Polaris Slingshot, toy or not?

[Welder]

Ok, Miata guys.

Budget is $10k.

Can I get a decent daily driver, MT, in this price point?

Too bad you weren't looking on CL in my area about a month ago, on a Sunday afternoon at about 3:20 p.m. I'd just listed my '95 R Package with 114k miles for $7k, or $500 more than I bought it for awhile back. Had a Flyin Miata suspension installed, but all of the R package stuff came with it. Shortly afterwards, I got a call from Chapel Hill, NC. "Hold it for me and give me your address, I'm leaving my driveway now!" "Hey man, glad to do that, but it's a Sunday; you do have CASH, right?" "Oh yeah!"

Sure enough, around 4 hrs later he pulled in, took a short test drive, handed me $7k in neatly stapled $1k chunks, and was on his way home. And I had thought I'd priced that car at near the top of it's value. It wasn't on CL for more than 5 hrs, and was only really available for 38 minutes.

[RJ]

Absolutely yes.

I would look for a second generation (NB) Miata. Mainly, because I think it is the best-looking made, until they released the RF this year. The NBs all have the larger 1.8 liter motor (later versions of the first-gen NA Miatas had 1.8s as options). They also had optional 6-speeds with slightly better ratios for autocross and trackdays. Both NAs and NBs had optional Torsen Limited-Slip diffs. If you find an NB with a 1.8 and 6-speed, it should have a limited-slip diff.

Here is Road and Track's NB Buyer's Guide that lays out most of it - http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...-buyers-guide/

Red flags - avoid heavily modified cars, period. There are a lot of beat up Miatas out there and if you're building a race car/track toy/something you don't mind fixing a beat up Miata is perfectly fine. But you want a driver car - just avoid things that have been heavily modified.

I'm partial to the '99 10th Anniversary NB Miatas myself, the color is gorgeous, with a color-matched top and interior, they came factory 1.8/6spd/Torsen/Bilstein shocks. They're out there and your price range should allow you to find a cherry, low-mileage one. Similarly you could look for some of the other limited-edition models (all conveniently called "Special Editions) which tend to be optioned better than base models.

http://jalopnik.com/your-guide-to-ev...-so-1675339097

Thanks a bunch. I'll pick this topic up in December when we get back to FL.

A condo with a garage has been mentioned, and the possibility of a "second" car has not yet been actually disapproved by SWMBO. Although negotiations, are of course, still ongoing,

[rob_s]

PS: Let's not forget that the answer to most sportscar related questions is "Get a Miata"

Example:

Q) I want a car that is fun to drive, that I can go to work in and take a weekend road-trip bombing down country roads in.
A) Get a Miata.

Q) I want a car I can drive to the track and then drive home in.
A) Get a Miata.

Q) I want a car I can autocross or race, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to run and is challenging, but fun to drive.
A) Get a Miata.

Q) I need a fun car that can haul my wife and two kids.
A) Get two Miatas.

Q) I need a COUPE that can haul four people, that is reliable, doesn't cost an arm and a leg to drive and insure, and I can race on Sunday, drive to work on Monday in.
A) Get two Miatas with hardtops.

Q) I need a reliable coupe that is faster than a Miata and has seating for four, is reliable, and I can race on Sunday and drive to work on Monday, and the main exec of my company doesn't ask me if I have a mangina.
A) Porsche 911 and/or V8-swapped or turbo/supercharged Miata.

____

ALL sportscar questions have one (or two) of two answers; Mazda Miata or Porsche 911.

Sooner or later we were bound to agree on something. (sorry if that ruins it for you)

I've been keeping a passive eye out for a 99-01 "limited" in the dark, almost british-racing-green, with leather seats and tan top.

[LittleLebowski]

Awesome thread, love how it evolved.

[Doc_Glock]

Absolutely yes.

I would look for a second generation (NB) Miata.

http://jalopnik.com/your-guide-to-ev...-so-1675339097

2300 lbs! Now I'm looking.

[rob_s]

Too many miles on it, and too much body damage, but this is exactly what I'm looking for.
https://miami.craigslist.org/brw/cto...218616452.html

[David S.]

Is it possible for someone 6'2" or taller to drive a Miata and look through the windshield instead of over it?

I don't know anything about Miata, but you might consider e30 or e36 BMW's. At 6'9" and 200lbs, I could fit in an E36 M3/4 fairly comfortably, better than most full size sedans.

I'm guessing the e30 is more inline with the Miata concept.

[Doc_Glock]

I'm guessing the e30 is more inline with the Miata concept.

E30 M3s have become collectors and have skyrocketed in price. Plus engine parts are super hard to source and expensive. So I hear. They would run 3-4 time the price of the 2nd gen Miata.

I would love one. Of course I would also love an Elise.

[RJ]

E30 M3s have become collectors and have skyrocketed in price. Plus engine parts are super hard to source and expensive. So I hear. They would run 3-4 time the price of the 2nd gen Miata.

I would love one. Of course I would also love an Elise.

Yep.

A sorted E30 M3 would be...cool.

Of course, my 'win the lottery' car would be more old school:



BMW E9 at Caffiene and Octane, Atlanta, circa 2012. I really like this car.

[RJ]

I haven't been in (or paid much attention to) Miatas since the late 90s. The one I drove back then was a total clown car with me in it. With the top up, my head touched the top and it's ribs. With the top down, my head was higher than the windshield and the crossbar on it directly inline with my eyes. I either had to slouch or crane my neck to get a moderately unobstructed view of the road. I was just not a good fit for that car.

None of this really matters as I'm unlikely to be buying a car, especially one just for fun, anytime soon.