Need opinions (Miata Related)

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I have been trying to find a cheap NA Miata for awhile now with no avail. My original plan was keep the Prelude and buy an NA for daily driving in the summer to save gas. In the winter, convert it into a spec miata car to race next summer. Now gas prices are getting to the point where its getting tough to fill the Lude up seeing as how it takes premium. Its only going to get worse as the summer progresses.

Heres my ideas/choices
1. Keep the Prelude and suck it up for fillups
2. Sell the Lude and use the money to buy an NB miata.
3. Other (tell me what other is)

The reason I say NB is because it would be the closest thing to the Prelude power wise. From my understanding, the NB makes 140hp. There just so happens to be one for sale at a local dealer too. This is the one I drove and greatly enjoyed. While contemplating this situation I came up with several problems/conundrums. This first being, I dont know what the Prelude is worth, it has just under 107k. If I could get 6k for it I think I could manage to get the rest together to buy an NB. BUT the problem with that is (this is getting complicated) the Prelude is a salvage title, and there is some minor body issues that could possibly lead people away. I also LOVE my Prelude and it would be really weird without it. I also am having a hard time convincing myself that the power loss is worth it.

As far as the Miata goes, the one in question is a white 99 with around 75k miles on it. "Old lady driven" I liked it, A LOT, but I am torn between this a the Prelude. Its at a dealer (which could be good and bad) they have had it since like February. They are asking $7995 or something like that.

I just am looking for some input on this situation.
 
I don't know...for one thing, the Miata is MUCH lighter than the Prelude. I might not rule out a well-cared-for NA, either. The weight difference will make up for quite a bit of the horsepower loss.
 
just buy an NA for about $4000. cheaper and you can get into cars that havent been loved, and will need lots of monetary love.

im against the NB at that price.
 
cheaper and you can get into cars that havent been loved, and will need lots of monetary love.

Not sure what you mean by this. I have been looking around a bit, and it seems that the lower mileage NA's are going for about the same price as the low mileage NB's
 
You're talking about the 1.8 Miata that supposedly makes 140 hp? The difference in fuel consumption of a 1.6 and a 1.8 Miata won't be as big as the difference between a 1.8 Miata and a 2.2 Prelude. Especially considering the weight. Just get the best condition Miata that will fit within your budget.
 
The MPG isnt as big of an issue for me as the power thing. No matter what miata I get, it will be cheaper to fill up than the prelude because it does not require premium. That is one of the main reasons for my prediciment, I dont know if I want to sacrifice the Prelude for better mileage and less power.
 
Here's something from my PM box on MX-5s. None of the links work, but there's still good advice.

http://www.miata.net/garage/garagebuying.html

That should get you started on what to look for when shopping.

http://www.miata.net/faq/

Here's a nice rundown on all the differences between the model years.


I own a 1993, and have to say its a fantastic car to drive, probably the best handling car I myself have actually been in. What it lacks in straight line acceleration it makes up for in the curves. Many turns that you would have to brake for in a normal sedan you can just go through them without even touching the brakes. Its that fun. With a proper alignment the car is very predictable and communicative.

Its a simple car, very easy to work on yourself. Its not really a quiet car, there are rattles and squeaks, but thats generally considered normal. It is a sports car after all. Later models (99+) are more refined. Many enthusiasts say the NB (99-05) is a better car, the NA (90-97) is a better miata.

Note: Miatas suck in the snow, even on all season tires. If you throw a set of snow tires on you should be fine...something to consider if its going to be the only car you have.

Its a small car, which is good and bad. If you have a second car to transport larger objects then its no problem. Despite their small size they are much safer in crashes than I would have imagined. I see pics of wrecks alot on the forums, most of which the passengers were fortunate enough to just walk away from. The car absorbs the impact. A friend of mine...his brother borrowed his turbo 95 while he was out of the country, slid into a curb and flipped the car. He had a roll bar installed, and he walked away from the crash with just cuts and bruises. If I could find the pic of the car you would be amazed, the thing was really messed up.

