NPoCP Miata Edition

"Arrivederci" (arrividerci) 09/12/2019 at 07:57 • Filed to: None

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As I’ve previously shared, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and is open to the idea of me getting a fun car, so I’ve started softly looking, running across a nicely-prepped 2007 NC Sport at a local car lot.

The Good: It’s got about 60k on the clock and being the base Sport trim, comes with the five-speed manual (instead of the six-speed), which gives you a little more speed in second gear, which is a bit more ideal for autocross. As you can probably glean from the picture, it’s wearing OZ Alleggerita wheels shod with really old Michelins (date code 2014). It has the desirable removable hard top and there’s a Hard Dog rolbar under there too. Roadster Sport exhaust, Ohlins coilovers and a strut tower brace round out the modifications. No accidents or damage listed on Carfax and the car’s appearance agrees with that.

The Bad: it only has three owners, but the last one resulted in a repo. It has a cheapo Bazooka base tube and junky amp in the trunk that I’d need to rip out and fix any wiring/holes created by that. Last owner looks to be an idiot kid who did crap like that but didn’t do anything good for the car - services, tires, etc. Needless to say, I’d baseline everything after buying it, including new rubber. I’m also not a fan of the OZs, but they wouldn’t bother me enough to consider swapping. Headlights are also hazed, but would probably polish up fine. The Ohlins are also likely overdue for a rebuild considering the previous owner.

Dealer is asking $9k. With the hardtop included, NADA and Edmunds think it’s worth $7500.

My offer would be that $7500 less a set of tires ($500) and less $250 to baseline maintenance because of the repo, which would put me at $6750 on the car.

What do you think? It’s clearly CP at $9k, but I think would be NP at my offer.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 08:27

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Not astronomical but for that particular car I would keep shopping, and consider that particular NC ‘ settling’

PartyPooper2012 > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 08:27

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While I agree with your logic, as Pawn Stars have often said - we gotta eat too. Dealer has costs - rent, lights, employees. Your price might be fair, but he needs to make a bit of coin to make it worth it.

There is another option - keep looking. Any reason you are going to dealers vs craigslist for instance? 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 08:30

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Nah. The top and wheels are nice. But not 1500 about book, nice. And when I was looking at NCs near 2 years ago I was finding under 100k models for less then 8k.

I think your offer is right on the money. 

Arrivederci > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 09/12/2019 at 08:30

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Copper Red isn’t a favorite color either, but that RHT makes it super tempting.

Arrivederci > PartyPooper2012 09/12/2019 at 08:31

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I’ve been using Autotempest, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, AT and Cargurus.

I also get your first point as well, but this is just a little gravel lot dealer in a bad part of town, so the overhead should be reasonable.  If I had to guess, he bought this at auction for $5500.

Arrivederci > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 09/12/2019 at 08:45

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I think so too - also looked up the cost to rebuild the Ohlins, and it’s about $150 per corner, which I didn’t figure into the offer.

PartyPooper2012 > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 08:45

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you can make a bid. He will have 3 choices - say no, counter offer , or accept.

Cash Rewards > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 08:56

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Yeah, hard pass at 9k. Your price is probably a little low for him, so if you can get it, go for it. Does it have the limited slip?

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 09:18

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Unless it’s not accounted for/undervalued in the purchase price is it not something you can just pick up later? And I could be wrong but I think NCs only came in boring colours. I have only seen them in boring colours 

Arrivederci > Cash Rewards 09/12/2019 at 09:40

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That’s a great call out - the Sport didn’t have the option of the Suspension package, which gave you the Bilsteins and LSD.  So, unless it was added by one of the previous owners, it’ll be an open diff.

Arrivederci > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 09/12/2019 at 09:44

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Most of them are pretty boring colors - in 2006 they had a great blue (Winning Blue) which I’d love to find, but they aren’t very common.

The 2006 LE came in Velocity Red, which was a cool color (imo):

Later NCs could be had in Competition Y ellow:

Cash Rewards > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 09:55

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Which is odd, because why am I spending money on Ohlins on a car without an lsd? Get one of flying Miatas lower prices setups, or springs over konis. Top end money on this platform is just an odd choice to me.

Or, if I got money to drop on Ohlins, I can drop in an lsd. But if I got that money, wait for the right car.....my head hurts

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 10:03

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If I had my pick of NCs a Competition Yellow would be my choice. Ive seen it in person and it’s amazing.

I also just prefer the facelifted NC.

