New (used) car suggestions...

[BLINGMW]

none of those other cars sound like this

also a good point. If you DO plan on having a loud exhaust, get a 'merican car as you otherwise need to budget for "loud exhaust" tickets. Not everyone knows this, but it is now considered an act of terrorism to give one to a Camaro or Mustang.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Miata...Miata...Miata...soooo much fun. But if you need some space a good 240 will do well also, but go through consumables faster than a miata.

[HAULN-SS]

none of those other cars sound like this

also a good point. If you DO plan on having a loud exhaust, get a 'merican car as you otherwise need to budget for "loud exhaust" tickets. Not everyone knows this, but it is now considered an act of terrorism to give one to a Camaro or Mustang.

lolz!

[Evan]

...wait


did DJ just recommend a Miata? 3 times?

[JustinG]

yea hes still a lil distraught over the events of the weekend, well have to take his comments with a grain of salt.

[Maengelito]

i would highly recommend against a miata if its your only car. the thing is so impractical, you cant carry anything anywhere, its loud on the interior, the gas mileage (for something that small) isnt very impressive and in your general everyday physics battle against sorority sisters in SUVs talking on cell phones driving down port republic, it will lose.

that being said, it is amazingly fun to drive, handles like its on rails, parts and consumables are soooooo dirt cheap and plentiful, easy to work on, any problems that arise have been well documented in the past so fixes for them are pretty easy and having a convertible in nice weather is good for whatever ails ya.

if this is your only car, i think a s13 or s14 240 would be equally as cheap as a miata, or a bmw would also probably be more comfortable and probably faster as well.

[Maengelito]

Miata...Miata...Miata...soooo much fun. But if you need some space a good 240 will do well also, but go through consumables faster than a miata.

hock: hock: hock: hock: hock:
DJ? i assume evan hijacked DJ's account

[CaptainHenreh]

Miata...Miata...Miata...soooo much fun. But if you need some space a good 240 will do well also, but go through consumables faster than a miata.

hock: hock: hock: hock: hock:
DJ? i assume evan hijacked DJ's account

That's what it looks like today.

I dunno, I'm not crazy about Miatas. They're ok I guess, but they have no sack.

For the track, I'm sure they're awesome, and a slow car is more fun to drive fast, but for DD duty I'd probably go with something else. No balls + no cargo + cold = No DD for Rexy. Now for a SECOND car...all aboard the Miata train.

[Evan]

I think what maeng says does need to be taken into account, but fwiw, I do all my grocery shopping, drop $200 at wallyworld, etc and Ive always had plenty of room for stuff. I commute in it daily in DC traffic and its great there too.
I do have a truck if I need it, but I dont think Ive driven it 3 times in the past 6 months other than towing.

S14 is a good idea too. I liked my S13, the only problem was the dated and uncomfortable interior. If an S14 fixes those things it would be a good car too.

[Mike]

I think what maeng says does need to be taken into account, but fwiw, I do all my grocery shopping, drop $200 at wallyworld, etc and Ive always had plenty of room for stuff. I commute in it daily in DC traffic and its great there too.
I do have a truck if I need it, but I dont think Ive driven it 3 times in the past 6 months other than towing.

Yep, the whole "no space" and "rwd in the winter" myths are just those... myths.

I have the hatch for when I need to lug shit around.. It gets used for that purpose maybe twice a year.

Snow? I think I've counted 3 days in 3 years that I was stuck at home when others (with AWD or FWD) were not.

[Maengelito]

I think what maeng says does need to be taken into account, but fwiw, I do all my grocery shopping, drop $200 at wallyworld, etc and Ive always had plenty of room for stuff. I commute in it daily in DC traffic and its great there too.
I do have a truck if I need it, but I dont think Ive driven it 3 times in the past 6 months other than towing.

S14 is a good idea too. I liked my S13, the only problem was the dated and uncomfortable interior. If an S14 fixes those things it would be a good car too.

i do get groceries and stuff with the miata too. i dont have a problem fitting things and only a few times have i had to put cases of soda or beer in the passenger seat instead of the trunk. i do not feed a family of 4 however, so i dont buy that many groceries. however, i cant fit my hockey bag and sticks in the miata. i also had to buy a soft tool bag for the track because i couldnt fit my metal tool box in the car. i also opted for a soft cooler because a large plastic one took up too much room.

and rex, for the record, i've never ever been cold in the miata. you've got a big hot cast iron block about 6 inches away from your leg and the exhaust pipe runs on the driver's side. i've since insulted the underside of the car so my damn leg doesnt catch on fire. but that kinda brings up another point. a convertible is so awesome on a nice day. they are miserable on a hot day. everytime you stop at a stoplight, you just sit there and cook. i dont have a/c in the car, but its on my list of things to reinstall.

