A Guide For Buying Your First Miata

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 04/12/2019 at 23:55 • Filed to: Miata, NA Miata, NB Miata, NC Miata, ND Miata, Best Miata

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So after countless years of being bashed over the head with how amazing the Mazda Miata is, you’ve finally decided to take the plunge and see what the fuss is all about. You’ve got cash in hand, and ohhhhh baby you’re looking to spend it!

The only sticking point… in your justified excitement to buy into the answer (reference: the word “Miata” is unofficially an acronym for Miata Is Always The Answer) you forgot to do your research! With thirty years of uninterrupted production across four generations and countless options available, choosing the correct Miata for your specific needs can be quite daunting. For those of you who can’t tell the difference between an ND RF and a 10AE NB1, don’t worry. You’re among friends, and with God as my witness you’ll be so stuffed full of Miata minutiae that by the end of this post you may not even fit in one!

If it’s already snuggled it’s way into your heart, chances are the main draws to the little roadster aren’t new to you. Lightweight, flickable, incredible transmissions, cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, cheap to upgrade, unkillable machines that make up for surprisingly poor miles-per-gallon with a class-leading smiles-per-gallon.

At the most basic level the Miata can be separated into four distinct categories. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations, also known as NA, NB, NC, and ND respectively. There are further delineations within each generation that we’ll cover below. And a quick note from me… this guide is for the dabbler. Someone who enjoys a canyon drive, the occasional autox, cruising down the waterfront, modding, leaving it stock…. This is the everyman review. If you want a buying guide purely focused on track usage, or the best candidate for an LS swap, you’ll need to look elsewhere. This is all about maximizing enjoyment.

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NA (1990-1997)

NA6 (1990-1993)

The first three years of Miata production. The 1.6 liter engine (where the NA6 name comes from) puts out significantly less power than the 1.8 that came in later years, and in addition has a well-known mode of failure in the ‘90 and ‘91 model year. While that particular problem was solved for the ‘92 and ‘93 Miata, aftermarket support is limited for the entire NA6 range with many vendors only offering parts for the 1.8. Chassis rigidity is almost non-existent, and even inexperienced drivers should be able to feel the flex. The differential has a history of grenading itself with stock power levels, and the brakes are adequate at best. Due to a poor design, even when stock , overheating is a well-known issue in warmer climates and for track use. On the plus side, the NA6 lineup can be configured to be the lightest weight factory Miata offered, and in addition has a gorgeous smooth dashboard, unmarred by the passenger airbag bump that would be added in ‘94.

All-in-all, I wouldn’t recommend an NA6 because of the issues above, coupled with the poor value proposition they offer with the rising prices of the last few years. The one exception would be if you truly wanted the purest roadster experience, reminiscent of the British classics. In that case, look for a stock example with a manual transmission, manual locks, manual windows, no AC, no power steering.

NA8 (1994-1997)

Mazda made major revisions to their NA Miata, and with the larger 1.8 liter engine it became known as the NA8. Now with more power, larger brakes, and significant chassis bracing, Mazda’s golden egg became the best possible version of itself. ‘94 and ‘95 are OBDI for those of you who are worried about testing. ‘94 was the last year with a working oil pressure gauge, from ‘95 onward there’s a mostly useless dummy unit that operates as an on-off switch. A torsion LSD is now available, and is found on most NA8 Miatas. You definitely want the torsion. Bigger brakes were added, and with a proper pad are now a great choice for stock power level track days, unlike the NA6 brakes. The 5-speed gearbox here is the best feeling gearbox Mazda has ever made, and is commonly swapped into the NBs as well.

The NA8 is the best Miata , whereas the ‘01-02 NB2 is the best overall car that’s been produced under the Miata name. Look for a lightly optioned NA8 with a torsion LSD, or an M-edition to get the torsion, and a large number of unique add-ons.

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NB (1999-2005)

NB1 (1999-2000)

The first two years with the NB platform introduced a reworked cylinder head resulting in the best airflow out of all NA and NB applications, as well as sportier styling and the loss of pop-up headlights. The 6 speed Aisen unit was released as an option, to mixed reception. With the same 1st gear to final gear ratio as the in-house produced 5 speed, the new 6 speed transmission’s main “benefit” was much shorter shifts, instead of the highway gear that the majority of NA owners were hoping for. With a shifting feel that’s almost universally agreed to be worse than the orignal 5 speed, think wisely before deciding on a 6 speed. A ‘99 sport package was the fastest Miata offered from the manufacterer untill the MiataSpeedMiata came out. Amazingly, it could be optioned to within 100lbs of the original NA6 in their respective lightest configurations.

