OT, Miata, but leave it for a sec, Dammit!

[dhoward]

Ok, Wayne'll get crankey, but I just can't STAND it! Bought the wife a 1999 Miata last night. Fun little car, but I don't know jack about them. Like everything else, I search for a forum, and viola! Maitaforum.com!
OH MY GOD!!
These people have REAL problems, you guys with your webbers and 915's are WUSSIES!
One guy on the board actually spilled a strawberry shake on his upholstry!! I think two guys actually tried to change their own clutch!
Oh, the humanity.
Sorry, but it's good to be back in here and safe....

[Superman]

OMG. Mazda should never have shipped them with a tool kit.

[emcon5]

I helped a friend do the timing belt on a 90 Miata a few weeks ago.

Let me give some background, I am rebuilding my SC's engine right now and I am dreading timing my cams. (911 Content!)

Here is how you time the cams on a Miata. You line up the reference marks on the cam pulleys, with reference marks on the head, and slip the belt on the pulley.

That is it. You are done, the cams are timed. No Z blocks, No dial indicators, no futzing with pulleys/chains/tensioners, you just line up the marks and button it up.

Fun little car, decent power, great brakes, easy to work on. All you need is a vanity plate that says "not gay" and you are ready to go racing.

Tom

[dhoward]

Originally posted by emcon5
..... All you need is a vanity plate that says "not gay" and you are ready to go racing.

Tom

ROTFLMAO!!!!
I just spit water all over my keyboard....

[Eric86Red911]

You guys make me feel embarassed to actually like the Spec Miata series cars that seem to be increasingly popular in racing. I mean sure it's no Porsch-eh but you're completely decked out for racing with $10k.

[911SC Pilot]

I spit mountain dew on my screen , that was funny.

[dhoward]

Please, no offense intended to anyone. It's just a different world out there....

[emcon5]

Originally posted by Eric86Red911
You guys make me feel embarassed to actually like the Spec Miata series cars that seem to be increasingly popular in racing. I mean sure it's no Porsch-eh but you're completely decked out for racing with $10k.

You shouldn't be embarassed, Spec miata is probably the most economical way to get into wheel to wheel racing there is (not counting karts). You can build a car for ~$6-7K and consumables are low (brake pads last 4 or 5 races, tires can last a season). On top of that, the fields are huge.

There was an article in Grassroots motorsport a few months ago, a hardcore British sports car guy conceded that the Mazda Miata was the best British sports car ever. All the fun of an old MG, but with the reliability of a Timex.

More spec Miata info here:

http://corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2728
http://corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6507

One of those threads is where I stole the vanity plate joke

Tom

[motion]

Lol, Tom!!! Aint it the truth.... a class-winning prepped RX-7 can be had for around $5k. Faster, cheaper, etc. Why would anyone mess with a Miata?

[RallyJon]

One guy on the board actually spilled a strawberry shake on his upholstry!!

And another guy went out in a Miata and beat Jack Olsen's monster 911 in the Open Track Challenge.

I guess Miatas are kind of like Porsches--some are driven by wussies and some are driven by enthusiasts.

[emcon5]

Originally posted by motion
Why would anyone mess with a Miata?

This is why:



When is the last time there was a 70 car field of RX7s? There were 70 Miatas at the Mazdaspeed race at Laguna seca last June.

Tom

[JTO]

Only trouble with Miatas is that you can't be over about six feet tall and still fit in them. I've tried.

Troy

[racemor]

Motion, I don't know what class you'll win with a $5k RX-7. Add another $15-20k to it and you might stand a chance in SCCA ITS with a 2nd generation RX-7. And if you're thinking Spec RX-7 or IT7, a Miata will run equal or quicker laptimes than the first generation RX-7. Last month at VIR the Spec Miata winner's best lap was a 2:22, an ITA Miata will do 2:21. IT7 winner's fast lap was a 2:21 and that car has had big $$$ put into it.