Thinking about an NB

Hi all,

It's been a fun year with my Ranger - hauled my motorcycle around a few places including the Rockies and Black Hills, and driving a vehicle so invisible that it has yet to draw it's first comment - but I'm starting to miss my '96 NA and thinking about making some Miata-size room in the garage again.

I had a '96 as a year-round only car for five years. This time I'm thinking about getting an NB and using it for summer and vacation driving only (I like the Ranger and will be keeping it too). I'm thinking NB mostly for availability, don't really like the new ones. The main thing I didn't like about my NA was the noise level with the top up.

So, comments on moving to an NB? Any special things to note? Good/bad years? I just sat in a '99 Aniversary and the seat seemed quite different than I remembered in the NA, true?

TIA

miker

Reply to
miker
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Miker, My first Miata experience was ~75k in a '92 and currently about 75k into my ownership of a '99 so hopefully, I can give you some good compare and contrast info.

92 PROS: Seats (far better than 99's and better than most NB's imho) 'Design' some think it's better looking, I don't agree but, this is totally subjective / personal.

After that. I would have to say that the NB is better in every way. Far better in my opinion. Here are some examples; Far fewer squeaks / rattles (better plastics?) in the interior, especially on cold days. Everything has a more solid feel (I'm thinking mostly doors). As for interior noise, I notice much more of a difference with the top down, being able to carry on conversations at higher speeds in the NB. With the top up, I don't recall noticing a difference. The 1.8 motor is a big advantage though, I understand that is not NB specific. As for 'design', to me the NA looks more like you're driving an old classic car and, there's nothing wrong with that but, the NB still looks like a modern / current car, to my eye. If I had my 'druthers', I'd transfer a good set of NA seats into an ND and be a very happy boy. You have to switch some seatbelt stuff around but I'm quite sure that it's totally do-able. Would have done it but they interfere with my roll bar more and I couldn't lean them back far enough.

As for the NC, the interior doesn't get high marks from me either except that they seem to have gone back to seats that are pretty much as good as the NA's. The rest, I could probably live with to get the PRHT, if the funds come available some day.

NB bargain's are plentiful. I agree with Tim; it's allot cheaper to buy a nicer Miata than to make a Miata nicer yourself. Drive a few and see what you think. Don't just drive one or two examples and figure that's it, there are allot of NB's out there with worn out shocks. And, for comparison sake, I like to check air pressure in the tires when I test drive to be sure I'm not being confused by a low tire or something like it.

Have fun, the shopping is great.

Chris

99BBB

(99's have a potential '#4 thrust bearing failure' problem to watch out for but other than that, I don't know of any big issues)

Reply to
Chris D'Agnolo

Thanks Chris, exactly the kind of comparison I was looking for. I see my impression of the seats being different must have been reality-based. Your thought of putting NA seats in the NB is something I'd want to do, I can't imagine getting used to the seats in the '99 I sat in.

Good idea on checking tires when testing! Thanks for your comments.

miker

Reply to
miker

I had a 1994 M-Spec miata that was stolen and destroyed in July 2010. This particular '94 miata was a rare and peculiar version of NA that was a factory higher performance model that rode very harshly and had quite a bit of cowl shake. After being stolen, I replace it with a similarly equipped

1999 LS model with hardtop. I would have to say the power level seems lower on the new car. The new one gets a tiny bit better gas mileage. The interior is likely nicer but two things bother me about the new car: 1) the power window switchs sit horizontally behind the gear shift so the dog constantly moves windows and 2) the seat seem harder, slippery and lack bolsters. The exterior of the NB is quite a bit more stylish than the NA. The trunk seems smaller because it is a bit shallower although it may be a bit wider because the battery is under the trunk in the NB, rather than in the trunk isn the NA . The biggest single difference is the considerably improved OEM shock and spring rates of the stock NB. There is no harshness to the rear suspension and only a bit of cowl shake from the front suspension. For that reason alone, I would recommend the NB. If you get a chance, keep the seats from your NA (particularly if they are the style with the forward extended seat base). I do not like the newer models for several reasons.

Brian Minto Calgary, Alberta, Canada

It's been a fun year with my Ranger - hauled my motorcycle around a few places including the Rockies and Black Hills, and driving a vehicle so invisible that it has yet to draw it's first comment - but I'm starting to miss my '96 NA and thinking about making some Miata-size room in the garage again.

