Thinking of picking up an NA Miata...

[BlackoutA4]

Hi all, I just joined this forum because I'm thinking of getting a Miata as a commuter car. I currently drive a 2009 Audi A4 Quattro, which is my hobby and I love the car. That said, it'll be expensive to maintain as the miles pile up so I'm considering getting another car to cruise back and forth to the office in. In addition to being a reliable and good on gas, it needs to be fun, preferably manual, and a convertible top is never a bad thing. A Miata seems to check all of these boxes. I'm not looking to spend a ton, considering I already have a project car and because this'll be a high mileage commuter, so it looks like an early (1990-1993) NA with between 100-150k miles would be what my budget would allow. Are these cars cut out for a 60 mile round trip commute with occasional stop and go traffic or will they need a lot of maintenance? How expensive are parts? Are there any common issues that I should be looking into before buying? Any red flags when test driving? I'm very knowledgeable about cars in general, but I don't have a huge base of knowledge in Miatas specifically, so any information will help. As Jalopnik always says, the answer is always Miata, so I'm pretty sure one of these would be a fit.

Thanks everyone!

Picture of my current ride for no good reason:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t31.0-8/1529965_10152472917000039_6780301820695281416_o.jp g

[Agent☣Orange]

Nice Audi! Miatas are great cars and obviously have quite the following here however, you're asking if you should get a 20-year-old car as a reliable daily driver? Of course, an old Miata can be a reliable DD as long as you bring it up to spec by replacing worn parts and fluids.

I'm just a bit cautious in your case because you're unfamiliar with this car and price seems to be the deciding criteria. If you're coming from a very nice Audi cruiser, you may not like how loud and rough an old Miata can be for 60 miles per day, all week.

[BlackoutA4]

Nice Audi! Miatas are great cars and obviously have quite the following, however, you're asking if you should get a 20-year-old car as a reliable daily driver?

Yes, because I'm dumb like that. Lol. From what I've heard they're very reliable, and the fewer electronic parts on a car that racks up mileage the better it is. You're not thinking it's a good call?

[atank]

Well if it has been maintained it should be fine with proper care, most parts can be found at the big parts stores, ..........:mrgreen: Oh yeah Welcome to MazdaRoadster.net!!!!!!!

[BlackoutA4]

Of course, an old Miata can be a reliable DD as long as you bring it up to spec by replacing worn parts and fluids.

I'm just a bit cautious in your case because you're unfamiliar with this car and price seems to be the deciding criteria. If you're coming from a very nice Audi cruiser, you may not like how loud and rough an old Miata can be for 60 miles per day, all week.

I appreciate all of this also... I would definitely take it to the dealership for a checkup, fluids, and replacement of anything that's on it's way out right after I bought it, I'd rather spend more upfront than constantly be fighting with problems. I'm 24 but I've already had 7 cars ('86 Monte Carlo SS with t-tops, '99 Civic 5-speed, '99 Durango, '95 Eldorado, '97 K1500 Cheyenne, '01 Civic 5-speed, then the Audi) so I've had some varied automotive experiences and I'm cool with a less comfortable ride. The noise and wind would be more of a problem for my girlfriend lol she probably wouldn't ride in it much.

[RoadsterTech]

Where you are, look out for quarter panel rust... not a good thing.
Look out for a bad rain rail, you will get leakage into the trunk and probably rust.
Make sure you have an aluminum hood. If the car was in an accident an aftermarket steel hood could have been put on. Not good.
If the car is lowered and is on Koni's check them very closely. If Koni shock bottoms out they are toast.
Clutch slave cylinders have been know to go toes up at around 100,000 miles be ready to change one out.
If the car has over 100,000 on it find out if the seller has put on a new timing belt, water pump and new TB idlers and tensioners.
If the car has an OEM radiator the plastic top section has been known to self destruct at inopportune times. look at it for signs of cracking.
The two hoses that go to the heater are known to start leaking if they get oil on them if the CAS Seal fails.
The engines are very robust. I personally put over 300,000 miles on my first engine before putting a new one in.
I regularly travel more than 60 miles a pop on mine... I went from Florida to North Carolina on a business trip in my 300,000 mile Miata with no problems.
These cars are very robust and very easy to work on!

Oh... and Welcome to MR!

