weighing the pro's and con's
#11
10-06-2013, 01:09 AM
I've owned both. Had a 93 Miata and it just wasn't that great. Cramped interior so so ride and really no that powerful. ai just picked up a 01 coupe. much more comfortable but still fun to drive.
I still have my Del Sol and it is even more comfortable than the Miata was.
But maybe I'm just getting old. More concerned with comfort and tired of dealing with convertibles.
I still have my Del Sol and it is even more comfortable than the Miata was.
But maybe I'm just getting old. More concerned with comfort and tired of dealing with convertibles.
#13
10-21-2013, 09:48 PM
I've owned both too and based on what you said I would put that 3 grand into the Miata over buying an F body. Don't get me wrong I LOVE 4th gen F bodies and have owned 4 of them from a v6 to an 02 Camaro SS. But I honestly feel you would have a better car with a used turbo and suspension set up in the Miata and you can do it for 3 grand easy. The Miata might not quite keep up with an LT1 car on a drag strip and won't sound as good but it will kill it in an autocross and on nearly all road courses. Also in the Miata you know what you have and with a new car it's always a crap shoot. Oh and as a daily driver no prob I put a full drumset in mine and have hauled landscape bricks with it. I feel they are great DDs.
But you are absolutely not allowed to put stretched tires on it EVER! Talk like that will get you booted from this forum and as well it should. If you want to look retarded buy a civic and put a giant wing on it too. Get a set of TRMotorsport C3Ms with 225/45-15s and drop the car an inch or so and you will look killer. Like so:
Both cars are great cars so good luck!
But you are absolutely not allowed to put stretched tires on it EVER! Talk like that will get you booted from this forum and as well it should. If you want to look retarded buy a civic and put a giant wing on it too. Get a set of TRMotorsport C3Ms with 225/45-15s and drop the car an inch or so and you will look killer. Like so:
Both cars are great cars so good luck!
#14
10-21-2013, 10:53 PM
The two most awesome swaps I ever saw was the civette. It was a 90's something hatch back civic with an ls1 in it. The other was a z24 cavalier 00 it had a northstar in it. Nice.....
My opinion get the lt1 it is relatively cheap, get decent milage until you want the power and handles well on its own....
I just bought a 95 z28 convertible auto with 34k miles for $7,000. Put 400 into it in repairs and it is pretty much perfect... the car was bone stock. Just had a short..... the car is fast and btw my first day with it a guy in a miata talked me up about how awesome it was. The camaro just demands more respect.
My opinion get the lt1 it is relatively cheap, get decent milage until you want the power and handles well on its own....
I just bought a 95 z28 convertible auto with 34k miles for $7,000. Put 400 into it in repairs and it is pretty much perfect... the car was bone stock. Just had a short..... the car is fast and btw my first day with it a guy in a miata talked me up about how awesome it was. The camaro just demands more respect.
#15
10-22-2013, 02:39 AM
from what I have seen, any 4th gen for less than $3,000 will be junk. It will have many problems. You can get a good condition LS1 between $5-7k. just my .02 cents.
Now as far as MPG goes...My Z/28 is my daily driver, I average 20 mpg stock, mixed highway and city. On a roadtrip, I get 31 on the highway with AC!!! pros to a 6 speed i guess. and thats with 212k on the engine! So I would reccommend getting a 4th gen over a miata, but only if you are willing to spend a minimum of $4,500. $6,000 will get a decent car. the $3,000 cars will have rattling doors, floppy windows, paint defects, cracked dashboard, and many other little things. Even if it is a less than 150,000 mile car, you want one that the interior is SOLID also, which runs the cost up a little bit. numerous engine quirks too.
Now as far as MPG goes...My Z/28 is my daily driver, I average 20 mpg stock, mixed highway and city. On a roadtrip, I get 31 on the highway with AC!!! pros to a 6 speed i guess. and thats with 212k on the engine! So I would reccommend getting a 4th gen over a miata, but only if you are willing to spend a minimum of $4,500. $6,000 will get a decent car. the $3,000 cars will have rattling doors, floppy windows, paint defects, cracked dashboard, and many other little things. Even if it is a less than 150,000 mile car, you want one that the interior is SOLID also, which runs the cost up a little bit. numerous engine quirks too.
#16
10-22-2013, 08:29 AM
Couldn't agree more with what ^ he said. Except I have never gotten more than 28 mpg out of any F body. A $3000 Camaro will have lots of issues and miles on it and that alone is a good reason to put the money in the Miata.
