hey baic,


need a little help. i know a lot of you guys drive miatas here whether it's track/dd/weekend warrior. I'm trying to look into helping my gf find a cheap beater, and was originally thinking about getting her a honda civic. But from what i can see, the miata's seem to be in the relative price range as well (sub 3000). Must have clean title. What should i look into in terms of known problems when checking out these cars?



here's the criteria:

clean title,
mileage (how long are the motors able to last with proper maint. ?)
manual or stick, doesn't matter, i will teach her how to drive manual after she gets it home.
<3000 dollars.




i could definitely use some help in search for a daily beater for her. not to mention it'll probably be easier for her to park this tiny thing around sf.


thanks.

 

Hardtop yumm

 

get the 94+ 1.8L Miata. The 1.6L have this thing with the short nose crank, which I hear makes the car run like a snail.

 

just get her a corolla

 

i was in the same boat you are in...my friends sister needed a car, i told her to get a miata...she found a nice one, i test drove it and drifted a couple onramps to prove it had a nice rear end...a few months later she drives drunk and oversteers into a freeway wall at the exit of a 270' onramp.

FWD was invented for wom...i mean crappy drivers

maybe find a miata with an open rear end so oversteering isnt as easy?

 

lol. well she wont be driving drunk, and it's just her grocery getter.



i'm not sure, still all up in the air for now

 

All the answers you need should be here:

www.miata.net

Good luck ! There are a lot on CL. Prices tend to go up at this time of the year though because of it being a convertible.
As to the shortnose crank problem, read this and take note of the last 5-digits of the VIN on the Miatas you look at:

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

 

my 95 will be for sale, red, newer top glass window, dented but straighted front 1/4 and rear 1/4 not visable from 20 feet away.

I need to put a radiator in it still.

Rear end drifts, i dont know what VLSD TSLD yada yada means but it drifts! viscous torsen whatever one of the two
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6ClLGMVSIA

prob start it at $3500?

 

'95 is a torsen if you have an LSD

 

It's still hard to find a 94+ 1.8L Miata for under $3k, so go with an older one. As 2cam said, the 90 and early 91 Miatas are the only ones with the shortnose crank problem, but check the VIN or the actual crank of any potentials. If possible, find one that has recently had its timing belt, water pump, etc., done as that can be an expensive fix or a long weekend doing it yourself. They need to be done every 60k, but it's a $100 in parts if you DIY.

That said, I found my 91 Miata a year ago for $2k, with a hardtop, 130k miles and destroyed paint. I've since done DIY paint and timing belt, and now it's my 30 mpg daily driver. Wouldn't trade it for anything in the same price range.

 

shed prob prefer a civic or something. miatas are loud (esp with soft tops) and have a bumpy ride. i doubt she'd want that.

 

I just bought a 94' R package with 94k for 1200 bucks

 

wtf how where SHARE

 

Wow, that is the smokinest deal ever, congrats! Any issues with the body or drivetrain? Want to sell me your Bilsteins? Seriously

 

Yeah, I will sell 'em. Want the R package wheels too? hah...