Should i buy this car?

I drove a few Miatas. The only one that felt right was the one with a 300hp turbo. That thing with gumball tires was a sleeper from hell and fun as all get out.

Always wanted an ls1 miata. My 1.8L felt fast as hell (0-60 in 8 seconds). It was slow but FELT fast at normal speed limits. So never got in trouble. The perfect car imo.

This was a 1.8.. Built and tuned. All the balance was there. Hi compression with a Motec. It had a wallop before the turbo came on and it was a small turbo to boot. Had meth injection for pump gas... It was mind blowing how sorted that car was. Driving it you felt like a shark at a beach.

Wow but how much? A cheapo turbo is at least $1300 and that will only get you 190 or so HP. Assuming you do all the work.

Last Edited by Grognak the Ballbareian on 06/10/2022 11:40 PM

Beats me.. The guy also had a big turbo Supra and a twin turbo Lambo from UGR. The tuner said the Miata was his favorite car of the bunch. Think the guy went by "SW" on the boards back then.

i like any older little sporty cars. partial to hondas/acuras, and anything german or british. if i could dink around with any old car itd be an old triumph or porsche.

Nice car! People want a left nut for a old 911 around here. A pretty sweet car

Last Edited by Grognak the Ballbareian on 06/10/2022 11:52 PM

I owned a 1990 Grey Imported Japanese (to the UK) 1600cc MX5 "Miata" NA from 2005 to 2015 (cost £2000). Fitted a turbo to it. 25 years old, when I passed it on and was still in great mechanical condition. Most fun and the best car I ever owned (I'm 62) with the turbo was pretty fast. Must admit the performance was lack-lustre prior to the turbo.

Mazda have made 750,000 of these cars, so they are pretty common. If the car is in good condition (no rust) everything else is bullet proof - even when turbocharged to 200 BHP.

1994 cars had relatively minimum electronics, one easily swappable ECU and that's about it. $8,000 sound like a lot of money unless it's a very good one.

I gave mine away as it was getting scruffy, it was not worth much because of the UK road Tax and not being great on fuel (25 miles per US gallon even in stock form).

Here are a couple of good forum's Yoyr car will be a Miata NA or an NB

[link to www.mx5nutz.com (secure)]

[link to forum.miata.net (secure)]

I had a friend in high school had an orange 914 got to ride with him, another buddy had a green 70s e30, i had a vw scirocco 2, all those old cars with manual steering were so much fun, and made all the right noises!

mixed it up, those e30s were 83 and on, my vw was an 84 i think around the same year his green e30.

anywho, i vote yes on having fun in that miata. the only car i envy on the road when im in my motorcycle is the guy in the convertible!

I accidentally backed into one about a year ago parked on the road. I was in a mid size sedan and didn't see it. I just heard something go crunch. It crushed like paper. My fender barely got a scratch.

Doesn't seem very safe. Just be careful.

none of the dinky cars are, they're just a step above a motorcycle on the safety side of things

It's possible to fit a very basic turbo kit for that price. I bought mine second hand for £1000 that had a trick stainless steel tubular manifold, then spent another £1000 making up a home brew inter-cooler, blow off valve, 5th injector, Bypes ignition controller, 2 inch exhaust.

Fabricated just about everything myself. Boost started at 1500 RPM and was at 12 PSI by 2300 RPM - about 180 BHP.

Unless you can source a fully sorted second hand system, you need to expect to pay $6000 easily even for something modestly decent. The sky's the limit, so think carefully before going down that hole!

As all the forum people will say...

Just rev the engine to the red-line and spend the money on gas! That's good advice.

There is very little to be gained from tuning a Miata other than forced induction (FI). 5 BHP here and there for porting the head, cold intake, free flowing exhaust. The engine is already strong so absolutely no point in forged internals even if going FI.

The best thing of all is that the early Miata's are so strong - built in the day's before computer technology shaved everything down to reduce the cost. They were pretty expensive back in the day.

Yes. I THINK 8000 is alot but its the going price now in Florida. 11 years ago I got the same care for 4300 stock of course. Mint condition.

wow that truly reminds me of Pole Position.

No, i have driven next to a tractor trailer and its the same size as the back wheels of the tractor trailer. Still safer than a motorcycle. Yes and I have had a similar truck suprise me on wolf pen gap before on the hair pin turns.



Last Edited by Grognak the Ballbareian on 06/11/2022 01:04 AM

If the condition and mileage are decent, get a pre purchase inspection and knock yourself out. Sports cars are a blast and worth every penny if you can swing it. Any Miata is pretty much bulletproof as far as I can tell. NC chassis is my favorite.

Sorry op, don't mean to be disrespectful, but isn't that a chick car??? LOL

my 2 cents


how did the last one end up?


we're in a different paradigm now.

Don't buy it, it's too told and it's a death trap. Get something newer unless you want to invest in a flare company..

Yes thats the old line, or a hair dressers car. They bought them because they think they are cute. All I can say is drive one. They were made to replicate the old MGB or Lotus Elan but be trouble free mechanically. I used to own a mustang but it was a "one trick pony." Go fast in a straight line.

Last Edited by Grognak the Ballbareian on 06/11/2022 01:18 AM

I sold it to an asian guy who worked for chick fil a in Atlanta. Sold it because we had a kid and could not afford it. Now I can. I got into a minor wreck but had it repainted and the paint job was phenomenal. That blue color is stunning.

It's a Miata. No.

Whay car would you suggest?

I drive a Lexus IS350.

If you like Mazda and older vehicles...an RX-7

If you like Japanese cars and convertibles and older vehicles...a Lexus SC430 or LS430.

The SC430.

Nice cars. I like the infinity g37 better. But its just another car. Miatas, s2000, rx7, ect are special cars that are seeing an uptick in value

Last Edited by Grognak the Ballbareian on 06/11/2022 01:44 AM

acura tsx and integra type r!