Signs seem to indicate that I'm shopping for another Miata...

I recently had a close call with an early Miata that got away. Long story, but I didn't move quickly enough.

This all began when I  started to think about building an MG for The Challenge. As I searched (not that hard), I kept driving past a Miata that hadn't moved in at least five years. In spite of my Challenge dreams, a Miata really seemed like a better idea.

A closer look determined that, somehow, the Miata was completely rust free. It was parked in front of an unoccupied house and wasn't actively for sale on CL, FM or eBay, though the house was. I kept driving past the house with cash in my pocket in the hope of finding someone there. Sometime between noon yesterday and 7:30 this morning, the car disappeared. Poop.

Now I'm pissed/motivated.

Today, I took a longshot and reached out to the guy (three states away) who bought one of my old cars back in 2011. He's an older guy who has a history of keeping cars for a long time (he bought the Miata because he has had the same Lotus Elan since the 70's and "wanted something a little bigger"), so there may be a chance that he still has it.

I've owned four Miatas: a '95, two '96s and a 2000. I prefer the '94-'97 cars, but wouldn't pass on a nice NB. I don't know NBs as well, so I don't really know what to look for. The interior of my 2000 was admittedly more comfortable than the earlier cars, but I like the look of the NA better, as well as the idea of the aluminum hood and trunk lids.

I know that NAs can get rusty in the rockers, but the NB that looked rust free when I bought it seemed to eat it rockers and quarter panels in less than a year.

My wife has been notified that I'm not going to hesitate on the next good car that comes along.

So...again, long story short, I am not opposed to hearing about any cars that you might find for sale that are within reasonable driving distance from New England.

This won't likely be a Challenge car, but it most certainly will be a a track car.

I was going to tell you to come to maine.  There is an nb that has sat forever near or at a garage.  You are inspiring to go and look at it after my wife calms down about the miata I bought that then needed a clutch and a supercharger rebuild.  If you are ever up in Portland, let me know.

If you look at an NB and see any sign of rust in the rockers, jack it up and check the front chassis legs for rust, too. It'll be pretty visible.

NBs are fundamentally restyled NAs, complete with aloooominyum hoods and trunks.

Are we looking for creampuffs or beaters or track refugees or what?

A friend of mine in central CT is considering selling his white NB1 this spring. He put it together over the past year or two for track day/time trial/autocross purposes, but he’s now shifting his energy/focus back onto his SCCA w2w car.

The NB1 has a coilover sleeve suspension setup (like spec miata suspension but different shocks/spring rates), sway bars, roll bar… he may even have a hard top for it? It’s no show car, definitely more on the “track rat” side of things, but it’s effective.

If this sounds interesting shoot me a PM and I'll get you guys in touch with each other.

How much of a project do you want?

This keep showing up in my FB marketplace feed. there also a part out with a 1.8 that is showing up. 

Shell

Keith Tanner said:

NBs are fundamentally restyled NAs, complete with aloooominyum hoods and trunks.

 

Are we looking for creampuffs or beaters or track refugees or what?

Really? The hood and trunk on my NB seemed sooooo much heavier that I figured they were steel.

thedoc said:

I was going to tell you to come to maine.  There is an nb that has sat forever near or at a garage.  You are inspiring to go and look at it after my wife calms down about the miata I bought that then needed a clutch and a supercharger rebuild.  If you are ever up in Portland, let me know.

I frequent Portland Maine. I used to live there and I plan to retire there.

Keith Tanner said:

Are we looking for creampuffs or beaters or track refugees or what?

I'd prefer that it not be an eyesore. Beyond that, I'm willing to investigate all options.

If you feel like popping for a ready to go track car, I've seen this car at a bunch of local NASA track days down in Virginia.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1498042257016119/

NA/NB trunks are steel the NC was the first with the aluminum trunk.

My bad, you're right. Fun fact, IIRC the ND has an aluminum trunklid welded to a steel frame.

