Mazda Miata
Submitted by Chuck Lynch
I didn't find this car, it found me. I could never have located one like it, they are too rare. But about three years ago a little cash came my way, and with the big 5-0 right on the horizon it was time to find something sporty, small, and red. The final three choices came down to a new Mustang, Acura RSX, or MX-5 Miata. All red.
Time to go a-lookin'. Our local Blue Oval Ford dealer told me that unless I was ready to buy their car that day, they did not have time to talk to me. The last red RSX our Acura dealer would ever have had 400 miles on it, which I consider to be a demo, and they would not deal. And the Mazda dealer also thought highly of their cars; I simply would not pay $30,000 for a Miata.
Off to the classifieds and other used car sources. I was rethinking the red theme, too. Did I really want to attract that much attention? Then I saw one on the road ... a dark metallic green Miata, a few years old. Classy, I thought. When I picked up a local events paper and scanned the used-car listings, there it was--a green Miata with a six-speed. It had low miles (33,000) and was in good shape. The price was good, too.
The next day, I gave the owners a call. Trekking into Nashville is never fun--the town has grown, but the roads haven't. I finally found their house, right in the flight path of the airport, and the guy was more than honest about the car. He showed me every minute scratch he knew of, said his girlfriend needed a larger car for traffic (I agreed totally), and we came to a quick agreement over the price. The next day, he even personally delivered the car to my house, nearly 45 minutes away. I didn't know exactly what the car was when I bought it, and he obviously didn't know what he had either.
It is a 2001 Miata MX-5 SE (Special Edition), Number 1,610 of 3,000
made. As far as Miatas go, this thing is loaded! British Racing Green,
fender badges, tan leather seats, tan floor mats with BRG 'Miata
Special Edition' embroidery, 6-speed transmission, air conditioning,
power steering, power brakes, power windows, cruise control, Bose
AM/FM/Single CD, power antenna, power mirrors, remote entry and trunk
release, fog lights, wind blocker, cargo net, rear defroster, 16'
polished aluminum wheels, NARDI wood steering wheel, shifter knob, and
hand brake lever, plastic wood dash trim, 2 cup holders (can't get
along without cupholders!), and a larger polished exhaust tip. As far
as I know, it's only lacking two options: ABS and a cassette player; I
prefer the dash storage bin over a cassette player.
To date, 26 months later, I've put 9,000 miles on the SE. I've done
a few cosmetic repairs, as it would have been in better shape had I
bought it new. A new lower driver's seat cover ($250) from Mazda looks
much better than what came with the car; I'm not a fan of the longevity
of leather seats. There are some nice aftermarket parts available, so I
added console/interior lights, a trunk light, and side marker lights in
the red quarter panel reflectors. I hope the top lasts another couple
of years, there's a tiny ping in the hood, and the windshield is
showing some small chips. Other than that, the car is in pretty good
shape going on eight years old.
After
having the car for nearly a year, I turned a corner at a red light one
night, and all of a sudden, the interior of the car was filled with an
eerie green glow. Seems one of the previous owners had decided green
neon lighting looked cool with the tan trim (It does not), and the
system, once broken, had fixed itself for no apparent reason. Needless
to say, all remnants of the lighting were removed the next day,
restoring the car to its deserved level of dignity.
I get tempted to sell from time to time to trade, but I know I would
always regret turning this car loose. It's special, it found me, and it
has a good home. Like a good pet, it doesn't eat much, is always
faithful, never leaves a mess, and is, ahem, rather cute. Oh, by the
way, I looked up the value of the car recently--it's worth $25 more
than I gave for it.
--Chuck Lynch
rob on November 07, 2008 at 09:48 AM
I am definitely not opposed to changing the seats.
I know for a fact that the Porsche 924/944/968 seat assembly with the sliders included no less is only 5 os so inches from mounting surface to butt surface. That might be an option.
As to the weight issue, I will check out miata.net.
Thanks to you guys, I may be shopping for another DD.
AlaskaBrant on November 07, 2008 at 04:48 PM
Love the article, love the car, and wanted the British green one as soon as I saw it.
Car as a pet. I get that. I can hardly let go of any car I have had, except that 88 Ford Bronco (in 2004). Living in Alaska, we gave up on the Ford Mustang convert, Toyota MR2 Spyder and Saturn Sky, I just couldn't justify the storage cost for two to three months of use. Now I am storing my F150 due to it's low gas mileage (we are still at $3 to $3.29 per gallon here) while I use my AWD 300 this winter. I hope I have a lot of chores for the truck next spring or it might finally get sold as well. I guess it will be that "use it or lose it" game.
Asterio on November 08, 2008 at 12:29 AM
All I can really say is that I want one.
