Event's NA Miata Search Thread

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GTP_event / kevinr6287 (farming account)
UPDATE POST #47

Looked at 4 miatas today, 2 of them were pretty nice. Their asking price seems high for what they are thought...

Miata 1: Mariner Blue 92 w/ 92K miles...

Pros: B-Package, No dents or dings, VLSD (he doesn't know about it, either... I called mazda to verify. so don't include it in the estimate ), it's mariner Blue, racing beat exhaust, aftermarket intake, no rust

Cons: Tires are cracked and have slow leaks and need replace, No maintenance record at all so would need full refresh incl. timing belt, drivers passenger power window slow, clutch engagement point seemed really high (could that be a sign of clutch wear or isn it adjustable? it grabbed fine), a metallic rattle coming from under hood that is only at idle, intermittent, and not dependent on engine rpms (just has to be close to idling), some dry, cracked paint on front bumper cover, appeared to be in an accident not on autocheck but it is on carfax (owners manual contained invoices for ~$250 in suspension bits and they wrote "Lawyer ~$300" on it... I assume they were hit by an uninsured motorist and just fixed it instead of getting lawyer... also evidence of overspray)

ASKING $4250... could talk them down... $500 for refresh and $500 for tires + 4 wheel alignment. Its going to be a hard sale, esp since autocheck does not report the accident and its on ebay now...


Miata 2: Classic Red 92 w/ 69k miles

Pros: Owner is 71 and retired, only drives it ~1000 /yr, knows full history and has maintenance records (daughter bought it new in NC, drove for 55k, sold to a cousin in GA, then he bought it), new timing belt, tires w/ <3k miles, alignment good, new clutch @ 60k, no accidents, GORGEOUS PAINT (needs a good polish, but the sections that dont need it look new)

Cons: A package (no cruise or PW), No LSD, rattling coming from rear diff area at 40mph when coasting, Classic Red

To make it more challenging, I'm not telling you the asking price for the red one ;), but It's out of my price range. What do you think its worth?
 
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Hey you moved close to St. Louis (I assume), how cool. If you get a miata, we'll have to go for a cruise, I know some pretty good roads.
 
default retail for the blue one around here is 2975. the private seller would want more, and everybody's trying to make a profit. they're all asking double blue book

also, since it's a 92, it's technically worthless in some guidebooks, especially in the state you described the blue one.
 
I would hold out for an unwrecked '94-'97 at that price easily. 1.8l engine and a Torsen if you play your cards right. The VSLD is probably near dead at this point, which could be why the owner doesn't know it exists - it doesn't operate. The Smurf Blue owner is on crack. That's a $2500 Miata at best. The red one is probably a $3500 car.

www.miata.net for price checks. Look up my "autox/track day toy" thread here at GTP. I paid $5k for that car.
 
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Event
Miata 1: Mariner Blue 92 w/ 92K miles...

Cons: Tires are cracked and have slow leaks and need replace, No maintenance record at all so would need full refresh incl. timing belt, drivers passenger power window slow, clutch engagement point seemed really high (could that be a sign of clutch wear or isn it adjustable? it grabbed fine), a metallic rattle coming from under hood that is only at idle, intermittent, and not dependent on engine rpms (just has to be close to idling), some dry, cracked paint on front bumper cover, appeared to be in an accident not on autocheck but it is on carfax (owners manual contained invoices for ~$250 in suspension bits and they wrote "Lawyer ~$300" on it... I assume they were hit by an uninsured motorist and just fixed it instead of getting lawyer... also evidence of overspray)
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The slow electric windows are a common issue. The cable will have long since lost lubrication. The motors should be fine so it'd just be a cable swap.

The clutch problem is likely to be an adjustment thing. If it was biting fine then the clutch itself should be okay. Did you try pulling away in higher gears to see if it slipped?

How do you mean by "metallic rattle"? Does it literally just sound like a bit of metal vibrating on another bit of metal or does it sound like more of a top-end thing? The engine can get a bit tappety sometimes, generally tends to be solely at low revs and usually when cold. So it might be that if it's a more "serious" sounding rattle. My car does it very occasionally, but the rattle mine does have is the exhaust heat shield which rattles over bumps and from higher revs off throttle.

I wouldn't worry about accident damage too much as long as you can find evidence that it's been correctly repaired and inspected.

As for the price I can't judge - the car sounds in worse condition than mine was when I bought it, yet mine was the equivalent of $1700... so to me it sounds absolutely extortionate (in the UK you'd get an absolutely mint NA Miata for the equivalent of $4k+, with literally nothing wrong at all and a full service history...) but over there it might be the going rate...
 
The prices for these old Miatas are astonishing. I wouldn't doubt that second seller is asking $5000 or more, which is totally not worth it, and only might be if the car comes with a pristine hard top.

It depends on how bad you want the thing. Nice ones cost retarded money, that's just how it is. The prices for these old things has pretty much bottomed out, so you're almost better off getting a much newer NB for a higher price. I nearly sold my parents when the local dealer came up with a 10,000 mile 1999, asking $10,000.

