I'm trying to decide if I should just put good summer rubber on my 14" wheels...or go up to 15' wheels and new rubber.I mean ,really ,how much difference will it be visually?I can see if I jumped to 16",then I would think it would really fill out the wheel well nicely but Im not ready to do that.I have new Blizzacs on my rial wheels and originally thought I'd get 15" and put high end summer tires on and keep the 14" Rial s for winter wheels....BUT....it's a lot cheaper to keep what I have,especially if it's not going to be a real differnce...advice please!If I stick with 14"'s then I'll high performance summer rubber those and put the Blizzacs on the OEM wheels for winter.
Also... can anyone tell me how to put a pic up for an avatar..or am I not allowed since i'm still pretty new here?

 

Ok..scored a great deal on 15' wheels with brand new Pirelli 210 snowsports on them....probably will sell winter tires as I already have blizzaks!

 

Nice! I like the 15" is perfect for a miata in my opinion.

 

What width 15s did you get? You will find some great choices in 205/50/15 that will fit wheels from 6.5 up to 9 inches wide. Hankook RS3's are sticky and so are Toyo RA1. Everyone has a favorite brand and model of tire but that size is the most common performance size for trackday and actual racing Miatas.

 

I haven't raced this car ....yet...the real bummer is ,it's an automatic,ugh.It was my Mom's.She recently passed and I inherited it,so it's sentimental and I'm keeping it.Would it be stupid to take an automatic out to run??Maybe in the future I'll switch it to a stick.$$$I'm looking to put summer high performance tires on(I thnk),definitely 205"sI have Hankook V2's on my Firebird and like them.So leaning to a Hankook,but would love any advice.i probably should buy another Miata for the track....hubby will ljust love that...lol!

 

If you like Hankook, the RS3's are quite sticky.

An automatic isn't a deal breaker on the track for open trackdays, especially when you are just starting out. It will give you a few less things to worry about and you won't be the only car out there with one. You will need a proper roll bar that meets certain specifications to be eligible to participate but other than that your car can be stock. After a few trackdays you might want to upgrade some components but you can do as much or as little as you want and still have fun. Any car driven to the limits of its adhesion to the pavement will be exciting and challenging.

 

Thank you...I'll look into those Hankooks.Will they last for any decent amount of time with regular driving?Also good to know about the autos on the track.Good way to start,but I must admit,the whole joy of being on the track would be shifting I would think!.This is the first auto sports car I've ever owned and really miss shifting.Had a beautiful 300z that was a blast.I'll go for it with this one to start...thanks so much!!Where do I lookk for specs on the rollbar?My good friendn,Dave Barninger, owns Speed One here in Lenhartsville,Pa about two miles from me,he can set me up Im sure.

 

From the NASA Club Codes and Regulations:
11.4.7
Roll Bars

All open cars should have a roll bar installed to h
elp protect the occupant(s) from injury during a ro
ll-over. The
main hoop shall be one continuous piece with smooth
Mandrel bends with no evidence of crimping or wall

failure. All welds should be of the highest possib
le quality, with full penetration [Ref15.6.15)].
All cars with roll
bars are required to have adequate roll bar padding
per CCR section #15.6.4. In cases where the drive
r’s head
may come in contact with the roll bar should the se
atback fail, a seatback brace is required in confor
mance with
section #15.6.21. Acceptable roll bars include, but
are not limited to, the following:

Hard Dog

AC - Ace
D - Deuce (center-braced model only)
AB - M1 Hard Core
TB – M1 Hard Core Hardtop
9B – M2 Hard Core
NB – M2 Hard Core

Auto Power

Street Roll Bar
Street-Sport Roll Bar
Race Roll Bar

The above roll bars are examples only. NASA does not endorse any brand or model and will not be held liable for any failures of roll bars.

The Hard Dog brand rollbars from Bethania Garage are quite popular. The M2 series is for cars with convertible tops equipped with glass rear windows. I have the M2 Sport with Dual Diagonals, but a single diagonal version is acceptable. I also purchased their high density foam padding and cover and am very pleased with the quality and ease of installation. The M2 Hard Core version uses a .25 inch larger diameter tubing and is a little more expensive.

 

Thank you!!

 

And yes, the Hankook RS3's should last you a couple of years unless you do a lot of track days.