so im going to look at a car - LotusTalk

bayside blue · 09-04-2008, 02:29 PM

in about 45 mins im going a couple mins away to look at a 1990 miata that needs minor work to be perfect again..but heres the best part. its only $600
do u think its worht the $600 for the shell and other components then when i save up some money i could just put a whole new motor in it even if the seller didnt know everything wrong with it..ive been told it needs a battery, brakes and tlc here and there..it was a californian car and garaged most winters.

what should i look for in inspecting the car?

edit heres a description.........

About This Miata MX-5
Mileage: 197,000
Body Style: Convertible
Exterior Color: Red
Interior Color: Black
Engine: 4 Cylinders
Transmission: Manual
Drivetrain: RWD
Doors: 2

Features: A/C: Front, Power Steering, Bucket Seats, Airbag: Driver, Cassette Radio

Selling Points: California Half-life. -Conv. Top in Good Condition. -Many new parts. -Needs brakes and battery. -Garaged some winters. For short money this Miata is ready to go!!!

Condition: Seats have no tears. Paint is ok.

NavyLt · 09-04-2008, 02:49 PM

I am the original owner of a '91 Mariner Blue Miata with 135,000 kms on the clock. It is my DD and has been pretty bullet-proof. New brakes, tires, batteries and a clutch over the course of 17 years. In the USA Miata prices are considerably lower than in Canada and the cars are more plentiful. You should pose your question on Maiata.net, lots of discussion there on pricing. Sure, $600 is not a lot of money, but you can probably get a much lower mileage car for a reasonable price without having to throw good money after bad to fix a used up specimen. Just my two cents (Cdn).

bayside blue · 09-04-2008, 04:40 PM

i just got back and wow..the condition of the car was amazing..like he detailed it everyday..and very very minor rust also..it does need a new battery and brakes it will need some attention to the top..it came down without any problem whatso ever but wow it was a work out to put it back up..the driveres side door will need some work.. the window crank dont work and the outside door handle dont either. thats minor problems tho..i took some pics on my cell phone cuz my bum of a gf took my car with my digi cam in it and i had to ride the bike down there...atleast it was a nice ride. give me a bit and i will upload the pics...

bayside blue · 09-04-2008, 05:00 PM

JnC · 09-04-2008, 06:10 PM

You need to ask if the timing belt has been changed, inspect the crankshaft pulley (particularly the woodruff key), and run a compression test.

Good luck! Sounds like a fun car.

Bane · 09-04-2008, 08:58 PM

dude that's an awesome car for $600!

Great find!

esoteric · 09-04-2008, 10:33 PM

Bought ours for $700 and it didn't look as good as this one. I say go for it!

GTScott · 09-05-2008, 06:57 AM

As JnC stated, check the crank pulley. If it is wobbling, you will be in trouble. The miata.net forums have great info. If the crank is shot, there are some epoxy (eek!) fixes and such out. Then again, a replacement 1.6L is uber cheap and swapping to a 1.8L is not a big deal either.

Another item to check is for water getting into places it should not. Bump the car and see if you hear water in the fenders. If the drain holes are blocked (very common) water can accumulate there and cause some rust issues. A similar thing can happen if the rain rail on the top is messed up. However, I can't recall the procedure for checking the rain rail as you obviously have to un-rivet the soft top to see it.

I had a 1990 for a while with a Jackson racing SC on it. That car was bullet proof and a BLAST to drive. I have an 01 now and it is not half as much fun and has more quirks. For $600, it is hard to go wrong.

-GT

davecarama · 09-05-2008, 07:06 AM

WHO CARES ABOUT THE MOTOR!!!
For $300 you can get a used motor and replace the one you have.
New Soft top is $300, you can get a used one from someone building a spec miata for half that. Or get a hard top for a grand and never wory about leaks.
Full set of pads will cost you in the $120 range, full set of rotors will cost you in the $100 range.

Buy the car.

Once you get the pads, top, and do the minor cleaning you spoke about, you can get $2500 back for the car easy... hell, I bet you could turn it around and get twice the money you paid for the car tomorrow.

Buy the car.

RichS · 09-05-2008, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davecarama

Buy the car.

+1

bayside blue · 09-05-2008, 02:45 PM

im officially the owner of the car..as he was filling out the bill of sale i threw in the new battery and all the electricals work fine..im waiting for the tow truck to go get it and bring it to my house as we speak...the top is in good condition he had it replaced 3 years ago..when it gets here ill do some more work and see if anything else needs work. but looks like pads and rotors, are there any special fluid additives i should add to the car b4 i try and start it? like i read somewhere. add marvels mystery oil and check all other fluids and to put something in the gas tank with new gas...theres a little over a 1/4 tank in there now. he also siad and has recipts which i have now with anywork that was done to the car. and theres a whole lot of new stuff that was replaced withing 30k miles or so

i also spoke to him about the top and he had no clue about it...he put it down and then right back up in one try.

