At 06:03 PM 8/26/2005, pethier@isd.net wrote:
>I am out-of-town and am here with an empty trailer. I am
>looking at two Miatas, both manual trans, of course, and
>both metallic blue with black cloth interior:
>
>1996 with crank windows and air conditioning. I looked at
>the diff from the back and it looks sort of flat on the back
>with a couple of plugs.
>
>1997 with power window, power mirrors and air conditioning.
>I looked at the diff from the back and it has seriously
>large aluminum fins in a vertical orientation.
They should both look the same. There is no difference in the housing for
the Torsen LSD.
>Am I correct in assuming that the crank-window car has an
>open diff (flat) and the power-window car has a TorSen diff
>(finned)? I need to know quickly, since I am only here
>through Monday and am not coming back for a car since I am a
>long way from home.
That is the usual assumption but the only way is to call Mazda North
America with the VIN. They will tell you what options came on the car.
>The way I understand it, one really wants the TorSen for
>autocross. I'd be running the local Twin-Cities street-tire
>class with an E-stock PAX. I have been told the stock sway
>bar is OK for this.
>
>I drove the 1997 and it seems OK. Everything seems to work.
> The tires look like someone has been doing some serious
>cornering on pavement, but had not set the camber to
>negative. One tire has been replaced. Only small chips in
>the paint. No sign of serious rust anywhere I can see. Top
>of rear bumper cover looks scorched or somthing, but a bit
>of cracking and a yellowing of the paint. 80K on the clock.
> My Lotus buddy Dave and I were driving the wheels off it
>(car seemed to like it. Pulls strong in all the gears and
>the syncros seem to work in all the gears. Pulled into the
>red wone on the tach without hitting a rev limiter.
>
>While we were out, it rained. We went on the freeway in a
>pounding thunderstorm and there were no leaks apparent in
>the top.
>
>Anything else I should be looking for?
On the driver's side of the engine, at the end of the exhaust cam is the
"crank angle sensor". The gasket for this is a simple o-ring and when they
go they leak oil all down the back of the block and the bell housing. With
the engine cold reach around the back of the head and feel under the CAS
for oil. If you are doing this with the salesperson present and your hand
comes out covered in oil, be sure to say: "HOLY COW!" Act like it is a deal
killer.<G>The CAS gasket is an easy fix but the seller may not know this.
Also the cam box cover gaskets tend to leak oil into the spark plug wells.
Pull the plug caps one by one and if coated in oil, repeat the above
exclamation.<G>
>What's it worth? Dealer is asking $6500 and I'd like to
>make a seriously-smaller counter-offer.
Check Edmunds.com
----
Gary Spray
Topeka, Kansas
Crystal White '90 A
Kansas Region SCCA
http://www.miataforum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=3150
** WAX? I bought it to DRIVE! **
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