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Used Mirages aren't cheap enough yet! So here's my new $1k car (1990 Miata)
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My latest turd-bucket is on the road!
It's a 1990 Mazda Miata MX-5.
I've wanted one since the day I drove my relative's brand new Miata, also a first year model. It only took 27 years for the price to come down enough to suit my budget! :D
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The biggest problem: the driver's floor was rusted out -- not because of salt (it was never winter driven), but because the ratty convertible top leaked and the carpets were always wet. Bad!
And it didn't help that it sat for a couple of years in the grass.
Fortunately it wasn't so far gone that some welding couldn't fix it! I'm a mediocre to terrible welder, but my work was apparently good enough to pass safety inspection. I just wish I'd had access to a lift - it would have made the job so much easier.
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After the floor repair, some brake work (rusted from sitting for so long), a new radiator (OK, a used one from my pile of Swift/Metro parts), one stablizer bar end link, and a few light bulbs, the car was on the road for a few dollars below $1k, all in.
Of course, being a hardcore fuel economy nut, I've also been modifying it for better MPG. The latest two fills: 44 & 45 mpg US in mostly scenic route relaxed driving, engine-off at stops etc. (A Mirage would be getting ~60 mpg driven similarly, I'm sure.) My goal is 50 MPG.
It's super fun to drive. Very light (about the same as a North American Mirage), RWD, quick-ratio steering, addictive short-throw stubby shifter, great OEM exhaust note.
If you ever get the chance, try one!
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50 mpg Miata: Enasaves helped
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My last 2 tanks in the Miata came in at 50 & 51 MPG US (4.7 & 4.6 L/100 km).
The Mirage's Enasaves helped measurably: I actually did a low speed coast-down comparison against the tires the car came with (GT Radials @ 185/60R14), and the rolling resistance improvement with the Ensaves was pretty big.
Of course, I did a whole bunch of other ecomods to the car to help it get to 50 mpg (see my EcoModder thread if you're interested).
Also note: my driving style contributed a lot to the result too. Amost all driving was relaxed cruising on scenic routes & back roads with a max speed limit of 80 km/h = 50 mph. And I was always using eco-driving techniques (including shutting off the engine when stopped, or when approaching some turns/slowdowns).
A Mirage would have done better, of course. I bet I would have seen 60 - 65 MPG US driving a manual (unmodified) Mirage on the same roads in the same style.
But the Miata is now parked until next year. The weather has changed for the worse. Oh, and the water pump started leaking last weekend. :D That's what you get for buying a crappy $1k car!