RichS · 09-05-2008, 02:47 PM

I'd head over to The MX-5 Miata Pit Stop: MX-5 Miata.net.

Not only does the forum have folks who are more knowledgeable about the Miata than most folks on this forum, but their library is EXCELLENT.

bayside blue · 09-05-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichS

I'd head over to The MX-5 Miata Pit Stop: MX-5 Miata.net.

Not only does the forum have folks who are more knowledgeable about the Miata than most folks on this forum, but their library is EXCELLENT.

i am a member of that forum also. im on it right now trying to find answers

edit: as of 6:24 he is on his way with the car!!!

Chris D. · 09-05-2008, 04:38 PM

Nice purchase. Congrats. I love to find deals like that. I am on my 5th Mazda so I am a little biased, but I think you will get your money's worth out of it. With that many miles though, you are going to have to expect to throw a little money into it now and then.

bayside blue · 09-05-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris D.

Nice purchase. Congrats. I love to find deals like that. I am on my 5th Mazda so I am a little biased, but I think you will get your money's worth out of it. With that many miles though, you are going to have to expect to throw a little money into it now and then.

i plan on fixing it up and making it into a track car at some point(i hope)
ive always looked for miatas but this was the first one i could find(near by) that i could pay for in cash out of my pocket..he threw in a set of new kuhmo tires for free. and the tow guy said the brakes were seized like crazy but the car rolled off the flatbed without the slightest problem..pics are uploading now

bayside blue · 09-05-2008, 05:22 PM

overall

clean

a tad bit dirty on the hood

rust on top of car

very dirty trunk

paint peeling on bumper only

just a little bit of dirt

rust on the side

wheels

engine

give me a weekend of detailing it and it will look good as new. unfortunetly i cant do much this weekend because we are supposed to get the left overs of the huricane

GTScott · 09-05-2008, 05:32 PM

Looks great. From the last pic, it needs a valve cover gasket. Be careful not to pinch the rear, pass. side edge when putting it back in. Also, consider changing the crank angle sensor o-ring while in there. It can be a pain to get back in but the miata forum has a ton of articles on it. Actually, I ordered 50 of the o-rings in viton when I did mine. If you want one, I will drop one in the mail to you.

Congrats on the purchase!

bayside blue · 09-05-2008, 07:39 PM

after it got here. i checked as much as i could think of then got the motor ready for a test start...guess what? it started right up! it wont stay running tho. probably due to old fuel in the lines..i had to cover it up under a tarp because the tow guy pushed the window all the way down and now i cant get it out..so fixing the door/window is going to be my first or second on the list of things to do..i have to wait for the state to send me a new title so i can register it anyway so im using this time to get it running great...i also found out why he never bought a new battery, $120!!!! thats crazy

JnC · 09-05-2008, 09:47 PM

That brings back memories as my first convertible was a red 90 Miata.

One maintenance item that seemed to make an immediate impact on drivability was fresh spark plugs and wires. The OEM sparkplug wire harness seemed to be a bit of a weak spot, prone to deterioration and shorting against the valve cover and other wires. I know you have a lot on your plate, but keep that in mind when you get around to the tune up stage.

NavyLt · 09-06-2008, 05:47 AM

Congrats on the purchase. An NA miata lives to drive another day. First thing that you have to do is remove the "baby teeth" (aka tie-down hooks)from the mouth. They look terrible and serve no purpose unless you intend to trailer the car. The blue NGK plug wires are highly recommended and tend to last about 50,000 kms (30,000 miles).

09-04-2008, 02:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
bayside blue Registered Loser Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: seabrook, nh Posts: 503	so im going to look at a car in about 45 mins im going a couple mins away to look at a 1990 miata that needs minor work to be perfect again..but heres the best part. its only $600 do u think its worht the $600 for the shell and other components then when i save up some money i could just put a whole new motor in it even if the seller didnt know everything wrong with it..ive been told it needs a battery, brakes and tlc here and there..it was a californian car and garaged most winters. what should i look for in inspecting the car? edit heres a description......... About This Miata MX-5 Mileage: 197,000 Body Style: Convertible Exterior Color: Red Interior Color: Black Engine: 4 Cylinders Transmission: Manual Drivetrain: RWD Doors: 2 Features: A/C: Front, Power Steering, Bucket Seats, Airbag: Driver, Cassette Radio Selling Points: California Half-life. -Conv. Top in Good Condition. -Many new parts. -Needs brakes and battery. -Garaged some winters. For short money this Miata is ready to go!!! Condition: Seats have no tears. Paint is ok. __________________ ~~ Sethy Jones ~~

