New Miata Owner

LilPixieMama75

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2015 Mazda3 Hatchback...(RIP)'02.5 Vivid Yellow 5-SPD MP5
I picked up a 1990 Miata 5-speed today. She joins my fleet of cars...'02.5 Protege5, '93 Mustang GT, '88 Mustang GT, & '00 Mercury Villager.

She needs some TLC. From what I can tell, she was originally Mariner Blue (From inside the engine bay, the door jambs, & where paint is chipping off) and repainted a navy blue. The previous owner said it was a single stage paint with the clear coat mixed (gee...just like my Vivid Yellow P5). He said he painted it in 2 hrs outside...So that ought to tell you how great of a paint job that is. There are several spots where Bondo was applied but not sanded down all that well.

It needs a new top...Several holes that were taped on the inside with some fantastic purple duct tape! The gauge surround is missing so I'll have to hunt one down. The hazard lights button is missing as well as the button that goes under it. The stereo needs the proper installation kit as the one that's in there is too big and is just pushed in the hole. Just some miscellaneous things it needs but it's in good shape structurally and mechanically from what I can tell. I pulled a Carfax and according to it, it hasn't been in a reported accident.

I'm unsure of the actual mileage. He told me 121,000 (the odometer says 122,000 now) the last mileage report on the Carfax was 212,230 on 06.21.05. He says they told him the engine had been replaced but there is no proof of it so who knows. I'll have to start investigating it as I pick through everything.

The interior isn't in bad shape. The carpet looks real good, just dirty...Needs mats. There is a tear in the driver's seat in the back bolster...But that looks common to me after looking at so many. It just needs a good cleaning & detailing.

I bought her with the intention of it being a project so I knew she wasn't going to be a show car. I think I got a fair deal considering it runs. LOL!

So...Here are some pics...

MiataFront.jpg

You can see the Mariner Blue paint under the navy blue. The lights seem to be stuck in the up position so I am assuming the motors might need to be replaced, too.

MiataSide.jpg

You can see the Bondo issue on the fender. I thought it was crinkled that bad, but it's a bad Bondo job.

MiataBack.jpg

The lock is missing for the truck. It's rigged somehow & I need to ask my Husband how the guy showed him to open it. Add that to my list of things to fix. The taillight is cracked so I'll need to replace that as well.

MiataBackSide.jpg


MiataFrontSide.jpg


MiataDriverSideInterior.jpg

The Mariner Blue almost looks neon in this pic. You can see how bad it needs to be cleaned.

MiataInterior.jpg

The seats aren't in bad shape.

MiataStereo.jpg

You can see what's missing here.

MiataBackWindow.jpg

He replaced the back window by bolting it on. You actually have to unbolt it to put the top down. It's definitely going to need a new top & that will probably be number one on my list of things to replace.

MiataEngine.jpg

Engine compartment is pretty clean.

Thanks for looking. Be prepared for me to ask tons more questions in the future. LOL!
 
Not bad for $1k.

re: radio: It's not missing a cover. the radio is supose to mount behind the center console surrounding the A/C controls, etc.
 
Not bad for $1k.

re: radio: It's not missing a cover. the radio is supose to mount behind the center console surrounding the A/C controls, etc.
LOL! I realized that after I got to inspect in in person. Looks like they put in the wrong installation kit because it's too big to fit behind the surround. I'm going to pick up on that fits right.
 
For 1k, I don't think it looks too bad. I've seen worse honestly. A little sprucing up and it'll be in good shape :)

Just an FYI, from what I've been told (by cops), a car with the trunk lock busted out is an indication that the car may have been boosted at one point. IE: It's something they look for because apparently it's pretty commonly used by car thieves. May not be a bad idea to get a new one, or get a new set of re-keyed locks.
 
(woowoo) New Miata Project thread...Keep us updated with LOTS of (pics)

You should call it...Project TLC...this Miata needs to smile again. :D
 
actually, if you take a good look, for being in that kind of shape, it *IS* smiling! :p
 
Congrats!! I'm glad you finally picked her up. Replace that top ASAP so you can enjoy the upcoming spring weather :).
 
For 1k, I don't think it looks too bad. I've seen worse honestly. A little sprucing up and it'll be in good shape :)

Just an FYI, from what I've been told (by cops), a car with the trunk lock busted out is an indication that the car may have been boosted at one point. IE: It's something they look for because apparently it's pretty commonly used by car thieves. May not be a bad idea to get a new one, or get a new set of re-keyed locks.
I'm going to re-key the whole thing.

