Gonna get rid of my modified Miata, what should I do next?

My current plan is to get rid of my SSM (Not really national level SSM) Miata at the end of the local season and then drive my wife's 04 330i ZHP next year in F-Street with very minor prep. The most I can get away with is changing sway bars and tires as she is not gonna let me swap struts/shocks. I really don't think I want to keep the Miata anymore as I went too far with the mods and it's just not fun as a day to day car anymore and since we have a kid now I just don't end up taking it anywhere except to race (where it is still fun, but requires r-compound tires to really use the suspension and turbo).

I was thinking though that if I can find some practical car that makes sense to drive stock I could trade my Buick in for it (have a 2012 Regal GS). Would require four doors on the newer car for this trade and probably not too small a car since wife has become used to the Buick's size and comfort.

I've considered a few options.

2015 WRX

2015 STI

2014-2015 Focus ST

Not sure if anything else falls in the $25-35k range and even the STI seems a bit of a stretch in that regard as both it and the WRX will probably remain in demand for quite a while as people trade up. Also the STI gets reviews that talk about it being a bit brutal in terms of suspension comfort for day to day driving.

Which leaves me leaning towards the Focus as it is probably large enough to still be practical and yet a friend who has one tells me that the stock suspension tuning leans toward mild oversteer, which sounds like it could be fun. One of the guys at our local has a Fiesta ST and really has fun with it stock.

I could probably lean towards the WRX though since the rear suspension changes seem to really open up the back seat of the Impreza. I kinda like the hatch on the ST though. Which also leaves open the idea of buying an older WRX or STI, but quite honestly I'm a little leery of buying one of them used.

Any other things I should consider in the price range? I thought about a 2015 GTI, but I dunno if want.

The ST vs WRX conclusion seems to be that the WRX is more planted and faster, while the ST is a bit wilder and more fun to drive.

My friend said that he was getting a bigger rear bar as it supposedly tames the rear on the ST a little bit as oversteer can be unpredictable.

I would expect the WRX to be faster overall in general with AWD and a significant power advantage. I probably have to sit in the ST to see how the size is.

you should go post the miata in the classifieds so I can see what it has.

The local dealer is basically offering up their 2014 STs at what looks somewhere close to invoice. They have fully optioned ones (202A + moonroof) that they quoted me $26750 on. I think they have incentives coming in though on the 2014 so they can probably do even better.

icaneat50eggs wrote: you should go post the miata in the classifieds so I can see what it has.

It's almost embarrassing how much money I've spent on it, but considering the company probably not.

It's a high mileage 1.6 car with 210k miles on body and motor. Custom turbo setup running on MS3x with LC-1 wideband. Full coilovers (Tein Monoflex 12kg front 8kg rear), torsen swap, poly bushings all around, most major maintenance done on a regular basis. Only been driven about 30k miles in the last ten years. Lots more stuff.

I've got a 2015 WRX base model, only option being fog lights, and it's such a huge improvement over previous generations, it's hard to believe that it carries the same name.

Stiff suspension with great dampening, stiff chassis, minimal body roll in corners, plenty of boost down at 2500 RPM, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx summer tires stock, great interior with D-shaped steering wheel, soft-touch dash, etc.

Dislikes? Radio and speakers are terrible, brakes aren't the greatest, and the shifter could be tighter. Both should be easily remedied once the aftermarket catches up. Oh, and the paint is terrible.

I was able to get mine for $1,000 below invoice, so you should be able to at least get invoice somewhere.

And vs. getting an STI, JSC Speed dynoed their WRX at 214/245, whereas I saw an STI dyno around 235/235. $10,000 extra for what? A little knob that adjusts your suspension and a giant wing?

We just had a big autocross event on memorial day, and there were Subaru WRX / STIs of all ages. However, there was one guy with one of those new ST hatches. He ended up being the fastest guy there by a decent margin. I was working safety when he ran, and the car behaves nothing like a FWD should (a good thing IMO). He was able to toss and rotate it very nicely, and the exhaust note actually sounded awesome.

As in most things autocross, it could just be a great driver, but I was thoroughly impressed.

coldaudio wrote: Dislikes? Radio and speakers are terrible

Try setting it to through mode with the hidden menu.

Harvey wrote:

icaneat50eggs wrote: you should go post the miata in the classifieds so I can see what it has.

