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Anti-stance
Anti-stance UltraDork
4/7/13 8:58 p.m.
wbjones wrote: forgot to mention ... I'm 6'2" ... (doesn't fit so well in a Miata )

A Miata would damn well be my next track car if I wasn't 6'5".

psteav
psteav GRM+ Memberand Dork
4/7/13 9:00 p.m.
cutter67 wrote: BTW Mike and Allen if you are reading this and want to back out of buying the miata it is 100% ok with me

MWA HA HA HA.....Not friggin likely.

ONE OF US... ONE OF US....

cutter67
cutter67 HalfDork
4/7/13 9:14 p.m.

Alan,

the one i was going to sell you just caught fire and burned to the ground. Is that a comman problem? If i find another one you have first crack at it

nderwater
nderwater UberDork
4/7/13 9:45 p.m.
Sine_Qua_Non wrote: I don't. Honda S2000 is where it's at.

If the day ever comes when I can get my hands on a decent S2000 for $2,500 I'll totally be right there with you.

patgizz
patgizz GRM+ Memberand UberDork
4/7/13 9:48 p.m.

i still think they are girl cars. you'll never convert me. keep your miata kool-aid to yourself.

Spinout007
Spinout007 GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
4/7/13 11:03 p.m.

Ha I miss mine. They do anything you ask of them, first car I was ever able to pull a successful and smooth heel toe in, initiate a drift with a Scandinavian flick. Etc etc etc. LOVE THEM!

ae86andkp61
ae86andkp61 GRM+ Memberand Reader
4/8/13 1:09 a.m.
DavidinDurango wrote:
wbjones wrote: the only problem with a Miata ( for me ) is I hate convertibles ... but that's not the Miata's problem ...it's mine
Hardtop.

Oh great, hardtop. All of the negatives of a convertible with none of the positives of a genuine coupe... And what will this "privilege" cost me? Hmmmm....$800-1000 on the USED market? Are you berkeleying kidding me? On my car the roof was included in the $2250 purchase price!!

FWIW, I am in the Miata hater camp. I love the idea, but I just don't see what it offers that my current (and longtime) beloved platform doesn't also offer. Lightweight, reliable, somewhat modernish, but simple and without electronic nannies? Great! Rear-wheel-drive with a willing and tuneable 1.6-liter four cylinder? Awesome! Fun, responsive handling, a true driver's car and a great platform for developing your driving skills? Sounds just like my AE86!

Wait....what? Miata? No emergency rear seat for when you need to give two or three friends a quick ride? I have one. You can't fit four mounted tires, jack, plastic tote, lunch, helmets, and a friend in the car? I can. You put up with all of the weight and flex of a convertible without the safety and rigidity of true coupe? I don't. Somebody stole your hardtop when parked on the street? With mine they have to take the whole car! Your car leaks? Not mine. Oh...you've been denied entry to motorsports events due to safety concerns because you don't have a roof? Not me.

On top of all that, my Japanese 1.6 four cylinder actually responds well to normally-aspirated tuning.

They are seriously fast when boosted and well-driven, and if they get more people into lightweight simple cars, I don't have a problem with that. But I wouldn't ever sell a Corolla to buy one. Just had to stir the pot a bit....

codrus
codrus GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
4/8/13 2:42 a.m.
ae86andkp61 wrote: They are seriously fast when boosted and well-driven, and if they get more people into lightweight simple cars, I don't have a problem with that. But I wouldn't ever sell a Corolla to buy one. Just had to stir the pot a bit....

I'll take double A-arms at all four corners over struts and a live axle, thanks. :)

Appleseed
Appleseed PowerDork
4/8/13 4:02 a.m.

No dorifto tax, either.

Apexcarver
Apexcarver UberDork
4/8/13 6:50 a.m.
wbjones wrote:
DavidinDurango wrote:
wbjones wrote: the only problem with a Miata ( for me ) is I hate convertibles ... but that's not the Miata's problem ...it's mine
Hardtop.
forgot to mention ... I'm 6'2" ... (doesn't fit so well in a Miata ) FWIW my first car was a convertible ... ( Sunbeam Alpine)

I'm 6'2" and drive a miata. With a hardtop for much of the year even.

