Hi,

I'm very interested in purchasing a turbo 1999 miata I found on craigslist.

Here's the add...

1999 turbo Flyin' Miata

I also sent quite a few emails back and forth with the owner, he sent me extra pictures, and three movies of the car.

I noticed a rattle at idle, but I'm guessing it's from the level 2 flyin miata clutch.

Since you guys have way more experience with turbo miatas, please take a look at the add, and three videos, and tell me what you think. I asked the owner, and he did not go full throttle in any of the videos. He has only had the car for a few months, and hasn't gone full throttle, either, I guess it's his first turbo car, and he's scared, he said. This sort of worries me.

Here are the videos...








Thanks for your honesty and time,
Marcello

 

Oh, and I'd be driving it hard, attending instructed track days as much as possible.

I've been reading these cars have an incredible engine vibration, and manifold and turbo studs work themselves loose, and all sorts of things...

The flyin miata kit the car has seems to be an older one, has the solid intercooler pipes, would I need to switch all the studs to inconel, and safety wire stuff down?

 

Also, does anyone know if I'd be able to install a bike rack to a hitch with the flyin miata dual tip exhaust there?

--nvm, Flyin Miata sells a hitch that is compatable, and lightweight, nice!

 

I don't think you could go too wrong with that car. Only concern is why its been for sale for 2 months?

 

if the claim is true on the hp rating I am surprised the 5 speed hasn't gone.

Also, it is using LINK ecu management. Seems kind of dated/old.

 

Welcome to the site thumpetto007, thanks for joining up!

 

265whp and stock rods? Compression test that ish. I'd be impressed if they lasted 70k miles that way. If I remember correctly Vlad has his deform way before that [Power Level].

 

My thought is that it looks like a nicely sorted well cared for street car with none of the usual track mods recommended around here. At claimed power levels in a sorted track ready car I would expect inconel studs (which you noted), coolant reroute, 6 speed, real engine management, better suspension, different wheels and tires, and you're probably near the limits of the stock bottom end.

In the US you could likely get a slightly less pretty but much more track ready car for similar money, however, being in Canada I'm not sure how the market compares.

 

Where did you get Canada?

and no, you can't.

a 70k mile motor NB with a ball bearing turbo, some sort of non-raceland aftermarket suspension, name brand parts, and several other tasteful mods.

7500 is a more than fair price if the motor checks out and things are mechanically sound.

 

The craigslist ad says Vancouver, that's what had me thinking Canada. I agree that it's a fair price, I just got the impression the OP was looking for something that was more of a track rat and could likely find something less pretty but with some more track oriented prep for similar dollar, like this one that sold recently (https://www.miataturbo.net/cars-sale...8-500-a-83824/)

If OP is ready to put some additional dollars into track prep then this would appear to be a really solid starting point, although maybe running a bit less boost to keep from kaboom to the tranny/bottom end.

 

If it was tuned by FM then 265 is likely safe thanks to their "optimistic" dyno.

 

Hm interesting...

I'd be getting Fat Cat Motorsports Elite coils, almost no matter what miata I end up buying...

What about this one... built by one of the Flyin Miata guys

1999 Flyin Miata -CARB approved turbo

 

Looks like another nicely put together car. Roll bar doesn't look SCCA approved, if that matters. FCM would be a very nice upgrade over what those cars are running. Might want to think about your goals in a bit more detail. The two cars you linked are pretty different in capability (and cost) although they both look like very solid builds.

If you're serious about regular track work you should read through this thread: turbo reliability on the track. Realize that many of those guys are very fast, and are racing competitively so they are demanding more from their cars than the typical HPDE driver, but much of the advice still applies if you want to run reliably on the track.

 

^Thanks, I'll check it out

 

OP Where are you located?

That blue car was original advertised as having something like 60k miles on it. It went quickly, then came back up in the ad posted there with a more truthful explanation of the mileage.

It seems like a decent deal, but not a great one. You can buy a decent '99 for under $5,000, so for $2500 more you're getting a decent-but-old turbo system, old ECU, rollbar, exhaust, etc. A decent value, but a lot of that should be changed or at least freshened for track use.

Car sounds pretty good under acceleration though.

Where do you live?

 

I live in utah right now, but I'll be flying wherever to pickup the car and drive it back.

 

Thinking about it more, it's a much better deal than my white Miata was. I paid almost $8k for a 2000 with a rods-only built motor,China turbo, begi log and MS2e. Tear in soft top, no roll bar, raceland coils, needed a tune, open diff, sucky paint.

I think this car is way ahead of where that one was by the time I got it.

 

For reference I paid $8750 for this car last year: https://www.miataturbo.net/cars-sale...0-500-a-78093/

I've tracked it multiple times and haven't had to touch a thing. 220whp dyno tuned @12psi



I think the first car posted is a good starting platform for a track day car, but see if you can do better than $7500 on it. It's been for sale for 2 months, market talks right there.

 

Yeah, he was asking $9k originally but has come on down.

I'm not sure it's worth traveling out from Utah though, but that's just my thought.

Edit: i'd consider buying that turbo kit just posted for sale by Chiburbian in the classifieds, the ultimate spool kit, and putting it on a stock Miata yourself.

 

Depends on how often it pinged. My original motor did 83K at varying boost levels up to 260 at the wheels before I took it apart to build it, rods were fine.

--Ian