Phil,
Until the actual Miata experts reply this might
help: http://www.miatanet.com/garage/vlsd.html
Dick
At 07:03 PM 8/26/2005, pethier@isd.net wrote:
>I am out-of-town and am here with an empty trailer. I am
>looking at two Miatas, both manual trans, of course, and
>both metallic blue with black cloth interior:
>
>1996 with crank windows and air conditioning. I looked at
>the diff from the back and it looks sort of flat on the back
>with a couple of plugs.
>
>1997 with power window, power mirrors and air conditioning.
>I looked at the diff from the back and it has seriously
>large aluminum fins in a vertical orientation.
>
>Am I correct in assuming that the crank-window car has an
>open diff (flat) and the power-window car has a TorSen diff
>(finned)? I need to know quickly, since I am only here
>through Monday and am not coming back for a car since I am a
>long way from home.
>
>The way I understand it, one really wants the TorSen for
>autocross. I'd be running the local Twin-Cities street-tire
>class with an E-stock PAX. I have been told the stock sway
>bar is OK for this.
>
>I drove the 1997 and it seems OK. Everything seems to work.
> The tires look like someone has been doing some serious
>cornering on pavement, but had not set the camber to
>negative. One tire has been replaced. Only small chips in
>the paint. No sign of serious rust anywhere I can see. Top
>of rear bumper cover looks scorched or somthing, but a bit
>of cracking and a yellowing of the paint. 80K on the clock.
> My Lotus buddy Dave and I were driving the wheels off it
>(car seemed to like it. Pulls strong in all the gears and
>the syncros seem to work in all the gears. Pulled into the
>red wone on the tach without hitting a rev limiter.
>
>While we were out, it rained. We went on the freeway in a
>pounding thunderstorm and there were no leaks apparent in
>the top.
>
>Anything else I should be looking for?
>
>What's it worth? Dealer is asking $6500 and I'd like to
>make a seriously-smaller counter-offer.
>
>Phil Ethier
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