OK, Peter Egan came clean about owning one in Road and
Track (since sold)...I was gonna come clean
eventually. Long as we're talking Subaru's and
Lexus... Nomex underwear on:
My "normal" car was my beloved BMW 325is, and it was
approaching 14 years of age. While nothing was really
wrong with it, I had started thinking about something
new. The only new car that remotely appealed to me in
the "affordable" category was, gasp, the Miata.
The 2001 LS version now has a 6 speed, limited slip
diff, stiffer chassis, an alleged 155HP variable valve
timing technology engine with a higher, flatter torque
curve, beautiful 205/45/16 lightweight wheels/tires,
some minor styling changes this year that make it more
aggressive looking...lots of nice upgrades from my
first Miata that I had 11 years ago. These cars are
not replacements for LBCs - they do not have the soul
or the magic of an LBC, they do not have the same
possibility for heartbreak and the subsequent
indescribable reward that a Sprite has, but in my eyes
they are the closest you can come these days in a
convertible that has bulletproof reliability. This is
in NO WAY a replacement for my LBC's - I have the
Bugeye and the BGT safely tucked next to the Miata -
it is simply the most fun daily car I could afford. I
will admit I really, really, really like driving
Miatas. They are as close to an affordable LBC you
can get these days this side of a Lotus Elise.
So, it was the middle of winter here in the snow belt,
car sales were in the toilet, convertible demand was
non-existent, and Peter C. helped me find a great
deal. The deal was spurred by the remarkable
coincidence that Peter's Camry rusted in half just
when I was on the fence about selling the Bimmer, so I
had Peter as a buyer for the BMW, and I DID NOT want
to sell the car unless it went somewhere proper, where
I could buy it back someday (although Peter, a former
BMW hater, is now a 325 convert and may never want to
sell it). So...I am once again a Miata owner. I got
the car for under invoice price, and then Mazda
admitted they screwed up the US horsepower rating by
12 HP and sent me $500 debit card + $800 in dealer
parts/service credit (or the option to return the car
for a FULL refund - not gonna happen)! I got sick of
my 1st one fast primarily because there was no LBC in
my life, now I am fortunate enough to have both. I
really wanted to use the new car money for a race
Sprite, but due to other circumstances, that will have
to wait for at least another year or two. In the
meantime, I get to shift the fantastic 6 speed gearbox
18,000 times a day on my way to work, to paraphrase a
comment Frank made to me. The ratios are so close
sometimes I feel like I'm shifting 3 times to get out
of the driveway. Very cool.
I am a little too young for "1st run" LBC memories - I
was 14 when BL abandoned the U.S. market (and 9 years
old when they "safety-ized them" and did away with
chrome, dual carbs, proper ride height, etc.), so the
Miata brings back a lot of memories for the Mrs. and I
to when we first got married, back when life was a lot
simpler and carefree (read: MORTGAGE_LESS and
CHILDLESS), and isn't that pretty much the point?
I personally know there are more than a few of us on
this list who have Spridgets and Miatas, and it's a
nice combination. And my new plate, with some
suggestion from Frank, is ROTUS 1 (although he usually
calls it "a f'ing POS rice-burning Rotus"; I couldn't
fit that on one license plate).
BTW, I tried the Miata mailing list for a few days -
it's mostly filled with a bunch of vanilla wafers who
don't get "Pulp Fiction".
=====
Ron Soave
"Driver Carries No Cash"
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text
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/// (If they are dupes, this trailer may also catch them.)
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