Convince me to NOT buy a Miata

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Mon Nov 08, 2004 1:47 pm

Having never driven one I didn't think there was anything special about miatas. Then Vincent let me take his on a fun run at sanford (11-7-04).
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All I can say is.... Wow, now I understand why everyone has one.
:thumbsup:

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:15 pm

Major downsides:
Everone will look at you strange when you can't stop grinning for hours after driving one.
You'll spend excessive amounts of time scouting out the route to/from work with the curviest roads.
Going to the corner store will take at least an hour and a half... each way!
You'll develop this strange tan pattern of a white band with a dark 1/2 moon above it on your forehead from wearing your cap backwards so it doesn't blow off. (BTDT!)
Family will think you're keeping secrets when you buy disposable diapers to catch the drips from the oil filter.
Having to store a case of car wax every six months until you use it up.
Boring everyone around you with constant Miata talk.
Having to put Racing Beat and Flying Miata on your speed dial.
#1 downside: DEALS GAP!

Welcome to the DARK SIDE!
Comfort? I am 6'2" on the high side of 260, and find our Miata much more comfortable to drive long distances than the Celica. (Hint: the cloth seats sit lower and more comfortably than the leather ones) I have a friend who is 6'7" that drives a Miata!
We'll be back in our for 2005 in CS.
For STS2 I'd pick a 94-97 1.8 L without LSD over a 1.6 with the viscous LSD. The viscous goes away in less than 30K and you can tune out the small amount of drive wheelspin with suspension allowances. The 1.8 is a much stronger engine, chassis is much stiffer with the OEM additional bracing.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Having considered buying a Miata once, here are my reasons for you to reconsider:

1) You'll never know how good you are until you take on an understeering pig of a Mustang.. wait, you wanted a reason to NOT buy a Miata.

<reset>

1) Everybody has one. There will be 25 entries in your class next year. We might still have some 5th place plaques in the trophy box.

2) It's cheaper to borrow one than to buy one. Remember, everybody has one. Some have two. Just pretend your car is broken, and someone will offer you a drive.

Art

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:31 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

It's cheaper to borrow one than to buy one

True. So Matt, a run in your ITR gets you a run in my Miata. Deal?

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:38 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

2) It's cheaper to borrow one than to buy one. Remember, everybody has one. Some have two. Just pretend your car is broken, and someone will offer you a drive.

Art

Of course if Art's case he didn't have to pretend. In all fairness though, when it got fixed it was big fun to drive. :mrgreen:

It's much cheaper to borrow a Mustang though than own one. :lol:

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Because they are just Matchbox size versions of a real sports car.

So buy the full size version. It's called a Corvette!

Graham (absolutely not biased in any way:)

RobLupella · **Posted:** Fri Nov 12, 2004 1:36 pm

Graham Jagger wrote:

Because they are just Matchbox size versions of a real sports car.

So buy the full size version. It's called a Corvette!

Graham (absolutely not biased in any way:)

I think what he want is a car with actual handling, not one that makes up for it deficiencies in handling with brute horsepower.

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Fri Nov 12, 2004 1:59 pm

RobLupella wrote:

I think what he want is a car with actual handling, not one that makes up for it deficiencies in handling with brute horsepower.

I drove Dishman's C4 Z07 once at Laurinburg... After I was done with the run, I remember thinking "Man, this handles like a Miata, it's just a LOT faster". Maybe that was just his... I never drove Miles' or Graham's.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:17 pm

Diane Hall wrote:

RobLupella wrote:

I think what he want is a car with actual handling, not one that makes up for it deficiencies in handling with brute horsepower.

I drove Dishman's C4 Z07 once at Laurinburg... After I was done with the run, I remember thinking "Man, this handles like a Miata, it's just a LOT faster". Maybe that was just his... I never drove Miles' or Graham's.

Hey, I'm enlisting Miata drivers in abusing the drivers of plastic vehicles, not helping them abuse Miatas :shock:

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Diane Hall wrote:

RobLupella wrote:

I think what he want is a car with actual handling, not one that makes up for it deficiencies in handling with brute horsepower.

I drove Dishman's C4 Z07 once at Laurinburg... After I was done with the run, I remember thinking "Man, this handles like a Miata, it's just a LOT faster". Maybe that was just his... I never drove Miles' or Graham's.

Ha! A few more drives and we can convert Diane

If you make it back down here for an event you can try mine on a fun run. Miles car is the same as Dishman's C4 Z07. The Z07 package is the best option. Mine has the base package. So a little softer ride, but not much, and it isn't adjustable.

Graham

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

RobLupella wrote:

Diane Hall wrote:

RobLupella wrote:

I think what he want is a car with actual handling, not one that makes up for it deficiencies in handling with brute horsepower.

I drove Dishman's C4 Z07 once at Laurinburg... After I was done with the run, I remember thinking "Man, this handles like a Miata, it's just a LOT faster". Maybe that was just his... I never drove Miles' or Graham's.

Hey, I'm enlisting Miata drivers in abusing the drivers of plastic vehicles, not helping them abuse Miatas :shock:

I told you this 3 times already when you drive my car. When you hit the gas at the beginning of a slalom it happens immediately. Where in your Miata it happens some time before the Finish :lol:

Rob's just mad at me for leaving the ASR (traction control) on at Sanford and when he did his fun run it kicked in and took the throttle away from him. :nana:

Graham

Doug Jackson · **Posted:** Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:12 pm

For an STT Miata I would go for a 94-97 base or A-package car. I would not get an R-package because almost everything that makes an R-package you will take off or can retrofit to a base or A-package. The Torsen is not allowed, the Bilsteins would probably be replaced with adjustables and you can get a manual steering rack for between $50 - 125. I paid 75 for mine. You won't want to strip AC unless you trailer it (sometimes you do have to drive in rain, and the windows fog up) but even if you do, it was an option on base and I believe A-package cars too. That leaves about 6 pounds of extra sound deadening the R-package cars didn't have that the others do. Mine's a 1.6 and I do think the 1.8s will be faster but my 70,000 + mile viscous still works a little. I really would like a Torsen or clutch-type diff instead. To give you an idea of weight I weighed in at the Rock with stock wheels and light tires with power steering, AC and stereo at 2135. If you ditched all that in a 1.6l you could get down to probably 2000 - 2050. Add ultralight wheels for about 10 extra pounds of lightness. Go extra stiff on the suspension and scrap the sway bars for another 15 - 20 lb. There is a guy in California who campaigns a 10AE '99 Miata in CSP who has his car at about 1900 lb. If you want to get creative there are ways of bringing the weight down.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:56 pm

Doug Jackson wrote:

For an STT Miata I would go for a 94-97 base or A-package car. The Torsen is not allowed, the Bilsteins would probably be replaced with adjustables and you can get a manual steering rack for between $50 - 125. I paid 75 for mine.

Doug, you can't add a manual rack to a car with power steering in STT. That's called update/backdate, and isn't part of the rules of ST*. Unless you swap it back out, welcome to CSP. - AB

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Sat Nov 13, 2004 5:19 pm

But you can swap racks in a Miata where it was a standalone option! (Stock class option package conversion)

I might be reading all of the spec sheets wrong but it seems that the above is correct.

--Kevin H.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:05 pm

Yes and no. Manual racks were available only on a Base model or R package. Thus you must do a package conversion. Try to convert an A package to a Base model. Not a lot of differences, except one that is a big pain in the arse: The leather wrapped steering wheel, which cannot be swapped out for a momo or the like due to the airbag. Thus, unless you can find someone with a base model wanted to swap steering wheels, you can then be legal in STT. - AB

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