Noob from Oklahoma
 

I've been lurking here for a while and I figured it was time to "de-noob" myself. I had a 1990 silver Miata in high school, but totaled it in a wreck shortly after I got it. My recent back ground in cars is Subarus.

Almost ten years later I feel the need to get another Miata. I've found one local that I am going to look at this week and I wanted to see what you guys thought. If it is a good deal, what to look out for, etc.

He said the motor was rebuilt at a Mazda dealership in Austin, TX. I'm assuming that if the motor has good compression and no other bad signs and it has already lasted 15,000 miles that it should be okay.

I appreciate any thoughts on the car/price.

Patrick

So what is the price of the car?

Sorry, I thought it was in the ad but it was only in the title. $3,900.

I would say go for it. That's a great price.

Pay the hour of labor to have it looked at by a third party knowledgeable shop if you are unsure of it's actual condition, or are unable to asses that yourself. Seventy five dollars up front might save you a lot more than that on the other end of the transaction. You might also call the dealership, give them the VIN, and ask for the service records to verify the rebuild.

Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to look at it this evening and I will report back with more information.

I'm comfortable with assessing a cars condition in general, but don't know about typical Miata issues or potential problems. For instance, Subarus tend to rust on the rear side of the rear wheel arches.

Looks like it will be a good project. Good luck! Silver ftw!

Just got back from test driving it. It drives well but I think that there is a front right wheel bearing issue. There was a speed related noise coming from the area. How hard would that be to change?

The top had two tears so it would need to be replaced. These run a few hundred dollars right?

It had typical dings and scratches for a ten year old car. I feel like the price is reasonable for the issues with the car. Now I just need to decide if it would be comfortable enough for me. I am 6'4" and 230lbs so its a tight fit.