I think best of all Miata's are still under the radar so to speak. Ricers dont usually want them because they think only gay hairdressers or girls drive them. In mostly stock form they are pretty slow so you'd have to try pretty hard to really get into trouble with it.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/attachment...chmentid=31213

haha sorry for such a long PM, as you can tell Im really passionate about cars and modifying them. At the very least even if you decide its not a practical car for you, go test drive one. I dont think many people understand that it really is a great, cheap sports car.
 
So do you guys think it would be worth it for me to sell the Prelude and get one? At this point, I am looking for someone to either talk me down from the ledge, or encourage me to jump :scared:
 
We used to have an NA years ago and it never bothered me for a second what kind of power it (wasn't) making. A Miata is the sort of car that would still be fun to drive even if you pulled a plug out and drove it on 3 cylinders (ignoring for a second that it would run like crap, but you get the point).

I don't have a strong viewpoint one way or the other.

But have you thought about simply driving less?

If that is not a realistic alternative for you, I'd say there isn't a whole lot wrong with the idea of a nice NA. 👍 There are plenty of worse ways to save gas.

I'd say your biggest challenge isn't to convince yourself how to deal with the loss of your Prelude, but rather to get a fair price for it. The salvage title is going to be a huge barrier when negotiating and you will get low-balled constantly.


M
 
Power isn't everything. Unless you like drag racing.

Now, saying that, you could get a NA 1.8 miata that is clean. Drive it, enjoy it. Then, once you have more $$ to play with it, add a turbo. I have no problem with power anymore. :D Stock motor was putting down 250 to the rear wheels. Built one going in will be even better. Best yet? Though I do have to use premium, I get upper 20's in town, and about 30 hwy. If I can keep my foot out of it. You can boost an NB as well, of course.

Besides, I always find it better to start with a great handling platform, then add power, rather then a powerful platform, and try to make it handle.

Check out Miata.net, miataturbo.net, clubroadster.net....

I know where you can get a turbo Miata, with a built motor, and various other upgrades (not mine), for 7Kish. ;)
 
As far as the Miata goes, the one in question is a white 99 with around 75k miles on it. "Old lady driven"...
"Old ladies" rarely average 10,000 miles a year, even less in a convertible.

Its at a dealer (which could be good and bad) they have had it since like February. They are asking $7995 or something like that.
Talk 'em down if you really want it; three months on the lot, it's the "lot queen", and they know it. After 90 days, they'll want to catapult it, no matter what.

Are you really going to recoup the difference between the price hike in gas (let's be cautious/overly-realistic and say it goes to $5/gallon by the start of 2009) and the value of paying for another car? That's the real question; the difference between premium and regular-grade fuel is about a 20-to-30 cent span, so in roughly two months time, that really won't make a difference using today's figures. You may have to justify the insurance difference, since a Miata is a 2-seater versus a 2+2 (although fewer 16-to-25 year-olds buy Miatas than Preludes, historically). So figure that in, although it sounds like no net difference.

I've been doing the math myself, but gas would have to go to $6 a gallon in the US (check back to this post in mid-2010, perhaps?) for the switch of my paid-off car (which admittedly, has its minor mechanical issues) and a new Honda Fit would even become a better financial gain, once fuel economy, insurance differences, and monthly payments are considered. This is comparing a car that gets 18 mpg (my old GS) versus one that averages 30 mpg, based on my driving habits and maintenance costs.
 
Why don't you buy a cheap NA 1.8 and keep the 'Lude as well?

Judging by the prices of the NA and NB cars around here, there are a lot of lower mileage NA's going for almost the same price as NB's. Here are some examples. Please excuse the poor postings...

A 99 mileage not listed for $6999
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/car/674894027.html

A 93 with 112k for $4750
http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/car/673953362.html

Someone somewhere has their pricing messed up. I havent been able to find a decent condition NA for under 4 grand.

As far as buying and building for a turbo, I'm not the kind of guy who wants to do that. I dont have the time, patience, and I dont really know anything about turboing a car. I think that NA>Boost, but thats another topic. I'm kinda thinking that maybe I will keep looking for a cheap NA and keep the Prelude for awhile. Still on the fents with this one.....
 
