Anyone who’s seen my glorious, long, well kept hair has probably thought the same thing: “That guy probably drives a Miata.” (Not really. More like “That dude should really cut his hair.”) Today I’ll introduce you all to my car.
The Mazda Miata is Japan’s attempt at reviving the classic British sports car. However unlike the British sports cars from yester-year, you can actually depend on a Miata to work every day. Let’s take a look at the specs sheet of the 1999 Mazda Miata (the model I currently own) to see what makes it a great sports car:
Engine - 1.8L DOHC 4 Cylinder
Power - 140hp
Torque - 119 ft*lbs
Hang on. None of those specs scream “sporty” or “exciting” at all. Why would anyone consider a car that slow a sports car? Easy. It’s one of the reasons why I bought two (RIP 1991 Miata) and is because of one underlying word:
Fun
The Miata is a prime example of the phrase “slow car fast.” Like it’s bigger, more powerful rival, the Honda S2000, in order to get the most out of a Miata you have to “drive it like you stole it.” You have to really ring out the revs and throw it into corners. And when you do these things properly in a Miata the car rewards you with a humongous smile, both on your face and on the car’s face. I already have a photo gallery of my car on the “photos” page, but for those of you too lazy to look I’ll post the most recent photo I have of my car below:
1999 Mazda Miata (NB1, My car) - Japanese Car Cruise In (2019)
For starters, let’s get the grocery list out of the way:
Suspension - Flyin Miata V-maxx Track Edition Coilovers, Racing Beat 1.125” OD tubular front ARB w/ reinforcing mounting blocks, disconnected rear ARB
Wheels / Tyres - 949 Racing 6UL 15x8” +36mm, Toyo R1R 225/45/15
Differential - Type 1 NA Miata Torsen LSD w/ 4.1 final drive
Drivetrain - Flyin Miata lightweight flywheel w/ stage 2 clutch
Exhaust - Roadster Sport CARB legal midpipe, Roadster Sport 4 muffler
Aero - DIY plexiglass rear spoiler (for special occasions only)
As you can see from my modifications, I’ve mostly focused on the handling aspect of the car. My primary reason for putting the majority of my effort into the suspension is because the majority of racing / spirited driving I do / did is all about twisties. I didn’t buy this car to do drag racing; I bought this car to go around corners. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, during my time in college I did autocross at least once a month. This car was built for doing the things shown below:
Autocross - Wiregrass SCCA (Taken by H. Lloyd)
Autocross - Wiregrass SCCA (Taken by Unknown)
Autocross - Wiregrass SCCA (Taken by MYACTIVETREND.com)
During those autocrossing years this car taught me a lot about suspension setup and driving fast. I experimented with suspension settings and became a better driver during those times, but eventually I got a job across the country and had to re-prioritize my life.
Despite dropping autocrosses from my monthly repertoire, my Miata still remained a constant in my life. Luckily for me, SoCal has a boat load of incredible canyon roads so I can still get the full enjoyment out of the car anytime I want. As an added plus, I have a new group of friends that I can enjoy the canyons with just as I had back home with all my autocrossing friends.
Mazda Miata and a BMW 2002 - Malibu (3/23/2019)
Canyon Cruise - Malibu Canyon Outlook (3/30/2019)
So where does my journey with my Miata go from here? I certainly don’t plan on selling the car anytime soon. Maybe since I’ve gotten the suspension to a point that I’m happy and comfortable with it I can finally address the power issue. In addition to the numerous canyon roads, SoCal also has a couple race tracks that I have yet to experience, so maybe that’s the next journey with this car.
Hopefully this post better explains what I love about this tiny sports car and maybe you’ll be tempted to try out (and buy) a Miata of your own. Like always, feel free to leave a comment below.
Thanks,
J. Stitt