I would suggest making sure the tire pressure is no more than 26-28
PSI. Any more than that and you wil get a harsh ride. When I test
drove my '99 Miata I thought the shocks were bad and negotiated a
better deal based on the thought that it needed new shocks. When I
got it home I checked the tire pressure and all the tires were pumped
up close to 40 PSI. When I adjusted the tires to 26 PSI the ride
improved dramatically and ruled out the need for new shocks.


"Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote in message >...
> Allen,
>
> All the info you want to read up on is at miata.net
> http://www.miata.net/faq/ this will tell you allot and there is so much
> more. Here you'll hear from some people that they like the 1.6 liter cars
> (90 to 93) because they tend to rev more quickly and freely, others
> (probably more commonly) say that the torque advantage of the 1.8 liter cars
> (94 on) more than makes up for it. I recomend driving a few of each. One
> very good thing to keep in mind is that tires and inflation rates can make a
> huge difference in the percieved handling of a miata. What I did was drove
> directly to a gas station and got all 4 tires aired up to, say, 30psi so
> that I'd be comparing (as much as is possible anyway) apples to apples. You
> wont find that tidbit in the FAQ's!
>
> But, Lanny is right, establish your budget, then unless you have a strong
> feeling on the engine choice, buy the newest / best cared for car that you
> like and can afford. These cars are bullet proof if properly cared for so
> that is a BIG deal also.
>
> Remember, the shopping process can be allot of fun, don't rush in
> unprepared.
>
> Chris
> 92BB&T (135k)
>
> "gjt" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Allen:
> >
> > I have a 1997 that I bought in May of this year. I am very pleased with
> > it. It is red/black. It has 80K miles. I paid $7K for it. I am
> > considering selling. I am way overweight and it is tough for me to get
> > in and out of it. I have only driven it on Sunday afternoons and have
> > only put 700 miles on it since purchase. I am in Alabama should you be
> > interested.
> >
> > Thank you.
> > gjt
> >
> >
> >
> > !Allen Lasting wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I'm gonna buy a used miata, and thought I'd check here to see if anyone
> can
> > > make a reccomendation on where the best bang for the buck is.
> > >
> > > I don't know which model years have what, or which is better, etc. I'm
> the
> > > guy who always buys the (fill in the year) and then everybody says, you
> > > shouldn't have got that one you moron, you soulda got the (fill in the
> year)
> > > instead.
> > >
> > > Thanks for any help with this.
> > >
> > > Allen
> > >
> > >
> >