KarenCaren on November 08, 2008 at 01:42 AM
I'm really glad that you and the car found each other. That was a truly great find. Congratulations.
Rob the SVX guy on November 08, 2008 at 08:40 AM
Alaska: You , along with most of the nation, own trucks you don't really need. Sell them and enjoy the superior safety, handling, and MPG of a car.
...m... on November 09, 2008 at 08:54 PM
...you won't find a current production car under one ton short of a lotus elise, which my SO and i just happen to be shopping a companion for her to run alongside in...she's been enamored of the new hardtop NC MX-5 since we test drove one a couple of weeks back, and i've been perilously close to taking the leap for a grand touring in dark metallic green with tan leather interior as a surprise gift to her...
...i think this article may have pushed me over the edge - nice car!..
...m... on November 09, 2008 at 09:00 PM
...of course, the elephant in the room is that for the price of a used coupe roadster MX-5 we could also pick up a well-tended boxster, just a couple years older...i think the hardtop mazda would suit her civilised sensibilities a bit more nicely, but gosh those mid-engined porsches are tempting - am i foolish for leaning toward mazda maintenance and down-to-earth character instead?..
That Car Guy on November 09, 2008 at 09:51 PM
Thank you, M... how's Q?
Personally, a hardtop car this small is claustrophobic even for me. Just knowing I can have the top down in seconds makes living in the tight space permissable. Getting in and out of a top-up Miata all year long is tough... the Porsche might be easier to live with if a hardtop is mandatory full time, IMO.
...m... on November 10, 2008 at 05:50 AM
...ah, i should clarify: the new NCs have retractable hardtops, down in seconds when the weather's nice, up in seconds when needed - and even top up, MX-5 ingress and egress feels opulently commodius by comparison to our elise...
That Car Guy on November 10, 2008 at 08:05 AM
M, my bad, I thought you meant the attachable hardtops. But just a thought... on the ragtops, just open the doors, flip 2 levers, drop the top, then jump in the car with no roof obstructions whatsoever... even grab the windshield header to let yourself in with. Do you have to be seated in the car to open the hardtop? Sure would be nice if you could drop the top from outside the car by remote control! (Insert aftermarket invention here and make lots of money!)
Goat on November 10, 2008 at 03:20 PM
With the NC (current generation), soft top operation gets even simpler. With the side windows down at least a little, unlock the center latch at the windshield (only one latch) and toss the top rearward where it will lock itself into the down position. No top boot is needed since the lowered top essentially forms its own cover. To raise (again with windows down a little), unlock the latch between the seats, reach back with one hand and pull the top up and forward and fasten the center latch. I believe that the top can be lowered and then raised in no more than 15 seconds total for both operations.
on November 10, 2008 at 09:09 PM
Well, I have to admit that one has to expect a certain amount of ribbing for owning a miata... Lets just say that I am well below 5-0 and after moving to the city figured my truck just didn't work, so I got a car I had always wanted. Something small, efficient, and not dull. I got an '02 SE, and I can keep up with almost anything on most any road short of a freeway, or rather just short of an uncrowded freeway. I do, however, get odd comments; from friends, even from total strangers. The miata just isn't a masculine car. One random comment I heard the other night: I had the top down and two girls, or rather one woman and one girl crossed the street in front of me, and the girl (think mid-teens) looked right at me and asked loud enough for me to hear, "is that a Girl?". I didn't know whether to fume or laugh, but I suppose that is the price we must pay.
...m... on November 11, 2008 at 05:49 AM
...surely boxster drivers suffer at least as much stereotyping, both for driving a late-model roadster and for driving a late-model porsche: would you rather be effeminate and innocuous or effeminate, superficial, and arrogant?..
That Car Guy on November 11, 2008 at 07:14 AM
My sister had a 1973 MGB when I was 19... I always wanted a dependable convertible sports car after that; it took me 30 years to get one. I'd much rather drop the top and feel the breeze and the road in a classy little roadster than put on brand-new cowboy boots, cowboy hat, a big shiny belt buckle, and drive a raised macho pickup truck to a smoky bar with lots of purple neon lighting. Yee-Ha!
Goat on November 11, 2008 at 07:15 AM
That's when it would be satisfying to have an LS2 engine and a free flowing exhaust on the MX-5.
After enveloping the birdbrains with a cloud of tire smoke and numbing their ear drums, see if they have the same impression of the car.
...m... on November 11, 2008 at 11:55 AM
...between here and another discussion i've engaged, i find it interesting that i've encountered a universal consensus in favor of the NC MX-5 over the 986 boxster, which is itself a very well-designed roadster...
