Looking for value open-top. Advice please.

I'm looking to buy an open-top runaround. My budget is <$8K but other than
that my requirements are pretty vague. Basicially I'm looking for something
that's fun, easy/cheap to maintain, and can handle some light travelling in
NW Pacific winters. I have been eyeing Miata's in the last few years and was
wondering what sort of Miata I might expect to get for that sort of money
(year, mileage, etc.), and whether is would be a good buy. If I can't get a
Miata to suit, can you guys recommend any other model of car that might
represent good value?

"Rick" > wrote in message
news
> I'm looking to buy an open-top runaround. My budget is <$8K but other than
> that my requirements are pretty vague. Basicially I'm looking for
> something that's fun, easy/cheap to maintain, and can handle some light
> travelling in NW Pacific winters. I have been eyeing Miata's in the last
> few years and was wondering what sort of Miata I might expect to get for
> that sort of money (year, mileage, etc.), and whether is would be a good
> buy. If I can't get a Miata to suit, can you guys recommend any other
> model of car that might represent good value?
Look on ebay...you will be amazed at what $8000 will get you. And you can't
go wrong with a Miata.
Tom

Rick wrote:
> I'm looking to buy an open-top runaround. My budget is <$8K but other
> than that my requirements are pretty vague. Basicially I'm looking for
> something that's fun, easy/cheap to maintain, and can handle some light
> travelling in NW Pacific winters. I have been eyeing Miata's in the last
> few years and was wondering what sort of Miata I might expect to get for
> that sort of money (year, mileage, etc.), and whether is would be a good
> buy. If I can't get a Miata to suit, can you guys recommend any other
> model of car that might represent good value?

$7k will get you a very nice miata, even the M2's are plummeting in price.

This one has 107K miles, no idea of the condition, but it is the lowest
cost/newest miata combination that I have seen so far.

http://austin.craigslist.org/car/306770228.html

Obviously you won't be traveling to Austin to get it, but you can check
Craigslist, Autotrader and do an Ebay search of miatas within a
specified range of your location to see what is out there.

It's a great car, but they made a lot of them. It is worth shopping
until you find exactly the right one.

Good luck!

Pat

On Apr 7, 4:43 pm, pws > wrote:
> Rick wrote:
> > I'm looking to buy an open-top runaround. My budget is <$8K but other
> > than that my requirements are pretty vague. Basicially I'm looking for
> > something that's fun, easy/cheap to maintain, and can handle some light
> > travelling in NW Pacific winters. I have been eyeing Miata's in the last
> > few years and was wondering what sort of Miata I might expect to get for
> > that sort of money (year, mileage, etc.), and whether is would be a good
> > buy. If I can't get a Miata to suit, can you guys recommend any other
> > model of car that might represent good value?
>
> $7k will get you a very nice miata, even the M2's are plummeting in price.
>
> This one has 107K miles, no idea of the condition, but it is the lowest
> cost/newest miata combination that I have seen so far.
>
> http://austin.craigslist.org/car/306770228.html
>
> Obviously you won't be traveling to Austin to get it, but you can check
> Craigslist, Autotrader and do an Ebay search of miatas within a
> specified range of your location to see what is out there.
>
> It's a great car, but they made a lot of them. It is worth shopping
> until you find exactly the right one.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Pat

Ditto that. If you are in the Seattle area, a couple other websites
to check out are leejohnsonmazda.com and seattletimes.com (link to
Auto on the front page). I ended up getting my '03 Shinsen CGGW on
eBay a couple months ago. It's not for everyone, but I ended up
happy.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Apr 7, 4:43 pm, pws > wrote:
>> Rick wrote:
>> > I'm looking to buy an open-top runaround. My budget is <$8K but other
>> > than that my requirements are pretty vague. Basicially I'm looking for
>> > something that's fun, easy/cheap to maintain, and can handle some light
>> > travelling in NW Pacific winters. I have been eyeing Miata's in the
>> > last
>> > few years and was wondering what sort of Miata I might expect to get
>> > for
>> > that sort of money (year, mileage, etc.), and whether is would be a
>> > good
>> > buy. If I can't get a Miata to suit, can you guys recommend any other
>> > model of car that might represent good value?
>>
>> $7k will get you a very nice miata, even the M2's are plummeting in
>> price.
>>
>> This one has 107K miles, no idea of the condition, but it is the lowest
>> cost/newest miata combination that I have seen so far.
>>
>> http://austin.craigslist.org/car/306770228.html
>>
>> Obviously you won't be traveling to Austin to get it, but you can check
>> Craigslist, Autotrader and do an Ebay search of miatas within a
>> specified range of your location to see what is out there.
>>
>> It's a great car, but they made a lot of them. It is worth shopping
>> until you find exactly the right one.
>>
>> Good luck!
>>
>> Pat
>
> Ditto that. If you are in the Seattle area, a couple other websites
> to check out are leejohnsonmazda.com and seattletimes.com (link to
> Auto on the front page). I ended up getting my '03 Shinsen CGGW on
> eBay a couple months ago. It's not for everyone, but I ended up
> happy.

