MMiata legion -- question for yous guys

[ScottyB]

If I were you Scott, I wouldn't focus on whatever car you're getting next as being a good racecar, you want to keep your focus on fun daily driveability and comfort. The more you view your car as a racecar, the less it's going to exhibit those things.

true true my friend. i was kind of letting BJ's inquiries take over the thread as i've pretty much had mine answered by people who do what i might do if i got something like a miata (can't believe i'm saying that)

if i got one, it would be to drive everyday, and take on scenic trips and autocrosses on the weekends. if i get rich enough to get yet another DD, i'd relegate the meeotter to track duty and boost the hell out of it.

[Mike]

do it! right now! before bj buys the next steal to come along!

[Feersty]

That 10AE is beautiful. I love that color. I don't think they take premium gas either, so that is a plus. I would seriously consider that car if it was near me. Not sure how it would perform in the winter though, but I could buy it outright right now and not skip a beat. I look for 99 or 2000 Miatas on craigslist daily.

[WRXtranceformed]

Not sure how it would perform in the winter though, but I could buy it outright right now and not skip a beat. I look for 99 or 2000 Miatas on craigslist daily.

[Ginger]

Living in mom's basement will do that...

[Scott]

i've got koni yellows and racing beat springs. i drive it every sunny day, but not recently because its been really hot and humid. once i re-install the AC which i've got most of the parts for already, i imagine i'll drive it everyday as long as its not raining. i have no issues with comfort but then again, its not really high up on my list of priorities. the noise can get a little droning, but i've also got the mazdaspeed exhaust on it. some people that have aftermarket exhausts say that taking the heat shield above the muffler and using some acoustic insulating foam that can handle high temps and sandwiching it with some aluminum sheet significantly reduce the noise inside the cabin. the stock exhaust is pretty quiet though. the car isnt practical by any means, but i do love driving it. everything is cheap for it, known problems are well documented and a fix can be found for almost everything.

agreed, I drive mine any chance I get. With the hardtop on and the A/C working, it makes a great commuter car, or you drop the top on the way home and it makes everything ok in life again

[Chris]

Scotty,

that is one really nice miata... I've always liked the 10th anniversary ones, I think its the blue that does it for me. Hope you can pick that one up, I sure would DD it!

[ScottyB]

Scotty,

that is one really nice miata... I've always liked the 10th anniversary ones, I think its the blue that does it for me. Hope you can pick that one up, I sure would DD it!

thanks dawg. i won't be getting that one -- first, the audi needs some things to be complete enough to get what i want for it, if this is something i really decide i want to do. but i would want one with the sport suspension, bilsteins, torsen LSD, and i'd really really like a hardtop. 6 speeds are cool but whatever, i just want to have fun again. i feel like i keep looking back at "the good old days" when i drove the crap out of my accord and the more i gave to the car, the more it gave back to me. not so much anymore.

Scott -- that's another big positive that i wanted to hear.

realistically, this seems to be a very possible move for me. i'll deal with the horsepower later.

[Scott]

Scotty,

that is one really nice miata... I've always liked the 10th anniversary ones, I think its the blue that does it for me. Hope you can pick that one up, I sure would DD it!

thanks dawg. i won't be getting that one -- first, the audi needs some things to be complete enough to get what i want for it, if this is something i really decide i want to do. but i would want one with the sport suspension, bilsteins, torsen LSD, and i'd really really like a hardtop. 6 speeds are cool but whatever, i just want to have fun again. i feel like i keep looking back at "the good old days" when i drove the crap out of my accord and the more i gave to the car, the more it gave back to me. not so much anymore.

Scott -- that's another big positive that i wanted to hear.

realistically, this seems to be a very possible move for me. i'll deal with the horsepower later.

If memory serves, the 10th anniversery came with the torsen LSD, bilsteins, 6 speed, and the sport suspension, it was all part of the package

[Evan]

you drop the top on the way home and it makes everything ok in life again

Thats the best thing about a convertible by far. There is no better stress relief.

[.RJ]

There is no better stress relief.

14,000 rpm is a little better

[Evan]

There is no better stress relief.

14,000 rpm is a little better

dressed up like a power ranger in a stuffy helmet, moon boots, and shoulder pads? no thanks

[ButtDyno]

(haven't been on here in a while)

I DD'd mine with Sparcos and a rollbar for a year and a half, and then took the Sparcos out to put em in the Subaru. I think it might be retired from track duty, maybe permanently ($$). It gets 37 mpg pure highway and 30-31 mixed on my 60-mile roundtrip commute to Herndon. Now that I have normal seats in it (boo) I have padding on the rollbar since I don't have lots of big italian seat to prevent my head from hitting it.

It's Konis with stock springs, and some bracing so that the car doesn't feel like it's going to explode every time it hits a pothole.

I'm hoping to sway it out for an E46 330i ZHP in a year or so but it depends on a bunch of crap happening. And if I can actually swing the ZHP at that point I can probably afford to start tracking it again...

So... cliff notes... perfectly fine DD. Just remember that top down sucks in 90 degree weather when you are stuck doing 5 mph on 495.

john

[ScottyB]

thanks a ton for the feedback guys.

i can't get over being nervous about how mangled i'd get in an accident. i'm used to fat sedans, and i want to enjoy a low-weight vehicle, but living where i do i wonder if it's just not worth it, driving up and down crowded interstates every day with other drivers in various states of consciousness and phone conversations.

i hate feeling like i need to own a large car just to survive in the event of someone failing to watch what the F they're doing and crashing into me. it's like pandering to the lowest common denominators of society.