Got any Miata peeves? Or hidden likes?

Well, I don't have a roll bar in my 2004, so putting the top up is simplicity itself. Feel a raindrop at a light? Reach back, grab the handle, pull. The whole operation takes only a few seconds. Dropping the top is even easier. When I got the car I was amazed by how easy that top was to get up and down. I sat in the drive way, up, down, up, down... My wife took a picture of me that day from the upstairs landing, sitting in it with the top down and grinning like a fool. I guess it's just that kind of car.

Well, first of all I am *never* getting rid of this car, so the peeves listed below are things I can live with.

I have a 2004 Mazdaspeed, theoretically the sports model. The suspension is too soft! I think it was made that way to accommodate the heavy 17" wheels it came with, but I have replaced those with much lighter 16"'s. I believe it has Bilstein shocks. Possibly things can be improved quite a bit with springs and rollbars. The problem is, the wife is in grad school and we're living off one income, and well, we can't afford it right now.

Turbo lag. Mazda was extremely conservative in designing this engine. Now this I know exactly how to fix: pick up Flyin Miata's intake kit, downpipe, exhaust, signal rectifier, and while I'm at it a larger intercooler. Don't have the money for any of that either, or it would have happened soon after the car went out of warranty.

Couple more:

6-speed transmission is vague. I hear the 5-speed is much better and I would have gotten that if I had the choice.

Final drive ration is way too short. It might be about right with 116 hp. But shifting into third before you clear the intersection is just crazy.

On the other hand, there is nothing like it for tooling around town in the evening, or blasting around corners. I can take right turns without slowing down at all. Try doing that in an SUV!

I took a short cat leash, cut off the 'dog' clip and clamped a knot under the handle in the front header of the top. Flip the leash over the roll bar and you can yank the top up without having to get out. Doesn't work well with a plastic window though. Your 'noodle' gets dirty. ;{( Ephar & Bambi '92 Classic Red

I'll have to give that a try. Particularly now that I have a spare cat leash. Our polydactyl, who was the only one that enjoyed "walkies", went to the Rainbow Bridge in December. ;-(

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata