Whatever happened to the Miata?

[question everything]

Was used in the Reagan 1984 commercial "Morning in America" but pretty much disappeared from the streets... did the young single who drove it graduated to driving SUV with kids and the dogs and the in-laws?

[Book Lover]

1. You mean the Mazda MX-5 Miata?

They've sold literally millions, man. And it didn't hit the streets until '88, so you must be thinking of another car.

[question everything]

7. I wonder, now

Will have to search for a video clip, if available. It never mentioned Reagan or the elections or the Republicans.

I was wondering about the presence, or lack of bumpers that might have made it less safe.

[ReadTomPaine]

10. Here's a link to the campaign commercials for 1984

http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/election/index.php?nav_action=election&nav_subaction=R&campaign_id=173

It's an archive of all the political ads ever run on television - it should help you find the clip!

[tridim]

2. Do you mean Fieros?

I haven't seen one of those for years.

[johnaries]

8. A old friend of mine was a GM mechanic. He said that because

of the mid-engine design they were very difficult to work on, because the engine was so difficult to get to. Even the simplest maintenance and repairs took hours longer than other cars, making maintenance and repair very expensive.

And, according to another friend who owned, they required a LOT of maintenance and repair. Basically, pieces of crap. Although he said they drove great when they were running.

[ReadTomPaine]

13. The Fiero was sold as a sort of economy car to Pontiac management..

but to the buyers as a sports car, which it emphatically wasn't. Only the very final version had anything like sporting pretensions beyond the plastic bodywork.

Here's the only Fiero model ever to make it close to the cut, it featured GM's 2.8 liter V6 instead of the original weak four, a new gearbox, revised suspension and a newly restyled rear end, but by the time of it's introduction, this was too little to late:

[Blue_Tires]

28. sadly, true to GM's nature

they kill a car the moment they get it right....well, at least they still have a current winner in the corvette (anything else is just a sports car!)

[gulfcoastliberal]

32. True. Oldsmobile sold way more cars than Buick but they killed Olds.

The Alero and Intrigue were great. I still have my '01 Alero 3.4v6 - got a free 60 month/60000 mile bumber to bumer warantee. Needed it cause of a factory defect where they overtorqued the LIMG (lower intake manifold gasket) and they paid for a rental car for me while it was fixed. Other gremlin was the fan resistor, also fixed free. Runs smooth, got the coupe with sport suspension, 16" alloys, came with daylight running lights, auto headlights, CC, ABS, traction control, all standard. Driving gently get about 22mpg city, 28-30 mpg hiway. Not the greatest but CU recently said the Alero real world mileage was 14mpg so I'm beating that.

[ReadTomPaine]

39. Yes the Alero and Intrigue were pretty good sedans!

They were probably the most sporting Olds cars since the 60's. I was sorry to see the marque get flushed as well, but GM isn't know for its strategic thinking and one of the divisions had to pay it seems.

There are rumors more divisions will be on the chopping block if things don't turn around for the General soon. Most likely Buick, then Pontiac.

[nashbridges]

37. SIgh...

I had a Fiero GT for three glorious months in Northern VA. It would not, under any circumstances, pass inspection. Too old to repair, and too new to get in under the emissions laws.

I bought it for $600. I sold it for $600. I got 3 months. I was pissed at the time for the emissions laws, but it all worked out for the best. I used the money to get diesel VW Rabbit convertible that never got flagged even though it was ten years older.

But it didn't come even close to the power of the Fiero. Jesus, that car could move...

[ohio_liberal]

68. I got a Fiero GT for graduation in 1986.

My parents must have been insane. I can't believe I didn't kill myself in it. :D

Beyond basic maintenance, the only thing I ever had to replace in that car was an EGR valve and repair the emergency brake like three times. And tires, OMG the tires. $150 each back then and I bought them at least once a year. The rear tires wore like you wouldn't believe.

[Oerdin]

56. That's because

The Fiero was discountinued by GM during the cost cutting and plateform trimming of 1988. Originally introduced in 1984 as GM's anwser to the Toyota MR2 and Fiat X1/9 Bertone the Fiero suffered from a rushed development cycle and an interior that looked like it had been made from recycled soda bottles. In 1987 GM decided to invest a great deal of money into reoing the fiero so that it was actually a decent little car with sporty pretensions however the intial launch was so poor executed that the public had written the Fiero off.

