Reply With Quote1 extra gear!Originally Posted by 98_1LE
Questions about 99-02 Miata's
Hello,
I am thinking of buying a used Miata for a daily driver and the rare autox. What is the difference between the 5 and 6 speed Miata's? Anything in particular I need to look for?
Thanks,
Chuck
2001 Trans Am - heavy battle axe
1 extra gear!
But seriously many feel the five speed makes for a less "shifty" Autocross car. I have one of each and I prefer the 5 speed for Autocross.
Also starting in 2001 Mazda add the VVT (variable valve timing) to the Miata motor, the VVT needs premium fuel, not a big deal but our '02's gas bill is a touch higher.
He'll be here all week! Try the catfish...
Some good stuff here -> http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/5361/
Hey Chuck!
Basically, you can divide the cars you've mentioned into the '99-'00 cars, and the '01+ cars. The '01+ cars benefitted from some additional chassis bracing which makes them slightly more comfortable street cars. The downside is that they're a bit heaver than a comparable '99-'00 car.
The '01+ cars also get Mazda's variable valve timing technology, which was supposed to boost power. Unofrtunately, that power never seemed to make it onto the cargo ship bound for the states - the '99-'00 cars typically dyno as strong or stronger than the '01+ cars. As an added benefit the '99-'00 cars will run just fine on crap gas (mine gets cheap regular gas will every fill up), while the '01+ cars will ping readily on lower grades of gas.
If you want one to autocross, buy a 5-speed. The 6-speed suffers from tighter gear spacing and a tighter shifter pattern. While the 5-speed will hit almost 60mph in 2nd, the 6-speed cars redline 5+mph lower. Also, if you're a ham-fisted brute force shifter like me, you'll hang the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts a lot more often in the 6-speed.
On the street, which gearbox is better seems to depend on who you ask - the 5-speed owners like their 5-speeds, and the 6-speed owners like their extra cog. Imagine that.Neither is a bad gearbox, so drive 'em both and decide which you prefer. FWIW, the 6-speed is only available on '99-'00 cars on the '99 10th Anniversary Edition, commonly called the 10AE (like Jon Wagner's car), and the Mahogany Mica '00 Special Edition. Starting in '01, I htink it was the default gearbox on the Sport Package cars.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thanks!
I will look for a '99-'00. What does the "sport" Miata bring to the table? Are they pretty hard to find?
2001 Trans Am - heavy battle axe
It's the Holy Grail of Miata autocross cars! Lightweight, factory Bilstein shocks/stiffer springs, larger rear sway bar, front and rear spoilers.
Yea all the cool kids have them!
How'd you end up with one?Yea all the cool kids have them!
Yea all the cool kids have them!
Not really though... I'm just jealous.
The Sport Package added the following in '99-'00:
- 15"x6" alloy wheels (non-Sports had 14"x6" wheels)
- Bilstein shocks
- slightly stiffer front & rear springs
- stiffer rear swaybar
- factory adjustable shock tower brace
- Torsen differential
- front airdam
- rear spoiler
- 3-spoke Nardi leather-wrapped steering wheel
In '99 the package was only available on a base model car (or the fully loaded 10AE), and you could not add it to other package cars. For example, you couldn't get the Sport Package in conjunction with the Popular Equipment Package, so a '99 Sport will never have power windows, locks, mirrors, antenna, or cruise control. It could be combined with the available stand-alone options like air conditioning and power steering, however. The only other way you could get it in '99 was on the 10AE.
In '00, Mazda gave this up and allowed option package combinations, so you could get a Sport Package car with the Leather Package, or PEP, etc. You can also legally retrofit any '00 with the Sport Package while retrofitting it legally to the average '99 might require removing some equipment.
Sport cars are somewhat rare. The easiest way to ID them is to look at the sticker on the doorjamb. If it says "Hard S" under Suspension, then it's a Sport. If it says "Sport S", it's just a normal Miata. Clear as mud? You can confirm by looking under the hood for the shock tower brace, or under the car for the yellow Bilstein shocks (normal Miata shocks are black).
Of course, it isn't expensive to retrofit the Sport Package, which is what a lot of autocrossers do. The springs and rear bar are pretty cheap, and the aero parts aren't required on '00 cars (nor are they that expensive to order, and they come factory paint matched). The cost comes in the shock tower brace, which is a '99-'00 specific part (they changed the design in '01), and costs over $400 new!
FWIW, all of the current top CS cars are '99 Sports. However, I think the '99-'00 PEP car (which has a Torsen) can be just as competitive - it may have a slightly softer set of springs and rear bar, but it has 14" wheels... which means it can actually fit a wider V710 (225/50-14 vs. 205/50-15) than the Sport can without gearing or ride height issues. It's also easier to find or build a PEP car, and you can keep some amenities like power windows and cruise. David Green out of Kansas has put one of these in the trophies more than once at Nationals.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Just a for instance, but do you think that anybody will trade in a 99 or 00 miata on a new MX-5 at a Dealership in DFW between now and Xmas? I have been running some numbers, and possibly trading in the Focus is one of my possibilites. It sure would be nice to not have a car payment.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
Anything is possible, but you'd be far better off selling the Slow-cus on your own and buying a '99-'00 from a private owner. Just my .02
I was thinking that as well. For that to happen though, I would have to have a Miata lined up at the time of sale of the slowcus, because my job, and my school are all 20 min from my house. And I dont think I could be without a car for more than a weekend. Thanks for the $.02, I'll put it in the miata fund. :)
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
What do you think that Focus is worth, or did you just hit the lotto?
You may want to run the numbers.... If you could sell the slowcus for $1k more than you could trade it in for, you could pay for a rental car at $150/week while you look find your Miata. Even better, borrow the Suburban from your parents... I suspect you could sell your slowcus long before they sell the Suburban at the price they are asking!
Throw a FOR SALE sign on it while you drive it and you can be a rolling billboard for them.
KBB says around $9200. I figure that is a pretty good chunk out of a used miata. That combined with birthday money, a raise I got at work, and my newly acquired student loan (most of it will go in the bank, this semester is alredy paid for) just might split the difference, or make my payments cheaper than they are now.What do you think that Focus is worth, or did you just hit the lotto?
Last edited by blackzx3_13; 10-14-2005 at 10:29 PM.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
I know where a 99sport ready to AX is.
Mac
LS1 Miata Tiger Race Car (Build in Progress) TOPP Racing / East Street Auto / Saferacer.com / TeamMER
"To hell with you Gen. Sheridan...I 'll take Texas!"
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