NB2 (2001-2005)

Just as the NA got a mid-cycle refresh, the NB did as well. Headlights were given a major upgrade with projector units, and VVT was added to the engine. From ‘03 forward the torsion LSD was dropped in favor of an inferior unit.

MazdaSpeedMiata (04-05)

Mazda’s first and only turbocharged Miata. Cosmetically a vast upgrade over the already fantastic NB, the mechanical upgrades unfortunately left much to be desired. Major cooling issues, oil in the intake, a non-operational OEM water temp gauge, soft wheels, warped manifold leading to exhaust leaks, ECU is awful, gearing is incredibly short, revlimiter is set much lower than needed…. The list goes on. At the end of the day, the MSM was an amazing idea that got about 60% of the way there. There are numerous turbo-specific issues as well, and to get the MSM to a level where it can be driven somewhat hard reliably generally requires $3k-$4k in additional parts. Do that and you’ll have a fantastic car, but with the very steep cost of entry, you can be looking at a total of more than $15,000 for a well-sorted example. That money could be used to build a reliable turbo NB Miata that will absolutely blow the MSM out of the water in every metric besides resale value.

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NC (2006-2015)

While looked down on by enthusiasts as a softer, more touring-oriented offering to grow the client-base, the NC does have a few saving graces.

ND1

ND2

(you almost feel bad for the BRZ…)

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What to buy, depending on budget

$2000 and less

If it runs, stops, isn’t a pile of rust, and has a clean title congratulations! You’ll still find the occasional NA6 in this price range that meets the above criteria.

NA8 basketcases are also somewhat well-represented in this bracket and if you’re looking for a project car, you could do much worse.

Clean NA shells without running gear are another option.

NBs in this price bracket will have major crash damage, no running gear, branded titles, or more likely a combination of the three. NC and ND Miatas will not be found in the sub-$2000 range.

$2001-$4000

Expect to find NA6’s with high mileage (over 200,000) ranging from beat-to-shit to decent daily driver with a bit of work.

Branded title high mileage NA8’s that are mechanically sound will also be found here.Basket case M-edition Miatas make their way down to this level, and if the body is clean and the frame is sound, they can be a solid investment in a rare Miata. That said, expect them to be very high mileage with numerous issues to sort through to get a good, reliable daily driver.

Mechanically sound NB1’s with major paint and/or body issues.

This is where you’ll start to see the modified NA and NB Miatas, though at this level it’s almost entirely mods you don’t want. Think flimsy quick-release steering wheels, spike lug nuts, crown royal shift boots, cheap LED headlights, red anodized aluminum intakes, etc…

The more tired and ratty performance-oriented builds can be found at the top end of the range, usually on high mileage cars, either needing minor work and/or having a branded title. This is by far the best way to save money if you’re planning on building a faster Miata, but sorting through the chaff takes specific knowledge of the Miata aftermarket. General rule of thumb, anybody claiming power gains from exhaust or intake on their NA or NB Miata will know the same if not less than you do, and as such you shouldn’t trust their build. One of the easiest ways to tell if you’re getting a decent build spec when unfamiliar with the platform and common upgrade paths is by asking how much the wheels weigh (assuming they’re aftermarket). Because of the low relative cost to performance gain, 99% of the people who built their Miata with performance in mind will be running 15x7 or 15x8’s in this price bracket, with weights ranging from 10.5 to about 13 pounds. If they have aftermarket wheels and clearly have no idea what they weigh, you’re probably best looking elsewhere. Midrange suspension upgrades like Flyin’ Miata, Koni, and Bilstein will be seen in many of these builds. Rollbars also start to appear in this price range, as do catback exhausts.

$4001-$6000

Nice, stock NA6 daily drivers, in the 100k-200k mile range. Should be mechanically sound, and good cosmetically.

Nice NA8 daily drivers. This is the sweet spot for the NA8. you should be able to find a well-maintained example with a torsion LSD. More uncommon colors will become available at this price bracket. Sub-100k mile cars will be available, but I wouldn’t let the mileage sway you too much.

