Mazda Miata

Submitted by Chuck Lynch

I didn't find this car, it found me. I could never have located one like it, they are too rare. But about three years ago a little cash came my way, and with the big 5-0 right on the horizon it was time to find something sporty, small, and red. The final three choices came down to a new Mustang, Acura RSX, or MX-5 Miata. All red.

Time to go a-lookin'. Our local Blue Oval Ford dealer told me that unless I was ready to buy their car that day, they did not have time to talk to me. The last red RSX our Acura dealer would ever have had 400 miles on it, which I consider to be a demo, and they would not deal. And the Mazda dealer also thought highly of their cars; I simply would not pay $30,000 for a Miata.

Off to the classifieds and other used car sources. I was rethinking the red theme, too. Did I really want to attract that much attention? Then I saw one on the road ... a dark metallic green Miata, a few years old. Classy, I thought. When I picked up a local events paper and scanned the used-car listings, there it was--a green Miata with a six-speed. It had low miles (33,000) and was in good shape. The price was good, too.

The next day, I gave the owners a call. Trekking into Nashville is never fun--the town has grown, but the roads haven't. I finally found their house, right in the flight path of the airport, and the guy was more than honest about the car. He showed me every minute scratch he knew of, said his girlfriend needed a larger car for traffic (I agreed totally), and we came to a quick agreement over the price. The next day, he even personally delivered the car to my house, nearly 45 minutes away. I didn't know exactly what the car was when I bought it, and he obviously didn't know what he had either.

It is a 2001 Miata MX-5 SE (Special Edition), Number 1,610 of 3,000 made. As far as Miatas go, this thing is loaded! British Racing Green, fender badges, tan leather seats, tan floor mats with BRG 'Miata Special Edition' embroidery, 6-speed transmission, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, cruise control, Bose AM/FM/Single CD, power antenna, power mirrors, remote entry and trunk release, fog lights, wind blocker, cargo net, rear defroster, 16' polished aluminum wheels, NARDI wood steering wheel, shifter knob, and hand brake lever, plastic wood dash trim, 2 cup holders (can't get along without cupholders!), and a larger polished exhaust tip. As far as I know, it's only lacking two options: ABS and a cassette player; I prefer the dash storage bin over a cassette player.

To date, 26 months later, I've put 9,000 miles on the SE. I've done a few cosmetic repairs, as it would have been in better shape had I bought it new. A new lower driver's seat cover ($250) from Mazda looks much better than what came with the car; I'm not a fan of the longevity of leather seats. There are some nice aftermarket parts available, so I added console/interior lights, a trunk light, and side marker lights in the red quarter panel reflectors. I hope the top lasts another couple of years, there's a tiny ping in the hood, and the windshield is showing some small chips. Other than that, the car is in pretty good shape going on eight years old.

After having the car for nearly a year, I turned a corner at a red light one night, and all of a sudden, the interior of the car was filled with an eerie green glow. Seems one of the previous owners had decided green neon lighting looked cool with the tan trim (It does not), and the system, once broken, had fixed itself for no apparent reason. Needless to say, all remnants of the lighting were removed the next day, restoring the car to its deserved level of dignity.

I get tempted to sell from time to time to trade, but I know I would always regret turning this car loose. It's special, it found me, and it has a good home. Like a good pet, it doesn't eat much, is always faithful, never leaves a mess, and is, ahem, rather cute. Oh, by the way, I looked up the value of the car recently--it's worth $25 more than I gave for it.

--Chuck Lynch

Posted in Car Lust, Our Cars, Sports Cars 4 blog reactions | Email this post |

The next day, I gave the owners a call. Trekking into Nashville is never fun--the town has grown, but the roads haven't. I finally found their house, right in the flight path of the airport, and the guy was more than honest about the car. He showed me every minute scratch he knew of, said his girlfriend needed a larger car for traffic (I agreed totally), and we came to a quick agreement over the price. The next day, he even personally delivered the car to my house, nearly 45 minutes away. I didn't know exactly what the car was when I bought it, and he obviously didn't know what he had either.

It is a 2001 Miata MX-5 SE (Special Edition), Number 1,610 of 3,000 made. As far as Miatas go, this thing is loaded! British Racing Green, fender badges, tan leather seats, tan floor mats with BRG 'Miata Special Edition' embroidery, 6-speed transmission, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, cruise control, Bose AM/FM/Single CD, power antenna, power mirrors, remote entry and trunk release, fog lights, wind blocker, cargo net, rear defroster, 16' polished aluminum wheels, NARDI wood steering wheel, shifter knob, and hand brake lever, plastic wood dash trim, 2 cup holders (can't get along without cupholders!), and a larger polished exhaust tip. As far as I know, it's only lacking two options: ABS and a cassette player; I prefer the dash storage bin over a cassette player.

To date, 26 months later, I've put 9,000 miles on the SE. I've done a few cosmetic repairs, as it would have been in better shape had I bought it new. A new lower driver's seat cover ($250) from Mazda looks much better than what came with the car; I'm not a fan of the longevity of leather seats. There are some nice aftermarket parts available, so I added console/interior lights, a trunk light, and side marker lights in the red quarter panel reflectors. I hope the top lasts another couple of years, there's a tiny ping in the hood, and the windshield is showing some small chips. Other than that, the car is in pretty good shape going on eight years old.

After having the car for nearly a year, I turned a corner at a red light one night, and all of a sudden, the interior of the car was filled with an eerie green glow. Seems one of the previous owners had decided green neon lighting looked cool with the tan trim (It does not), and the system, once broken, had fixed itself for no apparent reason. Needless to say, all remnants of the lighting were removed the next day, restoring the car to its deserved level of dignity.

I get tempted to sell from time to time to trade, but I know I would always regret turning this car loose. It's special, it found me, and it has a good home. Like a good pet, it doesn't eat much, is always faithful, never leaves a mess, and is, ahem, rather cute. Oh, by the way, I looked up the value of the car recently--it's worth $25 more than I gave for it.

--Chuck Lynch

Comments

[Account Deleted]

You have made the right decision, and have chosen the right machine. The Mazda Miata is really a very good car. It’s very sporty and it’s a pleasure to drive. Congrats for the car, take good care of it. Nice article.

[Carson Ahlstrom]

Ahh, I love the Miata. Its a reasonably priced sports car, cheap by supercar standards. Nevertheless, it ain't lacking in performance. It's fast, agile and nimble. The Japanese knew a thing or two about great sports cars. Take care of her, from the looks of it she's well maintained.

[Air Intake Kits]

I thought the Miata was lame until I tried one out. Now I can't help being away from my Miata.

[Chevy HHR cold air intake]

One of the best Japanese cars around. I would say it would be great to have this in your garage.

[Cadillac Factory Air Ride]

The Miata rules not in everyone hearts but in mine, it's the champion of champions. I am proud to own one.

[Carson]

Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Appreciate it