JOOOIIIIINNNN USSSS

noddaz
noddaz GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
4/8/13 7:06 a.m.
Sine_Qua_Non wrote: I don't. Honda S2000 is where it's at.

So what if you can buy 3 or 4 (or more) nice Miatia for the price of a S2000...

patgizz
patgizz GRM+ Memberand UberDork
4/8/13 7:08 a.m.
Apexcarver wrote:
wbjones wrote:
DavidinDurango wrote:
wbjones wrote: the only problem with a Miata ( for me ) is I hate convertibles ... but that's not the Miata's problem ...it's mine
Hardtop.
forgot to mention ... I'm 6'2" ... (doesn't fit so well in a Miata ) FWIW my first car was a convertible ... ( Sunbeam Alpine)
I'm 6'2" and drive a miata. With a hardtop for much of the year even. JOOOIIIIINNNN USSSS

don't trust him, he's a ginger

wbjones
wbjones UberDork
4/8/13 7:33 a.m.
Apexcarver wrote:
wbjones wrote:
DavidinDurango wrote:
wbjones wrote: the only problem with a Miata ( for me ) is I hate convertibles ... but that's not the Miata's problem ...it's mine
Hardtop.
forgot to mention ... I'm 6'2" ... (doesn't fit so well in a Miata ) FWIW my first car was a convertible ... ( Sunbeam Alpine)
I'm 6'2" and drive a miata. With a hardtop for much of the year even. JOOOIIIIINNNN USSSS

no thanks ... I'll happily continue racing against them with my CRX ... two seater fun AND large area to carry my stuff

jstein77
jstein77 SuperDork
4/8/13 9:40 a.m.

<blockquote>kazoospec wrote:

I fought it for a long time myself. You know "Barbie Dream Car" jokes and the whole 9 yards...

You mean like this?

My teenage daughter's dream car

mtn
mtn PowerDork
4/8/13 9:54 a.m.
ae86andkp61 wrote: Oh great, hardtop. All of the negatives of a convertible with none of the positives of a genuine coupe... And what will this "privilege" cost me? Hmmmm....$800-1000 on the USED market? Are you berkeleying kidding me? On my car the roof was included in the $2250 purchase price!! FWIW, I am in the Miata hater camp. I love the idea, but I just don't see what it offers that my current (and longtime) beloved platform doesn't also offer. Lightweight, reliable, somewhat modernish, but simple and without electronic nannies? Great! Rear-wheel-drive with a willing and tuneable 1.6-liter four cylinder? Awesome! Fun, responsive handling, a true driver's car and a great platform for developing your driving skills? Sounds just like my AE86!

I'd agree with you, but there are much more Miata's out there for a decent price in decent condition. I'd estimate that all other things being equal, AE86 is 2x the price of a Miata. And there are how many of them left? I've never even seen one other than the internet.

So in short, what the Miata delivers that the AE86 doesn't is availability and generally condition for the price.

nderwater
nderwater UberDork
4/8/13 10:12 a.m.

Ditto that. I don't think I've seen an AE86 on the road in over a decade.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
4/8/13 10:36 a.m.
jstein77 wrote:
kazoospec wrote: I fought it for a long time myself. You know "Barbie Dream Car" jokes and the whole 9 yards... You mean like this? My teenage daughter's dream car
There used to be a bright pink one here in town. It came here for service occasionally, and our mechanic flat out refused to test drive it. He just couldn't handle it.
93EXCivic
93EXCivic MegaDork
4/8/13 10:52 a.m.

