This website is a work in progress...

Links to Pages: 1-Background 2-Auto-Cross 3-Suspension + Chasis 4-Engine + Drivetrain 5-Tires & Brakes 6-Interior 7-Exterior 8-Maintenance 9-Whats next & Wish List 10-Other Miatas 11-Picture Gallery

Objective
To share my thought process, decision making, modifacations, and ideas about obtaining, maintaining, and changing my Miata. If anyone has suggestions about the website or how I'm modding my Miata...please feel free to comment or email me.

Background Info

In the Beginning
I had a childhood friend(Pede) who made some suggestions on a new car I wanted to purchase. I had a 10 year old Jeep and it was time for a new car. I wanted a "cookie-cutter" family sedan...he suggested that I do not settle for a plain daily driver. Pede encouraged many, but focussed on the WRX. I bought one 2 months later. Ordered it on 9/11/01. My WRX is great + sooooo much fun to drive. At the time I also had a 1959 Chevy that was my "summer cruiser". I was kinda getting tired of the "classic car show thing". Pede told me about his summer toys...an older MR2 + a 1990 Miata. He said his Miata is fun, sporty, great handling, and reliable. To make a long story short...I sold the Chevy and now have a 95 Miata.

What I looked for...
Pede gave me lots of things to look for in Miatas. One of the big issues is my wife. She would not go near the Chevy, and I wanted her to enjoy the new toy as much as I would. I thought a Miata would give me a project car to "tweek" and race...and give my wife a convertable "chick car" to run around town in. It was a good choice for both of us. He geared me towards 94-97 Miatas. These years had 1.8L engines and bigger brakes. LSD (Limited Slip Diff) was a key issue also. The LSD helps turn/spin both rear wheels vs. just the one. 94-97 Miatas were a good choice, but 94-95 would be better + they are more sought after. 98's + up were a little out of my price range for a 2-seater. Sorry about the snow...first sunny 50 degree day in February 2005.
Pede thought a 94-95 Miata with an LSD and 100K miles would be perfect + not to pricey. These cars can last 200K or more if taken care of. A car of that age would need things done + I could exchange old stock parts with new performance parts and not lose an arm and a leg with costs. This sounded great, but I leaned towards cars with less milage.

The Search
My local paper bites + having a cable modem helped me navigate the internet more quickly. All I really knew in the beginning was what colors I didnt like. My search focussed on 94-95 Miatas, LSD, and lower milage. I found several Miatas, but they were far away, sometimes kinda pricey, over 100K miles, or the wrong color. I came across two Miatas in the suburbs of Chicago. My first call got me a man who could barely speak English...not good. Tried to call other times with no answer. The other Miata attracted me because of the low milage...35K. The second Miata-owner I tried to contact lived in Chicago + she emailed me quickly with answers to my questions. We set up a meeting time over the phone + met that weekend. The owner was a professor and lived 5 blocks from her university. Her 95 Miata was never driven in the snow and garaged kept plus...she had lots of repair records. She had just bought a Mini Cooper and that was going to be her new summer toy. The brakes + exhaust were one week old + the tires were one month old. The Miata wasnt clean, but in very good condition. The color is blue, but looks very green sometimes. The color is called Montego Blue. Her price seemed a little high and she was firm on getting it. I test drove it + it ran great. Paid her $7000 January 2005 + I drove home in Windy. My wife named her that.

Be Careful
When a car is dirty or been rained on...its hard to see the paint job. You can see the scuffs + scratches in the rear vinyl bumper. There are some in the front bumper too. One small item I have to deal with is an older car phone left by the owner. The "left-overs" are hard-wired into the dash + need to be removed.

Maintenance...What to do first?
I have read many(and I mean many) message boards, articles, and opinions on Miata maintenance. The one concept that makes the most sense to me is to do the scheduled maintenance when you are supposed to do it. Pede told be that these cars can last over 200,000 miles if you take care of them. My favorite website with tons of information is www.Miata.net This website has a many sections including: performance, autocrossing, wheels, garage, handling, etc... The garage section helped me with some of the basics. Here they are...
1. Oil and filter every 3K.
2. Rotate tires every 6K.
3. Wheel alignment every 15K.
4. Air filter every 15K.
5. Spark plugs every 15K.
6. Timing belt every 60K.
There are other things to check for in the maintenance department, but these are some of the basics.

Links to Pages: 1-Background 2-Auto-Cross 3-Suspension + Chasis 4-Engine + Drivetrain 5-Tires & Brakes 6-Interior 7-Exterior 8-Maintenance 9-Whats next & Wish List 10-Other Miatas 11-Picture Gallery

DISCLAIMER: DO ALL MODS, REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE AT YOUR OWN RISK! I AM NOT AT FAULT OR RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF YOUR MISTAKES!