On MGs and Miatas. Say what you will. - Page 2

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - On MGs and Miatas. Say what you will. (Page 2 of 3)

Posted: 1/25/2009 2:51:17 PM EDT

[#1]

I drove one with a LS engine mod, I think the guy said it dynod at 325HP the handling was unchanged although he did some suspension work. I have never smiled so big in my life.

Posted: 1/25/2009 3:03:29 PM EDT

[#2]

Very nice read as usual piccolo. I too looked for an MGB. But ran into the same issues.

I opted for an 87 IROC vert.

Posted: 1/25/2009 3:19:52 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:

I knew a guy up in central PA who keeps a nice MG in a garage. He'd drive it around whenever he felt like it, but based on what you've said, I've got to wonder how much it is actually worth. The damned thing has no rust and no screwed up repairs.

Seriously, how much does a running MG or MGB go for these days?

Depends.

Total rebuilds 10-20K

"recent' rebuilds 4-10K

Running with the rust hidden with sheet metal from a plumbing and heating place: 2-4K

parts cars: U-haul on up.

It's such a hash to put a true value on 30-45 yo cars.

So called barn finds are the real joke. Guy wants 10K, but the truth is wait, the price goes down 10%/week on Craigslist. If you can wait 10 weeks, it's U-haul sometimes.

Problem with barn finds is the hydraulics go to shit with disuse.(clutch and brakes)

Hunting for a halfway decent MGB was a headfuck.

The guy with the tree growing out of his valuable antique was asking 3.5K!

Posted: 1/25/2009 3:28:12 PM EDT

[#4]

I have never seen writing like that on ARFCOM. It was awesome.

I've never been inside a Miata, but I've always imagined myself in an S2000 over a Miata. They're pricier though...

My 1999 Firebird will have to do for now.

Posted: 1/25/2009 3:33:29 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
... I remembered Lucas electrical systems, S.U. carburetors, adjusting tappets, and generally having to constantly maintain things. ...

I remember those as well. MG’s probably took more work to maintain than a horse would!

When I was in my 20’s, I had a 69 MGB that never quite left me stranded out in the middle of nowhere, though it came darn close to it a bunch of times.

And I’ve also toyed with the idea of getting a Miata to replace that old MG.

But I’ve ultimately decided what I really want isn’t to have a sports car, but to be a young guy tooling around in one.

And buying a Miata isn’t going to do that for me.

Thanks for the recollections.

Posted: 1/25/2009 3:47:16 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:
... I remembered Lucas electrical systems, S.U. carburetors, adjusting tappets, and generally having to constantly maintain things. ...

I remember those as well. MG’s probably took more work to maintain than a horse would!

When I was in my 20’s, I had a 69 MGB that never quite left me stranded out in the middle of nowhere, though it came darn close to it a bunch of times.

And I’ve also toyed with the idea of getting a Miata to replace that old MG.

But I’ve ultimately decided what I really want isn’t to have a sports car, but to be a young guy tooling around in one.

And buying a Miata isn’t going to do that for me.

Thanks for the recollections.

Remember this: There are a liot of things that are wasted on the young. As an older guy, I'll sure appreciate this a lot more than I did as a kid. What's more important is that I'll respect it.

The difference between a wise older guy and an old fool can be this analogy: I toyed with a motorcycle in my head for about three minutes. Then I decided on a sports car.

Reason: I haven't had a bike in almost 40 years, and lack of experience makes it a killer.

The hospitals and morgues are full of guys my age that decided to get a motorcycle in their old age.

(This does NOT include the guys my age that have had them since they were young and are still riding, they are generally good insurance risks.)

Posted: 1/25/2009 3:50:56 PM EDT

[#7]

Miatas are cool little cars, I don't fit in them but I do fit quite nicely in my 75 2002 and I've handed a bosted Miata it's ass on more than one occasion.

Posted: 1/25/2009 3:56:00 PM EDT

[#8]

Very nicely done - a fine read. Thanks for sharing.

I've never been a car fan in the first place, maybe because I've never driven a roadster or a sports car, just family sedans.

As for a ragtop that's fun to drive, well, I have a 4.0 Wrangler TJ. It's slow, noisy, cold, cramped and inefficient, but that first day when you take the top off and push the curves along the big Delaware, all sins are forgiven.

Posted: 1/25/2009 4:05:50 PM EDT

[#9]

Nice post. I might have to try one of those if I can fit in it.

Posted: 1/25/2009 4:08:32 PM EDT

[#10]

I'm with you piccolo. I have the 66 MG Midget that my dad restored from a pile of rusted parts a few years ago. He did the same with a Triumph Spitfire when I was 7.