That was the end of the American built midengine car.

[ReadTomPaine]

71. And don't forget the engine fires...

http://www.fiero.org/text/autoweek.txt

Excerpt:

One of Pontiac's engineers knew almost from the start of production that the Fiero had a disquieting tendency to become, quite literally, a hot rod. On Oct. 6, 1983, less than three months after production began at the Pontiac plant, a Pontiac engineer wrote an ''urgent" memo to report that two Fieros had suddenly caught fire during test drives. The engineer blamed the fires on antifreeze leaking out of badly installed hoses onto hot exhaust pipes. The man in charge of the Fiero project, Hulki Aldikacti, saw a Fiero catch fire at GM's test track.

But Fieros flamed out more than one way. Pontiac engineers fought an 18-month battle to get GM's Saginaw foundry division to stop shipping batches of defective connecting rods for Fiero engines. The foundry managers, who got paid on the basis of tons of iron shipped out the door, had little financial incentive to spend money to fix Pontiac's warranty problems. After one meeting, a Saginaw foundry manager wrote that ''. . .60 percent to 90 percent of the rods produced do not exhibit" defects. Of course, this meant that between one and four of every 10 rods were defective. Pontiac was still complaining in that ''no permanent solution has been found'' to the problem of hairline cracks in connecting rods for the Iron Duke. Sure enough, Fieros began suffering breakdowns caused by broken rods.

A connecting rod that breaks at high speed is like a shrapnel grenade detonating inside the motor. In Fieros, chunks of broken metal flew with such force that they ripped through the engine block. Oil would spill onto the hot exhaust pipes, and often ignite. The Iron Duke engines used in early Fieros also suffered from a defect in the way their blocks were cast that, in some cases, caused the engines to leak oil or lose coolant. Since the Iron Dukes in Fieros ran a quart low to begin with because of the customized oil pan, losing more oil quickly created big trouble.

GM engineers and Fiero plant workers knew of these problems and many more. They discovered that some of the engine cooling fans on early Fieros were wired backward. That meant the fans sucked hot air back into the engine. Engineers rewired the fans. Pontiac engineers fired off bulletins to dealers warning about other problems poorly installed radiator hoses, leaky gaskets and bad wiring.

Ouch!

[wildhorses]

3. Miata go to bed...

[jobycom]

4. Mr. Miagi went on to play the emperor in Mulan.

[ReadTomPaine]

5. The Miata is the most successful convertible ever built.

Here's the new one for 2006:



Tho my favorite design is still the early, first generation models:

[radwriter0555]

17. I LOVED my Miata and totally and completely regret NOT bringing it here to

europe with me. I sold it before I left.

What a fantastic, fun, sexy, outstanding ride, even more fun to drive car!

Completely reliable but definitely more suited to great weather cities like Los Angeles and Cannes.

I've decided my next convertible is going to be the Maserati Spyder *cough*.

[ReadTomPaine]

18. Better get that Maserati soon!

They have been separated from Ferrari by FIAT's management and will be paired with Alfa Romeo from now on.. so those fantastic Ferrari engines and other shared components won't last much longer.

[radwriter0555]

27. DAMN. I hope my 100K comes in, really

really soon!

The gas guzzler tax on that sucker is almost $4000.

Ouch.

[leveymg]

22. That's mine - a black & tan '92. Had it for four years.

R&T voted it one of the five best handling sports cars in 1993. I agree. It's also among the prettiest mass-produced cars ever made.

Love the handling dynamics - nice, predictable transition from mild understeer to controlled oversteer out of the corner. Good steering feel for a power-assisted system.

A well-engineered Japanese car with British looks and a German feel. A Lotus Elan for the masses.

Could use an extra 40 horsepower. Otherwise, almost perfect.

(Wouldn't mind the new Maserati, either - but, I'd prefer a Ghibli.)

[ReadTomPaine]

24. Yes that extra 40 horses is often added via a very popular supercharger..

option supplied by the aftermarket.

Since the Miata was deemed in need of mostly low-end grunt, the SC was a better choice than a 323 sourced turbo from the standpoint of pure driving feel.



Incidentally, I love the Ghibli and it's a smart, sharp choice.. one of the most underrated exotics around.

[leveymg]

29. I've thought about bolting on a blower.

Will probably do that when engine rebuild time comes. But, it only has 95K and that doesn't seem anytime soon!

