NA or NB Miata for a $7500 budget.?

plance1 wrote: not sure what msm stands for but if you spend $7,500 on an early miata I will have to unfriend you.

MSM = Mazdaspeed Miata

Cooper_Tired wrote:

plance1 wrote: not sure what msm stands for but if you spend $7,500 on an early miata I will have to unfriend you.

MSM = Mazdaspeed Miata

thanks. I have a $1,800 1990 miata. this means I don't know of anything that came in later years and it means I laugh at those who pay $1,801 or more for a running vehicle.

In reply to plance1: a metric ton of improvements came to the Miata over the years. They have always been pretty amazing cars and each generation has it's strengths. The very early ones however suffered from tiny brakes and a weak diff. By 97 my Miata got big brakes, the bigger engine, more advanced electronics (OBD2), and a more robust diff. Moving to the NB the car gains weight and a couple of hp.

If the OP is really open to any and all models, the best thing to do is decide on what the car is going to be used for. DD or track? Autocross or drift? Spec Miata racing or stance? Each purpose has a "best choice" associated with it.

MrChaos wrote: So looking around NC1's fall into the budget range as well.

Now you are getting it- find every car in your budget range, figure out which one YOU like the best.

I liked the NC a lot when I drove a new one, but not enough to upgrade from my '99.

Really, all Miatas are great cars- there's a reason they are "the answer". And good for us- there's a good variety of great cars that owners can make sure they like a lot.

As with any car- once you decide on which one- get the best one you can.

KyAllroad wrote: In reply to plance1: a metric ton of improvements came to the Miata over the years. They have always been pretty amazing cars and each generation has it's strengths. The very early ones however suffered from tiny brakes and a weak diff. By 97 my Miata got big brakes, the bigger engine, more advanced electronics (OBD2), and a more robust diff. Moving to the NB the car gains weight and a couple of hp.

The average NB weighs more than the average NA, but the 99 is actually lighter than the 97. :)

this thread has given me some things to think about once my samurai sells.

BoxheadTim wrote: Yeah, definitely check out both - I don't fit either car particularly well, but the NA feels more roomy to me than the NB. NB seats without a foamectomy feel like I'm sitting even higher than in an NA. If I ever end up with another NA/NB, I'll be looking for a '95 M edition, but that's just me.

^^^This man speaks the truth. A friend of mine has a 95 M. Perfect color/interior/wheel combo if you ask me. Example pic:

I oddly fit in an NB better than an NA. No idea why, and I'm averagely tall. I'm strange in that I also prefer the 1.6 NAs to their 1.8 counterparts. Something about them feel more raw and elemental. I guess these could be negatives, too, depending on how you look at it. For 1.8 cars, it appears that good condition NA8 and NB1 are nearly identical in price, so the choice couldn't be more personal. I'd take an NB1 over the NA8 just for newer paint, newer interior, and adjustable steering column. NB2 would be even better with vvti and a 6 speed and they should be well within your budget.

So I am likely going to buy a 95 M edition with factory hardtop with defrost in purple on tan on monday so we will see how that goes.

The 1.6 and the 1.8 are different cars. I had a 90 and a 95 at the same time, and my wife's cousin had a 93 and a 95 at the same time. The 1.6 is "cammy", the 1.8 is much smoother. They are both fun to drive, but it's amazing the difference in the motors. The NB have a couple of extra inches in the interior, so you may fit better.

MrChaos wrote: So I am likely going to buy a 95 M edition with factory hardtop with defrost in purple on tan on monday so we will see how that goes.

If you hate it, you know where to find me.