Buy a rusty, high-mileage Miata with a bad engine. Please

I am looking to get a Miata 90-97. Which year do you recommend and why? I am going to covert this car into a Z3, so I don't care how new it is, I just want the best year for engine and performance.

Dave Bohn, Provo, UT, USA

If you're going to convert it to a Z3, it really doesn't matter what you start out with. Just please make sure you don't butcher a desirable Miata, since there are many of us who appreciate it for what it is. Better than a Z3, for example.

bwob

Is that traditional Tabasco, Garlic or Habañero?

I just purchased a 2001 SE. This is my first Miata and so far I am really enjoying it. What concerns me however, are the various discussions I have been reading on Miataforum.com regarding the "idiot on/off switch" oil pressure gauges supposedly installed on the newer Miatas. I'm no mechanic and have no desire to modify what seems to be a perfectly wonderful vehicle, but I did have a past experience involving another vehicle wherein I avoided major damage by noticing a sudden decrease in oil pressure on the gauge and so am concerned about the reliability and use of the newer gauges. Are the 2001 oil gauges reliable for ascertaining possible problems before such problems have already become catastrophic? Please help. Thanks a bunch!

Rebecca, Austin/Texas/USA

First, the mechanical oil lamp isn't 'supposedly' installed on newer Miatas, but is a fact of life on post-1994 NA8Bs and all NB. Which equates to each and every car built after the third quarter of 1994.

So the answer to your question is a more-or-less unequivocal 'no'. First of all, there is no oil pressure gauge in the car, but a mechanical replacement of a warning lamp. As a result there is no method of monitoring variations in pressure (other than 'some' oil pressure and 'none') with the gauge-like thing provided. In this case the thing is 'on' when you have oil pressure and goes 'off' when you have none. So while the function is the reverse of a traditional oil pressure warning lamp, it's equally binary in function, serving as a notification that something's probably fried. If I ever found the genius who came up with that thing, I'd give them a barbed-wire enema with a Tabasco chaser. And then I'd get mad...

bwob

Bob. could you be a little more direct, please ?

I am looking at buying an 1990 or so model Miata and want to drop a ford 289 or 5.0L engine into it. I remember many years back one of the car magazines doing this as a project car. Your thoughts.

T ierdyn, Tornoto Canada

If that's the sort of car you're after, buy a genuine Shelby Cobra (a 289 circa 1964) or a 1965 Mustang convertible. You don't want a Miata.

bwob

Better than a Plymouth Duster

I was wondering if you are familiar with the "California Duster" that auto part stores sell. In between car washes, my Miata gets a bit dusty and I thought this would be a good alternative. It claims that is does NOT scratch the car's paint and that it simply gets better over time. Your thoughts Bob, if possible?

Martha Walsh, White Lake, MI USA

The 'California Duster' is actually a rip off of the car duster which has been in the trunk of any taxi in Japan for the past four decades. The main difference is the Japanese dusters - back when they first appeared and the current 'luxury' models - were genuine feathers instead of lamb's wool or a synthetic. If a car has only a light accumulation of dust, they shouldn't cause any undue harm. If the car is considerably dustier than that, they're no substitute to a proper washing.

bwob

Posted from somewhere 11,765km west of Prague

I am considering inviting my Swiss friend and his Miata to Prague this weekend to cruise Wecheslas Square for chicks. His car is a 2001 special edition in that BRG color with 17" BBS wheels and a 1 1/2" suspension drop. He's also got a Voodoo shift knob and brake handle (as do all Swiss millionaires, for good luck) and a full wood interior kit. Of course the car is very sharp and will probably stand out amongst the Felicias and Trabants with the custom wheels and Swiss registration.

Can I ask for your opinion on the following: How many minutes to you think it will take to get stolen if I leave it parked top-down behind the clock tower on Old Town Square? Do you think it will get stolen faster than a car with German number plates? How long do you think it will take for the stolen Miata to cross over the Polish border and into the Ukraine? When they transport it will they put it on a trailer like the rest, or just drive it? Or should I just leave it parked in Brno?

Thanks and Dobre Den,

Jasek Hacek, Ostrava, Czech Republic -- The sunny center of Europe

Wow! That's a first. A Swiss guy with a friend. I am impressed. I'm gonna have to put this one in The Book. But then I've never encountered somebody Czech who used a misspelt form of 'hello' at the close of a letter either. Perhaps you've watched far too many episodes of 'Hawaii Five-0' on television. Aloha.

How much do I win if I'm right? I'm not a casual entrant of competitions, so the incentive has to be worthwhile for me to spend the time, you know. If you give me a better idea as to the prize for a correct guess, I'll give it a thought. With proper incentive, I'll give you a time in minutes and seconds.

Initially I though Swiss plates would make the car theft-proof. However, if car thieves in the Czech republic (as opposed to Czech car thieves - think about it) have the same attitude towards Swiss neutrality as the British had towards Czechoslovakian sovereignty circa 1938, the car will be gone in a few minutes. Probably in less time than it takes to skull a couple of Budovar's finest pivo. Then again, the car is BRG instead of a 2001 in a 'lovely silver metallic color', so who knows?