09-04-2008, 04:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
bayside blue Registered Loser Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: seabrook, nh Posts: 503	i just got back and wow..the condition of the car was amazing..like he detailed it everyday..and very very minor rust also..it does need a new battery and brakes it will need some attention to the top..it came down without any problem whatso ever but wow it was a work out to put it back up..the driveres side door will need some work.. the window crank dont work and the outside door handle dont either. thats minor problems tho..i took some pics on my cell phone cuz my bum of a gf took my car with my digi cam in it and i had to ride the bike down there...atleast it was a nice ride. give me a bit and i will upload the pics... __________________ ~~ Sethy Jones ~~

09-04-2008, 05:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
bayside blue Registered Loser Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: seabrook, nh Posts: 503	__________________ ~~ Sethy Jones ~~

09-04-2008, 06:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
JnC Thread unraveler Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 2,733	You need to ask if the timing belt has been changed, inspect the crankshaft pulley (particularly the woodruff key), and run a compression test. Good luck! Sounds like a fun car. __________________ 2007 Cross Country Travelblog 06 Lotus Elise :: Chrome Orange :: Base :: Black Pack :: TC :: SS 00 VW Golf GLS TDI

09-04-2008, 08:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
Bane . Join Date: May 2005 Location: RanchoSahuarita.com, AZ Posts: 2,440 Images: 4	dude that's an awesome car for $600! Great find! __________________ 2005 Lotus Elise (#499) - PPE stainless race header \| Larini SE \| Euro grills \| Green air filter \| Saikou Michi catch can \| HID kit \| CF console \| CF shift knob \| B&M shifter \| PC625 \| Hardwired V1 \| Rota 15/16" black wheels \| Stebel Nautilus \| rear tow hook un-Official LotusTalk Stealth Bulb provider

09-04-2008, 02:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
NavyLt Say ello to my lil friend Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 92	I am the original owner of a '91 Mariner Blue Miata with 135,000 kms on the clock. It is my DD and has been pretty bullet-proof. New brakes, tires, batteries and a clutch over the course of 17 years. In the USA Miata prices are considerably lower than in Canada and the cars are more plentiful. You should pose your question on Maiata.net, lots of discussion there on pricing. Sure, $600 is not a lot of money, but you can probably get a much lower mileage car for a reasonable price without having to throw good money after bad to fix a used up specimen. Just my two cents (Cdn).

09-04-2008, 10:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
esoteric Turns corners & heads EZ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 1,434	Bought ours for $700 and it didn't look as good as this one. I say go for it! __________________ Daily driven '05 Elise, Seibon CF front clam with custom paint, Stage II exhaust, hardtop, Pioneer ICE, Starshield, stickies on rear I don't believe in shooting stars but I do believe in loot & cars. PhlypSide quote - Tell people you prefer your cars to be like your women: "lightweight, fast, low maintenance, and easy on the eyes."

09-05-2008, 06:57 AM	#8 (permalink)
GTScott Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 18	As JnC stated, check the crank pulley. If it is wobbling, you will be in trouble. The miata.net forums have great info. If the crank is shot, there are some epoxy (eek!) fixes and such out. Then again, a replacement 1.6L is uber cheap and swapping to a 1.8L is not a big deal either. Another item to check is for water getting into places it should not. Bump the car and see if you hear water in the fenders. If the drain holes are blocked (very common) water can accumulate there and cause some rust issues. A similar thing can happen if the rain rail on the top is messed up. However, I can't recall the procedure for checking the rain rail as you obviously have to un-rivet the soft top to see it. I had a 1990 for a while with a Jackson racing SC on it. That car was bullet proof and a BLAST to drive. I have an 01 now and it is not half as much fun and has more quirks. For $600, it is hard to go wrong. -GT

09-05-2008, 07:06 AM	#9 (permalink)
davecarama Driving it every day! Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 631	WHO CARES ABOUT THE MOTOR!!! For $300 you can get a used motor and replace the one you have. New Soft top is $300, you can get a used one from someone building a spec miata for half that. Or get a hard top for a grand and never wory about leaks. Full set of pads will cost you in the $120 range, full set of rotors will cost you in the $100 range. Buy the car. Once you get the pads, top, and do the minor cleaning you spoke about, you can get $2500 back for the car easy... hell, I bet you could turn it around and get twice the money you paid for the car tomorrow. Buy the car. __________________ Vision without execution is a hallucination.

