TTAC Commentator superbadd75 writes:
My question is somewhat loaded, as I have a general plan of attack, but would like to hear from you and the B&B. My awesome wife just surprised me with the car I’ve been dreaming of for some time now. It’s a very basic 60,000 mile ’93 Miata with power NOTHING, and no A/C, so there’s very little to break. I plan to make the timing belt change top priority, and do the fluid changes, but are there any other Miata specific items that need attention? I appreciate any and all advice!
Sajeev Answers:
Does your wife have a sister with a penchant for Indian men obsessed with cars? I’m dead serious! Speaking of: remember these three things when bestowed with such a surprise.
- You are officially that woman’s slave. Be okay with is!
- Get on the Miata forums and find the most popular threads aimed at common issues or modifications. Timing belt tensioner upgrades, valve lash adjustments and general restoration that’s common in old cars is y. But if you’re lucky, the forum has a Greatest Hits area with all this info.
- Your attention is needed immediately in the LS1 swap corner of the Internet. This really isn’t an option, when you stop and think about it.
Send your queries to mehta@ttac.com
The Miata is a great car for what it is. I really wanted to buy one before I bought my BMW, as the cost to own would have been much much less. Unfortunately, my head stuck out over the windshield in the normal driving position, and I’m only 6’1″. Tracy david of Gearz built a monster Miata with a V8 in it over the span of several shows. I can’t imagine what a sleeper that must be. Good luck with your new toy!
Ford is selling the 5.0 crate for $7k
The Miata is a sweet ride just the way Mazda built in, no need to hot rod the poor thing.
If you do the timing belt job yourself and choose to replace the water pump at the same time, be very careful about the water pump sealing gasket upon reassembly. It is no fun at all to take it all back apart again to get that gasket right. Yes, I know from experience :(.
Just picked up a very similar ride this summer; ’92 Miata with 70K on it. Definitely head over to Miata.net and do some reading. Great community forum…definitely check out the garage articles.
The Miata is one of the last true driver’s cars. It’s all about the light weight and double wishbone suspension…not the horsepower. It is also a very easy car to work on.
There are a few known issues.
1. Rubber shift boots, under leather shift boot deteriorate and crack. This allows the shift turret oil to splash out and the allows more smell and noise in the cockpit. Quick and easy fix to replace them.
2. CAS O-ring, hardens and leaks. Oil will run down on bell housing and weep into clutch. I found out too late. Replaced o ring and clutch.
3. Rust can form in rockers. Make sure drain holes are clear.
4. Clutch master and slave can fail. Mine were already replaced when I bought it.
5. Car likes well balanced tires or it will “shimmy at 65mph.” Hunter Roadforce balance them when you replace them.
6. Radiator hoses harden and can crack. Rubber plug on back of engine can be problematic.
7. Radiator itself, can be problem after a lot of years. Aftermarket, all metal version is nice.
8. If you’re tall, a seat “foamectomy” is a great fix.
9. The “Cool Breeze” air scoop does a great job directing air at your feet, for those that don’t have AC.
10. Grease the brake pins (do research first…brake is different than typical.)
11. Aftermarket H4 E-codes are available that are MUCH brighter than the factory 7″ sealed beams.
12. A foam pool floaty makes a great window saver.
Car is great as is, but can get wicked good with some bigger tires and tuned suspension.
Lots of great aftermarket support including such great places as Flyin’ Miata, 949 Racing. Racing Beat, Good-win Racing, Moss Motors, Fat Cat Motorsports, Boss Frog, and Hard Dog to name a few of the bigger ones.
60k sounds a bit soon for a timing belt change. But the rule is: follow the Mazda’s recommendation.
Miata doesn’t need an air conditoner – it’s called the top down.
Agreed, but it’s the “17 years old” part that gets me…if the car was driven regularly, that’s a lot of hard, short trips.
I doubt it. It was probably more of a weekend-warrior than a daily driver, what with no options on it at all. Looks like it was bought by an enthusiast who used it just for what it was, a no-frills, all-thrills fun factory.
+1 ott. You described my Miata. It’s a 1996 model that I bought new and now has 80K miles on it. Also a total stripper except for it has a/c which you have to have here in NC: when the temp and humidity are both high, top down IS NOT an air conditioner. While you’re moving it’s tolerable but when you stop at a stoplight, you’ll be sweating buckets by the time the light turns green. Blasting a/c at the stoplights helps with that. We also have summer days when I drive it to work top down in the morning, but in the late afternoon it’s just too hot and humid so the drive home is top up with a/c.
Anyway over 14 years of ownership I have done some minor upgrades on mine. Replaced the factory steelies with Bourbet wheels (low-key, not gaudy) and just in the last year I put a new top on it (replaced factory black with a camel-colored one like the M editions had, looks great with my Montego blue car) and replaced the factory radio (which had given up the ghost) with a modern one that has bluetooth and iPod input. Of course when driving top down the phone is unusable, even on the stereo bluetooth, I’m Ok with that :)
In 14 years and 80,000 miles only one thing has gone wrong with the car — I had to replace the spark plug wires at about 60K. Haven’t touched anything else except for oil changes, tires, brakes, etc. Not planning to do the timing belt until it goes (if it does). This is a non-interference engine and since this is a weekend car when/if it goes I’ll have towed to my shop and done then.