Still, you could have some fun while the car's being swiped. If you have a pocketful of Crowns (or better yet, Swiss Francs), see if you can find a parking space in the small lot/square about 40m to the West of the Astrological Clock in Old Town Square. That way, when you park yourself in the outdoor cafe across from the clock for a few beers (which is what you'll need the dosh for - the place is absurdly expensive), you'll be able to watch the lowlifes pinch your friend's car. Just think - street theatre, and YOU are a part of it without having to move from an icy cold brew! However with the high percentage of babes in that immediate area - and inasmuch as you point out that is the reason for your Swiss pal's trip - maybe you won't even notice. Or care.

Of course, if you wanted something theft-proof, why have your Swiss chum buy a Volvo T5 wagon. That should easily be in the reach of any Swiss millionaire. I'm certain you could pick up something like a 1996 for less than peanuts (though it'll still be more expensive than it's worth). Guaranteed to be resistant to any car thief capable of reading at a third-grade level or lower. One plus - perhaps the only one - of a Volvo wagon over a Miata is that you could can carry a lot of hardwood in the back. Teak, blackgum, even mahogany. This is perfect if you have useless mechanical components or other types of scarp metal you want to make into objects d'art, elegantly mounted on a fine wooden plinth.

And don't bother with Brno, the place is a hole. Worse than Cleveland or even Chicago. Take it to Pribor if you want to leave it in the sticks. After all, it's just a stone's throw to Koprivnice and they've got a really good car museum there.

Na shledanou

bwob

What kind or rollover are you planning to have?

Do you know whether or not the 2001 Miata includes protection bars (or some kind of rollbars) inside the seats?

Diego del Cuadro, Madrid/Spain

No, as odd as it sounds there's nothing in there but a seat frame.

bwob

Speed costs money - how fast do you want to go?

I would like to know how I can get added horse power to my 92" Miata without a super charger or a turbo. Also with little expense.

mike, roswell nm usa

Presupposing that your concept of 'little expense' and mine are roughly compatible, start from the rear and work your way forward. Cat-back exhaust, then port to car exhaust header, then low-restriction intake system, then spark and fuel remapping gear (or better still a MoTeC M4 Clubman), then a displacement increase (although the Toda Racing 1.7 kit is cheaper than the MoTeC). This can be done in stages and you can stop wherever your budget runs out. You can go the wilder cam route, but to me it's not worth the trade-off in drivability.

bwob

What a concept - parts at the Parts department!

do you know were i can find a lower control arm?? i got into a car wreck two days ago and bent it =(

eric

Any Mazda dealer will be able to get one from a regional parts warehouse if they do not have the part in stock. In fact, you can get almost any OE part for a Miata from the parts department of a Mazda dealer in the USA or Canada. Why in addition to selling you a complete Miata, an authorized dealer could - in theory, at any rate - sell you an almost complete Miata effectively in kit form. Admittedly without instructions. Painting and assembly required.

Alternatively, you could go cruising through a few junkyards and see if you can find a Miata written-off in an accident which didn't damage the suspension. I suspect it would be cheaper than the apparently incomprehensible route of getting one from a dealer, but you might have to do a lot of hunting to get a nice, unbent one. The priorities (time vs money) are all in your court.

bwob

All parts falling off this car are of finest British quality

I have a 1994 Miata with 90,000 miles on it now. Fun to drive and dependable with relatively low maintenance. (Thanks, Bob!) The water pump issue has been addressed in discussions regarding timing belt change. How about life expectancy of the fuel pump? I'm a big believer in preventative maintenance and predictive maintenance. Thanks.

Marvin Kraft, Cincinnati, OH

Fuel pumps tend to be as affected by age a little more than mileage. My own rule of thumb has always been to replace a fuel pump after eight years. Unless, of course, the car had an English fuel pump. In that case it was the first thing I'd do after taking possession of the car.

bwob

A drive without a convertible is like breakfast without orange juice

I have a '90 model with a very fine crack in the dash just right of center (about midway from center and above the left edge of the glovebox) The number of M1's that I have encountered with this same exact crack is amazing and certainly not coincidental. Is there something underneath the dash that causes stress in that area? I've thought of replacing it, although it is very difficult to see, but I don't want to hassle with the change of the VIN plate on the dash. Love to hear your thoughts of this common anomaly.

Ralph Crowder, Suisun, CA, USA

If you mean the urethane-skinned IP upper pad, the problem is due primarily to UVa and UVb damage (depletion, actually) to the plasticizers in the IP skin. The point at which the crack takes place is a combination of factors. Because of the moulding process it is one of the thinner areas of the material over the high-density foam below and the geometry of the location being in an area of continuous exposure to UVa and UVb when the car is parked outdoors. So it's less what's underneath the dash, than what's over it causing the problem. The 'over' in this case is good old Sol. Mind you without that particular factor, convertibles wouldn't be much fun.

bwob

Special Edition with a standard manual?

