Reverant

iTrader: (10)

Because Network Q RAC Rally.

TorqueZombie

iTrader: (6)

Grew up 4 wheeling. My dad grew up poorer than dirt and his dad owned a snowmobile/bike shop. So he grew up fixing stuff cause they were poor. Then I happened and we were poor and when I got big enough to hold a wrench I would help. In my early teens we picked up some dirtbikes on the cheap, lots of wrenching. After high school I traded my 4x4 for a '96 SE-R. Fell in love. Pre "Fast&Furious" days I went street racing. I worked in engine shops but was poor. I learned little tricks for HP. Earlier intake cams, gasket matching, tweaking a thing or two for free or a couple bucks added up after awhile. The how much can I get for cheap and smoke Honda's became a drug. An SR 240 I had got totaled by a tow truck driver and I lost about $10k in that and got a little sour on cars, so I went back to bikes. In a way their cheaper (well if all you have is a bike anyway). Got tired of getting stuck in the rain, carrying 100lbs of military gear on a bike, and missed my sporty cars. I picked up my '97 cause it cheap, fun, good gas mileage, and had a roof. All the maintentance stuff like clutches, brakes, suspension got swapped for better. One thing led to another. Found my turbo car for sale on what I though was a good deal. It's been a nightmare. However, for the price of a used NB, turbo stuff, forged motor, odds/ends, and little upgrades it's still cheaper than a new car payment/insurance.

Fun per dollar. I could do my entire dream build on an NB for less $ than anything fun that's new. The one thing I'll admit is owning/moddifying a Jeep, sportbike, and 2 Miatas can get irritating, especially on a back to college guy budget.

jacob300zx

Grew up around Triumph, MG, Porsche classics growing up. The Miata is a British car that doesn't break. Being able to spank newbs in high dollar cars at the track is hilarious. My family currently has 5 miata's...

rleete

iTrader: (21)

I've been wrenching on cars longer than many of you have been alive. Helped Dad do a brake job on an early 1960s Ford Falcon when I was 7 years old. A couple of years later, he watched while I did it myself on a later model. Ironically, I didn't have my first car until I was 18. Dad liked Studebakers, and parts were more then he could afford. We rebuilt everything, unlike today where you just slap on a new part.

Miata was a result of looking for a MG, Triumph or Austin to restore. Rustbelt means they are either "collector" cars, or completely shot. Miata was a compromise.

Oscar

iTrader: (2)

I got my license, was looking for a car and stumbled upon my current miata. It just happened to be a relatively rust free 94 1.8. Double win. I knew nothing about cars back then and I just realized 90% of my knowledge of cars and the things that make it work I got from MT.net.

flounder

My Dad bought a puke green, 68 ford galaxie 500 from an old widow way back in the early 90's. I was in middle school and already heavy into honda spree's(I bought, repaired and sold 15 of them by the time I was 16), I started helping my old man wrench on the Ford and found out I was pretty good at.

I love the miata, like most of you, for it's simplicity and neutral handling. This was my first miata and I bought it with the full intention of boosting it.

It was my foray back into fast cars after spending most of the last decade heavy into sportbikes. The wife said you have kids now, sell that damn crotchrocket!

Quality Control Bot

iTrader: (3)

I got into cars because I was originally learning to drive tractors. When I was younger I was on my families land and they would let me drive the Massey around, I loved it. Then the farm got a Honda Big Red, 3 wheeler and I loved the speed. At around 14 years old my grandfather let me drive his Dodge Daytona CS on the highway, it was so wicked! When I turned 18 I was lucky enough to get a Dodge Daytona Pacifica, it was so bad ***. After doing the big stereo with (4) 15's i gutted it and went to a super 60 setup on it. I once sat in a Miata.

skidude

iTrader: (3)

My dad always had a sports car. For 20 years it was MGBs, then he got tired of them always falling apart so he bought an old 911. When it came time for me to buy my first car, I had similar requirements: 2-seats, RWD, soft top, <$6k, enough trunk space to be a DD. That narrowed it down to NA miata (it was a few years ago), beat-to----- Z3, or MR2 if I could get over the trunk space issue. I went with the miata and have not regretted it.

leatherface24

iTrader: (10)

I cant believe I actually read every post.

My mother and father always had a casual interest in cars when I was growing up and that got me into them. In 89 when the Miata came out, I was 8 at the time and I knew then that one day Id own that car.

1993 rolled around and the FD came out. I wanted that more then the Miata. I went from a 74 VW beetle that was my first car and that I restored. Then to a dodge dakota and then in 02, since I couldnt afford an FD at the time, I got a new NB. I was hooked. I then got an FD and after that, went back to miatas and I am currently on number 8.

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

I grew up around cars and eventually ended up with a wrench in my hand. My father's business partner was an local race arena driver (before it closed) and he more or less took me under his wing.

He's had me doing everything from 454 rebuilds to brake jobs on his wife's car. Any time I have a question or run into an issue he's there to save me, but he also teaches me the correct way of doing it for next time.

Lately I've avoided working on the miata simply because I've become tired of working on cars/trucks at the moment. I'll always work on my own ---- though, so long as I have the space and the tools to do so.

I got the miata because a friend I worked at petco with had one that he used to let me drive. After just a couple of drives my mind was made up. Found one on eBay, bid, won and drove up to VT to drive it back home. That was back in '04.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

I started out with a 1978 MGB when I was 16. My first new car was a 1990 base model miata. I started hanging around guys that were into cars, so I started modifying it right away.

