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Turbo, Tune / dyno, Upgr Brakes, Engine 66k, Chassis 165k, + Receipts. Runs A+

Location: Burlington, North Carolina, United States
Make: Mazda
Model: MX-5 Miata
Type: Convertible
Trim: Turbo - Tastefully Modified: Street or Track Ready
Year: 1990
Mileage: 66,000
VIN: JM1NA3513L0142983
Color: Red
Engine size: 4 cylindar HKS Turbo 1.6 litre DOHC 16v
Number of cylinders: 4
Power options: Folding, latching soft top, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Windows
Fuel: Premium 91, 93, 100 for track use only
Transmission: Manual
Drive type: RWD
Interior color: Gray
Drive side: Left-hand drive
Safety options: Anti-Lock Brakes, Driver Airbag, Passenger Airbag
Options: Brand new upgraded clutch package, Upgraded Kicker Component Door Speakers and Head U, Upgraded brand new high performance brakes, Brand new gas suspension, Best Hwy gas mileage 28 mpg, Dash-mounted boost / vacuum pressure gauge, Short shifter kit, 1 elderly owner before me. 2 owners total, Clean title, Motor has only 66k miles on it, Read description carefully, small cosmetic defects, JL Audio W3 12" Sub w/ amp available upon request, Saved LOTS of docs and receipts come w sale, CD Player, Sunroof
Vehicle Title: Clear

1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata Turbo - Tastefully Modified: Street or Track Ready Description