Solid daily driver M-edition NA8’s are common in this range. With unique seats, paint, interior colors, wheels, bracing, and suspension among other upgrades, These will be the best bang for your buck if you want an NA with good performance, and don’t plan on modding.

NB daily drivers. Especially at the top of this range, you should find very nice examples of the NB1 and NB2, in great shape mechanically and cosmetically. Mileage will be all over the map. Look for examples with the Sport Package to take advantage of the better components offered from the manufacturer.

This is also where you start seeing the “OEM frankenbuilds”, where enthusiasts add the best parts of multiple Miatas into one. An NA6 chassis with NA8 brakes and the NB2 VVT engine, for example. Depending on your level of mechanical inclination, this can be an incredible entry into the Miata world at an affordable price. For track junkies, this is by far the most common upgrade path, and can be scored second hand for just a fraction of a fraction of the cost it would take to do yourself.

You’ll see turbo builds that should be avoided. They will need significant time and money invested at this price to be a solid daily. A low-power supercharged build that won’t grenade itself immediately can be found here, but don’t expect more than a 50hp gain over stock.

Stance, and builds geared towards car shows in general can be found here. Think along the lines of the quick-release steering wheel and Crown Royal shift boot builds in the last bracket, but add deep dish wheels, suspension “upgrades” and stickers. Lots of stickers.

Absolute basketcase MazdaSpeedMiata. It will not be running. If it is running, you should be too as *spoiler alert!* your organs are about to be harvested. If you find a good example with a blown headgasket or similar, jump into it. These generally go for 2-3 as much when in good mechanical condition.

NA and NB engine swaps stopped midway often end up in this price bracket, along with a large pile of parts. Not recommended unless you’re especially ambitious and know your way around the Miata platform and aftermarket.

NC’s with branded titles and major damage can be found here. If you want a project and need a bit more comfort than the older generations can offer, this isn’t the worst way to go.

$6001-$8000

The nicer M-edition Miatas will generally be sitting in this price bracket. Look for stock examples with service histories and very good mechanical and cosmetic bills of health.

The NB 10AE special edition can be found here, in good condition with minor cosmetic issues and average miles.

Very high-quality naturally aspirated builds on the NA and NB platform can be found here quite often. Expect anywhere from $5k-$10k worth of parts designed and built by companies that have a vested interest in producing the absolute best, since their average clients will be putting their products to the test. This is a fantastic way to score a built Miata from someone who has intimate knowledge with the platform.

Nice supercharged NA6 and NA8 builds can be found here as well. Expect modest power gain and keep in mind that product support isn’t likely going to be great, as blowers have become much less common on this platform now that turbos are better in almost every regard. Many of the companies offering superchargers 10-15 years ago are no longer around, at least in the Miata community.

Nice budget turbo builds will be found here. Think Ebay component spec and MKTurbo on the low end, Begi and Flyin’ Miata on the higher end. Expect 200-250 hp at the wheels, and all accompanying mods for a solid daily driver. Do not expect to be able to track it reliably without further work in this price bracket.

Branded title, higher mileage MazdaSpeedMiata’s that would be good daily driver candidates can be found here.

$8001-$10,000

Low mileage, very well preserved NA’s with full service records dominate this category. Sub 60,000 miles is common in this price bracket, and cosmetically most examples are very good to excellent. If money isn’t an issue, this is a good way to get a “fresh” NA to start a cleansheet build or leave stock and enjoy for years.

The NB 10AE Miata’s is this price bracket will be the best of the bunch, in cosmetically flawless conditon, with sub-100k miles and all the collectable trappings that came with the car from the factory.

Fairly well-sorted engine swaps begin to appear in this range. Expect to find Honda K-swaps, 302’s, and the rare J-series or LS swap. Transmissions at this level will generally be a stock 5 speed, 6 speed, BMW sourced manual, or ocassionaly a T5/T56. A certain level of mechanical aptitude would be recommended before considering this path.

Potential daily driver MazdaSpeedMiata’s can be found here, generally with minor modifications, average mileage and minor cosmetic and mechanical issues. Title should be clean.

$10,000-$15,000

The MazdaSpeedMiata’s that are cosmetically and mechanically sound, and have had all factory issues addressed with aftermarket parts. Either OEM+ or modified with high-quality parts, these will be the MSM’s that need nothing to reliably serve you for years to come.

