| Author | Message | ||
     Chauly |
Did someone mention Caterham 7?   | ||
| Sifo |
So I finally found the car I was looking for from a seller that was actually looking to sell. Oddly, I found a few listed where I couldn't get the seller to respond to emails, text messages, and voice messages, but they keep refreshing their listings. I don't know what's up with that. Had to travel about 135 miles to pick it up, but I managed to combine that with helping my brother-in-law move into a new place and he was at about halfway point of that trip, so it worked out well. Picked up a 2008 Miata Grand Touring that had the added options I really wanted. Got it for what I think was a great price too. I really enjoyed the drive home with it. Thanks again for you folks that provided input. It helped me focus my search a lot. Funny thing, as part of my searching I was at a dealer that deals in a lot of sports cars, but really specializes in Corvettes. They have a 2015 Vette in white. Serial #000008. Having not taken a good look at the new generation of Vette, I had to take a good look. I really love what they have done with it. I have to say though, the quality of the paint really stood out. Not in a good way either. I wouldn't be very happy with paint quality like that on a Chevy Spark! It was really quite bad, especially sitting right next to a black Viper that has beautiful paint work. I'm kind of hoping that they just didn't have their paint equipment dialed in yet, being only the 8th car off the line. I really don't know. If that's the case though, they really should have pulled it aside to sand it and buff it out. It's just way too expensive of a car to have crappy paint. It looked bad from 20 feet away! | ||
| Macbuell |
Have you taken a look at the last generation Nissan Z ... The 350Z. A friend has one and it is fast as shit, handles great and is nicer than the Miata, imo. | ||
| Sifo |
Took my first drive of any length today. Beautiful day, but only got to about 60 degrees. Still nice with the top down and the heat on. Had to stop by one of my favorite rocks to get a shot of just about anything I own that is worth a mention.   There's some great roads out that way, and I have to say, I'm quite thrilled with this car. My only complaint is that it could use a bit more power for when you want to pass someone. That's a pretty minor complaint though, and passing isn't really all that bad. I ran my first tank of gas through it today, and checked the mileage at 32 MPG! That takes a lot of the sting out of not being a powerhouse of a car. I haven't owned a manual trans car since selling my Trans AM back in '93. Turns out that heel/toe downshifts are a perishable skill. Even with my now uncoordinated right foot, driving some twisty roads was a blast today. The car is just effortless to drive. Took a couple of roads that I had never been on today too. I'll be coming back to hit those on the bike for sure. Glad I got talked into a Miata! Thanks again! | ||
| Sifo |
BTW, I've found some tuning hardware that I plan I trying out with this car made by Ecutek. It has the ability to add some new features to the Miata ECU, such as launch control, flat foot shifting, auto blip downshifts, and the ability to hold 4 maps that can be switched using the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. It also does data logging, and editing of fuel and timing maps, much like the tools we have for our Buells. It's a pretty cool tool IMO, and with work with a number of makes/models. I'll be looking into it in the future for sure. | ||
| Greatlaker |
Having a fast Miata is like coming out of the closet and surprising everyone....but you are still gay. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Ignore the troll. I've been driving the Mini Cooper S while my wife's back gets better, and a light little maneuverable and good handling car is a ton of fun to drive. Kind of like an XB9SX or a KDX-250, its not going to set any records on the salt flats, but the amount of fun for the buck can't be beat. The Cooper is supercharged, which is a lot of fun. Is the Miata turbocharged? Mazda certainly has the experience to do that well. | ||
| Greatlaker |
Is This Irrationally Angry Miata Car Review The Funniest Ever? http://www.carthrottle.com/post/is-this-the-funnie st-car-review-ever/ Miata guys. Not gay at all. | ||
| Aaron_thomas |
Have you thought about a Chrysler Crossfire roadster? They can usually be found with fairly low miles in good shape for around 15k. a friend has one and it is very fun car to drive. | ||
| 86129squids |
Color me jealous, Sifo! Slick ride fo sho... I've been looking at the burgundy red ones lately, but REALLY liked the color of the one you let get away... Miata "haters" seem like Sportster haters, i.e. "that's a girly bike, getcha a Big Twin/Dyna", blah blah. Wouldn't deter me one iota! Reep- I remember some time ago getting behind an S model Cooper at a turn out onto Alcoa Highway- that day I was on my PC800- we both turned out together, and dude just ROLLED in that S model! I could barely match his acceleration on the Pacific Coast (granted, NOT a hot-rod, but not a slouch bike either)... I was VERY surprised that day! This thread is gonna get me to go shop my re-fi options on the house (should have done that yesterday a few times over), and then start prowling for a play car! | ||
| Sifo |
They can usually be found Well, I couldn't. Is the Miata turbocharged? Mazda had done turbo Miatas, but for some reason they haven't bumped the power much. I think they were only about 25 hp more than the normally aspirated version. Not worth the expense and complexity IMO. Aftermarket kits seem to manage a reliable ~100 hp bump with no internal engine mods. I'm not sure why Mazda has been so conservative in the past. Rumor is that a turbo is coming back for '16. I wonder if they will give this one a serious bump in power. There's a company that does and electric supercharger for the Miata. It really simplifies the install, and has some real advantages. It only produces about 4 pounds of boost, but that boost is in the midrange where it tends to get used in street driving. The boost tapers off as the engine speed goes up, I think down to around 2 pounds at redline, so it only does about 200 HP, but the midrange torque boost is supposed to be great. I don't think it makes sense for a racing setup, but for typical street use it seems to make some sense. I'm not sure about the pricing though, they just say call. | ||
