Cleanliness is Next to the Detailer

Dear Bob: No complaints- I'm very happy with my 2000 Miata! Question: In your judgment, how important is it to have a clean engine compartment? I live in a coastal area, and some sand/dirt has been windblown under the hood. I am not aware of any ill effects in terms of engine function, but I'm considering getting the engine compartment cleaned. If I do this, is the dealer a good place to have it done? (They do all my service.)And, is de-greasing, steam-cleaning, or some other method preferable? Many thanks for your great Q&A on the Miata site!

Morry, Florida, USA

I'm not certain it's critical, but I spend a few minutes wiping the engine compartment of my cars every Sunday. Keeping it clean makes it easier to spot where leaks and dribbles appear, which is the main reason I do it religiously. Well, that and it looks better. One other benefit is that if you keep it up (after the engine bay's been cleaned really well), you don't have to go through the horrors of a big blast-out all that often.

When I've had to get the engine bay blasted out (like when I buy a new used car), I let my detailer do it. He knows what he's doing and it ends up as one of the best car-related $100 investments I've made.

bwob

It's...It's...IT'S A COOKBOOK! Or Maybe Not.

Hi Bob - I have a 93 Miata and need to replace the alternator, are there any instructions on how to do this or is it pretty straight forward?

Tom, Gilbert AZ

The procedures (as well as thousands more) are superbly outlined in the Factory Service manual, which even tells you what tools are needed. It has the potential to make any job - well, almost any - straightforward.

bwob

Make Room! Make Room!

I read here "July '02" that the current NB series car's steering wheel position and angle were based on the NA cars. I own a '95 R package Miata, and although I find a smile on my face every time I get inside, I've been hit with a bit of Miata envy over the Titanium gray 2002. The problem is, I don't fit in the new car. I'm a little over 6'2", the '95 fits me like a glove. I can't seem to get my legs under the wheel of the 2002. What changed? Can I change it back with a modest effort? Is there any hope for fitting in the "C" car?

Jeff, Rhode Island

The couple (location of the seat relative to the toeboard) of the NB was shortened somewhat as a side-effect of changes made to ensure the car complied with tougher impact standards (particularly that of offset frontal impact). Since the changes are of a structural nature, changes would be difficult. But just about anything is if you're sufficiently skilled in the areas of engineering and fabrication or your pockets are deep enough.

A few millimeters can be had through the removal of some of the foam from the seat cushion (though this cannot be undone without replacing the cushion foam). The procedure is outlined in the 'Tips From the Garage' section of Miata.net, as I recall.

bwob

The Miata is a Good Corolla

Hello Bob, I really love MX5's but do not have a lot of money. I am a Dad with a stay at home wife with two kids. But I really want to find a older model Miata. What do you think about how they hold up? Also I would like to make this my every day drive from work car since they get great gas mileage. I do tinker with engines so I could replace part on my own. When I was in my teens I had a 67 mustang and I put a engine in it. I just need to know about these cool little cars and their track records. Could I get one with about 60k good condition and add some extra's and expect it to start everyday?

Mark, Piedmont/OK/US

Like any used car. how the thing was treated by its previous owner(s) will be the key to a car's longevity or lack of same. In that context, if I were out shopping for a used Miata, I'd be looking for the newest car I could afford (up to and including a 1993 - I'm not a fan of the 1.8s from 1994 on, but then I don't need the minimal performance increase) with a full and complete service history. If possible one from the original owner.

As regards the Miata's ability to start (and run) each and every day, remember you're talking a Japanese car here, not something British. Inasmuch as its not something people buying a Corolla of similar vintage would concern themselves with, it's not much different with a Miata.

bwob

In your editorial about speed costing money, you say: "Sure, there are exceptions to this rule, but in general it's as inviolate as the one which says when prices go up, volume goes down."

But this is not inviolate, either. When the price of tech stocks went up, volume went up, too! Everyone had to have them! The bubble burst, true enough, but the "inviolate" rule had been broken nevertheless.

