Another message from a possible buyer.

Although it may cost you a little more, start your shopping here and at Miata.net. Most, if not all, of the people here and there are miataphiles and although we may often have lots of miles (122K here), you'll find meticulous maintenance, parts like brakes and shocks replaced as needed, fluids (brakes, clutch, trans, diff) changed every couple of years and a record of such. My car (not for sale) is probably "better" than 90% of the ones being sold by dealers that are off lease from somone who was having a mid-life crisis. Yet, the book value on my car is probably about 3K and has at least another 100K in it. Someone on these groups will always have theirs for sale because of buying a different one, needing a more family oriented vehicle, etc.. and you can probably be assured your getting a car that's in as good a shape as possible. As I said, you may pay a few hundred dollars more for that maintenance history but it will be well worth it. As for more NBs than NAs, my opinion is that most true sports car afficianados from the old school acquired an NA as soon as circumstances allowed and have more of a tendency to hold onto them. The NBs, because they came ten years after the introduction of the car may have appealed more to the "hey, that might be fun crowd" and they don't really enjoy a true sports car and trade out of them fairly quickly. This is all hypothesis but my observation of owners seems to confirm his. In any case, don't worry, you'll find a nice example of an NA within your price range that has been lovingly taken care of and will pass to you with years of useful life yet. Actually, I don't think there are many Miata that have actually worn out.

Tom

Anthony wrote:

It seems to me that you are wasting a whole lot of time on this subject. 2 years from now you might be married and drive an SUV. Why don't you wait for 23 months and then think about buying a Miata. IMHO LarryHill

Hahaha.....no. Married, yes. SUV, NEVER! As I said earlier, my fiancee has the SUV, I hate driving it. She can haul all the big junk around and she knows it.

~Anthony

Anthony, I'm just saying for you not to waste your time now because in 2 years you might have changed your mind about a Miata. 2 years is a long time.A lot can happen in 2 years..Larry Hill

Why is a desire to purchase a Miata in 2 years time a waste of time ? Anthony has every right to post whatever he wants in this group. Only control freaks would oppose his efforts.

Col, Who said he didn't have every right to post here? And I'm NOT a control freak by any means so why don't you just Butt out! Who knows what we will be wanting/thinking in 2 years. Larry Hill

I don't think it's a waste of time to dream. It's a waste of time to worry about it, though. In two years, with the NC out, NB prices may well fall close to Anthony's range. He'll never get a low-milage Miata for $3500, but we all know that miles aren't terribly important on these cars. He might also get a big raise, inherit a fortune from an aunt he didn't know he had, or win the lottery.

In 1997, I bought one of those lease returns, a 1994 with 54k on it. It had obviously been owned by a woman, her daily driver on a lengthy highway commute. Such miles are harmless, almost regardless of maintenance. Today, at 129k, the car still uses no oil, has the original clutch and top, and begs to play hard, like an eager puppy.

Who knows what you will be thinking in 2 years Larry . :)

Well said.

Why obviously?

Her RED daily drive on a lengthy highway commute.

Leon

You're right. A lot can happen in two years.

But tell me...when you wanted your first Miata, do you think that your, well, urge would have dissapated after two years?

I know plenty can happen, but I honestly don't feel like I'm wasting my time now getting informed about these cars. I just wanted to know if there will be good cars around by then, which I'm pretty sure there will be but I'd thought I'd ask just in case.... :-)

If my mind changes, then it does. Whatever. I can point the money I saved towards other endeavors or other cars. I never believe I'm wasting time as long as I'm learning SOMETHING. And money saved can be used for whatever I want. It's not like I would save the money SPECIFICALLY for a Miata....then I don't want one anymore so it's like "oops. Damn. Guess I can't use this $4,500 anymore." Haha...thanks for the advice anyway. But I'm pretty sure the Miata is "the one." I can wait patiently as long as there will be good cars left, which there should be. I guess I can get enough etertainment out of my VW for now.... :)

~Anthony

Various papers (including registration) and a ladies watch found in the car when I got it home. In the interest of scientific accuracy, you may change "obviously" to "almost certainly, from the evidence" if you wish.

You may be dead in two years. Borrow some money and buy a Miata already... You only live once.

Heh heh I'm getting so old I can't remember my urge from 1 day to another. lol> I got the urge for a Miata in Aug and I bought a 2000 Special Edition in Sept. Who knows what I will get for my next,"URGE". You may be dead in two years. Borrow some money and buy a Miata already...

I agree 100%, do it now while you got the urge. Larry Hill

Well, there's an optimistic view. :-P