Looked at a '99... almost ready to pull trigger.
 

Here's the Craigslist ad:
1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata Special (E119)

For the year, it's FULLY loaded minus ABS.
Soft-top in great shape w/glass+defroster.
Hard-top is pefect shape w/defroster.
Interior is 8/10 for wear/tear, but definitely good condition for a 10yr-old car.
Paint is 9.5/10. Trunk is spotless.

Front bumper, headlights, front fenders have been replaced. It was probably in a minor front-end collision. The Koyo was definitely in there before the accident. Respray and overall body-work indicates done by a professional who took his time. It's very well done.

117k miles. Engine bay is clean. Undercarriage is clean. Motor ran fine, tranny shifted good. No strange noises or smells.

Mods:
HardDog Double Diagonal
FM Front Sway
Stock Rear Sway w/Adjustable endlinks
KYB AGX 8-ways
K&N Typhoon intake
Koyo 55mm

It's been on their lot for about 2 months now. The dealership is clean and their inventory is all over the place. It's horse country, so everything from dually-diesels to Lancers

It's really everything I want except for being fully loaded. I think I might wait until the cows come home for a base model sport-package like I really want.

I was thinking of giving it a week, and offering them $6500... which after the hard-top resell leaves me at $5500. Whaddya all think?

Nice. pick up the 325i(s?? lies) E30 they have too.

clean car, but I would definitely not pay what they're asking for it. you can find ones with half that mileage for the same price IMO. your offer is a little on the low side but in this economy I would be surprised if they didnt at least come close with a counter.

don't sell the hardtop. I couldn't imagine owning a miata without one...especially if you go to the track. its great insurance so you don't chop your arms off in a rollover.

Sam, with a hardtop you'll never have to worry about the broomstick rule. Keep it.

If you can get it for $6500-7000 that would be a great deal. Looks good to me all around. Plenty of mods to sell things and get things you want instead.

I think you found your car, that was quick.

Hey Sam, I might be interested in selling my 99 if you are still looking.
I am located in VaBeach also and can be reached at MRoach2@cox.net .

he didnt buy it..
just pm him man

listing was taken down, no response from sam.....hmmm

confucious say: go to sleep with itchy ass, wake up with smelly finger

that's in San Diego i seen it very nice

It was a nice car, but I sat down with the wife (bad idea) and we started talking about my timeline and baby stuff. I'm gonna be out to sea for about 9 weeks of the next 6 monts... and then mid-July gone until after the New Year. It makes sense now to buy a Miata for the gas mileage advantage over my big Dodge truck, but it also means I've got no pressure to buy. I can't really give the turbo aspect the full attention it needs because of my 5-month old and other local attentions.

That car was great... too great it fact. I really want base-model sport package. There are a few around that I've seen, just not any in San Diego. I'm REALLY going to wait until the perfect car comes along. In the end, I don't think I'm going to find one without PS or AC... but those things come out easy... but all the power shit I would just hate myself if I bought a car with all that shit and forced myself to drive it because I couldn't just wait another few months.

So, I'm gonna keep buying parts as deals pop up and hopefully sometime in the next year, I'll find the perfect car, and I'll have acquired all the parts in the meantime.

I have so far:
AA Brakelines
AA Uber Clutch-line
550cc injectors
3.636 gears
949 Rods
Oil Pump gears

I'll just keep plucking away at the classifieds and group buys on the low-buck items as they come my way. It's taking my last ounce of conscience not to get in on the ACT buy. The wife would have my ass though.

FWIW.... I just turbo'd my 99'. It is a base model, but not the sport package. Has power windows, A/C, P/S, hardtop w/ defrost and headliner. It's not too nice IMO. I enjoy having the A/C more than anything. There are a lot of people here that bitch about not being able to defrost their windows and get them to unfog because they ditched the A/C. Just curious why you are so against having it. FWIW I dd this car.

Have you examined the front end damage and how extensive it was?

Front end damage was minor. Respray was done well. I wasn't the slightest bit worried about it.

I lived without AC in Virginia for 3 years... SoCal weather doesn't bother me. There's something about the purity of a sports car that you start to lose when you throw all that shit on it. I don't really know how to say it other than, a sports car shouldn't be all that comfortable. A lot of guys compare a hi-power Miata to a Cobra for it's soul. I just don't think power windows and AC belong on a Miata... just me though.

I use the AC for the defrost help and dont like to lean over to roll down the pax window. but that's just me.

I love power windows, and I looooove AC.

P/S I could live without, maybe(big maybe) power windows too, but if you get caught in the rain on a hot summers day, AC is a fantastic thing to have. I wouldnt trade AC for anything. The miata is too damn small, and the heat given off by the trans is too much during the summer if the top is up without AC on.

I went back and forth for weeks on that (for similar reasons, I gather) but in the end I folded like a cheap suit. The clutch is really only "optional" in the sense that turbocharging is optional. It will have to be done eventually, so you might as well save the money now. Granted, I might have refrained if I didn't think I could conceal the purchase among our higher-than-normal CC bills from the holidays. ;)

Sam, like you said, take your time. NB prices are dropping like rocks. Hell there is a 00 LS w/ 42k miles locally for 7k. I can only imagine what the upcoming months will bring on miata prices.

Me too but I had to ditch AC for the conversion. I would hate not having PW. I'm retaining PS too because the car will be a bit heavier up front, and sometimes I just want to easily maneuver around the parking lot of Walmart, picking up trailer park chicks.

Frank