buy it but always have the “one that got away” regret in the back of my head that I passed on such an incredible car. That being said I now know for sure I want a Miata and could live with one no problem (highway wind noise and cramped interior and all), it’d just have to be a better one for me.

Again t hanks to everyone who responded to my previous post; I certainly didn’t expect 70 comments and 3.5k views but the information and stories you guys shared were invaluable in helping me decide to see the car, and then also know when to walk away. I sincerely appreciate the responses : )

MarquetteLa > SVTyler 09/12/2018 at 18:03

5

There are plenty of Miatas out there. Wait and you’ll find a good one. It just so happened that the first one I looked at was perfect. As she sits today:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

AestheticsInMotion > SVTyler 09/12/2018 at 18:10

1

Try out a clean NA? They're both fantastic, just different 

SVTyler > MarquetteLa 09/12/2018 at 18:10

1

B eautiful car man, BRG and gold wheels are such a great color combo (I’m hoping to find a green one so I can eventually do the same).

But yeah I’m in no rush luckily, this would just be a backup/weekend/track car so it’s not like I needed something today. I’ve already found a few other NB’’s within a few hours’ drive so maybe those will turn out better.

Chariotoflove > SVTyler 09/12/2018 at 18:14

0

What made my Miata test drive giggle-inducing was driving it with the top down on a summer day. I think context really makes the difference between good and great. The top up highway portion of my test was not nearly as special.

Good luck finding your match.

SVTyler > AestheticsInMotion 09/12/2018 at 18:17

1

I’ve been keeping an eye out for those as well, unfortunately it seems like there’s a lot more bro’d out or beat up NA’s for sale than NB’s near me so the selection isn’t as good . Plus this is a car that I’d potentially drive 15k highway miles a year so I’m still wary that a 20+ year old sportscar would be the best choice. I’d probably do it if it was the right car, just haven’t found it yet.

daender > SVTyler 09/12/2018 at 18:22

2

You made a good call to walk from it just because of the mechanical issues it has. That’s a red flag and, you’re right, who knows what hasn’t been replaced that needs to be replaced soon! As for the metallic buzzing, that’s likely a loo se heat shield on the exhaust header.

Check Miata.net’s selling portion of their forum ! You can typically find well cared-for Miatas for sale and hopefully one is within a reasonable drive from your location!

SVTyler > Chariotoflove 09/12/2018 at 18:23

2

I’m 99% sure that’s what I was missing, I just took it up to 80 on a state road to test wind noise at speed, never got a chance to drive it in anger. Still, it still felt “special” (for lack of a better word) driving around in traffic so it must be fantastic on real roads; I’ve burst out laughing at things my Focus can do in the corn ers so if the Miata makes people feel the same way that's the kind of car I want.

An d thanks man : )

SVTyler > daender 09/12/2018 at 18:31

0

Yeah it was really disappointing to see it had those issues because the guy had hyped how clean and well-taken care  of the car was in the ad and over text. Was probably something minor that if the dude had mentioned i could overlook or fix later, but that just put a bad taste in my mouth for the entirety of the test drive.

I’ll definitely check out miata.net, I spent a little time on it doing research but never checked the classifieds section, thanks for the suggestion.

AestheticsInMotion > SVTyler 09/12/2018 at 19:03

1

Miataturbo.net has a good classified section too. More likely to be modded, but also likely to have been taken care of by someone who knows Miatas like the back of their hand. 

someassemblyrequired > SVTyler 09/12/2018 at 21:04

1

Good thing about Miatas is there is always another Miata. If you want a super clean car for cheap, get an early/mid NC. Lots of garage queens for around the $5K mark with super low miles. And to be honest, they’re a better car than the NBs.

SVTyler > someassemblyrequired 09/12/2018 at 23:00

1

You know I’ve been looking for NC’s as well and weirdly the only ones for sale near me are high-mileage later-gen ones, nothing from 2008 or earlier yet . I have CL/Autotrader/Cars.com alerts for anything with ‘Miata’ in it so maybe an NC will pop up eventually .

And you aren’t kidding about “there’s always another one”, I got four notifications for new postings just today. There’s one out there for me, just gotta find it.

someassemblyrequired > SVTyler 09/12/2018 at 23:36

1

Prices/availability tend to be pretty regional with Miatas, sometimes searching in warmer climes or moneyed areas will yield some great deals. 

SVTyler > someassemblyrequired 09/13/2018 at 09:49

1

Could definitely be my problem being in central Indiana, this isn't  exactly roadster country. I’ve found a few Miatas in Chicago and Kentucky that seem promising so I might just need to widen my search a bit.