Seduced by the dark side

[marcmax]

All my good intentions of resurrecting the R65LS that I bought as a spare parts bike have been pushed aside by a (gasp) cage.
A good friend of mine, who is also a mechanic by profession, called and said that as part of a car parts trade he was given a free car. Being a tri-five Chevy kind of guy he had no use for it and asked if I wanted it. A 1994 Mazda Miata is now sitting in his shop.
A quick search found a used Miata engine with 60k miles on it along with a 6-speed transmission for $900. He told me if I bought the parts he would do the work in exchange for beer. New engine and transmission is on the way and the old blown engine is already out. One of his buddies even donated a set of 18" wheels with useable tires to the project.

[wilcom]

pushed aside by a (gasp) cage

Nice score!! The Miata has always caught my eye.

[marcmax]

Nothing beats a free car. Well almost free. The parts are starting to add up but still starting at $0.00 and buying an engine/transmission and all the odds and ends (fuel pump, radiator, timing belt, clutch, etc.) I am still at under $1500

The only thing close to a motorcycle on a nice day is a ragtop with the top down.

[wilcom]

The only thing close to a motorcycle on a nice day is a ragtop with the top down

Sports car with the topdown is the #1 way to see the country side. I spend too much time "riding the motorcycle" and miss a lot, plus the eclipsed peripheral vision with a full helmet, makes the rag top #1

[Jschara]

You have very nice friends.

[Tony Smith]

And I always thought that Miatas (or MX5s as they are known here) were only ever owned by gay hairdressers called Stefan.  (Not that there is anything wrong with that)

[wilcom]

With prices of Alfa's, Triumph, Healey's & MG's from my era sure makes a  gay hairdressers car look attractive

[Tony Smith]

With prices of Alfa's, Triumph, Healey's & MG's from my era sure makes a  gay hairdressers car look attractive

Well there is that.

[marcmax]

Its probably one of the most underrated sports car of its era, near perfect weight distribution, great handling and more available go-fast goodies than you can imaging, turbos and superchargers. There are even folks making a kit to put a Corvette V8 under the hood and making a "Monster Miata". It will snap your neck.

[wilcom]

Hagerty had good things to say about the Miata just lately. You made a better score than I initially thought

1990–98 Mazda MX-5 Miata (+48.4%)(valuation increase)

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $6100
The first-generation (aka “NA”) Miata made a huge splash when Mazda brought it out in 1989. The cheap roadster had been dead for about a decade, but the Miata revived it and has owned that market ever since. On balance, it’s been just about the best sports car for your money for almost 30 years. But because “Miata is always the answer” and because they’re cheap, a lot of them have been raced, modded, or just generally beat on. This means that nice, collector-grade examples are increasingly rare, and 2018 showed that the charm of those adorable pop-up headlights and smiley grille are in high demand.

[marcmax]

The first thing my son said was "Come on Dad. Let's drop a V-8 in it." First thing is the conversion is min. $5-6k. I could do it as my friend is the best mechanic I have ever met and is a hp junkie but I would probably kill myself within a couple of years. Second is it is a fantastic drive as is. Top down heading down A1A (the coast highway) into Florida it doesn't get any better.

[tiggum]

NA Miatas of that vintage, with the 1.8 litre engine are great for most every kind of use EXCEPT for droning down the interstate on a long trip.  Around town, in the hill country with lotsa curves, and short trips, they are extraordinarily well-balanced vehicles.

[marcmax]

Thank you Sir. A man who appreciates the machine for what it is intended for. A fun driving experience. It will never be the fastest (maybe), it sure isn't the most comfortable, but it is definitely what a 2 seat, top down, fun to drive sports car should be.

[marcmax]

Just about ready to put it back on the road. Still have to replace the front wheel bearings. Drove it for the first time this weekend and the bearings howl. Also need some new tires as the one on it I wouldn't trust to go around town. Still.....

[Justin B.]

They are a neat little car.