My name is Daniel and I auto-x a focus

I have a black zx3, number 13 if you guys auto-x in texas region scca. however i am in love with miatas and have a few prospects ready for a summer purchase. Later this summer i will be buying a miata and have narrowed it down to 2 where i live (Whitesboro Texas). one has a strait body, a good top, and new tires, but it runs like crap. The other is mechanically as sound as it was in 1990, but the poor thing was left out in a hail storm. it needs: new hood, new decklid, extensive dent repair on the fenders and the rest of the body. I think the winshield is good, but the top is torn to shreds. taken to a body shop, it would probably be totaled out, but the dude wants like 2k for it. either way, i think im gonna have a roadster by the end of summer. Thanks for any replies and tips for my future purchase.

Welcome aboard!!

Don't worry too much about the hail damage... hail has given my car quite a bit of character! Much like laugh wrinkles on the face of an old comedian...

Anyhow, I digress, when you purchase your new ride, feel free to join us in our garage days... with the wealth of knowledge on this board, nothing should be too much of a problem!

i say get the straight body and fix it, it is cheaper to fix a motor than body/top.and it gives you the perfect oppurtunity to 1.8l swap it.

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Don't worry too much about the hail damage... hail has given my car quite a bit of character! Much like laugh wrinkles on the face of an old comedian...

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Take his advise...This guy's got the purdiest Miata you may ever see :wink:

Welcome to the board :chug:

Personally, I'd stay away from the '90 model, due to the short crank. While I recently had a '90 with a solid crank, I think I was in the minority.

Looking at the car that runs like crap, I'd want to find out if its a compression issue. If not, that would most likely be the better buy. Often a car runs like crap over something small and/or stupid, like dirty injectors, bad coil pack, spark plugs, spark plug wires (Miata's are prone to this), dirty fuel filter, weak or dying fuel pump, and the list goes on. As Treibenschnell said, there is a wealth of information here that can help you get it running top notch, and these guys aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

Welcome to the board, Daniel. :chug:

You'll find plenty of Texas Region/Equipe Rapide folk on here. Come and find us at the next event and introduce yourself - between jiggerachi, jolberry, and you, we'll have all you front drivers converted by the end of the season. :mrgreen:

If it isn't going to be your primary car, I'd be tempted to buy a car with a straight body and a bad motor before I bought a car with a good motor and a bad body, but that's because I'm a better mechanic than I am a paint & body man. :wink: Besides, motors are usually cheaper to fix, and junkyard Miata motors aren't that expensive at all.

Even better, $2k could net you a car with both a good motor and a decent body, if you're patient and you keep your eyes peeled. Artur1826 just recently sold a nice looking '90 with less than 100k miles on it for not much more than that.

Welcome! I would have to agree with Altiain, unless the car with the bad motor is really rough I would get it. But like Iain said, for 2k you could pick up a car with relatively few problems.

Welcome blackzx3_13! I guess your choice of cars depends on what you can do yourself and/or what you can't. Miata engines are cheap. Extensive paint, body work and body panels are not. Plus, you're more likely to score free mechanical help here than you would body work. If you've got time to get it running correctly, I'd take the straight one.

Welcome to the madness!!! Not sure I can add anything to what's been said, except hurry up and buy one - :lol:

Good luck, and keep asking questions around here. :wink:

thanks for all the replies, and all the help. I am keeping my search open to other areas of north texas, however, if any of you know of any cheap miatas for sale :wink: i am looking forward to the next scca autocross, hope to see some of you there!

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Originally Posted by blackzx3_13

I am looking forward to the next scca autocross, hope to see some of you there!

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Ya know, Equipe Rapide is a lot like SCCA but you can get 6 runs, plus usually some fun runs at the end of the day, and it's not as crowded. Thats where you will see most of us.

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Originally Posted by TurboDuane

Rapride Racing

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:scratch: :P

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Originally Posted by Majik

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Originally Posted by TurboDuane

Rapride Racing

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:scratch: :P

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Yea TurboDuane where did you read about that! :lol:

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

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Originally Posted by Majik

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Originally Posted by TurboDuane

Rapride Racing

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:scratch: :P

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Yea TurboDuane where did you read about that! :lol:

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Sorry, that's my nickname for them. I've edited it to the appropriate name for all you sticklers out there :roll:

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Originally Posted by blackzx3_13

I have a black zx3.........

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I'm sorry :lol:

BTW, early 91 Miatas also have the short crank. Serial numbers above 209446 are OK.

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Originally Posted by TurboDuane

Ya know, Equipe Rapide is a lot like SCCA but you can get 6 runs, plus usually some fun runs at the end of the day...

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Ah, no. ER doesn't do fun runs at the end of the day, except on rare occasions out at Mineral Wells on the first day of the Double Header Weekend in late fall. But they do offer 6 runs versus the SCCA's 3 or 4.*

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*ER events are typically a little less crowded and better run than SCCA events. Having said that, the SCCA's first event of this season was extremely well done. :thumrigh: Hopefully that's a trend that will continue...

Yes the first scca event went very well, and i am thinking of doing some er events this year, but its hard to get off work somtimes.

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Originally Posted by Kestrel

Ah, no. ER doesn't do fun runs at the end of the day, except on rare occasions out at Mineral Wells on the first day of the Double Header Weekend in late fall. But they do offer 6 runs versus the SCCA's 3 or 4.*

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:scratch: OK then, I stand corrected I could have swore that at least two events last year had some fun runs afterwards. Once was at Mineral Wells, and the other was at Pennington. Now I'm not real involved with ER other than I like the AutoX they setup, so both times may have been exceptions to their normal behavior. I didn't by any means attend all their AutoX's but figured they did fun runs when they finished earlier than usual, I guess I got lucky and hit their exceptional weekends. Either way, I got some fun runs in last year :tongue:


:wink:

Let's not forget about the NTS2KOC autocross series. Eight runs plus fun runs if you're willing to help with cleanup. Also, the cap is currently 55 cars so it's nice and laid back.

Hmmm...you weren't trying to keep it a secret were ya fellas? :lol:

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Originally Posted by photodavo

Hmmm...you weren't trying to keep it a secret were ya fellas? :lol:

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Quiet you! :wink:

Bad news-- miata with hail damage sold for $1000 after i offered like 1200 cash. i havent seen the other miata around town in a while, so im up in the air ritght now. also hospital bills from appendix surgery has set me back.