Best Miata Forum(s)

Just looking for advice on the best Miata forums (outside of GRM, of course). So far I've found:

http://forum.miata.net/ http://mazdaforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=21 http://forums.mazdaworld.org/index.php?showforum=34

Is one better than the others, or are there good ones that I'm missing?

Thanks,

DJ

This one. We've got Keith Tanner.

I'm pretty sure keith posts on miata.net as well. It's the only other one I go on. It's big. Some sections are better than others.

jstein77 wrote: This one. We've got Keith Tanner.

+1

Miata.net is a good place to go. If you ever go forced induction avoid Miataturbo.net.

Awww, you guys.

A good resource that isn't all that well known is the Miatapower mailing list. Not as far into experimental cheap stuff as, say, Miataturbo, but a lot more grown up. Miata.net (aka miataforum.com) is the big daddy though.

Miataturbo.net if you want turbo information.

Miata.net if you want wood/crome/aluminum trim.

Clubroadster.net if you want frame dragging and low offset wheels.

Roadsterdrift.com if you like to drift.

There's a lot more tech information on Miata.net than the other forums like to imply.

Some of the cars on Clubroadster have to be seen to be believed. Amazing.

Word of advice, be careful on miata.net. When I was more active there, the typical forum goer tended to be rather close minded when it came to new ideas about things you can do to your miata. They do have the best tech out there, just be warned that any mods beyond a certain few will get you all kinds of flak. For example, I once asked if the spoiler that my car had when I bought it was a factory option and one of the mods then told me it was ugly and he would never put it on any car instead of just saying "no, it was a dealer installed option."

This is the spoiler in question:

Meanwhile, on the other forums, you'll get abused simply because you're new :) Hey, there are jerks everywhere.

That spoiler actually looks a lot like the one used on the Canadian 1993 25th anniversary edition - that's the black car with the red interior. The US models never got it.

Miata.net's a strange place. I can never quite figure out why some behavior is A-OK and other things we'll get you smacked down quick.

Tim,

Keith wrote: there are jerks everywhere.

thatsnowinnebago wrote: I once asked if the spoiler that my car had when I bought it was a factory option and one of the mods then told me it was ugly and he would never put it on any car

that spoiler IS ugly, and i also would never put it on any car.

but yeah, miata.net people run the gamut from cool to stuck up to just plain strange. kind of like real life.

Miata.net also has that strange guy that was doing bad things to an sts2 miata for awhile, and is now back to playing with civics I believe.....

More forums need to be like Miataturbo.

Then again, I enjoy Corner-Carvers.

Yeah, recommending that someone go to Miataturbo to learn the basics of turbocharging Miatas is like suggesting that someone watch Ferrari build F1 cars through a window to learn basic automotive theory. The guys inside might know what they're doing, but if you're not allowed to ask questions and they freak out and scream at you when they notice you watching, you're not going to learn anything, and probably walk away hating Ferarris. Thats Miataturbo in a nutshell.

I never posted on Miataturbo, only lurked. Tends to be a frat house atmosphere and not like the cool naked chicks running everywhere type of frat house but more like the "lets see how many beer cans we can crush on our forehead and then give a swirly to somebody" type.

Miata.net can be ok, lots of great info there but most of the regulars tend to be sheep. They like to go along with the popular opinion. Want to build your own roll bar? They'll say just buy a Hard dog! Want to build you own turbo kit? Just buy a Begi! Seems like quite a few of them have more money than ambition.......

GRM is still the best forum. Quite a few Miata owners who have actually worked on their cars and none of the pretentious attitudes.

then again, it is cheaper and faster to simply buy a HD instead of the tooling and materials to build you own miata rollbar.

i think that's one of the issues that arises around a car that has such a well-established and large enthusiast base and aftermarket. a lot if times, it becomes cheaper to simply buy the part, and some people don't get why you would choose another route. some people get a kick out of making their own, and some get a bigger kick from driving. both sides can come off as pretentious.

I was a lot more active on Miata.net last year. I was relatively new to the MX5 world and there is a lot of good information on the Suspension and Performance Driving forums. I have not been there much lately. A large chuck of the suspension forum content is"What is the best suspension?" questions. Pretty soon you know all the standard answers. The autocrossers on the driving forums are an interesting bunch though.

More anti-social behavior is tolerated there than here. I managed to get flamed on my third post on Miata.net because I said good things about Keith and Shaikh Ahmad (owner of Fatcat Motorsports). One of the regulars on the suspension forum had a personal crusade against Fatcat that only he understood. It has calmed down since then.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, guys. Keith's books will be my first purchase!

For some reason miata.net hasn't been coming up for me at work over the past few days. Must be a firewall thing...

DJ

thatsnowinnebago wrote: Word of advice, be careful on miata.net. When I was more active there, the typical forum goer tended to be rather close minded when it came to new ideas about things you can do to your miata. They do have the best tech out there, just be warned that any mods beyond a certain few will get you all kinds of flak. For example, I once asked if the spoiler that my car had when I bought it was a factory option and one of the mods then told me it was ugly and he would never put it on any car instead of just saying "no, it was a dealer installed option." This is the spoiler in question:

Scary. My car has the same wing roll bar and wheels, only my car is red.

Miata.net is great for engine, chassis, or track driving info, but ask about changing any appearance item, i.e. low profile headlights or a different style bumper, you will feel the wrath. I never understood this. I can imagine quite a few new guys asking legit questions like that got flamed and never came back. Other than that, its top notch.

Appleseed wrote: Miata.net is great for engine, chassis, or track driving info, but ask about changing any appearance item, i.e. low profile headlights or a different style bumper, you will feel the wrath. I never understood this. I can imagine quite a few new guys asking legit questions like that got flamed and never came back. Other than that, its top notch.

Thats mostly because every pop up alternative, be it low-pros or flush mounts, SUCK in terms of light output, and other than the M2-1001 fascia, every aftermarket fascia (with the exception of full conversions like the Italia, or maybe the RB type II) is a total abomination. Just saying.

Wowak wrote: M2-1001 fascia, every aftermarket fascia

Does google image search.....

Nosir, i don't like it. The NA looks better with a front bumper that slopes back under the car instead of being vertical like that. Just my opinion.

Now THIS on the other hand, what could be better looking than the generic kombat ninjuh bataroid shoshamwow kit?

MCarp22 wrote:

An interesting point to that front end is it has a larger front opening to channel more air to the rad/intercooler as well as openings that could serve oil coolers.

In reply to Xceler8x:

For those unhappy with the current offerings, http://www.newmiata.com/ is up and running

More liberal posting rules and additional content is being added constantly