'91 Miata and $6000 cash in the bank, or '04 Mazdaspeed Miata?

I have a '91 Miata in excellent condition (see avatar) with no rust, service records back to 1992, 112K mi, never wrecked, runs great, newish top, 2-yr-old Star Specs, new Excel-G struts and Fat Cat 46mm bumpstops. Its only problem is that it leaves a quarter-sized oil spot every time I shut it off. I had planned to install a new clutch and replace the rear main seal this winter, and replace the tranny seals while I had it out. (The CAS and valve cover seals are fine - I replaced them already.)

A trusted friend is selling an '04 Mazdaspeed Miata with 56K miles for $10K. It is in near-showroom condition and needs nothing. I've driven it and it's nice.

Should I sell the '91 (I'm thinking $4K FIRM) and buy the 'speed, or stick with Ol' Blue and keep the $6K difference in my pocket? I don't have the space to keep them both. The answer is always Miata...but which one would you choose?

A stock Mazdaspeed is pretty underwhelming in my opinion. I would keep the 91 and the 6k difference. I probably wouldnt start thinking hard about it until the difference was about 2-3k.

In the case of a 1.6 car vs. Mazdaspeed, i'd disagree, depending on what your goals would be with either car.

'91 Miata with $6k gift certificate from Flying Miata.

I'd keep the rust-free NA. You won't get $4k for it with that oil leak anyway.

JohnRW1621 wrote: '91 Miata with $6k gift certificate from Flying Miata.

Ding Ding Ding

Just remember with the MSM you need about another 2-4K to fix everything the factory did wrong on the car. My MSM was a love hate relationship....One I would never repeat.

Sell yours, fork over another grand, keep 5K in your pocket and buy this one. Nothing underwhelming about this one(212whp). Don't know why, but Miatas seem to be really cheap here in Mass. http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/cto/4656054723.html

ANY forced induction setup you can build is going to start out as fast as a Mazdaspeed is. One of my best local friends is trapping ~120mph on a 7y/o $129 ebay turbo and ss autochrome exhaust manifold. You couldn't E36 M3 out a turbo setup lazier than a stock Mazdaspeed's. Hitting stock Mazdaspeed power is easy. The suspension differences between a 91 and a mazdaspeed don't amount to more than a grand or a bit more, if i'm guessing well.

Plus, if I was going to build a turbo setup for a Miata i'd try very hard to build one that is less annoying to work on then the Mazdaspeed setup. I did some major work to a Mazdaspeed last January and was not pleased. "Asinine" is the shortest way to describe it.

I don't think a Mazdaspeed is in any way shape or form 2.5X the car an NA is.

1. Keep your car
2. Call flyinmiata tell them you have $$$$$ to spend 3.?????
3. Profit

Keep the 91. 6 grand can take you a long way.

'91 mazda and flying miata turbo kit using megasquirt pnp.

Keep 91, the Mazdaspeed is garbage in stock form.

I sold a 90 Miata with 160k miles to buy a Mazdaspeed. The paint is better, the chassis feels much stiffer (newer, mostly), and the interior is just nicer. My plan from the start included the FM Little Enchilada (at a minimum) and possibly an ECU upgrade. After 6 years, I've just now swapped the ECU. The LE kit was enough to fix most of the issues. When the stock Bilstein struts wear out, I'll probably spring for some coil-overs. For me, it's a much better daily driver than the 1.6 Miata.

If you need to pass an emissions test, the early car would be less worry to turbo (being ODB1). I choose the Mazdaspeed so that I could have a turbo and not worry about emissions testing.

Autocrossing a Mazdaspeed can be a bit frustrating. The gearing is wrong (lots of 2-3 shifts) and the ECU causes power to come on suddenly and late. Plus, it just doesn't feel as alive as an early chassis.

I bought a MSM new back in 05-06. I sold it within a few months. While a beautiful Miata with a nice interior and paint, I really did not enjoy driving it. I hated the 6 speed, the low redline and the way the boost came on.

I recommend keeping your awesome sounding NA. They are ever more difficult to find in good condition.

I have a 1990 with a Mazdaspeed engine and FM II turbo. So, umm... I guess I have no idea what you should do

I owned both simultaneously and enjoyed both immensely, albeit for completely different reasons. As a daily driver, the stock 1.6L was 95% of the fun 95% of the time and was the bang for the buck champion. Yet for all its shortcomings, if I was going to own a mostly stock NA/NB of my choosing again, it would be another Lava Orange MSM.

That being said, it basically just comes down to your personal driving preferences, and how much you value the price difference. From one point of view, even assuming you'll keep it until they're worth the same amount, it's a pretty small amount in the grand scheme of depreciation over the years of ownership. On the other hand, it's still more than double the price and whatever you lose is just money being thrown out the window.

If I wanted a more modified Miata that was genuinely quick, I would be searching for an NA w/ FMII already installed for less than the MSM would cost.

Keith Tanner wrote: I have a 1990 with a Mazdaspeed engine and FM II turbo. So, umm... I guess I have no idea what you should do

For all I have learned from Keith, THIS did not help!

My brother bought a 'Speed last fall mostly because of the 15 or so Miatas I have owned. It is a great car for what it is. He is a hands-off guy that keeps the oil changed, the car impeccably clean, and sees that it will get any attention it needs. He bought his '05 with just a tad over 10k miles and is pushing 14 now. The car is a nice weather commuter and a weekend play toy. He most likely wont upgrade anything until I tell him he needs it and then it won't be to race standards as his goal is comfort not all out speed.

Pick a goal for the car and yourself. If the seller is really a trusted friend, ask if you can use he car for a week and get to know it, a day or two isn't going to let you settle in. Then decide if the 'Speed is really for you.

Looks like "keep the '91" is the consensus here. Which is good, because I handwashed it last night and took it for a drive, and re-realized how much I love it and why.

You guys are like the drinking buddy who convinces you to stick with your wife and forget about the hot new girl at work. Thanks!

Nothing like a hand wash and taking the old gal for a ride to rekindle those feelings.

In reply to bluebarchetta:

Tell us more about this new hot girl at work.

Boost is fun. You already have a solid miata. It would be cheap to throw a turbo on it if you wished. Everything I've learned about the mazdaspeed miata is that (for me) I'm better off looking elsewhere for giggles in that price range.

In reply to bluebarchetta:

Darn I was just about to start talking my wife into letting me buy a miata. I won't ever forgive myself for letting mine go.

Learn from my big mistake. Keep it until you can't drive it anymore.

mndsm wrote: Keep the 91. 6 grand can take you a long way.

X2!