Miata Literature

All of a sudden I don't need a car that can do everything and the obvious answer is Miata. As I close in on purchasing one, I'd like to read up on them. What books are worth reading? Any magazine articles worth seeking out?

Depends what your goals are. What generation are you looking for, and what do you want to do with it? Are there any particular features you really want (e.g. torsen LSD)?

The site here already has a good buyer's guide: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/mazda-miata/
As well as an excellent article on how to refresh a pretty typical well-used Miata into something fairly nice, on a budget: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/trash-to-treasure/

I highly recommend buying Keith Tanner's book Mazda Miata Performance Projects (although, I don't know what the heck is with those prices, now). And I have heard good things about his Mazda MX-5 Miata: Find It. Fix It. Trick It..

There is a reason why Miata is the answer. They are incredibly well made cars and there is no bad year or notorious weak spots. The closest to that would be the "short nose crank" of the '90-'91 cars. Even that isn't a guaranteed issue or particularly difficult to fix if it is. They are simple, easy to work on, forgiving, and ultra-reliable.

I always enjoyed the bluntness of Jack Baruth http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/boomerang-basement-bolides-first-place-mazda-miata-phrt/#more-456062

And the very GRM mentality of Murilee Martin http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/11/review-2013-mazda-mx-5-miata-club/

These are only on new examples of the NC, but there wasn't a whole lot of outstanding issues to look for these in this generation. I just got done finding my own 2006, and there aren't a lot of hidden issues with these cars.

Look up the buyer's guide over at Miata.net in the garage section. There's aren't a whole lot of problem issues with Miatas, but those that exist are well covered there. Good luck w/your search.

Keith Tanner's Books

Keith is a regular here. I have two of his books and they are well written and contain a lot of Miata wisdom. Highly recommended.

I keep seeing 1990's for sale and thinking that they're on the verge of being legitimate classic cars. I'm not too worried about the mechanicals, but how easy is it to keep a 23 year old miata interior nice? In another 10 years clean unmolested early cars are going to be show car worthy.

I have a bunch of really early Miata stuff somewhere if anyone is interested. I'm talking about stuff that was written in 1989 and 1990.

Beer Baron wrote: The site here already has a good buyer's guide: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/mazda-miata/ As well as an excellent article on how to refresh a pretty typical well-used Miata into something fairly nice, on a budget: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/trash-to-treasure/ I highly recommend buying Keith Tanner's book Mazda Miata Performance Projects (although, I don't know what the heck is with those prices, now). And I have heard good things about his Mazda MX-5 Miata: Find It. Fix It. Trick It..

FYI - if you like that buyer's guide from GRM, pick up "Find it, Fix it, Trick it". That article is pretty much one of the chapters. You might notice the author's name.

If you have plans to do interesting things to the car, check out the newest book: "How to build a high performance Mazda Miata" (Amazon, Flyin' Miata, Barnes & Noble, wherever). It's more of the theory and discussion of how to increase power, improve handling, upgrade braking, etc. Not so much a "grab a 14mm wrench and remove the two bolts holding the brake caliper to the upright" book, more of "here's what weight transfer is and how you can use it".

Sample chapter.

If you want the how-to wrenching book, that's Performance Projects. I apologize for the titles, they were not of my choosing!

I should've mentioned Keith's book. I've also been thinking about his Locost book.

I'm interested in an NA or NB and the torsen would be a big plus, although my recent discovery of the OBX helical diff levels the playing field a bit. Also, there's a Copart yard near where I'm headed so that may factor into what I end up purchasing as well. I also may decide to start flipping cars if I have enough time.

The primary purpose for the car would be commuting on boring roads, but I would love to pop my autocross and track day cherries in it, so some suspension would be nice. Any Miata is going to be slower in a straight line than my current slow car so I may end up going for power down the road.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Thanks for pointing out the sample chapter. It is well written, but I actually have read quite a bit of theory over the years. My favorite was Joseph Katz's Race Car Aerodynamics and I intend to execute some ideas from that book.

I also don't mind just getting and using a shop manual for the how-to stuff. I basically want to know what works and what doesn't. What have guys found are the best spring rates to run on the street? How far can I lower the car without compromising geometry? How do I increase rear suspension travel? What mods are unusually effective? What is a waste of time?

Obviously information in regards to specific parts is time sensitive and it's impossible to cover all individual parts, but something like "coilovers in general aren't much better than koni's and springs" doesn't seem unreasonable.

What is your budget? I would probably look for a good NB. Steer away from the '99 though. You're in CA, and the '99 had an extra catalytic converter that chokes power and really chokes the ability to add more power later without removing it, which there is no CARB approved way to do.

Not familiar with the OBX. Installing the differential unit into the carrier is a much bigger deal than installing the full unit onto the car.

If you're looking for something where most of the work is done for you, I've been kicking around the idea of selling off my '94 that is prepped for auto-x and track duty, and that I've been using to commute with. It's not the prettiest or most comfortable car for commuting.

white_fly wrote: What have guys found are the best spring rates to run on the street?

That is an incomplete question. Only on the street? Primarily on the street? What sort of streets? What sort of driving style?

Stock spring rates are actually quite sufficient. The FM suspension setup is a very good sporty street setup.

How far can I lower the car without compromising geometry?

Lower than you would want to run it on the street.

How do I increase rear suspension travel?

