Hmmm...where to begin. Well, I had just lost my first car, a red '88 Camaro, to fatal engine issues. She was in great shape for the 2 yrs. I had her, but was getting up in age and my lead foot probably stressed her too much. As I watched her being towed off, I thought I'd never be able to afford a car I loved as much as her. Even though Camaros aren't exactly low maintenance, you gotta admit, for an 18 yr. old, it's cool wheels. (I was looking at Geo Storms and Ford Probes before that, so...)

Anyway, I fell in love at 11 yrs. old when Miatas were introduced to the world. Didn't dream I'd ever get to own one...til my mom took a little test drive. :-)

We'd been looking at used cars for a few wks. when my mom decided to stop by the Mazda dealership. Our family has owned several Mazdas, 323/ three 626's/626-hatchback/B2000 truck, and never had an inkling of a problem with any of them. So, we're a Mazda family. That's settled. Now a red 1996 automatic (yes - automatic) Miata convertable w/black ragtop pulls in my drive. I didn't want to get in. I knew I wouldn't be able to let go once I gripped the wheel, but figured driving it back to the dealership might be my only fling with a Miata.

Long story short, haggling took place, I pulled my hair down and changed into a low-cut sundress (this only works for women - sorry), and the very nice, single young man gave me a great buy! (Not all blondes are clueless - we may just be working our stereotypes.)

Going from a Camaro to a Miata is like moving from Kansas to Hawaii. There's no comparison and no doubt about where you want to be once you get there. Can you say culture shock?

MODIFICATIONS:

I was raised to believe cars are an extension of your personality; a reflection of who you are. So, I quickly made Rio mine with some tweaking.

First off, wheels had to go. Stock wheels are demeaning to a Miata. Get 'em off as soon as possible! Went with Miglia - Spyder 14" rims and it transformed the car. ( I almost transformed the UPS guy after he ruined the first set I ordered, but that's a long rant.)

Next came an ego booster for Rio. She was tired of being made fun of by the 5-speeds in the Miata club. (Automatic - remember?) Time for a little audio adrenaline. Borla exhaust. It took about a yr. for it to really sound the way I wanted it to, but she holds her head much higher now. Kind of like giving a small dog a megaphone. :-)

Of course, music inside is just as important as music outside. Stock stereo has to go. Got a Blaupunkt cd player and stereo system, and Pioneer speakers. Still don't have the headrest speakers for fear I won't hear ANYthing else on the road.

At this point, Rio was so happy, she had to have a way to show it. So I bought her teeth.

Ran across a site (www.auto-expressions.com) that created teeth just for the grill of a Miata. It looks like a mouth anyway, make use of it. She now has a perpetual smile and I always get a few winks, smiles, waves or knee-slapping laughs when I hit the road. Only one problem. You can't see her smile at night. Thank goodness auto expressions offers a luminescent light kit to illuminate her teeth! That was a little tricky to install...so I didn't. I bribed a friend with 20 yrs. electrical experience to do it. :-)

The most recent modification came this summer. The back window was starting to get wavy and yellowed, as many do. I was also getting a little too wet when I drove through rain with the top up. So, I decided to go with a different look and switched the black out for tan. I hadn't seen many red w/ tan tops in town, other than '99 or newer models. It's a totally different car! I fell in love all over again, not to mention the thrill of having vision out the back window.

RIO'S SOCIAL LIFE:

Rio and I joined the Air Capital Miata Club in Wichita in Sept. 1999, a few mos. after I'd gotten her. After much coaching and prodding, I finally tested her skills ( and my lack of ) on the autocross track. I've only done it a few times, but it's one of the coolest things I've ever done. Miatas run like they were born to autocross. No track too tight!

She loves to play with other Miatas and has made some good friends in the club. She especially enjoys dressing up for the holidays and driving around to look at Christmas lights with the group.

I recently had the dubious honor of receiving my first (at 24yo, mind you) traffic commendation- I mean infraction. I was on my way, wouldn't cha' know it, to a local car show. (Me and a few members of the Miata club were entered.) I had a blonde moment, ran a red light, and just "happened" to get pulled over in the parking lot where the group was meeting. They all got to witness my shame first hand. One of my best friends, (Loren, who can be seen above with the other red '96), was "kind" enough to take pictures so the moment would not be forgotten. Thank God the cop was a good sport about "being in pictures"! Moral of the story: if you're gonna screw up, might as well get some mileage out of it!

I'm still single at present, but if I ever need the dreaded OTM vehicle for kids, I hope to keep Rio in the family. My dad has eagerly volunteered to be a foster parent to Rio, should that day arrive. My only condition: visitation rights.

***Short addendum...The Miata "formerly known as Rio" has been re-Christened "Scarlett" due to her new personalized plate.

Gone With The Wind is my favorite movie, so a friend got the plate for my birthday. If you still haven't figured it out, then you haven't seen the movie or read the book...and you should do both!***

Who knew paradise was a Miata?