Ok, is ~this~ the Miata I buy?

Since the fiasco of the beat-to-sh1t '93 Miata LE I looked at around Xmas I've continued the "passive search" - seeing if anything really good shows up. This afternoon I saw and drove one that I'm seriously considering buying.

It's a 1990 which I like for simplicity and for MD allowing historic tags on anything 20 years old. It's red over black which I like the best of the colors that year. No rust, all original paint, no dents or dings. Interior and top are very good. Trunk looks like it's never been used. 100% bone stock but for an aftermarket head unit and speakers, and a set of 15x7 Team Dynamics wheels in bronze w/ a mostly used up set of Azenis 615s mounted. Also included and not yet installed is a new clutch and a set of SS brake lines. The car is very clean, but wasn't just cleaned - it's well kept. A set of original "daisy" wheels is included.

It drives very well. Pulls strongly, shifts perfectly, everything works. It felt like it was under damped on a few hard corners on rippled pavement. I'll say that w/ 124k miles it's due for shocks and bushings, and that the sticky tires were getting the best of the tired suspension.

When we talked price he'd indicated his bottom line was $3500 on my inquiry of "you're asking $4000?" (I've looked at 100s of Miata listings the past couple days) but when I just checked it appears to be listed at $3500 now.

I'm ready to call the guy and work out a price. Would a clean, straight '90 w/ good wheels be poorly bought at $3250?

Thanks in advance for the comments, and yes, I'll share the listing if I don't buy it.

It depends on your location -- that's a great price in Canada. No matter what you buy someone will have gotten a better deal, and will be more than happy to tell you so. But rather than worrying about it, I'd say that if the car feels right to you, then make the purchase.

I presume you've read all about the short-nose crank concerns on 1990 Miatas (we've had three with short-noses, and one failure). The short-nose issue would not keep me from a car that was straight, clean, and pulled strongly.

I was doomed from the start.

I just bought it for $3200. The guy is going to drop it off at my place tomorrow evening.

In the sphere of GRM I reckon this restores some of the credibility I give up on the cubic dollars I have in my M3 track rat...

Well-played -- it looks great in that picture. It appears to have a tonneau cover over the roof.

At $3200, that is a great buy!

Yes that is a good price. Most early Miatas need a lot of freshening - dead paint, dead interior. If that one is as good as you describe, its a great price.

Conventional wisdom on Miata purchasing is to buy based on condition, not based on age. Typically Miatas come two ways; driven regularly and it show or babied and cared for and it shows. I believe yours is the latter.

Once you forget the year, a 124k mile car bought for $3250 is a bargain. Imagine if it was a 2000 model year with 124k. Sure, 10 years newer but run twice as hard each year it has been on the road. That car would cost you more like double your purchase price.

Well done.

I'm reasonably sure I saw that car on Craigslist in the last two days. nice buy dude, go have some fun with that thing

Nice score! I was going to advise you to go for it anyway. The short crank issue is something to be aware of, but not a showstopper for me (my first Miata was a 90). For the price you paid, if your engine does die, you can swap in a 92-93 (or upgrade to a 1.8), and THEN you'll have about as much into the car as it's worth.

Great buy. Now go spend the rest of your money at Flyin' Miata.

White_and_Nerdy wrote: Nice score! I was going to advise you to go for it anyway. The short crank issue is something to be aware of, but not a showstopper for me (my first Miata was a 90). For the price you paid, if your engine does die, you can swap in a 92-93 (or upgrade to a 1.8), and THEN you'll have about as much into the car as it's worth.

my instructor at this weekend's autocross school has a '90 Miata that has been raced for 20 years. Scott's the second owner, and the first owner raced it from day one, and Scott has been racing it ever since he got it. still going strong, still begging for more. I'm thinking the old 1.6s can last if they don't experience the short crank issues that scare most people away from them

and I VERY much second what Marty! suggested. I'd start with the Afco shocks, myself...

Nice find. I really like those wheels, and broze/red is an awesome combo.

Short cranks merely make the car susceptible to bad mechanics. Clearly if the motor has survived this long it is a good one.
I have salvaged more miata than I want to count and one constant is to pull the head and still see the crosshatching in the bores. BP motors are overbuilt and can withstand the average hamfisted maintenance schedule.

Nice car! I think you did just fine at $3,200. You absolutely could have spent less, but would have spent a lot more getting the car to where it is now. Sometimes it's just nice to pay a bit more and get a car that doesn't need a ton of work right off the bat. I generally fail to follow this route.

...and I even like the wheels.

Looks like a good deal to me

That looks really clean, good buy. I'm liking the wheels too

Done deal, dude.

It's in the driveway, the "daisy" wheels are stacked in the garage with the brand new Exedy clutch and Russell brake lines on top.

I'll read the owners manual tonight then do a bit of research. I should be able to give it a once over on the weekend and make a list of "to order" stuff.

Timing belt/seals/water pump/crank pulley key+bolt for sure, fluids all around, put the SS brake lines on, shocks, springs, bushings, sway bars. Tires. Regular tune-up stuff....

motomoron wrote: Done deal, dude. Timing belt/seals/water pump/crank pulley key+bolt for sure, fluids all around, put the SS brake lines on, shocks, springs, bushings, sway bars. Tires. Regular tune-up stuff....

...Rollbar, Butterfly Brace, FM turbo kit for sure...

Nice score!!!