When I was in High School in the early '70s I had the world's best job. I worked for an exotic car dealer,and got to drive the inventory to get gas and parts.

I drove a lot of Ferraris, Lambos and Astons: Daytonas, 275 GTB4s, Miuras, DB8s. But, of all of them, I felt most comfortable in the Ghibli. The 4.9 had a truly lovely V8 with a lot of low-end grunt that built up to high-pitched snarl. It reminded me of the '67 289 Mustang fastback I had at the time, but was light years more sophisticated in its power delivery and had a top-end that just kept on building in a linear fashion. It was nearly as quick from 60-120 mph as it was from 0-60. It topped out at an indicated 155 on the Merritt Parkway early one Saturday morning.

And the rest of the car . . . a piece of art with the loveliest leather and wood. Everything was very solid and had a hand-tooled look and feel to it. It made me feel very much at home, unlike some of it's more exotic counsins.

But, this is the one I'd really love to have. A 450S:

[ReadTomPaine]

30. Sweet!

I've driven my share of enthusiast's iron, but you indeed did had a dream situation! Much of the fun, none of the payments or exotic headaches..

[leveymg]

35. And, I got to drive then through the High School parking lot.

I never had problems finding girl friends back then.

The exotic headaches are labors of love. I picked up a wrench after that and pretty much put myself through college working as a foreign car mechanic. I worked at a couple places in Cambridge MA that specialized in Lotuses and British cars. The owners ran SCCA, so I got to drive an old McLaren M6B Can Am car (ASR) and a Chevy Monza GT1 car around Lime Rock a couple times. God damn, brute foce and ignorance!

Loved the older Loti and 6 cylinder Astons, hated working on the post-'75 emmission controlled cars. They never ran right, and the hundres of hoses, wires and little dashpots and diodes were nearly impossible to trace and diagnose.

Try doing a tuneup on a mid-70s V-12 Jag. I dare you!

[ReadTomPaine]

38. Mid 70's V12 Jag? I'll take a pass on tuning that beast.

Smooth but flawed powerplant.. its myriad problems went a long way toward killing Jaguar. Between that and Lucas electronics, I'd rather ride a bike or do one of the popular Chevy V8 transplants.

BTW - Exotics in the HS parking lot :) Now that is a memory to treasure!

[leveymg]

44. Harry Weslake was a genius, but the dished heads in the Jag V-12

can only be described as an experiment that wasn't repeated. Bob Tulius at Group 44 managed to make the thing competitive against the Vettes and 427 Cobras in A-Production, but then the Porsche 930 appeared and changed everything.

The Porsche turbo and the '73-74 gas crisis also killed Can Am, which was a far greater loss, as far as I'm concerned.

[ReadTomPaine]

47. Lister also did some work on that powerplant back in the 80's as I recall.

Got output up to around 400 or so HP, tho I can't vouch for reliability.

There's a company in England that rebuilds the XJS to proper form replacing the crummy suspension bushings, faulty electronic relays, bad weather sealing and other oversights of this car and turning it into the automobile is should always have been. When the XJS was first released, the QC problems were so great that Jaguar's own execs refused them as company cars.

Knowles Wilkins Engineering is the name, they are located in Hampshire I believe. They don't alter the nature of the car, which is wonderful, but they make it a much tighter, more reliable ride. The cost isn't cheap, however. They do other British cars well, such as the XJ-12

[leveymg]

49. MB is getting into factory restorations for older models.

It's good business to maintain parts and technical support, and preserve classics. If Detroit had any sense, the Big Three would do the same thing - but investing in customer loyalty doesn't fit into their business model.

I've long believed that the best way to live with an older daily driver is to retrofit modern engines and electronics into older cars. A classic that actually starts on cold, damp mornings! What peace of mind. That's part of the appeal of the Miata - an Elan without Lucas. If only I had some real money, I'd retrofit Miata drive trains and components into Lotus shells. Wow, a 1600 pound Miata - now that would be a blast to commute in. I would want some additional rollover and side-impact protection, so call it 1750 pounds.

