The Mazda Miata is considered the layman’s Porsche Cayman… At least this is what I told my 17 year old self while working part time to afford purchasing my first car.
Growing up I was surrounded by publications of Import Tuner Magazine, reruns of the Fast and The Furious, and the awesome sounds of Eurobeat from the countless hours spent watching stages of Initial D. Thanks to my brothers the love and passion for cars was something I partook in at an early age. Through out my childhood my fondest memories were had with cars from all shapes and sizes starting with die-cast 1:64 scale (hot wheels size), 1:32, and 1:24 (Jada) to the real deal helping my old man service the workhorse of the family a 1986 Nissan Hardbody (D21 Generation). Being able to do your own work; belts, alternators, spark plugs, brakes etc. all consumables and major work was a necessity in the early days. This was a determining factor for being able to make month’s rent and have enough funds for the week’s groceries. This grind and struggle only deepened my love and knowledge, and sparked the need for my own project.
Through out my junior and senior year of High School I spent many hours researching forums to find the best entry point into the automotive world with aspirations set on one day getting it on track. My criteria were simple… strike a balance for handling, power to weight, and ease of maintenance. All under 5k. So, at the major cost of practicality I set my sights on a the NA Mazda Miata.
Purchased in the fall of 2016 for $4,500 this one owner (Rest in Peace Old Man, whose spirit I believe still lives with this car) 140k miles special edition in beautiful brilliant black 1992 Mazda Miata became mine.
My First Car!
Special Edition Specs
- Engine: 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve inline-four
- Horsepower: 116 hp @ 6,500 rpm
- Torque: 100 lb-ft
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a limited-slip differential (LSD)
“Black Miata” was the special model designation which included Black exterior, tan leather interior, tan boot, tan top and the following:
Equipment: power windows, includes all A package options (power steering, leather-wrapped steering wheel, alloy wheels, AM-FM/cassette stereo). Optional C Package (Black Miata only): Nardi wood shift knob and hand brake handle, stainless sill plates, BBS 14” alloy wheels, includes all other B package options (cruise control, headrest speakers, automatic antenna) Options Included: hardtop, ABS, air conditioning, compact disc player, limited slip differential
In 1992: Base MSRP: $17,050 and $1,400 for C package, plus $350 freight, plus options
The Path To Continuous Learning
Buying a vehicle from 1992 comes with it’s pros and cons. Thankfully, I can count on one hand the amount of times this little car has left me stranded. The first major maintenance that had to be learned and performed was installing a new Catalytic Converter, fuel filter and adjustment of Cam Angle Sensor(CAS) all of this to pass the California Smog Check that has to be done biannually. Oh how we love this beautiful state!
Later in 2018 at the start of my sophomore fall semester the vehicle experience a phenomenon. Parked for about a week, after school I honed my troubleshooting skills to find the root cause of an engine shutoff problem. To begin this process I followed a common guideline and that’s asking the following questions: Is there Fuel? Is there Spark? Is there ignition? Using this method you can begin to form a fault tree analysis diagram and work your way through each of the possible failure points. In my case the problem was fuel starvation leading to engine cut off. Tracing the fuel’s path back to the source and working my way backwards to the engine allowed me to find a shorted connector on the main fuel pump assembly. The replacement cost me $40 from a shop down the road that salvaged parts specifically for Miatas and I was on the road the next day.
Still with many more lesson to be learned. Little did I know this amazing car would take me to places I never knew imaginable both in my hobby of automotive racing and prospects for my future career path.