[BlackoutA4]

^ That's extremely helpful, all of the nuances and model-specific things to check are really useful. I'm assuming that the timing belt interval is 100k miles and that it'll run about $500 with the water pump done at the same time? Just in case it hasn't been done. A few that I looked at were in the mid-90k mile range, which isn't surprising if a major service is coming soon.

[WASABI]

Welcome to our site! I'm sure you can find lots of clean low mile Miatas in and around the New England area. Like others have said, they are unique, fun, reliable cars. Let us know how your search goes.

[BlackoutA4]

Thanks all! I'm going to be checking a few cars out over the next couple of weeks, my schedule this summer is insane. The link below is one of them, and any red flags you guys notice would be huge. The seller said the timing belt was done around 60k miles, but if the recommended interval is around 100k I don't know why they'd change it so early. I'm going to make a point of driving several cars before buying one this time; I have a bad habit of buying the first nice example of whatever I want that crosses my path. This hasn't been disastrous yet (knock wood) but I'm going to try to break the pattern with this one. Thanks again for all of the help!

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/4476590681.html

[kung fu jesus]

Welcome to the site! I, too, am a slave to German cars.

If you have your heart set on an NA, try to get a later year '91+. There was an engineering change in the crank assembly/design. I am not sitting at my desktop, but Google "Miata, crank pulley wobble" for the deets and VIN cutoff for the design change.

I cannot improve on what anyone has said other than this: the 90-95 are OBD 1, and far simpler to maintain. The 90-93 are 1.6 liters, the 94+ are 1.8. Both engines are great and similar, but the 1.8 has a nicer torque curve and power. Both are still slow by any standard, but still fantastic to drive.

A 60 mile commute is pretty long, so be sure to test drive one as long as you can so you can get a feel for the noise and ride. I have had 3 Miatas, one NA (1992), and two NBs (both were '99). The NA is a better Miata, the NB is a better car, especially for comfort. The NAs have appreciated in price while the NBs have continued to slide. The NBs are a little more sophisticated with more electronics, but still easy to repair and maintain.

I tracked my '92 heavily in the 12 years I owned it and it only left me stranded twice, once by my own doing. The NBs were as reliable, but the OBD2 system is a little sensitive. My '92 is still running like a champ and I am planning to buy it back from it's current owner in the future.

[BlackoutA4]

Just to update everyone. I took that white 1991 from the URL for a cruise tonight. The body is mint aside from the small dent that was mentioned, and there was no rust. The rear bumper was repainted at some point but it looked fine. Everything worked aside from the AC, and the compressor fired up but it didn't blow cold. The air bag light was also on, so something was up with the wiring probably. It drove well, but the brakes needed pads and there was a slight grinding noise from somewhere in the rear of the car when it was moving. Unless anyone here says that grinding is normal or minor, I'm probably going to steer clear of it. Not interested in replacing the rear end in a car that I'm just buying for fun.

I'm going to check out a 1992 with 65k miles on Wednesday. The paint looks a little rough, but everything else seems copacetic in the ad. He wants a bit more for it than the white one, but if everything mechanical is in good shape I'd rather spend the cash up front.

Edit: pictures of the white 1991
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[BoBo]

Miata's are a perfect car for commuting. I bought my 96 miata @128k and now it has about 183k and counting. For a while, I used to commute a lot, like about 65 miles one way. The only thing my miata needed was a couple of OEM seals, spark plugs & wires, and the typical oil change. Nothing went wrong on my miata, but I decided to replace all of my belts and battery anyway. I saved a lot of money driving the little Roadster.The only thing that's crappy on my car is the OEM paint, but in the future I will have it resprayed OEM color, after I buy my old German mid engine 2-seater car.

Another positive thing about the Miatas are the endless aftermarket support and track-ability. These cars are a low maintenance track toys compared to German cars. It will make you go faster around the track because you have less to loose in case of a crash. Most of my friends who owns a BMW/Audi also owns a miata on the side for commute and track purposes. It's a win win situation.

[BlackoutA4]

Most of my friends who owns a BMW/Audi also owns a miata on the side for commute and track purposes. It's a win win situation.

That's exactly what I'm looking for; I love the Audi and it's been nothing but reliable for me, but I want to keep it that way and racking up miles on I-95 isn't the way to do it. I'll drive it once or twice a week to work, whenever it snows, and on dates with the girlfriend and keep it pristine.

