My dad takes care of his miatas. He's a straight shooter and will not mislead you. Sounds like you guys had a good talk last night. Sorry to hear about your house and your family's homes too.

My miata had 213,000 miles before I put a new motor with a turbo. He's helped me maintain it over the six years I've owned it. I bought it in 99' with 127k. I would not worry about the miles.

Good luck.