Question Regarding 94/95 NA Miata

Hello all!

First post so I apologize if this is in the wrong place. Currently I do not own a Miata, but I'm looking to be in one really soon!
I'm dead set on getting an NA. I have a decent budget for one right now (~$6K) and had some questions if you guys could help. I've done a little reading and for the most part I just wanted to clarify/get your guys' opinions on some things.

I read that regarding NAs, I should avoid the early models (90-93) due to crank issues? and the later models (96-98) due to OBD-II issues, and that a nice 94-95 would be the best option. Are the issues with the early models expensive fixes?
I've seen an NA on CL with around 57K miles but the paint is in awful condition - other than the paint though owner says it is mechanically sound, would it be a good purchase?
I know I want the car to be manual, and have LSD. Is there anything else I should opt for/look out for when looking NA Miatas?

Also, I'm not too much of a mechanically inclined person, I change my fluids on my cars but that's about it. I haven't had much engine work experience. Would an NA miata kick my butt? I've read that there is a plethora of online information and the NA is pretty easy to work on. Plus, I've always wanted to get to learning this stuff anyway in my free time.

I'm coming from the dark side (honda s2000) but I've always had a soft spot for Miatas, especially the earlier models!

Thanks in advance~

Welcome aboard...

The 90's and the early 91's have a 'short nose' crank. Some run away from it, others don't care. If a 25-26 year old car is still running, I think you're past the danger zone!

'94 and '95 is indeed OBD-I, but still has some basic diagnostic capabilities.

I work at Track Dog Racing. We are a Miata Specialist shop in Dallas. If you're in Fort Worth or Denton, Miata Solutions is a great place for service as well.

I'm a NA fan myself. I have a 1996. Some folks will tell you the 90-93 is good because they are emissions exempt at 25 years old. However, the 90-93 has the 1.6 which has less low end torque so I prefer a 94-97 with the 1.8 motor. All the NA will be emissions exempt in 6 years so it's not a big deal to me.

As for 94-95 vs. 96-97, The main difference is OBDI vs. OBDII. They both have their positives and negatives.

OBDI - Harder to troubleshoot as they tend to have fewer sensors. Also harder to get an emissions inspection as pre-OBDII inspections places are getting harder and harder to find. Also, you don't know if you will pass until you get it inspected with the tail pipe sniffer. They have fewer sensors to go wrong or monkey with if you plan on boosting it. You can run a MegaSquirt with a "clean" map to pass inspection.

OBDII - Easier to troubleshoot. Easy to pass emissions and with a OBDII scanner, you can know before hand if your car is ready to pass. More sensors means there is more to go wrong. They can be finicky if you plan on boosting it but a good shop like ours can make it run without tripping codes.

I've owned both a 1995 and a 1996 and I prefer the OBDII car myself.

My recommendation is find the cleanest car you can find in your budget. With $6k that should find a VERY clean NA. Take your time and consider opening your search wider than the immediate area. We have customers that have flown to California and Washington state and driven cars back. They got immaculate cars and had a memorable experience driving the car back home.

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Originally Posted by black roadster

I work at Track Dog Racing. We are a Miata Specialist shop in Dallas. If you're in Fort Worth or Denton, Miata Solutions is a great place for service as well.

I'm a NA fan myself. I have a 1996. Some folks will tell you the 90-93 is good because they are emissions exempt at 25 years old. However, the 90-93 has the 1.6 which has less low end torque so I prefer a 94-97 with the 1.8 motor. All the NA will be emissions exempt in 6 years so it's not a big deal to me.

As for 94-95 vs. 96-97, The main difference is OBDI vs. OBDII. They both have their positives and negatives.

OBDI - Harder to troubleshoot as they tend to have fewer sensors. Also harder to get an emissions inspection as pre-OBDII inspections places are getting harder and harder to find. Also, you don't know if you will pass until you get it inspected with the tail pipe sniffer. They have fewer sensors to go wrong or monkey with if you plan on boosting it. You can run a MegaSquirt with a "clean" map to pass inspection.

