Car dilemma

concealer404

Probably not the right forum for this, but we DID just have the huge thread about Miatas.


I have a guy interested in trading his 1990 Miata for my 1990 MX6.

Stats on MX6:
172k miles.
7k miles on brand new head from Mazda
Good clutch (doesn't feel too stock)
Brand new tires
17" baller wheels
Solid exterior
Everything works (oscillating air vents FTW!)
Supra 440cc injectors
Supra 50trim turbo (fresh, installed 300 miles ago)
FMIC
REAL Greddy Type S bov
Tial 38mm wastegate
3" exhaust straight out bumper
New exhaust manifold gasket
New turbo gasket
Greddy Profec B Spec II EBC
Innovate LC-1 wideband
New oil pan gasket
Brand new 2nd gen MX6 KYB GR2s
Brand new 2nd gen Megan Racing springs (4" drop AWESOME!)
newtiming belt
new oil pump
new water pump
new valve cover gasket
new knock sensor
new shift linkage bushings
new NGK wires and plugs


I have less than $1500 into this car. Will be keeping the Profec and the Innovate wideband.

Specs on Miata:

90 mazda miata
i have a 90 miata

good
new tires
new motor 80k
new internals
new water pump
new timingbelt
new cleaned out intake manifold
new fuel filter
new injectors
lightwieght rims
torsen 2 upgrade lsd rearend and axels and driveshaft all from a 01
new pressureplate stage 2
new clutch stage1
new 8lbs flywheel
new wires plugs and coils
new gaskets all the way around no leaks anywhere
new 25% tint
power windows
new breaks and rotors
new cd player
new spaekers
new header 4-2-1
new cat back exhaust no cats
new fluids and royal purple synthetic diff fluid
all fluids synthetic


bad
2 rust spots
one on dricers rocker easy fix
one on pass rear wheel well about a nickel size
dent can be popped out its right above the drivers quarter

askin 3500 to break even with the money i put in it
open to all trades

I will likely not offer any money on top of trade, $500 at most. I'm well aware that it'll be WAY slower, but the car seems solid, and has way more recent work put into it than i've put into mine. But... it's right wheel drive, it's small, it's a Miata.

Thoughts? I know it makes sense from a financial aspect, but i'm trying to not let that cloud my judgement. I won't be selling either car outright anytime soon, anyways. The MX6 could be sold easily for $2000-$2500 in current state, anyways, so it's not a huge hit on value. This Miata won't sell for his $3500 asking price anyways.

Sooo...

MX6: Fast, comfy, mid 20s mpg, red, loud, turbo!, hold-onto-your-balls torque steer
Miata: Slow, fun, ~30mpg, dark grey, quiet, right wheel drive

What do you guys think? Feel free to call me stupid for posting this on an audio forum, call me **** for thinking about a Miata, etc...

kawizx9r

I'd like to add on the things to think about is consider your driving habits. When I lived in Ca. I had a Miata MX-5 (turbonetics turbo installed when I got it), but gas was much cheaper and I didnt live in a big city. If I still had it while living in Chicago now I'd go for the slower, better reliable and better gas mileage miata youre looking at.

concealer404

kawizx9r wrote: »

I'd like to add on the things to think about is consider your driving habits. When I lived in Ca. I had a Miata MX-5 (turbonetics turbo installed when I got it), but gas was much cheaper and I didnt live in a big city. If I still had it while living in Chicago now I'd go for the slower, better reliable and better gas mileage miata youre looking at.

Plan on commuting 100 miles a day.... operating cost won't be a deal breaker either way, to be honest. I'm moving to Bloomington this weekend.

The MX6 drinks gas if i'm wailing on it, injectors probably look like a garden hose. But it's got a big enough turbo that i have plenty of lag to putter around town like a grandma.

I'm leaning slightly towards the Miata simply because i'm not in love with the MX6 or anything, and i'll have a fast turbo FWD car either way shortly in my Celica. I'm not so sure that i need two of them.

(Honey, which obnoxious car shall we take the movies? The 300whp/350wtq FWD Mazda or the 350whp/325wtq FWD Celica?)

kawizx9r

I'll refrain from talking auto on an audio forum but my first real "mod" was my 7gmte turbo (from an older supra) inline 6 dropped in the very first car I owned back in highschool, a 1990 toyota cressida The engine came free too, that thing was a beast.

concealer404

kawizx9r wrote: »

I'll refrain from talking auto on an audio forum but my first real "mod" was my 7gmte turbo (from an older supra) inline 6 dropped in the very first car I owned back in highschool, a 1990 toyota cressida The engine came free too, that thing was a beast.

Jealous.... that's one of my dream projects.

It's a car thread, sooo... go for it!

I'm doing similar with the Celica.

1992 Celica, receiving a motor from a Caldina GT4 (evolved MR2 Turbo motor), tranny from a V6 solara, with 88-90 Camry V6 axles. Pretty straightforward swap, and with my car currently weighing about 2300lbs, the 300+whp it'll put out with basic bolt ons should be enough to make most people **** themselves.

kawizx9r

Thats what I loved about the older celica/cressida/camry vehicles, parts were easily interchangible...especially between the celica supra (since at one point they were pretty much the same thing).