The basic problem with the compairson is it would be hard to be more apples and oranges if you tried. You are compairing a huge muscle car that is excellent at being a muscle car with a tiny corner carver that is excellent at being a sports car. I currently own both and love them both because they are both great at what they do best, but you can't really say one is better than the other when they are designed for different things.
Yes Miatas are seen as girls cars by every one who has not been whipped by one. I have run modified LT1 and LS1 cars on lots of tracks with lots of other cars over the years. I have seen it time and time again that in the hands of a good driver a Miata with something like SM suspension in it will have faster lap times than an equally prepared F body every time. You guys have to remember the Miata is whopping 1700 pounds lighter, has perfect 50/50 weight distribution, has equal length 4 point independant suspsension on all 4 corners and the center of gravity is 5 inches lower than then the F body. Sure it is only 130 hp but even with 350 hp the 3700 lb car doesn’t have a chance after turn 1. (assuming drivers of equal skill)
One last point. The tires on the Camaro in my sig pic cost $285 each and better tires I put on my Miata cost $131. Something like a full Strano set up with his springs and bars and adjustable Konis is over 3 grand for an F body but the top of the line Flyin Miata VMaxx coil over set up is $1100. Since everything is smaller you just get more bang for your buck with the Miata. The wheels and tires in the miata pic above were $850 new and it's stitting on Eibach SM coil overs and Bilsteins that were $500 used. $250 for the roll bar and 8 bucks in paint for the stripes and do you think that looks like a girls car? If you do get your F body and follow me. Or try to... :-)
Anyway the point is for the 3 grand you have your Miata can be dressed up to look good and outfitted to out perform most F bodies in all but a straight line. Now if you could sell the Miata for 3 grand plus the 3 grand you have in the bank then you would be closer to muscle car range. So the bottom line is what do you want? Are you tired of looking at the Miata and want to look at a Camaro? Are you just wanting something different? Then buy a Camaro. Still like the Miata but just want a little more performance? Want to play it safe knowing what you have in your current car? Well the old atage the cheapest car you can buy is the one you already have is as true as it ever was.
Good luck and let us know what you do. With photos!
The basic problem with the compairson is it would be hard to be more apples and oranges if you tried. You are compairing a huge muscle car that is excellent at being a muscle car with a tiny corner carver that is excellent at being a sports car. I currently own both and love them both because they are both great at what they do best, but you can't really say one is better than the other when they are designed for different things.
Yes Miatas are seen as girls cars by every one who has not been whipped by one. I have run modified LT1 and LS1 cars on lots of tracks with lots of other cars over the years. I have seen it time and time again that in the hands of a good driver a Miata with something like SM suspension in it will have faster lap times than an equally prepared F body every time. You guys have to remember the Miata is whopping 1700 pounds lighter, has perfect 50/50 weight distribution, has equal length 4 point independant suspsension on all 4 corners and the center of gravity is 5 inches lower than then the F body. Sure it is only 130 hp but even with 350 hp the 3700 lb car doesn’t have a chance after turn 1. (assuming drivers of equal skill)
One last point. The tires on the Camaro in my sig pic cost $285 each and better tires I put on my Miata cost $131. Something like a full Strano set up with his springs and bars and adjustable Konis is over 3 grand for an F body but the top of the line Flyin Miata VMaxx coil over set up is $1100. Since everything is smaller you just get more bang for your buck with the Miata. The wheels and tires in the miata pic above were $850 new and it's stitting on Eibach SM coil overs and Bilsteins that were $500 used. $250 for the roll bar and 8 bucks in paint for the stripes and do you think that looks like a girls car? If you do get your F body and follow me. Or try to... :-)
Anyway the point is for the 3 grand you have your Miata can be dressed up to look good and outfitted to out perform most F bodies in all but a straight line. Now if you could sell the Miata for 3 grand plus the 3 grand you have in the bank then you would be closer to muscle car range. So the bottom line is what do you want? Are you tired of looking at the Miata and want to look at a Camaro? Are you just wanting something different? Then buy a Camaro. Still like the Miata but just want a little more performance? Want to play it safe knowing what you have in your current car? Well the old atage the cheapest car you can buy is the one you already have is as true as it ever was.
Good luck and let us know what you do. With photos!
Last edited by charchri4; 10-22-2013 at 09:47 AM.
#17
10-22-2013, 09:59 PM
My son is just starting to drive and has driven the Del Sol and the Camaro. He thinks the Camaro is too big. Can't tell where the nose is. truthfully I've bumped a couple concrete parking place stops myself.
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