I later traded the 1990 Miata for the 95 that I still have today. I started modifying it, but blew the motor, so I parked the car in the barn so I could pursue my drag racing interest at the time. I moved up to nitrous burning Chevy and Ford small blocks, and did the usual local drag race events. It was good times.

However, I could not get over how much fun I had in the Miata. Even though it was not as fast, I loved the way the car felt and handled. I eventually pulled the car out of the barn and went to work. I still say that the Miata is the most fun car I ever had.

I have owned a front engine, rear drive, convertible, two seater, sports car since I was 16 years old. When they put me in my grave, I plan to have a front engine, rear drive, convertible, two seater, sports car.

ThatGuy85

iTrader: (4)

My obsession started with my bicycle when I was about 6. I had every add-on light, mirror, sticker, sounder and siren that I could find on that damn thing. The bike must have weighed an extra 20 pounds from all the ---- that I had on it. It was the best bike EVER!

When I was 16, I got my dad's daily driver 97 cavalier to drive. After learning that there was actually aftermarket support for cav's, my obsession with modifying them grew from there.

As for the miata, I found one on CL that was dirt cheap and I knew they were great tuner cars. Once I found this site however, I bought it the next day.

Business

I've always had a lot of interests, especially anything to do with mechanical engineering. My friend rebuilt an engine during high school (he was a ----- for the foxbody mustangs) and I would go over to not help, but just ask questions, lol. Always enjoyed racing games, too.

I didn't mod cars until I bought my first Mazda. Picked up my current Miata to save cash and learn what to do and what to look for with my next Miata.

chpmnsws6

iTrader: (12)

Nothing beats a Massey

TalkingPie

I've been interested in cars since I could walk. By the time I was six, I could name the majority of cars on the road. I lived and dreamed them, but my parents - my dad, a Swiss-trained machinist who could fix nearly anything but cared nothing about cars and bought new American junk like it was disposable (which it was), in particular - did all they could to discourage it. By the time I was 14, I had about 50 model cars; I started building them (poorly) when I was 7 or 8.

In the meantime I turned my focus toward a wheeled toy I could get my hands on: bicycles. I saved my pennies and bought a basic one when I was 12. Within 2 years it was worn out because I rode it too hard. At 14 I bought a much nicer Rocky Mountain hardtail - they were still a small near-boutique brand at the time - rode it all the time and got pretty good, but parents never wanted to drive me out to any races. By 15 I'd gotten myself a part-time job at a bicycle shop.

My 16th birthday present from my parents was permission to get my driver's lisence. I paid for it myself. At 18 I bought my first car, a '92 Jetta 2 door, which I loved and drove for 5 years and 50,000 miles. Lots of memories - though I didn't have the confidence, tools, or parental permission to work on it in the driveway - and I shed a tear when I sold it before leaving to work and travel in Europe after finishing a 15 month auto mechanic diploma, which succeeded a failed attempt at mechanical engineering.

Along the way a friend showed me that my performance dollar went further with motorcycles. I had an '89 Ninja 600 which I bought for $1300 and rode for 2 years and 10,000 miles. Later I had a '97 Suzuki TL1000S (nickname given by the moto press: "The Widowmaker"), which I finally traded on my first vehicle that was less than 10 years old: a leftover 0-mile '09 Honda VFR with hard bags. Beautiful bike. Unfortunately, on my first ride of the season last year, I swerved a bit too hard getting a feel for things after the winter, lowsided at 45 MPH and put it into a ditch. Total write-off. Wish I'd put on my full leathers before "just taking it for a spin."

I was already shopping for a quicker bike when concerns from friends and family made me rethink things. My desire to go quick and push the traction limits were eventually going to get me killed, so I decided to consider something that would be fun at lower speeds, at least until I had the shekels for a dedicated track bitch. I'd known and respected the Miata for a long time, and having briefly driven an NA at a former valet job, I knew I'd love the feel. I had also just recently started working as a flight attendant, so doing something even more gay pas perfectly expected. I knew they were very accessible to DIY and tinker with, which is something I liked with my bikes, too. After a few NB test drives, I had my second car.

I don't regret the decision, but I'll never forget the thrill of going to work, school, or just cruising with a girl on the back with the bikes. The Miata is awesome in its own way, but there is nowhere near the sense of occasion of getting geared up, fiddling with the choke and then watching the needle crest 10,000 RPM while the front wheel got light.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

I need a tractor. For real.

They're so darn expensive.

Stein

iTrader: (46)

double post

Stein

iTrader: (46)

nvm

It's late. I'll fill in tomorrow.

turotufas

iTrader: (7)

Because racecar AND

When I was young my dad's-boss's-stepdaughter was killed in an accident. I was told the car lost brakes and the driver panicked. We loved that girl and I swore that would never happen to me. I was reminded about that after an incident this past weekend. My dad said he was proud of my car control.

Miata because RWD/100hp sounded better than RWD/300hp to my dad.

----! That answers why I have one. I like it because its the Datsun Roadster I never had.

Splitime

iTrader: (24)

Bought a 92 civic, took it apart because I was curious how it worked. Had never changed oil on a car and did a headswap/exhaust/intake manifold/intake/ecu swap the week before I had to drive across the country. It worked fine.

Ever since I've been tinkering to make the cars faster, more nimble, lighter etc... I like to wrench and go fast.

Miata just came along as a deal and looked like a fun new platform to explore, so I did.