Three options: Shorter shock bodies. Stiffer spring rates for the same ride height. Or FM has shock mounts that increase rear suspension travel. Front travel is already good. You can also put NB mounts on an NA car that will lower it about 1/2". You can combine these with coil overs/sleeves to instead maintain height but gain an extra 1/2" travel.

What mods are unusually effective? What is a waste of time?

That's tough. Tires are the single most effective change. Proper alignment probably takes second place. Thicker front sway bar is surprisingly good. Stiffening is good too. A good roll-bar is a must if you plan to go to the track, and a generally good idea no matter what. A hard top is good for both better top speed and to improve freeway MPG.

Good instruction and seat time. Seat time. Seat time.

I'm in California? Geez... sure looks like NYC out the window... Maybe I need to update that I'm actually headed to Tampa, FL so that's the location that is relevant to this post.

My budget is interesting. I'll be making decent money, but saving dough for an extended trip to Brazil is more of a priority than the car. I'm thinking $2000 plus tires. I assumed this would confine me to an NA, but Copart might open up the possibility of an NB. I will have access to a decent amount of tools and space to work on whatever car I may end up with.

In reply to Beer Baron:

Thanks for taking the time to answer those questions. A few were actually hypothetical, but you did illustrate that for many questions, the internet is the best source of information.

No, your best source of information is people who know what they're talking about. You can communicate with them via the internet or other methods, or you can read researched books. But don't confuse "internet" with "best source".

It is true that you're not going to find a cookbook printed on paper on how to set up the perfect Miata for your specific use. That information would be obsolete in about 3 months, and probably wouldn't be perfect for your changing needs anyhow. Heck, even this thread started off as "I need books" and immediately changed to "I don't need books, just tell me this information". Still, "How to build..." does have a lot of specific Miata recommendations, you can skip the chapters that are educational.

I don't like short shock bodies as a way to increase rear compression travel. You lose too much droop travel - a shorter rear body limits shaft travel. It's much more clever to play with the upper mounts. Heck, the ones we use on AFCOs are 2.5" high just to make room for the big long shock body. An NB upper mount is 0" high.

BTW, the current pricing on Performance Projects is because there was a lag before a new printing. As soon as the new copies hit the warehouses (any day now), they'll be back down to the usual sub-$20 level. The Locost book will not, as it is legitimately out of print.

Keith Tanner wrote: The Locost book will not, as it is legitimately out of print.

I think that's required of a locost book. :)

Keith Tanner wrote: I don't like short shock bodies as a way to increase rear compression travel. You lose too much droop travel - a shorter rear body limits shaft travel. It's much more clever to play with the upper mounts.

I think of it in terms of track use on very low cars. I believe it's the Koni Race shock that I've heard as a good option for dedicated track use on significantly lowered cars with stiff springs. On stock springs, it would just be a hindrance. High spring rate, shorter springs mean you've already decreased compression travel, but gained droop. A shorter body gives back some of that compression, and since the springs are stiffer, travel will be less overall.

Good around here for a place like Thunderhill where you're generally guaranteed to hit the stops through turn 8, and it upsets the car in a fast corner. Now, you can get through at full throttle anyway, but it is a bit nerve wracking.

white_fly wrote: What mods are unusually effective? What is a waste of time?

"Big brake kits" are a waste of time on '94+ cars. Rotors are big enough already. Tire adhesion is the limitation on braking ability. There are kits that put on bigger front rotors and that can actually be counterproductive since the Miata already more front-biased than necessary. Brake bias adjusters can be good for helping with that, although they give the opportunity to adjust the car wrong.

Be careful with adjustable parts on any car. If you don't know what you're doing, they just give you lots of ways to adjust the car wrong (why coil-overs are not inherently better than simple springs on shock mounts).

codrus wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: The Locost book will not, as it is legitimately out of print.

I think that's required of a locost book. :)

LOL. I've been holding on to my copy.

Keith Tanner wrote: Heck, even this thread started off as "I need books" and immediately changed to "I don't need books, just tell me this information". Still, "How to build..." does have a lot of specific Miata recommendations, you can skip the chapters that are educational.

Sorry, between moving and having the flu I haven't been communicating particularly clearly lately. I still need books, just not books about theory and not books that are like incomplete shop manuals. I need in-depth, model-specific, expert advice and I'm not opposed to paying to get it.

I used to represent an aftermarket distributor online and I'm more than aware that what a given forum has to say is not gospel, even when consensus seems to exist. However, between boolean logic and common sense there is a wealth of information to be found. Hopefully including which books about Miata's to purchase for my own use

Beer Baron wrote:

white_fly wrote: What mods are unusually effective? What is a waste of time?

"Big brake kits" are a waste of time on '94+ cars. Rotors are big enough already. Tire adhesion is the limitation on braking ability. There are kits that put on bigger front rotors and that can actually be counterproductive since the Miata already more front-biased than necessary. Brake bias adjusters can be good for helping with that, although they give the opportunity to adjust the car wrong.

As with most things, "it depends". Put a turbo on that 94+ and you'll definitely be wanting more brakes. Most of the current kits on the market include both front and rear options that preserve the bias, and even on a naturally aspirated car they often knock off 10+ pounds of unsprung weight. Brake kits are a better pound-reduction/dollar ratio than most forged wheels out there, although it's mostly non-rotating weight.

http://www.mellens.net/mazda/index.html

I am still going to toss this out there, in case you DO need books. I like having FSM's on every car I own.

Thanks! There's $100 I don't have to spend on a physical manual!