Letter from a reader

A reader sent me this letter and I thought I would share it with you. My answer is in the first response and yes, I still get up early Saturday morning and answer email, as it is too dark to go out and work on cars.

Dear Tim,

I really enjoy your magazines! It's almost like Christmas when they come in the mail every month.

GRM has owned many project cars over the years. From reading GRM and Classic motor sports, your favorites include a 240Z, one MG midget, and a turbo and spec miata. If you had to keep only one, which one would it be?

Also which brand is more reliable Datsun or MG (seriously)? And how do classic Datsuns compare to 90s mazdas in reliability?

I currently have an MGB and wish to sell it and autocross / rally a 1st gen. miata or 240z. Obviously I need to do some test driving, but what do you think?

Thanks for the input, Matt

Matt,

First thanks for the nice letter.

Each of our staff members might have different answers, and I think I will throw your letter up on our message board to see how they and our readers answer your questions, but here is my shot at it.

If I had to keep only one car, I would probably kill myself. I am not sure I could do it. If I could narrow it down to three, it would probably be an E30 M3, an early Miata and my Sunbeam Tiger. If I was forced to make a choice, the Miata offers the best bang for the buck, but if I needed a roof and was on a budget an 89 325is is a miraculous car.

I would have to give the nod to reliability to the Datsun. That said, if you use them regularly and take care of them, British cars are way more reliable than their reputation would have you believe. Old BMWs have them both beat.

Mazdas had some reliability issues in the 90s, most notably with the 3rd Gen. RX-7 engines, but for the most part they are great cars. 90s Miatas are amazingly well built cars and other than a crank shaft issue on the very first ones are nearly indestructible. We have a 90 Miata with well over 200,000 miles on it.

As much as I love 240Zs, the Miata will blow it away in every category, except straight line speed and a Miata is probably the best handling inexpensive car ever made. You also get real air conditioning as a bonus!

Another dark horse here that doesn't get much ink is the Porsche Boxster. You will be hearing a lot more about these cars in GRM, as they are just now getting into the price range where everyone can afford one. Think Miata on steroids... 200 hp, way more butch looks, and and exhaust wail that will change your life the way your first girl friend did.

Tim Suddard Publisher: Grassroots Motorsports Classic Motorsports

Don't forget that the Z has style. In spades. Not that E 30s and Miatas don't have any, just that the 240Z has more.

A boxster is MORE masculine than a miata?

The Big Boss Man wrote:

"If I had to keep only one car, I would probably kill myself."

I LOL'd at that.

If I could only have one car that had to do everything, I'd probably look for an E34 or E39. although a 4-door E30 or E36 would work too. 528 wagon with stick and sport package (did they "sport" the wagons?) would be killer.

every word of Tim's is true, but to directly answer the letter, i'd choose the 240z only because I've never had one.

Best. Letter. EVER

"... and an exhaust wail that will change your life the way your first girl friend did."

If the Suddard household is anything like mine, this line will earn Tim a pitying look from Margie and an outraged "Dad!! EEEWWW!!" from Tommy.

How about the concerns with Boxster engine reliability? Can you get decent rollbars for Boxsters for track use?

Can't say I find the convertible's styling particularly compelling, but I am looking forward to the days that the Cayman is affordable.

And if he does not say that you better see what he has been up to!!!!!!!!!!!!

AngryCorvair wrote: If I could only have one car that had to do everything, I'd probably look for an E34 or E39. although a 4-door E30 or E36 would work too. 528 wagon with stick and sport package (did they "sport" the wagons?) would be killer.

They did "sport" the wagons. Generally speaking, when you see an e39 wagon, if the window trim is chrome, no sport package. Blacked out trim (called "Shadowline") = sport package.

As to the original question, I've owned e30 BMW's and Miatas and loved them both. The styling of the e30 is more attractive to me.

Imported 318 touring (wagon) with a five speed and the Downing Atlanta supercharger

I'm sorry, I have to agree with the Z as well. Classic E-type styling with Datsun L6 reliability, great go power and the handling deficiencies of the stock suspension can be dealt with readily available coil-over conversions or even an engineered Tokico spring and shock set with some Suspension Techniques sway bars.

