Does the answer change?

I don't mind paying a little more from a private seller, who loves and maintains his cars. Much preferred over buying off a lot and relying on the salesman's word, or Carfax...

In reply to maj75:Especially if the seller is known to you or someone you know and trust!

Mama is telling me to go make an offer on the car. She's more ready to buy it than I am!

When SWMBO says it, that must mean it's time to do it.

Just chiming in to say that the MR-S is a really fun car.

The test drive sure was. I haven't even driven a Miata yet. Well, not counting back in 1990 when they first came out, my sister's bf had one, drove it then.

Looks like my plan for picking up a Miata at the end of summer may well be short circuited.

That is a bargain price if it were in Oregon. I would buy that at full asking price and feel good about it. 121k miles is still pretty low in my mind and the pre-cat problem has already been fixed for you!

The oiling issues are exaggerated, I make sure its at the full mark, 150k of 225 wide r comps running the e36m3 out of it with boost. Our spyder has been great, the storage gets better the more gutted they are (everything else gets better too) .

carbon wrote: The oiling issues are exaggerated, I make sure its at the full mark, 150k of 225 wide r comps running the e36m3 out of it with boost. Our spyder has been great, the storage gets better the more gutted they are (everything else gets better too) .

I shall presume then that your boosted car is on a stock bottom end? That does give me peace and comfort.

The monkey wrench in the wheel is that I test drove a NC tonight. I think I like the way the Miata drives a little better than the 2.

I'm having second thoughts on the little yellow bugger since I liked the miotter so much; at low enough speeds appropriate to the test drive with the salesman the handling of the Miata was very near equal the Spyder, and it had pretty good pull for a 165hp motor (keeping in mind my point of reference is 160 in the Focus hauling about 400lb more...).

The wife and the son are universally sold on the 2. I'll go test drive it again tomorrow to see if I like it enough to buy it.

That Miata flavored kool-aid is pretty appealing though.

I'm making 214hp/ 170lbft @wheels at 7psi (gt28rs) with stock bottom and top end, arp head studs are the only internal mod. A LOT of my friends have miatas, all but maybe Quinn (his are Very Nicely built $$$$$) would trade me in a heartbeat. I have spent a huge amount of time in both platforms and I like them both but the 2 better, because there is a specialness to it that the mx5 lacks and more importantly, a drive in the 2 puts you in the zone like a drive in the mx5 doesn't. I'll get to the end of a country rd in the mr2 and realize I'm panting. Also I ftd almost every event is attend with an open diff, not many cars that can do that. Check out my build thread on here titled something like "mr2 commute attack car"

Good Lord that is a neat car! I won't be doing that much to this one if I pick it up; I'm going to go drive it again this morning - ugh, what to do.

What I did not know is that these cars have power steering - if I do get this thing I probably will do that. I love the feel of a manual rack.

Thanks for the kind words, mine would be 3/4 as good to drive for 1-10th the money. Most of the stuff I've done that made the car really good you could do on the cheap. Weight reduction, simplification, and rigidity are what builds a good spyder. Most of that stuff isn't expensive especially if you have some fabrication ability and aren't afraid to work on the car. I hear people say that the aftermarket is sparse for these cars, that's bulle36m3, anything you could possibly want is available, especially with the Elise/exige aftermarket, crazy stuff is available (sequential trannies, etc.), suspension parts are plentiful from tien to ohlins. If you are patient, every once in a while a c60 six speed will become available for dirt (saw one for $600 a while back). 2zz swaps are super easy and make these cars rock, they're basic the same engine (to the point that the swap uses the oe wiring harness plug and play).

Where are you out of? If you're close, come out and check mine out/ come for a ride. I'd be happy to help build another one.

I love your build Carbon. I'd love a Spyder for a commuter car. I'd probably have to gut it out the way you did in order to make more space to haul stuff. I don't find them for sale for reasonable prices very often. The yellow one the OP is looking at looks like a really good deal.

And it got away from me; couldn't arrange a time in the AM, and in the PM a guy from Sedona bought it.

Carbon, I'm in Tucson; I didn't discern where you're at, so no idea if a visit is feasible. It would be fun to ride in that rocket though.