Johnny's First RWD Sports car and Used car

[Johnnymac]

Nice find! Love the colour combo.

Thanks, I really love the red and feel the brown seats are different in a good way.

[Johnnymac]

Congrats!

The orange/brown seats caught me off guard, but after looking at it, I really like the contrast with the red. And it sets it apart from every other Miata.

That's a score that you can fit and don't need to mess with with seat brackets.

I was surprised as well when I showed up and saw the brown seats.  Actually went back into the dealership when they handed me the keys and told them it's the wrong car.  They had to explain that the ad listed black interior but it has brown seats.

[HannibalSmith]

Dude, nice. You've amassed a nice collection in your driveway!

[Johnnymac]

Dude, nice. You've amassed a nice collection in your driveway!

Thank you, it was my desire to have a couple of cars that stir the soul and I think I've achieved that.  The drive to work this morning in the Miata just hits a little different than any other cars I've owned.

[Johnnymac]

Just found a brochure online for the Canadian version of the Mazda MX-5 RF.  So my GT has the upgraded package called "Exclusive Package" which was only a $900 option back then and you get a "hand painted top in piano black" and Terracotta Napa leather with grey stitching.  So that at least solves the mystery as to how it ended up with different colored seats and top. 

It would have only been an extra $2,700 to get the Grand Sport Package which added upgraded Brembo brakes for the front and BBS Forged wheels, which is a pretty good deal for those items.  I guess the 72 year old gentleman who owned it previously cared more about the appearance stuff than the performance stuff, which is okay.

[RRocket]

You know how it is, dealers rarely get everything right and there's typically some BS that you have to get through. 

Which is the issue. Lots of these issues are self created...purposely, some of them.

[kd]

Beautiful!  Summer fun for Johnny!   

Love the Integra too! Very nice fleet indeed. 

[Johnnymac]

You know how it is, dealers rarely get everything right and there's typically some BS that you have to get through. 

Which is the issue. Lots of these issues are self created...purposely, some of them.

You would think with the level of discomfort the sales manager sat in while I strategically went up one side and down the other about the situation it should motivate him to avoid this going forward.  But, we both know 90% of buyers buckle under the bullshit and just accept something they don't agree to.

[Johnnymac]

Beautiful!  Summer fun for Johnny!   

Love the Integra too! Very nice fleet indeed. 

Thanks KD, and yes it is going to be a great summer I think.

Actually going to be a hard choice every morning on which to take that day to run to work.

[Blueprint]

Soul Red 

Love the pics - in profile, the curvy RF has that "baby Ferrari" vibe.

[Johnnymac]

Soul Red 

Love the pics - in profile, the curvy RF has that "baby Ferrari" vibe.

You aren't the first one to mention a "baby Ferrari" vibe.  It really is a pretty stunning piece of design and should age extremely well.

[Johnnymac]

One month of owning this Miata and the honeymoon is still going strong.  It really is a car I reach for the keys more than anything else. 

My wife has been away to NL for over two weeks and prior to her leaving I had just swapped the tires so she didn't really get a "proper" drive in the car.  That was remedied this past weekend. 

There was a little car show here in Fredericton, so took the Miata to the show and walk around looking at cars. There were maybe 4 Miatas at the show but all of them were first generation NA's.  I did however see a guy with the 2025 version of my Acura Integra Type S in the same color combination, had a good chat with the owner. 

My own Miata was getting some love and attention from people who were in the parking lot and one of the NA Miata owners in the show ran out to get a pic when I drove by the outdoor section of the show.  Always nice to see some appreciation for your ride.

After the show I took my wife on a little route I take after work called "The Long Way Home" that runs along a stream, on a back road with a lot of twists, turns, blind hills, long sweepers, and plenty of elevation changes.  It's only an extra 15 minutes out of my way for going home but a pretty much deserted road that is perfect for the Miata.  Not sure my wife appreciated the less than "relaxed" drive I took her on, but it does go right by a nice canteen where we stopped for some ice cream before heading home.

I plan on doing some mods to my Miata but not much this year outside of upgrading the tires, getting some PPF done, and these upgraded Flyin Miata door bushings with hardware.  These replaced the stock ones that were like a firm gummy bear in comparison to the new ones that are very firm and unable to really bend with your hands.

So the thinking behind these bushings is to create a firmer connection between the door and the structure of the car, thus increasing torsional rigidity by upwards of 3 percent.  Mind you that 3 percent claim is for the first generation NA Miata, so I'd assume for my ND it's probably closer to maybe 1-2% max increase.  This will just allow the suspension to perform a bit better. 

As these are only a $20 USD part, and extremely DIY friendly, I just couldn't resist doing it.  The install took all of 5 minutes total and it was really only that long because I had to bend the "pocket" it slides into the door so there is less play in it and get the full benefits.

I think so far my fuel economy is sitting at 6.5L/100kms and have only had to fill her up once so far.  Did a Costco run with her, had a 20lbs propane tank, two 2L of milk, box of Raisin Bran, box of apples, bag of oranges, the pups sardines, and 30 eggs.  Only the eggs were in the cabin with me and the rest fit easily in the trunk, it really is more spacious than you would think.

Lastly I added this body molding to the little A pillar window that I bought off Etsy as it directs wind away from the cabin.  The idea is that it'll reduce wind buffeting and reduce wind noise.  It does a great job of the buffeting but wind noise is only slightly lower.  But as it'll likely make it more likely that I ride with the top down and it was another mod that was DIY friendly and cheaper, I figured it was a worthy mod.

Next up will be filling in all the little rock chips on the front end and then getting some quotes on PPF for the metal pieces.  I don't think I'll protect the non-metal painted bits outside of touching up the rock chips a couple of times per year.

[Firm]

Good update, I like the subtle little mods...That wind deflector is cool, notice any difference if driving with the window open and the top up?

[Johnnymac]

Good update, I like the subtle little mods...That wind deflector is cool, notice any difference if driving with the window open and the top up?

Hmmm, honestly I can not really say that I have driven it with the top up and the windows down, it is almost always either top down and windows down, or top up and windows up.  I would think there is a small difference but I do not really feel like wind noise was bad with the top up anyway.

[Firm]

On cooler days I often like to drive with the driver's window open an inch or two, especially if I am just on local (slower) roads. Some cars are great for that, nice air flow and limited noise, others are terrible...lots of noise, too much air. Curious if that deflector made a difference.