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-   -   Should I buy this car? (https://www.miataturbo.net/general-miata-chat-9/should-i-buy-car-94361/)

sixshooter 08-25-2017 06:49 AM

The most important pictures are always under the hood.

But the car looks nice. Probably worth $5500 around here depending upon actual modifications versus speculation. Obviously you are in a different market. If there are no other Miatas but that one then there are no other Miatas but that one.

You should consider buying a Miata elsewhere and shipping it to you. If I recall correctly, you can get a vehicle shipped from the east coast of the US to Bremerhaven for around $1500-2000.

Jimbo191 08-25-2017 07:47 AM


Originally Posted by sixshooter (Post 1435836)
The most important pictures are always under the hood.

But the car looks nice. Probably worth $5500 around here depending upon actual modifications versus speculation. Obviously you are in a different market. If there are no other Miatas but that one then there are no other Miatas but that one.

You should consider buying a Miata elsewhere and shipping it to you. If I recall correctly, you can get a vehicle shipped from the east coast of the US to Bremerhaven for around $1500-2000.


Yeah it does look nice- im getting a picture from under the hood to show you guys.

ryansmoneypit 08-25-2017 10:02 AM

still though, for 3-4K usd I think you can have a complete MK turbo kit. New stuff from this century. dont hold me to the price, go to the website and check it out.

shuiend 08-25-2017 10:32 AM


Originally Posted by ryansmoneypit (Post 1435865)
still though, for 3-4K usd I think you can have a complete MK turbo kit. New stuff from this century. dont hold me to the price, go to the website and check it out.

I don't ship out of the USA. It costs to damn much due the sizes of my boxes.

turbofan 08-25-2017 10:59 AM

I mean, OP, it looks like a clean car, but still, you're going to have a bad time with your current knowledge level. You need to do one of three things:
1. learn a LOT more about turbo Miatas before buying one that's already turbo'd
2. buy a stock one and mod it yourself so you will learn as you go
3. Be prepared to deal with headaches and setbacks and huge shop bills when issues inevitably come up, which will probably be with regularity. You could easily have a small fuel or timing component fail and not know what's wrong til an essential engine part decides it doesn't want to play anymore.

Jimbo191 08-25-2017 12:33 PM


Originally Posted by turbofan (Post 1435879)
I mean, OP, it looks like a clean car, but still, you're going to have a bad time with your current knowledge level. You need to do one of three things:
1. learn a LOT more about turbo Miatas before buying one that's already turbo'd
2. buy a stock one and mod it yourself so you will learn as you go
3. Be prepared to deal with headaches and setbacks and huge shop bills when issues inevitably come up, which will probably be with regularity. You could easily have a small fuel or timing component fail and not know what's wrong til an essential engine part decides it doesn't want to play anymore.


1. Im not sure how to learn more, its hard to read EVERYTHING and have nothing to compare it to in real life.
2. Seems like a thing that i would never do, i just want stuff to work so i can enjoy it.. - i would never turbo a stock one, just do minor things to it..
3. Is this a matter of knowing when things doesn't SOUND right, and catch it before something else goes wrong? I was told by the mechanic who build it, that if i weren't to use it everyday i wouldn't have to much trouble. But using it everyday i would have difficulties keeping it running as well, not knowing when stuff doesn't sound/feel right... As you say..

What to do :( Maybe i should never have tried the turbo car, and i would have loved a stock one?

Jimbo191 08-25-2017 12:36 PM


Originally Posted by ryansmoneypit (Post 1435865)
still though, for 3-4K usd I think you can have a complete MK turbo kit. New stuff from this century. dont hold me to the price, go to the website and check it out.

True true, They dont ship, But there is probably places in europe with the same kind of kits..
But you need to do suspension, LSD and all kinds of other stuff to go along with the turbo for it to stay together, and then it gets expensive!

Schroedinger 08-25-2017 12:38 PM


Originally Posted by turbofan (Post 1435879)
I mean, OP, it looks like a clean car, but still, you're going to have a bad time with your current knowledge level. You need to do one of three things:
1. learn a LOT more about turbo Miatas before buying one that's already turbo'd
2. buy a stock one and mod it yourself so you will learn as you go
3. Be prepared to deal with headaches and setbacks and huge shop bills when issues inevitably come up, which will probably be with regularity. You could easily have a small fuel or timing component fail and not know what's wrong til an essential engine part decides it doesn't want to play anymore.

