Testing

On 2/13/2012 11:49 AM, XS11E wrote:
> Grant > wrote:
>
>> Bah. Web forums. What a waste of time -- the UIs are horrible.
>
> Amen.
>

besides, most of those cars have the steering wheel on the wrong side

On 2/13/2012 10:19 AM, Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2012-02-12, > wrote:
>> Christopher > wrote:
>>
>>> On 2/11/2012 1:51 PM, BK wrote:
>>>> I don't have anything from this group in over a month. Is it
>>>> dead, or is my provider not cooperating?
>>>
>>> spring is only a couple of months away. perhaps things will bloom
>>> once again...
>>
>> Just one theory..... the "C" Miata is a nice car, the "A" and "B"
>> Miatas are much more than nice cars, they are objects of passion to
>> many of us.....
>>
>> Could the group be dying due to lack of interest and the "C" Miata is
>> the reason?
>
> I've owned an A and currently own a B. [And before that I owned an
> Alfa Romeo Spyder which I bought after I saw a Miata and found out I
> couldn't afford one]. The B is getting a bit long in the tooth. Sad
> to say it won't be replaced by a C. I just don't like them that much,
> and I find I'm less tolerant of the heat and sun than I was 30 years
> ago when I started driving convertibles. I'm thinking a test drive of
> a Subaru BRZ might be in order this spring. Reviews of the BRZ always
> seem to mention Miatas.
>

i think the modern day alternative to the na is the lotus elise. pricey
new but affordable on the used market. however the na/nb miata is very
understated where the elise, though beautiful, is much more "look at me."

On 2/13/2012 1:07 AM, XS11E wrote:
> Christopher > wrote:
>
>> the age of the car certainly means fewer of them on the road, but
>> the death of newsgroups is the result of internet service
>> providers no longer including it for free with internet server.
>
> Irrelevent, free news servers carry this group and most of the regulars
> have been here since ISPs dumped newsgroups.
>
> I still think it's because many have gone to the "C" Miata and, while
> it's a nice car, it's nothing anyone would get passionate about.
>

ask anyone under 35 if they know what a newsgroup is and they will look
at you the same way you look at them when they talk about tumbler,
google+, etc.

i do agree that the nc does not inspire passion. i suspect na/nb owners
are not buying the nc but it is a new customer. mazda probably decided
that the original owners have for the most part grown up/out of the
brand and so they targeted a younger market that has different values.
cars like everything else are becoming more and more appliance like, not
something that one tinkers with. look at the engines in today's car,
they encased to look like some sort of power cell or battery that does
not have user serviceable parts. many don't even have a dip stick
anymore to check the fluids (all done by sensors anyway).

On 2012-02-13, Christopher Muto > wrote:

>> I've owned an A and currently own a B. [And before that I owned an
>> Alfa Romeo Spyder which I bought after I saw a Miata and found out I
>> couldn't afford one]. The B is getting a bit long in the tooth. Sad
>> to say it won't be replaced by a C. I just don't like them that much,
>> and I find I'm less tolerant of the heat and sun than I was 30 years
>> ago when I started driving convertibles. I'm thinking a test drive of
>> a Subaru BRZ might be in order this spring. Reviews of the BRZ always
>> seem to mention Miatas.
>
> i think the modern day alternative to the na is the lotus elise.
> pricey new but affordable on the used market. however the na/nb
> miata is very understated where the elise, though beautiful, is much
> more "look at me."

I just don't think I can "pull off" an Elise. Besides which it looks
like there is exactly 1 used Elise for sale within 200 miles of my zip
code, and the asking price is $50K. If I'm willing to go 250 miles,
there's a second Elise for which somebody is asking $40K.

--
Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! In Newark the
at laundromats are open 24
gmail.com hours a day!

On Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:19:42 +0000, Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2012-02-12, XS11E > wrote:
>> Christopher Muto > wrote:
>>> On 2/11/2012 1:51 PM, BK wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't have anything from this group in over a month. Is it dead,
>>>> or is my provider not cooperating?
>>>
>>> spring is only a couple of months away. perhaps things will bloom
>>> once again...
>>
>> Just one theory..... the "C" Miata is a nice car, the "A" and "B"
>> Miatas are much more than nice cars, they are objects of passion to
>> many of us.....
>>
>> Could the group be dying due to lack of interest and the "C" Miata is
>> the reason?
>
> I've owned an A and currently own a B. [And before that I owned an
> Alfa Romeo Spyder which I bought after I saw a Miata and found out I
> couldn't afford one]. The B is getting a bit long in the tooth. Sad
> to say it won't be replaced by a C. I just don't like them that much,
> and I find I'm less tolerant of the heat and sun than I was 30 years
> ago when I started driving convertibles. I'm thinking a test drive of
> a Subaru BRZ might be in order this spring. Reviews of the BRZ always
> seem to mention Miatas.

These new BRZs might be nice, but I really wish Mazda would wipe the
stupid smirk off the face of the NC and do a Mazdaspeed version. That
would get things humming again.

On 2012-02-14, Carbon > wrote:

>> I'm thinking a test drive of a Subaru BRZ might be in order this
>> spring. Reviews of the BRZ always seem to mention Miatas.
>
> These new BRZs might be nice, but I really wish Mazda would wipe the
> stupid smirk off the face of the NC and do a Mazdaspeed version. That
> would get things humming again.

The rediculous joker face Mazda has adopted as the central part of its
coporate "design language" is just plain embarassing. And then they
lard on top of that as many random, extraneous design details as they
can get to stick to the tooling. It seems like it all started with
the RX-8 with all its silly vents and creases and flares. The poor
thing looked like it need a to be taken to the cleaners for a good
steam and press.

