hi, firstly, great site, im looking forward to getting sore eyes from reading and reading.

i dont have a miata (or mx5 as we call them here in aus) yet but give me a week or so.

i thiught it better to get an idea of what i want before i through down the money so i hope you can give me some direction.

im not sure yet if i will add a turbo yet until ive researched it better but feel free to convince me. i had a datsun 1600 p510 sr20 turbo and i loved it so im def not anti turbo but issues such as fuel consumtion registration and insurance will ultimatly guide my hand.

the cars i am considering are:


1989 with tein coilovers, lsd, pod filter 156 000 kms $9,500

1993 new timing belt, clutch $8,600

2000 fsh rust and sound proofed 94,000 kms $16,000

i like the look of the nb, the 89na has some nice gear but you dont fit that gear and then not thrash it, and the 93 seams a steal at that price
(in au$ btw)
any thoughts? cheers sen.

 

I would go for as close to factory as possible, but maybe thats just me. I would also rather have an NA over the NB. Turbo can be decided later, but go for a good platform to build upon. Get the best condition car you can afford, you will thank yourself later.

 

i have to agree with the buy stock credo
any reason why na over nb?
thanks

 

lighter, cheaper.

 

I bought mine with alot of aftermarket parts. $$$$ saved. But I know when a car is good or bad.

It had 144,000 miles and runs great. I have driven a few thousand with the turbo with no engine problems. It runs great!!!!
It all comes down to how well the car runs. And how much total you want in your project budget!
Newer is sometimes better. But not always.Especially when you are talking 9-20 yrs old. You have to test each out! I've seen 3yr old cars junk, and my brother bought a 65 chevy truck original with a 327 double hump heads, and drove it to California.

I knew my car had been raced, but well maintained. Which in my opinion, sometimes is alot better than a car that everything is about to swarm.

Make sure it has very nice interior.

Good Luck!

 

hard to gethold of the owners in holiday season for a test drive but when i do ill have a much better idea.
thanks

 

Along with the NAs being lighter and cheaper, IMO the NBs feel too refined, not necessarily a bad thing depending on what you're looking for, but I like the feel of the NA better.
Out of the three you have listed, I'd be looking at the '93 and checking it thoroughly. It also has the benefit of having the stronger crank for the 1.6L.
IDK what your registration and insurance regulations are, here my car is registered and insured as a typical Miata and I have no issues (it's not considered a turbo car unless that's the way the VIN reports back), but it may be more strict there. As far as fuel consumption goes, if you have a properly tuned car and you're not flooring it everywhere you go, fuel consumption should not drop. When I cruise in my car, my fuel economy actually improves.