Miata deficiencies.
 

The other day I bought my usual losing lottery ticket and asked myself what
I'd get to replace my 1992 1600 pretty much stock Miata if I won.....

The answer I came up with is I'm almost completely satisfied with the car, it
does what I want, seems pretty much trouble free and is always fun to drive
so what would I fix if I were designing cars for Miata?

The most important would be the top. I once had a 1964 Corvette which had
the easiest to use and best designed top I've ever encountered. It went up
effortlessly, had no rain rails to cause problems and hid itself under a hard
cover when lowered. Why couldn't Mazda design a similar top mechanism?

Next, why did nobody except Corvette have those really neat power windows
that went up and down faster than any others? Was there some kind of patent
that won't allow anyone else to adopt the system? Even other Chevrolets have
never AFAIK used the same system, why?

Other than those two things, one trivial and one major, the car suits me.

PS, if I did win the lottery I'd replace my almost new top with one with a
glass window that didn't require unzipping such as the later Miata's have,
that would help quite a bit.

XS11E wrote:
> The other day I bought my usual losing lottery ticket and asked myself what
> I'd get to replace my 1992 1600 pretty much stock Miata if I won.....
>
> The answer I came up with is I'm almost completely satisfied with the car, it
> does what I want, seems pretty much trouble free and is always fun to drive
> so what would I fix if I were designing cars for Miata?
>
> The most important would be the top. I once had a 1964 Corvette which had
> the easiest to use and best designed top I've ever encountered. It went up
> effortlessly, had no rain rails to cause problems and hid itself under a hard
> cover when lowered. Why couldn't Mazda design a similar top mechanism?
>
> Next, why did nobody except Corvette have those really neat power windows
> that went up and down faster than any others? Was there some kind of patent
> that won't allow anyone else to adopt the system? Even other Chevrolets have
> never AFAIK used the same system, why?
>
> Other than those two things, one trivial and one major, the car suits me.
>
> PS, if I did win the lottery I'd replace my almost new top with one with a
> glass window that didn't require unzipping such as the later Miata's have,
> that would help quite a bit.
>

I agree about the glass window. On my 1990 I added some enhancements -- daytime running lights, a remote trunk-opening button in the console, a couple of cup holders to replace the ashtray, a 12-disc CD changer in the trunk, and a sun-glasses cubicle under the radio -- and now it IS the perfect car.

-- Robbi.

"XS11E" > wrote in message
...
>
> The other day I bought my usual losing lottery ticket and asked myself
> what
> I'd get to replace my 1992 1600 pretty much stock Miata if I won.....
>
> The answer I came up with is I'm almost completely satisfied with the car,
> it
> does what I want, seems pretty much trouble free and is always fun to
> drive
> so what would I fix if I were designing cars for Miata?
>
> The most important would be the top. I once had a 1964 Corvette which had
> the easiest to use and best designed top I've ever encountered. It went
> up
> effortlessly, had no rain rails to cause problems and hid itself under a
> hard
> cover when lowered. Why couldn't Mazda design a similar top mechanism?

I had a 1999 on a lease for two years in NYC. Was able to raise and lower
the top with one hand while sitting at a traffic light. The glass rear
window was a nice plus.
>
> Next, why did nobody except Corvette have those really neat power windows
> that went up and down faster than any others? Was there some kind of
> patent
> that won't allow anyone else to adopt the system? Even other Chevrolets
> have
> never AFAIK used the same system, why?
>
Mine didn't have power windows and I never missed them. I am a fan of simple
devices. The car was small enough that I could reach over and lower the
windows without unbuckling the seat belt. (granted, I am 6'2")

> Other than those two things, one trivial and one major, the car suits me.
>
> PS, if I did win the lottery I'd replace my almost new top with one with a
> glass window that didn't require unzipping such as the later Miata's have,
> that would help quite a bit.
>

Robbi > wrote in:

> I agree about the glass window. On my 1990 I added some enhancements --
> daytime running lights, a remote trunk-opening button in the console, a
> couple of cup holders to replace the ashtray, a 12-disc CD changer in
> the trunk, and a sun-glasses cubicle under the radio -- and now it IS
> the perfect car.

Most of that wouldn't do much for me. I've got the cup holder replacement
for the ashtray, that came with the car. The CD changer is not anything I'd
use, my radio is either off or very rarely listening to a baseball game.

I would like to raise and lower the top w/o unzipping the glass but replacing
the top when the one I have was installed less than 6 months before I bought
the car doesn't make any economic sense, that's why I need to win the
lottery! ;-)

Squat wrote:
> Mine didn't have power windows and I never missed them.

I never thought I'd want power windows until I got my 'B'. The best
use for these is that when your cell phone rings on the highway, you
can raise the windows to hear.

Jeff
'91 Mariner (Betty) Blue

XS11E wrote:

> The other day I bought my usual losing lottery ticket and asked myself what
> I'd get to replace my 1992 1600 pretty much stock Miata if I won.....
>
> The answer I came up with is I'm almost completely satisfied with the car, it
> does what I want, seems pretty much trouble free and is always fun to drive
> so what would I fix if I were designing cars for Miata?
>
> The most important would be the top. I once had a 1964 Corvette which had
> the easiest to use and best designed top I've ever encountered. It went up
> effortlessly, had no rain rails to cause problems and hid itself under a hard
> cover when lowered. Why couldn't Mazda design a similar top mechanism?