I am going to need an alignment and balance soon. Other than that the car is totally bulletproof and a blast to drive. HOWEVER it is small and about 100 miles is all I can take in a day (I’m 6’2″).
Disaster and John Horner are both correct. When you do the timing belt, replace the water pump, and replace the tensioner and idler pulleys.
Does your wife have a sister?
Me first, dude. Unless she has two sisters.
Sajeev, you take care of the LS-X swap, I’ll take care of the sister..heh heh heh…
http://www.flyinmiata.com/
Try them out. Metha and his V8 obsession, sigh… (Just razzing you, Sajeev.) I would start with basic suspension upgrades and maybe a few mild engine upgrades. If you get to the point where the only thing keeping you from going faster is lack of hp, not lack of skill, and you’ve got several grand laying around, then try the V8 swap. But first explore the basic package. You’ve got yourself a great car there, the basic model with no extra luxury stuff to weigh it down.
If the car doesn’t already have them, get the chassis braces, both the one that attaches to the seat belt points and a good 3 point strut tower brace to tighten up the front end. These are available at miatamania.com for a pretty good price. The braces eliminate a lot of the body shake you will get from rough roads, railroad tracks, etc.
+1 on getting a good tire balance….there is an inherent vibration around 65mph in the GEN1 Miatas that will annoy you sometimes. If you have no one in the passenger seat, you might want to move it back and recline it so it rests against the back wall of the cockpit to reduce vibrational stress on the seat hinges.
Get a K&N air filter to replace the restricted factory air box and allow your engine to breath.
#1 – find some smooth, twisty roads and enjoy
Soak it in visually for a little bit. Sit in the driveway and have a beer or cigarette, and just drink it up for about 15 minutes. This car is in your care for the time you own it.
It is your new horse. Unique, nimble and fleet of foot, always ready to go.
Jinba ittai.
Join your local Miata club, find a track and have some fun!
Twotone
As with any car you’ve just obtained, you’ll find out more about it when you wash it.
Instead of stuffing more motor into it, might I instead suggest less car?
Something in a Westfield perhaps?
http://www.flyinmiata.com/westfield/westfield.php
Or less car with more motor…www.bruntonauto.com
Something in a Westfield perhaps?
That looks awesome! Sort of like a Caterham at a reasonable price.
Pardon me, guys, while I forward this page to my wife.
A V8 transplant will just upset the weight balance and ruin the handling that is at the core of the Miata. If you must have more power, forced induction is the way to go. I have a normally aspirated 1.8 and a supercharged 1.6 (it was that way when I bought it.) I actually prefer the normally aspirated car – it’s quieter and more livable as a good weather daily driver and road trip car.
The forum recommendation is spot on with the Miata – when I was getting into Miatas I spent a lot of time on miata.net, and it’s still my go-to place for research on any little problem I might have. It’s the best technical resource there is for Miatas.
At 60,000 miles I wouldn’t worry too much about the timing belt unless you’re planning a long trip right away. I did my ’97 at 80,000 miles prior to a long trip. The ’91 failed at about 85,000 under the original owner’s care. Non-interference engine, so if it breaks it’s only an inconvenience. I decided a timing belt job was more than I wanted to tackle so I let the local Mazda dealer do it – about $300. Both of my cars are still on the original clutches and clutch hydraulics, the ’97 at 85,000 miles and the ’91 at 154,000 miles (all but 20,000 of those miles with a supercharger.) I do need to replace the slave cylinder and rebuild the shifter (replace boots, etc) on the ’91.
I’d read up on the car, give it a good mechanical inspection, and replace things (like hoses) that are due for replacement on grounds of age. Otherwise, sounds like you’ve got a winner – go out and enjoy!
Not true. The cast iron Miata motor is the about same weight as the LS-X. The only difference is that the LS-X Miata has a lower center of gravity and more weight is between the car (from the 6-speed tranny).
Maybe a suspension tweak is needed, but an LS-Miata is better off then a stocker.
Congratulations — MiataMania is almost is all consuming is Porsche-o-mania.
You have in your hands one the single best sportscars. ever. Don’t believe any crap about it being a “chick car” or “not having the soul of an (MG, Triumph, Alfa, whatever).
They aren’t kidding about checking out flyingmiata.com. I have a 93 that I turboed in 95 using one of their original kits (it even has the air filter in the front over the radiator, which you never ever see). It now has ~70K, and I have abused the ever livin crap out of it — 15 lbs boost, trips to VRI, crazy “surprises” for my local mustang crowd — and it has never, and I mean never, let me down.
Your wife is a keeper — but you both will like it more with a 100 extra horses at the rear. The suspension was designed to take that and lots, lots more.
