What would you change about how Miata's came from the factory?

[theothersawyer]

I was talking about this with a friend of mine the other day. We had to be really picky about what is bad about the Miata. What don't you like about it or what do you wish it did/did not come with.

The only things I could think of were:
1. Interior lighting is terrible, so a nice dome light would do (these were added in '96)
2. Trunk lights! I can't see a damn thing at night when I open my trunk! (NB's have trunk lights)
3. ....I don't remember what my third one was!


Specify the year of your car and say what changes you would make. I am only talking about changes that would not totally change the characteristics of the car, ie. it is too slow, so I want a V8.

I found this question pretty funny, becuase I couldn't find much that I would change about how the car came stock, but yet I have spent thousands of dollars modifying my car!

[SM16RMSM]

In all honesty, I wish the MSM had a better factory tune. The factory ECU sucks and well, I can't wait to get rid of it and the MAF.

[The Driver]

The dome light on the '96 is WEAK! But an LED conversion can be done.

Better ECU tunes should have been better for all Miatas. I would have loved vented rear brake discs.

[wannafbody]

Add a V6 option

[atlnb]

A factory ITB option for NBs would have been fun.

[etikoner]

That they would have cleaned up the clusterfuck of wires in the engine bay.

[Andy]

No I think mazda did a great job. I will say that I think that a inline 6 option would have been the bees knees. Have the 1.8 or a 2.5 inline 6. If they wanted to pay homage to the old british cars of yesteryear why not give it the balls to do so. I am not asking a lot buy maybe 165 hp would have been nice. The old british cars that it was trying to pay tribute to had more power than it, in some cases an inline 6 and a weight reduction.

Aside from that I will say the engine unlike british sport cars is dead on balls reliable.

[Lesac]

Either a different intake or a different exhaust or muffler from the factory. This has nothing to do with performance, but I just think they sound so..... eh. when they are stock. given I know its not a super high performance car, but the engine noise from the factory is kind of an annoying tone. Also totally agree with the domelight on the first post. What about an under hood light?

[bigx5murf]

I wished the MSM had longer gears, higher redline, and an ECU that could be flashed with something like a cobb ap.

[The Driver]

No I think mazda did a great job. I will say that I think that a inline 6 option would have been the bees knees. Have the 1.8 or a 2.5 inline 6. If they wanted to pay homage to the old british cars of yesteryear why not give it the balls to do so. I am not asking a lot buy maybe 165 hp would have been nice. The old british cars that it was trying to pay tribute to had more power than it, in some cases an inline 6 and a weight reduction.

Aside from that I will say the engine unlike british sport cars is dead on balls reliable.

That would have effed up handling, or cost a LOT MORE. When was the last time that you saw a Mazda inline 6?

Remember folks, the Miata is a parts bin car.

[etikoner]

That would have effed up handling, or cost a LOT MORE. When was the last time that you saw a Mazda inline 6?

Remember folks, the Miata is a parts bin car.

Yeah, I agree. This isn't a BMW or Nissan.

I do wish though, that Mazda had placed a little more attention to the engine. By 1995 Honda was pumping out 1.6 engines with 180 hp... Mazdas 1.8 would barely scratch 130 lol...

[theothersawyer]

I think I would also like another gear, something that would make me get better mpg. I hate driving to school and being at 4k rpm at 80mph. Then again the car would have no power at anything lower then 4k rpm.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

An open the trunk switch... Damn 90 model...

[RotorNutFD3S]

I think I would also like another gear, something that would make me get better mpg. I hate driving to school and being at 4k rpm at 80mph. Then again the car would have no power at anything lower then 4k rpm.

Do what I did, drop your 4.1 (4.3 in my case) for a 3.9. More pleasant cruising RPMs, better MPG, and still plenty off the line power.

[theothersawyer]

Too much work! :)

[RyanG]

Rods, pistons, and an oil pump capable of handling 450rwhp. Better harmonics would have been nice too.

[Demon I Am]

I would have liked a little quieter interior. Top down is fine, but the hard top squeaks and under-dash squeaks are killer with the hard top on. Sounds like a squirrel orgy behind my dash.

Of course, I'm sure the delrin mounts have something to do with it...

[maharaj]

Made this an option:

6849

[afc2112]

Agree with the more power, trunk light, and better engine/exhaust sound comments.

[WASABI]

Maybe it's just me, but 2 more inches in the cabin, and maybe a foot longer nose... like a baby E-Type Jag.

[Tungsten6]

Sounds a little odd, but a friggen transmission mount. Maybe its because my motormounts are toast, but that thing moves around soooo much.

