Somebody talk me out of..., ...selling my 914 for a Miata Options

[BravoHotel]

Somebody help me. I am in the process of considering selling the teener to fund a miata. Here's the deal: Currently my daily driver is a 98 Suburban and the $2.00/gal gas prices are killing me. My 914 is basically a street legal track car that would take a lot of work to make a comfortable driver (currently no heating/ventilation parts installed and needs some window and targa seals bad). I only drive it on nice days w/ no chance of rain. I need a car that I can drive everyday (economical and fun) that still has the ability to do good things at the track.

For about the same money as I could get out of my 914, I could buy a nicely mod'ed Miata that has good heat, a/c, and a stereo...that I could drive in the rain, snow, and summer heat.

Somebody talk me out of it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[Brad Roberts]

Buy the Miata. Plain and simple. Your wants/needs far outweigh what the 914 has turned into. You can always buy a 914 later.

I'm seriously considering selling my truck to fund a Boxster purchase. I have to get started on them soon if I want to be guru in 15 years.


B

[anthony]

It won't be as fun as a 914.

[John]

I think you should sell me your 914 cheap and purchase a nice car made in Japan. It will be loads of fun.

[Brad Roberts]

I find the Miata's fun. Sometimes it is nice to have heat and AC (as I get older). They are wildly popular for SCCA Spec Miata racing. They handle very close to how our cars handle and have more HP/torque than our prepped cars.

They are *cheap* however. Pull the skin back.. and they look/feel cheap.


B

[seanery]

there is a *gay* factor with the miata, too. I'm not saying ALL guys that drive Miatas are gay, they just appear that way! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)












--if I have offended anyone in any way, too bad!--

[Brad Roberts]

Oh.. yeah I forgot about the all important *Gay* factor. It really play's into effect when living in the south. Here in SF it doesnt matter.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)


B

[John]

I find the Miata's fun. Sometimes it is nice to have heat and AC (as I get older).

I always knew you were a crotchety old man... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

there is a *gay* factor with the miata, too. I'm not saying ALL guys that drive Miatas are gay, they just appear that way!

Oh, I also like those "springy"seats.

[Brad Roberts]

I'll be 34 in Nov. After 2-3 weeks straight of 8am-midnight.. and weekends.. I start to feel it. I slept in today (9:45am) and barely lifted a racthet on a race car yesterday. Its all in fun. I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world.. well maybe...something.


B

[MarkV]

Dump the Suburban & get something a little smaller for your daily driver. I traded my Suburban six months ago for a Toyota Sequoia. It gets 14-15 mpg around town which is not great, but better than the 11-12 I was getting in the Sub. The Sequoia has rack & pinion steering, disk brakes & coil springs all the way around, 4 cam 4.7 liter v8 and drives more like a car than a truck.

[cha914]

Or, just buy an older miata for your daily driver and keep the 914 for the track...There are lotsa nice first gen miatas floating around for sub 10K and many half of that.

Good luck,

Tony

[scotty]

What about MR.2?

[sanglee007]

My daily (only) driver is a 92 Miata.

I'm trying to get my 914 running well enough to smog it and use it on the weekends...of course now that I have a job, I no longer have a weekend.

They are fun, they like to drive in the upper rpms and love corners. the sound of the british style exhaust is fun to hear, but I love the sound of an aircooled flat 4/6.

I'm going to get my 914 running, have some fun with it, but I'll probably end up keeping the Miata, it's too reliable and parts are cheap.


the community, like the 914club, is more mature than a typical "car forum" and also, like the 914club, have tons of information and opinions and experience. visit www.miata.net



I'd say buy a Early 1990-93 1.6l Miata, they typically sell for around 3000.00+-.

Also keep the 914...you've probably got more money into it than you'd like to admit, and would sell it at a terrible loss and it would probably cost you even more if you were to build another one later on.


Sang

[Joe.D]

I had 2000 a Miata ... for 2 months.

Lots of fun to drive at 35 MPH on nice days.

But I'm 6'1 tall, and like to sit upright to drive. The short windshield and low roof made the car terrible to drive at high speeds (after a while my forehead hurt like I was riding a motorcycle without a helmet), and with the roof up, I was constantly bashing my head on the framework for the roof. There is a rod that is directly over your head. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

I find the 914 is much more comfortable for highway and foul weather driving than a Miata. If you're tall, take one for a very loooong drive, both top up and down, before buying. (like 24 hours) I didn't, and soon regreted it.

Joe

[Scott Carlberg]

there is a *gay* factor with the miata, too. I'm not saying ALL guys that drive Miatas are gay, they just appear that way! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)



--if I have offended anyone in any way, too bad!--

Not that there's anything wrong with that.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[Gint]

there is a *gay* factor with the miata

aka, "chick car"? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[watsonrx13]

Keep the 914 and get a first gen Miata. I have a '95 Miata that I bought new, it now has 205,000 trouble free miles. I'm 6'0 and I never put the top up unless it's raining. Here in Florida, it rarely get's cold enough to put the top up. I have a tonneau cover and wear a flight jacket and use the heater whenever it get's below 50. The a/c works great when the temp reaches 85+. I grew up with my father owning British sports cars in the '50's. He bought a new MG TD and a new 356 A. The 80's were horriable for sports cars. When the Miata came out, it reinvigorated the 2-seater convertibles. I've owned 2 914's in the past as daily drivers. They're extremely fun but not reliable enough for me. The Miata has been, by far, the most reliable 2-seat sports car I've ever owned. I currently have 3 914's, ungoing extensive enhancements. When they are finished, I'll continue to drive the Miata on days with any chance of rain, but will drive the 914 on perfect days. I commute 45 miles, one way, and until last year, I was an Oracle contract programmer, ie, no work no pay. In the 9 years I've owned the Miata, it has let me down once, I had a radiator hose bust. I called AAA, had the car towed to the dealer and picked up the car later that afternoon.

Good luck with your decision.

BTW, didn't know about the gay factor, I'm from Florida, not California.

[Curvie Roadlover]

there is a *gay* factor with the miata, too. I'm not saying ALL guys that drive Miatas are gay, they just appear that way! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)












--if I have offended anyone in any way, too bad!--

I hear certain colors come from the factory with the rainbow sticker already on. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[4WheelDrifter]

Keep the 914, buy a new moped for $1500. 100mpg. When it's too cold to ride the moped, it'll be fall and gas prices will be lower anyway. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

[mikester]

that gay car thing is crap. Just feeding a very stupid stereo type. Like the Boxster's a chick car or the 914 was in it's day. I had a 2000 miata for a little over a year ( I almost wish I still had it). It was great, I even drove it cross country when I moved from FL to CA.

Gas mileage wasn't that great though. about 250 miles per tank...I think it was 12 gallons. I'd get close to 300 on an all highway trip. Sure was fast and fun though.