The engine I got was only free because my buddy was a little on the...."rich side" of the scale and his parents had bought him an sti when he wrecked his supra.

devani

if this is only car that you drive, you will find yourself wishing for a bigger car...virtually no trunk space....besides, you don't want to drive a miata in snow...

concealer404

kawizx9r wrote: »

Thats what I loved about the older celica/cressida/camry vehicles, parts were easily interchangible...especially between the celica supra (since at one point they were pretty much the same thing).

The engine I got was only free because my buddy was a little on the...."rich side" of the scale and his parents had bought him an sti when he wrecked his supra.

Yup! Hawnduh lego-like abilities without the stigma.

Guy with the Miata just emailed me back, said he really liked my MX6, so i take that as a good sign.


Here's pics of the Miata.


http://s886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/AARONANDJESSICA/?action=view&current=011.jpg

kawizx9r

Hmm, link aint working.....miata I had was an mx-5 black over black with soft top. Bought it from my bestfriends dad (he and his wife both had miatas), she had the red over beige with removable hard top and wood trim interior.....automatic tranny though.

concealer404

devani wrote: »

if this is only car that you drive, you will find yourself wishing for a bigger car...virtually no trunk space....besides, you don't want to drive a miata in snow...

I don't really need trunk space, to be honest. I have access to a truck when i need it, and if what i need to pick up is too small to bother with a truck, the Celica can swallow a TON of stuff.

I grew up in the Snow Belt, driving in snow doesn't scare me.

I actually own three cars right now, so if the weather gets way too bad for the Miata, i've got another option in the EGT.

1992 Celica
1993 Escort GT
1990 MX6 GT

concealer404

kawizx9r wrote: »

Hmm, link aint working.....miata I had was an mx-5 black over black with soft top. Bought it from my bestfriends dad (he and his wife both had miatas), she had the red over beige with removable hard top and wood trim interior.....automatic tranny though.

Fixed the link.

kawizx9r

+1 For soft tops

Imo, you should go for a 'Monster Miata' convert lol....but would you have a place to put it during the bad season? Thatd be one hell of a sleeper.....if the guy next to you at the light doesnt hear the low rumble of the v8 lurking underneath the hood :rolleyes:....just put up your stereo really loud.

bobman1235

Sorry for the dumb question ,but what's a "right wheel drive"? At first I thought you meant like, a British car where the steering wheel is on the right, but the pictures you posted don't seem to indicate that.

devani

you have DD and winter beater, the only downside is the slow part....and all things associated with it...

the price is very reasonable and working condition. as long as there's no mechanical problems, it's good deal...

concealer404

bobman1235 wrote: »

Sorry for the dumb question ,but what's a "right wheel drive"? At first I thought you meant like, a British car where the steering wheel is on the right, but the pictures you posted don't seem to indicate that.

Rear Wheel Drive.

concealer404

devani wrote: »

you have DD and winter beater, the only downside is the slow part....and all things associated with it...

the price is very reasonable and working condition. as long as there's no mechanical problems, it's good deal...

Yeah, slow and the fact that everyone has a Miata are pretty much the only downsides.

The MX6 is fast, and garners a ton of attention whenever i take it anywhere, because for some reason, people never remember that there was an MX6 before the sexy curvy one of the mid 90s. It's debadged, and i get questions constantly of "What is that?!?" "Why did you boost it?!?!"

Well. It's an MX6. It was factory boosted. I just helped it along a little bit.

I'm just trying to figure out if getting the Miata would be an improvement in my quality of life. Keeping the MX6 garners no problems to me.

DollarDave

I had an '89 MX-6 turbo - one of the finest cars I have ever had. Keep it, I wish I had. BTW, the two next best were the '84 RX-7 and the '92 Nissan SE-R. At least those all go in the fun to drive category. Priorities change over time..

everpress

concealer404 wrote: »

Yeah, slow and the fact that everyone has a Miata are pretty much the only downsides.

The MX6 is fast, and garners a ton of attention whenever i take it anywhere, because for some reason, people never remember that there was an MX6 before the sexy curvy one of the mid 90s. It's debadged, and i get questions constantly of "What is that?!?" "Why did you boost it?!?!"

Well. It's an MX6. It was factory boosted. I just helped it along a little bit.

I'm just trying to figure out if getting the Miata would be an improvement in my quality of life. Keeping the MX6 garners no problems to me.

You'd love this car in the twisties; so much more than most others.
Turbo lag on some of the more demanding curvy roads can ruin a driving experience.
Due to the rust (water is coming in between the body panels somewhere it looks to me), and the cleanliness under the hood (for having a "new" engine), you're most likely dealing with somebody-elses-problem. But if you were already thinking of investing some money to make it an even more fun car, I'd say do it.

concealer404

everpress wrote: »

You'd love this car in the twisties; so much more than most others.
Turbo lag on some of the more demanding curvy roads can ruin a driving experience.
Due to the rust (water is coming in between the body panels somewhere it looks to me), and the cleanliness under the hood (for having a "new" engine), you're most likely dealing with somebody-elses-problem. But if you were already thinking of investing some money to make it an even more fun car, I'd say do it.

True... i know i will. I've already got a twisties car though.

Turbo lag.... not really an issue with the MX6. It's not set up for optimum handling though... it's too low, messed up the geometry, and it'll still hit full boost by 2500rpms. If i'm revving too low on a fun road, then it's my fault.

My investment in the Miata would be a nice stereo, a hardtop, mild suspension, wheels and tires. Done.

The rust i'm pretty sure i know what's causing it, just a clogged drain, and i could fix that well enough myself to live with it.