I recently fulfilled my lifelong dream to own a sports car by purchasing a 2001 LS in Crystal Blue.

While I've never owned a roadster until now, I did spend roughly the first thirty years of my driving experience double-clutching my way through 4 and 5 speed gearboxes in various sporting coupes and mini-pickups. As a result, I have some repetitive strain problems in my left leg which preclude the use of a clutch pedal these days. Resultantly, I sought out an automatic and was fortunate to find a nice example at a very reasonable price; which is a story within itself.

I have actually known about this car for a number of year's, because it was the daily driver of my employer's attorney. I had put a bug in his ear some years ago letting him know that if he ever wanted to sell, I'd be interested. About six weeks ago I ran into him and, sure 'nuff, he was ready to sell. We made a deal later that day and I got a very reasonable price. As it turns out, the VVT actuator is failing and it was pulling a code. With license renewal coming up he saw an expensive repair on the horizon along with the need of a brake job, the replacement of some engine seals and a number of other maintenance items which added up to more than he was willing to invest; so he chose to divest.

Years ago, in another life (so to speak) I was an aircraft mechanic, so the idea of some dirty knuckles is not all that unappealing. As of this writing I have started the process of rejuvenating this Miata and am working steadily, chipping away at the problems. In the meantime, it is still quite drivable and reliable, providing transportation and relieving my Toyota Tacoma of its commuting burdens.

The concept of this thread will be my online journal as I repair, renovate and enjoy the sort of car I've wanted since I was old enough to say the words "sports car".

 

Face it; an automatic is not usually the first choice for sporting driving; at least in the days before paddle shifted manu-matics. Nonetheless, my little automatic NB has obviously been previously-owned by someone with an appreciation for the sporting character of its chassis.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it has the sport suspension package including large brakes, and according to the V.I.N. it has the Torsen diff'. Somewhere along the line 245/45 Zr16s were installed on the stock rims and one thing is for certain; it does not suffer for lack of cornering grip. The rear end is delightfully loose on so surfaces, but on dry, clean pavement the back tires stay planted. Digging out of a tight corner and punching it causes the tockus to squat down and dig in hard. I know that there are better handling cars out there; but few in this price range.

The 245s are a subject of concern at this point. While my current skins seem to have plenty of miles left in them, it seems that there are not a lot of companies making tires in this size anymore. Toyo seems to have one summer tire and there are all sorts of DOT legal slicks for the weekend racers, but I've found little else. If this trend continues there will be a lot of Porsche 928 S4s up on blocks for the lack of rear tires.