Should I buy this Miata???
#1
Should I buy this Miata???
The story:
I was at a garage sale(drove by and saw a Miata's taillights in the garage). I struck up a conversation w/ the older folks and they tell me it is was owned since new by the old guy's brother and they have had it for about two years. They said the brother used to "parking lot race it".
The car:
1991 Silver Miata, PS, NO AC
Interior is black leather.
67,000 original Miles
Matching Hardtop w/ hardtop rack and vinyl hardtop storage case
Tonneau cover to put on when you park the car w/ the top down
Car cover for storage
Paint is literally perfect
Wheels and tires are some aftermarket chrome 15" wheels and decent tires
It is has some sort of Jackson Racing intake on it and a strut bar of some type.
The car is probably the cleanest Miata I have ever seen from top to bottom. It has some type of aftermarket exhaust on it, not sure if it is full or just a axle back.
They said they would sell it to me for $5000, no less otherwise they are going to keep it.
Should I buy it?
I just sold my 1992 greddy turbo w/ 146K miles, Tein S-tech on stock struts, Used Jim's starion kit w/ turbosmart bov, no timing controller, high flow fuel pump for $5300, and I kept the Hardtop, the softop boot, and the cd player. and the clutch was slipping pretty bad too. Miata's sell for a lot where I live and are hard to find, so should I jump on it or not?
What do you guys think it is worth?
I was at a garage sale(drove by and saw a Miata's taillights in the garage). I struck up a conversation w/ the older folks and they tell me it is was owned since new by the old guy's brother and they have had it for about two years. They said the brother used to "parking lot race it".
The car:
1991 Silver Miata, PS, NO AC
Interior is black leather.
67,000 original Miles
Matching Hardtop w/ hardtop rack and vinyl hardtop storage case
Tonneau cover to put on when you park the car w/ the top down
Car cover for storage
Paint is literally perfect
Wheels and tires are some aftermarket chrome 15" wheels and decent tires
It is has some sort of Jackson Racing intake on it and a strut bar of some type.
The car is probably the cleanest Miata I have ever seen from top to bottom. It has some type of aftermarket exhaust on it, not sure if it is full or just a axle back.
They said they would sell it to me for $5000, no less otherwise they are going to keep it.
Should I buy it?
I just sold my 1992 greddy turbo w/ 146K miles, Tein S-tech on stock struts, Used Jim's starion kit w/ turbosmart bov, no timing controller, high flow fuel pump for $5300, and I kept the Hardtop, the softop boot, and the cd player. and the clutch was slipping pretty bad too. Miata's sell for a lot where I live and are hard to find, so should I jump on it or not?
What do you guys think it is worth?
#7
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Central California
Posts: 2,557
Total Cats: 5
a car in mint condition and mostly unmodified would be worth an extra grand in my eyes and the hardtop is worth an extra 5-1k so compared to one with some dings and a softtop for 3-3.5k I would probably spend the little bit extra.
#9
Low mileage NA's are getting harder to come by... one's with good original paint simply don't exist anymore. If you don't like it enough at $5k, go back in a couple weeks and offer them $4500 (take cash money, dolla'billz y'all, new crisp ones and then wave it close enough to their faces so they can smell it), then sell the hardtop for $1k and you're down to a SMOKING GOOD DEAL!
Then trade the chrome wheels to somebody at CR.net for some hollow-spoke's and you're done... until you realize how slow a stock Miata is and then you're fucked again.
But for ****'s sake don't "impulse buy" a car at any price. It's worth what you'll pay for it. I'm stuck with full size Dodge quad-cab because I saw a good deal and thought it's *****-enhancing qualities would offset my Miata... now I can't get rid of it.
Then trade the chrome wheels to somebody at CR.net for some hollow-spoke's and you're done... until you realize how slow a stock Miata is and then you're fucked again.
But for ****'s sake don't "impulse buy" a car at any price. It's worth what you'll pay for it. I'm stuck with full size Dodge quad-cab because I saw a good deal and thought it's *****-enhancing qualities would offset my Miata... now I can't get rid of it.
#12
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
if you're going to mod the car, and its in pristine condition, you're doing the car a disservice. I'm not a wine and cheeser though...just find a car with a bit more wear to turn into a work horse.
#13
here is my problem. After selling the turbo 92, I picked up a 1990 w/ 224K on the odometer, engine replaced w/ jdm motor about 20K ago and new clutch at that time. The interior is in "ok" shape, the car has been repainted, but the last owner (an idiot) got backed into so there is a dent on the rear quarter, and the front left fender has some has some a dent as well as the hood from a tree branch falling on it. When I bought it the robbins glass window top had a large tear in it from a vandalism. So I bought it for $1700, then put a new top on it myself, top was about $250. Mechanically the car is good, but it has a bit of rust starting and I don't want to mod out a car that's body isn't in good shape. I have a full turbo setup sitting in my garage and kyb agx w/ eiback pro kit waiting to be put on my new miata. So If i buy this silver one I plan to turbo it and autoX it. I will keep the Mariner blue 1990 as a mess around car(for the g/f most likely).
I'm thinking I will try to pick the car up for $4500 and I do have cash, but the folks that are selling it and retired rich people who don't really need the money and they couldn't care less if it sells are not, so hopefully they'll take the $4500
I'm thinking I will try to pick the car up for $4500 and I do have cash, but the folks that are selling it and retired rich people who don't really need the money and they couldn't care less if it sells are not, so hopefully they'll take the $4500
#14
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
Why do you need 2 miatas? I'd rather have a bigger daily that I can fit luggage in than a miata to drive from a-b. I can't even bare to take my miata to the grocery store.
#16
haha...I have a pretty heavily Modded 02 VW GTi that is my straight line racer and a bone stock 01 IS300 that is the daily driver. The Miata I bought b/c there is nothing better than a convertible in the summer time and the look on people's faces when you shoot by them in a Miata. After racing a Mustang Cobra w/ my then somewhat Stock GTi and having my friend in his Jackson Racing Supercharged miata come along from behind me and take the mustang when I was losing I knew I had to have one.
Last edited by 92mazdarati; 05-22-2007 at 05:20 PM.
#17
i say buy but first go look at billion they have a nice na sittin there i'm guessin 1.8 tho....sence it has newer wheels.... and i use my miata as a daily! its so much fun all u gotta do is never slow down for corners.....then it makes u forget about how much more comfortable u would be in a bigger car haha.