I agree on a little extra interior lighting, I can't find shit at night.

Better seats. Its a sports car, I wish the OEM bolsters were a little better.

More interior room, maybe just a lower seating position would work

and more
http://www.avirra.ru/uploads/posts/2011-09/1316595744_clarkson-power.jpg

[Sarah]

I think Mazda did a great job but there are a couple of things they could done better from the start

R-package front and rear bumper lips as standard, the mk1 as standard looks like the front bumper is missing some thing.
I agree with others about the boot (trunk) and interior lighting
Better body bracing, my '89 had nothing as standard, this was slowing improved through out production.
Head rests that could be adjusted, I'm just about ok at 5' 6" tall, but taller drivers in the mk1 seats have there head well above the head rest meaning whip lash is likely in event of an accident.
Cabin boot(trunk release), my '89 didn't have this as standard, this later added as standard.
Better exhaust note, its a sports car after all.

[Gene Rodriguez]

a rotary powered miata :winky:

[nickpic83]

Trunk and interior lighting

6 speed

More power, something closer to 200hp would be great from factory...

[Tungsten6]

They have 6 Speed Miatas. I mean, they are basically the same as a 5 (I love mine, its not nearly as smooth as a 5, but it accelerates pretty quickly

[Boris]

a rotary powered miata :winky:


Oh yeah.
13B with or without the turbo. I'm easy.

[The Driver]

Some of y'all seem to want an ENTIRELY different car. The Miata was meant to be a throwback, inexpensive, lightweight roadster. Bigger engines, more power, larger frame size, that all goes against what the Miata is supposed to be.

Now a bit more power ala TR-6 would have been a nice option.

Also, Miata's are EASILY upgradable. You want more bracing? Search for a later model at a junkyard!

[theothersawyer]

Thank you! That's what I said in the OP. Dont change the character of the Miata. Being slow is what makes it a Miata. It excels in turns, not straight lines!

[RetroModern]

better cup holder in the nb1.

[Andy]

Some of y'all seem to want an ENTIRELY different car. The Miata was meant to be a throwback, inexpensive, lightweight roadster. Bigger engines, more power, larger frame size, that all goes against what the Miata is supposed to be.

Now a bit more power ala TR-6 would have been a nice option.

Also, Miata's are EASILY upgradable. You want more bracing? Search for a later model at a junkyard!

yah thats why I liked the idea of a straight 6. Hell even the tr6 had significantly more power.

[Chops]

I like this thread. Here's my take on it...

Slightly higher wheel arches like the old roadsters. Those old roadsters looked good with the wheel arches hugging those taller tires.
Interior/trunk lighting
Ignition switch lighting
Better seats that actually hold you in place. The stock ones are like single-person bench seats. LOL
6-speed and LSD as standard
The hand-brake on the passenger side of the transmission tunnel.
Better, louder horn. I can fart louder than the stock horn.

[theothersawyer]

Ignition light is a good one! Personally, I don't like cars with the hand brake on the passenger side! It just feels weird to me. The NC has the hand brake on the passenger side!

[Chops]

Ignition light is a good one! Personally, I don't like cars with the hand brake on the passenger side! It just feels weird to me. The NC has the hand brake on the passenger side!

Actually, I wouldn't mind it being were it is now if it didn't go up against my knee. That shiz hurts after a while behind the wheel.

[cbaylis77]

5 lug wheels!
I can see the NA having it's little 4x100 import wheels but when they redesigned for the NB it should have taken the RX-7's hubs.
Better look, better brakes and tons of aftermarket wheel options.
What's not to like?

[Tungsten6]

What! There are so many more 4x100 wheels in 15 (hell even 16 IMO) for the NB. I love the 4 lug!

[treeafodo]

What! There are so many more 4x100 wheels in 15 (hell even 16 IMO) for the NB. I love the 4 lug!
I agree with you on this.

[Anonymous]

Lil' more space for trips and more power, a nice reliable 225hp of turbo fun would be good.

[kung fu jesus]

I wish Mazda would get ahead of the Roadster segment. The Miata is fine car, but there are glaring holes in it as I see. They basically share the same chasis from 89-05. Minor differences, sure, but it is essentially the same. That is 16+ years to take what was learned and what didn't work and make it better. The result of the NC was an underwhelming effort. All thee versions are great, but when you look at all the "special" or "limited" editions, that is time and money lost that could have been put back into the model to make it better and keep the competition off-balance.

