Questions for club members
Hello,
My name is Matthew Mattingly. I recently bought a 1999 Miata to commute back and forth from work. I really enjoy the car but I had a few questions about it that I thought yall could help me with.
The factory soft top is getting in bad shape with some cracking around the edges and a few holes starting to come up in it. Where is the best place to either get it worked on or replaced?
I was also curious about the transmission and rear end of the car. It seems to wind up a little tighter than I like and I was wondering if a different rear end is available as well as possibly a 6-speed transmission. Any information would be helpful.
Thanks,
Matthew Mattingly
Please reply to this message if you have any information.
Hey there, fellow Miata lovers. My husband and I have a 1992 Miata. Our little toy is so much fun. It has some exterior wear and tear, but the engine is in great shape and Zoe has very few miles on her.
Our rear plastic window is starting to crack. I'm thinking of buying a new top/window for my husband for his upcoming birthday. A few questions/comments… *I assume I have to replace the whole top. Can I just replace the window?
*We have a roll bar installed across the back. I may not be using the right term of "roll bar" but I'm learning.
Thanks for your help! I think I may have met a few of you at the recent Concours d'Elegance event. Zoom zoom! Lori
Hi Lori,
Thanks for writing!
As to your question about Miata tops and windows, I suggest you read my response to Matthew on 10 June of 2012 just below. Short answer, there are lots of options for Miata top and window purchases. The one big caveat I suggest is, unless you are really into pain and aggravation, you probably should consider a regular auto top and/or uphostery shop to do the installation. If the roll bar fits now, it should be an easy fit in the future. As to a glass window, yes that’s an option as well. Check out Moss Miata Mania, Go Miata, Flyin Miata, etc. to view your purchase options.
Michael Cowan (Rupert)
Hey Matthew, welcome to the world of Miata ownership! You asked two questions here. I will try to answer them separately.
First you asked about your Miata top. Depending upon whether you want to stay with the glass rear window with defroster wires top your '99 came with or a lot of other choices you can make. I have found with Moss Miata Mania, Go Miata, Flyin Miata, etc. your top choices go from around $290 to $800. Of course, that's just the price of the top and window if replaced. I would suggest you then hire a auto top or upholstery shop such as St. Matthews Trim & Upholstery, Fitzsimmons Upholstery, etc. to install it. Actually I have had top work done by both of those I mentioned and been pleased. However, upholstery shops seem to be on most any corner so if you have a friend's suggestion for a shop, that would probably be as good as any I could make. As to the labor rates for upholstery work or top work now a days, I can't guess. Labor rates for top installation and upholstery work seems to change with the season and demand. Some top shops will try to tell you they can make you a top or possibly refurbish your top and save you some money rather than buying one from a manufacturer. As cheap as tops such as "Robbins" and other brands designed specifically to Miata specs are. I would think having a shop make one from scratch or even do more than just very basic resealing would be a very bad idea indeed.
The other issue you asked about is RPM per MPH. My guess is that you are used to driving big motored cars that turn 2,000 RPM or less at 60+ MPH. You are probably seeing about 20+- MPH per 1,000 RPM in your Miata. For this type of car, that is considered normal. In fact I almost always rue the days when big car owners first look at the tach on their small motored sports cars. Yes, there are a ton of speed shops, etc. that would love to sell you custom gearbox or rear-end ratios. However when you consider you are driving a 1.8ltr. motored car that red lines at 7,000+ RPM, cruising at 3,000-4,000 RPM is right what that motor is designed for. As far as 5 speed, 6 speed, etc. the stock boxes and differentials will still put you around 3,000+- RPM on the road. I can't imagine long term, that any ratio change to make the engine run slower would bring enough value to cancel out the drive ability and cost issues of going for less RPM. Yes the Miata has a ton of "low end" torque. It's just that what we with Miatas call low end is around the same range you consider normal road RPM when driving a 5+ lire motor. And that motor will probably run out of air around 5,200 to 5,500 RPM. Which is in the normal power range of a Miata motor. I sure hope I have answered your RPM question. My best suggestion is to go ahead and enjoy your car as it was designed to be used! They are among the most dependable of their type ever built and yes, that motor will likely live for 200,000 miles running 3,500+ RPM on the highway as long as you do basic maintenance on it.
I probably should make you aware of one engine maintenance issue you probably didn't expect. Your Miata has belt driven overhead cam shafts. Most folks recommend you think about replacing your cam timing belt at either the interval in your manual or at least every 75,000 miles. Don't freak out! Your Miata motor is a "non-interference motor." What that means is even if your timing belt should break, & I've never talked with anyone other than racers whose belt has broken, you should suffer no big time engine damage because your valves and pistons don't interfere with each other. What likely would happen is you would coast to a stop and then have to have your car towed and then get the timing belt replaced. This timing belt replacement job when done before an engine failure is fairly reasonable cost wise. And if you are fair with tools and can read instructions you can do it yourself. Many people use the timing belt change tear-down to go ahead and replace their water pump, flush their radiator, & replace hoses that seem too soft. Why, because you have to pull the hoses and the front cover off to get to the belt anyway. Since you have already drained your radiator and can now see your water pump, You might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Please check out our whole Bluegrass Miata Club website! We'd love to meet you and see your car at an event or club meeting.
Michael Cowan (Rupert)