Here’s your checklist:
1) Shower your wife with praise, constant affection and flowers
2) Get a K&N Air Filter (snorkel it if you’re not in CA)
3) Find your new favorite back road and get to know it
4) Pay attention to your tires and brakes (I really like the BFG G-Sports on my 1999 NB)
5) Tighten up various screws, nuts and bolts at least yearly
6) Avoid lingering in SUV & Big Rig blind spots on the freeway
I have a similar 1990 model. Only option is AC. No power steering or anything. 185,000 miles and it’s my daily driver. First, clean the tubes that allow water to drain from the top area. This is the reason most rocker rust develops. Both the 1.6 and 1.8 are non interference engines so the timing belt isn’t as critical as on some cars. Your 93 is easier than my 90 as the early 90’s have the tempermental crankshaft.
Don’t jack it up on the frame rails. They will bend. FlyinMiata and other vendors sell frame rail stiffeners (also an integral center brace). I did the frame rails and it was a worthwile mod. I dont believe your 93 has all the bracing that the 94 and ups have. The frame rails will make a difference.
Screw the V8 transplants. Save your 30 grand and go turbo if you gotta go faster. Plenty of well designed kits. Best bang for the buck. These engines have the piston oil squirters and other stuff that are common on turbos and take a turbo very well. miata.net is a great forum and should be your first stop.
n’thing everything said above. Get to miata.net.
If the shocks are the stock black showas and are that old, they’ll need replacement soon. Well, they’ve needed it for a while. When you replace them, upgrade to MCU bumpstops from Flyin Miata or Fat Cat Motorsports (vendors mentioned above).
If you’re not tracking or autocrossing the car, don’t feel you need to upgrade wheels and tires to a larger size. On the road, with stock power, something good on those uber-lightweight tiny little 14s (like Dunlop Star Specs) will do you just fine.
I had this same car, white on black, but it was a 90 with air. I loved that freaking car. Now we have a 2001, pretty much loaded up. The Miata’s are beautiful cars, and for the most part, easy to work on. The timing belt/water pump is not a big deal. And it’s not needed until the car hits 100K.
I would not hot rod it one bit. They are meant to be driven and loved. That’s it.
I agree with the enjoy it for what it is crowd, and also recommend going to miata.net for more info than you can shake a stick at.
One thing, the LS1 won’t upset balance or handling. Believe it or not, the LS1 in all aluminum form from a Vette weighs a few pounds less than the stock Miata engine. Mounted in the car it lowers the CG just a little bit. So you end up with the balance in a far more powerful car. Still, the power itself will corrupt the point of the overall balance of the car in principle. Not a bad thing, just not what a Miata in stock form is about. One of the most fun low hp cars you get.
As the owner of a 1990 Miata with 118,00 miles,I can give you some good advice.
1. Make sure you change the timing belt on schedule, and also change out the water pump when you do.
2. Pay attention to the upper and lower radiator hoses, and the heater hoses in the back of the engine. Your car is not super high mileage, but those belts are pretty old if still original. Go ahead and replace them. All the hoses and belts, really.
3. Replace the spark plugs, plug wires, and distributor cap with new NGKs. Gives the car power like new.
4.If you hear a noise like wow-wow-wow coming from the front or back end, it is the wheel bearing hubs. Replace them at once.
5. Pay attention to those fluid changes. Keep them all fresh.
6. Be aware that the upper valve cover gasket and the cam timing sensor may leak oil. Mine did.
7. Be aware that on the early Miatas, the crankshaft can have a serious problem if the Woodruff gear is not torqued correctly. This is a $1500.00 repair. This can happen when you change the timing belt. Do not screw around with this! Worst case scenario the crankshaft can FALL OFF THE CAR.
8. The slave cylinder on the clutch can go bad. Mine did. If the shifter is stubborn about going into gear, this is the problem.
Good luck with your cool car, and Miata forever!!
“7. Be aware that on the early Miatas, the crankshaft can have a serious problem if the Woodruff gear is not torqued correctly.”
I believe you are talking about the short crank concerns. That would only apply to ’91 an older Miatas…or is it ’90? Anyway, his ’93 will be fine.
The other advice all sounds good…the voice of experience.
And also: don’t forget to take the wife who got it for you on long romantic scenic drives with the top down. Christmas is coming, remember…….
Congrats on the Miata! I had a 93 and put about 150K on mine.
Yes, get that timing belt changed every 60K. Beyond that, wash it, wax it, and drive it. Everywhere and everywhen!
Guys, sorry it’s taken me so damn long to reply, but work has been pure hell. Thank all of you for the responses. I see lots of killer advice, and have already found much of it to be very applicable. I’ve been to miata.net, I’ve ordered a Moss Motors catalog and drooled over the possibilities, and I’ve driven it with the top down in blazing Texas heat just because I love it. I am smitten by this car, it’s perfect the way it is, and I have zero desire to hot rod the hell out of it. I will say that a little chassis stiffness here and there would be nice. So, sorry Sajeev, no LSX for me. For those of you that wanted to know if my wife has a sister, she actually has two. You can take your pick between a mid-30s career student, or a spoiled rotten 11 year old. I got the good one.