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I came. I saw. I came back home.
This was the Miata on the Houston craigslist. After a couple of emails with the owner, Gabriel Luna, I headed south Saturday morning. Earlier, "Gabriel" had sent me an email that said it was a beautiful day to go topless. On the long drive down, I wondered if Gabriel looked anything like Eva Longoria.
Much to my disappointment, Gabriel had a beard. This was not a good sign.
The Good:
Paint and body looked good, with the exception of a few minor dings and scratches that a bottle of touch up paint would fix. The owner pointed out the rear fender area that had been "fixed by a pro" and it was an exceptionally clean job, paint blended perfectly. One minor "outty" in the hood where it looks like someone shut the hood with a tool sitting on top of the engine.
The Bad:
The test drive- although the engine had plenty of torque, every time I dogged it it would start cutting out. My first thought was plug wires, since the owner stated he had changed the plugs 7 months ago.
The motor: With the words "miata" and "dohc" painted onto the valve covers in barely legible scrawl, I'm guessing this is a replacement motor.
The stereo had been ripped off and out, and the owner had attempted to repair the damage with a badly oxidized junkyard console and a radio trim panel from a 93 model which did not fit properly.
The airbag light was flashing. When this was pointed out, he said that the airbag was loose and needed some washers. Sure enough, the airbag was loose, so loose that it came off in my hands. Someone forgot to put those four nuts back that hold it in place. There was also rust on the steering wheel under the airbag.
The Craigslist ad said "new top" and "new tires". The tires were new, Bravura or something like that. The top was not new, and that it had leaked (as evidenced by the condensation in the rear window). I suggested he change his ad to read "NEEDS new top". When he asked why I thought that, I showed him how he could watch the sunset through the screendoor like holes along the seam stitching.
The AutoZone battery was sitting loose and unsecured in the trunk, waiting to tumble at the first right hand turn. The rear wheel on the driver side looked like it was covered in grease, but closer inspection revealed that the paint had come off. This is the same side as where the body damage had occurred, so it is probably a junkyard wheel as well.
The owner says he is the 2nd owner, and didn't know any maintenance details, Timing belt, etc...
He couldn't believe I was going to pass after driving all the way down there to look at it, and dropped the price to $3000.
Originally Posted by cam76034
