That's a funny looking S2000 I just agreed to buy...

<squints>

The shape looks awfully familiar but I can't quite put my finger to it as to why...

Hmmm.

Ah, I know, that's because it looks like a Miata .

1995 Montego Blue with Leather and all the other toys, 125k on the clock. Has a very recent Robbins top (owner did a very good job fitting that, it's fitting as well as the OEM one), radiator and a bunch of the a/c parts replaced. Almost completely unmodified - well it was modified for towing behind an RV.

Needs the usual shifter rubbers seals, a new washer bottle, an alignment (bad) and most likely a clutch slave cylinder. And the window regulators lubricated. In other words, the standard NA Miata fixes. Oh, and I need to look into a slight stutter/hesitation under acceleration while it's warming up.

Next on the shopping list are snow tires for "just in case" moments as it'll do a lot of DD duties, and a hardtop, plus possibly a Hard Dog rollbar. General idea is to use it as a fuel saving commuter and do the odd track day/HPDE during summer. Maybe often enough so I don't have to buy another Elise to keep up with the other Miata drivers.

It'll be my fourth Miata and the first one with the 1.8 - so far I've only had 1.6s (two N/A ones and one that had been badly turboed). Jumping in this one felt like putting on your favourite pair of comfy shoes.

Yeah, yeah, pitchers will be uploaded once I actually have possession of the car .

Nicely done! As much as I loathed my 1.6 NA Miata, I want a 1.8/Torsen one just as badly. And the color sounds delicious!

Should look just like this... Well done!

Me likes, but untill we see pics we're going to assume you picked up a 1996 Lumina with a huge "3" on the side.

Nah it was an '86 Monte Carlo SS

Or one of these - who knows.

Well this is awkward, I too just bought a 95 montego blue miata. Mine has 220k on it though.

Hotlink fixed for your pleasure

possibly a Hard Dog rollbar

Regarding miatas, i would not use "possibly" to describe getting a roll bar. Id rather have a roll bar for year-round "just in case" protection than a set of snow tires for 0.3-year-round protection. All it takes is to slide sideways into a curb at running speed to kill you in a miata without a rollbar.

Actually snow tires are 1/2 year protection round here, or longer. Last year it snowed on Memorial Day weekend, this year it snowed on June 1st...

It's more an order of priority thing - the rears are pretty worn anyway so the tires need sorting out fairly quickly, the hoop can wait a little.

I was hoping you'd say a Miata with an S2000 drivetrain

Congrats on the purchase!

Are you E36 M3ting me? A month putting up with your what car threads and you decided to buy the car that was probably the first recommendation in the first post on your first thread?

Yes .

Actually I was pretty much set on an S2000, but both of our 4x4s have been a bit sickly recently so it looks like the money has been reallocated to the "buy a better SUV" fund.

In reply to Osterkraut:

If it makes you feel better I did not buy a Miata today. Probably won't tomorrow either.

Wally wrote: In reply to Osterkraut: If it makes you feel better I did not buy a Miata today. Probably won't tomorrow either.

Marry me.

Osterkraut wrote:

Wally wrote: In reply to Osterkraut: If it makes you feel better I did not buy a Miata today. Probably won't tomorrow either.

Marry me.

Stop trying to change his mind . . .

PO was kind enough to drop it off this morning, so here we have a couple of pictures as requested:

As standard as they come, apart from the alarm (yuck). Has a new top (Robbins), new radiator and a bunch of other new parts. For some odd reason it's had the hood and front fenders replaced but there's not record of any accident (plus the crossmembers underneath don't have any marks on them, I checked). My guess is that it probably was RV-towing related but TBH I don't care much as it appears to be straight where it's supposed to be.

Looks good from here! Probably one of my favourite colours on early Miatas. Nice score!

Even my wife - who hates blue cars - likes the colour. It'll probably look much better once I've spent some time cleaning an polishing the paint as the old paint is pretty scratched.

Nice score. My '96 was Montego Blue over black cloth. Your wife likes it because it's not really blue, it's green

I like it because it's green, she likes it because it's cute and not blue .