-'91 NA, considering selling Austin, Tx. area [Archive] (2024)

JTEX53

28th July 2010, 13:46

I have a 91 Silver, with a repaint but a decent one 2 years ago, not a Maaco job but not an extremenly high end one but very good, I won't drive it through a high power wash, no performance mods, MB motoring aftermarket rims but stock size tires, a Sony Supertuner w/CD, I can't believe at 5+years the 6.5" Lightning Audio, door replacement speakers still sound great(Miata owners should know about these speakers from about 6 years ago). Things that need attention- new valve cover gasket, the dash has a heatcrack but it is like a 3 inch hairline crack(it had it when I purchased it), rear window has cracks in both lower sides(really time for a new rear window), vinyl top is good no tears, interior is sun faded, left side of driver seat is worn and a small hole, no rips in seats. The A/C could use a recharge. This car is still a daily driver with 110,000K on odometer. I purchased car in 1999 w/67K on odometer. I don't drive it nearly as much as I used to and keep it covered when I don't but not garaged. Car also has tonneau cover in excellent condition and a new set of custom Neoprene seat cover and another set of Miata floor mats, not new but in very good condition than what in car now. I now live in Austin, Tx. and I see many N/A Miatas around. For every reason I can think of to sell it, I can think of 5 not to.

I feel the car is worth $2500-$3000, at minimum. I purchased the car when I was 47, so it's a OE car except the aftermarket rims. What do you folks think, if I decide to sell advertise it on Craigs list.:dunno: I don't need the money? Maybe it's time for someone to have a great little roadster to enjoy. Thanks
JT

99ZoomR

28th July 2010, 15:14

Welcome JT!

If you have more reasons to keep it than to sell it, it is your DD, and you don't need the money, why not keep it? (and try to imagine what it will be like to be Miata-less...:()

However, if it's not going to be something you enjoy having, and you'd like to see it go to someone that will appreciate it, then put it on Miata.net's classified section (and don't forget the voluntaty $30 "donation"...;). Your asking price could start a little higher than what you want for it just to give the potential buyer some room to "dicker".

Good Luck!

tom4416

28th July 2010, 16:48

TikiTorch

28th July 2010, 17:02

JTEX53

28th July 2010, 17:29

Vince3

28th July 2010, 18:29

Needs a top if it needs a window, costs aren't that much different because they need to remove the top to replace the window and curtain. A/C not functional, cracked dash, sun faded interior and a so-so repaint. I think $2500 is the top end of the market, maybe less if the TB/WP have never been done and it's still riding on original shocks.

Agreed...This Miata will most likely find interested buyers with offers in the $2000-$2500 range depending on up to date maintenance.

Seller really should fix the rear window himself or I would expect a buyer to deduct for the price of a quality top.

RichP

28th July 2010, 18:46

Tom4416,
The car's value is hardly worth $2500.
JT

You're right. With a torn window, need for a new VC gasket, non working A/C, interior damage and all the other "little things" I wouldn't pay a penny over $1900. But as P.T. once said - "there's a sucker born every minute".

Maybe you'll find one to pay your asking price.

flylow7f39

28th July 2010, 19:21

Repaint, off brand speakers, needs a top (labor is the same to replace a top as it is to replace a window), needs a dashboard, needs A/C recharge, no mention of how old or amount of tread left on tires. Leaks oil.

Short nosed crank? Older Sony HU? Does it have aux in and USB in? Has the lube in the tranny and rear end been changed? How about the upper and lower shift boots? How many miles are on the shocks? When were the brakes done? 110k, even if the TB and waterpump were done at the factory recommended 60k it is about time again. Is the radiator green/brown?

Looks like the typical Miata, sounds like it probably needs at least $1500 worth of maintainence to catch up to make it worth $3000. IMHO the value is about $1500. I'd ask $3000 and grab any offer over $2000 before they changed their mind. That said by the craigslist listings in your area you can probably get $2800 to $3000 if you find the right person. Don't mention the speakers or the Sony HU in your craigslist ad.

RichP

28th July 2010, 19:52

Repaint, off brand speakers, needs a top (labor Don't mention the speakers or the Sony HU in your craigslist ad.

Didn't Pioneer make the "SuperTuner"?

flylow7f39

28th July 2010, 20:02

Didn't Pioneer make the "SuperTuner"?

I just looked on al-eds.com, Pioneer still makes Supetuners! Looks like they are up to at least Supertuner IIID now. Did anyone ever make Superman in 3D, perhaps Pioneer is ahead of it's time. I know, lame attempt at a joke. Couldn't resist when I saw Pioneer had a Supertuner IIID...

