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Car Forum / Mazda / Mazda Miata / September 2004Advice on buying new MazdaSpeed or modifying 93'
I have a black and tan 93' with about 100k on the odometer. I've loved having it for the last three years and have toured the country with it every summer--about 25k's worth of driving. It's pretty loaded, PS, PW, CC, PM, AC, etc. though I don't really use AC much and don't really care about power steering. However, there are the usual annoyances: the paint's getting a bit old especially on the nose cone, a few rattles that there weren't before, the alarm wiring needs to be traced for an intermittent short. But enough. A local dealer has a few turbo MazdaSpeeds on sale this weekend for around $22K out the door. I drove one and just loved it. It has the same tight handling mine does, maybe even a bit tighter, and the power difference is more than obvious obviousl My biggest problem is parking on the street in a semi-residential area of a big city So we're talking $5k to fix up the older car and $20k plus $500 more a year in insurance and registration for the new one. Questions: How much more power would turbo/supercharging give my 93'? It's a pretty tight handler but there are definitely times on the highway and in the mountains that I'd love the turbo. What's up for 2005? I've heard the Miata as such will be transforming into something similar but with a stowaway hardtop. I could really care less about that. What part can you [easily] pull from the engine compartment for a MaxdaSpeed to make sure no one can steal it with anything other than a tow truck? How stealable are Miata's these days? What would you do? Feel free to have fun with this... ;-) JJ > What part can you [easily] pull from the engine compartment for a > MaxdaSpeed to make sure no one can steal it with anything other than a > tow truck? The fuel injection relay would work pretty well. Or the main fuse. > How stealable are Miata's these days? Any ragtop is easy. But Miatas aren't popular targets for much beyond aftermarket radio theft. Those 17" wheels might look good on some punk's Civic, though. I'd sell them and buy some lighter 15s that fit the big brakes. > What would you do? If you're really bored with your '93 (be honest with yourself, that's what it sounds like to me), $22k seems a decent price for a MSM. Personally, I'm in no hurry to get rid of my '94, which has more miles, and probably more rattles, than your car. Rattles can be fixed, paint can be restored. The alarm should be ripped out entirely.  SignatureLanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA '94C the alignment page: http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html Wow, quick reply. Thanks. I was of the same opinion till I drove the MSM--I test drove a 2001 LS just before it and didn't like it. The wheels are what I'm most worried about. Parking dings and slashed tops are just city life--if a big pain in the butt. JJ >> What part can you [easily] pull from the engine compartment for a >> MaxdaSpeed to make sure no one can steal it with anything other than a [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >and probably more rattles, than your car. Rattles can be fixed, paint >can be restored. The alarm should be ripped out entirely. > Wow, quick reply. Thanks. I was of the same opinion till I drove the > MSM--I test drove a 2001 LS just before it and didn't like it. The > wheels are what I'm most worried about. Parking dings and slashed tops > are just city life--if a big pain in the butt. Slashed tops have no place in "city life". Were that this were true. In my neighborhood I've had them slashed twice. Probably by the same halfway house idiot who didn't check to see if the car was open the first time. Every convertible for 5 or six blocks was slashed. If I didn't adopt that attitude, I would probably be doing time for going postal at the local drug rehab. ;-) jj >> Wow, quick reply. Thanks. I was of the same opinion till I drove the >> MSM--I test drove a 2001 LS just before it and didn't like it. The >> wheels are what I'm most worried about. Parking dings and slashed tops >> are just city life--if a big pain in the butt. > >Slashed tops have no place in "city life". > I have a black and tan 93' with about 100k on the odometer. I've loved > having it for the last three years and have toured the country with it [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > pretty tight handler but there are definitely times on the highway and > in the mountains that I'd love the turbo. Enough to make a difference. > What's up for 2005? I've heard the Miata as such will be transforming > into something similar but with a stowaway hardtop. I could really > care less about that. There are some spy photos floating around in car magazines and on the web. So far it looks very much like a regular Miata with the front end of an RX-8. Truly ugly and probably not the final design. The general belief is that it'll be a bit larger and heavier. > How stealable are Miata's these days? My searches of Ebay, local classifieds and whatnot have shown people ask $3000 to $9500 for pre-1999 models, depending on condition and options. What you or they get, and how quickly it sells, will vary. > What would you do? Any money you put into the older car should be regarded as lost. People are reluctant to pay over blue-book because they won't know how to service any off-brand turbo or supercharging kits. Furthermore, they may assume you drove the car hard. Finally, the Miata is so common that they are not likely to become pricey collectables any time soon. Of course you'll lose the same money to depreciation on a new one. It sounds like you are going to use any car pretty heavily so the mileage will accelerate depreciation on a new one and it'll get dinged up pretty fast. If you are comfortable with the current car I'd be tempted to try a kit. -John > > How stealable are Miata's these days? > > My searches of Ebay, local classifieds and whatnot have shown people ask > $3000 to $9500 for pre-1999 models, depending on condition and options. > What you or they get, and how quickly it sells, will vary. Doh! Misread stealable as saleable... -John Thanks for both responses. Just discovered there's no cruise control on the MSM, something I use very heavily--now that I realized that mine actually works! JJ >> > How stealable are Miata's these days? >> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >-John >Thanks for both responses. Just discovered there's no cruise control >on the MSM, You can get cruise control on eBay or JC Whitney etc just shop around...Larry Yup, but I'm curious as to why they didn't offer it and if there may be a reason, such as lack of room under the hood or some such that makes it difficult to implement. jj >>Thanks for both responses. Just discovered there's no cruise control >>on the MSM, > >You can get cruise control on eBay or JC Whitney etc just shop around...Larry > Yup, but I'm curious as to why they didn't offer it and if there may > be a reason, such as lack of room under the hood or some such that > makes it difficult to implement. I have to look at the engine compartment photo from the MSM in one of my magazines to see if there's something where the cruise control diaphram normally is. It's slightly in the way for my JRSC installation. BTW, the MSM is a hell of a deal compared to buying an SE and dolling it up comparably. Dana > I have a black and tan 93' with about 100k on the odometer. I've loved > having it for the last three years and have toured the country with it [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > JJ I traded my '99 for the Mazdaspeed,and love it;and I paid about $25k for it. George Signature"From the home of the: Super Bowl XXXVIII Champions, 2003 AFCE Champions Super Bowl XXXVI Champions New England Patriots" "Bingo! We win again!" - Troy Brown ''Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls Welcome to Fenway Park" Yeah, the test drive was a gas. If I weren't in the city I would've walked out with one. I'm still considering it. Jon >> I have a black and tan 93' with about 100k on the odometer. I've loved >> having it for the last three years and have toured the country with it [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >it. >George Hey, Man, I can relate.... I too own a really nice 93 B. Black and Tan (130k) and as much as I love it....... the MS turbo is soooo sweet! You got allot of good input (above) I'll be interested to see what you do, let us know for sure! As for me, if I could afford it, well......... I'd be posting the same inquiry you did I guess! Difference being, mine is a recreational vehicle stored in a garage (easier to protect and keep nice but harder to justify the cost). Oh, the $22k version is cloth or leather? Good luck, Chris > Yeah, the test drive was a gas. If I weren't in the city I would've > walked out with one. I'm still considering it. [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > >it. > >George Cloth, but with the number of MS's still sitting on the lots around here today, I'm going to try for 20K out the door. Jon >Hey, > [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] >> >it. >> >George |
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