well i’ve decided that i want to get back into some form of racing (for now i am looking at soloII and lapping days) and am looking for the best platform. so far i am thinking miata and it looks like the best years to search for are 94-95 (pre obd-II). im just getting started on searching this out so any input is greatly appreciated.
If your ultimate goal is wheel to wheel racing then you should ask this question on a spec miata forum. The later models are probably more reliable (as far as buying a used car) but either carry a restrictor or weight penalty.
http://forum.specmiata.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
http://www.sccabb.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=29&title=spec-miata
http://www.nasaforums.com/viewforum.php?f=9
Buy pre built, buy pre built, buy pre built.
If it’s just for solo and lapping just buy the cheapest / most reliable and have fun.
94-97 Miata.
Skip 99-00.
01+ you’re golden.
But for the money 94-97 is you’re best/ cheapest bet.
Find one with a proper rear diff and avoid the 6 speed trans.
buy stuiephoto’s?
This needs to be your car.
Started out as a rot-free Virginia car (I owned it before Stuie)
Stuie gutted it and made it a LOT better.
http://www.nyspeed.com/showthread.php?238657-Feeler-1995-Miata-M-edition-track-car
Agreed :tup:
Get a cheap 1st gen.
E30.
E36.
240.
F-body/Mustang.
If willing to do FWD
CRX.
Neon.
NA is better at being a Miata
NB is better at being a Car
NC is my personal favorite, because it’s based off the RX-8 chassis.
Spot on.
My fathers going to be selling his Gray 02 Limited Edition Miata which comes with the 6spd trans. Not sure what hes going to let it go for… has only like 50-60k miles on it.
Not sure what amount you are looking to pay.
Yep, typical miata talk going on here 
Plural , not possessive.
Haha… He looks like a gorilla in this. Like that Insurance commercial with Mercedes and the gorilla in the convertible.
I really would like to get into racing like this as well. I’m sure its a blast, just costly and I have way too many hobbies going on.
I def want pre obdII and as foolish as it may sound I want to build it myself. Pre obdII for obvious reasons but building it yourself had a lot of advantages. One of the main advantages is that you, as a driver and mechanic, get a better hold on the actual differences pre and post and can better diagnose problems and make alterations in the long run, Not to mention you already know how it comes apart and goes back together when the shit hits the fan.
The preferred term is “bear”.
Lol!
94-97. Look for the good diff.
Like Jeremy said your quickest way & cheapest way to racing would be to buy a pre-built car.
That route didnt work me as I wanted to build the car how I wanted and basically gain some knowledge about the car. I had no previous experience working on mustangs so everything was new to me. What I ended up with is a good understanding of the car, but spent more than what the car is worth in parts & lots of my time.
I think a good path though is to find something that you are comfortable with and define a path forward with it. I picked the mustang because I wanted something that had some balls(V8 powa), I wanted something I didnt feel claustrophobic in due to my size, advantage of availablity/cost of parts for mustang vs. something foriegn, and that there was a race series that the car would be competitive in. The mustang has plenty of disavantages also but whatever its fun and has been extremelly reliable.
The availability, interchangeability (is that even a word) and price of Miata parts is amazing. If you’re an average sized person, you fit inside a Miata just fine. Once you install a race seat, there is plenty more room.
I just saw last night on Club Roadster, a full built Spec Miata for $18,000, Ready to Race.
I can appreciate wanting to build it yourself. Honestly, in my opinion it’s probably not worth it for something like a Miata. They are very simple and reliable cars. Save yourself the time and money. I’m sure that the Miata linked has thousands more than his asking price invested not counting the hours. If you were getting into a turbocharged beast with a variety of known problems, then I could understand building it yourself. There are always more modifications/adjustments to make the car and you faster.