Perhaps I should buy a Miata?

72 Deg's ????? OH Pat, STOP, you are kill'n us here ! 44 here in
Seattle today. :-)

And let me guess, you had the top down too !!! :-)

Bruce RED (from being so cold ! ) '91

Hey,

Is Lloyd lurking here or is he some mustang driving troll who thought he'd
get a kick out of seeing a bunch of girlie men get all hot and bothered
about a car with so few horsepower it can't really be driven by a 'real man'
selling for cheap?

Inquiring minds want to know. It's been an enjoyable thread though. Even Pat
and Bruce are getting along....

Beautifull top down weather tonight, cheers,
Chris
99BBB
"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> In article <Q3Mnf.627694$_o.69220@attbi_s71>,
> "tooloud" > wrote:
>
>> I'll admit to not understanding the whole "top down in the winter" thing.
>
> My lower limit is usually 40F. In January and February, we always get a
> couple of mid-winter thaws, and it's a great lift to the spirit to go
> for a top-down spin during a break in the snow and ice. The windows are
> generally brief, and I'll drop everything to exploit them, just for the
> joy of it. Sometimes it reaches 60, and I don't need a jacket or hat.
>
> --
> Lanny Chambers
> '94C, St. Louis
> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

"Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote in message
...
> If you've tried it and don't really enjoy it then no problem, it's not for
> you. That said, I thuroughly enjoy top down driving in cool / cold
> weather, it's awesome. It's no different than riding a motorcycle in the
> cold.

Oh yes it is!! Longer stretches in the cold on my bike used to kill me -
after 15 minutes my fingers stopped responding, my teeth would start
chattering etc. Call me a fair-weather biker, but I can put up with extended
drives in my MX5 with the top down when it's cold out (the heater is
wonderfully effective), but biking below freezing really isn't my idea of
fun.

Eric

> It's no different than riding a motorcycle in the cold. When I
> lived up north and had a bike, when it was 40 or above and clear roads,
I'd
> get it out and get a ride in.

I did a few morning rides this fall where it was high 30's, and that was too
cold for me. (Jean jacket and a sweatshirt, I suppose with the right
gear...) Mid-40's up works well tho.

I can't imagine the Miata being a problem in colder weather, what with
having a windshield and heater.

miker

Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
> Hey,
>
> Is Lloyd lurking here or is he some mustang driving troll who thought he'd
> get a kick out of seeing a bunch of girlie men get all hot and bothered
> about a car with so few horsepower it can't really be driven by a 'real man'
> selling for cheap?
>
> Inquiring minds want to know. It's been an enjoyable thread though. Even Pat
> and Bruce are getting along....
>
> Beautifull top down weather tonight, cheers,
> Chris
> 99BBB

I kinda wondered that myself, where is Lloyd? Also, where is Waldo?

If he doesn't show up soon I might have to go to the Mustang newsgroup
and talk about the '68 Pony in near-mint condition that I picked up from
a little old lady for $500.00. ;-)

Pat

looks like you're going to have to Pat! Remember, she had no idea what car
it was, she just said she had an old Ford for sale ;-)

Chris
99BBB

"pws" > wrote in message
...
> Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
>> Hey,
>>
>> Is Lloyd lurking here or is he some mustang driving troll who thought
>> he'd get a kick out of seeing a bunch of girlie men get all hot and
>> bothered about a car with so few horsepower it can't really be driven by
>> a 'real man' selling for cheap?
>>
>> Inquiring minds want to know. It's been an enjoyable thread though. Even
>> Pat and Bruce are getting along....
>>
>> Beautifull top down weather tonight, cheers,
>> Chris
>> 99BBB
>
> I kinda wondered that myself, where is Lloyd? Also, where is Waldo?
>
> If he doesn't show up soon I might have to go to the Mustang newsgroup and
> talk about the '68 Pony in near-mint condition that I picked up from a
> little old lady for $500.00. ;-)
>
> Pat

Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
> looks like you're going to have to Pat! Remember, she had no idea what car
> it was, she just said she had an old Ford for sale ;-)
>
> Chris
> 99BBB


Last chance, Lloyd. :-)

Pat

Lloyd,
I owned a 99 for while and loved it. My comments are below..

