Hi Bob, I recently heard a rumor that the 2001 Miata will be equipped with a V-6. How can I find specs and/or photos??

Lesley, Orange Co. Ca

Photos and the specs are probably on an internet site along with pictures of leprechauns, the Loch Ness sea monster and the latest flying saucer being tested by the USAF.

bwob

Miata's stink

Ryan W., Gresham

Ryan, you'll notice the smell goes away when you put the top down and lower the windows, but only if you start bathing regularly.

bwob

Hi Bob, I really look forward to your answers every month, so I now have a couple of questions:

1. You mentioned awhile ago that the second change that you would make to a Miata would be the tires and wheels. What size - 14 or 15" - and why?
2. Why do you sign off as bwob?

Shauneen O'Brien, Calgary/Alberta/Canada

1) Fifteens. They fill the wheel arches better, have a wider selection of better rubber available and I've got a set of REALLY good looking fifteen inchers...

2) Because it's pronounced (more or less) the same front to back.

bwob

I am 6'4" tall. Miata specs for front leg room is 42", and headroom, 37". Will I be cramped in this car in either driver or passenger seat? Most other cars have the same specs as these.

Andy Morgen, La Quinta CA USA

You certainly will if you don't go down to a dealer and sit in one. Maybe even take it for a drive. Your question makes me wonder if you don't ask if shoes will fit without trying them on first. Do you?

bwob

About the performance upgrade for the 2001 Miata. Will it be an easy upgrade for the 99-00 M2? What exactly will be the nature of the upgrade?

Gil Mikalian, Burbank, CA USA

Tell me what the upgrade is and I can give you an idea. Mazda hasn't been too specific about the (minor) changes in store for the facelifted car. And as long as they have new-build 2000s to sell, I can't see that position changing too much.

bwob

Why do some 95 Miata's have arm rests on the doors and others do not? Do you know why Mazda switched in mid production year?

Mike, Illinois

Yes. Because people screamed bloody murder at the removal of them. Along with the elimination of the oil pressure gauge, it was a cost control measure which pleased the Accounting staff ahead of the poor sot buying the car. Unlike the oil pressure gauge, somebody had the brains and/or smarts to rectify the mistake,

bwob

Bob, I've got a 92 B package with limited slip and ABS. Both options have saved my skin from time to time and have been worth the fairly hefty price. My questions: does my type of limited slip need any special attention other than checking fluid level (I've had fluid changed once) and is it's functionality subject to degradation over time? In other words, will it decay into a relatively open differential? It may be relevant to mention the car has 190,00 rather trouble-free miles on it.

David warren, Kansas city, MO, USA

Just keep the fluids clean and new and you should be fine. There will be wear as the miles clock up, but it sounds like you're doing everything you can to maximize the component life. Enjoy it for a million miles!

bwob

I don't really have a question. In fact I don't even have a Miata [yet]. I just wanted to congratulate and thank the "father" of the Miata for envisioning such a fun and pure driving car. Thanks Bob!

Max , Upland/CA/USA

Okeh then, I've got a question for you: Why the hell haven't you got one yet? Huh? Why?

bwob

Are Miata's safe when you are in a head on collision?

Eric brown, Fulton,ms

That depends. Exactly what kind of head-on collision are you planning to have?.

bwob

My zipper on the rear window was separating from the material on the top (needing resewing or patching until I replace the top). I took the car to an upholstery shop that patched the separation, but some glue got on the zipper and now I can't unzip the window for going topless.

I remember reading I think somewhere that you can use a rolled up towel to keep the window from pinching closed and cracking across the fold. Can I use a rolled up towel or a swimming pool noodle (floatee) to keep the window from folding flat?

Robert Scoggins, McAllen, TX

Just fix the zipper. You'd repair or replace the fly on your trousers if it broke, so why short change your Miata?

bwob

1. I'm looking to buy a '94 or '95 and have found several promising autos but am confused by all these "packages". Where could I look to find out what an "R" package is, or a "B" package, or a "C" package ... well you get the gist ...