OBDII - Easier to troubleshoot. Easy to pass emissions and with a OBDII scanner, you can know before hand if your car is ready to pass. More sensors means there is more to go wrong. They can be finicky if you plan on boosting it but a good shop like ours can make it run without tripping codes.

I've owned both a 1995 and a 1996 and I prefer the OBDII car myself.

My recommendation is find the cleanest car you can find in your budget. With $6k that should find a VERY clean NA. Take your time and consider opening your search wider than the immediate area. We have customers that have flown to California and Washington state and driven cars back. They got immaculate cars and had a memorable experience driving the car back home.

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Thanks for the info! If I can't find a clean one around here I wouldn't mind broadening my search.
Does Track Dog Racing or Miata Solutions offer PPIs if I were to take one in?

Yes, they both do.

Good nfo from Black roadster.

I'm on my 4th and 5th NAs now: 92 Sunburst Yellow and 95 Laguna Blue.



The 1.8s have slightly more power but also slightly more weight so the performance difference is small, but also real. In general, the 1.8s "feel" a little more refined too.

My general rule of thumb is buy the newest, lowest mileage, miata your budget will support. Also, I put my priority on paint and body quality/condition over mechanical. Why, because paint/body work is so much more expensive than mechanical work. Plus, most of the mechanical work can be DIY. Not so with paint/body.

I recommend you join the forums at miata.net too. Great place to do a lot of research before you buy.

Don't be afraid of CL. True, there's a lot of crappy $2-3k miata on CL but you will also find gems there too. I did like my 95M, 97STO, and 95Laguna, but gems will be in the $5k+ range usually. Plan on about $1000 on average after you get it home for baseline mantenance work...that's cuz they are 20+ years old and most owners don't do preventative maintenance, only fix-broken-stuff maintenance. But, with the baseline maintenance done you will enjoy years of trouble free driving. If you need paint/body work, plan on $3k-$5k unless you go to mayco. ;)

As noted by BR above, expand your search area to out of state. Great road trip experience driving home. I found my last 4 in Arkansas, OK, OH, and NC.

Cheers,

Bob

Short nose crank is not an issue if timing belts are done correctly.
I have had many more 1.8s in the shop with crank issues than SNC's
1990/91 are eligible for antique plates, if this will not be a daily driver.
If you want a nicer stockish Miata, check out the "M Editions"….They are well optioned, many of them also have ABS.

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Originally Posted by Bob_MX5

My general rule of thumb is buy the newest, lowest mileage, miata your budget will support. Also, I put my priority on paint and body quality/condition over mechanical. Why, because paint/body work is so much more expensive than mechanical work. Plus, most of the mechanical work can be DIY. Not so with paint/body.

I recommend you join the forums at miata.net too. Great place to do a lot of research before you buy.

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Thanks, Bob!

Man I'm looking at a local '94 right now with 57,000 original miles; however, the paint is faded and in pretty bad shape. Everything seems to mechanically check out though. Would you suggest I hop on this deal if I can get it for cheap? I'm assuming this car would eventually need a respray.

I have made accounts over at miata.net and have already been scanning their garage section. So much good information there. I'm very excited to start on this car! Just need to get one first!

That is super low mileage! Any more details to share...'package', color, special edition?

I'd do a little research into that mileage. A car that low-mileage is almost always garaged, so the very bad paint seems inconsistent. Cluster swaps are not hard or unheard-of in NA miatas. Sometimes they are nefarious, sometimes it is a cheap way to fix a broken speedo (though they are most-often a speedo cable). Do your homework.