--
Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! I feel like a wet
at parking meter on Darvon!
gmail.com

On 2/13/2012 2:30 PM, Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2012-02-13, Christopher > wrote:
>
>>> I've owned an A and currently own a B. [And before that I owned an
>>> Alfa Romeo Spyder which I bought after I saw a Miata and found out I
>>> couldn't afford one]. The B is getting a bit long in the tooth. Sad
>>> to say it won't be replaced by a C. I just don't like them that much,
>>> and I find I'm less tolerant of the heat and sun than I was 30 years
>>> ago when I started driving convertibles. I'm thinking a test drive of
>>> a Subaru BRZ might be in order this spring. Reviews of the BRZ always
>>> seem to mention Miatas.
>>
>> i think the modern day alternative to the na is the lotus elise.
>> pricey new but affordable on the used market. however the na/nb
>> miata is very understated where the elise, though beautiful, is much
>> more "look at me."
>
> I just don't think I can "pull off" an Elise. Besides which it looks
> like there is exactly 1 used Elise for sale within 200 miles of my zip
> code, and the asking price is $50K. If I'm willing to go 250 miles,
> there's a second Elise for which somebody is asking $40K.
>

those sounds like dealer prices for a new. granted it may be far more
available on the east and west cost than any place in between, but 5
year old and hardly ever driven ones show up all the time for about the
same as the cost of a new miata ($25k).

On 2/14/2012 6:50 AM, Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2012-02-14, > wrote:
>
>>> I'm thinking a test drive of a Subaru BRZ might be in order this
>>> spring. Reviews of the BRZ always seem to mention Miatas.
>>
>> These new BRZs might be nice, but I really wish Mazda would wipe the
>> stupid smirk off the face of the NC and do a Mazdaspeed version. That
>> would get things humming again.
>
> The rediculous joker face Mazda has adopted as the central part of its
> coporate "design language" is just plain embarassing. And then they
> lard on top of that as many random, extraneous design details as they
> can get to stick to the tooling. It seems like it all started with
> the RX-8 with all its silly vents and creases and flares. The poor
> thing looked like it need a to be taken to the cleaners for a good
> steam and press.
>
Take pity on me.... I'm a lurker.
Always wanted a Miata, had to be practical and bought a Mazda 3 GT (Canada).
Is it just the appearance that puts so many of you off the newest MX-5's?
Or is the handling, interior etc. inferior?

Professor

Professor > wrote:

> Is it just the appearance that puts so many of you off the newest
> MX-5's? Or is the handling, interior etc. inferior?

Yes.

Now it's the appearance, earlier it was the interior. I drove one of
the first "C" Miatas and really wanted to like it but it didn't fit me
at all, the huge cup holders in the door cut into my left leg and the
pedal layout made my right ankle feel like it was on fire after 15
minutes. The redesigned "C" removed the horrible cup holder but added
the hideous front end.

Things to like: Great layout of steering wheel controls, great
improvement in the top mechanism, it's finally possible for me to raise
and lower it w/o getting out of the car (or at least opening the door
and swinging my legs out so I can turn enough to reach the top!) and
the performance is much improved over my 1.6L engine. But the looks
and changes in interior layout prevent me from seriously considering
one.


--
XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project:
http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/

On 2/14/2012 3:05 PM, XS11E wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> Is it just the appearance that puts so many of you off the newest
>> MX-5's? Or is the handling, interior etc. inferior?
>
> Yes.
>
> Now it's the appearance, earlier it was the interior. I drove one of
> the first "C" Miatas and really wanted to like it but it didn't fit me
> at all, the huge cup holders in the door cut into my left leg and the
> pedal layout made my right ankle feel like it was on fire after 15
> minutes. The redesigned "C" removed the horrible cup holder but added
> the hideous front end.
>
> Things to like: Great layout of steering wheel controls, great
> improvement in the top mechanism, it's finally possible for me to raise
> and lower it w/o getting out of the car (or at least opening the door
> and swinging my legs out so I can turn enough to reach the top!) and
> the performance is much improved over my 1.6L engine. But the looks
> and changes in interior layout prevent me from seriously considering
> one.
>
>

When I bought my 99, it was because I liked the Miata's since I had a
ride in an 89, and, I was driving to and from Florida about once a
month. (550 miles each way) The prior car, an Impala, was putting me to
sleep, and required very frequent stops to wake up.

Since the 99 had non-clear coat red paint, I was able to polish it to a
point that it looked like glass. Then, I used high carnuba wax intended
for RV's and fiberglass boats. The wax lasted for about six months at a
time before it needed anything other than washing.

A couple of years later, after I decided that the warranty coverage was
about gone, I decided to try Solo racing for a bit.

Then after a year or so, since things were still holding more or less
together, it was time to turbocharge. This involved a new radiator,
changing 5th gear, added gauges, new electronics, new larger exhaust, as
well as an FMII+ SBB turbo kit. The Miata then had eight injectors
instead of four, as it does today.

In the middle of all this I started having what turned out to be
ignition pack problems that were intermittent, and very puzzling as to
symptoms. After that was finally solved, the Solo group had lost the
local site, and had to move to a city about twenty miles away.
As a result, I sort of lost interest.

Anyway, I'm not happy with the current Miatas at all. They are going the
same way that the Nissan/Datsun "Fair Lady" did. (From a decent sports
car to a relatively expensive plushy sporty car.

Bring on a redesigned Miata, with good factory turbocharging, and
eliminate the unnecessary frills and foo foo!