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> i'm sure pretty much every answer i get here will be *slightly* biased
> since this is a miata usenet group, but here we go... my '91 Honda CRX
> probably threw a rod about a week ago and i've been scrambling for cash
> to either repair or replace it.
> i haven't actually been able to talk to him just yet but i found out
> yesterday that a friend of mine is thinking of selling his '91 miata
> (british racing green with tan leather interior) and would give me a
> great deal on it... $900
>
> the CRX has been a great car and fun to drive... it's a completely
> stock 4 speed auto with the only "mod" being projector headlights so i
> can see better at night. i've heard good things about the miata so i'm
> considering buying my friends car and would like a few opinions on the
> matter from current miata owners. i'm looking for a fun commuter since
> i work on the other side of town and spend a good part of the day in my
> car.
>
> here are the issues:
> room... the crx is spacious for a small car, especially with the back
> "seat" floded down and has plenty of head and leg room. the miata seems
> as though it may be cramped (haven't been in one for a while) but i've
> also driven a porsche 914 in the past and wonder if anyone knows how it
> compares in head/leg room?

I am 6'2" and am about the maximum height for a Miata. (My head would
occasionally brush the roof whiule driving with the top up. If you are
taller than I am, Sit in it and drive it around town with the top up. If you
are plannign to drive a lot with the top up, make sure it's comfortable for
you. You may find looking up at stop lights (if your first at the light) to
be a bit of a challenge with the top up. (I did but it was only a minor
distraction.)

> power windows... one of his power windows falls down into the door when
> going over bumps in the road... how difficult is that to repair?

Mine had crank windows. Never had this problem.

> convertable... how serious is road noise and weather concerns with the
> miata soft top?

Noise is manageable. don't plan on long cell phone conversation while
driving. (Top up or down.) I always found this to be a good excuse to ignore
phone calls and have some peace and quiet.
I live in NYC only got wet once in the rain. Was splashed by a very large
truck and the water came up towards the drivers window and in between the
top of the glass and the convertible top. Only happened once. otherwise, the
top was leak-proof.

> repairs and maintenance... with only a slight bit of mechanic ability
> i'm only able to do so much on my own, what sort of issues should i
> keep my eyes open for with the miata?

Mine never needed any serious maintenance. the 99 was exceptionally
reliable. It was my primary car for two years and I'd highly recommend it
for daily driving.

> comfort... what's it like to sit in one of those stock leather seats
> for a couple of hours?

Like a nice easy chair... the 99 had the window arm rests and center console
armrest at the same height. My elbows would rest at teh same height, just
like sitting in a comfy chair.
>
> that's it for now until i get a few responses... i've got about a week
> before i need to make a decision and any useful input would be
> appreciated.
>

My overall ratings
Reliability - excellent
Comfort - very good
Fun factor - excellent
gas mileage - very reasonable
Road noise - average

The few things that are not so good.
Driving around with every third car a hulking SUV makes you feel like your a
mouse surrounded by elephants.
Eveyone will ask you where the other half car is.
You can only take one friend with you. (This might be seen as a good thing,
depending upon your friends...)
My 99 had a glass rear window. This was a nice feature. I understand the
earlier models did not have this so I don;t know about that.

hey thanks everyone for all the info so far
especially to pat for the checklist... the miata specific info on there
will definitely help when i get the chance to put it through its paces.

haven't had the chance to spend any quality time with the car just
yet... my friend is a pilot and just started working for a larger
airline out west now and rarely makes it back to tennessee.
the car is parked at his families house most of the time and he really
doesn't need to own a car here now that he's out west most of the time.
he's one of the nicest guys you could meet and now he can afford to
help out a friend in need by giving me such a great price on the car...

he just got into town wednesday and i should see him this weekend...
and i may be able to borrow the car for a few days when he flies back
out for work.

keep you updated...

picking up the miata this weekend... apparently it's some sort of
special edition or special order car, i'd really like some help
identifying it when i get it if anyone knows anything about that sort
of thing... photos will be availaible once i pick it up.

also... would painting it yellow and putting the right stickers on it
make it go faster or do i need an aluminum spoiler the size of a small
nation on my decklid to make that happen?