On the rare occasion when they go up for sale, high-end turbo builds using the best components available for Miatas will usally be found in this price bracket. You won’t see any Garrett turbos here, instead you’ll be looking at either the Borg-warner 6258, or 6758 based on power goals. You can expect reliability to be significantly above that of Mazda’s own foray into turbocharging Miatas, and extended track use should not be a problem. Power will be in the 250-400hp range, boost lag will be almost non-existent. Look for top-end Miata-specific suspension like Xida or Fatcat coilovers, wheels ranging from 15x8 to 15x12 with appropriately sticky tires, and big brakes with floating calipers. Dyno graphs, lap times, and build threads are what you want to ask for here.

The well-sorted LSx builds by private parties are generally in this price bracket. Expect to see large part lists from either Flyin’ Miata or V8 Roadsters, or an owner with significant fabricating experience. At this price level everything should work, and the car should be fully buttoned up. Although much less common, LFX swaps, as well as more exotic japanese engines can be found here as well.

$15,000-$20,000

Racecars with a pedigree. Turbo builds like above, but kicked up a notch. Often times you’ll find development mules for the more well-known vendors in this price range. Think 400hp Borg-warner turbo build, with sequential transmission, GPS-enabled on-the-fly adjustable suspension, and custom one-of parts.

Showroof fresh NA Miatas with under 10k miles. Do not buy these. The owners should hold onto them until death as a fitting punishment for relegating one of the most enjoyable budget cars out there to an investment.

$20,000-$30,000

Secondhand sales from the well-known Miata shops. You’ll find V8 builds, high-power turbo street builds, and class-leading track builds. Look for a shop with a proven record at the track. All cars in this bracket should represent the top of their field, and be dead reliable.

Used ND Miata.

$30,000 and above

Turn-key builds offered by the likes of Supermiata, Trackspeed Engineering, V8 roadsters, Flyin’ Miata, etc. Both options and price will be near limitless.

A Brand new ND Miata!

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TL:DR

Buy a 2001-2002 NB2 with the sport package, or a 94 NA8 with a torsion LSD and the R package, assuming you can find it. If money is no object, Buy a Mint NA6 Miata in Sunburst Yellow, send it off to V8 Roadsters and request an LS sleeper build.

AestheticsInMotion > AestheticsInMotion 04/12/2019 at 23:58

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Quick teaser for the night crowd :)

I’ll finish the NC and ND sections, add more pictures and repost this next week. Might even be talked into keeping it updated....

Anyhoo, if you have pricing info on NC’s... Share it plz.

Also... I tried to find a healthy medium between “intimidating info-dump” and “buzzfeed top 10 ” list, so for the initiated.... Yes I know I skipped over a few things. But does a first-time buyer really need to know that ‘98 NB Miatas were offered in Europe, or that the 1 0AE came with a matching watch? No. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 00:38

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I was gonna say, as much as I loathe the NC, it is like criminally underrepresented here lol. At first I thought it was a joke about how the NC sucks. But then your comment made it make more sense. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 00:40

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I’m enjoying the “related stories” more than anything else..

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 04/13/2019 at 00:47

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I like some modified NC's! But yeah I probably wouldn't spend my own money on one... A stock NB already seems luxurious to me lol

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 04/13/2019 at 00:50

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1st- TAKE ME BACK. I haven’t had a Miata adventure in a minute.

2nd- your notification panel bothers me so much. Whyyyyy aren't your FB notifications stacked! 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 00:56

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Haha I just noticed that my panel is an absolute mess. I’m always cleaning it out on my phone but I generally don’t bother on my tablet. Plus Facebook is definitely the worst possible offender of this. Every single random notification gets its own tile and they are all over the place. I only even have the app because of marketplace, I would just use the mobile page otherwise. I’m also on a nexus 7 which is ancient at this point in time and runs on old software. Most importantly, I’m very lazy with that sort of thing. Also, just realized I have two Facebook apps installed, the regular one and lite. That’s the majority of the mess, I should fix that!

And yeah Miata adventures are needed. It's why I wish the yellow Miata dude from Craigslist didn't stop responding to me. I wanted to buy it for a proper impractical adventure. 

Aremmes > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 01:12

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Just dropped by to mention that I got a nervous tic from reading “torsion LSD”. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 01:27

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I think an important other topic to touch on would be rust issues and how geographic areas vastly effect Miata pricing. Maybe some of the finer parts of buying used parts from Craigslist or how worrying about hard top theft would keep me awake at night if I ever owned one. 