Also, I see that you prefer the NA Miatas, but I have a very nice NB that I've decided to sell (cue the peanut gallery!). It is a 2003 Shinsen edition, which is a limited-production package with unique color combo and enthusiast-oriented options. This one is in excellent condition and is completely original, with no mods besides a Nautilus horn I installed this weekend for safety.
Beautiful dark grey with dark blue fabric soft top and seats, black interior with dark blue armrest inserts. PW/PS, cruise, cold AC, glass window with defrost, LSD, 16" wheels, sport brakes, 5-speed, 142 hp VVT motor. $5500

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Originally Posted by sammm

That is super low mileage! Any more details to share...'package', color, special edition?

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Not exactly sure, but after researching miata.net I found this awesome PDF. I called the owner and he said it has power windows but no cruise control. So if I am correct it has the Torsen LSD (type 1) and I believe it is the A package. That's all I know though and I could be wrong. The car is also red.

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

I'd do a little research into that mileage. A car that low-mileage is almost always garaged, so the very bad paint seems inconsistent. Cluster swaps are not hard or unheard-of in NA miatas. Sometimes they are nefarious, sometimes it is a cheap way to fix a broken speedo (though they are most-often a speedo cable). Do your homework.

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Anyway I could confirm the mileage? I asked for the VIN and he said he didn't like giving out the VIN due to scammers. He told me I'm more than welcome to come see the car and get the VIN however. But the car is about an hour away from me.

I have been in contact with the seller. Much older couple, the car belonged to a friend of theirs who was lost to cancer, resulting in the car sitting outside his garage for a long period of time. They told me their friend never complained at all about the car and that it is mechanically sound with zero rust.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

Also, I see that you prefer the NA Miatas, but I have a very nice NB that I've decided to sell (cue the peanut gallery!). It is a 2003 Shinsen edition, which is a limited-production package with unique color combo and enthusiast-oriented options. This one is in excellent condition and is completely original, with no mods besides a Nautilus horn I installed this weekend for safety.
Beautiful dark grey with dark blue fabric soft top and seats, black interior with dark blue armrest inserts. PW/PS, cruise, cold AC, glass window with defrost, LSD, 16" wheels, sport brakes, 5-speed, 142 hp VVT motor. $5500

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I do prefer NA models but I can be swayed to a clean NB as well! What kind of mileage is on it?

I talked to that guy, be careful. Left me a crazy voicemail when I insisted on the vin. Sounds like a scam to me. Keep us posted if you check it out.

Beware of the banjo's in Springtown……….MadMerv used to live there ;)

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Originally Posted by ksluna

Not exactly sure, but after researching miata.net I found this awesome PDF. I called the owner and he said it has power windows but no cruise control. So if I am correct it has the Torsen LSD (type 1) and I believe it is the A package. That's all I know though and I could be wrong. The car is also red.



Anyway I could confirm the mileage? I asked for the VIN and he said he didn't like giving out the VIN due to scammers. He told me I'm more than welcome to come see the car and get the VIN however. But the car is about an hour away from me.

I have been in contact with the seller. Much older couple, the car belonged to a friend of theirs who was lost to cancer, resulting in the car sitting outside his garage for a long period of time. They told me their friend never complained at all about the car and that it is mechanically sound with zero rust.



I do prefer NA models but I can be swayed to a clean NB as well! What kind of mileage is on it?

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170k, enthusiast-owned for a while, and has good service history. Damn nice car.

Confirming mileage is tricky without vin, but there are some simple tricks like pedal wear and seat bolster wear that would be minimal or non-existent on a 57k mile Miata at that age. If the guy is that weird about giving the vin, I'd point out that you are trying to get a CARFAX.
If any of the pictures include the plate number, you can bypass him and get the vin from the DMV yourself, or ask someone to look it up.

The package clues you are looking for to determine if it is a torsen car include power mirrors, among other items.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ksluna

Thanks, Bob!

Man I'm looking at a local '94 right now with 57,000 original miles; however, the paint is faded and in pretty bad shape. Everything seems to mechanically check out though. Would you suggest I hop on this deal if I can get it for cheap? I'm assuming this car would eventually need a respray.

