Looking back at old Miata accessories

"daender" (daender) 04/19/2018 at 23:15 • Filed to: miata

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Does anyone else look through old brochures of their vehicle generation and see what neat options were available back then? I’m looking at ones for Miatas between ‘01 and ‘05, the NB2 generation. Here’re three I found interesting:

1.) “Phatnoise” car audio system

This one is new to me but apparently it’s been a thing for VAG, BMW, and apparently GM owners. Instead of a trunk-mounted CD player you got this hefty music box with a 20GB cartage you could fill up with music. It’s supposed to come a USB desktop cradle, software (probably for Windows XP systems), and mounting hardware.

I searched the forums at Miata.net but only a handful results showed up for NB generation posts; no one appears to have bought the accessory for the NB and I can’t even find a picture of it installed in a Miata! I doubt anyone bought this option due to several reasons.

The first is the fact that it took up valuable trunk space (the NB2 Miata head unit supports the option for a built-in 6-disc CD changer, so no loss of trunk space) and that iPods and other handheld devices were already offering 20GB or more capacity with aux-in jacks becoming more popular in vehicles. It’s a rare accessory as it was only available for the 2005 model year, the last model year of the NB generation, of which was cut short one due to a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . The fire damaged the production lines and Mazda made the decision on January 27, 2005 that 2005 MY Miata production would stop to begin re-tooling for then-upcoming NC Miata. (This also ended Mazdaspeed Miata and Roadster Coupe production.) There’s also the cost of the accessory itself. While it’s not listed in brochures, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ! No thank you, I’d rather keep CDs in the car for a lot less!

Is this rare Miata accesory? Yes. It is worth anything? Unless there’s an equivalent of a Radwood for vehicles of the early 2000s or Mazda USA wants one for their running collection of cars ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) then I’d say no. Phatnoise was offered on later Mazdas including the NC MX-5, the Mazda3, and the Mazda6 until support stopped in 2007. There’re fans out there who’ve learned ways to modify them to increase to capacity to 120 GB if you’re so inclined.

2.) The “Silver/black steering wheel;gearshift knob” accessory combo

Little is known about this option and Google isn’t returning any relevant results of what it’d look like on an OEM 3-spoke steering wheel. It was available for 2004 and 2005, as seen in the brochures. I highlighted the option with a red box around it.

Note: the footwell lamp kit, no pictures of the OEM solution exist. Just lots of DIY photos and aftermarket kits. Offered ‘04 to ‘05.

As for the shift knob, I have a feeling it looks like the Mazdaspeed carbon fiber and aluminum knob, like the one I have in my slow-growing knob collection. It probably didn’t say MAZDASPEED down the side of it and probably had MAZDA on the top instead of a shift pattern. Then again, Mazda did offer the wooden Nardi knob in a 5-speed pattern as an accessory...

My original vinyl/rubber knob next to the rare Mazdaspeed knob. Not pictured: two wooden Nardi 5-speed knobs

3.) Style bar

I think this was the only year this option was available on any North American market NA or NB Miata as far as I know, 2001. Style bars are a rather...heated topic on Miata forums. While they look cool, offering the look of old-school hoop-style bars for a small fraction of the price of a legit bar, they’re unsafe in that offer no additional protection, especially in the event of a roll-over. In such cases, they’re referred to as “mouse traps” as they can fold over onto the heads of the occupants. One again, I can’t find a single picture of a US-spec ‘01 style bar. However, I have two theories on what it may have looked like...

Theory 1: European-spec MX-5 “double hoop” style bar

This style bar was found on the UK-spec “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” and “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” limited editions.

Theory 2: Racing Beat’s Type II style bar

Racing Beat is a well-known aftermarket parts company specializing in Mazda for over 45 years. In fact, Mazda and Racing Beat worked together to produce the limited-edition !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! using Racing Beat suspension and exhaust components. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mazda offered Racing Beat’s style bar as an OEM accessory until it was pulled for safety reasons I discussed above.

I know there’re quite a few Miata owners on here. Would anyone happen to have one of these options on their NB Miata? If so, then please post pictures of it.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > daender 04/19/2018 at 23:40

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BMW’s Individual line made pretty much anything possible if you had the money. You could get a phone, TV, and Fax in the backseat of mine if you wanted to. You could also get bulletproofing.

daender > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/19/2018 at 23:50

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Tupac should’ve sprung for that bulletproofing option for his 7-series. Those are some pretty sweet, although very dated options! The TV in the console is my favorite, certainly ahead of the times before every modified luxury car and import had them in the back of the headrests!

AestheticsInMotion > daender 04/19/2018 at 23:53

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This is good Oppo.

Those style bars irk me, although I’ll admit to occasionally wondering how a boss frog double hoop rollbar would have looked instead of the blackbird one...

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > daender 04/19/2018 at 23:57

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You could get actual TV on it too, not just DVD/VHS.

Boxer_4 > daender 04/20/2018 at 00:24

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I remember seeing the Phatnoise listed in the DriverGear magazines we would get during the early years of ownership of our B5.5 Passat. I happened to find a video guide for it in a Passat, though it is in German.

The 2009 Forester (and SH generation in general) had a few weird accessories, but one stands out: the front under spoiler.

I believe it was offered all 5 model years, but I could be mistaken. It was actually part of a full set that included sideskirts, a rear valance, and a waist spoiler. However, only the front under spoiler was offered in the US. The waist spoiler didn’t seem to be popular, even overseas.

ihm96 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/20/2018 at 05:29

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Looking through the catalogs that came with the 95 530i I bought a few weeks ago blew my mind. Apparently you could have a mini fridge/cooler in the backseat middle section, you could have parking sensors and even rain sensing wipers. I really wish I could retrofit that fridge option, then find some 17" alpinas. Oh and rear seat heaters was a thing too apparently

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > ihm96 04/20/2018 at 11:11

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I’ve got the rain sensing wipers. They’re pretty neat. Those and the parking sensors became standard the year after mine.

Thomas Donohue > daender 04/20/2018 at 14:08

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I had the chrome gas lid on my NB, and still use my PhatNoise in my Touareg!

ihm96 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/20/2018 at 15:32

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I’m jealous haha. I just picked mine up a short bit ago but I’ve been loving every second. Put a new exhaust on last week and that m60 sounds great nkw