Even better, how about a Lotus 23B:

[ReadTomPaine]

51. The Lotus (now Caterham) 7 and the Elise are my picks from Colin's kids..

Tho the Elise/Exige are long after his death, they are pretty pure to his design philosophy of "adding lightness". Despite my love for certain drop tops, I'm actually more of a coupe fan due to weight, rigidity and weather concerns. I also don't like my hair flying into my eyes :)

Sadly, even if Colin had lived longer, he would probably have been imprisoned via fallout from the Delorean scandal. He was in that mess pretty deeply, and John Z had to flee England, only to be nailed here for his famous cocaine arrest. Hmmm - there's that ill fated car and cocaine mix yet again.

[leveymg]

53. Speaking of the ill-fated mix, this guy

embodied everything I wanted to be, and the car I really wanted to drive, when I was a boy:

[ReadTomPaine]

54. Hey how was Le Mans? I've never seen it...

I keep hearing alternately that it's either the best racing film or a bore..

[leveymg]

57. A boor? Only if you don't like car movies.

Speaking of boars, that's the '72 "Pink Pig" low-drag body style with Gulf colors. Not the best looking 917.


This one gets my vote for zapfdik: the '70 psychedelic Martini Langheck:

[ReadTomPaine]

59. Race cars looked better pre 1980.. no question.

A big part of that is the comparative lack of advertisements plastered all over the cars, no doubt, but more art and less aero had quite a bit to do with it as well.

[leveymg]

61. Frank Costin did good work. Did you know he also

designed the Mosquito bomber and the March 711 F1 car. See the oval plan form that runs through his work? Look at the tail on the plane and the wing on the nose of the F1 car. So much more elegant than straight lines and flat surfaces.

[ReadTomPaine]

64. Prop airplane fan as well? We have similar tastes...

I had no idea Costin did the Mosquito.. that's a wild link. My fave twin engines planes of that period were the P-61 & the P-38. There's a lot in common between older performance cars and that breed of prop driven aircraft.

[leveymg]

65. Black widow - nasty night fighter. Look at the XP-67, graceful

Looks 30 years ahead of it's time. I'd love to have one - what a conversation piece.

[ET Awful]

72. The Elise is one mean looking piece of rolling stock :)

I saw one of these on the road out in Bedford, Massachusetts of all places. It was bright yellow, and it had been so many years since I saw a Lotus on the road, I had no clue what it was until I got up on his bumper to see if I could read the logo :)

[ReadTomPaine]

74. With the US spec toyota engine, they are seriously fast as well..

Perhaps the best handling car on American roads today. 0-60 in about 4.7 second and only around 40K. Not bad for a car everyone will think runs at least twice that price.

The Exige is a hardtop version, even faster:

[ET Awful]

75. Yup, it shocked the hell out of me when I saw the price.

I would have guessed at least 80k :)

[bluestateguy]

6. My father has one

A red 1990 Miata, and I dare say it's one of the nicest ones in his state.

[aquaman]

12. I have a 1991,

drive it quite a bit now because it gets great gas mileage. It's a great car as long as you don't get in a wreck.

[lithiumbomb]

9. .

As others said, it didn't appear until 1989 as a 1990 model. So wouldn't have been used in a commercial in 1984... wasn't even thought of. And it's been the best selling roadster in the US since its introduction... so I'm not sure what vehicle you're thinking of, but it wasn't a Miata.

[Lexingtonian]

11. it got something of a reputation

as a car driven almost exclusively by gay men and middle aged divorcees.

I still have a scarlet red '90 Mazda 323, which under the exterior is largely the same car.

[ReadTomPaine]

15. Yes the Mazda 323 "DNA" served the Miata well...

In that it was inexpensive, rugged, easy to fix and modify (the 323 had items like turbos available that could easily be transferred to the Miata) but don't forget the Miata has vastly improved balance, one of the best gearboxes ever made and most importantly, rear wheel drive.

323 GTX Turbo
http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/mazda/images/323gtx/gtxsmall.jpg

Engine bay

[Lexingtonian]

21. yep

Looks exceedingly familiar. I have the plain wimpy 1.6 eight valve version with a/c, though. 35-38 mpg highway, though I got 43 mpg on stretches of low desert a lot in the days I used to drive between LA and El Paso a good bit. Did a friendly egging-each-other-on race with a T-bird from El Paso to San Antonio one summer, we did high 80s on upgrades (I was faster and stronger there) and 95ish speeds downhill (he trusted his suspension and hoses more) most of the way.

Sadly, my gal has the little disease of the type- the cylinder head gasket began to leak, getting/achieving a good replacement hasn't been a whole lot of fun.