[Evan]

yeah there is definately "too hot" for a convertible if the sun in strong in july and august.

[Jake]

I think I can handle the convertible part of it all. Mom has a Crossfire convertible and I'm cool with driving it on Virginia summer days - yes, you cook, but all's good once you're moving again, and you can always run the A/C (yes, with the top down...) at the stoplights if it's that bad.

The Miata would be my only car. I'm not that worried about space for storing shit, just because the Escape is so big - relatively - and I never use it for more than a backpack. The only times I can think there will be issues are moving into my apartment in August, and then out next year. Granted, I'll need a U-Haul anyway because it's unfurnished so I'm bringing a bed, couch, etc. As far as groceries and stuff, it's just me, so I'm not that concerned.

I'm not sure if the 'rents are going to keep the Escape around or sell it off. Dad has an I35 (Maxima clone) that's big enough for 5, then mom has the XFire - I guess I can always borrow Dad's car when I'm home if I need to cart more than one friend.

So Maeng, Evan, Mike: anything else I should know about DD'ing a two seat roadster? Y'all have covered quite a bit and I appreciate it :-)

[D_Eclipse9916]

lol everybody knows, at least that I talk to regularly that I love miatas. I have always wanted to do spec miata. and I will do a spec class someday because I want good wheel to wheel racing. But for a daily I wanted a car that had some cajones to mess with 99% of the cars on the road, good gas mileage, driveability with awd and room (its a hatchback). Thats why the gsx fit my needs at the time. I want to do the gsx into a track car for time trials, but in terms of all out racing, ill probably get a spec car.

The main thing is, you cant kart your friends around with a miata. yah its nice not to have the car that everybody rides in, but sometimes is nice to have everybody in the car and go everywhere without having to take 20 bazillion cars. But if you can deal with to have a top down car ( god I love convertibles) then do it. How about a spyder eclipse? (had to get the dsm in there somehow)

[Mike]

other thoughts about a 2-seat convertible...

check tops for wear/holes when purchasing. i'm in the process of repairing mine right now.

rear windows get cloudy unless they're glass. you also shouldn't use the top anywhere under 50 degrees with a plastic window cause they can crack.

if you buy in the winter, be sure to reserve judgment on the car until your first day with the top down. it more than makes up for it.

not being able to tote friends around is both a blessing and a headache. it's a blessing more often than not for me

[Andy]

rear windows get cloudy unless they're glass.

Not true my friend. Not true. My glass rear window gets pretty foggy. Anti-fog works though.

Topless driving is great though. Worth all of the headaches that comes with a convertible.

[Evan]

cloudy, not foggy. ie- permanently opaque


All NB Miatas have a glass window so its not a problem.

in the NB, mazda really fixed a ton of the minor annoyances of the first gen miata. I love mine as a DD.

how tall/big are you? Im a little over 6'2", 210lbs and I fit fine but it does take a little getting used to (and some foam out of the seat)

[John]

Not true my friend. Not true. My glass rear window gets pretty foggy. Anti-fog works though.

I've never had my rear glass fog - then again, I have no rear visibility anymore so it's pretty much worthless.

[Jake]

in the NB, mazda really fixed a ton of the minor annoyances of the first gen miata. I love mine as a DD.

how tall/big are you? Im a little over 6'2", 210lbs and I fit fine but it does take a little getting used to (and some foam out of the seat)

That's what I've heard... that the NA's are more "pure" but the NB is far better as a daily.

I'm 6' 1" and about 160 (┬▒5 lbs) so I think I'll fit fine. I've driven a family friend's 1991 NA and fit fine, and I also am fine in a 99 Z3 and 05 XFire. Should be OK in that regard.

[Andy]

in the NB, mazda really fixed a ton of the minor annoyances of the first gen miata. I love mine as a DD.

how tall/big are you? Im a little over 6'2", 210lbs and I fit fine but it does take a little getting used to (and some foam out of the seat)

That's what I've heard... that the NA's are more "pure" but the NB is far better as a daily.

I'm 6' 1" and about 160 (┬▒5 lbs) so I think I'll fit fine. I've driven a family friend's 1991 NA and fit fine, and I also am fine in a 99 Z3 and 05 XFire. Should be OK in that regard.

I'm only 5'9" but my NA's lack of an adjustable steering wheel is a real pain. I bang my thighs a lot on the bottom of the steering wheel.