Duke makes some good points about the viscous differential. It might be worn out, though they're not known for strong lockup like a clutch-type anyway. I honestly haven't found a pattern relating to engagement with my Rex's viscous. Sometimes it works, but if the road is cambered correctly to load the wheels in a certain way, the LSD doesn't have the leverage to counteract those forces so I get nothing. It's totally hit-or-miss.

My personal opinion on old Miatas is that unless you find a pristine example, bank on replacing/modifying certain parts of it. Replacing worn dampers and springs would be something I'd be interested in, along with sportier wheels and tires.
 
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I'm going to be buying an NA in the next couple months, and have been expecting to pay about 4-5k, anything under that will be a nice surprise. What was a really nice surprise was the insurance quote I got on it, 98 a month isn't cheap, but it's much less than I anticipated for a convertible sports car considering I'm only 22 years old.

I personally wouldn't even consider buying one without an LSD, and I'm really hoping to find one with a hardtop. The 1994 was the first year they redesigned the chassis and upgraded to the 1.8l, and 1996 is when they switched over to OBDII, so I'm looking for a 1995 ideally. I'm excited as hell to finally be in the market for a sports car and anxious to get involved with some autocross :) Lemme know how your experience goes.
 
Look on Craigslist....you see them all day for under 2500 for decent condition older ones.
All the miatas are cheap autocrossing beasts so they go for a premium as their numbers thin down but there are deals out there just keep looking.
 
They made about eleventy bazillion of them, too, so there is absolutely no need to inherit a lot of problems. Wait for a really good one rather than pouncing on something iffy. Look south and avoid rust.

Hard tops add $$ but can be re-sold to Spec Miata racers for $800-1000 all day long.
 
TakeshiSkunk
The 1994 was the first year they redesigned the chassis and upgraded to the 1.8l
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"Redesigned the chassis" is a bit too strong a term. They essentially gave it three bracing bars - two under the chassis between the subframes and one between the seatbelt posts. The upgrade to a 1.8 was pretty much to maintain the performance rather than increase it. That said, it got the torsen LSD which was a better bit of kit than the viscous one. I'm considering finding a torsen one for mine at some point down the line.
 
I think the common agreement between Miata buffs is that the LSD is not really needed unless you are racing or autocrossing the car. For daily driving you will hardly notice it. That being said, I love the LSD in my 03 it makes powersliding in the rain a bit more fun.

I also agree with looking on Craigslist, there are about 50 miatas on my local CL right now.
 
Boz Mon
I think the common agreement between Miata buffs is that the LSD is not really needed unless you are racing or autocrossing the car. For daily driving you will hardly notice it. That being said, I love the LSD in my 03 it makes powersliding in the rain a bit more fun.

I also agree with looking on Craigslist, there are about 50 miatas on my local CL right now.
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It also seems that the 1.6 vs 1.8 isn't really a big deal unless you plan on getting as much power out of the engine as possible. The 1.8 just has a wee bit more torque and is heavier.

The guy with the red one didn't want to sell for less than $4500. Oh well, someone who will take even better care of it may be fine with that price. Too much for a 92, IMO.

Miatas near St Louis seem to go for a lot for some reason. I don't really understand it... not a whole lot of good driving roads. People are talking about getting a good one for even $3k, that would get you a rust bucket here.


The Blue could be had for $3500... someone already offered $3250 and he won't accept it.... Can the VLSDs be refreshed? Is there any harm in having a worn one, or will it just behave like a standard differential?
 
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Event
The Blue could be had for $3500... someone already offered $3250 and he won't accept it.... Can the VLSDs be refreshed? Is there any harm in having a worn one, or will it just behave like a standard differential?
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Nope, once they're gone they're gone. No harm though, will just act as an open. It's not something I would even pay a premium for, working (slightly) or not.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/1984248613.html

There you go. :)

Edit:
The VLSD only provides a 15-20% locking function when new, so they are not really meant to be a performance item.

There is no rebuild kit for the VLSD and the unit is completely sealed so you can't even get inside it short of cutting it.
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http://www.miata.net/garage/vlsd.html
 
Event, where are you in IL? You should meet up with Casey and me in St. Louis on October 17th for an autocross. Run the MS6!
 
Eric.
Event, where are you in IL? You should meet up with Casey and me in St. Louis on October 17th for an autocross. Run the MS6!
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PM me with some more info... aren't you in California, though? If I a get shifter issue sorted out, I may run it. You don't see MS6s much at Autox, but you'll see plenty of miatas way faster than stock.

