Set me straight

Having a miata identity crisis. I love my '99. It's a solid car, no issues. Thanks to MR BRG it's making good power in N/A trim with an MS2 ECU. However, I'm getting to the point where I'm wondering if I wouldn't be better off with a pre-OBD-II NA car. The benefit of course being that I can do whatever I want with the car ECU-and-FI-wise and not have to deal with OBD-II. Curious to hear people's thoughts one way or the other. Would you sell a nice NB in favor of an NA? If I make the swap, the Xidas would either be coming with me or the buyer will have to fork over some serious $$ to keep them...

Having the OBD 1 cars are definitely an advantage when you have to pass the smog test. My 94 will be for sale in about 5 years. ;-)

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Originally Posted by motorollow

Having the OBD 1 cars are definitely an advantage when you have to pass the smog test. My 94 will be for sale in about 5 years. ;-)

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With OBDI Miata you have to run the gerbil wheel wheel of doom and they are taking actual tailpipe reading!

On my OBDII Miata they plug it in and if they get an all clear they slap on a sticker.

Seems to me the OBDII is easier.

My '94 (OBDI) should be listed on the classifieds any day.

OBD II is not easier for stand alone ECU and FI :)

Having a factory turbo NB, I feel your pains, I'm stuck with bandaids if I want to keep the car street legal, or deal with injectors and ECU removal every year. If I were to do it again I would probably have started with a 94/95 NA. If you tune your car right, putting it on the rollers for emissions checks should be no big deal.

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Originally Posted by MoonieGT

OBD II is not easier for stand alone ECU and FI :)

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But OBDI still has to pass a real emissions test and a stock miata that isn't 100% can be on the hairy edge of that test.

Your best bet it to move to a county that doesn't do emissions testing then you can do whatever you want! ::Banana::

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Originally Posted by BigDmiata

If I were to do it again I would probably have started with a 94/95 NA.

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I'm definitely of that mind now, but it's too little too late. The question is should I change course or deal with the extra effort of pulling the ECU every year? If I go FI, then it's ECU and Injectors every year. And actually, I'll have to pull the wide band out as it sits now, but I'll probably get a second bung put in the header to put an end to that at some point...

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

But OBDI still has to pass a real emissions test and a stock miata that isn't 100% can be on the hairy edge of that test.

Your best bet it to move to a county that doesn't do emissions testing then you can do whatever you want! ::Banana::

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But they are talking about modified Miatas, specifically adding FI and a full ECU. Owning 2 ODBI Miatas, one stock and one with FI and ECU, I can tell you the modded one does MUCH better on the rollers than the stock one every year. I hear the same thing from every other modified owner... A tuned aftermarket ECUs just plain runs cleaner.

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Originally Posted by MoonieGT

I'm definitely of that mind now, but it's too little too late...

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The great thing about NA and NB miatas is that you can swap a fair amount from one to the other. Also you will likely not be out a ton of money swapping down to an NA (generally cheaper than an NB) As for the ECU, I'm sure it can be converted over to work with the NA.

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Originally Posted by MoonieGT

Would you sell a nice NB in favor of an NA?

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I did. And I don't regret it. I never had any trouble getting my NB inspected. Then again, it was on piggybacks and never a full stand-alone.

I'll be in the same boat as you in a couple months. I have always had good luck finding "a guy" when it comes to getting a sticker on a highly modified car.

I often wonder why you guys with this issue don't just register the car at an address in a rural county. I'll bet you know or are related to someone who lives in a non-smog county. Hell, for $1k or less, but a 1/2 acre somewhere and you can legally do so. I own 10 acres out in Brewster Co near Big Bend, and that's what I did to title my 47 Chevy truck.

That's what I've been considering doing so I can just swap to a megasquirt and be done with it, my F350 is already registered in Hunt Co.

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

I often wonder why you guys with this issue don't just register the car at an address in a rural county. I'll bet you know or are related to someone who lives in a non-smog county. Hell, for $1k or less, but a 1/2 acre somewhere and you can legally do so. I own 10 acres out in Brewster Co near Big Bend, and that's what I did to title my 47 Chevy truck.

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I looked in to this a while back and it is getting harder to pull off. As of last year, there is a few new laws in Texas that indirectly messes with this. One law states that to get a homestead exemption on your property taxes, your property address must mach your drivers license address and car registration address. So you loose out on your homestead exemption by doing the remote registration. Then there another law requiring the drivers license and car registration addresses to be synced. So... even if you are willing to give up the homestead exemption, your can then get called for Jury Duty in the remote county because of the drivers license address change. Stupid loophole closing politicians. It isn't clear to me if you can get away with it if you own multiple vehicles registered to different addresses.

Yeah, it worked for me with the title, but it was my 4th vehicle. If you are trying to do it with your primary/only vehicle, it could be tough.

Just get a '90 and in 3yrs it will be Antique. No Inspection required.

just gotta get my 90 can pass 2 more times... lol....

I kicked myself for buying a 96. Pulling out the standalone and reconnecting the OEM computer and various sensors every year was no fun- especially when the readiness codes were hesitant to clear. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about it anymore, but I can't drive it on the street anymore, either!

Unless it's an unmolested DD, I wouldn't have an OBDII car. Yes, you have to worry about the hamster-roller test, but a it's not a problem if you know the right guy - or if you can tweak your tune for "inspection" mode. My car passed just fine with the standalone hooked up... but then again, I know a guy. ;)

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Originally Posted by Rogue

Just get a '90 and in 3yrs it will be Antique. No Inspection required.

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Welcome to my life.

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

Unless it's an unmolested DD, I wouldn't have an OBDII car. Yes, you have to worry about the hamster-roller test, but a it's not a problem if you know the right guy - or if you can tweak your tune for "inspection" mode. My car passed just fine with the standalone hooked up... but then again, I know a guy. ;)

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did it go on the rollers?