Nick Has an Exocet > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 01:51

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I own an NA6 and a Exocet based on an 01 with LSD. I have add that if you want a cheap fun daily, a late NA6 (2nd half of 1991 or later), there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s really using the car for what it was intended to do. M ost of these cars, if still on the road, have had most their issues sorted out. If not, they can fixed in a home garage since almost mechanically everything is interchangeable with an NA8/NB - including the entire motor. I suppose you could even port over weird stuff like ABS if you wanted.

I bought by NA6 looking to convert it over to an Exocet, but loved it too much to do that. Chassis flex is real, but again, you can port over the bracing that got added later or buy the better aftermarket stuff. I would probably leave it as-is though. It really is the most pure experience. If I replaced my NA6 with another Miata, it would be with either an ultra-clean NA6 or lightly modded NB2. With the NA6, there is something awesome about just going full throttle everywhere.

AestheticsInMotion > Nick Has an Exocet 04/13/2019 at 02:33

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Yeah, maybe I should put that in about the 1991.5 fix...

My big issue with the NA6 is that prices seem to be very similar, with the NA6 oftentimes e ven edging out a comparable NA8 . The weight difference is pretty minimal if you get a similar low option build, but you get the stiffer chassis and power boost while remaining firmly in the ”slow car fast” camp. I'd happily take either a stock NA6 or NA8 to compliment my weird Franken-Miata, but doller for doller.... I think I'd choose the 1.8. (unless the 1.6 was yellow). 

I’m probably biased since my first mod was 15x8 6ul’s, Star Specs, and a big brake kit on an otherwise stock  Miata, but the idea of adding ABS seems so strange... 

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 02:34

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yessssssss

Great writeup! I had a vague idea of the models and knew about the 1.6 and 1.8 thing, but this taught me a lot more. Really valuable post (gonna be coming back to it for sure).

I like this level of detail, but of course the guy who showed you every exterior blemish on his Volvo likes this amount of detail  so take that with a grain of salt. I think the price guide is a good idea, but it inherently doesn’t read as well as the other parts to me (esp the brackets I can’t even reasonably daydream about buying ) Starts to get a bit laundry-list-y. This is the part I would be most aggressive about trimming any fat. Adding a sample pic for each bracket here might go a long way, too.

But overall,  I am very glad you’re writing this up. Thank you!

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 04/13/2019 at 02:35

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Oh, you reminded me that I forgot to put the hardtop section in! Yeah, I can definitely do geographical pricing differences, but as for rust.... I've been in Washington my whole life. I know little of the rust demons that plague the rest of the country. I still have trouble believing some of the Miatas saw when scrolling through the Ohio CL for MM54

AestheticsInMotion > Aremmes 04/13/2019 at 02:37

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Whoops! I missed that. Thank you, now I'm bugged by it too

AestheticsInMotion > Future Heap Owner 04/13/2019 at 02:56

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You know, if you buy a Miata and I buy a truck we’ll be twinsing pretty hard .

I’ll  revise the price guide to be more concise, maybe try a different layout for it too  this is the first time I've written a post on a laptop and not mobile, everything looks so different! 

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 08:33

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In that case, look for a stock example with a manual transmission, manual locks, manual windows, no AC, no power steering.

This is the NA6 I test drove in LA and fell in love with, except silver with a lousy respray in dark blue which was coming off. It had some issues , but I still kick myself now and then for turning it down.

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 10:27

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Heh, good point. I’m not seriously planning to buy a Miata anytime soon, though. It’s only a daydream for now.

Honestly, the price guide may not much editing ; a sample pic for each bracket could break it up & punch it up enough to keep it flowing well. There is good info in there, and having it get a little rote may be unavoidable if you’re trying to give a solid description of every price point, to help out every kind of buyer.

maceprimus > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 10:36

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Great article. I will say that the prices mentioned are a bit high for where I live. In florida, I found a mechanically stock 01 with 128k miles for $ 2500. This is a fairly common occurance as well. Na's are going up in price though. A solid nb can usually be had for around 3k

WilliamsSW > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 11:07

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Damn this is good Oppo. Bookmarking this!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 11:11

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Oh god that sounds like a horror story!