(woowoo) New Miata Project thread...Keep us updated with LOTS of (pics)

You should call it...Project TLC...this Miata needs to smile again. :D
Most definitely.

actually, if you take a good look, for being in that kind of shape, it *IS* smiling! :p
It's a smiling catfish! I'm going to add some whiskers to the front of it. LOL!

Congrats!! I'm glad you finally picked her up. Replace that top ASAP so you can enjoy the upcoming spring weather :).
I'm picking up a replacement top tomorrow that I snagged for FREE! I'm picking up a back window for the replacement top from Kurt today along with some other parts he has that I need.
 
I'm going to re-key the whole thing.
Good, just wanted to make sure :)

It's a smiling catfish! I'm going to add some whiskers to the front of it. LOL!
LOLZ hello kitty miata? Oh geez, please don't paint it pink!

I'm picking up a replacement top tomorrow that I snagged for FREE! I'm picking up a back window for the replacement top from Kurt today along with some other parts he has that I need.
Sweet! So you come right by my house and don't even stop by to say hi? I see how it us (bicker)

:p
 
You got everything I want by the looks of it . I would personally start chopping down one of those mustangs to do a monster maita conversion (naughty) that way next time someone calls it gay you can get on the throttle a little and watch them pee their pants .
 
LOLZ hello kitty miata? Oh geez, please don't paint it pink!

Sweet! So you come right by my house and don't even stop by to say hi? I see how it us (bicker)

:p
God no! No pink for me. I think it's going to be revived in Laser Blue or something real similar.

I'd picked up my parts (back window, tail lights, hazard/lights switch, & brake booster) on the way back from the Renaissance Festival this afternoon. I waved as I drove by! :P

You got everything I want by the looks of it . I would personally start chopping down one of those mustangs to do a monster maita conversion (naughty) that way next time someone calls it gay you can get on the throttle a little and watch them pee their pants .
It's a base model with no frills. :( No Monster Miata for me. I can't do that to one of the Mustangs. It's going 1.8L though.
 
So...Here's the good news...I got the switch for the lights & hazards this weekend. We installed it tonight and the headlight motors are excellent! I guess the jacktard broke the original switch & never replaced it. It was so simple. I changed out the tail lights, also, so no more broken ones! YAY! We got a Miata-sized battery today, too. It had a large non-Miata sized one wedged in there. Now I have a little one that fits.

I'm still trying to get a top. Someone posted up a free one that just needed to be picked up on miata.net in Buckhead. I contacted him & asked if he still had it. He said yes & something about picking it up Sunday around 3-4pm. Still haven't heard from him. He hasn't even replied to my last E-mail. Arrggh! I knew it needed a back window so I picked one up this weekend, too!

My husband has been working on the brakes today. He bled them and got a ton of air out of the lines. They are still really soft. He said it's a vacuum issue and he'll look into it further tomorrow.
 
My husband has been working on the brakes today. He bled them and got a ton of air out of the lines. They are still really soft. He said it's a vacuum issue and he'll look into it further tomorrow.

I don't think soft brakes will be a vacuum issue. A bad vac source will lead to a much harder, yet less effective pedal.

The rear brakes can be a bit of a chore at times to bleed as they are shared from a single line from the front (as opposed to the front brakes which have their own independant lines). Try bleeding the hell out of the rear left brake until you see clean fluid, then move to the rear right. There's no particular order in which the front's need to be bled.
 
It's a base model which makes it have everything needed: nothing :)
LOL! Nah...The Mustang is too pretty to take it's engine away. It deserves a good home.

I don't think soft brakes will be a vacuum issue. A bad vac source will lead to a much harder, yet less effective pedal.

The rear brakes can be a bit of a chore at times to bleed as they are shared from a single line from the front (as opposed to the front brakes which have their own independant lines). Try bleeding the hell out of the rear left brake until you see clean fluid, then move to the rear right. There's no particular order in which the front's need to be bled.
I will pass that info to him. He was thinking it being a vacuum issue because we started it up & let it run...Every time he pushed the brake pedal in, the idle would drop...Almost sounding like the engine was going to stall. I read in some posts on miata.net that previous owner posted up about the "irratic" idle but he never fully explained the issue for anyone to give him a clear answer. After witnessing it, this must be what he was talking about. I'll tell my husband about the "bleeding" order so he can try it tomorrow.
 
Check to see if the tube between the brake booster and the "hard line" has been replaced. The stocker has a check valve in place and if the line has been replaced, it might cause an issue.
 
Also, make sure to adjust the rear parking brake as that would cause a 'low' pedal often confused with a soft pedal..
 

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