2. Where is Yackandandah?

Jim Scott, Horseheads NY USA

1. There are a couple of links to that sort of info in the FAQs here at Miata.net. That's where I'd start looking.

2. I give up. Where?

bwob

I have always wondered why they made the Miata rear wheel drive,when in my personal opinion,it would have had much better handling if it would have been a front wheel drive car.I own a 1993 Miata that seems to always want to slide or "fishtail" on sharp turns.I would appreciate your input.

Manny, Miami,fl USA

Manny, don't give up your day job, okeh?

bwob

(P.S. - you can probably pick up a late-model Capri pretty cheaply if you're not happy with your Miata. And it's got front-wheel-drive. Go for it!)

I just purchased a Miata from my uncle. It's a 91 in excellent condition. I have one problem I cannot find any info on. The airbag light blinks. I have performed a visual inspection of the sensors and airbag control unit, nothing here. The Haynes repair book states the control unit stores diagnostic codes BUT does NOT tell me how to get them. How do I get the airbag sensing/diagnostic unit to give me the fault codes? Yes, I realize that airbag systems are to be treated with great respect. Just to reassure you, I'm extremely good at auto repair.

David Marsh, Richmond, VA

David, you may be good at auto repair, but how good are you at defusing a live mortar shell? Pyrotechnics (and that's what makes an airbag 'pop') aren't like auto electronics, fuel systems or mechanical bits. I can understand wanting to save a few dollars, but what is your life worth? Let a pro do it.

bwob

Since the Miata is almost the same car as a BMW Roadsters then the Miata is a better car for your money???

Jonathan ,

Huh? "Almost the same car as a BMW Roadster?" Jonathan, have you misplaced your glasses?

bwob

In regard to the previous question about a wankel conversion:

"As for the difficulty of a rotary conversion, as a conversion done by an individual, it shouldn't be too tough. As a change that Mazda could make on the production line it'd require a wheelbase stretch to allow the engine to allow sufficient clearance between the engine and steering rack. Manufacturers have to make allowances for variance in build that somebody swapping an engine wouldn't have to concern themselves with. This is a prime example of one."

I don't understand why it would be harder for the factory to do something that was "easy" for an individual doing an engine swap? Not to technical please I'm much more familiar with the workings from behind the wheel.

Dan Bauer, Long Beach, NY USA

The main reason is the problem of build variance. There are subtle differences between cars which are mass produced. Panels may be stacked so high the ones on the bottom bend slightly out of shape. A welding jig might be off a fraction of a millimeter. Put these together and factor in the thousands of parts in a car, and you could have situation where an engine which might fit in one car wouldn't fit as well in the next one in the production line. Mazda, like all manufacturers, puts a little 'breathing room' between things such as engines and gearboxes and the structure around them (mounts notwithstanding) since the powertrain will move in the car. Open the hood and look at the engine when somebody 'blips' the throttle - it rocks back and forth. In mass production this is VERY important, and the clearance between the rotary and the front crossmember and steering rack is just too close for comfort if the Rotary is mounted more-or-less as the Miata's 1.8. The Rotary's crankshaft centerline is proportionally closer to the geometric centerline of the engine, which means the engine has to sit lower in the car, getting too close to that damned steering rack. Stretch the wheelbase by 25mm between cowl and front wheel centerline and the problem's eliminated.

Stretching the Miata's wheelbase by 25mm may not seem like much, but it would require a redesign of the car's structure, at least everything forward of the cowl. That's a lot of work and a lot of money. Plus an expensive to produce engine.

And I haven't even addressed the fact the Miata wasn't conceived to take a Rotary. That's why Mazda makes the RX-7. Even if people in the 'States an Europe weren't smart enough to buy it the last go around.

bwob

Why do you look like that?

john abramowicz, Wrentham MA USA

Luck of the genetic crap-shoot. The same reason your name ends in a 'z'.

bwob

Why does my 97 Miata have the gold lettering on it? what does that mean?

Mark Barr, FL

If you bought it used, it means it was probably owned by somebody from Orange County. If you purchased it new it means your dealer's taste is in his mouth.

bwob