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Hard top opinions?



 
 
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  #21  
Old May 4th 10, 11:54 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
pws[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,424
Default Hard top opinions?

John McGaw wrote:
> On 5/3/2010 6:39 PM, pws wrote:
>> John McGaw wrote:
>>> On 5/2/2010 9:49 PM, Don Q wrote:
>>>> On 2010-05-02 16:51:48 -0400, John McGaw > said:
>>>>
>>>>> When I bought my '91 I paid the extra for the hard top. When I traded
>>>>> it in on a new MX-5 in 2006 I figure that it had probably been on the
>>>>> car for 30 days total.
>>>>
>>>> Interesting!
>>>>
>>>> Is it because the soft top is adequate for your needs, or is it because
>>>> you are top down 90% of the time?
>>>>
>>>> (I used to know an Alfa guy who pretended he didn't know there was a
>>>> top
>>>> under the tonneau. LOL)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> The soft top was more than sufficient. And because I garaged the car
>>> almost all the time it was never exposed to the intense sunlight which
>>> seems to be the main factor which kills tops in the long run. I gave
>>> it no special care rather than washing. After fifteen years the top
>>> looked as though it would be good for at least five more. As for
>>> keeping the top down, the best I ever managed was about thirty days
>>> straight (I lived in Alaska at the time so this is a rather amazing
>>> run).

>>
>> John, do you have the link for your Miata trip around the United States?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Pat

>
> http://johnmcgaw.com/trip_intro.html
> http://johnmcgaw.com/trip_redux.html


Thank you sir.

This is great reading, (and pics!), for anyone who has not seen it before.

Pat
Ads
  #22  
Old May 5th 10, 06:05 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
Don Q[_2_]
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Posts: 32
Default Hard top opinions?

On 2010-05-04 18:49:56 -0400, pws > said:

> Don,
>
> I would recommend checking out this page. It can make a world of
> difference in the handling, especially with this car.
>
> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
>
> Pat


Very useful article, thanks!

Umm, skimming through, this caught my eye:

> A neutral Miata will oversteer on a trailing throttle!


How abrupt is the transition? Catchable? An instant 180 on the
slightest liftoff or a gentle nudge of several inches coming off the
pedal completely?


  #23  
Old May 5th 10, 01:13 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
pws[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,424
Default Hard top opinions?

Don Q wrote:
> On 2010-05-04 18:49:56 -0400, pws > said:
>
>> Don,
>>
>> I would recommend checking out this page. It can make a world of
>> difference in the handling, especially with this car.
>>
>> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
>>
>> Pat

>
> Very useful article, thanks!
>
> Umm, skimming through, this caught my eye:
>
>> A neutral Miata will oversteer on a trailing throttle!

>
> How abrupt is the transition? Catchable? An instant 180 on the slightest
> liftoff or a gentle nudge of several inches coming off the pedal
> completely?


Lanny, as well as a few others here, can answer this better than I can.

When I purchased my first Miata in 1999, I took a printout of Lanny's
specs to the alignment shop after buying new tires. It truly felt like a
different and much improved vehicle.

After that, I upgraded the shocks, sways, put some additional bracing
on, etc., but nothing came close to making the kind of difference that a
good alignment did.

Pat
  #24  
Old May 5th 10, 03:25 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
Lanny Chambers
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Posts: 832
Default Hard top opinions?

In article >, Don Q wrote:

> > A neutral Miata will oversteer on a trailing throttle!

>
> How abrupt is the transition? Catchable? An instant 180 on the
> slightest liftoff or a gentle nudge of several inches coming off the
> pedal completely?


Depends on how close to the limit you are and how you lift. A partial
lift will increase the front tires' grip and decrease the radius of the
turn. At the limit, a large, abrupt lift can cause a spin. Conversely,
increasing throttle will cause mild understeer and a wider radius.

All but the most egregiously-understeering Miatas will do this to some
extent. In my experience, most owners don't really want a neutral car;
it means oversteer under some conditions, and that may be too scary
unless they've developed the appropriate reflexes to respond with *more*
throttle to make the rear stick.

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C
 




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