I have made accounts over at miata.net and have already been scanning their garage section. So much good information there. I'm very excited to start on this car! Just need to get one first!

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That really depends on how much you value the "look" of good paint, your plan for it (DD, weekend toy, autox, roadwarrior, etc) and of course the asking price. Me, I'd rather pay a 1000 more for Miata with good original paint (kind of like my taste in women...they don't need to be a models but I'd prefer they not have long armpit hair). A good deal that needs a $3-5K paint job is not a good deal in my book, but that's just me.

It's almost impossible to find a "perfect" 20+ year old paint job so some issues are expected but with a $6K budget you do not need to settle for bad paint. "Faded and pretty bad shape" implies 20 years in the sun/no-garage and that might be the case, but most low mileage miatae are also garaged.

Mechanically, every thing probably does check out if the mileage is correct, but you will still need to do baseline maintenance. High mileage is not the only issue with parts...age with low mileage is also a driver for baseline maintenance. So, if it still has original (heck, or even only 10 yr old) coolant hoses, and belts, and radiator and suspension bushings, etc, you will still need to change out those parts and others. Ask me how I know. ;)

b.

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Originally Posted by Jmoney

I talked to that guy, be careful. Left me a crazy voicemail when I insisted on the vin. Sounds like a scam to me. Keep us posted if you check it out.

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Hm well that seems a little sketchy to me. I asked for the VIN as well and he was really reluctant on giving it to me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

170k, enthusiast-owned for a while, and has good service history. Damn nice car.

Confirming mileage is tricky without vin, but there are some simple tricks like pedal wear and seat bolster wear that would be minimal or non-existent on a 57k mile Miata at that age. If the guy is that weird about giving the vin, I'd point out that you are trying to get a CARFAX.
If any of the pictures include the plate number, you can bypass him and get the vin from the DMV yourself, or ask someone to look it up.

The package clues you are looking for to determine if it is a torsen car include power mirrors, among other items.

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I told him I wanted the VIN # so I could run an autocheck/carfax but he was set on not giving it to me. The seats look like they are in pretty good condition but the steering wheel looks like some stuff is peeling away on it.

Thanks for the details on the NB but I think I will give it a pass!

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Originally Posted by Bob_MX5

That really depends on how much you value the "look" of good paint, your plan for it (DD, weekend toy, autox, roadwarrior, etc) and of course the asking price. Me, I'd rather pay a 1000 more for Miata with good original paint (kind of like my taste in women...they don't need to be a models but I'd prefer they not have long armpit hair). A good deal that needs a $3-5K paint job is not a good deal in my book, but that's just me.

It's almost impossible to find a "perfect" 20+ year old paint job so some issues are expected but with a $6K budget you do not need to settle for bad paint. "Faded and pretty bad shape" implies 20 years in the sun/no-garage and that might be the case, but most low mileage miatae are also garaged.

Mechanically, every thing probably does check out if the mileage is correct, but you will still need to do baseline maintenance. High mileage is not the only issue with parts...age with low mileage is also a driver for baseline maintenance. So, if it still has original (heck, or even only 10 yr old) coolant hoses, and belts, and radiator and suspension bushings, etc, you will still need to change out those parts and others. Ask me how I know. ;)

b.

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My original plans were for this car to be a weekend toy occasional DD (I have a truck as a daily and a motorcycle for the track). Looks are important to me, and paint jobs are no joke either. I think I'm going to see how cheap I can get it for. If it's a steal then I think I will buy it, and maybe repaint it later down the line.

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Originally Posted by ksluna

Hm well that seems a little sketchy to me. I asked for the VIN as well and he was really reluctant on giving it to me.

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Walk away from that one. ::2Cents::

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Originally Posted by Rogue

Beware of the banjo's in Springtown……….MadMerv used to live there ;)

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Isn't Billy Blaze still out there????

Do you know if there is a way to send a voicemail as a text, I'll text it to you if you do, pretty crazy. If not I'll type it up haha