Thanks you guys (Lanny, Leon in particular) for suggestions a couple of
months ago about my irregular tire wear and alignment.

Here's a follow-up.

Last tires were Falken Ziex ZE512 185/60-14's and I had characterized these
tires as "Godawful".  Rear tires were worn evenly, but heavily (about 12K
miles on the tires, past the wear indicators), rear left worn much more than
the right, front tires worn severely on the outside edges and front right
tire worn on the inside edge as well, but nearly zero wear in the center.  I
didn't rotate the tires ever mostly because I wanted them to wear out quick
so I would have an excuse for some new ones.

Handling was good in terms of grip but easily understeered mostly in right
turns and had snap oversteer either on throttle or lift throttle.  In a
steady corner it would grip fine and drift controllably as long as you
didn't get iffy with the gas pedal.  Turn in was terrible and it felt like
marshmallow tires.

Turns out it probably wasn't the tires' fault completely.

New tires put on yesterday, Toyo Proxes T1-S 195/55-14, adjusted to 32psi.

When I left the tire shop, the car felt awful.  Very mushy rear end and the
turn in was WORSE than with the Falken tires.  I was about to get really
really mad.  $400 worth of tires, NO IMPROVEMENT over the crap tires in turn
in or response!!!  Cornering grip is awesome though.  But it was slow to
react.  Like you'd turn in and it would initially understeer and you'd feel
the rear end wallow around and settle, then once into the corner it would
begin to tighten up and grip like mad.  Basically initial understeer and
turning to grip inside the corner, eventually oversteering slightly if you
didn't correct.  Does that make sense?  But I did do a 90-degree turn onto a
cross street at 40+mph without a squawk.

OK, so this morning I went for the alignment.  Anyone want to make bets on
what the original specs were?

                Left         Right
Front  Camber   -0.7         -1.2
       Caster    5.0          4.8
       Toe      0.14 OUT     0.14 OUT

Rear   Camber   -0.9         -1.8
       Toe      0.1 IN       0.05 IN

Ha...  they said "it's in spec", where spec = all of my specs +/- one whole
degree, and then began to lower the car from the machine.  I pitched a fit,
insisted that I had arranged for a custom-spec alignment and I wasn't
leaving until I had one and they sent out a different tech who did it right:

                Left         Right
Front  Camber   -0.6         -1.2   MAXED NEG. BOTH SIDES
       Caster    5.0          4.8
       Toe      0.07 IN      0.05 IN

Rear   Camber   -1.7         -1.7
       Toe      0.06 IN      0.07 IN

This was with ballast in the driver's seat.

OK, so now...  ahh this is much better!!  No real report yet on fast
cornering but I can tell you the turn in is worlds better and it doesn't
have that pillowy feel in the rear end any more.  Seems to steer easier and
bite much quicker in low speed turns.  I think the kicker was toe in on the
front!!

So I'm a happy Miata owner again.  Any comments on my final alignment specs?

Thanks again for the advice.

Oh, and FWIW Lanny, I took your alignment specs with me and boy did they
argue with me about it.  The tech (of course) claimed to be an expert on
Miata alignments and blah blah race car blah blah autocross blah blah you're
not going to like the way this car drives, you're going to eat tires, you
don't know what you're doing, I'll do it your way but it's your funeral kind
of thing.  I was steadfast and reminded them I was the customer and they
finally did it right, but not without plenty of commentary.  Anyone know of
a shop in Austin who will just do it right without all the fuss?

See ya-