09-05-2008, 02:45 PM	#11 (permalink)
bayside blue Registered Loser Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: seabrook, nh Posts: 503	im officially the owner of the car..as he was filling out the bill of sale i threw in the new battery and all the electricals work fine..im waiting for the tow truck to go get it and bring it to my house as we speak...the top is in good condition he had it replaced 3 years ago..when it gets here ill do some more work and see if anything else needs work. but looks like pads and rotors, are there any special fluid additives i should add to the car b4 i try and start it? like i read somewhere. add marvels mystery oil and check all other fluids and to put something in the gas tank with new gas...theres a little over a 1/4 tank in there now. he also siad and has recipts which i have now with anywork that was done to the car. and theres a whole lot of new stuff that was replaced withing 30k miles or so i also spoke to him about the top and he had no clue about it...he put it down and then right back up in one try. __________________ ~~ Sethy Jones ~~

09-05-2008, 02:47 PM	#12 (permalink)
RichS No, it's only an N/A Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,182	I'd head over to The MX-5 Miata Pit Stop: MX-5 Miata.net. Not only does the forum have folks who are more knowledgeable about the Miata than most folks on this forum, but their library is EXCELLENT. __________________ 2006 Phantom Black Exige - Touring, LSD, Track Pack, Starshield, Multivex Mirrors, Valentine One in MattG's bracket, Painted Shift Knob, Bootie, Increased range of remote, Tinted side windows, Black Lotus Nose Badge, 4Tress Harness Bar, Schroth PROFI II ASM Harness, Trickster's Black and Silver Wheel Cap Inserts, Panasonic FX01 on a ChaseCam camera mount, Powder Coated Gas Cap Cover, Soft Top mod with Touring Soft Top, Lotus Track Toe Link, Carbon Fiber AC Surround, Voltphreaks battery

09-05-2008, 04:38 PM	#14 (permalink)
Chris D. Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Berryville, Virginia Posts: 1,469	Nice purchase. Congrats. I love to find deals like that. I am on my 5th Mazda so I am a little biased, but I think you will get your money's worth out of it. With that many miles though, you are going to have to expect to throw a little money into it now and then. __________________ 09 Nissan GTR, Gun Metal Grey 04 Lamborghini Gallardo, Pearl Yellow O5 Elise Ard red, black int, starshield, touring & sports pack, hardtop (sold) 07 BMW 550i with Sports Package 07 Toyota Tundra, 5.7 liter, 4WD 06 Mazda 3-S (daily commuter)

09-05-2008, 05:22 PM	#16 (permalink)
bayside blue Registered Loser Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: seabrook, nh Posts: 503	overall clean a tad bit dirty on the hood rust on top of car very dirty trunk paint peeling on bumper only just a little bit of dirt rust on the side wheels engine give me a weekend of detailing it and it will look good as new. unfortunetly i cant do much this weekend because we are supposed to get the left overs of the huricane __________________ ~~ Sethy Jones ~~

09-05-2008, 05:32 PM	#17 (permalink)
GTScott Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 18	Looks great. From the last pic, it needs a valve cover gasket. Be careful not to pinch the rear, pass. side edge when putting it back in. Also, consider changing the crank angle sensor o-ring while in there. It can be a pain to get back in but the miata forum has a ton of articles on it. Actually, I ordered 50 of the o-rings in viton when I did mine. If you want one, I will drop one in the mail to you. Congrats on the purchase!

09-05-2008, 07:39 PM	#18 (permalink)
bayside blue Registered Loser Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: seabrook, nh Posts: 503	after it got here. i checked as much as i could think of then got the motor ready for a test start...guess what? it started right up! it wont stay running tho. probably due to old fuel in the lines..i had to cover it up under a tarp because the tow guy pushed the window all the way down and now i cant get it out..so fixing the door/window is going to be my first or second on the list of things to do..i have to wait for the state to send me a new title so i can register it anyway so im using this time to get it running great...i also found out why he never bought a new battery, $120!!!! thats crazy __________________ ~~ Sethy Jones ~~

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09-05-2008, 09:47 PM	#19 (permalink)
JnC Thread unraveler Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 2,733	That brings back memories as my first convertible was a red 90 Miata. One maintenance item that seemed to make an immediate impact on drivability was fresh spark plugs and wires. The OEM sparkplug wire harness seemed to be a bit of a weak spot, prone to deterioration and shorting against the valve cover and other wires. I know you have a lot on your plate, but keep that in mind when you get around to the tune up stage. __________________ 2007 Cross Country Travelblog 06 Lotus Elise :: Chrome Orange :: Base :: Black Pack :: TC :: SS 00 VW Golf GLS TDI

09-06-2008, 05:47 AM	#20 (permalink)
NavyLt Say ello to my lil friend Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 92	Congrats on the purchase. An NA miata lives to drive another day. First thing that you have to do is remove the "baby teeth" (aka tie-down hooks)from the mouth. They look terrible and serve no purpose unless you intend to trailer the car. The blue NGK plug wires are highly recommended and tend to last about 50,000 kms (30,000 miles).