MSM 4 Sale

Where is that one again? I do have tomorrow off....... :-)

Pat

Hey! I have a Ti/cloth 04 MSM which I paid exactly $15.6k for. Spooky...

6-speed, Torsen diff, turbo, 17" wheels, etc. Lotsa car for the money. I'd like to drive a regular NB just to compare.

I have driven the NB and have been a passenger in the MSM. The MSM is no speed demon as far as power because it is a mild turbo setup, but the difference is still quite noticeable.

My next car may not be a miata, but if so, it will probably be the NB, a

2001 to 2005 model, preferably in black or dark blue.

A nice condition MSM may be impossible to resist if the stars align at the right time....I love the color you have as well, but have always liked the darkest colors best on cars.

Pat

It's not white, why would you bother?

I've been obsessing over the flyin miata website. Another 50 HP at the rear wheels is only 2K away...

How many miles did yours have on it when you bought it? The MSM is just such a bargain, it makes the regular Miata prices seem crazy high in comparison.

I'd like to drive the MSM for comparison to my NB!!

later, Chris

99BBB

I'll still have power to weight on ya, both lower weight and more power, but you will still have a reasonable car to drive on the street. It probably even has A/C. ;-)

I'd take the latter any day.

Pat

It had about 15k miles on it when I bought it; it has about twice that now. It had the famous shimmy, which may be why the price was so low. But from reading miata.net I knew to take it to a shop with a GSP9700 balancer. That completely cured it.

This car is my daily driver. It feels very weird to drive anything else. My wife's Protege5 feels like an SUV. Today I drove a big delivery van and it seemed like a semi. I learned pretty quickly that you have to allow way, way more room for braking.

The MSM has more power than a standard Miata but it doesn't sound as good. The ratios in the 6-speed are comically close together, especially considering the amount of midrange available.

Yeah, that's crazy. I mean it makes sense on a race track but the one time I drove a 6-speed Miata I was always trying to figure out which gear to skip. And even with six speeds the top gear is _still_ too short; in fact at the same speed the engine is turning faster in top gear in a 6-speed than in a 5-speed. I know how to downshift to pass; what I want is a 6-speed Miata with a granny gear for use on the Interstate. No way it should be pulling all those revs just to go a steady 80 on a flat straight road.

yrs WDK

Johnny, I've been singing those songs here forever. I even think my 5 spd should have a TALL top gear. I think 4th will accelerate past 90, I'm rarely still accelerating at that point. I truly think Mazda screwed up on this item. I'd like 5th to run a good 100 rpms lower at least. And I agree with you, downshifting to pass is hardly a problem for miata folks, WE LOVE TO SHIFT!

Chris

99BBB

IIRC, my 5-speed Z-car was like that.

It topped out in 4th gear and 5th gear was just an overdrive. It ran at a considerably lower rpm at 80mph than the Miata does. Again going on memory, but it seems like it was a lot closer to 3,000 rpm than 4,000 at that speed.

Oh yeah, no dissin' those automatic drivers. ;-)

Pat

I'd like for the final drive ratio to be taller. Shifting into third clearing an intersection is just as bad as doing 4k on the highway.

Well WDK, I don't know what year Miata with a 6 speed you were in, but in my 2003 LS with a 6 speed, at 60 MPH the engine turns 2800 RPM. In the 1991 (5 speed) at 60 MPH, the engine turned 3200 RPM. If you go look at the spec. on 5 speed and 6 speeds, you will see that the 6th gear is an "overdrive" and 5th is "1" to "1" just like a regular 5 speed is. The 6 speed gear box is made for the track. If you want a better top end at a lower RPM, go get an "Aussi" rear end of 3.63 to 1! A 4.30 or 4.10 is the wrong rear end. The 2003 LS has a 3.90 to 1 rear end in it. You kind'a need to know what year Miata you want for what you are going to use it for. As for 5 speed or 6 speed, the 6 speed is used to keep the engine in a "good" torque range in and out of turns on the track, not from stoplight to stoplight in town.

Bruce Bing '03 LS

Of course, I meant 1000 rpm's lower, I wouldn't even notice 100 but I think you guys figured I type'oed.

Later, Chris

99BBB