The Miata doesnt sound bad. The last time I drove the MG, the headlight switch shorted out and almost burned up the car (damn lucas). I've had the head and block machined twice and there's still an oil leak coming from between the two. Next step is pull the head and cut an o-ring groove around the front oil passage. Something modern that doesnt need constant wrenching sounds kind of nice. I wouldnt give up the MG though.

Posted: 1/25/2009 4:52:49 PM EDT

[#11]

I had a brand new MG in high school back in '76.

Every now and then I have a dream about that car. One moring I woke up excited as I was going to take it out of storage to drive to work that day....and then remembered, it was only a drream; that the little blue MG was long gone......

Thanks for the memories of owning a little British sports car!

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:07:14 PM EDT

[#12]

I've owned almost every British Marque that has been imported here, and more than one of each in many cases. They are, once out of warranty, weekend cars. This is because you must work on them so you can drive them on the weekend. Ignore the awesome knowledge and jockstrap opinion you receive here. The Miata is an MGB you can drive every day, without working on it at night, and without having cardboard under it to catch the drips. And you can even drive them at night because the lights will work.

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:12:34 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
I've owned almost every British Marque that has been imported here, and more than one of each in many cases. They are, once out of warranty, weekend cars. This is because you must work on them so you can drive them on the weekend. Ignore the awesome knowledge and jockstrap opinion you receive here. The Miata is an MGB you can drive every day, without working on it at night, and without having cardboard under it to catch the drips. And you can even drive them at night because the lights will work.

A guy like you might even understand sailboats.

If you don't understand sports cars, you can't even fathom sailboats

(there are exceptions to this, but they are few and far between)

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:27:57 PM EDT

[#14]

I would buy a decent condition miata for $1200

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:31:22 PM EDT

[#15]

It pisses my wife off when I tell her the motor in her Miata is the same block they had in the Ford Escort. So what? It drives nice, and all the ladies ask me about it when I drive to to the gas station to top off the tank for her.

She got it new, a 2003 with 125,000+ miles at this point. We're out a brake job and about three sets of tires so far. Hers has the spoilers on the front and sides. I have to wonder about driving a car that can't straddle a squirrel in the road without totalling it out.

She has informed me that it is proper protocol to wave at all Miatas we see if the tops are down.

Have fun on the road! Zoom, ZOOM.

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:34:28 PM EDT

[#16]

I happen to be shaped like a man, so Miatas and I do not mix. OP should start a poll. It would be really funny.

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:46:58 PM EDT

[#17]

I know a guy that has/had at least 3 MGB's in his driveway as long as I've known him. They are his and his father's. Always a project that never materialized, what does the dad do? He buys a Miata. Good story pic.

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:48:34 PM EDT

[#18]

You aint lived 'til you have driven an old rust bucket MG with no floorboards...

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:52:03 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
anyone that dosen't like driving Miatas is all ate up with the gay

Or actually appreciates things like HP and torque.

I would take a turbo 240 over one anyday.

Posted: 1/25/2009 5:52:42 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
You aint lived 'til you have driven an old rust bucket MG with no floorboards...

btdt

got the t-shirt

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:02:13 PM EDT

[#21]

I'd never buy one, but

Now a Sunbeam Tiger, I'd love to own.

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:05:07 PM EDT

[#22]

Miata's are a blast. My shop teacher in highschool had one. We went to go pick up some parts for a project in his one pleasant spring day in Austin. That thing was wicked.

I've since acquired an RSX-S and absolutely love the car. It's bone stock, but will still tear up the twisties. It doesn't have the horsepower of the Detroit cars, but it will fly through the curves. It's the technical aspect of the driving that does it for me. Never was a straight line guy.

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:07:22 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
I'd never buy one, but

Now a Sunbeam Tiger, I'd love to own.

Nice. My uncle had a Sunbeam Tiger that he put a 327 in. That car would go from 60 to 110 faster than you can imagine.

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:16:40 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
... I remembered Lucas electrical systems, S.U. carburetors, adjusting tappets, and generally having to constantly maintain things. ...

I remember those as well. MG’s probably took more work to maintain than a horse would!

When I was in my 20’s, I had a 69 MGB that never quite left me stranded out in the middle of nowhere, though it came darn close to it a bunch of times.

And I’ve also toyed with the idea of getting a Miata to replace that old MG.

But I’ve ultimately decided what I really want isn’t to have a sports car, but to be a young guy tooling around in one.

And buying a Miata isn’t going to do that for me.

Thanks for the recollections.

My dad is turning 76 this year.Last summer,I convinced him to take my Miata for a spin.He had a shit eating grin on his face,said " I feel like I'm 20 years old again" and wound it up to 90.It's old dude approved.

< Obama Biden and rainbow stickers not visable from this angle >

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:31:44 PM EDT

[#25]

I remember seeing an Austin Healey one day and the guy's arms were so long he could touch the asphalt. One friend had one with a Chevy v-8 and aluminum body. Little Sunbeam Tiger's were pretty cool too.