I don't normally write this much about any listing, but if I was buying a car online, I would want to know everything I possibly could about it and get a picture painted of every aspect of it. So forgive me if I'm rambling, but I'm trying to paint a picture of what this car is all about. I purpose built it to have a split personality. Read on...
Anyone who knows cars, races cars, is simply an enthusiast, or is into any kind of motor sport whatsoever, you know that this 1990 Mazda Miata is one of the absolute best cars you can buy for the price and has grown a "cult" following among track-day enthusiasts. It's the perfect car for Autocrossing because it's so lightweight and the little stock 1.6 litre engine is perfectly over-engineered from the factory so that you can safely bolt-on up to 13-14lbs of boost without strengthening internals. It's a pure joy to drive. In a world of keyless entries, bluetooth, dual-clutch automatics, and electronic driver aids, this car refreshingly brings you back to the basics: Left foot on clutch pedal, key in the ignition you have to actually turn to start the car, Front engine, Rear Wheel Drive, 5-speed transmission, and ultra-lightweight. That's it. When you turn the key, you are greeted with a pleasant, deep yet refined "gurgle" as the car happily starts. You really get a sense this car is like a puppy dog who just saw it's master - it's ready to play and very excited.You aren't buying a luxury car. You're money is being spent on the purist driving experience that you can rarely find anymore, and when you do, it usually costs 4 times the price - plus when you decide to downshift and give it some throttle, this car will easily rival the Porsche next to you between traffic lights. Purist driving is becoming a lost art.The 1990 Mazda Miata MX-5 is well-known as one of the most popular pure drivers' cars among the tuner, racing and stock enthusiast community alike. Even Jay Leno owns a 1990 Miata for that reason. He even says, "You just can't beat the smiles per gallon in this car." (check it out on Youtube.)I've moved to downtown San Diego, and decided it wasn't practical to take it with me, so my mother is keeping it in her garage in Burlington, NC for me and I've signed it over to her so she will technically be the one selling it, but any specific questions, I bought it stock from an elderly man, put a "new" (65k) engine in it, and had all the project work done at one performance shop - a famous one for doing all JDM projects out of Charlotte, NC. So I'd be more than happy to chat with you about any aspect of the car. Just contact me.
I'm probably going to forget to list something, but here we go: The car has 17" wheels, new tires with 80% tread left, oil just changed full synthetic Mobile 1, a "new" engine with 66k on it but the chassis and odometer have about 165k, HKS turbo kit,Eibach "street/sport"gas suspension with "street/sport"lowering springs, dropping the car about 1.2" and combined with a rear sway bar this car handles exceptionally well at all speeds - partially because it weighs as much as a shoe box. Exhaust is totally custom built to exact tuning specs, and does include a high-flow cat so it will pass emissions in all 50 states (I think including California, but I am not 100% sure about that, they're extra strict about emissions, but it's OBD1, so a lot of times new rules are forgiven for cars of a certain age), upgraded Kicker door speakers and head unit with Aux input, Stage 2 Street Performance Clutch, Mazda RX8 high-flow injector, Warlboro (spelling) high flow fuel pump, upgraded EBC Green Stuff Street Sport pads with upgraded SS brake lines and EBC high performance cross-drilled rotors. Brake dust is no not bad at all and barely noticeable anyway with the black wheels.Has the famous Miata Megasquirt ECU replacement that has been fully tuned to the exact specs of this car and can be easily switched between "street mode" and "track mode".
Switching to track mode requires 100 octane fuel, and the ECU was dyno'd and tuned specifically for this car as it is right now with every performance part as it is now. So its track setup includes advanced timing, support for up to 14psi (It was recommended I keep it at 13 to be extra safe), changes to air/fuel ratio, and more. Please note, the amount of boost the turbo puts out is adjusted by turning a screw under the hood. It's very easy, but the ECU does not automatically increase or decrease your boost, it simply "readies" the car for it. When back on 91 or 93 pump gas, it's recommended you keep the boost between 7-9. Obviously, the lower the boost, the safer things are, but I've consistently run at 8psi no problem. I've only taken it to the track one time, just to test it out and prove to myself that it really is the real deal - and trust me it is. It's borderline scary on the track when driven like the Stig on Top Gear, yet still remains composed. It never feels out of control or understeers.13psi may not sound like a ton, but put that boost in something that weighs as much as a pizza box, and you've got yourself a V8 killer on the striaghts and a Lotus Elise in the corners.
Back in street mode, it's civil, shifts nicely with no "racing clutch grabbing jitter" at red lights, doesn't scrape over normal bumps, can be surprisingly quiet when short-shifted, not bad on gas at all, and simply a blast to drive. Sun on your face, wind in your hair, 60 mph in 5th gear... then, a quick heel-toe downshift to 4th, give it some gas to pass a slower car, the turbo lags slightly but then whistles and gets louder as it pulls you harder while it spools.... let off the gas to shift back to 5th, and "PFFFFFFVVVVV" goes the blow-off valve, echoing against the concrete highway divider on your left. Try not to smile. The purists dream car for under 10k. It's so satisfying and intoxicating.
The entire rest of its life after it was built up was spent at shows, in the garage when not in use, or used for highway commuting on beautiful days.
No expense was spared on this car. It was my project and my baby. All work was done at a famous shop in Charlotte NC called Motion Lab Tuning. They are well-known for producing record-breaking Evo's and STI's and they work on most of the Carolina Panthers' personal cars. I most if not all of the paperwork and receipts to prove how much money I actually dumped into this car and it's over $13k. I mean I used the highest price oil on oil changes, always put premium gas in even before I modified it, used Lucas oil additives and treatments on every oil change and nearly every fill up to keep those new RX8 injectors at 100% efficiency. The car has a brand new battery as well. I replaced stuff on this car way before anything went wrong just because I loved it so much and had the means to do it.
Now, that all being said, please keep in mind this is a nearly 20 year old car. I've had the paint wet-sanded, buffed and re-waxed by professionals to bring the absolute most "POP" from the stock red paint possible, but it has not been actually re-painted, although it looks almost like it has. Paint is very bright and this car is flashy. I'm telling you, be ready to have a lot of conversations with total strangers in traffic and at the gas pump. Also, the soft top is a little bit worn and the rear window doesn't completely seal (I garage kept it so I didn't have to worry about rain. In fact I don't think I ever drove the car as long as I owned ever in the rain - not once). The rear window just needs to be re-glued to the soft-top. Not a big deal, just needs to set overnight. The passenger's side mirror also has a crack (came out of the grocery store on day and found that). On the interior, it's very good for a 20 year old car, but there is a bit of wear as you should expect. Nothing specific, just generic. Anything that is a minus on the car would be cosmetic and easily fixable. In terms of the car's function, it's a 10/10. The basic stuff like headlights, air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, etc, it all works perfectly! And or course, clean title. If there's something I'm forgetting please message me. If it makes sense to have done to the car, there's a 99% chance it's been done.
This is one of those cars that pops up very rarely and already has everything done to it that you would want to do, so you can save tons of money because you don't have to pay for every single one of these mods one-by-one. It's just a turn-key (no pun) performance car that civil in the streets and a track warrior when called upon.
I'm currently living in San Diego, CA, so the car would have been destroyed by potholes here. That's why I'm selling it. The car is currently being stored at my mother's house in Burlington, NC 27215. I'm very quick to respond to inquiries and communication, so don't hesitate to message me. Whether the car is shipping or picked up, we'll make it happen. If you think the price of this car is a bit steep, try finding something as light and powerful and reliable as this car for any less. To match this car, you're looking in modified Lotus territory at $40k. And, if you drive it too hard and something does break, it's a Miata, not a Porsche. Snag a new clutch for $500, not $5000. It's the best car ever. And it's been babied and loved. I want it to go to a good home.

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