Ed, Maryland

Well there you go. The exception which proves the rule. Thank you for verification and I rest my case.

Well, almost.

Interesting to compare what's effectively gambling with a manufactured product in your simile while disregarding the fact that worldwide more cars are sold at a US$20,000 price point than ones at a US$35,000 pricetag. By a few of orders of magnitude.

Inasmuch as I was talking in context about cars, I assumed - wrongly, as it appears - the fact or implication that automobiles were the point of discussion would be understood by readers. I suppose I'll have to be very much more basic in explanations in future, lest someone else think I'm talking about stocks, pickled margarine or Moldavian mammoths stuffed with rare postage stamps instead of cars at Miata.net.

I'm very sorry to have confused you.

bwob

Several questions, Bob:
1. Is everything OK there? It's nearly Santa time and your November Q&A posting is still being displayed. It's kinda late, and I was wondering if...
2. Are you in need of more questions?
3. Was any consideration ever given to opening side vent windows instead of the fixed units? Were they ever available aftermarket? It would be nice in my '92 Miata, especially in the cold season with the hardtop. I heard that American automakers stopped because of break-ins, plus the added cost.

Tom, Toronto Ont. Can

1. Pressures of the holidays (made worse in Australia by arriving in summertime, so people are in even more of a laid back mood) alloyed to deadlines. Factor in my own midsummer's laziness and, well, you get the picture.

2. Not so much more questions as the same number but with fewer "what's wrong with my car?" ones. But if people like being told to "get the thing to a mechanic if you can't figure it out on your own" that's fine. My father used to tell me that if you can't accurately diagnose a problem you can't fix it properly. It's certainly worked out that way with me.

3. No, not really. At one point in time the idea of no quarterlights whatsoever was being looked at, but there were window retention problems which arose above 120km/h so adding a quarterlight to serve as a channel for the dropglass became a priority. The size and format of the front quarterlights on the Miata would make opening ones tough, since as they pivoted out the lower front edge of the glass would foul the instrument panel. As a result, unless the quarterlight were redesigned (especially at the front corner) it wouldn't be able to open much. Perhaps 5mm or so, if that.

bwob

I just bought a 2000 Miata SE. Next to the left foot "resting pad" there is a small red button. I pushed it but nothing happened. Any ideas what this may be? Is it Mazda installed or after market by the previous owner? Appreciate any help.

Glenn, Crestview, Florida

It's nothing done by the factory. Time to look up the prior owner.

Be careful; red buttons in car can be connected to things like ejector seats.

bwob

Bwob's wishlist

Hello Bwob,
I was wondering what your favorite AWD car of all time is? How about FWD? And, of course, RWD?
Thanks,

Matthew Vaillant, Mountain View, CA USA

Well, the last one's a no-brainer. After all, I don't spend my online time hanging around F-150.net.

Front-drivers are tougher. The ST162 Toyota Celica was a benchmark when it was introduced and is still a top drive. Even on the less than ideal tires of the day, it was a delight. The thing I remember most vividly was how controllable the chassis was. Only standing dirt or sand on a paved surface and, of course, standing water would cause it to display typical front-drive chassis characteristics. In absolute terms the front-drive Lotus Elan was probably better handling, but the disparity between the two embarrassed the Lotus, especially with the Celica coming from the likes of Toyota and costing from 1/3 to 2/3 the ask of the Lotus (depending upon where one lived).

Another front-drive car I love is the Peugeot 106 GTi. When the likes of Car magazine can do a 'fun-to-drive' test and have a mass-market hot hatch hold its own against the likes of a Caterham Seven, you have to pay attention. Unbelievably fluid, with levels of grip which put ay other (and much more expensive) cars to shame. The steering's direct, precise, sharp as a razor and superbly weighted. And yes, it's a power tiller. This is, in fact, the car's only real problem in my book, since the idea of doing right-hand-drive, power steering and air conditioning completely eludes the French. I set my personal best record on the C1 loop (clockwise) of Tokyo's Shuto expressway system in one, paring almost a minute off my previous best time in an S15 Nissan Silvia Spec R.