[BlackoutA4]

I took the plunge and picked up a red 1992 with 65k on the clock. Mechanically it seems perfect, and cosmetically it's ok. The paint needs a good buffing at least, and if it doesn't clean up to my satisfaction I'll end up Plasti dipping it. There is almost no rust aside from a small spot on each side where the fender meets the rocker. I'll get more pictures after the seller drops it off tomorrow. He also has a tonneau cover, OEM wheels, and the stock air cleaner which come with the car. Thanks everyone for the help!
http://mazdaroadster.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=11847&d=1403047083

[WASABI]

Congratulations BlackoutA4! She should shine right up. A good wash, clay bar, swirl remover, cleaner polish, finishing polish, glaze, and wax. She'll be better than new. Oh, also, since you have single stage paint (Miata went two stage in 1995) your rags will be blood red from all the oxidized paint. But, you will have an amazing color pop!

[BoBo]

That's exactly what I'm looking for; I love the Audi and it's been nothing but reliable for me, but I want to keep it that way and racking up miles on I-95 isn't the way to do it. I'll drive it once or twice a week to work, whenever it snows, and on dates with the girlfriend and keep it pristine.

That's a great idea, that's why I'm planning to keep my Miata after college. I used to commute long distance on my Q45T V8, the cruiser car was quiet and comfy, but it became pricey when I started going to school. I used to have the same exact car that you just bought. Use Meguiars light cut cleaner on the car with a buffer to bring out the paint, it did the job for me. I would try to sand out that small rust you mentioned though, you might have a pinched rocker drain.

[BlackoutA4]

That's a great idea, that's why I'm planning to keep my Miata after college. I used to commute long distance on my Q45T V8, the cruiser car was quiet and comfy, but it became pricey when I started going to school. I used to have the same exact car that you just bought. Use Meguiars light cut cleaner on the car with a buffer to bring out the paint, it did the job for me. I would try to sand out that small rust you mentioned though, you might have a pinched rocker drain.

Thanks man! I appreciate the product recommendations because I've never needed to restore faded paint despite all of the cars I've owned. I may look into the rust repair eventually, but it's pretty minor and the Monte Carlo SS I restored 10 years ago completely burned me out on rust removal. It's miserable. Lol.



Congratulations BlackoutA4! She should shine right up. A good wash, clay bar, swirl remover, cleaner polish, finishing polish, glaze, and wax. She'll be better than new. Oh, also, since you have single stage paint (Miata went two stage in 1995) your rags will be blood red from all the oxidized paint. But, you will have an amazing color pop!

Thanks! That's what I'm planning on doing. It looks like the hood and trunk lid were resprayed with a two-stage paint, but restoring the single stage paint on the rest of the car should make it serviceable. Tbh I'm not a huge fan of the red, I never liked red cars, so it may end up Plasti dipped camo green or black anyway. But at least the paint underneath will be nice!

[WASABI]

Tbh I'm not a huge fan of the red, I never liked red cars, so it may end up Plasti dipped camo green or black anyway. But at least the paint underneath will be nice!

Red can look pretty damn good... you just need the right modifications.

http://whatmonstersdo.com/blog2/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/shocker_joe_what_monsters_do_red_miata_action.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fws5bct.jpg

http://jscspeed.com/new_images/pmonroad.jpg

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=cX6bQILxYE8JgM&tbnid=BLa0qa2an8SDQM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclubroadster.net%2Fvb_forum%2F20-exterior-sponsored-r-speed%2F9905-post-your-red-miata-roadster-mx-5-a-64-print.html&ei=rGyhU6fALs7UsAS3moDAAQ&bvm=bv.69137298,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNGlpzhDaxZLR8JfhXITRPY8Le0RpA&ust=1403174287446073

http://ridesandstyling.com/database/images/2011/05/mazda-miata-red-konig-b-bomb1.jpg

[BlackoutA4]

Red can look pretty damn good... you just need the right modifications.

Those do look great, it's more of a personal preference that I prefer understated colors with subtle mods. Not sure how much I'll modify this one since I already have the A4 to mess with, but blacking out the wheels and restoring the paint will definitely happen soon. It gets dropped off in an hour but I unfortunately can't get to the DMV until Saturday since their hours are awful.

[ibid]

Another German fan here (grew up with VWs and had several Audi's myself over the years) YET I've also owned many miata's (currently still owning Miata #9 and just sold Miata #10 I had briefly owned) ..although my #9 is a spec miata build waiting for a new engine right now so it's just a lump in the garage for now :(

[kung fu jesus]

Agreed with the above. Get on that rust.