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:33:33 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
I had a mental picture of an M2 machine gun mounted in a Miata until I opened this thread.

Me too. That would be sweet.

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:35:13 PM EDT

[#27]

I have a 2000 bmw z3. I love that freaking car.

Posted: 1/25/2009 6:48:17 PM EDT

[#28]

I've had my '92 Miata since 2000 (maybe '01)
It's like driving a go-kart.
I also had a '89 Mustang LX 5.0 coupe when I picked up the Miata.
Both would only be driven on nice days, but the Miata would almost
always win. No power with the 1.6L, but great around turns.

I got into autocross and had fun with that for a while. There was one
day when the corvette club showed up. My 'stock' little miata (ok, I had over a
year of autocrossing, and a set of khumos or hoosiers) had a better raw
time than all 17 corvettes.

Just a fun, reliable car.

Great story piccolo. I didn't know it was you until after I had read it.
Your stories entertain me, the top being S.E.C.. ( RIP )

Bring that little car up towards CNY someday.

Dave

Posted: 1/25/2009 7:06:29 PM EDT

[#29]

Good story piccolo,

I tend more to the 4 wheel drive in my automotive desires, but for that price point, it would be a great thing for the wife and I to cruise the Hill Country with.

Thanks for sharing..

Posted: 1/25/2009 7:14:09 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
WTF, anyone got cliff notes?

I admit I only read the very beginning and the end.

From the sounds of the comments it was a good post so I will now go back and read the whole thing. Enjoy the car!

Posted: 1/25/2009 8:33:57 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I wouldn't be caught dead in it

Sucks to be you.

Sorry Piccolo......I had the use of a Miata for a day...not all that impressed.

I've always had Corvettes. You need to drive a new Corvette awfully fast to get a thrill out of it. Lose your license over one ticket fast.

I'm actually thinking of gettng a Miata. Have a little thrill at 40mph.

I've had both. Both are a blast to drive. Both have a lot of women owners. I'm ok with all of that.

Posted: 1/26/2009 12:46:01 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
Very nice read as usual piccolo. I too looked for an MGB. But ran into the same issues.

I opted for an 87 IROC vert.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v719/308gtsi/iroc.jpg

ThirdGen F body vert FTEMFW!!! (I have a 91 Z28 vert)

To relate it to the Miata subject, first nice weekend we had when I first got it (back in April of 07), a guy in a green Miata was sitting next to me at a loooooooooong stoplight. He was commenting about how he was searching for a late-80s-92 Camaro vert, specifically an 89 or 90 IROC or 91-92 Z28. Said he couldn't find one for what he could afford (under $10k, I got mine for $3500

) so he got a Miata. I remember thinking that "wow dude, that's kind of a long way off from what you originally wanted", but I guess for the price, you can't beat them. I almost got one in high school.

Last Sunday, I think it was Spike TV had that Stacey David Gears (I think that's the name) show on, they were putting a 302 in a Miata. Good show, awesome conversion, but I hate to break it to the host, no Borg Warner T5 is gonna handle the 400 HP that motor was making unless it was heavily modded, which you can't do because the CASE is weak, NOT the internals.

Posted: 1/26/2009 1:07:51 AM EDT

[#33]

Reminds me of when I was about 6 years old. My parents bought an MG, don't remember what year it was. I do remember when my mom and my sister and I would go somewhere in it, I would have to ride behind the seats in what I guess now was the convertible top storage area. I was also taller than the car at 6 years old, will never forget that.

Great story and good on you for writing it. Not a big fan of the little cars, I'll admit I do like the muscle cars and have more fun revving big V8s and straight acceleration than handling. To each his own and enjoy your car.

Posted: 1/26/2009 1:28:59 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
WTF, anyone got cliff notes?

+ eleventybillion

My attention span isn't long enough for a miata thread.

Posted: 1/26/2009 1:36:23 AM EDT

[#35]

I read a sentence or two into your post and yawned. Im not reading all that.

Posted: 1/26/2009 2:05:00 AM EDT

[#36]

If Mazda would have made the body more aggressive looking the car would be more popular with guys. The bumpers and body lines are far too soft to be a manly car. I'd beat the piss out of one in an auto-x though. It's nothing but a street legal go-kart.

Posted: 1/26/2009 3:01:58 AM EDT

[#37]

that was a really nice read, thank you.

but i dont think i could make such a switch . Sure the mazda is more modern and more everything compared the mg's, But it's still not quite the same. The old brit cars, despite all their obsoleteness and issues have personality and soul .

to me thats worth more.

Posted: 1/26/2009 3:36:04 AM EDT

[#38]

mazda miata= jap copy of Triumph Spitfire

Posted: 1/26/2009 3:48:16 AM EDT

[#39]

I've always wanted a Miata, OP doesn't need to defend himself. They're fun, reliable sports cars. I've never understood why they have to be "chick" cars.