[leveymg]

25. I owned a 323 prior to my Miata. Liked both, but not alike, at all.

The 323 was a conventional front wheel drive, McPhearson strut hatch, while the MX5 is rear-wheel drive two seater designed from the ground up with its own unique engine, drive train, chassis and suspension.

Aside from some minor electrics and accessories, they don't share any components in common, as far as I know.

[ReadTomPaine]

26. They shared powerplants.. tho the Miata's was modified.

See my other posts in this thread, they shared quite a bit of DNA.

On edit: Here's a link explaining the Mazda B series engines:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_B_engine#B6D

Here's a clip:

B6
1.6 L B6 - 1597 cc (78x83.6 mm) - This was a bored-out version of the B3. The 8-valve SOHC B6 was found in the 1985-1989 Mazda 323, the 1988-1990 Mercury Tracer, and the 1990-1992 Mazda Protege. The B6 produced 82 hp (61 kW).

B6T
1.6 L B6T - 1597 cc (78x83.6 mm) - The ubiquitous turbocharged, fuel-injected and intercooled 16-valve DOHC B6, released in 1985 and used in numerous models worldwide including the 323 GT-X, 1985-1989 Mazda Familia GT-X/GT/Infini, 1985-1989 Ford Laser TX3 turbo, and later Mercury Capris. This engine was most commonly found mated to a 4WD drivetrain although FWD models were also available. Power and torque outputs varied across markets due to emission and fuel standards, but the Japanese version of the B6T was the most powerful, producing 147 hp (110 kW) and 137 ft.lbf (186 Nm).

B6D
1.6 L B6D - 1597 cc (78x83.6 mm) - The same strengthened and fuel-injected DOHC B6 as the B6T, but with no turbo. Most commonly found in the Japanese market Familias, Etudes and Lasers, this engine was also used in the '89-'93 Mazda Miata and Mercury Capri.

BP
The 1.8 L (1839 cc) BP is not just a bored- and stroked- B6. Rather, a new block with widened cylinder spacing is used. The bore was 83 mm and the stroke was 85 mm. This SOHC engine was used in various Australian and American Mazda 323s.

[leveymg]

31. I didn't realize they shared the same block.

My '89 323 was the SOHC B-6. It was a strong motor that liked to rev. I liked that car, a lot. I never drove the 4WD turbo "rally" car, but have seen a few of them.

[lithiumbomb]

40. ah generalizations

I love the posts that say it's a chick car driven by gay men, which I'm sure are conclusions based on extensive research. Among my friends I think I can count 5 or 6 Miata owners, about 50/50 male/female, none are gay, and about half of those cars have seen the track. Very fun car to drive. Now if you want to go 0-60 in 4 seconds, then you need to look elsewhere and spend a lot more money. The '06 MX-5 starts around 21k, and a nice 10 year old model is about 5k. That's a lot of fun for the money.

[TheDebbieDee]

14. Doesn't Miata mean "to be urinated on" in Spanish?

Or is that just another Urban Legend?

[ReadTomPaine]

16. Origins of the car's name..

Rod Bymaster was searching for a name for this new car. One day he came across the word 'Meed' in the dictionary which was derived from the old German word Miata meaning 'Reward'. The name stuck and the MX5 was badged the 'Miata' in North America.

from http://www.mx5club.org.nz/info/mx5_history/

On edit: Incidentally, it's no longer officially called the "Miata" but the Mazda MX-5. Outside of the US, the Miata name was not used.

[RagingInMiami]

34. I'm fluent in Spanish

And it doesn't come close to what you're saying. But it does come a little close to "mierda", which means shit.

Not that I think it's a shitty car, I've always wanted one of those. And I'm not gay nor a middle-aged divorcee.

[JVS]

19. The miata was not around in 1984! I believe the car used was some...

type of buick or possibly a Fiero!

[Hardrada]

20. The Buick was a Miasma

I think.

[ReadTomPaine]

42. LOL!

Buick did have a nice car in 1989, however...



The GNX was the quickest GM car of its day and could spank a Corvette off the line, tho I prefer the same powerplant in the Trans Am GTA

[ReadTomPaine]

23. I just spent the 5 minutes to look thru the 1984 campaign ads..

on the Museum of the Moving Image's "Living Room Candidate" online exhibit (link below) and didn't see a single convertible in any of 8 commercials used by Republicans for that election season.

http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/election/index.php?nav_action=election&nav_subaction=R&campaign_id=173

[question everything]

76. Thanks, I may have mixed two different commercials

and the 80s are beginning to fade...

