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In person, I'm not as impressed with the look of the 949 wheels as I'd hoped to be. They do butch up the look of a Miata nicely, but I think it's the finish on the center section that lets them down, especially in black. They look better coated in brake dust.
Want to make a Miata manly? Make it sound like this.
I don't give much respect to cars that are trying too hard to look good. If you're spending a bunch of time trying to give your car "that look" you're not spending time trying to give your car "the performance". When a car has the tires perfectly flush with the rolled fenders, that's what they're spending their time on, not making the car run better.
You know who spends all their time worrying about aesthetic minutae? Homosexual interior decorators! Are you a homosexual interior decorator?!? No. Your car should be cool because it's ugly because you've beat the E36 M3 out of it.
Real men spend their time beating the E36 M3 out of their cars, not making them pretty! Stop worrying about how your Miata looks, spend time working on how much ass it can kick!
Keith wrote:In person, I'm not as impressed with the look of the 949 wheels as I'd hoped to be. They do butch up the look of a Miata nicely, but I think it's the finish on the center section that lets them down, especially in black. They look better coated in brake dust.
Want to make a Miata manly? Make it sound like this.
I don't love the look, but I just got in line for a pair of the 15 x 9's. I'm going to have to use spacers and a sawzall to make them fit the Civic, but they are the cheapest 15 x wide / 4 x100 option out there.
A quick spot of worry: I just realized i live in the goddamn tundra. Is driving this thing in the snow suicide?
Schermerica wrote:A quick spot of worry: I just realized i live in the goddamn tundra. Is driving this thing in the snow suicide?
Yes. Please provide me with the location of this Miata, so that I can buy it for you and remove the temptation, for your own safety. 
Schermerica wrote:A quick spot of worry: I just realized i live in the goddamn tundra. Is driving this thing in the snow suicide?
With a good set of snow tires, they are decent in the snow. A hard top is definately nice to have in the winter.
^^^^^^ Yup. I have a hardtop on my 1993 Miata and four new snow tires on the stock rims and it goes great in the snow. The car is very good at communicating how much grip it has and if it is going to loose traction.
Here's how I bought mine. Hard Dog double diagonal roll bar, Koni adjustable shocks, Racing Beat lowering springs, urethane bushings, Racing Beat chassis bracing, Thermal cat back exhaust, 16" Kosei wheels. Looks pretty mean, don'tcha think?
Miatas are always manly on track:
Damn dude, it comes with a hardtop. this is really really tempting. It is located at a stealership though....
Nothing to add besides that I've always disliked the car in red. To me red says, "I wish that I was Italian". I like a Miata in Black, or other "strong" colors.
(unfortunately one of mine is that very shade of Red, and the other is that strange purplish '95 tone) 
Schermerica wrote:Damn dude, it comes with a hardtop. this is really really tempting. It is located at a stealership though....
Holy E36 M3! $2500 and it has a hard-top?!? If it's running, buy it! That top is worth $1k.
I think this fits the recipe. Lowered, roll bar, front lip, nice wheels, some battle scars and appropriate paint scheme
93celicaGT2 wrote:
This does it for me, too. Don't know how functional the drop is.... but i don't care.
I'm liking this one....alot.
Hey try these wheels! They would look cool on a yellow car with a white interior and Air Supply on the radio.....
http://www.tiretrends.com/wheel_catalog.php3?wheelID=6621&pI=session--f1d9e004...
If you're DDing it in a cold/snowy climate, that might limit the lowering/lip options.
Where are you, and how much snow?
I drove a lowered MGB in Rochester, NY through a couple of winters. It was fun, it drove nicely. If there was more than 4" of fresh powder, I didn't just leave tire tracks, I left plow marks with the spoiler, and a little trough from the low exhaust. The last winter I did it, the spoiler got ripped off in a big snowstorm.
You might think about having a winter setup -- snow tires, remove the lip, raise the car up to stock if it's on coils.
Matt
Salanis wrote:Step B: Wheels and tires. Nothing says "poser" like crappy all-seasons on steelies. Nothing says badass like track tires.
WRONG. Crappy all seasons on steelies (or daisys) really say "My track wheels and tires are in the garage where they won't get stolen or excessively heat cycled, and I don't give a crap what you think because I'll be driving the piss out of my Miata this weekend instead of whatever lame-ass activities you have planned".
I'm with the crowd that says rubber marks all over the car make it look manly. I also think a hard top makes a Miata look more manly, especially when you can see the diagonals of the rollbar.
However, unlike the Daisy wheels Monroe referenced above, I'd really like to find a set of Ronal Teddy Bears for my track wheels. 
I got nothing better to do and this thread piqued my interest on Miata. Not to hijack (well consider it market research ). Which one of these will you get:
1. 93 Miata STS2 or ES autocross toy - $2900
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/995041904.html
or
2. 1993 miata w/ hardtop - $3000
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/993458204.html
I am not seriously in the market so feel free to snatch them if they meet your liking. Just don't forget to send me the finder's fee .
In reply to 93celicaGT2:
That belongs to a Daytona local; he's a cool guy. Yes, that's an intercooler peeking through the intake. Intercoolers (and the turbochargers that love them) make a Miata very manly indeed.
I've been aching to paint a car OD green, or maybe a glossy shade of Olive like the Nissan canteen green or BMW Urban green. Per brings me down from the ledge, but it won't take too many more door dings to put me over. Here's a photoshop test....
Love the nose art!
I found this pic while I was still Miata shopping. No lip necessary, but it's also been photoshopped green...
Holy E36 M3! $2500 and it has a hard-top?!? If it's running, buy it! That top is worth $1k.
Why do i keep seeing E36 M3?.... we're talking about miatas.
RXBeetle wrote:I think this fits the recipe. Lowered, roll bar, front lip, nice wheels, some battle scars and appropriate paint scheme
Yes!
Whatever happened to Chef Tam? Last I heard, he was moving to my area (St. Louis) for a cushy corporate/casino job, but I haven't heard from him.
I luuuurve this Miata.
Oh, and BTW, Schermerica, "E36 M3" is a product of the profanity filter around here. (Unless, of course, we're talking about daily driver BMWs.)
You'll find: sh!t = E36 M3 f*ck = berkeley etc. etc.
Schermerica wrote:Holy E36 M3! $2500 and it has a hard-top?!? If it's running, buy it! That top is worth $1k.
Why do i keep seeing E36 M3?.... we're talking about miatas.
LOL! It's always hilarious the first time people see that. You're just observing the GRM message board filters. "E36 M3. It's the E36 M3."
On the topic of OD Miatas. I have a friend who has one, black hardtop, with "4077th" on the sides.
