I am looking for a 1st Gen... but my spouse is trying to talk me into a Miata, say a 92 or so. Any defense from you guys here?

 

1st gen for sure! With the money you save, you can port it, get exhaust, intake, and cosmetic things if you want.

 

I have had both a 83 rx-7 and an 93 miata.
Miata = fun to drive, attention getter, cheep tanning bed, aftermarket parts galore, easy to mode, and a little on the exspensive side. I would buy a 94 or newer because of the bigger Engine in them.

Rx-7 = fun to drive, retro, hard to find parts, hard to find anyone to work on it, stiff ride, easy to do general maintenance, hard to start in cold weather. Basicly it is a car you just have to love the styling like I do, which is the reason I have kept mine over the Miata.

Both cars had about the same speed, of course my Rx-7 had a cold air intake and a high flow exaust. I hope this bit of info helps.

 

Do not forget that you can put a miniscule back seat from a Jspec car into the first gen for a 4 seater

Just more ammo! Good luck.

 

HA! I've got a back seat in my 7 and to sit in it for any length of time you need to either be a child, a midget or a lower limb amputee!

 

I traded in my Miata for a protege 5. and I love it.

 

Well, lemme tell you a lil' story...

When I first put the ported engine in ol' WT, I took it out to Nelson Ledges and ran it around. They have "Fundayz" where you pay $100 and basically get the track from 9am to 4pm. Convertibles must have a roll bar, everyone must have a helmet, and no GT1 cars or open wheel cars or other high-power nasty full race cars.

Tons of fun.

There was a guy there with a race Miata.

Stock engine, only mods legal for the class were stripping the interior, a header, and a cold air intake.

He blew me away on the back straight like I was standing still!

Later I found out my car was only making as much power as stock due to the really weak factory fuel pump. Upgraded that and put a better exhaust on and my times went from 16.8 to low 15's. I bet that I could blow that little boinger's behind away now!

Oh wait... well i *could* blow 'im away before the engine let go.

 

I raced a miata in my stock '85 with 12A and i mauled it after giving it a head start. I'm not sure what year it was though. And so far I've never had any mechanical problem with my 7 and it has 137,000 miles on it. My 7 has proven to be very reliable. Just make sure you warm up the engine before you drive it and that it is mechanically sound and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

I work with a guy wiht 94 miata and he let me dirve the miata and i let hime dirve my 85 gs and he said the same thing i did gotta love 7. they have more space upgrades are easier. and they are just enjoyable ot drive

 

I stuck with my 7 because it is easer to work on and it has caracter...

 

I was just actually thinking of getting a Miata. I was gonna turbocharge it with kits at www.flyinmiata.com . About $3600 for the kit. includes everything, IC, BOV, TUrbo, all piping, ecu, fuel regulater, u name it. Instant 185rwhp. Full exhaust and you got yourself a reliable high 13sec miata. No one would ever suspect Truthfully its a hard descision, but if your planning on heavily modding either, I might say miata.

 

I don't plan on going mod-crazy. I like the 13B RX-7 1st gens as-is! Maybe some mild passive upgrades (wire, exhaust, etc).

 

Hi all:

Don't get me wrong, I love my 85 GS, but I'm a Miata lover at heart. I've had a 1990 Miata, and now own a 1999 10th Anniversary Edtion Miata and wouldn't trade it in for the world. I KNOW my Miata could run circles around my RX-7. Then again, she could use some major tuning. Gotta love being able to drop the top and go for a drive. Also gotta love the "quietness" of the rotary. Guess I have the best of both worlds.

Kevin
85 GS
99 10AE Miata

 

Now whatcha gotta do is dump the boinger outta the Miata and add the 20B or at least the 13BT.

 

I have both:
85 GSLSE roughly 130hp at 2620lbs
96 LP roughtly 133hp at 2420lbs
So pretty much the same I guess.

Seat of the pants tells me when I go from Miata to RX7, the RX7 feels faster, but once back in the Miata, I think, wtf was I thinking, this Miata is way faster! Other things to take into consideration are age. My Rx7 has tokicos springs, shocks, front and rear sways and it still handles NO QUESTION worse than my stock miata and it's a huge difference.

RX7 will have tons of fun rev'n til you feel like shifting.
The miata inspires me on sunny days and in the twisties.
It is easier to get 200rwhp out of a RX7.
RX7 is surprisingly bigger inside.
Rollbars DO encumber seat movement in the RX7.
Glass moonroofs are the next best thing to converts.
RX7 is often hard to find a garage to service it if you can't.

I'm not sellin either, but really, they are extremely similar in many ways. I bought my Miata because it reminded me of how my RX7 made me feel in the yesterdays...

BTW, anyone know the RWHP of an 84-85 GSL-SE?

 

1. First things first obey your thirst, buy the first gen!
2. If you want a different answer go to: http://www.miataforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
3. No way a Miata can be made to look this good!



buy the first gen!

 

Man that car above is definitely a cop magnet! I always have trouble with mine, but the one above is very eye catching. I like it, but I try not to alter the shape dramatically unless I had more money and money for tickets, since I have gotten 200%more then when I had it bone stock looking.www.geocities.com/rohlfr/blank.html

first gen 12a engines are easy to work on, and they will start when its
-30F outside, I KNOW! SO never say they have trouble starting when its cold!!! So if you know how to port and add headers and intake system, it should be more fun then a stock Miata forsure and cheaper by far!

 

Hello from frozen Utah, USA;
Would you be interested in trading the rear seats for storage bins? I may be purchasing an '85, and would like the seats for my kids.
Thanks much!

 

hrm.... if you take $3600, you could build a first gen turbo13b to run circles around a 185hp miata! that'd include buying the car! you'd still save thousands over the miata.

 

personally, I don't think you can go wrong either way. They are both really fun cars to drive ...

 

Here is my addition to the story... My dad has always had miata's since I could drive. I drove his all the time in HS, and loved it.

When I had the opportunity to buy a car I orginally wanted one of my own, but then settled on a 1st gen.

1) The rx7 are cheaper to buy than a miata
2) it is actually alot bigger. The hatch area can hold a suprising amount of stuff compared to the tiny trunk.
3) you can still remove the roof and get 90% of the convertable feel (ask what percentage of the time my roof just stays in the garage)
4) nothing can make up for character. As much as I hate to admit it, many people see the miata as a "chic" car.

Miatas are going to be more expensive, but they are also more reliabel and newer. What do you expect.. I like them both, but I love my7...

 

4) nothing can make up for character. As much as I hate to admit it, many people see the miata as a "chic" car.

That's because it is a "chick's" car.
just my opinion,
hanman

 

It may look like a chick's car -- it's shape just says cute -- but it handles soo sweet, and it's fun in the sun!

 

My ex-g/f had a Miata and when I drove it the top of my head was higher than the windshield!!! I could not ride in it with the top up. I'm 6'3" and I fit into my 85 perfectly. If you want one you better be under 6' tall.

 

I'm 6'3 200lbs and I fit in my '91 miata just fine. My head clears the rollbar though, which I guess isn't the safest.

Really fun car, rock solid engine, great handling, etc. Needs power though, so you won't really feel satisfied unless you spend a few grand more on a turbo kit.