What to do first?

[Drunk Lemon]

just curious as to what i should do first, i planned on getting a hardtop first, and then coilovers, but i need opinions from people, what did you get first? aftermarket wise, not like replacement parts. and sorry if this is in the wrong section

[The Platypus]

Honestly, in my opinion, maintenance first. Then suspension, then safety.
So maintenance, coilovers + sway bar + end links, then possibly wheels, then roll bar. I have no idea what you want to accomplish or do with your car though, so don't just take my advice. Think about what you really want with your car and then make it happen.

[Drunk Lemon]

i meant aside from maintenance, but i see where your coming from, for now it will just be a dd mostly, maybe a few events.i just wanted to know what everybody else got first besides maintenance parts or replacement, just to see you know? sounds stupid probably but yeah ha

[Adam]

If its your daily and your soft top is okay, I think you'd be happy with just coilovers and wheels. It'll look even better if you buff and polish your paint if it could use it. Keep it simple and just enjoy it.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

First off what year is your car? Does it have all the history to it? How are the shocks? Are you getting full coil overs or just the sleeves? Are the tires shot? Does it need an alignment? If you have never driven a miata before they can be a very rewarding car if everything is working correctly. I new set of shocks, tires and alignment will do amazing things to your car. Once you have that, then you should go for other things.

[★ smaeda ★]

I would do like everyone is saying and do maintenance work but upgrade with aftermarket at the same time. Lets say you need new brake pads, replace with better rotor and pads, do a 1.8 swap if you have 1.6. If your tires are worn, get some nice z rated tires, etc.

[— kung fu jesus —]

If you have to ask a question like this, wait.

Drive the car a while and figure out what is more important to you.

You won't add a lot of power with bolt ons, so an intake, exhaust, header are sort of a waste of money. Handling and suspension modifications are more noticeable and offer a better bang for your buck. Do you really need coilovers, or are you buying them for aesthetic reasons? Tires>shocks>springs>rollbar>wheels>coilovers>bush ings>corner balancing. In that order.

[Flyineunos]

Maintenance aside, If your soft top is still good, I'd get front and rear lips, shock and sport springs, Bosch or Hella E code headlights, aftermarket steering wheel, and aftermarket shift knob.

That should be arround $1k

[joooonyer]

Personally the first thing I did was basic maintenance. My car had been sitting for awhile so I changed the fuel filter and oil. Next consider the spark plugs and wires. Then I did suspension, and replaced the shitty stock stereo. Find out what you want tochange, but keep In mind what is wearing out and upgrade parts as they wear out. Tires going bad? Great time for new wheels. Plus keep an eye on Craigslist you may just find a deal you can't pass up. I didn't plan on getting an exhaust so soon but found a cat back magnaflowfor $100

[fitftw]

If I could go back in time, I would've started off with a MSPNP and LC-1.

[Tekel]

I would get the coils first. While a HT will stiffen your chassis some, you will be happiest with new coils. It will give your car new life. Also, I'm more of a top down kind of person so I like the soft top.

[— Phatmiata —]

Aside from the maintenance basics (brakes, tires, clutch slave lol) the first thing I have done with 90% of my cars has always been shocks/springs, exhaust, and wheels. And in that order, LOL.

[mrpham]

I would do maintenance then coilovers, then wheels, then lips then hardtop.

[Drunk Lemon]

i'll end up doing some more maintenance, brake pads, coil, if i need them, about the whole hard top thing, my dumb self tried to put the top down when it was like 30 degrees, i have never owned a convertible nor did i know your not suppose to do that when cold, and the window came off the convertible a little at the top, the window itsself is attached to a little vinyl piece or whatever the convertible is made out of and that is attached to the top, i'm not sure how much it would cost for an auto upholsterer to fix it, i tried to use some hella strong glue but it still sags, and leaks somewhat. like i said its my dd, it probably wont see much track time for a while but i'd like to lose the giant (feels giant to me) wheel gap and have it lower, i'm not too worried about wheels at the moment because i like the ones i have, i'll switch it up when i need tires, i know alot of people will probably hate but the only reason i want a decent exhaust is to make it somewhat louder, i know bolt ons will do little or no good at all, thats why i think i'd just go with exhaust and suspension upgrades until i get a boost or supercharger setup. the car is a 1995 miata btw, the shocks seem decent, its got 129,8xx miles, and yes, its been very rewarding. the car handles like a bossss, on only stock suspension. i want full coilovers, not just sleeves, and of course a rollbar sooner rather than later for safety reasons.

[ThatWhiteNA]

Stop it, give it grip, drop it, then make it go fast. Words to live by.