Yeah.. I know... they are a secretary's car.

A year ago I was overcome with an urge to have a small roadster, having strong memories of college days when I drove a Berkeley and my brother had a new MGA... I really loved driving those cars.

I spent last winter on the computer looking for exactly the right car. At first I decided that I needed a Fiat 124 Spyder, an absolutely elegant design that Fiat made for years. I finally found one nearby, a later one with one of the rare factory turbos. It had only 14,000 miles on it and looked to be showroom new. I test drove it one time only... the steering wheel was way too far ahead as was the shift lever. It just wasn't comfortable to drive and that is what I wanted the car for.

Next, I decided that I needed a Toyota MR2 Spyder and my dealer friend had one with very few miles. I test drove it and really liked it. Alas, it was sold by the time I made up my mind. I didn't pursue another because they have practically no luggage space (they are mid-engine) and I wanted to take it to rifle matches. I needed room for my equipment.

A week or so later I got a call from the same dealer... he had just got in a Mazda Miata, a 1991 with 24,000m miles. He said It had belonged to a very old man who cared for it religiously but only rarely drove it. By that time Dale, my dealer friend, was tired of me bugging him about a roadster... he said "Come get it or I'm going to keep it for myself."

I only took it for a short test drive... it drove perfectly and was very pristine. Best of all, I fit in it and was comfortable. I have since driven it a couple hundred miles in one day and been perfectly comfortable when the day was over.

Dale told me that it had been serviced in his shop from Day One and was every bit as good as it looked. I bought it.

My use for a car like this... I just love to drive it, in good weather, on the nearly deserted two lanes that run thru the boonies up here in the Northwoods. At my age, the car is faster than I am going to drive it.

The pic was taken in front of the small lake we have on our property.

I took this in front of our yard. I love the fall color we have in Michigan.

I like the wood found in many British cars. I bought a kit from Moss Miata and installed it on my console.

I made the ebony shift knob years ago for a Mazda RX-7 I had. Hey, I'm a stockmaker... I can make a freakin' shift knob. It fits the Miata perfectly.

I, also, added the stripes.

Miata's are great cars. Everything that the British sports cars should have been. I have my sights set on a newer one, retractable hardtop etc. But then, an XK8 also beckons!
Peter

Enjoy your ride.

Dave

If you ever do want more performance out of it, there's always the "Monster Miata" upgrade available.

https://monstermiata.webs.com/

Dick, I've had the same urge lately. I don't want to deal with the reliability issues of an older MG, Triumph, Austin Healy or Jaguar. I wouldn't own a Fiat if it was given to me. The new retractable hardtop Miata is a good choice, as is a Z3 or Z4 BMW. Also considering a Porsche Boxter or Cayman, a 370Z Nissan cabriolet, or a Lexus SC 430. I was a Corvette fan in my younger days, but they're too big, powerful and Boy Racer-looking for me now. We'll see.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Dick, I've had the same urge lately. I don't want to deal with the reliability issues of an older MG, Triumph, Austin Healy or Jaguar. I wouldn't own a Fiat if it was given to me. The new retractable hardtop Miata is a good choice, as is a Z3 or Z4 BMW. Also considering a Porsche Boxter or Cayman, a 370Z Nissan cabriolet, or a Lexus SC 430. I was a Corvette fan in my younger days, but they're too big, powerful and Boy Racer-looking for me now. We'll see.

I thought seriously about a Porsche 968 roadster and a Honda S2000. If you look a bit excellent, low-mileage examples of either are available. I decided to buy one of the cheaper cars when I found the right one... I'm just sick and tired of the maintenance bills that come with properly maintaining a Porsche. The Honda, being a Honda, probably wouldn't be that expensive to maintain but the initial buy-in was more than I wanted to pay.

Check out "Bring a Trailer". There are almost always one or more low mileage Miatas that can be had for prices that almost make them a gift. If you use a fun-per-dollar evaluation, they can't be beat.