Seems that one thing that the Reagan team did right was to talk about hope and optimism, especially after poor Jimmy Carter's "malaise" and, of course, after the hostages in Iran.

And then there was the commercial for the Miata something about how or what was happening in America, again with hope and optimism and bright colors, some sky scrapers, I think and... people were driving the Miata.

And... I cannot believe how this thread meandered into a happening of car lovers. Am surprises that it was not moved to the Lounge.

:crazy: :woohoo:

:applause: :applause:

[Liberal In Texas]

33. You know, I've just spent 4 or 5 visits to this post and can only think

WHO CARES?

What happened to the GTO or the 442 or the Edsel?

The Miata was designed to be a "chick car" and it was a marketing ploy that worked for awhile. It wasn't particularly a good car, just kind of looked good. Not strong or actually very sports car like, like say, a Corvette.

I'm OK with them still being around, but I would NEVER buy one.

[ReadTomPaine]

36. Instead of racing your mouth, try parking your attitude.

The Miata is a fantastic sports car, and it was inspired by the Lotus Elan, perhaps the premier track car of it's day.. Every established sports car magazine has given the Miata top honors for over a decade. You have no idea what you are talking about, as your post is wrong on almost every account.

Sports cars are about more than displacement, tho there is nothing wrong with big V8s.

[leveymg]

43. I've driven both, and have to say, I really enjoy owning the Miata.

Yes, big block V8s have a hairy rush and the late-model Vettes (C-5 and later) have tremendous grip and strong brakes. If you can resist putting your foot down all the time, they also deliver surprisingly decent gas milage.

But, the older '60s muscle cars are almost uniformly awful to drive by modern standards. They have vague steering, frightening brakes, and don't like to turn-in. Most of them. also, aren't really that quick - few factory cars broke 14 sec quarters, and had serious axle tramp and limited traction, even with modern radial tires.

You had to drive around their limitations to get any fun out of them. Yes, American iron look and sound great to my ear, but the first-hand driving experience was often disappointing.

On a winding road, my box stock Miata would walk right away from the '67 Mustang Fastback I had in the early 'seventies, despite it's Shelby engine parts, lowered suspension, Koni shocks, and 8" wheels and L60 TAs (the widest, grippiest tires tires then available). But, there was a friend across town who had a '68 with a Boss 302 block and real GT40 heads, 4 Weber 48 IDA carbs that revved to 9,000 rpm, and had a full roll cage. It was basically a TransAm race car for the street.

I was riding in that car when we blew off a Ferrari Daytona on the Boston Post Road. Of course, Tommy, who built that beast, was a genius and had a lot more money than any of the rest of us. Too bad he got busted one night by the Connecticut State Police with a bunch of cocaine in the glove box when I was away at college. Never saw that blue Mustang or Tommy K. again.

[ReadTomPaine]

45. The C4 isn't bad either, tho it's a touch clunky and vague..

Most of the fun in that car comes from the acceleration rush from all that glorious torque- I haven't driven the later Vettes tho I understand they've become much tighter but are still somewhat numb. I intensely dislike the digital dash on the C4 however and that reason alone is enough for me to take a pass.

Oddly, my favorite Corvette body style, from the standpoint of looks, are the swoopy Darth Vader style C3 models. I know they were considered the dogs of the corvette kennel, but they are a guilty pleasure of mine.

One day I'd love to find myself a nice cheap '81 and get to work making it into a real muscle car.

[leveymg]

50. Now that's a car that needs a crate motor.

12 grand for a mountain motor with decent heads, add your choice of induction system and some headers, and you've got an L-88 beater for under $20 grand.

[ReadTomPaine]

52. Would you go crate over reworking a standard block or forced induction?

That's a pricey route though hot factory crate motors are the last word in aftermarket mods on cars of this nature.

I've never driven a car that's had a performance crate motor dropped into it. How is the drivability of these beasts? I suppose, depending on the valve timing, lift/duration/overlap etc they could make one purr like a kitten..

[leveymg]

55. They run like an LS6 - drivable.

I would chuck the Carter and install a factory-type FI system. The thing already has so much torque, you don't need forced induction, unless you want to go the Calloway route, in which case, I'd go with with later bodystyle. Less likely to lift off at 190 mph.