| Sifo |
Squids, the Red Mica would have been my first choice. The Blue Mica is nice too IMO. The Gray Mica that I got would be my third choice. It's funny how it picks up other colors depending on the environment. Lot's of people think the Buells were the girl's bike sold by HD. I don't try to sway them. | ||
| 86129squids |
"Lot's of people think the Buells were the girl's bike sold by HD. I don't try to sway them."  Yeah, a "girl's bike" that'll SMOKE any Hog. Then eat it and sh*t out something still faster. Morons. Oh well, I aint got no dawg in that fight no more.  Sifo, not to be nosy, but if ya don't mind, PM me what you got that beauty for... my weather here in E TN today is tailor-made for biking or rolling with the top down!  If you DO mind, NBD, I'm just curious what real $$$ buys- NADA and KBB throw numbers that make me laugh sometimes. | ||
| Reepicheep |
200 HP sounds about perfect for a Miata. That's what the Mini S does stock, and that makes it a fun little car. More than that and it would be driving a fast car slow, instead of driving a slow car fast. And it would ruin the "flow" of the whole setup. We got ours for $9000 in good shape with 90k miles on it. The clutch was fading ($2500, ouch), but it had the full Dinan exhaust and intake setup, and it was lowered with Koni shocks and springs. It handles like the proverbial gocart, better than my buddies 911 and 914 even (IMHO). | ||
| Greatlaker |
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| Sifo |
Squids, PM sent. Let me know if you don't get it. I know they are having some difficulties with some emails around here. | ||
| 86129squids |
Yep,umm, no. No PM as of 11:12PM. | ||
| Greatlaker |
 | ||
| Sifo |
Hey Brad, unfortunately it seems I have an unstable stalker so I don't think I'll post my email online. Let me try to figure something else out. | ||
| 86129squids |
No sweat, buddy- just adding more info to my dreams of acquiring a 'vert, rational or not. | ||
| Sifo |
Brad, shoot me an email at TheGreatLoser@outlook.com and I can hook you up with what you asked and more. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Sifo, if you get abusive email from someone on the board as a result of posting your email, please let me know. | ||
| Sifo |
Well at least if I do, it will be to a "burner" account. I'm still wondering who he got into a heated offline discussion with that he thought was me. More likely that was just a BS story though. Trolls can be funny that way. | ||
| No_rice |
Jenn's mom has a miata.... it has been sitting in the garage unmoved for 2 or 3 years i guess(i didnt know they werent driving it). we went there for a vist which we try to do a couple times a year since they are 3 hours or so away. on the way up Jenn told me she had volunteered me to help fix the miata. so when we got there her brother and i found out the clutch slave cylinder was bad and thats why they had quit driving it... we are talking about a $15 or so dollar part and maybe a half hour of work... but anyway, we got it put back together and working. i had only been in one miata and that was pretty early on into them being introduced originally. so i said that for fixing it i was taking it for a test run to make sure it functioned like it should. Jenn jumped in with me and we took off down the river road. it may not have a ton of power, but i will say i have a small crush on that car now. the thing handles GREAT. and sticks like glue to the road. we were cooking through the curves. there is a T intersection at the end of it, and i decided to see just how hard i could ram this thing through it before the tires would let go because i still hadnt been able to hang the rear out. we made 4 very increasingly faster runs at that intersection before i got it to slide the rear. that also included me dropping down into 4th, swinging the wheel very hard to the left late into the corner and standing on the pedal. needless to say i want one... with a turbo or super charger... i also got to take this for a run not long ago... it does better then expected  | ||
| Greatlaker |
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| Reepicheep |
Don't feed the troll. | ||
| Kcfirebolt |
Miata's feed the soul in much the same way bikes do. I'd still have mine if I hadn't moved to this God forsaken frozen tundra called Michigan. People can hate on them all they want, but having owned two of them, I'm impervious because I know just how fun they are. On a side note, I loved my first Miata, but I got into motorcycle racing. One of the first things my racing mentor told me was, "it's more fun to make a slow bike go fast than to try and go fast on a fast bike." Fast bikes are exciting, but that doesn't always equal fun. Over years of racing a variety of bikes, both fast and slow, I really felt the truth of this idea when I got my second Miata. It can make you feel like a hero at 50 mph. If you're strafing apexes at Road America on a regular basis, by all means, go big with big power, big tires and big bills. If you're strafing apexes on public roads, a Miata will be slower but can be more fun. | ||
| 86129squids |
Tim- knowing how you ride/flog your bikes, I'd have LOVED to see your "experiments" with that Miata!   I bet that dang Morgan was hella kewl to try out, too! I love seeing shiznit like that. | ||
| Greatlaker |
Slightly less gay. http://bringatrailer.com/2015/05/01/lifted-1991-ra lly-miata/ | ||
| Spiderman |
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