Besides, there are other things beside fun cars... I happen to know where I can buy a pristine, un-fired Jerry Fisher rifle in a configuration and caliber that I value highly for well under $10,000.00

I've pretty much got the rifle part covered, not so on the sport car :-)

Bought a Miata huh, you will have to turn in your Man Card and I guess we will rename you to "Dickless" (LOL). Enjoy your new toy!

That's what I have always thought... I've been a sports car person most of my life but have always ignored Miatas... I mean... they're all over the place. However, whilst searching for a roadster last winter they kept popping up. I drove a good one and quickly found out why they've made and sold more than a million of them... way more than any other sports car.

Where I live there are no (read "zero") sports car people. I have only myself to impress. I have always had sports cars because I really like driving them. This car opened up a whole new world... you gotta imagine a Lotus Elan that actually starts when you want to drive it.

I had it in the shop recently to get the AC upgraded to what they are using now. I was amazed at how small the bill was and this from an excellent shop that charges $129.00 an hour for labor. The owner tells me Miatas are so simple to work on... he says a belt change is very little. I've spent $1200.00 twice to keep the timing belt current in the Porsche over the last fifteen years.

You gotta drive one for a while and, then, decide what gives you the most fun per dollar. I really love this thing... lowly Miata or not. Besides that... that Jerry Fisher rifle beckons.

I went down and had lunch with my dealer friend last week. We stopped at his storage barn and he had an absolutely new Karmann Ghia convertible, black on black. I've always liked Karmann Ghias and this one was perfect.

Were I wealthier it would be worth the price just to keep it and be able to look at it.

I need a bigger garage and more money.

quote:

Originally posted by Dick Wright:
That's what I have always thought... I've been a sports car person most of my life but have always ignored Miatas... I mean... they're all over the place. However, whilst searching for a roadster last winter they kept popping up. I drove a good one and quickly found out why they've made and sold more than a million of them... way more than any other sports car.

Where I live there are no (read "zero") sports car people. I have only myself to impress. I have always had sports cars because I really like driving them. This car opened up a whole new world... you gotta imagine a Lotus Elan that actually starts when you want to drive it.

I had it in the shop recently to get the AC upgraded to what they are using now. I was amazed at how small the bill was and this from an excellent shop that charges $129.00 an hour for labor. The owner tells me Miatas are so simple to work on... he says a belt change is very little. I've spent $1200.00 twice to keep the timing belt current in the Porsche over the last fifteen years.

You gotta drive one for a while and, then, decide what gives you the most fun per dollar. I really love this thing... lowly Miata or not. Besides that... that Jerry Fisher rifle beckons.

I guess I'm behind the times, didn't think Michigan needed much in the way of A/C. In any case, our household sold off an MR2 partly because its A/C was out, no one would rebuild an R12 system, and its compressor was marginal for R12 (definitely too small for R134A).

You need air conditioners in Michigan in the summer.

In the winter you put the sports car away.

Good for you Dick. Nice choice. Lucky find, low miles and all.

My step daughter bought one,nice car. She's a Dr. however so she can buy a lot of things that I can not,besides out here on the ranch I don't think it would make it up the drive;this is P.U. truck country.Be fun in town though.Enjoy your ride.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
My step daughter bought one,nice car. She's a Dr. however so she can buy a lot of things that I can not,besides out here on the ranch I don't think it would make it up the drive;this is P.U. truck country.Be fun in town though.Enjoy your ride.

Understood. These cars are at their very best on good blacktops that run thru the boonies. Not so much for rough roads of any kind.

Two days ago I put both sports cars in the garage. They will be hooked up to trickle chargers and covered forthwith.

Anyway, yesterday I woke up to this... It looks like the Bug will spend the winter outside unless I manage to sell the Porsche. I've had it for fifteen years and it's a great car. However, as you can see I now have one car too many.

A few days ago this is what the yard looked like. I was out taking car pictures whilst we had some fall color. Shortly thereafter a nasty wind came up and blew most our leaves away.

Time to leave the sports cars in the garage and to make sure the deer rifle is sighted-in.

Retraction of above... I just read in Autoweek that Porsche just made the one-millionth 911. It's been in production for 55 years.