145k miles, if i can get it for 3500 good deal? it is a glass rear window, he says it has a new clutch along with the other **** listed. no dents it looks like. gona look at it tomorrow morning. does this one have torsen diff possibly? i read that the leather package/power window miatas come with the torsen, am i wrong? what is the name of that color?

1996 MAZDA MIATA, 5-SPEED, FULL POWER, NEW TIRES, NEW TOP, MUST GO!!!

 

Yes it's a torsen car. Montego Blue with tan leather and originally had a tan top. I got mine just like it with a tan canvas/glass top for 3200 two and a half years ago w/118k, but mine didn't have the cup holder.

The new clutch will have to be changed for stronger when you go turbo but I guess it's good to have one in the meantime.

FWIW -Dealers are only giving about 1000-2000 for a good NA at the auctions. The rest of that sale price is profit. I bet you could get it for 3k if you worked them properly but you might do better on a private party sale. Mine came with a tan top boot which I have never used.

 

ill try to get it down, i know for sure im not paying more than 3500. at this point im just kinda tired of shopping around and want to jsut buy a clean good condition miata at a reasonable price. all the "deals" ive come across sell so fast i dont have time to go even look at them.

there are a few that are cheap around here but i wouldnt be comfortable in the car because they are all beat up or need a handful of work.

 

I paid 3500 for my 95 6 years ago with 105k.

 

That interior is very clean for a tan. If you like the color/style and the seats aren't hard yet, that's a good find. My black&tan's interior was shot last year, so I swapped it to all black, but when it was newer it was elegant.

Overall a very clean car, with a TorSen to boot. It also has the 7-spokes, which aren't daisies...enough said. They're decently light, and will do until you're well over 200whp as far as tires are concerned.

If I could have started out with a 1.8L car like this I would have been far, far ahead, and saved myself LOTS of work.


Just keep looking at that front corner with naked bumper showing and drive off happy at $3000-3200.

Good luck...and will be looking forward to the build!

 

MUCH better looking car. Look underneath to make sure it is a torsen before you commit

 

How are you going to be able to tell?

 

Visual-
Differential Spotters Guide

Physical-
Go up a really steep drive kind of sideways to get the car on two adjacent wheels Doing this slowly should bring the car to a halt. Now give the parking brake a click or three of pull (looking for some brake tension), then try it. If it walks up the drive, its a torsen. If it continues to spin, its an open

 

If you actually read that, again, you'll realize there's no way to visually spot a TorSen. Lot's of folks have made the mistake of assuming a rubber damper means a TorSen. While all TorSens do have a rubber damper, so do all the other standard transmission 1.8L diffs. Only automatic diffs don't have the damper, and autos didn't come with TorSens.

Reading comprehension and logic ftw.

Second test sounds like you're trying to unload one rear wheel, then load it with the brake to see if it continues to drive, meaning it's a TorSen. I've never tried it, but sounds very hard to replicate. Have you personally done this with success?

Best way, besides specific known TorSen models like this one, is to call Mazda with the VIN and ask.

He can already rest assured this one has a TorSen though. It's a good deal, and good platform to build a turbo car on.

 

I got schooled on the first part then.....

The actual test- I have to pull the parking brake to get into the gf's driveway unless I want the car sitting in the street all night. With the open it was no dice. I've parked in this spot, pulled the parking brake and gotten out to see how much clearance the car has under the tires. 2-3 inches underneath each corner

Another possible test- if it has the power- flat foot it around a corner. If the back end comes out, its a torsen...... my open would just light up the inside tire 100% of the time

 

I'd endorse this as good anecdotal evidence. We just don't have many of those types of driveways around here. Theoretically it's solid, but you how application and theory always work out...

 

If it doesn't have a torsen- I picked up my torsen diff for 200 or so, and bearings for another 65-70. Then I just put it into the auto housing on a free day.

 

I forget how much easier it is for you guys that already have a 7" diff. I still view a Torsen as an $800 difference since the 1.6L requires the full swap.

Still, less wrenching for the OP...

 

I am lucky my Dad's NB has a torsen. I can't wait for him to get rid of it so I can have his rearend, no homo.

Open diff+Turbo= AIDS.