So it looks like a member on another forum (who also happens to be a former GTP'er) is gonna look at the Blue miata on a lift with me... He's a miata owner, so hopefully we can find any defects. If everything looks good, then I'll probably put a deposit down

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Cool beans, i've got some nice Kosei K1s that's would look great with that smurf blue.... Just saying. ;)

I'll reply to your pm when I can sort my brain out.
 
casey_2005
Cool beans, i've got some nice Kosei K1s that's would look great with that smurf blue.... Just saying. ;)

I'll reply to your pm when I can sort my brain out.
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Please, send some info on those wheels too! I want to get rid of the flowers. the car is cute enough. And I'll need to get new tires asap, so I'd buy them asap if the sizing and price is right :drool:
 
LOL that really is Smurf Blue!
 
1995 Mazda Miata Hardtop Convertible - $4350 (Moberly)

3k73m53oa5O45T45U1aa632fa6e4c221e179f.jpg


only 71,000 miles. Hardtop. :)

Worth a looksy. Columbia is about 2 hours west of St. Louis, and Moberly is about 30 minutes north of Columbia.

1997 Mazda Miata - $4450

3k13pa3of5P45R35S4aa4032b45fcafda1bd6.jpg


STO, 63k miles.​

I'm not sure how far your willing to drive, but I myself would drive at least 6 hours if I was gonna be putting down near 5k for a car. Hell probably more. I drove 6 hours one night to cincinnati to look at a AE86. Rear end clunked and he had been running with no air filter for who knows how long, doggyiest corolla I have ever driven (none was mentioned beforehand). Is price was 1250 obo, so I offered 1100, he wouldn't budge. Fing prick, if he didn't want to sell the car then what the hell. I still remember where he lives...
 
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casey_2005
1995 Mazda Miata Hardtop Convertible - $4350 (Moberly)

3k73m53oa5O45T45U1aa632fa6e4c221e179f.jpg


only 71,000 miles. Hardtop. :)

Worth a looksy. Columbia is about 2 hours west of St. Louis, and Moberly is about 30 minutes north of Columbia.

1997 Mazda Miata - $4450

3k13pa3of5P45R35S4aa4032b45fcafda1bd6.jpg


STO, 63k miles.​

I'm not sure how far your willing to drive, but I myself would drive at least 6 hours if I was gonna be putting down near 5k for a car. Hell probably more. I drove 6 hours one night to cincinnati to look at a AE86. Rear end clunked and he had been running with no air filter for who knows how long, doggyiest corolla I have ever driven (none was mentioned beforehand). Is price was 1250 obo, so I offered 1100, he wouldn't budge. Fing prick, if he didn't want to sell the car then what the hell. I still remember where he lives...
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The red one is already sold :dunce: And if I bought the green one, I'd have to fly out there THROUGH atlanta GA :dunce::dunce: only $140 for tickets this weekend though. I imagine they'd be cheaper later. I may call them for poops and giggles.

WE put the blue one up on the lift and found a few issues (it had at LEAST 2 accidents...), plus the clutch was slipping when I was driving over. I passed... the search continues.
 
Event
And if I bought the green one
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I believe its blue :dopey: Anyway....I'm not a big fan of the STO. A friend of mine has one and its alright. It has been referred to as the "Stuff Taken Off" because its a stripped out Miata. There were only 1500 made so there may be something to be said about that.
 
Boz Mon
I believe its blue :dopey: Anyway....I'm not a big fan of the STO. A friend of mine has one and its alright. It has been referred to as the "Stuff Taken Off" because its a stripped out Miata. There were only 1500 made so there may be something to be said about that.
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I know I told myself not to swoon over a special edition... but :drool: a 97 M-Edition http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...e=&cardist=124&standard=false&captcha=success... the Limited Slip Diff is standard on the M-Editions, right?

Looks like there could be rust along the lower edge of the car... it was driven for 112k miles in Wisconsin and Illinois... clearly it was driven year-round. Maybe I'll make a road trip out of it, it's near Columbia, MO
 
I only read the first post, but to give you an idea, I bought my 1996 Miata in January from a private seller in PA. 70k on the clock, flawless paint, garaged, service records, and waved $4,000 cash and he took it. Been running perfect since then, except the original battery died a few months ago. Use that as a guideline and good luck! Miata's are one of the best cars ever :)

miata.net is the best resource hub. You might even find a car there :P

next to my dad's c4
62169_1405190415445_1402947049_30983033_4884515_n.jpg

the bay
60862_1397991715482_1402947049_30969444_1704347_n.jpg


most fun car I've ever owned. Came from 5 Honda's, to this Mazda. With summer tires, good coilovers, fat front swaybar, and light wheels, this car handles like a Lotus.
 
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Event
Looks like there could be rust along the lower edge of the car... it was driven for 112k miles in Wisconsin and Illinois... clearly it was driven year-round. Maybe I'll make a road trip out of it, it's near Columbia, MO
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Do NOT look north of St. Louis. Look south.
 
So is it just me or are 1992s going for a premium? It seems everyone and their mother is asking $4k plus for their ~100k 1992, while 97s with 100k are going for $3800 or so... what's that about?
 
not sure. Maybe because it's OBD1, has the 1.6L and is lighter. Or because it's 2 years from being 20 years old. That's a good question.
 
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