Im probably going to get flamed for this, but... here i go..

so these past few months, i've been in search of an s2000. the right price, at the right amount of miles, with the right color. no luck.

then, a friend i havent spoken to in awhile, has a 96 miata with 38k on the odo. green and has the hard top. he's asking for something around $4,000 since we're friends and he has a couple cars sitting at home so no need to have another one lying around. that is way below kbb value.

i really do apologize to ask around the s2000 sub forum but i have a feeling some of you guys have probably moved from miatas to s2000s, and assuming its similarity(convertible 2 door).

my questions are:

1. what are some tech forums or any forums that relate to miatas similar to like HT? i've looked around and found http://www.miata.net and http://www.specmiata.com but doesnt seem to be helpful. should i look for a mazda overall forum? i need like a main forum that has good info.

2. im curious to if the 89-97(1st gen) body style is the same as to the 98-05(2nd gen) body style? since the miata i might be purchasing is a 96(1st gen), i wanted to know if you can do a 2nd gen front end conversion?

3. any aftermarket sites, like how honda has like passwordjdm, jhpusa, aj-racing, etc etc. ?

and pretty much, if you guys can answer these 3 questions, i think i have a feeling i can roam on my own in search of information on the miatas.

btw, feel free to give suggestions, pros and cons about the miata. why or why not i should or should not get it. any regrets from anyone?

 

i like miatas personally.. i was lookin at a few to get soon with a hardtop... just to DD it.. maybe if i came up on $ and got a itch in my *** drop a F20/22 in that bitch!

http://forum.miata.net/
http://www.miataturbo.net/
http://www.flyinmiata.com/

 

I can't answer your questions, but I have driven a 1st gen Miata a few years back....other than what's on paper, these are two very different cars, IMO. The S2000 is more of everything in terms of power and handling.

I'm pretty sure the 1st gen and 2nd gen bodies are quite different. I love the look of the 1st gen and the latest gen Miatas. I remember seeing the first gen in 89, and always told myself I'll own one -- that is until the S2000 came out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pli &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i really do apologize to ask around the s2000 sub forum but i have a feeling some of you guys have probably moved from miatas to s2000s, and assuming its similarity(convertible 2 door).

my questions are:

1. what are some tech forums or any forums that relate to miatas similar to like HT? i've looked around and found http://www.miata.net and http://www.specmiata.com but doesnt seem to be helpful. should i look for a mazda overall forum? i need like a main forum that has good info.

2. im curious to if the 89-97(1st gen) body style is the same as to the 98-05(2nd gen) body style? since the miata i might be purchasing is a 96(1st gen), i wanted to know if you can do a 2nd gen front end conversion?

3. any aftermarket sites, like how honda has like passwordjdm, jhpusa, aj-racing, etc etc. ?


btw, feel free to give suggestions, pros and cons about the miata. why or why not i should or should not get it. any regrets from anyone? </TD></TR></TABLE>

2. The first (NA) and second (NB) gen share the same frame and major dimensions, but have enough differences that most mods are not interchangable. You could do a front end conversion, but the fenders line up differently and you'd need the NB gen hood. Also the NB doors are different, and that matched up to the rear fender. Honestly, that's all too much troubl when you can find an NB for a couple grand more.

The $4K price is very good: I would buy it as a starter roadster. You won't loose much money on the Miata when you sell it: clean Miatas seem to bottom out at $3-4K. You're looking an a 97 with low miles, so you should be able to hold value very well.

I owned 3 Miatas before my S2000, and my only regret is selling the Miatas. I should have kept them for fun. They are great cars.

 

Buy a EVO

 

the first gens went 89 through 93 (1.6 motor/pop up lights). seconds gen was 94 through 97 (1.8 motor/ pop up lights). third gen went 99 through 05 (set in lights/1.8 motor/new body style). fourth gen is 06 to present (2.0 motor/set in lights/new body). IMO if you going to get a miata, get a mazdaspeed one (special edition in 04-05). boosted from the factory and they handle very well.

forums I'm not to sure on. never joined one while I had mine. But parts are EVERYWERE and pretty cheap too. http://www.flyinmiata.com http://www.gomiata.com http://www.miatamania.com

the front end conversion from pop ups to set in lights, (not saying it can't be done) i've never seen done.

biggest problem i ran into with my first gen was transmission. between the clutch, bearings, and gears, i pretty much replaced the whole tranny piece by piece. the good side to the miata was the handling. you could throw that car around any corner and come out just fine. miata's are much more forgiving. and the best part about a miata are how cheap the parts are. a turbo kit for a 1.6 motor is only $1200 for a full kit, hard tops are like $800, etc. but i'd never trade my S for a miata...but that's just me.

 

i would say if you had the cash go for it. before my S i drove a 96 (and i still have it) the things that i did not like about it were the seating position and the smaller overall body. go to flyin miata and jackson racing. from flying miata get the carbon fiber snorkel or buy it from me, jackson racing sway bars, after market shocks and springs (does not have to be expensive ones) and wider wheels. with all this you can make one mean handling machine. I did, and got 2nd overall at my city's autocross season in novice.

 

miata.net should have everything you could possibly want to know about miatas.

http://www.good-win-racing.com/ has a tech forum and is a good shop for mazda stuff.

$4k is a steal for a 96 with low mileage.

 

yes and no, the 89-97 is still under the chassis NA code.

imho there's only one miata and that would be the first gen, text book rwd handling and they are cheaper than a civic to own.

pro:cheap, textbook handling, excellent driver/racer's first rwd car, great car to work on, cheap to insure, great chassis for swap

con: too damn small for any impact, seating postion, interior finish, built quality, limitation of the motor, slow as ball by today's standard, part getting old/discontinues soon, rust point on the fender.

sometime i miss my miata more than i miss the s2000, of course they are in different league but i can see myself owning a NA miata long after i am done with modding car/scene/import.

the aftermarket support is huge for this car, it only take a few mod to make it competitive on the track. it has more potential than most honda, i say go for it.