Four-wheel-drives are an acquired taste, and the ones I've acquired a liking of tend to have little torque transfer to the front wheels. Just enough to get you off the line quick, but not enough to start working against you. My all-time favorite is the Nissan Skyline GTS.4 in four-door, R32 guise. Nicely balanced, responds well to moderate tuning and still reasonably lightweight. The best one I've ever had seat time in had an RB25 block taken out to 2.8 litres with a shockingly low-pressure (by Japanese tuner standards) turbo set-up raising on the ground output to about 345hp. But the driveability was superb and the torque bias was programmed to range from a low of 5 percent to the front wheels up to a maximum of 15 percent. I'd love to have one as primary four-seat OTM.

On the great WRX/Evo debate, I am on the side of the Evo as far the 'normal' cars go. My favourite of the lot is the less than popular Evo II (nice all-arounder which responds to mild tuning and doesn't fell as lardy as subsequent Evos), though the VII probably fits in a close second. I personally like the restyle coming up for the Evo VIII, though I expect not everyone will.

Though I'm not a huge WRX fan, I have a friend in Japan who's got one the way I'd like it - with no circus wagon wing on the back and a nice set of five-spoke alloys. Shock horror, it's not 555 blue anymore either.

bwob

Read all about it!

I am currently the owner of a red 1991 Miata, and since purchasing it in July, I have completely fallen in love with it! Naturally, when my English teacher asked me to write a research paper on any topic, my topic of choice was "The 'drought' of affordable roadsters in the eighties, the coming of Mazda Miata, and the resultant surge in the popularity of 'cheap fun'", or something to that effect. I found over fifty magazine articles to use for quotes and specs, and have the first-hand experience of the joy associated with owning such a car; however, I am having difficulties finding books about the thinking behind the Miata and why it's creators thought the timing was right. Have you, or any other prominent automotive figure, written such a book? Any help on this subject would be much appreciated. Thank you!

James Archambault, Bradford, MA, U.S.A.

Me? Write a book? Cripes no, that takes effort.

Perhaps because I haven't written 'em, there are a couple of good books on the NA Series Miata, but the hands-down best (and by a HUGE margin) is a two-volume set written by Jack K. Yamaguchi and Jonathan Thompson. Mazda dealers occasionally would stock it, and the thing shows up on eBay pretty regularly. If, like me, you don't care for auctions, try a website called ABE Books (http://www.abebooks.com) which is a group of used booksellers. I've used 'em to track down some very obscure titles and have been exceptionally pleased at their hit rate and the service of the individual booksellers. Highly recommended.

bwob

After removing the "baby teeth" on my recently acquired 1990, it occurs to me that there may have been an interesting discussion or two in the early days over the inclusion of these little items...

I was quite surprised at the mass of the box of parts I ended up with after removal. It seemed to be in stark contrast to the "lightweight sports car" philosophy.

Please enlighten us? Was the engineering/design team against them? I'm dying to hear an anecdote or two on this (of course conflict makes for better anecdotes;-).

Bob Prentice, Campbell, CA, USA

Philosophy is a fine thing, but only to a point.

While nobody was particularly enthusiastic about some of the detritus on the car (such as the baby teeth), we would have been far less than enthusiastic about losing what was initially anticipated at roughly 75 percent of the car's market; North America.

As things shook out, the US only accounted for a smidgen under half of the production of NAs, so the program would have been a success if the US was not factored in, although it would have taken more time to cover design, development, tooling and capitalization costs.

You see, in order to sell the car in the US, it had to be shipped there. And Mazda Logistic's regulations require tie-down hooks since the cars have to be lashed down when they get on the boat for the trip to the 'States. It would be nice to lose the weight from a purely philosophical standpoint, but then all the happy Miata owners in the USA and Canada wouldn't have Miatas so in addition to not knowing what they were missing they wouldn't know about the hideous weight of the baby teeth.

But concerns for the end user is why the baby teeth were made removable. On most Mazda passenger cars at the time they were welded to the car.