...i've been favoring the mazda, myself, but worried that i was foolishly overlooking what is ostensibly considered a better car - it's nice to have the confirmation that it's a sound decision...we're going to test-drive a boxster tomorrow, and really the decision lies in my SO's preference, but i suspect i'll be contacting the mazda dealer this weekend to arrange the sale...
Mochi Mochi on November 12, 2008 at 09:31 PM
two things to think about with regard to comparisons of the MX5 and the Boxster. the type of handling, and the issue of reliability. on the matter of reliability the MX wins. handling becomes interesting topic. i've not driven either of these cars. but the thing to consider would be manners near the edge. traditionally cars like the MX5 have tended to be consistent in handling... steady understeer, neutrality, or oversteer, unless there's a quirk (read failing) in suspension design like the semitrailing arms of an old BMW. But mid-engine cars tend to have a crossover effect. the tradition of this design - and this is a generality - is that they understeer then rapidly shift to oversteer at the limit. personally i enjoy this. i have no idea of how the boxster has managed this, if at all, but it is something to be aware of. also consider the relative weight of these rides. the miata is a great little ride that has a very sophisticated suspension system. it's a great car for drifting, and a lot of racing schools use them as student cars. there are really good reasons for this - the most salient is that it's a really nice driver's car. it's been on my shopping list for a while.
...m... on November 14, 2008 at 10:57 PM
...we test drove a hardtop boxster S tonight, and my SO's assessment matches what i've heard elsewhere - it's in a totally different league from the MX-5, so much so that quantitative comparison between the two is difficult...
...the boxster S has substantial torque and meticulous handling on its side, and being mid-engined may well exhibit the same controllable snap oversteer as our elise - no opportunity to really ride its limit on a dealer test drive, of course...the MX-5, conversely, feels much more natural, very easy to understeer or oversteer on a whim, a fluid extension of the driver in a way that the boxster is not...well, these are second-hand impressions: i wasn't the one doing the driving...
...i will say that i find the form of the NC miata prettier than than the 986 boxster, but the boxster feels more substantially put together with a higher standard of finish...the boxster dealer's offering a pretty amazing extended warranty, bumper to bumper and renewable for perpetuity, which makes the cost of ownership a toss-up between the two...
...either way, we really can't lose..
That Car Guy on November 15, 2008 at 06:41 AM
I look forward to hearing the final decision!
djkenny on January 05, 2009 at 09:43 PM
Wish Mazda continued with a entry level model like was offered the 1st generation Miata.
No power windows, locks, it had steel wheels...many did nto even have power steering.
THAT was a true drop top sportster.
Doe anyone make a car like that anymore? VW produces caddies instead of GTI's, Honda makes the bland power everything in in their entry level non-sporty cars.
I am guessing new cars are not for me.
Gib on March 11, 2009 at 03:37 PM
Hi Al, Just bought a 2000 LS Spec Edit (Mahogany Mica) with only 44K miles... has been lovingly cared for. Looks great, and feels great, though we've not had much of a chance to truly enjoy it yet... still breaking free of winter's grip here in north central WV. Got an itch for one of these after briefly owning a Mercury Capri. Bought it for my son to take to college, and the wife and I had an absolute ball tooling around with the top down when he wasn't. So the Miata was a natural progression. And was I ever excited to find this little diamond in the rough of our local Honda dealership!! Hope to follow in your path.
Jim Bodman on March 20, 2009 at 01:56 PM
Over many years ( age 69), I have had many cars including my share of Corvetts I can honestly say "I miss my 2001 BRG SE more than any other car that I can think of". To me that is the best tribute I can give to the Miata!!
That Car Guy on March 25, 2009 at 07:32 AM
To Jim Bodman: Maybe you can find your old car. There's a site called "Bucklescomic" that has a registry of most of the 2001 SEs. If you have your VIN or know which one of the 3,000 it was, your car may be listed there! I can't list mine because of some stupic computer glitch :( . Thanks for the compliment! ~Chuck (TCG)
Neil on April 27, 2009 at 07:48 AM
Nice car; I live in the UK where it's damp, wet and cold for most of the year. In the UK the car is called the Mazda MX5.I love the fact that when the sun comes out I undo 2 clips and in seconds the roof's down and the sun's shining into the car. Mine's a silver 2005 model and I love it. On vacation in Nevada recently I was pleased to see lots of Miatas on the road; I'd thoroughly recommend the car to anyone!
...m... on November 18, 2009 at 08:33 PM
...surprisingly, the final decision seems to be a jaguar XKR, a totally different driving experience but one which strikes a much more primal chord in her automotive id - it's just a matter of finding the right car, which is taking quite a while, but a year later we remain patient...
...still, she eyes the MX5 longingly from time to time...