I'm a 76 year young retired Geologist,living in N Central Alabama. I initially owned a 90 red (crank end broke) 95 red (rolled dodging 5-6 deer), 93LE, bought at 14K miles, sold at 90+K miles, 90 white for the wife, sold to her grandson. Bought the 90 back after selling the 93. Gave the 90 to my son for his 91 white automatic, he wanted a 5-speed. Drove a late friend's 99 from N MN to MS in 24 hours for son's wife. On the drive decided I needed a NB so have my current 99. Sold the 91 to a neighbor.

The 99 has an 01 exhaust manifold and an old Borla exhaust, custom tail lights, grill (PO), mud flaps (PO) and a number of interior mods.

The wife and I drove the 93 from Tuscaloosa, AL to Washington State, then down the coastal highway to CA, back across the N. US and home, 7K miles. That 93LE "sports suspension" can feel mighty firm on a long trip.

I cut my teeth on a MK 2 Austin Healey Sprite back in the early 60s, owned a MG Midget or two and five or six MGBs and one MGBGT. I'd love to have a GT with the Miata engine, auto tranny and AC. With a good sound system you would have a real GT vehicle. That's about it from here Miata fans.

 

Welcome to the forum! I've got a '69 Sprite in the garage that is awaiting a Miata engine and trans. I've just got too many irons in the fire to get into it right now.

My Miata rode horribly on the stock shocks and springs. It was always crashing into the bumpstops when it went over road irregularities. The '99 Bilstein "Hard S" shocks were the best investment I made in an upgrade. I started enjoying the car after upgrading them, but didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to beforehand. Increasing the spring rates and eliminating half of the height of the bumpstops was a plus as well.

 

That was a "bug eye wasn't it? I had one when I worked up in Pickins Co, GA for Georgia Marble in the mid 60s. I was headed over to Sylacauga, AL on day to log core and noticed I had a carb leak. I stopped at Dorseys Garage between Tate and Jasper. After he repaired the leak he said, "This is the second foreign car I've had in the shop this week." I asked what was the other? He replied, "A Rambler!" It wasn't a Ford of Chevy so it was foreign in N. GA!!!

 

"I'd love to have a GT with the Miata engine, auto tranny and AC. With a good sound system you would have a real GT vehicle."

You mean like this?

Ed Theobald's 1972 MGB-GT with Mazda Miata 1.8L DOHC Engine

A better plan might be more like this:

Slow Car Fast

where the MGB body is on a Miata suspension (the V8 engine swap is optional).

Of course, you could just go this route:

Jim Simpson Design Miata Italia Sports Cars

or, to keep it more Miata looking, this:

Warhorse Performance Miata Fastback Hatchback


I have a similar history to you with British sports cars (just replace some of the MGBs -- but not the GT -- with TR-4s and TR-4As), but as fondly as I remember my many years with them, there is no way it makes sense to trade a Miata suspension for one designed in the '50s or '60s. One of the good things to come out of the '70s was major improvements in auto suspension design and technology -- which is why a TR-7 with skinny tires would out handle a wide-wheeled TR-6 all day long (not that I'd take a TR-7 over a TR-6).

One of the things that makes me happiest about my Miata is that it doesn't require the regular blood sacrifices to Lucas, Prince of Darkness, that were simply part of the motoring experience of a British sports car that was regularly driven.

Bill

 

My '67 Sprite and my '68 GTO

I had to sell the Sprite. When times got better I picked up another.
This one should get a Miata drivetrain.


Amen to that.