The Search for the right Miata (pt1)

As this Spring 2012 approached, I started thinking about owning another Miata. At the time, we owned two Volvo wagons, a 2000 V70 with a 5 speed manual transmission, and a 1994 850 with the 4 speed automatic. The V70 was just purchased a few months prior, as a backup to the 850, which I had been driving daily. At 220,000  miles, the 850 was showing its age, bearing the scars of careless parking and driving by the previous owner.

(Probably the nicest photo of the 850)

After some Craigslist and eBay hunting, I decided to sell/trade the 850 for a weekend driver/project Miata. I listed my Volvo on Craigslist and did not have much luck. I was getting offers of $1000-$1400, which would not buy me much of a Miata. In April, I listed the car on eBay, and it sold for $2000 within a couple of days. I received a $500 deposit, and started looking for the right Miata to buy. The amount of Miatas listed on eBay and Craigslist dwindled as the weather warmed up.

My criteria was as follows:
-Budget of $3000
-91+ (was looking to avoid the Short Nose crank issues)
-Manual Transmission
-Minimal/ No Rust
-Solid motor/transmission

I'd accept one with minor issues, as I could do a little bit of my own work in the parking garage at home, but larger items and bodywork would have to be sourced out to a professional.

Given the budget, I'd say these were fairly reasonable expectations. I've learned that nothing is to be taken granted with a 20+ year old car, especially one that has been driven hard. I started my search with those requirements in mind.

I arranged to look at a white 91 Miata at a local dealer, but it was sold before I arrived. Two days later, I met with a seller and his 70,000-mile 1991 Miata. After a quick glance, I could see the entire rocker area was stuffed with foam and bondo. After I hauled out an impressive handful of pine needles from behind the seats and console, the seller confessed that the car was sitting outside for some time with a bad top. Bad news.

It was time to expand my search area.

I found a 1991 Miata in Levittown PA, about 1.5 hours from me, and arranged to see the car on a Saturday. The car had rust poking out from old bodywork work. I was able to spot that before the owner even answered the door. That would have been acceptable, if the car worked properly. On the test drive, the clutch was acting up, and there were horrible rattles coming from the suspension. I walked away, as the car had a salvage history and the seller would not move from $2900.

The next Saturday, I found a Craigslist ad for a 55,000-mile, one-owner Miata.  The ad was simple and had been written by someone who was clearly unfamiliar with the internet, or extraordinarily vague.

"MIATA: Standard transmission, 55k, RED, Never driven in rain ....$3000"

Was this the rust-free dream Miata that I wanted? I had to see the car. Even though I still was waiting to be paid for my Volvo, I went to see this car, deposit in hand. I drove up to Morristown and met the elderly owner in his driveway as he was vacuuming out his Mercedes-Benz CLK convertible. The glistening Miata sat parked nearby. This was the cleanest NA Miata I had ever laid my eyes on. Every aspect about it was clean and factory spec. I turned and whispered to my boyfriend, "I'm gonna buy this car." What happened next was, unexpected. 

I opened the door, and gasped in horror.

IT WAS AN AUTOMATIC!

Clearly, the seller and I did not agree what constituted a "standard transmission" as this Miata was equipped with the 4-speed auto-tragic transmission. Having driven nearly an hour to see the car, I was obliged to take it down the street at least. Maybe it would be worth it to buy and swap to manual? If the car drove fine, maybe I would buy. 

I was wrong. The jerky shifts and sluggish nature of this automatic Miata were unbearable. Disappointed, I left the clean, automatic Miata and continued my search later that night. I came upon an advert for a 1991 Miata in white with a hardtop and manual trans for only $2600. I called the seller, and arranged to come by the next morning, as he lived only 15 minutes away.

I arrived at the seller's house in Garfield NJ just as it started to rain. The car was advertised with a hard top, so I was doubtful that the interior would be wet for the test drive. The seller admitted the car might need some minor work, but that he was driving it to and from classes until a week ago, and decided to focus on his Civic instead. I completely forgot about my trivial concerns once I saw this car, and the complete mess it had become. I took some photos with my cell phone, because I could not believe how badly this Miata had been abused.

The ugly spoiler and dents are forgivable, but what is this on the tail panel? 

What the hell happened here? What alcohol/drug combination induced this trunk popping body hackery? It looks like someone used a crowbar to punch out an air hole from the inside! Was the seller holding a tiny person hostage in the trunk? Munchkin Mafia deal gone bad? I'll never know.  I only stayed around long enough to take these few photos with my iPhone.

What would possess someone to paint over ALL of the bumper-mounted reflectors? 

"Visibility? Eh... fuck it! This will look hella tight."

At least, that's the mental dialog I imagine when I think of the buffoon who mistreated this Miata. 

Around the front of the car, the story was similar. 

"Parallel parking is easy. Wham-bam-TAP and you're in! Let me just put these stickers right...here"

Now that the seller was able to get the hood open (after much tugging and pulling), let's have a look!

Gah! What a mess! Where to I start? I'm digging that intake clanking around on the driver side. Filter looks good, right? ;) However, the seller's electrical precautions are where he really shines.

Yes, that's a coolant temp sensor wire just twisted together. No solder. No connector. Filth and finger-twists are all that's required to accurately operate my cooling system. NO! You are doing it wrong, good sir. 

I shook my head and continued looking the car over.

"Minor rust" as dictated by the seller. This foot-wide mess of rust is how both rocker panels looked (area that's in front of the rear wheels). Considering this car is a crispy, cut-up creature, maybe I'd offer him something for the hard top? The driver side looks fine, so how about the passenger side?

The seller wasn't the only one who was on crack (with his asking price at $2600). Those hardtop cracks extended through the fiberglass. This hard top also needed all new seals and gaskets, making it worth a couple hundred at best. The car itself ran well, but it didn't seem to be worth my time. (Stupidly) I offered the seller $800 for the car, as is. To be fair, it did run and move, but the body, instruments, wiring, cosmetics, timing housing, top, and....forget it. It all needed a ton of work. That Miata was a huge mess. 

Feeling discouraged, I drove home in the rain, which did nothing to shake the sinking feeling I had, now that I had sold my trusty old Volvo for a Miata that seemed impossible to find, without making incredulous concessions on my criteria. 

It seemed finding a good Miata within my budget was wishful thinking.

My Miata past.

In the the fall of 2006, I was working as a mobile glass repair technician throughout central and southern New Jersey. One afternoon, I was driving between stops when I caught a glimpse of a Miata sitting in a front yard along Rt 79 in Marlboro NJ. The car looked neglected, but complete. Being the curious car geek that I am, I left a note for the owner. 

I received a call from the owner later that evening, telling me he was looking to sell the car, but that it would need some attention to a variety of items. After a quick phone conversation,I arranged to come back for that car. Three days later, I bought my first Miata, a 1992 base model, for only $600!

I jumped the car and drove it onto a trailer. The seller provided me with a few "mystery boxes" of parts, which would soon come in handy. I was quite fortunate that the car ran quite well, despite having over 200,000 miles on the engine and transmission. 

 I put about 7000 miles on the Miata in just a few months, repairing many different aspects of the car. I installed new brakes, a new radiator, a new roof, and many other parts. The car was starting to look and perform significantly better.

As is the case with any neglected car, issues arise from being driven hard without the proper maintenance. The car developed an overheating issue at 220,000 miles, with some symptoms of a failed head gasket. Lacking the expertise and funds to repair the car properly, I listed the car on eBay as a project, and sold it for a loss. 

Over the next five years, I worked on numerous other automotive projects, and gained confidence and experience under the hood. Until recently, I had always regretted selling my first Miata.