Some companies are wont to do certain cars for purely philosophical reasons, but I guess I'm just a but too egalitarian to place philosophy ahead of making customers happy. It's nice to have cars which have technology nobody else has, but not if the public doesn't want to buy them.

And yes, I know that the horsepower whores will say that they aren't happy because their own Miata 'needs' more horsepower. While they won't accept the fact, they are a minority and a pretty small one at that. And given the fact that the aftermarket has taken better care of them than just about any other car near the Miata's price point, their whines seem especially pithy. At least to my ears.

bwob

NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE

The positive lead to my battery seems to have snapped off at the connection to the battery. Is the lead something I can replace myself or should I seek professional replacement? I have not been able to find any information/directions on replacing this anything other than the battery.

Any info would be great!!

Taru Johnson, Atlanta, GA

Car batteries are no more serviceable items than a D-Cell is. In cases such as this replacement of the battery is the only reliable fix.

bwob

What's your hourly rate?

Where is a good place to find a rear finisher. I was a victim of a hit in run while my car was parked in a parking lot.

Luke, Leesburg/Ga/USA

A Mazda dealer's parts department springs quickly to mind.

You could make a troll of junkyards, especially ones specializing in import car bits. You may luck out and come across one which has the part (and in good shape) the very first try, although I suspect the search will take a fair bit of time.

It depends upon what value - and price - you place on your time, since the dealer is going to be faster than wandering around junkyards as well as more expensive. Not to mention the fact the bare part from the dealer will need painting.

Selecting which is the better course of action is something which you can determine with a degree of certainty I could not hope to approach.

bwob

Five to go and hold the ABS, please

Thinking about a 2003 Miata. I want a fun to drive sports car with the most performance and light est weight. Thinking about the LS, suspension package, 6 speed trans, and ABS.

Sound good? if you were buying, what would you get in your Miata?

Thanks in advance...

Brian H., Stuart, FL, USA

Well, if it were my dosh, I'd probably opt for a more basic model.

Since I am not in love with the six-speed, the five-cog box is just fine for me, thanks. Ditto with ABS. If it were standard I'd go for it, but it's not something I'd opt for as a first (or even second) tier option. Like most modern cars from the Northern Hemisphere, the algorithms of the Miata's ABS are set up for wet pavement, and unsurfaced roads are where I find ABS more beneficial. But only if it's programmed for unsurfaced roads, since the programming for wet pavement works very, very poorly on dirt and/or gravel.

With the money I'd save through buying a less exalted model, I'd spend the difference on a set of Konis, bushings and some Project-mu rotors and pads.

Pity about Crystal Blue getting the axe.

bwob

Twice as often as you should see the dentist

What's the appropriate interval for an oil change given these conditions? Dealer says 3750 miles/3 months, which is fine ordinarily, but my Miata is strictly recreational and, though 5 months old, has only 2200 miles on it. Is it safe to run the same oil for, say, six months? . . .about what it will take to accumulate the prescribed mileage. The car is garaged and covered, never run hard and has never had so much as a drop of rain touch it. What would you recommend?
Thanks,

Dennis Burke, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

Well, I am a firm believer in oil changes every 5000km/3000 miles or 90 days, whichever comes first. And that's for any car, Miata or not, regardless as to how it's used. Oil can break down as it sits and does nothing, especially after it's been exposed to stress. If the car sat without being started, I might let it go six months. But if it's even used occasionally, 5000km/3000 miles or 90 days.

bwob

Original, like new condition. All unreasonable offers considered

Hey Bob,
I have a 1992 Mazda Miata MX-5. It is also the black beauty edition. It has the wood grain and BBS rims. My car is in mint condition but do not know how much to ask for. What would you you ask for if it was your car? Thanks for your help!

Daniel P., ALB./NM/USA

If it were mine, I'd ask whatever the fair market price was for such a model. Checking with an outfit like Edmunds or the Kelley Blue Book mob (both of which have an online presence) will give you an idea as to what sort of window the car might be going for. I'd investigate both then average the numbers and use it as a guideline, not an absolute.