I had a '96 as a year-round only car for five years. This time I'm thinking about getting an NB and using it for summer and vacation driving only (I like the Ranger and will be keeping it too). I'm thinking NB mostly for availability, don't really like the new ones. The main thing I didn't like about my NA was the noise level with the top up.

So, comments on moving to an NB? Any special things to note? Good/bad years? I just sat in a '99 Aniversary and the seat seemed quite different than I remembered in the NA, true?

TIA

miker

Reply to
Brian Minto

My dog was constantly opening windows in my NA - always wanted to stand with his front legs on the console. Then he would suddenly make a surprise surge and wind up in my lap. Based on his relaxation level I'd say he liked the Ranger a lot better. You can't curl up next to daddy's leg in a Miata. :)

Are there aftermarket seats for the NB worth getting?

miker

Reply to
miker

Hey, get the base model NB like I did and have old school roll up windows. It's not a bad thing and it's less to go wrong / wear out. I like that. Problem is, it has no cruise control, that's a problem!

Good luck, Chris

99BBB
Reply to
Chris D'Agnolo

I had a dog and a cat (not at the same time in the car). they made a few scratching marks with their claws :)

dog was small (cat sized), so she always stood up and had to see everything, cat too. soooo

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Reply to
Domagoj Bagaric

My first Miata was a 1990 and the second is a 2004. Pluses and minuses on the NB are as follows:

I really, REALLY hate the seats. They look like surfboards and I cannot get both my arms and legs set comfortably. It feels as though the front of the NB seats are raked up too high. Of course, I had the

1990 for 12 years so the seats had definitely taken on the shape of *my* seat by then. I'm looking for NA seats in reasonably good condition with headrest speakers to replace these NB seats.

There are no headrest speakers in this NB. Instead there are some cheapo speakers in the wind break that point directly at the back of the seats so they're useless. The door speakers, on the other hand, are much better in the NB.

I do like the extra horsepower in the NB and the ride is much smoother. This car has the front shock brace and an after-market roll bar so there's next to no cowl shake and a lot less body flex than in the '90. Prior to adding the roll bar, the wind break did provide some rigidity to the body.

I miss the pop-up headlights and the "bare bones" old-time sports car look of the NA. That said, I have to admit that my aging bones do like the additional creature comforts of the NB.

While the NB does a lot better speedwise on track days, the NA held the road better in turns.

Gas mileage is comparable although the 90 liked the lower octane blend more than the 04 does.

Hope that helps!

----- Iva & Vixen (yes, I'm still around!)

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata
Reply to
Iva

Thanks Iva. Can you elaborate on the fuel thing?

Seems like many don't like the NB seats. Are there reasonable aftermarket solutions, rather than adapting old NA seats?

miker

Reply to
miker

My '90 was perfectly happy with the lowest octane gas. Ran like a trooper no matter what the conditions or acceleration. The '04 prefers the mid-range octane rating. Under hard acceleration, particularly uphill, I'll get some pinging with the lower octane gas. If I'm doing any type of track event, or extended "spirited" driving, I'll fill her up with the higher octane gas. And that translates into more MSUs (Miata Spending Units) for gas and fewer for fun.

Of course the ethanol content doesn't help any either.

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata
Reply to
Iva

Ok... I wonder if that's an NA/NB thing or a 1.6/1.8 thing?

My understanding has always been that alcohol burns more slowly than gas, which gives a higher-octane effect - pinging shouldn't be alcohol-caused (unless you're drinking it! ;)

miker

Reply to
miker

Maybe a little of both?

I guess I wasn't clear - I meant that the ethanol content has lowered mpg noticeably. I'm not blaming it for the pinging.

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata
Reply to
Iva

Oh, got it... yeah, definitely. I imagine it lowers mpg about, oh... about exactly how much it stretches the gas out. Good thing we have politicians to plan this stuff for us.

miker

Reply to
miker

That was true for me: I lost 3 mpg when they shifted to E10. Power is down by a similar amount. Ethanol is corporate welfare for ADM, plain and simple. It results in a net INCREASE in greenhouse gas emissions, if we include the diesel tractors, ag chemicals, and transport in diesel trucks. The higher the ethanol content of a fuel, the greater the negative consequences.

At best, it's filler for gasoline...sold at full gasoline prices.

Reply to
Lanny Chambers

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