1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Popular Equipment Package Convertible

1.8L 1839CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Manual

JM1NA3534V0720772

Clear

Gasoline

Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE ***I apologize for the quite lengthy description. I am a car enthusiast and tend to get very passionate when speaking about automobiles!! This auction is for an amazing car, a 1997 Mazda MX5 Miata. I am a seventy year old Miata enthusiast, having owned multiple Miatas! I have been a Mazda sports car guy for sometime and have also owned various Mazda sedans and coupes. As such, I know how to take care of them and always give them the proper attention that they deserve. The car in question is a Montego Blue Mica (that is the factory Mazda name for this color) over a beautiful Black interior. Montego Blue is simply a stunning color. Depending on angle and exterior lighting, the car can look Blue or Green. At night, it looks black. It is absolutely stunning!! My wife and I just purchased a new Mercedes Convertible, and we already have another Miata and an SUV in the garage, we need to make some room (very sad for me). When I bought this car, I became the second owner. The previous owner was terribly fussy about this car and had all maintenance, services and repairs done promptly or in some cases before they were even due. This Miata is quasi-rare in the sense that it is a 1997 (fairly low production model year), it is the somewhat hard to find Montego Blue Mica and it is the fairly loaded ‘P.E.P’ model with nearly all options. Most Miatas for sale seem to be a bit older, more basic models and always appear in Red, White or Black! In addition to that mentioned above, there are the numerous tasteful upgrades I have given it! I will get more in-depth on all of that later! When I bought this Miata, it was in immaculate condition with very low miles. The paint was / is super glossy and bright, the interior was / is in perfect condition (how many early Miatas have perfect original interior, that’s right….hardly any) This car has the following standard features and factory packages: Popular Equipment Package (adds the following to a base model Miata) Alloy Wheels Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel Headrest Speakers Power Windows Cruise Control Power Mirrors Power Steering Power Brakes Power Antenna There is probably more, but I just can’t recall right now! The 97’ is an interesting year. It was the last year of the original body-style Miata and yet Mazda made a couple of changes. Since these changes came about in this year, the 1997 is the ONLY year to have these features: Unique Seats: Mazda changed the lower bolstering for the 97’. Earlier cars had seats that wore out quickly do to the way they were stitched and built-up. In addition to wearing better, the 97’ seats are more comfortable then the 90-96 vehicles as they are slightly wider! Unique Interior Door Panels: Mazda added ‘shoulder pads’ to the interior door panels of the 97’. Aside from being stylish and uniqe looking, the provide support in tighter corners! A very interesting 97’ touch! Like I mentioned above, I have added several items to this beautiful Miata to bring it up to exactly where I wanted it to be. Here is a full list of everything that I have personally done to this car to make it into the beauty that you see in the photos: CUSTOM MADE (just for this car) SEAT COVERS. Have you ever seen the rare Miata 10th Anniversary Edition? If so, you know just how beautiful its black and blue two-tone interior is. I have always loved the interior of that car, but preffered the look of the original Miata, M1/NA body-style (1990-1997). As such, I wanted to bring just a touch of the 10th Anniversary’s interior to my 97’. I started off by having a set of custom made seat covers fabricated just for my car. They are black on the rear and sides with blue inserts. I also paid quite a bit extra to have the Miata script embroidered in the center, below the headrests. LEATHER SHIFT & E-BRAKE BOOTS. Again, I was trying to bring some of the 10th Anniversary Edition’s interior to my car. So I again had a custom item created just for my car, a matching set of Blue leather Shift and Emergency Brake Boots. These match the seats nearly perfectly and look so original and unique! Mazda used cheap vinyl on the original Shift Boots and never offered an Emergency Brake Boot. Well, that wouldn’t do for my Roadster. This set is real calf-skin leather! CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE BOOT COVER. My wife is a brilliant seamstress and created a one-of-a-kind cover for my car. This cover attaches over the convertible top while it is down. It protects the top from sun and element damage. The material is fade-proof sailcloth canvas. The color was selected to match the new seat