Ah...what planet am I on?

What are those metal screws that poke out near the trunk for?

Ian Webb, Folsom, CA U.S.A.

Based upon your precise description, I can easily say that they hold something on.

Most cars don't have extra screws the way a quality dress shirt or sports coat has a spare button or two. Like many Right Minded people, I find this an unacceptable oversight.

bwob

Hey, it's only money

Bob, I'm new here and just found your January comparison with Honda, MR2, Merc and Boxster. You said you'd still pick the Miata with a few mods. What mods, in what order? Love your column by the way.

Wayne, Ft. Atkinson, WI, USA

First up, wheels tires and suspension. And while everything's apart for the new springs and shocks, I'd replace every suspension bushing on the car as well. then engine work from the back forward; cat-back exhaust system, then header. In between the 14 degree timing kludge.

After header, larger brake rotors and four-piston callipers.

Finally if I have any money left, a Toda Power stroker crank and piston set with a four-throttle body injection kit.

That'd keep me happy in the poor house.

bwob

Any comments on the new Kenwood wOOx subwoofer?

David, NJ

Nope. The only speaker I pay attention to is the chrome-tipped one exiting beneath the rear bumper and it comes with the car.

bwob

Which later model stereos (AM/FM , cassette, CD)will be a direct replacement for the factory unit in a '91? My stock factoy CD player is beyond repair, and I would like to replace the original radio and CD player with a newer one piece unit.

David Brown, Racine, Wisconsin

If you're talking of Mazda OE units fitted to the Miata, most of the later audio systems separated the tuner from the CD player. Perhaps a quasi-logical upgrade would be the 'Mazda Premium Sound System' offered with some 1996 and 1997 Miatas.

If you're talking about aftermarket audio, you're on your own. I've got even less interest in aftermarket car audio than I have in aftermarket forced induction, and my level of interest in the latter is zero.

bwob

I have a 96 M-Edition Miata in Starlight Mica color. How many were made that year and how would I tell what number is. Thanks!

Wade, Kansas City,Ks. USA

There were 2968 M-editions made in 1996. However unlike the 1991 BRGs, 1997 STOs and 1999 10AEs, they were not sequentially numbered.

bwob

Hi Bob,
Winter is fast approching in the northeast. I would like to know what I need to do to my new-to-me 90 Miata for a long winters nap. (I would never think of driving it in the winter, I have a Dodge Spirit for that.

Ralph Williams, Rochester, NY

Having been fortunate to have lived only in places where surfing is an acceptable Winter sport (and that's surfing without freezing), I am afraid I have no first-hand experience on Winter storage.

However the Miata FAQ at Miata.net has information on Winter storage with links to a number of pages on the subject, some in the "Tips From the Garage" section of Miata.net. That's probably a good place to start researching Miata hibernation.

bwob

I have a 2001...has quite a bit of clutch chatter in the first couple miles of stop and go in the morning on my way to work. Is this common? I have to give it a bit more throttle and really ease out the clutch...but still get some. After its warmed-up...it's great. Can I do something different?

Terry, Portland, Oregon

There's a technical service bulletin on clutch chatter with NB8Bs which has been circulated to dealers. They are the people to talk to about this, particularly if your car is still under warranty.

bwob

I bought a '93 Miata this past summer. Before purchase, I had a service center in the city where I bought the car check it out. I was told it was in good shape generally but needed to have the valves adjusted (there is a noticable tapping sound). I was told this might be a $1200 job. I chipped the price down to manage this expense. Today, when I called my local service center to have this work done, I was told the valves on these kinds of cars (Miata's) can not be adjusted. Does this seem right? Could that tapping sound be something other than the valves? Thanks for your time,

Robert, Martinsburg, WV USA

No, the service center is correct, the Miata's valvetrain is self-adjusting.

The use of hydraulic lash adjusters (a.k.a. hydraulic tappets) was promoted from Day One with the car in an attempt to reduce the maintenance burden on owners and having had to do my unfair share of valve adjustments on some of my own cars this was not something I'd have opposed.

However buyers in North America have complained about the ticking noise of the valvetrain from Day Two. It's a 'cosmetic' problem in that it does not effect engine operation, performance, durability or reliability, but to some the sound is annoying. Mazda eliminated the problem by switching to solid (mechanical) tappets with the NB-series Miatas from the 1999 model year, perhaps a reflection of the degree of dissatisfaction some buyers had with the noise.

There are a number of possible methods of minimizing the sound (some owners have noted that changing to synthetic oil can help and a number of companies sell replacement solid tappets for the car, though this route re-introduces the fun of getting the valves adjusted), many of which are outlined in the Miata FAQ at Miata.net as well as the "Tips From the Garage" section linked in the FAQ.

bwob

Will a Miata/RX-7 transmission bolt up to a 2.5l V6 Suzuki Grand Vitara engine?
I've seen it stated a few places that the engines are the same, yet they appear different form the outside (because of the transverse mounting of the 626 2.5l, and the Suzuki being RWD/AWD).
Do you know how similar the 626 and Suzuki engines are?

Ben, Pittsburgh, Pa, USA

No, not without an adaptor. This will have to be fabricated, as I know of no 'off the shelf' or other turnkey solution.

Suzuki's 2.0 and 2.5 V6s have rotating components derived from the bits in a K-Series Mazda V6. Mazda and Suzuki had some agreements in the areas of production (Suzuki OEs micro-minicars and trucks for Mazda's domestic sales channel and Mazda built one, the mid-engined Cara, for Suzuki) and technology. The Suzuki bent six is an example of the latter, with Suzuki designing a block for longitudinal applications which used Mazda internals. Suzuki also did its own head design, optimizing the engine more for broader torque delivery than the Mazda version.

So while they may seem different on the outside, the innards share quite a bit.

bwob

No cure known to Modern Science and Bob's a carrier

When I'm walking through a parking lot and I see my crystal white '92, I get a feeling in my stomach/chest that reminds me of the affect that girls had on me in junior high. I like that feeling. Is it wrong for me to feel this way and what causes it?

William, Decatur, Illinois, USA

Well, it isn't wrong to me, but you might want to chat with your choice of Priest, Father, Vicar, Rabbi, monk, or Mullah if the problems cause you enough concern.

The condition is believed to be hereditary, and there's no known cure, I'm afraid. The symptoms can be controlled by a nice drive in a Miata, however.

bwob