I think buying this car would be an excellent way to learn about turbos and miatas. Lesson of a lifetime!

turbofan 08-25-2017 12:43 PM

If you don't want to learn, you have three options:

1. Buy something pre-built, and spend headaches and money to fix it when it breaks, hoping that you've placed your trust in the right mechanic.
2. Buy something and pay to have it built, spending tons of money along the way
3. Buy something that has the performance you want in its stock form. This car you're looking at probably performs maybe a bit better than a stock S2000 or Porsche Boxster. One of those in stock form may be more to your liking.

That's seriously it.

18psi 08-25-2017 12:47 PM

Let me get this straight:

You don't want to spend a lot of money
You don't want to work on the car
You don't really wanna learn

Honestly, why not just go buy a sports car and drive it?

*edit: Ed beat me to it

turbofan 08-25-2017 12:49 PM

:makeout:

mitymazda 08-25-2017 01:03 PM

Ah shucks if your dead set before you got here just buy it, what's the worst case scenario. I mean really what's the absolute worst case scenario?
Let me tell ya there's a '99 ae in the shop right now - very pretty - but as soon as you open the hood and see that dual injector setup flashbacks of the hot ex girlfriend who tried to stab me with a butter knife come rushing back. This car your looking at - much like my two examples - is likely a case where the bolt-on's don't make the machine worth the hassle. Close the hood slowly step back and walk away!

mitymazda 08-25-2017 01:04 PM

This coming from someone who doesn't even know what he doesn't know.

psyber_0ptix 08-25-2017 01:33 PM

Echoing all of the above....


If you want to learn, buy a stock car, and learn to maintain it on the bare minimum. Learn how to change your oil, repair bolt on parts etc. If you inherit a project, and things go wrong, you don't learn shit by taking it somewhere and throwing money into a shop to take care of it for you. You will have a more aggressive learning curve, become more frustrated, and overwhelmed when troubleshooting a basket case. You will end up blowing more money on the car, and be telling all the new kiddo's on the forum to just buy a stock car and go from there.

ryansmoneypit 08-25-2017 03:03 PM

A turbo car is not a good decision for you right now.

DNMakinson 08-25-2017 04:08 PM

Buy the car.
Break the diff.
Replace the diff.
Remove all of the turbo junk.
Then you will have an N/A NA for more money than an N/A NA that you just buy.

Car is pretty. To continue the girl analogy, it's like a hot chick that has VD and a bitchy attitude.

sixshooter 08-25-2017 04:44 PM

He said it has a 1.8 diff already.

I've changed my mind. You should buy it. You've got support and it will be a good learning experience and it looks like a clean car. I'm sure it's been well taken care of judging by the way it looks. You can modify it and improve it as time goes on as a part of your learning experience and things will continue to improve incrementally.

By the way, your English is better than that of my daughter who has lived in America all her life, albeit not with me (adopted).

The Driver 08-26-2017 12:55 AM


Originally Posted by DNMakinson (Post 1435961)
Buy the car.
Break the diff.
Replace the diff.
Remove all of the turbo junk.
Then you will have an N/A NA for more money than an N/A NA that you just buy.

Car is pretty. To continue the girl analogy, it's like a hot chick that has VD and a bitchy attitude.

A hot chick with VD (STI?) is completely doable with the appropriate protection... :naughty:

Jimbo191 08-27-2017 10:34 AM


Originally Posted by sixshooter (Post 1435967)
He said it has a 1.8 diff already.

I've changed my mind. You should buy it. You've got support and it will be a good learning experience and it looks like a clean car. I'm sure it's been well taken care of judging by the way it looks. You can modify it and improve it as time goes on as a part of your learning experience and things will continue to improve incrementally.

By the way, your English is better than that of my daughter who has lived in America all her life, albeit not with me (adopted).

Interesting, what made you change your mind? The looks of the car?
Thanks m8, i guess living in California for a while, and traveling quiet a bit, have improved my English.

So here are pictures of the engine bay, let me know what you think :)

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1a81bafdab.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...06d78c7eb4.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a96d413473.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1ce6ae8ed8.jpg

turbofan 08-27-2017 03:23 PM

Looks old. I don't like what I can see of the downpipe. Any pics of the turbo area? Looking down from above or showing the exhaust part of the turbo better?


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