But the hoods were all aluminum - other than some budget aftermarket replacements. It's pretty clear when you find one of those, the difference in mass is pretty spectacular.

Maybe my NB had one of those budget replacement hoods. It seemed really heavy. But I really thought that my NA trunklids were aluminum. Maybe they just have really strong springs.

NA's are getting pretty long in the tooth at this point.  NB's aren't far behind.

An NC with aftermarket suspension is gonna be a much better car for daily driving and a lot more capable on the track.  Roll bar is a bit of a PITA but not insurmountable.

I actually went down to the shop and confirmed with a magnet, because I could have sworn they were aluminum :) Couldn't check the NC because ours has a carbon trunk lid (oooooo) but I have no reason to doubt that.

I remember the first time I met a steel aftermarket hood. The difference was shocking. When you're used to lifting Miata hoods all day, it's a particularly big shock.

My toy is a 2006 NC MX-5 Grand Touring.  $6,000 double adjustable MCS coilovers and a fat front sway bar.  MX-5 Cup rotors and HP-S 5.0 pads take care of braking.  Intake, header,exhaust, tune really wake it up.  Racing hardtop for track days.

(Low key sales ad if someone came along with $12,000 I'd set them up with a really good track/autocross/daily)

I have a 95 with an open diff thats set up for STS autocross that I need to sell.

the good:

Raceland Header / Flowmaster catback

Koni SA with 550f/375R ground control coilovers

Racing Beat front Sway

ISC racing tophats in the rear

Engine only has about 60k on it (junkyard replacement that had LOW miles, rest of the car has 180k)

The Bad:

Rocker rust repair needed

Parked under a nut bearing tree for a weekend, looks like hail damage, plus front fenders are both dented. 

Weepy waterpump

The may not matter:

Base model with only option being power steering.

Aftermarket power door locks w/ remote

NO AIRCON

NB seats

I have a hardtop and snow tires that could be worked with on a deal.

Price: lets talk and see if what you think is reasonable agrees with me.

I parked it after having a kid and havent driven it more than around the block in over a year. 

Seriously: lets talk

Located south of washington DC in MD.

As I mentioned above, it's a longshot, but my first priority is to get in contact with the guy who bought my old black 1996. I found him on Facebook and sent him a message this morning.

I don't really have an emotional attachment to that car, (and I don't even like black cars!), but when I sold it, it was set up almost exactly the way that I would build the next one: Flyin' Miata springs, sway bars and frame rails, Koni shocks, Torsen, braided steel brake lines, Hard Dog cage, Cobra seat, 2004 hardtop, Bosal stainless exhaust (NLA) and Konig wheels.

I owned that car for more than ten years and I was pretty happy with the setup. Even if I find it and it's used up, it might still make a good parts donor.

In reply to Apexcarver :

Open diff and rocker rust would kill that one for me. Sorry...

Woody said:

As I mentioned above, it's a longshot, but my first priority is to get in contact with the guy who bought my old black 1996. I found him on Facebook and sent him a message this morning.

 

 

He accepted my Friend Request three minutes ago....

FYI, I've done rocker repairs on a couple of cars. In both cases, the rust was only the skin and the structure was untouched. It's a simple curve so making patch panels is cake, and then you hit it with some Stoneguard and it's invisible. If you're lucky and good, the whole repair ends up inside the black sill paint so touching up the paint is simple.

Did one just a couple of months ago. Pretty quick job, really.

Gets a new top this weekend.  And just to show you how rust free clean this car is.....

In reply to AnthonyGS :

Where are you located?

Woody said:

Woody said:

As I mentioned above, it's a longshot, but my first priority is to get in contact with the guy who bought my old black 1996. I found him on Facebook and sent him a message this morning.

 

 

He accepted my Friend Request three minutes ago....

Well, damn. There are two guys with the same name, even the same middle initial, and they both worked for the state of Maine in similar departments. I found the wrong one. My guy retired a few years ago.

Still looking...

I have a PO Box address from 2011. Maybe I'll try snail mail.