Reset the maintenance, go through the car to take note of what it needs. These 1.6 motors love to rev, so just replacing the original seals, belts and hoses goes a long way to making it even more reliable. Check the shifter boots, they are known to tear or disintegrate over time. Still, I have seen these cars still run very strong with exceedingly deferred maintenance and abuse.

[atank]

Gotta love that Classic Red!!!!!!!!!!! Now you can start a build thread.....

[BlackoutA4]

Agreed with the above. Get on that rust.

Reset the maintenance, go through the car to take note of what it needs. These 1.6 motors love to rev, so just replacing the original seals, belts and hoses goes a long way to making it even more reliable. Check the shifter boots, they are known to tear or disintegrate over time. Still, I have seen these cars still run very strong with exceedingly deferred maintenance and abuse.

A screenshot of the ad is below, and based on a cursory look into the engine bay everything seems to be in good shape. I was told that the timing belt was done around 45k miles, but I have nothing proving that so I'm going to assume it wasn't done. Is the interval 72k miles, or is it higher? And if anything that needs to be kept up with isn't mentioned in the ad let me know and I can look into it. The synthetic oil was changed about 1000 miles ago.

If I end up keeping the car for a while I'll do the rust repair, I have the skills to do it but I hate projects like that and it would require a repaint which is more than I want to dump into a toy/beater at the moment.

Thanks everyone for the help!

http://mazdaroadster.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=11848&d=1403133727

[riefdaddy]

60,000 miles by the manual for the timing belt, but there was a class action suit in CA and they get 100,000. So you'd be good for awhile. You've got a good color too. Of course, I am biased.

[BlackoutA4]

60,000 miles by the manual for the timing belt, but there was a class action suit in CA and they get 100,000. So you'd be good for awhile. You've got a good color too. Of course, I am biased.

That's interesting, I assume the suit was about dealers doing unnecessary service? And is this an interference engine, or would rolling the dice and going a few thousand miles not include the risk of a trashed motor?

Edit:
Just searched and it's not an interference engine. I'll hold off until it isn't Miata weather around here, with the winter we had
I've got to get the convertible driving done while I can!

[kung fu jesus]

The timing belts can easily go 100k. Yours may have been done due to age or signs of cracking, which isn't uncommon for any car with such few miles given it's age. The good news is if the car chucks a belt,you won't destroy the engine. The bad news is there are"timing belt jobs" and then there are "timing belt jobs"... it depends on the level of maintenance the previous owners where willing to do. A typical timing belt job is the belt, waterpump and idler pulleys. Some will just do the belt, others the belt and pulleys. The zealots will do the belt, pulley, water pump, crankshaft front seal, and camshaft front seals because it's all relatively easy to do while "you're in there".

I bought my '92 in '00 with about 39k on it. The problems I had were essentially from the car sitting a lot. A lot of my seals were hard and as I started driving it more than it was accustomed, they began to seep. Not too big of a deal, just be aware. Common oil leaks are the valve cover gasket ($20), front seals (mentioned above - ~$10), the CAS O-ring (cam angle sensor, about $1), and the rear main seal. Some of the 1.6 are known to 'weep' a bit of oil between the head and block on the driver's side, near the rear of the engine. This one is not a big deal, nor usually worth worrying about.

Also, watch your radiator. The end tanks are plastic, so when they change in color from black to brown/green, they are getting brittle.

The car is waaaaaay over-built and can take plenty of abuse and deferred maintenance until it gets really bad. They are simple to work on and easy, even for green shadetree mechanics.

[BlackoutA4]

Got it all buffed out with a Mothers compound. I'm thrilled with how well the paint came back to life. It's still got a few dents, but it's a DD beater so that's tolerable. The nose piece still isn't a perfect match. So I'll need to keep at it and try a few more hits of compound.

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This is what I used to buff it; I grabbed it at Autozone and did the resto by hand. Very pleased with it and I'd highly recommend it.

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[WASABI]

Awesome job!!!! It is amazing how well the paint takes to the right care. Be extra careful on the edges of the nose with the compound. you can wear through the paint. Keep up the good work!

[etikoner]

Welcome to the slipper slope known as miata.

I bought mine thinking it'd be fine and dandy with a swapped engine, only to have it over heat two weeks later from a bad water pump. As long as you're on top of the maintenance it should be an awesome car.

Welcome to the forum :)