It's almost embarrassing how much money I've spent on it, but considering the company probably not. It's a high mileage 1.6 car with 210k miles on body and motor. Custom turbo setup running on MS3x with LC-1 wideband. Full coilovers (Tein Monoflex 12kg front 8kg rear), torsen swap, poly bushings all around, most major maintenance done on a regular basis. Only been driven about 30k miles in the last ten years. Lots more stuff.

sounds like what I may be looking for

icaneat50eggs wrote:

Harvey wrote:

icaneat50eggs wrote: you should go post the miata in the classifieds so I can see what it has.

It's almost embarrassing how much money I've spent on it, but considering the company probably not. It's a high mileage 1.6 car with 210k miles on body and motor. Custom turbo setup running on MS3x with LC-1 wideband. Full coilovers (Tein Monoflex 12kg front 8kg rear), torsen swap, poly bushings all around, most major maintenance done on a regular basis. Only been driven about 30k miles in the last ten years. Lots more stuff.

sounds like what I may be looking for

It's not a bad car, it's just a really aggressive setup. Great fun on rcomps, but this last set of mods really took the wind out of my sails. I'm just not down with up keeping it for how much use I get out of it. My alternative to getting rid of it was to get a trailer and go even more crazy with the car and trailer to events farther away, but that is too much more dough and I find I'm starting to hate working on cars.

Turbo setup is

Artech custom axial manifold

Td04 turbo from the Greddy kit I originally had on the car

2.5 inch down pipe. Mild steel.

3inch stainless exhaust with no cat.

In reply to coldaudio: Motor Trend gets into detail about what is different between the WRX and the STI. The STI has an electronically controlled and adjustable center diff instead of a viscous center diff and limited slip diffs in the front and rear. I assume that the WRX has open diffs in the front and rear. The STi also has a hydraulic steering rack instead of an electrical one. The shocks are stiffer front and rear.

/Drive (a great car channel on Youtube) has a show on THIS CAR about all of the changes like a stiffer frame. It's not sexy, but it's important. There is Active Torque Vectoring and are quite a number of other changes to the car that is definitely worth $10,000. It's not only about the horsepower, and Grassroots readers should know that. Here is a link to the video because it's that good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qz7P9fy9cM

You can also pay a body shop to remove the rear wing if it's that bad.

In reply to Harvey: You can also look at an Evo IX or X for a same class comparison.

Not trying to show everyone how hairy my chest is, but... what makes that car too extreme to just enjoy every day? Not trying to offend, but it sounds like a pretty standard street miata setup.

What is it that you dislike about it?

Swank Force One wrote: Not trying to show everyone how hairy my chest is, but...

Do a lot of the internet videos you watch start with a line like that?

You may have a back made of steel compared to the OP. My old 97 Civic with Koni Yellows and 2.5" lowering springs beat the crap out of me.

Harvey:

You may have a big advantage against your wife with autocrossing her car if the shocks need replacement soon. I've heard that Koni Yellows and Bilstein sports aren't harsh with stock springs.

Swank Force One wrote: Not trying to show everyone how hairy my chest is, but... what makes that car too extreme to just enjoy every day? Not trying to offend, but it sounds like a pretty standard street miata setup. What is it that you dislike about it?

Youth is so wasted on the young.

I know I'm old when I swapped my 2000 Buick lesabre fort dads s2000 for a week of 130 miles a day commute and was glad to get the grandma buick back

In my defense they are the flattest straightest boringest 130 miles you can find

Swank Force One wrote: Not trying to show everyone how hairy my chest is, but... what makes that car too extreme to just enjoy every day? Not trying to offend, but it sounds like a pretty standard street miata setup. What is it that you dislike about it?

I just want to simplify things. The car is certainly easily drive-able on the street, but on New England roads the ride can be a bit brutal if you hit any rough spots. I have other cars that are much more comfortable overall for general driving, plus I have a kid now and she won't be old enough to ride in the Miata for many years. To be honest, I also just never should have created a highly modified car for my regular use, I'm just too nervous a person for such a beast. Every little odd noise or tick makes me think something is going to go wrong. This is overall irrational because the car has never really been anything but reliable, but it's just not for me anymore.

Essentially, it's hilarious fun to drive at the autocross, the rest of the time I either can't drive it because I have my daughter or I'm nervous driving it, because I'm a nervous person. Strangely I'm never nervous driving it at autocross.

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: You may have a back made of steel compared to the OP. My old 97 Civic with Koni Yellows and 2.5" lowering springs beat the crap out of me. Harvey: You may have a big advantage against your wife with autocrossing her car if the shocks need replacement soon. I've heard that Koni Yellows and Bilstein sports aren't harsh with stock springs.