FWIW, I'm at the point where I had to make a choice on what stays in my garage. I have a really nice 1993 Miata with a lot of nice bolt ons and 1975 Datsun 280Z that I'm converting over to a turbo and I cannot afford to keep both. The Miata wins on the practical side but the Datsun wins me over on the emotional side. I've spent a lot of time driving both and while the Miata is pretty much done and 100% reliable I've decided to go with spending hundred of hours whipping the Z into shape and rebuilding most of it to make it exactly what I want. Even as a rat it's a joy to drive and gets lots more compliments than the Miata ever does.

Score one more vote for a nostalgic Japanese sportscar.

At the end of the day a Mini does it for me. A Mini pickup especially. Though I would feel a tremendous sense of loss without my GTV or Duetto.

mtn wrote: Imported 318 touring (wagon) with a five speed and the Downing Atlanta supercharger

That may be the most perfect car every constructed.

I drive/track a 240Z and a Miata. Despite a major body kit, boy ricer exhaust (it came with the car and I haven't gotten around to it yet), 17" Tenzo-R rims, and lots of other bling, nobody notices the Miata. Conversely, the Z does everything from turning heads to stopping traffic (literally) as people react to it.

I love road racing and also run autocross from time to time, so I like a car that corners. The Miata out-turns the Z, even with about $4000 in suspension upgrades on the Z. However, neither car is pushed to its cornering limit in day to day driving. The Z, however, rewards me every single time I step on the go-pedal.

The straight 6's roar is a masterpiece (triple Mikunis top it off), and the power makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. You can't find a corner to stump the Z on the street, but you can sure feel the difference between the Miata and the Z off the line or passing on the freeway.

David_Chong wrote: The straight 6's roar is a masterpiece (triple Mikunis top it off), and the power makes me giggle like a schoolgirl......

I used to race a straight six on a roundy track. I still wet my pants and get all giddy every time I hear one (even if it has a fart can)winding through the gears. Miatae make good racers, and return good fun per dollar, but give me the E-30.

Project Schmoject. Think the ties at any other big time car mag would sit down in the dark to talk to a consumer?

You're never too big for your britches, reaffirming my faith in GRM.

Dan

Yes, actually. Larry Webster would, he's a real car guy. One of us. In fact, it's probably fair to say that everyone who works at a car magazine is a car guy.

I agree with Keith. Does Larry still run his ITA CRX that was featured in C&D? Either way, I was at a track day with him, and he was just another car guy, hanging out and helping out. I followed him on track later in the day - him in a borrowed Miata and me in a modified Saturn SL2 - and he totally smoked me.

Back to the original question. Further proof that the answer to everything at GRM seems to be Miata, E30, or P71. Though E36s are coming down in price, too. I've got a lead on one for a very Challenge friendly price. And I already have a Miata. The combination would be great for me - both RWD with LSD, the Miata great for summer and fuel efficiency, the Bimmer more practical with room for people and cargo... (Same goes for the E30, as well.) If I had to choose one of them or the other, I'm not sure what I'd pick. I might have to follow suit with Tim at that point, because I'd hate to give either up.

I think I could probably settle on a single motorbike if I'm really under pressure, but a single car? Nothing comes to mind...

Actually, back when I had my business failed "out of money" experience and needed a cheap only car, I bought a Lancia HPE. Something like that would probably work, just about, as it handled OK, was fun to drive and still practical enough for me.

914Driver wrote: Project Schmoject. Think the ties at any other big time car mag would sit down in the dark to talk to a consumer? ... Dan

Tim in a tie? What has the world come to?

Oh, and I am looking for a Boxster in the next 2-3 years.

245,000 on Lacy now. And still going strong!

ww wrote: Classic E-type styling with Datsun L6 reliability

Hmmmm...I hope you're right about the reliability of the inline six L-series motors. I know that many people are rather fond of the L28. OTOH, the L24(e) I've been fighting with for several days is a major headache.

If you are going to have only one car to play with, I would vote for the Datsun Z car....you can scratch the itch for something new and different from the MGB. With some sorting it would be a fairly reliable car you can drive, tune, and have fun with, but still a bit of a classic, and not something you see everyday.

If you want more reliability and the decision is a more practical one, I would vote Miata, but if I were in your shoes, I would take the Miata as one of two cars, and have something like an MG or an early Z car for a different experience and a car that isn't a dime a dozen.