What my frame looks like is pretty normal. But also the super common rocker panel rust from the clogged rain rails. This could be included in common issues like the early NA SNC failure, ‘01 clutch chatter, and the propensity for certain sensors to go. Although that may be beyond the scope since you are trying to stay general. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > maceprimus 04/13/2019 at 11:23

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I wish that pricing were true here in Socal! While yeah rust is never a thing here and cars are generally very clean, the pricing is bananas. Our pricing is much closer to the higher end of his brackets for every category. If I want a NB with good paint and a clean title, it's going to cost $4k minimum. If I want a good engine to go along with it, that's $5k minimum. NA, you will be hard pressed to find any clean ones. But if you do, they range in the $5-10k in crazy town immediately. Plenty of beat to shit NA/NB in the $2-3k range but they are absolute garbage in epic proportions. Like they won't have rust but they are more abused than my own shitbucket and make no sense as they are near unsaveable without hundreds of hours of work. 

Nick Has an Exocet > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 11:39

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Yeah I want advocating for adding abs, just an example of how Lego like the cars are.

I still see a lot of na6 cars on Craigslist for under 2k. I got mine for $900. It needed a clutch. I did flyin Miata suspension and put na8 brakes on it. It’s now gone over  10k miles (up over 209k) without incident.

Future Heap Owner > Nick Has an Exocet 04/13/2019 at 12:12

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I still see a lot of na6 cars on Craigslist for under 2k. I got mine for $900. It needed a clutch.

This is my dream, but I don’t think it’s possible any longer. When did you get yours?

Nick Has an Exocet > Future Heap Owner 04/13/2019 at 12:34

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About a year and a half ago. To get a deal like that, you have to set up a Craigslist alert. My alert is still running and I see deals like that fairly often. Mind you, the car has a bad rear window (I drive with it zippered down) and crap paint.

CompactLuxuryFan > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 12:57

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Gotta do a find and replace, cause it’s in there a *lot* 

“Torsen” actually stands for “torque sensing”. Easy way to remember. 

bhigh > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 13:36

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It’s a “ Torsen” LSD, n o t “ t orsion” .

It’s name comes from TORque SENsing, which uses gearing to send power to the wheel which can apply the most torque proactively before wheel spin , vs viscous coupling, Haldex, clutches or “E-LSD”, which are all reactive and requires wheel spin to react. 

Future Heap Owner > Nick Has an Exocet 04/13/2019 at 16:36

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Oh yeah, I’m willing to accept major cosmetic / interior issues along with a single  mechanical one.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 16:50

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You’ve made it to Google!

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 04/13/2019 at 17:30

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Neat! I wish I knew what prompted that. I wonder what will happen when I finish and repost it...

AestheticsInMotion > MM54 04/13/2019 at 17:32

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I have faith that you'll add a Miata to the stable someday. 

AestheticsInMotion > WilliamsSW 04/13/2019 at 17:33

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Thank you! It was a nice change of pace from shitposting

WilliamsSW > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 17:59

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Lol. The time has come for me to replace my E46 convertible - 19 years is enough. One of the 6 million cars on my list is a Miata, but I don’t know where to start - this is very helpful to get me thinking more about it. I’ve only driven the NA6 and ND1 at this point.

promoted by the color red > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 19:11

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You mean “Torsen” LSD right? :P Good list, wish this was around when I was still in the market for a NA/NB.

Some tidbits for the ND buyer’s guide:

* ND1s are slipping into the 15-20k bracket . My friend picked up a 30k mile enthusiast-owned ND1 Club with the BBS/Brembo kit for 19k last year. You can still pick up a brand-new ND1 for about 20-25k. I paid 24-something for mine.

* Don’t forget to mention the 2nd/3rd gear issue. It’s a real problem for some cars , even if I can’t help but wonder if it’s related to other things as some people have gone through multiple gearboxes . The soft top recall is definitely worth mentioning and a big plus for anyone buying these - I had to get mine replaced and it’s been nice & taut since.

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 19:41

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Some day indeed

seoultrain > AestheticsInMotion 04/13/2019 at 21:43

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Man, no love for the NC. I really think the NC1 turned a lot of people off for a whole generation. The NC2 with the Suspension Package (Bilsteins+LSD) i s a couple RX-8 sway bars away from being a very solid, well-sorted sports car. Most of the people modding NA s and NB s would be better served with an NC as a starting point. The PRHT option makes the Miata a true 4-season car with little weight penalty.