I just replaced struts, shocks, upper mounts and front lower control arms and bushings about 10k ago on the car so it's completely refreshed. Turner had that OEM kit for the ZHP for $500 so I couldn't pass it up and the shocks and struts were blown by 80k miles. So, basically I'll just drive it as it sits, plus less complaining from her as the ride won't change.

If it's just a comfort thing, a suspension change would set things right.

I can understand it being a terrible family car, though.

icaneat50eggs wrote: I know I'm old when I swapped my 2000 Buick lesabre fort dads s2000 for a week of 130 miles a day commute and was glad to get the grandma buick back

I used to drive an E30 with SpecE30 suspension on NEPA roads. I hears ya.

Swank Force One wrote: If it's just a comfort thing, a suspension change would set things right. I can understand it being a terrible family car, though.

I think the not wanting to work on it anymore is also part of it. Despite the reliability it's still a 25 year old highly modified car, so it requires upkeep, which I trust no one else to do except myself and one of my friends. Have I mentioned I dislike working on cars more and more as I get older? I also get nervous doing my own work, have I mentioned I'm nervous a lot?

It's also the fact that stock autocross is now becoming street tire autocross and so one can drive to the event and not change tires and still be competitive. I'm really tired of changing tires at an event and also towing a trailer with a Miata kinda blows. I also don't want to drive over the GWB or the Tappan Zee in a car with the equivalent of 700lb/500lb front/rear spring rates while towing a camp trailer so I never get to go to bigger autox events in the car because I'm a big wussbag.

Have I also mentioned that my wife hates it when I put money into the car? I really wanted to get the XIDAs for the car with a lower spring rate, but I have to admit, now that the car has the MS3x and is putting down around 200 wheel horsepower the Monoflex setup works pretty damned good.

And are there track times to back all of that up? These cars aren't that fast... is it making that much of a difference to be worth $10,000?

OR you could take that $10,000, buy an E36 M3, have a dedicated track car, AND still have an awesome daily driver.

2 awesome cars > 1 ever so slightly faster car

Harvey,

I feel ya on the car front. I've got two kids in diapers now and working on cars to the depth that a turbo Miata requires is time consuming. Especially when you take the time and realize you've stuck your wife with the kid to do something you enjoy less and less.

Now, after selling the Miata it sounds like your purpose for your next car is some autocross and light tracking? Will this be a car you DD or just an occasional street drive for fun? What's your budget?

coldaudio wrote: And are there track times to back all of that up? These cars aren't that fast... is it making that much of a difference to be worth $10,000? OR you could take that $10,000, buy an E36 M3, have a dedicated track car, AND still have an awesome daily driver. 2 awesome cars > 1 ever so slightly faster car

What are we talking about now? Track times? Between the STI, WRX and ST?

Don't care. Won't track for competition. Autocross is the only competition racing I do.

I'm not buying another project. An M3 for $10k is a project. If I put some venting in and fit an underbody tray on the Miata and swapped the brakes I could go track it now, but I'd be a little worried about the motor holding up to that sort of abuse (have I mentioned my general nervousness), but then again a low mileage motor goes for $600.

I think also based on other reading that I can safely rule out the STI over the WRX if I were to go that route. So basically ST or WRX. Unfortunately the wife hates the look of the ST for some reason.

I have four cars, I'm tentatively planning to get rid of two, one of which is the Miata and then have one car that is satisfactory for daily driving and autocross. I have an Outback wagon that suffices for a larger car and hauler but will not work as an autocrosser, which is why I can get away with a more compact daily that autocrosses.

Xceler8x wrote: Harvey, I feel ya on the car front. I've got two kids in diapers now and working on cars to the depth that a turbo Miata requires is time consuming. Especially when you take the time and realize you've stuck your wife with the kid to do something you enjoy less and less. Now, after selling the Miata it sounds like your purpose for your next car is some autocross and light tracking? Will this be a car you DD or just an occasional street drive for fun? What's your budget?

Kinda where I am at. I have the weekend to be with my daughter and I'm spending it wrenching on a car. She is only gonna be this young once. I think later it might be fun to have a project with her, but not now as she is only three.

I can safely go around $25-35k, but less is better obviously. I have the Buick to trade that has a few grand in equity.

I don't drive that much anymore. I work from home most of the time, so the car will not get a lot of mileage put on it. My Buick has 14k after two years and that's only because I use it for trips up and down the coast once in a while. I think I'm angling towards the ST, because it seems fun and it will cost a lot less than the WRX.