I want to purchase a Mazda Miata. Long story inside.

[Steele_obsidion]

So I haven't been around in a while, mainly due to lack of internets but in that time a lot has happened, i wont bore you with all the dribble but I did move, new job, farther from said job, which means i need to start thinking about a new car. not new per say just another car.

The Volvo needs work, I'll leave it there. If I explained the issues with it it would be 2-4 paragraphs long.

My real question for all of you though...

I want a Mazda Miata.

That being said, is there anything I should look for right at the start? ya know, open the hood and if __________ hasn't been replaced and it has XXX,XXX miles walk away?

What Years are the worst? (i have no preference on the year I get obviously the newer the better) Are there any particular years that stood out above the rest for quality?

Is the Automatic Transmission good quality? (sadly I cant drive a stick, yet. BUT if the Auto had a ton of issues I would get a manual anyway and just drive the hell out of it until I learned.)

Are parts reasonable? easy to find? i may need to replace a clutch if I got a manual....

Is the electrical shotty? Volvo does such a terrible job Soldering their electronics that after a while the solder melts and flows to the wrong places. (Volvo YLOD anyone?)

I know some of you people on here own/have owned Miata's and I also know I may get an even better idea if i joined a Miata forum, but this is my home. I don't need any other forums!

Thanks for the help guys, and since not previously stated, i wanna spend probably less than $5,000 and should i stay away from ones with over X number of miles? Being broke at a crappy job sucks ass but at least now I am making more than my last job.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I would recommend buying a manual, it seems kind of pointless to me to buy such a pure sports car and have an automatic. Find someone you know who can drive a manual and ask them to give you a few lessons, perhaps.

As for the car, @homeforsummer owned one and can tell you all about them. He wrote a book on the MX-5, he's an expert!

 

[Bopop4]

They made an automatic Miata?

Wow...



There's a reason they're one of the greatest cars ever made, must be at least a little bit reliable.

 

[homeforsummer]

There's very little you need to be concerned with.

Living in Michigan, I'd say the main thing to look out for would be rust, since that's the #1 problem here in the UK. The rain channels that send water off the soft top and to the ground get clogged with dirt, it backs up, and starts to rot the sills from the inside out. They go worst at the back of the sills and they can often be worse inside than they are on the outside, so a good-looking body is no guarantee they aren't rusting away from within. That said, it's not too terrible to fix if you can find a good body shop.

The best year depends on the model itself. If you want an NA, the first generation, then I'd personally go for a post-91 car, since earlier ones can have problems with the crank - though realistically, those that could have gone wrong probably have by now. Engines are incredibly reliable, though like anything else you want one that's had at least basic maintenance. It's a non-interference engine (Mk1 1.6s are at least - not sure about later ones) so if the cambelt snaps the valves won't meet the pistons.

The auto is largely reliable. The unit is - and I'm not kidding here - the same one they used for decades in London taxis. It's not in any way sophisticated but it is very solid indeed. However, the manual is such a brilliant gearbox I'd do everything I could to get one over the auto. Immeasurably more fun. The manual is also virtually bulletproof. Clutch slave cylinders are a common problem, but they cost sod all to fix so again, not a big deal.

Parts are cheap. Electrics are generally sound (electric windows slow down with age, but aren't difficult to sort).

Mileage is less important than condition. There's a guy on the UK MX-5 owners club forum who has one with 250k on it as a drift toy. Drives the hell out of it and it just soaks it all up.

There's a very good reason Miatas are regarded as highly as they are, and being fun to drive is only part of it. It's a sports car that's more dependable than most family cars.

As for the car, @homeforsummer owned one and can tell you all about them. He wrote a book on the MX-5, he's an expert!

I'd not go as far as expert but I did spend a year of my life writing about the damn things.

So anyone who wants to buy my book would make those wasted hours a little more worthwhile

 

[Roo]

I spent a while thinking about getting an NA MX-5 just last week. From what I could gather, the sills and rear wheel arches are the worst rust spots, but the rest is largely what you'd look for in any used car. Buy on condition, not age or milage.

 

[Steele_obsidion]

Thank you everyone! If I have specific questions i know who to consult.

The only problems I have now... Finding a good one.

And most of all getting my wife to agree. THAT'S the hard part!

 

[Heldenzeit]

Easy to work on, cheap to maintain and insure (in the US). I have two now haha. The one in my profile pic has 217k miles and my automatic car has 156k miles. The higher mile car runs great, but the lower mile car needs a head gasket. It just depends on how they were taken care of. The plug wires cost about $30 on a Miata where they were $130 on my old Corvette. You can get a really nice car for 5k, both of mine were under 2k.

 

[CodeRedR51]

There's very little you need to be concerned with.

Living in Michigan, I'd say the main thing to look out for would be rust, since that's the #1 problem here in the UK. The rain channels that send water off the soft top and to the ground get clogged with dirt, it backs up, and starts to rot the sills from the inside out. They go worst at the back of the sills and they can often be worse inside than they are on the outside, so a good-looking body is no guarantee they aren't rusting away from within. That said, it's not too terrible to fix if you can find a good body shop.

The best year depends on the model itself. If you want an NA, the first generation, then I'd personally go for a post-91 car, since earlier ones can have problems with the crank - though realistically, those that could have gone wrong probably have by now. Engines are incredibly reliable, though like anything else you want one that's had at least basic maintenance. It's a non-interference engine (Mk1 1.6s are at least - not sure about later ones) so if the cambelt snaps the valves won't meet the pistons.

The auto is largely reliable. The unit is - and I'm not kidding here - the same one they used for decades in London taxis. It's not in any way sophisticated but it is very solid indeed. However, the manual is such a brilliant gearbox I'd do everything I could to get one over the auto. Immeasurably more fun. The manual is also virtually bulletproof. Clutch slave cylinders are a common problem, but they cost sod all to fix so again, not a big deal.

Parts are cheap. Electrics are generally sound (electric windows slow down with age, but aren't difficult to sort).

Mileage is less important than condition. There's a guy on the UK MX-5 owners club forum who has one with 250k on it as a drift toy. Drives the hell out of it and it just soaks it all up.

There's a very good reason Miatas are regarded as highly as they are, and being fun to drive is only part of it. It's a sports car that's more dependable than most family cars.



I'd not go as far as expert but I did spend a year of my life writing about the damn things.

So anyone who wants to buy my book would make those wasted hours a little more worthwhile

^^^ That pretty much covers it except:

1) Even with higher mileage, the pre-'91 cars with the short nose crankshaft could still have issues. All it takes is a botched timing belt job to set it off. The switchover was actually in mid-'91, so if you are worried about them, look for cars after VIN 209446.

2) All Mazda BP engines are non-interference. 👍

 

[Duke]

I would look for one from the south and do a fly-and-drive.