And what off those "special" models? An undercooked, under developed Mazdaspeed version that comes from the factory with sketchy engine management and aforementioned 16 year old chassis. Is it a bin parts car? The engine and electronics suggest that it is. The NC even more so; suspension from the RX-8, engine from the Ford/Mazda partnership, bloated disingenuous styling.

I understand whet it takes to develop a product like this, I don't expect it to have all unique parts specific to that model, that would be idiotic. What I see, and perhaps this is why the NA/NB versions are still in demand, is a wasted opportunity to take something special and build on it rather than let it become something mediocre, an also-ran.

What I see happening is Mazda wavering on whether or not to continue the model. The amount of consumer group research it has done for the ND suggests the people at the top can't make a decision and the model is dying a slow, painful death. Mazda has a knack for creating a couple of unique models that are fun to drive and have unique engineering. I don't see that anymore. I see a lot of half-baked ideas meant to parlay the public into warmed over products. It's a lack of confidence hidden by smiley-faced products. Get yer shit togther, pick a damn direction and trust your talent.

[RyanG]

I think Mazda is finally turning it around now. The NC was mediocre because it was a giant compromise due to financial realities. The engineers from Mazda have even outright stated this fact. They have also said that the ND was designed from the ground up all new. They are not adapting it from another platform and while some parts may be common with other vehicles it will be all of the new skyactive stuff which is new in its own right.

They had to claw their way back from the mismanagement from the Ford era and keep afloat which hampered their ability to do what they do best. I am excited to see what they put out in the next few years. I think if they can market their products correctly you will see them grow tremendously. With growth comes $$ that can be used for R&D.

I own an MSM and honestly the ECU was shit. The engine is a parts engine aside from the cams but it is still a good engine. I wish they had thrown in some stronger rods and a better flowing head but they worked with what they had. The chassis, however, has extra bracing and is solid, it has the strongest diff and axels and the shocks are actually quite brilliant if you just put the right spring rates and coilover sleeves on them. The wheels are boat anchors but that was a marketing thing.

[Tungsten6]

I noticed another problem tonight
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee141/2006MS6/191F0164-7AC6-450D-B8E3-20D7CE39331D-2907-0000031497D9F7BC_zpsa80448d4.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/2006MS6/media/191F0164-7AC6-450D-B8E3-20D7CE39331D-2907-0000031497D9F7BC_zpsa80448d4.jpg.html)
Why in the hell would you have like a 45 degree turn right at the point of entry for air? Mazda could of designed a WAY better intake manifold to atleast try and milk a few extra horsepower out of these little 1.8's....or maybe even another company could design one..

[kung fu jesus]

Square top.

[Tungsten6]

Yeah I know, but why wouldn't we get a similarly designed manifold.....
emissions?

[kung fu jesus]

Most likely. Different designs for different driving conditions/federal requirements?

[Ihatecars]

My dash is ugly and sticky. I have it so much.

[jstammer]

I have a '96. I agree on teh interior lighting as my son's '90 is totally dark. I replaced my tinted dome light cover with the Mitsu clear one and the difference is tremendous.

Would love factory lighting in the trunk. I wound up with one of those battery opperated push on lights stuck onto the bottom of the trunk. Worked for a bit, but eventually came apart. LOL.

Even though I'm only 5'8", I'd like a lower seat position.

[riefdaddy]

Tilt steering wheel. It would be much easier to get in.

[senorfrench]

everlasting ac haha

[Pyr0monk3y]

1. A roll bar! Seriously, this is one of the first mods most people do.
2. Stronger differential on the 1.6 cars.
3. Thicker frame rails. The stock ones do hardly anything. They're just thin, soft metal.
4. More headroom
5. Firewall reinforcement for the brake master cylinder
6. Bigger oil sump or an oil cooler. Oil temp on these cars could be a little lower.

[The Driver]

1. A roll bar! Seriously, this is one of the first mods most people do.
2. Stronger differential on the 1.6 cars.
3. Thicker frame rails. The stock ones do hardly anything. They're just thin, soft metal.
4. More headroom
5. Firewall reinforcement for the brake master cylinder
6. Bigger oil sump or an oil cooler. Oil temp on these cars could be a little lower.

This one is my favorite response so far, but:

2) Was corrected on the Gen 2 NA's, so it can be retroffited for not a whole lot.
3) $150 gets you home.
5) Something could be rigged, if needed...
6) This would be AWESOME!

[Linga]

A low gas light indicator

[Kjman55]

A fly off handbrake,like Triumph sports cars always had.And fewer turns lock to lock in the steering .Even a depowered rack is around 3 1/4 turns...about one too much imho. Maybe I have been spoiled by TRs!