JTEX53

29th July 2010, 11:56

Not that this adds much to the discussion but has anyone heard the Lightning Audio 6.5 coaxial speakers w/swivel tweeter. Evidently this company was somehow connected to Rockford Fosgate and sold discontinued models w/o RF brand on them. Audophiles thumbed their noses at this brand. I have top of the line Bose Home theatre speakers in my home. I was skeptical at first but they were cheap but an unblievable sound quality. Once the masses dicovered these speakers they flew off the shelves and the same with ebay. I can drive down the hwy. w/top down at 80 mph and they have no distortion and sound quality is very good, with a high power HU. I should have purchased an additional pair. These speakers sold for $30 a pair at Wal-Mart 6-7 years ago. I was a member of Flyin Miata forum for years and this was where I discovered, the thread on them. Too bad they're No MAS!

Flylow,
I pretty much agree with your assesment. Really cleaned up the car still presents itself well. Thanks
JT

dantzig

29th July 2010, 12:31

Have the timing belt and water pump ever been replaced? Even if they were replaced at 60k, they're almost due to be replaced again. I would expect the valve cover gasket to hold up for 50k so I'm betting that the TB has never been replaced. Any sort of oil leak is a huge turn off for the average buyer so fixing that would really help your chances of selling--and you also really need to get this done if you're going to keep the car! You can get a TB/WP kit from eBay for less than $100 and will increase your sale price by well over that. If the valve cover gasket has been leaking for a while, it's probably leaked all over your heater hoses so those should be replaced too (another $40).

In its current state, I'd be hard pressed to pay $2k for your car.

Gene-M

29th July 2010, 14:54

Needs a top if it needs a window, costs aren't that much different because they need to remove the top to replace the window and curtain. A/C not functional, cracked dash, sun faded interior and a so-so repaint. I think $2500 is the top end of the market, maybe less if the TB/WP have never been done and it's still riding on original shocks.

I have to agree with Tom. Nobody likes to hear that kind of assessment of the car they obviously love, but look at the buyer's side of the story. By the time all of the service and repairs have been taken care of, they might have $5k into this car, even if you sell it for $2500. I hate to say it, but it's possible to find lower mileage, need-nothing, cars for $5k.

JTEX53

29th July 2010, 17:36

I totally agree with you dantzig and Tom. I'm considering, when I can afford it, to overhaul the engine or at minimum a valve job and redoing interior and top. I would be keeping the car if i was to do this. The TB was replaced at 60K, so the car needs some attention but it does still run very well but if you don't properly maintain your cars, it's just a problem waiting to happen. Still they're one little tough car!

Can you still get Japanese Mazda motors at about 60K miles due to their emission laws in Japan? Thanks for your responses guys, it's time for me to move on to other topics about my 19 year old Miata.
JT

Bill_Rockoff

29th July 2010, 18:08

Unless you have smoke coming from the tailpipe (which I don't remember you mentioning above) then your car is "just getting broken in" at 110,000 miles. You probably have another timing belt change or two before you would need to worry about needing a rebuild or a different engine.

That said, it's due for a lot of "old car" maintenance (a/c recharge, top, seat covers) and frankly I think everyone has been pretty generous for a car that, by your own admission, looks weathered and won't keep the oil in / weather out. If I were you, I'd spend your "JDM motor" budget addressing the things your car actually needs.

Cam cover gasket is easy, and is something you do as part of the timing belt change along with the CAS o-ring and the coolant hoses and the auxiliary belts. Voila, another 60,000-90,000 trouble-free miles. Clean the engine and engine bay to get rid of the previous oil seepage, and the next time anything under there will need any attention from you should be in about the year Two-Thousand-And-You-Should-Live-So-Long.

If you're as happy with the repaint as you obviously are with the door speakers, you might enjoy the car with a new top (I like the cloth ones - more money, but WAY nicer) and reupholstered seats. That's a few hundred right there, maybe more if you go with nicer stuff - but if the paint is really halfway decent, Katzkin leather seats and a Robbins cloth top will be worth the $1200 you'll spend. While the seats are out, it's another couple hundred for a carpet kit, but maybe you could be happy with nicer floor mats. Next time I do mine, I'm going with seat heaters.

Interior trim pieces are easier, except for the dash which is a pain. I'm not sure what you'd have to do in Tejas to adequately rivet your existing VIN plate to the new dash, but I would imagine you could reuse the existing rivets and nobody would ever know.

If the shocks are original, a set of new ones will amaze you. I like the Koni Sports myself. (I had a set for 100,000 miles, but I gave them to a friend when I "upgraded" to AGX with stiffer springs and Ground Control threaded adjustable perches. I hate the car's ride now, even worse than I hate getting out-cornered on racetracks by my friend in his $1,500 car with my old Konis.)

It's easy to get carried away (I know I sure did - see my cardomain site for photos of my $14,000 / 10-month oil change) but if you like the car, you may find it's worth replacing everything that's due - including the relatively small incremental cost to replace some items with "upgrades" rather than just "replacements." It worked for your speakers, right? Imagine being that pleased with the way your car feels and looks.

I think you could wind up happier with your existing car after you spend $2,000 on it than you'd be with anything else you could buy for that same $2,000 plus "whatever amount you could get for your car."

JTEX53

30th July 2010, 09:00