Mixed Emotions - Sold my PRHT today

So you got paid about a buck a mile to drive it? Not bad.

Did you sell the red one yet?

Pat

Come on Karl, don't drop a mini bomb shell on us like that w/o info! What was your issue w/ the PRHT (or whatever they call it)? There are people here lusting (and even having healthy love affairs) with that car. What did it do / not do for / to you?

Pat, I can't believe you didn't ask (he's lusting!).

Thanks, Chris

I am having second & third thoughts myself.

My '91 is definitely going away soon, hopefully to a race track, but I will probably replace it with a M2, if I get another miata, which is looking unlikely at this point.

Pat

Why?

My Miata experience is limited to the NA, because visually the NB doesn't do anything at all for me - I never even bothered to sit in one. I am planning to take a PRHT out for a test drive once the weather is a bit better, but from a (very) quick drive with the soft top NC, it seems just as fun to drive as the NA.

A PRHT would seem to be one of the most desireable Miatas - what didn't you like?

cu .\\arc

Chris & Pat Hi guys. The weather here in Louisiana has warmed a bit and I just got back from a nice trip to Baton Rouge in Maggie Mae. I think she was getting jealous of that new shiny hussy I had brought home. She's running better than ever now that the new girl is gone. Ha Ha. No I have not sold the '90 Pat. I'm thinking of keeping it and doing a conversion from a BMW Z4 that my neighbor wrecked last month. The drive train is still good but damn near every body panel and the frame are trashed. He said I can HAVE it since his insurance company paid him and let him keep it. Woo hoooo. So watch out for many many questions from me in the future concerning weird things. As for the PRHT Miata, she just wasn't that much faster, handled any better, etc than my '01. The interior felt 'foreign' to me. I can find anything I need to with out any lights etc in the '90 and the '01. I dunno, call it buyers remorse. Nothing against the '07 but I just couldn't see paying that much for a car that really wasn't that much better.

-Karl N.

Did it have the traction control, and did you leave it on? I have been told it really slows down the car. Not surprising, since the method is based on braking various wheels.

The NC is really a lot faster than the NA. While my NC is rated less than my JR supercharged '96, I believe it is faster in real life because it does not suffer from supercharger valve lag.

I would think "more forgiving," though probably not better in absolute terms.

That is obviously going to be a problem for Mazda for some years. Plenty of earlier Miatas around in excellent condition. And I don't think many of us on this group are particularly impressed (more likely turned off) by safety related improvements such as side airbags and increased size, or comfort improvements like steering-wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls. I think the following that the NC will eventually pick up will be different in demographics from the NA and NB.

Leon

Good enough. Thanks Karl

Chris

What model of vehicle *is* looking likely at this point, Pat?

Huh...I thought I was the only one around here with those feelings. The NB seems over-styled to me--especially at the beltline/sill area and the rear trunk hump. I've never cared for it.

Same here... although I had a soft spot in my heart for the NA since I got my driving license... well meaning neighbour had one and used it to show me the difference between front drive and rear wheel drive, and how to take corners with not only the steering wheel but also the pedals.

The NB seems to be the same car than the NA just with design changes just so it looks different. Those things seldom go right. If the car was good the first time, there's not much you can do to make it better. Different, yes. Better, no.

The NC is a different car, which really starts growing on me. It's not an NA, but it's looking good.

cu .\\arc

Ditto. I'm glad to see I'm not the only "crazy" one.

The NB is stiffer, and the suspension geometry was revised slightly; it has more grip, which makes it faster on the track, but it's less tossable on the road. The differences aren't major, but they make it less fun. It's also slightly quicker, due more to the 4.3 final drive gears than to anything under the hood; the extra power only compensates for the weight gain.

To me, the NB doesn't look good in red, which completely negates any other potential advantages. I've never even considered swapping my NA for an NB. YMMV.