Because the MX-5/Miata was always meant to be affordable. They cut
corners on the specification where it doesn't detract from the driving
experience. Stuff like all-round independent suspension, powerful twin
cam engines, PPFs and alumin(i)um panels doesn't come cheap.

> Next, why did nobody except Corvette have those really neat power windows
> that went up and down faster than any others? Was there some kind of patent
> that won't allow anyone else to adopt the system? Even other Chevrolets have
> never AFAIK used the same system, why?

See above. FWIW, my UK-spec 1.8 has no PAS, no aircon, no power windows
and steel wheels, although a previous owner bought a set of alloys.
That didn't stop them selling like hot cakes in Britain, the world's
most car-snobbish country.

> Other than those two things, one trivial and one major, the car suits me.
>
> PS, if I did win the lottery I'd replace my almost new top with one with a
> glass window that didn't require unzipping such as the later Miata's have,
> that would help quite a bit.
>

Me too. The plastic window sucks.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Squat wrote:
>> Mine didn't have power windows and I never missed them.
>
> I never thought I'd want power windows until I got my 'B'. The best
> use for these is that when your cell phone rings on the highway, you
> can raise the windows to hear.
>
> Jeff
> '91 Mariner (Betty) Blue
>
My radio was always too loud to answer the phone.

my 2000 miata has a glass-window top (standard) that can be operated with
one hand (as long as it's your right hand, and you're reasonably strong)
while at a stoplight or stuck in traffic, or having quickly pulled aside
because it suddenly started to pour rain.

so looks like Mazda figured your top gripe was warranted and fixed it in a
later year model.

however in the process, they made the top latches worthless and built in a
flaw that causes it to pinch holes in the sides of the top with repeated
use. but they fixed that too, later.

from what i can tell though, every fix or improvement in the miata lineup
over the years has been accompanied by a step back in some way, although you
can hardly blame mazda for many of the steps back, which were done in order
to comply with changing safety or smog regs for some country or left-coast
state.

when my 2k miata was new, the power windows functioned with adequate speed
but they have gotten slower and slower and now at 5 years & 62k miles they
have gotten close to "painful". i guess there's some quasi-easy fix.

for me, having a later model car, i can say what i'd improve a

1. give me some fold-out cupholder. the console cup holder is useless.
the cup holder in my dad's '92 toyota truck is brilliant and should be
standard in any miata.

2. give me interior materials that will last. my car has only 62k miles
and the interior is already beat, the worst of it is the driver's seat
cushion whose cloth upholstery is pretty much shredded.

3. work out this top latch thing so they don't wear out and stop
latching... i'm on the third set.

4. put the oil filter somewhere where a regular adult-sized human can reach it.

5. while fixing all this, please "un fix" all the other "improvements" you made

in reality, the 2006 has taken an opposite turn from where i'd want it so
this'll be my last new miata... guess i might be a used one or older one
when this one gives up, but i'm thinking i'm going for more "sports" and
less "car" next time... Lotus Elise maybe.

Zog The Undeniable > wrote in:

> XS11E wrote:
>
>> The other day I bought my usual losing lottery ticket and asked myself
>> what I'd get to replace my 1992 1600 pretty much stock Miata if I
>> won.....
>>
>> The answer I came up with is I'm almost completely satisfied with the
>> car, it does what I want, seems pretty much trouble free and is always
>> fun to drive so what would I fix if I were designing cars for Miata?
>>
>> The most important would be the top. I once had a 1964 Corvette which
>> had the easiest to use and best designed top I've ever encountered. It
>> went up effortlessly, had no rain rails to cause problems and hid
>> itself under a hard cover when lowered. Why couldn't Mazda design a
>> similar top mechanism?
>
> Because the MX-5/Miata was always meant to be affordable.

Wanna bet the Corvette top is cheaper to build than the Miata?

>> Next, why did nobody except Corvette have those really neat power
>> windows that went up and down faster than any others? Was there some
>> kind of patent that won't allow anyone else to adopt the system? Even
>> other Chevrolets have never AFAIK used the same system, why?
>
> See above.

Again, power windows are power windows. It can't cost any more to make them
that go up faster than the sluggish ones Mazda provides.

>> PS, if I did win the lottery I'd replace my almost new top with one
>> with a glass window that didn't require unzipping such as the later
>> Miata's have, that would help quite a bit.
>>
>
> Me too. The plastic window sucks.

Don't know, mine's glass but I hate having to unzip it to lower the top.

josh > wrote in:

> my 2000 miata has a glass-window top (standard) that can be operated with
> one hand (as long as it's your right hand, and you're reasonably strong)
> while at a stoplight or stuck in traffic, or having quickly pulled aside
> because it suddenly started to pour rain.
>
> so looks like Mazda figured your top gripe was warranted and fixed it in a
> later year model.

No, they didn't. If you've never worked the top on a 63-67 Corvette you'd be
surprised at what a very good design it is and I doubt there's anything
patentable, so maybe it could be copied, who knows?

> when my 2k miata was new, the power windows functioned with adequate speed
> but they have gotten slower and slower and now at 5 years & 62k miles they
> have gotten close to "painful". i guess there's some quasi-easy fix.

The Corvette windows went up or down in about 1/2 the time of any other car.
Don't know how they did that but surely it could be copied?