I have driven a 1.6 NA but it did absolutely nothing for me. The interior is cramped with no character and the 1.6 is a limp wristed motor. Maybe with a retro interior and a rotary or V8 or maybe even a modified 1.8 but in stock form no thanks. I would like the Miata I will stick with Spitfires if I am going to buy a little convertible.

nderwater
nderwater UberDork
4/8/13 10:57 a.m.

I have driven a turbocharged 1.8 Miata and it drove like a 911 cabriolet. To each their own

jstein77
jstein77 SuperDork
4/8/13 11:23 a.m.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

No confidence in his manhood?

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
4/8/13 11:29 a.m.

Well, he did drive a jacked up Dodge truck with flowmasters. So, no.

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
4/8/13 12:22 p.m.

if it was the right price, i'd drive a pink miata with "bone smuggler" stickers on it. park that berkeleyer in the UAW spaces at work.

octavious
octavious Reader
4/8/13 12:25 p.m.
cutter67 said: i do have a austin healey 3000 sitting in a sea container that i have owned for 30years waiting for me to retire and restore her for the 4th time

Dibs. And then you can go buy a Miata. You don't even have to put it in the $2103 classifieds....

I have nothing further to add on the Miata though.

Swank Force One
Swank Force One MegaDork
4/8/13 12:29 p.m.
AngryCorvair wrote: if it was the right price, i'd drive a pink miata with "bone smuggler" stickers on it. park that berkeleyer in the UAW spaces at work.

AverageH
AverageH New Reader
4/8/13 12:32 p.m.
ae86andkp61 wrote:
DavidinDurango wrote:
wbjones wrote: the only problem with a Miata ( for me ) is I hate convertibles ... but that's not the Miata's problem ...it's mine
Hardtop.
Oh great, hardtop. All of the negatives of a convertible with none of the positives of a genuine coupe... And what will this "privilege" cost me? Hmmmm....$800-1000 on the USED market? Are you berkeleying kidding me? On my car the roof was included in the $2250 purchase price!! FWIW, I am in the Miata hater camp. I love the idea, but I just don't see what it offers that my current (and longtime) beloved platform doesn't also offer. Lightweight, reliable, somewhat modernish, but simple and without electronic nannies? Great! Rear-wheel-drive with a willing and tuneable 1.6-liter four cylinder? Awesome! Fun, responsive handling, a true driver's car and a great platform for developing your driving skills? Sounds just like my AE86! Wait....what? Miata? No emergency rear seat for when you need to give two or three friends a quick ride? I have one. You can't fit four mounted tires, jack, plastic tote, lunch, helmets, and a friend in the car? I can. You put up with all of the weight and flex of a convertible without the safety and rigidity of true coupe? I don't. Somebody stole your hardtop when parked on the street? With mine they have to take the whole car! Your car leaks? Not mine. Oh...you've been denied entry to motorsports events due to safety concerns because you don't have a roof? Not me. On top of all that, my Japanese 1.6 four cylinder actually responds well to normally-aspirated tuning. They are seriously fast when boosted and well-driven, and if they get more people into lightweight simple cars, I don't have a problem with that. But I wouldn't ever sell a Corolla to buy one. Just had to stir the pot a bit....

Actually, all of the "negatives" you listed are all positives in my book. For instance, the hardtop gives you everything that a coupe offers, AND it still allows you to remove it for top-down driving. Why would I want to give a bunch of people rides? No back seats? Sweet! I have two little kids too, but I don't see any reason to get rid of it just because of the seat count. The car is too fun- especially when I just need to get away from people.
To be honest, I love the look of convertibles but I don't like all the attention I get when driving them. I maybe drop the top about 3 times a year, but I still bought the miata though despite my lack of love for convertibles (I own a Spitifire too!). 17 years of driving and no other car has offered me so much fun- bar-none. I've also moved about 14 times during that time period, so the complaint of not much space just isn't an argument IMHO. It's amazing how much crap you can fit in the miata when you actually try. I get the whole "Hachi Roku" thing though, and I seriously say that you need to hang on to that thing. As far as stick axle cars, they are pretty cool.

-Hamid

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