My new Miata

Keith Tanner said:

*to mess with a non-AC NA Miata owner, pull the fan speed knob off the shaft, press the center of the shaft like it's a button and the AC light will come on. Put the knob back on. Light stays lit.

 

Keith, 

  That's just evil.......................I so respect you right now.

Usually I say "It's your's, do with it what you want", but that is really a clean old car.  My opinion is keep it the way it is, and look for something less nice to mess with.  

In reply to Duke :

Not an authoritative answer, but I think both AC and PS were available as dealer installed options so they seem like legit updates without defiling the car.  I don't think a 118K mile NA is a such a strong collectible that I'd worry about originality if the upgrades make it more drivable. 

In reply to jwagner (Forum Supporter) :

AC was a dealer installed option, PS was not. 

In reply to Keith Tanner :

LOL

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

That's kind of what I am thinking. While the suspension was "rebuilt" before he passed, it doesn't feel right to me. I remember these cars riding a bit better, and if you really hop on it, something is clunking or rubbing. Dif mounts are the suspect.

I might just go over it and optimize it a bit. A Cold air intake, and exhaust and some fine tuning won't hurt it.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

We have thrown all these parts away so many times as we build race Miatas. Tried to sell and A/C system a few yearsa back at Carlisle and couldn't. So, I just left it there, knowing I would one day need it.

Keep that nice '93 Miata there @Tim Suddard, Miata's are IMHO underrate small roadsters. I would leave it stock except for adding AC and few simple engine performance enhancements that can be easily removed/undone if you want sell it.

Tasteful updates to make it work for you. Keep the spirit of your cousin alive but I am sure they would want you to have fun with the car. Make it so every time you drive it you are smiling. 

Ditch the pin stripes and the luggage rack . . . maybe an article on how to refinish the trunk lid to deal with the unsightly holes that would be left afterwards.

I stopped modding my NA in 2005 or so . . . it could certainly use some updating, but it's sort of fun to have something that represents an era (15 x7 wheels, 1.8 swap and Torsen, FM springs, AGX shocks, and anti-roll bars, Hard Dog).  It's kind of like a flat head Ford V8 hot rod compared to contemporary Miata builds.

In reply to ZOO (Forum Supporter) :

The only thing that's really changed on that list for a fun street car is the AGX :)

Tim Suddard said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Hard to live with a hardtop and no A/C in Florida. And i am plus sized, as you know, and find early Miatas a bit restrictive with the tops on.

I feel your pain.  I lost a 2 day track event at Pocono several years back driving 200 miles to the event.  I thought I had consumed enough liquids, but ended up with a gout-like condition that kept me from comfortably using my left foot.  A/C was long gone in this car, but it did have an operating vent in the driver's vent window.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I'm still salty about that . . . they were pushed in place of other options at one point :).

If I ever do anything else to the car I'll correct that.

In reply to ZOO (Forum Supporter) :

They were less expensive and had more numbers on the dial than the competition, so the marketplace loved them. Miata owners weren't all that willing to spend money on suspension for another 5 years or so.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I wish I had the catalogue -- if I remember there was some awfully disparaging comments made about the Tokicos, to explain why the AGX.  Of course, I could be completely misremembering.

To be fair, they've done what they needed to do -- and they seem to still be doing what they need to do, 15 plus years later and countless autocross and track laps.  They certainly don't owe me anything.  As you point out, what we are willing to spend money on, shock wise, has really changed.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Would you believe that my '90 Miata is still wearing 1994 GAB 8-way shocks? 

In reply to John Welsh :

I would! 
 

It's funny, the  California track scene carries so much weight socially and publicly that it's easy to forget that they're not fully representative of the rest of us. When I went to the Deal's Gap event it was amazing how many people were still running street suspension from 5-15 years ago instead of the latest high dollar race setup - and fine with it. 

In reply to Tim Suddard :

That is such a nice car.  My vote is:

Add the A/C.  I can't imagine operating this in Florida without it.  It gets so hot here in the Midlands of SC the air conditioning is operated nine months out of the year on our '95.

There are no other changes I'd make on a Roadster seeing only street duty.  You guys have pretty much done everything possible to a Miata I think except keep and maintain one in original condition.

I confess, if I came across a good set of Miata OE 14" steel wheels and caps I might be tempted to put them on this car.

Just an observation: I'm seeing some luggage racks among our Orlando Miata scene.