What exactly are you getting in the Prelude as it is? About 30 MPG, give or take? You're really not going to average much better in a NA or NB Miata given the short ratios and the rather short rear-axle. I mean, it'll pull 30 MPG if you're driving conservatively, but you're likely looking at 25-27 MPG on most days. I seem to remember my Aunt Tenley telling me that with her '96 NA.

I'd say keep the Honda. Its a bit more "unique," and like M-Spec pointed out, the cost between switching them wouldn't be enough to make this any kind of money-saver. Drive the Prelude a little slower, a little less-hard, and you'll see mileage increase substantially. When I changed my habits in the Jetta I noticed it go up from about 26/27 to 28/29 pretty easily. I'd think a Honda could do better than that...
 
The Prelude gets 27 on the higher days. Usually average 24-26. I think the main problem is I drive a lot. Its more than 20 miles 1 way to the train station, and I go there 3 times a week. I also drive to work which is about 15 miles 1 way. I always thought the Prelude got good mileage but now that gas is going over $4 a gallon, its starting to make an impact on my wallet.

I have been VTECing less, but I have been shifting at around 4k and still getting average mileage.
 
Yeah, I understand. I've been having to fill-up the Camry which averages about 25 MPG. Thing is though, all of the trips I make are about 8-10 miles one way unless I visit family... Which is about 20 miles. We can usually go about two weeks on a tank, but certainly, I'm spending about an extra $30 a month now than what I did on the Jetta. Part of the reason why I'm thinking that Civic will be a good idea...
 
As far as buying and building for a turbo, I'm not the kind of guy who wants to do that. I dont have the time, patience, and I dont really know anything about turboing a car. I think that NA>Boost, but thats another topic. I'm kinda thinking that maybe I will keep looking for a cheap NA and keep the Prelude for awhile. Still on the fents with this one.....

NA on a Miata just ain't an option. I've driven one that's had IHE, a port and polish and chip-tuning. It's barely faster than a Corolla in a straight line. Probably much slower.

But then, Miatas simply aren't about power. The fun with a classic Miata is that you can have fun without going ridiculously quick.

But if gas is the only problem... motorbike?
 
NA on a Miata just ain't an option. I've driven one that's had IHE, a port and polish and chip-tuning. It's barely faster than a Corolla in a straight line. Probably much slower.

But then, Miatas simply aren't about power. The fun with a classic Miata is that you can have fun without going ridiculously quick.

But if gas is the only problem... motorbike?

Trust me, I of anyone know that you dont need buttloads of power to have fun, but for a daily driver, I am used to the Prelude and I dont like the idea of a huge power cut.

As far as the motorcycle thing, the thought has crossed my mind once or twice but I'm just not a bike guy, or enough of one to really want to get into the sport
 
Wouldn't it be possible for you to get a cheap econobox for work etc. while keeping the Prelude? I know you said you didn't want the drop in power for your DD, but if you still had the Prelude, would it matter as much?
I've got a POS daily driver to get to uni and work in, and, if anything, it makes me appreciate the Evo more every time I jump in. And saves me gas money.
 
Wouldn't it be possible for you to get a cheap econobox for work etc. while keeping the Prelude? I know you said you didn't want the drop in power for your DD, but if you still had the Prelude, would it matter as much?
I've got a POS daily driver to get to uni and work in, and, if anything, it makes me appreciate the Evo more every time I jump in. And saves me gas money.

Now there's a champion idea. I'd probably look for something small at around $2,000 or less. That way, you could also keep the 'lude. The primary problem is that you're adding another car to your insurance.
 
Now there's a champion idea. I'd probably look for something small at around $2,000 or less. That way, you could also keep the 'lude. The primary problem is that you're adding another car to your insurance.

But couple that with multi-car discounts and a dirt cheap insurance an the econobox, it should'nt add too much
 
Yeah. I have a $800 '95 318i for daily chores. Has a whooping 90hp. Not the prettiest, either. No sense in taking the nice car to work all the time.
 
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