Posted: 1/26/2009 4:05:30 AM EDT

[#40]

Piccolo,

Drop a V8 in that bastage and then try to drift it!

Posted: 1/26/2009 4:12:53 AM EDT

[#41]

I'd prefer an RX-7 myself. But I wouldnt mess with a Miata in the twisties. Its probably one of the fastest cars through a windy road you'll ever find.

Posted: 1/26/2009 4:17:09 AM EDT

[#42]

Pic,

I've found that most people who bad-mouth the Miata have never been in one, much less actually driven one. They are pure 'fun' cars.

And for the 'manly men', what the fuck do you drive? Probably tooling around in an S-10 4-banger rust bucket.

No, I don't own a Miata. I drive another chick car. (A '95 Corvette LT1 that I've had since early '96). Ask 4xDawn whether it's a 'chick car', since her Corvette will run rings around mine.

I've had a Miata. And a '66 Midget. And a Porsche 914, '68 Camaro RS 327, '73 454 SS Chevelle, another 'Vette ('70 350/350 convertible), XT6 Subaru, couple of F-150's, a Ramcharger, a Cherokee... You get the idea. Neither the Midget or the Miata would win any HP contests, and I doubt either would spin the rears. The Miata could chirp them. If I tried that shit in the Midget I would probably break something. Maybe not. It's been a long time since I had it.

The one that was the most fun to drive was the Midget. It was also the biggest pain in the ass, since I was always tuning the engine, or the wire wheels. There was no fixing the Lucas part, unless you replaced the entire system with something else. If you were over 6" tall, forget it.

The Miata was almost as much fun as the Midget, without the headaches. Both would outdrive the 914, IMO, in the hands of someone who knew how to drive. Most people don't, in spite of what they think of thier skill. For the money, the Miata is a good deal if that is what you are after. You can't touch the fun-factor for that kind of money anywhere else. The only reason I got rid of the Miata was that my bride made me look at my current car one day. Yes, Andre the Giant and Baby Huey won't fit in a Miata. (They won't fit in a 'Vette, either). So, those types shouldn't buy one. But don't bad nouth a car just because your cheeseburger-eating or basketball-playing ass won't fit in one.

Posted: 1/26/2009 4:23:36 AM EDT

[#43]

My old man has an MGB in the garage.

I wish he'd let me drive it sometimes.

Posted: 1/26/2009 4:27:14 AM EDT

[#44]

Very well written. Bonus points for use of "élan".

Posted: 1/26/2009 5:08:08 AM EDT

[#45]

Same era, late 60's, I helped my friend rebuild an Austin-Healy Sprite.

Pretty big job for kids but it ended up looking pretty cool.

So, one evening, my friend decided to challenge me by zooming past on a twisty road.

I had a V-Dub Bug (slightly power tuned).

He was unable to hold his drifts in the tight corners and didn't have the HP to make up the distance on the straight sections. But he managed to keep up pretty well.

In '04, my wife decided that she wanted a BMW Z4. I have only driven it twice.

Times have reaaallly changed performance suspension and tires. The phrase "It corners like it is on rails" had no meaning for me until I drove that Z4.

BTW, I like the SU carb, the vacuum controlled slide works great for most driving.

I have a massive Carl's Speed Shop carb on my motorcycle that looks to be inspired by the SU.

Posted: 1/26/2009 6:06:06 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
My toolbox is overflowing from the last thread.

You too?

Posted: 1/26/2009 6:14:44 AM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
mazda miata= jap copy of Triumph Spitfire

Miata=American designed,parts bin Japanese copy of Lotus Elan.Yep,the Miata was an American's brainchild.The Japanese weren't so sure it was a very good idea and it actually took considerable time to get the car into production.When it was being styled,they supposedly had an early Elan in the studio as a model.

Posted: 1/26/2009 6:22:18 AM EDT

[#48]

I'm thinking of selling the Goldwing and getting one. I think the GW is a Cadillac and none too manuverable, at least on my skill level. Plus all the protective gear needed for 'just in case' takes away from the bike feeling.

Used to have a green'99, but had to sell because we live down long, rough unimproved roads that sometimes need 4X4 to get out of.

Posted: 1/26/2009 6:24:51 AM EDT

[#49]

like fuckin' a fat chick ...

or riding a moped ...

it's kinda fun 'till someone sees you

Posted: 1/26/2009 6:28:12 AM EDT

[#50]

Pic,

Great thread!

Mazda makes great cars.

Check out:

http://www.flyinmiata.com/

They'll have any part you'll looking for. Check out the hard dog roll bars.

Have fun!

Kevin "Zoom zoom!"

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - On MGs and Miatas. Say what you will. (Page 2 of 3)

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