Project Car

Iggy · Dec 6, 2004

I'm thinking about getting a project car. This is not going to be some beat every car off the road speed demon, I just want to get a car thats cheap and fix it up and be able to work on it to increase my knowledge of how cars work.

I started thinking about getting a Miata. So I decided to ask the Miata people here what they thought (obviously this is going to be alittle bias).

Any suggestions on specific years to stay away from? Has anyone here done work on their own Miata? How difficult is it? Please keep in mind that I have never done this kind of stuff before and this will be the car I learn on.

Any thoughts are welcome. If all goes as planned, sometime shortly after New Years I will be the proud new owner of an old essentially beat to hell Mazda Miata (hump)

MiaTurbo · Dec 6, 2004

I say get a 90-93. The 1.6 is a little cheaper to work on. Also if you wanna go FI, you can get by a little cheaper by starting with a Greddy and building up from there. (not to mention they are old so you can get it for less money)

If you read the pointy forum, you'd be under the impression that the 90-91.5 had bad cranks, this is not the case. they did redesign the crank for 91.5-93, but 99% of the failed cranks is do to human error.

But IMHO the 94 is the best year to have. you get the lighter body, the 1.8l, and it's not OBDII not to mention the pop-up headlights (thumb)

I can't really tell you what's easy to work on and what's not. I use to be mechanic, so working on cars is second nature to me. Check my sig to see all the work I've personaly done. And FYI at 190k miles, I still get 32mpg on the highway, and put out about 150hp to the wheels.

Iggy · Dec 6, 2004

My plan is to just get a car, and do some work on it slowly when I have the time and the money. I don't have any plans of going FI, maybe a few NA mods but thats all i have planned for now (famous last words I know).

I really just want to increase my knowledge of cars, and after talking with one of my friends who started out like this, then ended up working as a Honda technician and building his entire car himself, I think it's a pretty good idea.

Im going to call my cousin who goes to the Auto Auctions and go with him one day when I have the money, guess I will just buy whatever is available then. Since I plan to work on it in my uncle's garage (hoping he lets me keep the car there), he will be there to guide me alittle bit and make sure I don't do something very bad to the car.

What do you mean by the 94's having the lighter body, and the pop up headlights? Don't all 1st gen Miata's come with pop up headlights?

kcbhiw · Dec 6, 2004

That's pretty much the way I started out. I tinkered with a few things on my old Escort and finally when the engine died, I took a stab at replacing it. Ever since, I've been into just about everything in a car.

The Miata is a GREAT project car. They are very easy to work on and parts are cheap and common. Not only that, it's a hell of a lot of fun to drive. Be careful, however. This automotive thing becomes very addictive. I mean, look at my signature as an example, hehe.

I'm not sure about the 94 being lighter, especially since it has some chassis bracing elements. And in regard to his comment about the pop-up headlights, he was basically commenting that he preferred them over those in the NB models.

dolphin · Dec 6, 2004

The Miata is a good choice for nearly anything except carry cargo or more than one passenger. A 94 1.8 Miata is a good choice. It is well documented as lots of printed material is available, lots of on line help either here or on the Miata net forums. It is a good car to practice working on since it has is a ruggedly constructed, but sophisticated design.

You can learn about almost all of the modern features on today's cars. It has fuel injection, four wheel disc brakes, four wheel independant suspension, air bags and if you like anti-lock brakes. About the only modern feature missing from it are dynamic traction and stability control systems. Small loss there in my opinion.

Unless you are after a truely simple car with a live axle, carb, distruibutor with point and condensor etc the Miata is a good choice.

Iggy · Dec 6, 2004

That's just what I wanted to hear. I figure I can pick up an earlier Miata for a few hundred dollars at the auto auction.

I can't wait to get started with this. I hope to God it works out, I've always liked the Miata, and I'll also have a fun little car that I can make into an autocrosser one day if I wanted.

chuyler1 · Dec 6, 2004

I'd get something with AWD to use it as a winter beater...a 323 GTX perhaps?

dolphin · Dec 6, 2004

AWD is something else the Miata is missing.

The Miata makes a good autocross car whether stock or by putting a bunch of parts on it to improve(?) it. Now that SCCA has started the STS2 class and the early Miata's fall in that class if they don't have a TORSEN limited slip, I almost wish I had one. There is a dabate going on now whether the 1.6 with the viscous limited slip is going to be faster than a 1.8 with an open diff on the autocross course.

Iggy · Dec 6, 2004

chuyler1 said:
I'd get something with AWD to use it as a winter beater...a 323 GTX perhaps?