Thanks for the replies. Looking thru the ads in the Seattle area I'm seeing
prices waaayy above recommended prices (edmunds.com).

"Rick" > wrote in message
...
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> On Apr 7, 4:43 pm, pws > wrote:
>>> Rick wrote:
>>> > I'm looking to buy an open-top runaround. My budget is <$8K but other
>>> > than that my requirements are pretty vague. Basicially I'm looking for
>>> > something that's fun, easy/cheap to maintain, and can handle some
>>> > light
>>> > travelling in NW Pacific winters. I have been eyeing Miata's in the
>>> > last
>>> > few years and was wondering what sort of Miata I might expect to get
>>> > for
>>> > that sort of money (year, mileage, etc.), and whether is would be a
>>> > good
>>> > buy. If I can't get a Miata to suit, can you guys recommend any other
>>> > model of car that might represent good value?
>>>
>>> $7k will get you a very nice miata, even the M2's are plummeting in
>>> price.
>>>
>>> This one has 107K miles, no idea of the condition, but it is the lowest
>>> cost/newest miata combination that I have seen so far.
>>>
>>> http://austin.craigslist.org/car/306770228.html
>>>
>>> Obviously you won't be traveling to Austin to get it, but you can check
>>> Craigslist, Autotrader and do an Ebay search of miatas within a
>>> specified range of your location to see what is out there.
>>>
>>> It's a great car, but they made a lot of them. It is worth shopping
>>> until you find exactly the right one.
>>>
>>> Good luck!
>>>
>>> Pat
>>
>> Ditto that. If you are in the Seattle area, a couple other websites
>> to check out are leejohnsonmazda.com and seattletimes.com (link to
>> Auto on the front page). I ended up getting my '03 Shinsen CGGW on
>> eBay a couple months ago. It's not for everyone, but I ended up
>> happy.
>
> Thanks for the replies. Looking thru the ads in the Seattle area I'm
> seeing prices waaayy above recommended prices (edmunds.com).

if you want a bargain on any convertible then you need to shop in the
fall/winter. they trade at a premium in the spring for obvious reasons.

Rick > wrote in message
news
> I'm looking to buy an open-top runaround. My budget is <$8K but other than
> that my requirements are pretty vague.

I bought my '96 for under that with ~42k miles (Minneapolis). The Miata is a
surprisingly practical car with the exception of space - while I can get a
small setup of musical gear in there, most of my equipment simply won't fit.
And people will stop asking you to pick them up at the airport.

I drive mine thru our winters, you will need some proper winter tires. I can
vouch for the slipperyness of the stockers.

miker

"miker"
> you will need some proper winter tires. I can
> vouch for the slipperyness of the stockers.
> miker

LOL, kind of hard to "overvouch" (nw) that one,
as I found out in Massachusetts, come December..

On Apr 9, 11:37 am, "Remove This" > wrote:
> "miker"
>
> > you will need some proper winter tires. I can
> > vouch for the slipperyness of the stockers.
> > miker
>
> LOL, kind of hard to "overvouch" (nw) that one,
> as I found out in Massachusetts, come December..

"Massachusetts, come December"? Lol, try Seattle come March! Two
inches of snow - maybe - and I made it all of 15 feet to the edge of
the driveway. Now granted, these were aftermarket tires. Maybe the
stock summer tires would have gotten me into the middle of the street
before leaving me stranded ;-)

So yeah, if you want to drive it in winter, get winter tires (or all-
season at the very least).