Hey, if you like Big Block Chevy's, and want to keep it on the ground, how about one of these:

[ReadTomPaine]

58. You're a track car madman <grin>

I tend toward more stock looking, street style vehicles ;)

I'm thinking more in terms of quick rather than fast. The 350's used in those old C3's topped out at either 180 HP or 225 HP depending on whether or not they were CA cars. They were good for around 7-8 sec runs to 60 & 16 sec quarter mile runs @ about 85 mph. A turbo Volvo from the late 80's can top this.

I was thinking about a 50 HP boost, which should be well within the garden variety aftermarket mods for that engine, tho I'm not sure what the cheapest route is to that goal.

Mind you, there are other cars I'd prefer over my C3 project musings but it's fun to consider, nevertheless...

[leveymg]

60. The cheapest route would be to drop a used 350

from a late mid-90s Caprice 9C1 cop car. They had 260 plus hp, and there are millions of them out there.

[leveymg]

62. What I really love are street-driven endurance racers, like

the McLaren M6B coupe:


Sublime.

[ReadTomPaine]

63. Hey, good call with the 9C1's LT1

After a bit of looking it seems these are pretty cheap used engines, anywhere from about 2K on up with a warranty and I'm sure less if you hunt.. add a nice C3 and some extras and you are still far under 10K it seems. That's a pretty nice ride for the price, I'd guess about a 6-7 sec 60 speed and a 14.5 quarter. Not bad at all, and given that it's a Corvette, sure to appreciate in value.

Sad to say, even C3 prices are rising these days!

[leveymg]

67. Or, shoehorn one into an Opel GT. Killer fast combo.

[ReadTomPaine]

69. I've heard those Opels are beasts to maintain and repair...

I have doubts that little Buick could even swallow a V6! Despite it's visual similarity to the C3 I was never very fond of those cars.

Something about the shape always seemed out of proportion to me...

[Liberal In Texas]

48. Running my mouth, huh?

Want to have a fight?

(Just kidding...really.)

[radwriter0555]

41. Actually the miata's performance as a sports car is outstanding. It's so

smooth, sweet, powerful and fast for such a small car, that you can't help but plaster a BIG grin all over your face.

It IS a high performance car, not on the lines of the balls out, muscle man grunt of the GTO or the 1968 Pontiac Firebird, which HAD to be the sweetest, smoothest clutch in all of stock car history, but it is genuinely a serious contender for one of the sweetest, smoothest, slickest rides around for a stock mass production car.

I can't begin to describe how that car powers out on corners and curves, sticking to the road like honey on a hot summer day, it corners on a dime without a moment's hesitation or one iota of slip; That car LOVES and embraces and rubs up and down all OVER the 6K RPM range, like a lover on a cold winter night just coming into a fireplace warmed room... The miata shines and is in all her glory on a windy, narrow, steep mountain road where you have to shift up, shift down and power down for maximum traction on a hair pin turn. Let's see your muscle car take a miata on a canyon road sometime; she cannot be bested by anything other than the elite sports cars.

Maybe on a straight 3 lane highway your GTO can take on and overpower a miata, but put the two of them through their paces on real roads with hairpin turns, no guard rails and steep cliff sides ranging a hundred feet over your head, and my miata will be all cooled off and resting comfortably while your GTO comes ambling down the hill sweating like an old racehorse past her prime.

The license plate on my *sob* Miata was

"WWWWEEE" for the record.

It's HOT. I miss her...

[leveymg]

46. I may still have the phone numbers of a couple of the

Staples High School girls I knew. Sounds like you need someone to keep your feet warm to replace the engine heat.

That's another thing I really like about the Miata, it's got a great heater and I can drive it in the snow with the top down.

[ET Awful]

73. Actually, it was marketed more as a rebirth of the classic British

roadsters such as the MG, etc.

It fit into that slot nicely, and has been highly rated by pretty much every one that's driven one since.

[laruemtt]

66. wesley clark drives one -

and that's good enough for me! :loveya:

http://stan4clark.forclark.com/story/2004/4/9/232523/0747

[ReadTomPaine]

70. Now that is wild!

I guess he's had his pick of big engined heavy iron over the years in the military and prefers something light and nimble now that he's a civvy! ;)

I've love to see a photo of Wes zipping around in his Miata with the smile that always seems to be on an MX-5 owner's face...