covers, shift boot and eBrake boot. CUSTOM MADE EXHAUST SYSTEM. I took the car to a renowned exhaust specialist. I explained the type of sound that I wanted and they fabricated a custom set-up to match my requests. It is a subtle throaty sound, just enough to give it a little bit more of that classic sports car sound tone. UNIQUE / CUSTOM BADGING. I am a very enthusiastic fan of Carlo Arbath. He was a vintage racecar driver who went on to many wins. He later became an in-house designer for special models of Fiat vehicles, often times Ralley vehicles. I wanted to pay tribute to this automotive legend. So I purchased two rare and original Arbath emblems and mounted them to the lower front fenders of the Miata. If you do not care for these, I am happy to remove them for you. STEREO SYSTEM. I installed an in-dash Sony AM/FM Cassette system with a trunk mounted CD Changer. I figured that I would have the best of both worlds, CD and cassette. Yes, I still do have a few cassettes……I’m in my 70’s, cute me a little slack. HaHaHa! ORIGINAL BRA. I like to keep my cars protected, so I purchased an original Mazda brand bra (no longer available from th edealerships) for the front end. It has the Miata scripts embroidered on the front and is in perfect condition. I’m certain there is much, much more, but I’m not recalling them at the moment (I can post more when I think of them This car has always driven beautifully! That was the primary reason that I had to have it all those years ago. The engine runs very strong n’ smooth and the Transmission shifts flawlessly (very short throw and precise). This car handles like the tight sports car that it is. There are ZERO faults or flaws in the way this vehicle drives. If you are looking to buy a Miata, I’m certain you know that it gets excellent gas mileage (in the mid-thirties) and is one of the worlds top handling sports cars! So, I won’t get into all of that. There is a reason people love them so dearly and there is a reason that I have owned several of them. They just can’t be beat. The are economical, spirited, amazing handling sports cars that are one of the most enjoyable experiences on the planet! This car is now 18 years old and it has right around 117K miles on the engine…..not too bad! The national average is 15,000 per year. At 117K, it was driven an average of only 6,500!! So, this car should have about 270,000 mile son it but it only has 117K!! That means it has less then half of the miles that a car of this age should have!!! I have always had this car in a garage. I have driven it mainly as a weekend toy. I don’t drive all that often and when I do, we usually take the SUV. I have though, several times taken it on road trips with our local Miata Club, driving it for 8-10 hours straight and it has never had the slightest problem. If you know Miatas at all, I am sure you are aware that these cars are famous for having very simple maintenance engines. So, you really cannot go wrong with this car!! I suppose you all might be wondering what this car needs to be perfect. The body is straight (a small blemish here and there, nothing for an 18 year old car), and sparkles brilliantly. The only real exterior flaw is a spot on the trunk. I have inquired about this and have been told two different possibilities. The first is that is can be buffed out with polishing/rubbing compounds. I have also been told that it needs to have the clear coat reapplied. So, I am not exactly sure of the proper solution. The interior has no rips, splits, smells (non-smoker always), all electrics work flawlessly as do all lights, horns and signals! The Cruise Control and Stereo Sysytem function perfectly too! Yes, the AC works and is quite chilly! The soft top is in excellent condition with a clear window.I also just had an inspection done. It of course passed with flying colors I always have the Oil Changes and Services done early on my vehicles. All you need to do is get in and drive! Also included are a complete set of keys. Also, ask yourself when you ever saw a 1st Generation Miata loaded like this and looking like this?!? I challenge you to locate another one like this. Its sad as so many of them get heavily damaged or fall into the hands of kids who modify them in the ugliest manner possible. You will most certainly have a true one-of-a-kind one with this car!! I have put a ton of love and money into this car and I think it really shows!! I think that just about sums it all up. Please read the details I have posted above and look at the many pictures. This really is a beautiful Miata and I will miss it greatly. This is an As-Is, no warranty purchase. Good Luck To Everyone!!! **** I am happy to assist in meeting shippers should the new owner need the car shipped. However, obtaining quotes and making shipping arrangements are the responsibility of the buyer. I cannot provide quotes.