30 years ago today we purchased our first Miata. And now.... it's like Deja Vu.

Ohighway

Ohighway

Wannabe Minimalist
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It was exactly 30 years ago today .... 6-7-1989.... we signed the paperwork for our first Miata. Took delivery of a 1990 Red package B with hardtop with 10 miles on it on 7-17-1989. This was the culmination of countless months of watching and waiting. First hearing the rumors, then watching the development, the concept, then finally excitement as the cars went into production. It took no small amount of work to try and get our hands on one in a time when people were climbing over top of each other, and paying multiple thousands of dollars over list, in to be first in line to get their hands on one.

After living with the red one and logging plenty of miles on it, about 4 years later we bought a second one, a brand new 1992 Sunburst yellow package A. For just a little over a year we owned two but, because kids were on the way, decided to sell the first to finance a replacement for my pickup truck.

Now, they say you can never go back, but I think we came damn close. Just by chance, last month I got word of a car going up for sale locally. A 1990 Red package A with hardtop with only 15k miles. Purchased from the original owner, it looks brand new and is original right down to the Yokohama 221 tires. It's like transporting back 30 years !!

So , we're a two Miata family again.

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Always liked the 'sporty'-look of the Miata. Reminds me of a MG, which I love.

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w1jim said:
Nice, fun car - if it was me I’d replace those 29 year old tires - and at least the belts.
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Those original Yokohama 221 tires on Mazda Miata "Daisy" wheels will get removed from the car, bagged, and stored in the shed. They were a unique tire and I -think- unique to the earliest Miatas, so could have collector value down the road. Not many survived because of their age of course, but also because they were a very soft compound and would be worn out by around 20k miles. Oddest thing, I inspected them closely and there isn't a hint of dry rot on them. I guess partiall due to the fact that the car was always in the garage when not being driven??

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I already have a brand new set of tires in hand to hang on a different set of Daisys I have.

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Original owner already replaced belts and the timing belt ....... not because of mileage, but merely because of age. Ditto the water pump. A set of new radiator hoses is sitting in the trunk right now.

Drain and fill of ALL fluids will be on my list for this thing. Oil, brake fluid, and coolant look new and fresh, but I'll refresh them anyway to establish a baseline of sorts. Trans, differential, and power steering will also be refreshed. Did I forget anything? Oh yeah, new blinker fluid....
 
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Congratulations Rick that is a beautiful car!

I'm with Gadget on the tire issue - time is the factor here not necessarily the environment. I have to believe whether it's visible or not that the rubber has broken down to some extent.

On a similar note when I worked for GM I got the call to inspect a Jaguar that had been stolen off the dealer lot 15 years before. Apparently the thieves got cold feet after stealing it and other than a botched attempt to remove the radio the car sat under a tarp untouched for those 15 years. On first glance it looked to be in great condition but on closer inspection there were a lot of gaskets, seals and even a few moldings that showed signs of dry rot. It didn't stop about a half dozen State Troopers from somehow obtaining my private unlisted home phone and offering to buy it before I moved it to auction...... :D
 
gadget73 said:
I still wouldn't trust them.
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The original wheels with the original Yokohama tires will be removed from the car, bagged, and stored. Very few of these tires have survived, partially because of age, but also because the compound is so soft that they'd typically be worn out by 20k miles.
These might be cool if I ever want to display the car as COMPLETELY original.

I already have 4 new tires to mount on another set of wheels that the car will ride on.
 
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Wolverine said:
Congratulations Rick that is a beautiful car!

I'm with Gadget on the tire issue - time is the factor here not necessarily the environment. I have to believe whether it's visible or not that the rubber has broken down to some extent.

On a similar note when I worked for GM I got the call to inspect a Jaguar that had been stolen off the dealer lot 15 years before. Apparently the thieves got cold feet after stealing it and other than a botched attempt to remove the radio the car sat under a tarp untouched for those 15 years. On first glance it looked to be in great condition but on closer inspection there were a lot of gaskets, seals and even a few moldings that showed signs of dry rot. It didn't stop about a half dozen State Troopers from somehow obtaining my private unlisted home phone and offering to buy it before I moved it to auction...... :D
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Thanks, It's pretty stunning to see in person. Instant time transport back to 1989-1990.... ha.

Yeah the tire condition is an oddity for sure. I've seen other tires at 30 years and all have very obvious defects. I'm not a materials engineer but I wonder if their (seemingly) good condition has anything to do with whatever compound they used. As mentioned these were SOFT brand new, and to this day they still feel pretty soft. A very close visual inspection showed no cracking on the surface whatsoever.

Regarding gaskets, seals, etc.... I hear you. The previous owner changed the timing belt as insurance , merely because of it's age. Ditto the water pump. New accessory belts and radiator hoses were provided by the previous owner and are waiting for me in the trunk. So far I've seen no signs of engine/trans/differential leaking but will maintain vigilance. I would love to swap it over to synthetic oils , but I'm afraid that would just be tempting fate as I hear it can sometimes cause leaks where none existed previously on older vehicles.
 
twitch54 said:
nicely done !

now you need one of these to 'drop in' ..............
https://www.flyinmiata.com/V8/index.php

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Honestly there's no way I'd do that in THIS car. Now if you were talking a clean rust free car with a blown motor or other motor problems.... that's a different story.

If someone asked me what the perfect 2 seat roadster (useable in a normal environment) would be...... .I'd have to believe the LS Miata would check that box.
Unfortunately for me, the ones I've seen are priced waaaayyyyyyy beyond my budget. And I don't believe I have the skills to perform the work myself.
 
Ohighway said:
Thanks, It's pretty stunning to see in person. Instant time transport back to 1989-1990.... ha.

Yeah the tire condition is an oddity for sure. I've seen other tires at 30 years and all have very obvious defects. I'm not a materials engineer but I wonder if their (seemingly) good condition has anything to do with whatever compound they used. As mentioned these were SOFT brand new, and to this day they still feel pretty soft. A very close visual inspection showed no cracking on the surface whatsoever.

Regarding gaskets, seals, etc.... I hear you. The previous owner changed the timing belt as insurance , merely because of it's age. Ditto the water pump. New accessory belts and radiator hoses were provided by the previous owner and are waiting for me in the trunk. So far I've seen no signs of engine/trans/differential leaking but will maintain vigilance. I would love to swap it over to synthetic oils , but I'm afraid that would just be tempting fate as I hear it can sometimes cause leaks where none existed previously on older vehicles.
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You are right to be cautious on changing the fluids. A common cause for a transmission leak can be a simple flush/fluid change. What some techs told me back in the day is that (for lack of a better term) the acidity of the new fluid can cause the older gasket to breakdown causing a leak. Still you have a heck of a car and hopefully I will be able to see it up close at the Fall get together!!
 
Wow, thats some collection. I love those pre-war cars, they just have a certain elegance about them. Not the most useful on modern roads but they sure are pretty.
 
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