Now if it were Mariner blue, I'd have to sell it at a premium.

bwob

Not on my car

Okay, here's a wacky one for you... a friend of mine joked about putting a Continental-style spare tire on the Miata, to save trunk space. Now, once I got the sarcastic replies out of my system (as I'm sure you will), one has to wonder... is that REALLY such a bad idea? The spare tire on a Miata isn't that big, and if mounted sturdy and safely to the top of the trunk, topped with a logo cover, it might actually look kind of cool. So, I ask you: all kidding aside (please), do you think it's feasible for a good body shop to handle?

Evan Koblentz, Boston, Ma.

With enough money, anything is possible.

I am not altogether sure the decklid would hold particularly well up to the mass of a full-size spare without a lot of work underneath. The mini spare is likely to be less stressful on the lid. A good body shop should be able to handle the fabrication and finishing, though their ability to engineer the support to keep the thing from oil-canning the deck lid could be quite variable. You'd have to to a ton of research.

I disagree with you on the aesthetics, but it is your car and your money. Good luck.

bwob

A 'No Bonehead' zone

I've used synthetic oil in my 2001 Miata since it was broken in. Recently, I mistakenly bought 5w-50 thinking it was 5w-30, and didn't realize my mistake until I had put two quarts into the crankcase during an oil change. (It's winter here by the way; I guess you could figure that out.) Anyway, I topped off with two qt.. of 10w-30 of the same stuff (Castrol Syntec). Would you recommend just draining that and starting over, or will I be OK just running it for the usual 3,000 miles? (I'm old school; 3,000 miles for oil and filter, no matter what they say about how long it lasts.) Thanks Bwob, Love your stuff. And if you have to comment on my being a bonehead, please be as kind as you can. Thank you.

Lee Nell, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, USA

Since you actually get Winter there in the Keystone State, I'd probably do a drain IF I was predisposed to leaving synth in an engine for any length of time. However with 3000 mile changes, I'd not worry about it. However I would make sure the engine was up to running temperature before I headed off.

And I don't consider you a bonehead Lee. Though changing synthetic oil at 3000 miles could be construed as borderline by someone who's being anal.

bwob

Please, PLEASE don't blame Mazda

Dear Bob:
It seems to me, (Huge Mazda fan driving my 11th Mazda in a row) that Mazda has directly affected the car industry in the last 15 years more than any other car company.

It's still considered (In America as being a quiet little car company that is a little better than buying a Hyundai) I get really angry when I listen to all of those Honda owners bragging about how good Honda is when Honda is BORING!!! Besides, Mazda is just as reliable.

Mazda changed the industry that still has not recovered from the SUV craze by designing the Explorer "the first SUV".

Mazda is the only Japanese Car Company winner of the Le Mans 24 hour. Furthermore, Mazda changed everything with the Miata and the Rotary RX cars. I think that Mazda needs to start tooting it's own horn and spend some money on marketing. Mazda makes the best cars for the money.

How about your input on this matter Bob?

Christian Lister, Burbank / CA / USA

Well other than pointing out a couple of errors in fact with your statements ( the fact that the Explorer was the first SUV - it wasn't, and that it was Mazda designed - it wasn't), there's not much you've pointed out which I can disagree with.

bwob

Take a number for better service

I was wondering if your able to swap a 1.8 Miata engine into a 1991 1.6 Miata automatic?

Kenny Espinal, Valencia, California, USA

Yes I can, but I haven't got the time right now.

Sorry.

bwob

Babelfish needed

Some one took the pics of my car of my member page and placed it on his...i just noticed it when I was checking out cars...what can I do to make him to my pics of his member page..claiming there his...
my user name is ShadowTeamRacing

Justin, NV

Isn't it standard procedure in the United States to sue or shoot them if you have a disagreement with someone?

If you can't afford a lawyer or have run out of bullets, you could try contacting the people at cardomain.com, since the member pages are handled by that mob.

bwob