AestheticsInMotion > maceprimus 04/13/2019 at 22:51

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Thank you! NB's are definitely the sweet spot on the market right now. I'll add a bit about regional differences to the final draft. 

AestheticsInMotion > promoted by the color red 04/13/2019 at 22:53

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Oh wow, I hadn’t realized ND’s had dropped that much! That’s fantastic.

The soft top recall is actually new to me. Care to elaborate? 

promoted by the color red > AestheticsInMotion 04/14/2019 at 00:02

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Yup! I went through the top replacement in December . Some of the ND1s with the regular, non-premium top experienced rubbing from vibrations during driving. I’ve also heard about tops rubbing against the roll hoops and such, but never seen that myself.

I think mine fell into the first case. It spent most of its life with the top down   and it started developing some pretty nasty wear marks. I brought it to the dealer and they swapped in a new one while I enjoyed a CX-5 loaner. My friend’s car had its top replaced prior to purchase, which made it a much sweeter deal.

There is a TSB with photos : https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=612672

Chariotoflove > AestheticsInMotion 04/14/2019 at 01:01

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This is a “Best Of” worthy post, and one that needed to be done. I look forward to the finished sections.

I know everyone says the whole point of a Miata is to row your own gears, but it’s worth saying that there are l ots of smiles to be had from the auto versions.

I pulled up yesterday next to a guy in a beat up NA with the headlights frozen in the up position. It was a lovely evening to have the top down. My first thought was (sitting in my fancy lux ury car) was “lucky dog”.

I’ve been hanging out here too long .

AestheticsInMotion > Chariotoflove 04/14/2019 at 03:24

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You guys pulled me in and convinced me to buy a Miata and before I knew the first thing about cars. I know the feeling...

I drove an auto ND recently. It was a 2016, and was a hoot. It wasn't good in spite of the transmission, it was just good. 

miatabuyer > AestheticsInMotion 06/07/2019 at 14:41

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Great article, very helpful to someone looking for a Miata .

Curious if you have an opinion on the value of one I’ m looking at. ‘97 M edition, Xidas coilovers, Lotus elise seats, 105k miles. Body is in decent shape with a minor dent on the front bumper and a scratch on the rear , interior is in good shape. 

AestheticsInMotion > miatabuyer 06/07/2019 at 15:31

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Xidas and Elise seats are both considered to be the pretty much the absolute best option on the market for their respective c ate gories, and add some very real value. Even on the second-hand market, xidas normally get about 80% retail value from sales, due to how well-regarded they are and the occasional supply issues with the manufacturer. I haven’t sat in the Elise seats personally, but I’ve heard and read nothing but good things. They’re supposedly very comfortable, while still providing a huge upgrade over OEM seats in terms of keeping you in place around the corners. There’s a “probax” version of the seats that have an adjustable lumbar section. Those are generally the most desired version. Don’t see them for sale often, and when they do pop up they’re generally $750-$1000 per seat, depending on condition.

I’m running xidas myself and have yet to find anything else that even compares, short of a $7000 custom setup made by bilstien for a sponsered time attack competitor. I’d try to find out what spring rates those xidas have, and what model they are. Supermiata introduced a few new members to the Xida family about 2 years ago, so in addition to two generations of standard “race” xidas , you now have Xida XL’s which get you closer to stock ride-height and a very pricey electronically-adjustable setup.

The car definitely seems worth looking at. With xidas and Elise seats whoever owned it likely knows his/her stuff, and would make me think there may be more quality parts somewhere. Hard to give a value without more info, but at least in my area it would likely be sold very quickly at $7-8000 . If there’s a hardtop, that will easily add another $1-1500 in value, based on condition. I’d check it out in person, and try to talk them down because of the dent.

miatabuyer > AestheticsInMotion 06/07/2019 at 16:03

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T hanks so much for the quick and comprehensive response. I just blew the last hour at work reading your posts, all great content! I’ m more convinced than ever to buy a miata now...

P asted the link to the listing below in case you have any further thoughts. The ad says they are gen 2 700/400 Xidas . But t he upper mounts under the hood are black in pics, which to me looks more like the gen 1 ? Gen 2 in pics look to have orange upper mounts . But I guess he could have sourced other mounts.

T he Elise seats are from an ‘05, so I believe non-probax.

The car is 4 hours away from me, so I haven’t seen it in person yet. Which   dampens m y negotiating power a bit . But I did ask for a lot more photos and generally it looks to be in good shape.

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=693824