1997 Mazda Miata MX-5

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1997 Teal Green - 42k miles Great starter Contact Information Posted By: Mighty Mouse Phone: 601-798-7610 Location: Picayune Mississippi Ads Posted: Display ads posted by Mighty Mouse   Ad Information Package: Base Model Year: 1997 Color: Emerald Green Mica Price: $4950.00 Mileage: 42k Accessories & Upgrades: A/C Leather Additional Information Just pick up in Flordia and drove 1000 miles back home without a glitch. Runs nice but needs some TLC. Dont know much history on this one. I bought to race but just found a 99 this weekend that suits my need better. Power train is tight. Good engine, transmission, differential. Dont know about limited slip. Cold A/C. Good top. Paint looks good but it has been repainted. Radio doesn't work. The dash has some cracks in it but there is a cover across it so it look good. Needs some cleaning and some general upkeep. I have a few more pics if you need them. Gotta get this one out of here. Hurry, this one is going to go fast!

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I'd like to say that it's a 'low-miles creampuff', but the truth is that, while it does indeed have low miles, it's been wrecked & abused, too.  I'm speculating, but I figure it went down something like this; The original owner racked up 40K+ miles during the period the car was financed. When 'twas paid off, they dropped the full-coverage insurance, trying to save a buck. And promptly wrecked it. Not being able to afford the repairs, the car sat baking in the Florida sun for several years. Then, sometime within the last year or so, they decided to cut their losses, and sold the wreck to Jackleg Bodyman. Ol' Jack invested a couple of hundred bucks (and a lot of sweat!) into a half-decent repair job, then sold it for a handsome profit. Probably to Mighty Mouse, whom I bought the car from. Heck, Mr. Mouse probably made a profit, too, though I fancy it couldn't have been all that handsome.. 

In any case, the major jobs  required were:

• Clutch kit (disc, pressure plate, release bearing)
• Heater core
• Dashboard
• Left rear upper control arm
• Shocks
• Tires
• Steering wheel

Plus lots of nickel and dime stuff like trim clips, shifter boots, airbox, etc. About the only thing left to do is to install a radio.

For a while, I wasn't so sure that I hadn't made a big mistake in buying this car. But now, I'm awfully glad that I did! Only time will tell, of course, but given the Miata's reputation for reliability and longevity, I fully expect to get 120,000+ miles of trouble-free Zoom-Zoom out of it. Considering the modest price of entry, the Pure Sports-car Nirvana it so readily delivers, and the prospect of that it will continue to do so for 100K+... well, I can only consider this the Best Bang For The Buck In The Automotive Universe.

If you've perused my other automotive ramblings, you may recognize this quote, which refers to the Datsun B-210 which was my daily driver from 1980 to 1990; "Dollar-for-dollar, it's probably the best car I've ever owned." I fully expect that the Miazda will make me eat those words.

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