Quote:
Originally Posted by Endat
its the cast iron block from the 323 turbo I think.. 9:1 compression.. built for a turbo, but Mazda didnt give it one
CONS: They are very cheaply made, so they buzz and rattle and squeak and flex as you're driving around.. the wind noise from the top means you have to turn the radio up or talk louder at highway speeds, and if you have a passenger to talk to, he will ruin the acceleration... stuff that shouldnt break (like the plastic interior pieces and the plastic rear panel) does break.. I often used to break important bolts just by torquing them during maintenance. and the top leaks often causing a bad smell and a wet butt.. the top will tear itsself apart if you spend any time above 100mph, not that its capable of much more. it NEEDS more power as acceleration is compromised by luggage, having a passenger, having the top down, driving uphill, or even windy conditions. and if you add more power, youll need better suspension, bigger brakes, stiffer chassis and wider wheels, which dont usually fit well into the fenders.. also the windshield frame is very weak, so you're gonna NEED a roll bar to be allowed onto almost any race track.. also the 1989-1992 models suffer from a factory defect in the crankshaft that slowly suffocates your power to nothing as a result of retarded timing.. also the battery is pathetic, so if you listen to music while you're changing your oil, youll need to charge it or it wont start afterwards
Hope that helps  |
Hmm, I've had a '97 miata as a daily driver for about 6 years. I drove it hard. I upgraded the springs, shocks, wheels and tires. It cornered as fast as my old '88 911. It was a later model, so it had a stiffer chassis, bigger brakes and a bigger engine. I didn't have a problem with the top until I cracked the plastic back window by screwing with it whe. The weather was too cold. Instead of just putting a new window in, I put a new top on that had a glass back window. I never had any leaking problems until after someone hit the front corner, and even then, it was small and only under certain conditions. It leaked less than my old targa. I put 15x6.5" wheels on mine. My wife's has 15x7". Back in Aug I upgraded to an '04. Its running 15x8" wheels with no mods. My old miata, I liked to call, zippy. It wasn't fast, but it was zippy. They top out at around 110 - 120 mph depending upon the car and condtions.
These cons seem to either be based on a car that was in rough shape or to be out of the norm.
My only complaints about my first miata were:
1. The suspension was really soft. There was lots of roll, dive and squat. Fortunately, the way the suspension is designed with great camber curves, the car still grips the road really well. I upgraded to Bilsteins, but found that they didn't fix the problem, so I later upgraded the springs. That fixed that.
2. The stock wheels are fairly skinny 14". That means that your perf tire choices are extremely limited. Common performance upgrades are to 15" by 6", 6.5", 7" or even wider. Lots of kids are upgrading to 16" or 17" wheels. Most folks consider the 15" the best compromise of size and weight. Several tire manuf make high-perf tires for those sizes including the bridgestone re11.
3. The seats, to me, are pathetic. They offer horrible lateral support, especially considering that they are mounted in a sportscar. I performed a "foamectomy" on the seats in my old car, and at made a huge difference in support and comfort.
Yeah, more power would be nice, but the car has enough to have fun and get out of its own way.