miataturbo.net-like debauchery thread (about the ND or something)
08-28-2015, 03:52 PM
#1643
That's believable. Standard trick for us city folk when a new performance or niche car hits the showrooms is to head out into the sticks and find a small dealer with that car. Often, they know they'll never sell it at sticker, let alone a markup so they let it go quick for a bit below sticker.
When the NA first hit back in '90, dealers weer gouging $3-5K over sticker. A friend went out into the desert, got his base package car under sticker the week they hit the dealers.
I tried that myself, searching a 500 mile radius. The result? No manuals. Not one. I found a manual and the dealer up the street, didn't haggle, dealer didn't mark it up and I consider that fortuitous.
When the NA first hit back in '90, dealers weer gouging $3-5K over sticker. A friend went out into the desert, got his base package car under sticker the week they hit the dealers.
I tried that myself, searching a 500 mile radius. The result? No manuals. Not one. I found a manual and the dealer up the street, didn't haggle, dealer didn't mark it up and I consider that fortuitous.
Donno why they'd want two if they can't sell one, but whatever. I doubt miata are that similar, but the dealer here in my town has none at all...
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08-28-2015, 05:06 PM
#1645
Boost Pope
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And one of the few which are still firmly protected by state laws. Tesla tried to break that monopoly, and has so far seen little success. And for any existing OEM, transitioning to a direct-sale model would be quite difficult, requiring an enormous outlay of cash virtually overnight. At present, there's very little incentive for OEMs to change the franchise model, particularly given that dealerships remains the predominant outlet for service and repair of newer cars, a business which OEMs want nothing to do with.
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08-28-2015, 05:41 PM
#1646
Supporting Vendor
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<p>^this.</p><p>It's not just the dealers that want to stick around. The manufacturers want the dealers to stick around.</p><p>Me... well, if they changed the dealer scheme I'd have to find a new job. Which sounds fantastic.</p>
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08-29-2015, 01:07 AM
#1647
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A friend of mine said he went to a bay area dealer today and they had a bunch of manuals in stock, so perhaps that shortage is over?
--Ian
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08-29-2015, 09:33 AM
#1649
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Big news of the day -
I can now confirm that both models of the Blackbird Fabworx bars for the ND are going to be SCCA Legal!
Yep, including the street oriented setup which keeps the soft top.
For those who are not in the know, making an SCCA legal bar that will allow the Z fold top to to come down all the way is VERY tricky.
Very happy about that
I can now confirm that both models of the Blackbird Fabworx bars for the ND are going to be SCCA Legal!
Yep, including the street oriented setup which keeps the soft top.
For those who are not in the know, making an SCCA legal bar that will allow the Z fold top to to come down all the way is VERY tricky.
Very happy about that
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08-29-2015, 04:02 PM
#1650
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Melissa, TX
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I stopped by the dealer today to try one on for size. I fit!, I would say its about the same fit as a NA with a foamectomy that removes all of the bottom "hump" My head has about an inch of clearance to the softtop, the same as in the NA. For reference I am 6'5" with a 38" inseam, 36" waist, 200lbs
Leg wise its about the same as any car, my knees are behind/to the sides of the steering wheel. The movable steering wheel does wonders.
Good thing they didn't have any sport manuals or I might have been tempted to do something impulsive.
Leg wise its about the same as any car, my knees are behind/to the sides of the steering wheel. The movable steering wheel does wonders.
Good thing they didn't have any sport manuals or I might have been tempted to do something impulsive.
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08-29-2015, 08:54 PM
#1653
SADFab Destructive Testing Engineer
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6'1". 34 waist. 34-30 are too damn hard to find, so I tear up the bottom of all my 34-32 jeans. I felt higher up in the ND than I do in my NA. But much better than a stock NA. I did feel like I was starring at the sun visors all the time.
<br />
<br />My NA is an aluminum seat bolted to the floor with the humps removed.
<br />
<br />My NA is an aluminum seat bolted to the floor with the humps removed.
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08-30-2015, 01:21 PM
#1654
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Big news of the day -
I can now confirm that both models of the Blackbird Fabworx bars for the ND are going to be SCCA Legal!
Yep, including the street oriented setup which keeps the soft top.
For those who are not in the know, making an SCCA legal bar that will allow the Z fold top to to come down all the way is VERY tricky.
Very happy about that
I can now confirm that both models of the Blackbird Fabworx bars for the ND are going to be SCCA Legal!
Yep, including the street oriented setup which keeps the soft top.
For those who are not in the know, making an SCCA legal bar that will allow the Z fold top to to come down all the way is VERY tricky.
Very happy about that
When I figured out the last detail I was jumping up and down in the shop and doing my best air guitars that are saved for moments like these
Given that we are making it soft top compatible it is still size limited to what the soft top can fit in it, but it's a bit taller and a bit wider at the top than the OEM hoop structure, has an integrated harness bar AND is SCCA legal.
Another cool thing about it is that I'm fairly sure we can apply the same treatment to the NC.
Everyone else failed at making an SCCA legal bar for the car and we just have never tried it before, just went straight to the deep end of track oriented setup.
This may very well become a new product for the NC market as well, a soft top compatible SCCA legal roll bar
With the ND being a new car, I know that amount of people that will be willing to rip out the brand new interior to go for track setup is very slim.
That's why we started with the street setup.
But, a second ND is coming from 949 Racing and being dropped off at the shop tomorrow for the GT3 prototyping and we've already figured out a bunch of stuff for it while working on the street setup, so stay tuned, that fuzzy feeling in your lower region will only get stiffer
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08-31-2015, 01:27 PM
#1659
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You have no idea man...
When I figured out the last detail I was jumping up and down in the shop and doing my best air guitars that are saved for moments like these
Given that we are making it soft top compatible it is still size limited to what the soft top can fit in it, but it's a bit taller and a bit wider at the top than the OEM hoop structure, has an integrated harness bar AND is SCCA legal.
With the ND being a new car, I know that amount of people that will be willing to rip out the brand new interior to go for track setup is very slim.
That's why we started with the street setup.
When I figured out the last detail I was jumping up and down in the shop and doing my best air guitars that are saved for moments like these
Given that we are making it soft top compatible it is still size limited to what the soft top can fit in it, but it's a bit taller and a bit wider at the top than the OEM hoop structure, has an integrated harness bar AND is SCCA legal.
With the ND being a new car, I know that amount of people that will be willing to rip out the brand new interior to go for track setup is very slim.
That's why we started with the street setup.
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