I'm not too concerned with having a winter beater honestly. While I would love to have something to drive in the winter to keep my Protege' free from the dangers of snow and retarded drivers who don't know how to drive in snow, I think that I will like a car like the Miata alot more. It would be something I could take out on a nice day for a leisurly Sunday afternoon drive. The 323 would be something I would drive only when it's bad outside, and i'd much rather put my money into the fun car.

dolphin said:
The Miata makes a good autocross car whether stock or by putting a bunch of parts on it to improve(?) it. Now that SCCA has started the STS2 class and the early Miata's fall in that class if they don't have a TORSEN limited slip, I almost wish I had one. There is a dabate going on now whether the 1.6 with the viscous limited slip is going to be faster than a 1.8 with an open diff on the autocross course.

Do certain models of the Miata have a limited slip and others do not? I thought that all manual Miatas had a limited slip.

MiaTurbo · Dec 7, 2004

What I meant about the 94 was it's lighter than the newer years, and has a 1.8l In 95 they started with OBDII

I'm not too sure about the differential differences. this link will help with what came with what: http://miata.net/garage/vlsd.html and http://members.aol.com/solomiata/Drivetrain.html

kcbhiw · Dec 7, 2004

MiaTurbo said:
What I meant about the 94 was it's lighter than the newer years, and has a 1.8l In 95 they started with OBDII

I'm not too sure about the differential differences. this link will help with what came with what: http://miata.net/garage/vlsd.html and http://members.aol.com/solomiata/Drivetrain.html

The OBDII system wasn't introduced until the 96 Models. Therefore, both 94's and 95's are easier to play around with in terms of emmissions sensitive stuff and electronics.

Iggy · Dec 7, 2004

AHHH! When I told my friends that I wanted to do the Miata as a project car, they all laughed and said it was a girls car. I don't care what the think, so I just told them that it wasn't a girls car, and I was gonna do it anyways. Then one of my friends had to say something about the Original Mini. I've started looking into what people have done with them, and holy hell. ITR engines in a mini are good for 13.8's in the quarter, as well as being able to handle very well since it weighs next to nothing.

I will probably still do a Miata, but damn the Mini looks tempting.

memo79 · Dec 7, 2004

chamich said:
When I told my friends that I wanted to do the Miata as a project car, they all laughed and said it was a girls car.

Yeah, back when I first got my '94 miata, everyone laughed @ me and made references to it being a girl's car (blah) . But it was those same people who, after a couple of months of working on it, were asking me if they could sit in it or take it for a drive. Damn hypocrites. Don't let any of those remarks sway you from getting this car. You will be happy you ignored them.

I miss my miata.........

jared · Dec 7, 2004

My plan is to eventually have another miata. soley as a project car.

a 94-95 is the best to start with. although if you are going to turbo the car a 90-93 isn't a bad 2ns choice at all.

Mini's are expensive and difficult to find in good shape here in the states.

Iggy · Dec 7, 2004

jared said:
Mini's are expensive and difficult to find in good shape here in the states.

Exactly why the idea was already thrown to the crapper. Maybe one day when I have more time, money and know how to work on it, but for right now it's a big no.

jared said:
My plan is to eventually have another miata. soley as a project car.
a 94-95 is the best to start with. although if you are going to turbo the car a 90-93 isn't a bad 2ns choice at all.

Why is 94-95 the best year to start with? Is it because they have the 1.8 with OBDI?

kcbhiw · Dec 7, 2004

chamich said:
Why is 94-95 the best year to start with? Is it because they have the 1.8 with OBDI?

That and they have more power than the 90-93 models (130 vs 116), some were equipped with a TORSEN LSD, and the chassis is a bit stiffer (extra bracing was added). There's a few other subtlties, but these are the biggest

dolphin · Dec 7, 2004

chamich,
Yeah, I hear the girly car all the time. If I get them to ride through an autocross they usually change their mind.

Not all Miata's came with a limited slip. The base models for most years had an open diff. The Miata.net has a link to a set of tables that list which options came with which models. There also used to be a VIN decoder that would tell you what version of the Miata it went with.

I will say that a Miata is not a great foul weather car. It is OK but that is all. You can get them with a hardtop if you plan to drive in bad weather or parts of town. Replaing the soft top can be expensive.

Iggy · Dec 7, 2004

kcbhiw..after reading that it sounds like 94-95 is the one im looking for then.

dolphin said:
I will say that a Miata is not a great foul weather car. It is OK but that is all. You can get them with a hardtop if you plan to drive in bad weather or parts of town. Replaing the soft top can be expensive.

I wouldn't be driving this on foul weather days. I would keep my protege' for the usual daily driving. The Miata would be for once in awhile driving on a nice day, or for an autocross event, so I'm not to worried about getting a hard top at this very moment.

Da 6 · Dec 25, 2004

miata beiing girl cars? I seen more girls in P5 than miatas

I drove a 2nd gen neon for a lil bit and If I could get a 01-02 R/T ACR i'd jump all over it in a heartbeat cause I kinda still like the noens....back on topic

Small cars can get thru holes my 6 can't fit thru and even

Rdshark1 · Dec 25, 2004

<-- 94 Laguna Blue "B" Package.

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