Porsche 944/Mazda Miata

I am in a quest to find a rwd sporty car that I can enjoy over summer and take to the autocrosses. My options are a Porsche 944 (or 928) or a early 90s Mazda Miata since my budget is limited to $4000. (I am open to other choices too.) My original plan was to buy a Civic/CRX Si from the late 80s since I am used to fwd, but every one that I might is either a rust bucket or horribly modified to the point that I would spend too much putting it back to stock. Anything is certainly better than my land yacht, I mean Honda Accord.

Any pros and cons of owning either car, I looked on KBB and it said the price should be around $3000 - $4000 for a vehicle in good condition under 90k miles. What sort of expenses are usual for maintenance, it would get driven around 6000 miles for the year.

Thanks.

 

I have had a turbo crx for 3 years. Great car. You can search the forum for pics of it.

Miatas are great cars, I did reviews of all 3 generation of miatas here:



http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=021956


Never driven a 944 or 928, but my TT is a fun car. Different but fun.

Good luck.

 

BTW KBB isn't a good valuation of Miatas. Older miatas, that are non molested/raced fetch a pretty penny.

Miatas/Crx are almost maintenance free.
On old miatas problem areas: plugs/clutch slave cylinder/radiator/right rear brake caliper/leaky top

 

I'd personally like a Civic or CRX because I am comfy with FWD. I can't seem to find unmodified or ones in reasonable condition. I race in the stock class, and I'd like to stay there until I am a better driver.

 

Reading your post on miata.net I have a question about height. I am 6'1" and I had almost no headroom in a 2005 Miata with the top up. How much headroom is there in a NA compared to an NB?

 

stock crx's are hard to find. i still miss the one i sold. blitz wheels, jdm rear seat. great car. put 65K miles after it was turbo'd on zc motor.

but the miata is more fun...rwd rocks at aut0-x.

 

headroom seems about the same to mee. my NA has a hardtop which i will put on the MSM, the HT seemed to increase head room a bit.

for bigger guys, NA is the only way to go.

the 1.6 na is one of the purest cars out there

 

I personally like the NAs myself.

 

buy mine

 

Yes except you live on the other end of the country, the one with all the hot girls.

 

I know. No worries. I am gonna put it up on the paper in few weeks.


ROADTRIP

 

Barn Doors fer sure.

 

Not if you taste the MSM power

 

I'm pretty sure you are thinking a 924 vs the 928 - the 928 is a big
heavy car that makes a great racer with some work, but not the most
likely autocross candidate. Plus, while a nice driving 928 can be found for
$4k, it probably won't be ready for tearing through the cones.

My money would go for the Miata if you want a dedicated autocrosser. If you
want something cheaper - find an original Mini or an old Porsche 914 and get
ready for some SERIOUS fun!

 

I looked at some 944's after seeing several at my first DE. What I discovered what that the $4000 variety were actually closer to $8-10k. Not many are well kept and they are pricey to fix/restore/modify. I think my Miata cost me about $100 the 2 years I owned it.

 

I owned two Miata's (1990 Mariner Blue with absolutely nothing on it) and a 1996 Black with pop. equip. package). Both of them were great cars that I think would make excellent autocrossers as they aren't too powerful, they're easy to drive, and have no real handling vices.

Moreover, they're cheap to buy, cheap to own, and easy to maintain.

I know people bash them all the time as "girls cars" but I think that's simpleton thinking. Sure, they're not quick but they feel fast and I honestly never drove them and didn't get out with a smile on my face.

The 944 is another great choice. My only hesitation would be repairs & maintenance. Everything on a 944 is going to be a lot more expensive than on a Miata.

 

I had a 928 for a few years, and autocrossed it a few times. it is big, it is heavy, the parts are expensive, but it is fun to try and weave a big heavy car through cones sideways. the syncro's (1-3) in the old manual transmission cars go bad, so it would be hard to autocross. the newer cars have better transmissions, but are more than 4-5k.

 

WTH is a NA, NB, MSM, FBI, BBC, CIA...?

I'm 6'2" and long waisted. I brought a 99 that is being turned into a Spec Miata. By shaving the foam in the seat and sitting upright, I fit fine.

If push turns to shove, rip out the stock seats and bolt a racing seat to the floor pan.

Dale

 

NA=1990-1997 first gen, early cars with 1.6 liter-rev happy, later 1.8 plusher.

NB=1999-2004 lost the barn doors (pop-ups) Heavier, less nimble, luxurious.

NC= coming out

MSM=MazdaSpeed Miata, a NB with a low pressure turbo; the enthusiasts would say poor power compared to the Jackson Racing high boost kits; others say "factory warranty"

Better?

 

Oh lord not big and heavy, my Accord is big and heavy. It weighs in at 3300 lbs with me in it and it feels like a boat. I want small and nimble.

 

My uncle had a 1990 944 Turbo and and 996 C2. Now he has a Cayenne S. I asked him if he missed his 996, he said no, he miss's his 944T.

 

Speaking of pure sports cars, I had a '92 Miata "A package", red, that I bought in the Spring of '93. It was a leftover, but I preferred it to the 93's that were out because it had non-power mirrors. I remember that, at the time, I really couldn't take the idea of a sports car with power mirrors. I loved that the Miata had manual locks, seat, top, windows, etc. Plus, it was the most pleasantly surprising negotiation I ever had. I called Bott Mazda in Germantown, Philadelphia, to ask about the car. I was told, "We're in the process of closing our dealership and liquidating our inventory. We have a red and a blue Miata - you can have either for $100 over invoice."

Mine was a daily driver for 5 years. Paid $15K, sold it for $9K. Only out of warranty fix was the alternator. It was an amazing amount of fun for the amortized cost.

This past week, I took delivery of an 05 Mini Cooper S convertible with limited slip. Just took a top-down spin with my daughters in the back seat, and despite all the power options on the Mini, it made me think of it as a "family" Miata, just because I had the same feeling of satisfaction at the end of the ride.

 

I am planning to spend about $4k, still in college so I don't have too much expendable income. A Miata certainly would kill two birds with one stone as I was planning to build a Spec Miata or a Honda Challenge car. (I plan on attending driving schools in 2006 and 2007 and plan to be racing by 2010.)

 

Miata. If you're tall, take the back pad out of the seats and cut the bottom seat foam cushion down. This is described in great detail on www.miata.net . It's very simple. The seats feel a little more "bucket"-like too.
Avoid 90s and early 91s due to a weaker cranknose design. In 94, it got a 1.8l engine, some bracing, and a bigger disc brakes. The brakes and bracing can easily be added on to a 90-93. In 95, it lost the real oil pressure gauge and got a dummy gauge instead. Late 95s and on went to OBDII.

 

You show me a nice driving 928 for 4k and I will buy a fleet of them.
4 grand might get your a tranny and a door handle, if the tranny is in peices and the handle is broken.