Bob Do you know how I can get an owners manual for a 1992 Limited edition Miata? Thanks for any help.

john, Huntington WV

There were never any special owners manuals printed for special edition NA6As as the changes were purely cosmetic. Any Mazda dealer's parts department can order you a replacement owner's manual, so that's where I'd be looking.

bwob

Good old Nero could sure fiddle up a storm

Many owners of later Miatas have questioned Mazda's decision to replace the original functional oil pressure gauge with the "on-off" indicator that still looks like a gauge. I may have a possible answer. I have owned a 1990 for three years. I have a service station change my oil and filter every 3 months and almost every time the gauge doesn't work after the change. I fiddle with the connection to the sender and it fixes it. The sender is next to the filter and the wire is under a lot of tension, so a bump might break the connection. Maybe enough Mazda dealer service departments complained.
I want to tell you that "Ask Bob" is the first thing I read each month on Miata.Net, very entertaining and informative. I especially liked your discussion of the evolution of the Porsche 911. 

Tom Murray, Cambridge, MA USA

Tom, nothing so complex. It was a manufacturing cost issue and nothing more. Remember, Mazda was losing millions of dollars a day when that was going on, so they were looking for anyplace and everyplace costs could be pared. And the oil pressure gauge - like armrests for a while - was a convenient victim. I bet they didn't lay-off any accountants while Rome was burning, however.

bwob

Bob's color blind(ed)

I am a long-time reader but a first-time writer. In reading your wonderfully entertaining (and usually correct!) opinions, I have become curious about your hatred of all tings "Mica" and "Metallic".

My question is not without prejudice. I own a 2000 "Evolution Orange Mica" Miata, and I quite like the color. I had never seen the color before walking into the showroom, but I was taken aback by the fact that the color was both subtle and bold--if that is possible. Also, the color looks very similar to the Orange color (not-metallic) available on the MGB in the 1970's. If Mazda had only equipped the Evolution Orange with those mag wheels... So, my question is: Do you like my car? Actually, my question is: Do you like any of the mica/metallic colors available? If Mazda made a "Sunburst Yellow Mica" would that chap your hide?

One more thing, my car makes a funny sound when I go 80 MPH over speed bumps. It sounds kind of like a "thwop". Is my car broken? Would you please tell me exactly what that sound is and exactly what steps I should take to fix it? Additionally, please mail me any tools necessary for this fix as my toolset is woefully inadequate.

Win Boyles, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

I think my context isn't coming through as I'd like it to. I like quite a few mica and metallic paints, even on the Miata. I think both Evolution Orange and Crystal Blue are great colors on the car, and it wears both quite well. But what annoys me is the excessive use of micas and metallics on the Miata, especially with those drab shades which look like something seen at the bottom of a cappuccino cup. The combination of these dark, dingy metallics with the tan leather and chrome wheels makes me think of an old man's idea of a cool looking car. A Geritol cruiser rather than a just drive for the fun of it car. Maybe I'm viewing things in the wrong light, but I'd love to see some 'signal' colors on the Miata instead of more 'me too' metallics. That would, of course, require some original thinking from the sales and marketing types. So I'm not holding my breath.

Though I really like blues, I thought the 10AE was a pretty hideous - and tasteless - package. I cannot help but think that the thing would have worked so much better in, say, crystal blue than that blue it got painted. But I digress...

Yellow metallics don't usually work too well, since (like white) the density of the pigment - to ensure it covers well - and the light value make the benefits of a metallic/mica (more intense and complex highlighting) far, far less apparent than on a color of medium to dark value. The FD RX-7 was offered in a mica yellow, but it was replaced by a solid yellow in the range (this happened after Mazda stopped selling the RX-7 in the 'States). In addition to the mica effect being almost unnoticeable, any sort of spot repair was expensive, as you usually had to paint the entire car below or above a highlight line, lest it look like a two-tone after a few months.

Mazda offered Sunburst Yellow cars - the same shade as the 1992s - in Japan through the end of June through their internet-based build-to-order scheme. One of these even shows up in the new Playstation 2 game "Gran Turismo 3 A-spec" as a prize car. In real as well as digital forms, they look great.

Regarding the sound, usually they don't make that noise if you take the speed bumps a little faster. It's a transient, speed-related problem.

Oh, and here are the tools you requested...

That'll take care of it.

bwob

It's called the aftermarket for a reason

i purchased a double hoop style bar. it originally came from moss motors. I purchased it used. It came with no instructions. I'm not sure hoe to install it. I need your help.........

David Berlin, west bloomfield, mi usa

As with any aftermarket item, go to the manufacturer of the component or the original supplier. As you may have already noticed, the Miata doesn't have a 'style bar' as a factory-fit item, and having worked on the factory side of things, what spare time I had left wasn't spent on following the myriad of aftermarket bits, but with my family (I guess I'm just funny that way) and my own Miatas. All of which were without 'style bars'. By choice.

If Moss Motors was the original supplier and you are unable to find out the manufacturer, they might be the best people to contact as they - unlike the people on the manufacturer side - dealt with the product in the first place. If they are unable to help, the person you purchased the item secondhand should be contacted or, if the item has a manufacturer name on it, the people who produced the item might be tracked down with a little work.

bwob