Arrivederci > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 09/12/2019 at 10:23

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The NC3 is definitely peak NC; unfortunately, it’s out of budget, unless salvage.

Arrivederci > Cash Rewards 09/12/2019 at 10:25

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LOL, agreed.  LSD swaps aren’t hard, so it may have one added.  I didn’t do a burnout or anything to try and check for the one wheel peel.  I might have to research how to check visually.

t0ast > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 10:27

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FWIW, $9k was the starting point for my ‘07 Sport PRHT with 110k miles, up to date maintenance with records, no accident/damage/title problems, and full STR mods with all original parts included. I ultimately let it go for $7900 at the start of this year (somehow in spite of a misfire that *just* started happening before showing the car to the person who ultimately bought it).

Factoring in the info you have on this one, I’d say NP @ $6750, fair deal around the low-mid 7k mark (assuming no other issues), and keep looking if you can’t get them below 7500.

Cash Rewards > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 10:32

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I know on na and NB there is no visual check. Wrong wheel drive recently got hosed like that. Dont know ab out nc. Good luck

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 10:48

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If you can get the VIN, Mazda has a hotline you can call and they’ll tell you if it was an LSD car from the factory or not.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 11:14

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I would agree that it is a decent price at your offer considering the mileage, hardtop, and actually decent mod choices. The removable hard tops for the NC are very rare. Definitely dont pay more though due to the questionable previous owner, just not worth the risk of a few more thousand. Anything under $7k seems fair to me assuming there is no rust and the paint is in good shape. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Cash Rewards 09/12/2019 at 11:15

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Or you are like me and sold a car as advertised with an LSD but find out the previous owner had it swapped to an open diff because it was cheaper when needing replacement and didnt know there was a difference! 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 09/12/2019 at 11:16

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That doesnt mean that it still has an LSD in it, ask me how i know =(

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 11:17

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You cant check visually without taking the casing apart. Pretty much have to go do donuts to figure it out. Even burnouts might still get both wheels going. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Cash Rewards 09/12/2019 at 11:18

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haha i guess im a poster child of dont trust anything a previous owner says 

Cash Rewards > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/12/2019 at 11:49

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It sucks, but at least your experienced enough to remedy that yourself. I'd be hosed 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Cash Rewards 09/12/2019 at 13:29

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The shitty part is that what I paid to have my open diff repaired (since it was leaking) could have just paid them to install the LSD I have on hand. So I still got hosed anyways. I still have no idea how difficult it is to install and I just havent wanted to deal with it since I spent all of my track money on repairing the stupid open diff anyways. I had planned on saving money and trying to do only 1 or 2 track days for the rest of the year but having blown that money, I dont get any. So I am better off waiting to install both the diff and the track brake pads I have laying around.

I finally have solved the majority of my maintenance problems at least though. So I will just focus on enjoying the car as a street car for now and partake in some of my free/cheaper hobbies. 

Byrd > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 13:35

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I think it was my 2nd or 3rd Miata I put a Bazooka tube in front of each seat. Perfect, trust! 

Cash Rewards > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/12/2019 at 13:38

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That does suck. I thought the repair was halted when it was realized to be open, and I thought you had swapped it. Sorry to hear about that clusterfuck.

Arrivederci > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/12/2019 at 14:03

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Thanks - body was clean as was the undercarriage and it has been a southern car all of its life.  Paint was decent enough too - clear coat isn’t letting go (yet) like many current NCs.

Mose1700 > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 14:17

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Dude, that one is near me, been looking at it too. Love th e look of th e car. I am not in a position to buy it.... There is another one that is fully supercharged nearby, bit the price is way high.... 

Mose1700 > Arrivederci 09/12/2019 at 14:20

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Maybe, seems all the miatas on Craigslist get snatched uo from dealers, 75% on there are dealers using Craigslist... Kind of sucks

SlideshowOhNO - Fixit Union, Chapter of Kinja > Arrivederci 10/16/2019 at 14:19

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Has a lot of good (assuming the previous owner didn’t damage any of it), but I’d agree with your pricing. Maybe eat the maintenance if they push, but 7,000$ would be my limit. It is fairly easy to find NC2's for 9k, so an NC1, even with the good mods, isn’t going to command a lot of attention. The mods will make non-enthusiasts shy away, and despite the value of thos e parts, they don’t usually result in an increase in vehicle value.

Good luck, it looks great, awesome color, options and mods. I’m assuming it does have an LSD, right? I think all manual NC’s did, but the ND only got the LSD on higher trims, so could be eithe r or .