At $32,500, Is This 1996 Mazda Mx-5 'not Your Average Craigslist Miata?'

The seller of today's Nice Price aliases No Dice MX-5 claims it has undergone a thorough restoration and touts it arsenic "a turn-key, investment-grade car for personification who wants nan best." We'll person to determine if "the best" tin besides beryllium a bargain.

On April 14th, 1927, Volvo's very first accumulation automobile, dubbed nan Ö4 but nicknamed nan "Jakob," was driven disconnected nan assembly statement by Volvo technologist Eric Carlberg. It was expected to debut a time earlier, but personification mistakenly installed nan differential nan incorrect way, causing nan car to spell backward erstwhile a guardant cogwheel was selected.

The 1996 Volvo 850 estate we looked astatine yesterday has done a batch of going guardant complete nan people of its existence, to nan tune of astir 400K racked up connected its tattletale odometer. That had a important effect connected opinions astir nan car, and countered nan beingness of a uncommon manual gearbox and what appeared to beryllium decent wide condition. What resulted was a sizable 85% No Dice nonaccomplishment for its $4,500 asking price.

For each of you who took rumor pinch nan miles connected yesterday's Volvo, I'd for illustration you to beryllium down. Are you ready? OK. Today's 1996 Mazda Miata M edition has 218,000 miles connected nan clock. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Put down those pitchforks. Extinguish those tallow torches. You see, while this Miata has gone nan distance, and past some, its seller assures america that it has been wholly and wholly restored and rejuvenated.

First of all, nan deets. This is simply a cleanable title M version car presented successful Starlight Mica Blue complete a tan leather interior. Power comes from a 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder, which is mated to a slick-shifting five-speed manual gearbox. This being an M version intends it has a constricted gaffe diff successful back, and a woody Nardi displacement knob and a complementing manus brake lever successful nan cabin. It would person travel initially pinch unsocial seven-spoke polished alloy wheels, but those person been replaced present by a group of refurbished five-spoke alloys.

The wheels aren't nan only restored parts of nan car. According to nan ad, each facet of nan car has been reviewed and redressed, from nan driveline to nan apical to nan interior. It's to nan constituent that nan car, successful nan seller's words, "drives for illustration it conscionable rolled retired of nan mill — actually, better."

There has been plentifulness of clip for nan activity to beryllium tested, too. Per nan ad, nan motor rebuild was done 27,000 miles agone by a Mazda dealer. Who knew that a trader work section would moreover tackle specified a time-intensive job? Everything other successful nan car has received akin attention, pinch nan installation of a caller clutch, refurbished cooling and brakes, reasonably caller Toyo tires, and a artillery that's conscionable a spot complete a twelvemonth old. No corners are claimed to person been trim successful nan restoration, and, arsenic an outcome, everything connected nan car is claimed to activity arsenic it should. In summation to a caller apical pinch a backmost model you tin spot through, nan car comes pinch a same-color tonneau to support nan particulate retired erstwhile that apical and model are down.

It each looks very neat and tidy, and astir importantly very stock. That's thing sorely lacking successful galore aged Miatas these days. Is it a cleanable encapsulation of its era, a clip capsule? Not quite, but it's close. In nan cabin, which has been fitted pinch caller leather and carpet, there's a modern double-din Sony stereo that looks a small retired of place. The remainder of nan interior is truthful nice, however, that nan intrusion hardly matters.

Another rumor of statement is nan instrumentality halfway caps. Those are integrative and only 1 (the left-rear) looks to beryllium successful as-new condition. The remainder person been denuded of decorativeness and coming arsenic sickly yellow. It's a spot jarring that specified a mini item would beryllium missed, considering nan activity that has gone into nan car elsewhere. All that has been documented successful what nan seller describes arsenic a binder afloat of receipts, which they opportunity totals complete $40K successful parts and labor.

Nits having been picked, this Miata does travel crossed arsenic a well-done restoration. Perhaps nan top astonishment is that personification felt it prudent to walk nan effort and nan rate connected a car of specified humble prospects. That's until you get to nan asking, which is $32,500, a number that is beautiful astounding for immoderate NA Miata, sloppy of really nice. Could it really beryllium worthy that? Even though nan asking value is precocious for nan model, it seems nan seller is taking a nonaccomplishment connected it, based connected nan proffered disbursal of its restoration. The logic fixed for nan waste is nan seller's desire to cull their collection, arsenic family maturation is making a two-seater little of a viable action for around-town activities.

What do you think? Is this "turn-key" car really worthy that $32,500 that nan seller has group arsenic their Bring a Trailer reserve and Craigslist come-on? Or, bully aliases not, is that conscionable excessively overmuch for immoderate Miata?

You decide!

Nice Price aliases No Dice:

Seattle, Washington Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

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