1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Leather Pkg. Convertible

4 - Cyl.

Manual

JM1NA353XV0723434

Gasoline

*Sorry for the very lengthy description. I'm a car guy and tend to get carried away!*This auction is for one amazing dream car, a 1997 Mazda MX5 Miata. I have owned 15 Miatas and somehow always lost out on buying a real mint condition first generation (known as the M1 / NA to us Miata enthusiasts). As you can see, I have always been a Mazda sports car guy, 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 Classic Red (that is the factory Mazda name for this color) over a beautiful Tan Leather interior. I just ordered a new Porsche, and already have a 2007 Miata, a Honda del Sol and a motorcycle in the garage, so the last car I bought is the first to be sold (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 the loaded ‘Leather Package’ (the factory name for this model) and has basically every factory Mazda option on it. Not to mention 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 on a Brand New Mazda Engine (not a rebuilt, an all brand new engine). The paint was / is super glossy and bright, the leather interior was / is in perfect condition (how many early Miatas have perfect original leather, that’s right….hardly any) This car has the following standard features and factory packages: LEATHER 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 BrakesTan Leather Interior Tan Convertible Top MPSS Sound System (see below for specifics) There is probably more, but I just can’t recall right now! Like I mentioned above, I have added many, many items to this pristine Miata to bring it up to perfection and beyond. Here is a full list of everything that I have personally done to this car to make it into the stunning and fully loaded vehicle that you see in the photos: FERRARI STYLED SILVER GAUGE BEZEL. Growing up, my family always had a Ferrari (or two) in the garage. Living with these magnificent cars my whole life, I wanted to bring a touch of that exotic class into my little Roadster. Our Ferraris always had this feature, so I figured it was a discreet but perfect thing to bring to the table. If the new owner does not care for this, I’m happy to return it to the original black. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $50 REAL CANVAS TOP WITH GLASS REAR WINDOW. In keeping with a high-end exotic car flavor I realized that the cheaper vinyl material that Mazda uses on the Miata’s soft top was not gonna cut it. So, I bout a real canvas (not vinyl) top with a no zip glass window! A no zip window means that you do not have to un-zip the window before lowering the top (like the original roofs and many aftermarket ones). Simply unlock the top and lower it down! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $1,400.00 REAL LEATHER SHIFT & E-BRAKE BOOTS. Mazda used cheap vinyl on the Shift Boots and never offered an Emergency Brake Boot. Well, that wouldn’t do for my prestine roadster. I ordered a set a calf-skin leather (super soft) Boots in matching tan! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $65.00. TEAM VOODOO SHIFT KNOB. Team VooDoo has been making custom shift knobs for the Miata for decades and they are amazing. They look very exotic (again, that Ferrari theme) and fit in your hand like nothing else in this world! That is always the first thing I buy whenever I purchase a new Miata. This knob is silver in color and matches the touches found throughout this Miata’s interior (gauge bezel, door handles, vent rings and more). TOTAL COST OF THIS: $42.00 FACTORY FLOOR MATS: In an effort to keep this car immaculate, I ordered a set of matching tan OEM Mats. These mats are in great condition and say “Miata” on them. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $120. FACTORY MPSS SOUND SYSTEM. Wow, what can I say hear? This is a VERY rare option and was only offered in late 1996 through 1997 (only a year and a half). It gave the car upgraded speakers, additional tweeter speakers mounted in the door panels and a super high powered Stereo system that incorporated AM/FM, a Cassette Player and a CD Player. In addition, this stereo has some amazing features! It has Top Down and Top Up modes (it adjusts the acoustics for open and closed driving), You can have it lower or raise the volume depending on your speed, it has a concert (surround sound) button, and SO much more. It is an awesome unit and super rare too. It was nearly a thousand dollar option back in 1997!!!! TOTAL COST OF THIS: No Cost, factory installed option when the car was built. VINTAGE STYLE CHROME INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. This set was a labor of love! I always wanted this item but it has been discontinued for years from the manufacturer. After diligent searching I found a set that had never even been removed from their package. I had them professionally installed and they are SO beautiful and quite rare. This all plays into that exotic car look I was going for. A side benefit is that these are metal, so much more durable then the cheap and thin plastic original versions. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $95.00 VINTAGE STYLE CHROME VENT RINGS. This set of vent rings really ties in the Ferrari exotic car look that I keep mentioning. Not to mention, they are the perfect match for the door handles, shift knob, gauge bezel, etc! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $45.00 DOOR LOCK DEFEAT. If you didn’t know it, the first generation Miata can only have its doors locked by holding the exterior door handle while closing the door. I got tired of passengers not properly locking their door and with the design of the exterior door handle, holding it while closing the door feels awkward to me. There was a simple modification made and now you can simply close the door without holding the handle to lock the car!! So much nicer and easier!!!! TOTAL COST OF THIS: No Cost OEM 2003 SPECIAL EDITION E-BRAKE HANDLE. Ok, now I’m just being picky with this accessory! Again (I hate to sound so repetitive here) our my family’s Ferraris always had leather brake handles. I figured that made sense for my car too. The only problem is that Mazda only provided these on the 2002 & 2003 Special Edition cars (which are both quite rare). So, I ordered a new one from Mazda and in addition, ordered a matching silver E-Brake Button to match! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $155.00 COMPLETE COSMETIC ENGINE OVERHAUL. Again, what is an Exotic Car without an awesome looking engine?!? I took my car down to a performance shop that specializes in Porsches, told them to make my engine look awesome and that they could do whatever they wished. What I got was a Gloss Red Coated new OEM Oil Filter, Stainless Steel Induction Shield, Red Powder Coated Valve Cover, Matching Silicone Hose Kit and a New Dip Stick. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $650 POWDER COATED RED BRAKE CALIPERS. What is an Exotic Car without Red Brakes? Exactly! I had these done professionally at a performance shop that specialized in Porsches and they look great!! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $250. SLOTTED & DRILLED DISC BRAKES. If you want one of the world’s best handling cars, you might want to consider some of the best braking systems then too. Nothing beats Cross Drilled and Slotted Discs then! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $510.00 15” BORBET WHEELS & HIGH PERFORMACE TIRES. Ok, back to the Ferraris. These Italian beauties nearly always have classic 5-Spoke Alloy Wheels. Right off, I know I had to get some for my Miata! I always thought that the 14” wheels looked a little bit small, so this was a great opportunity to address that as well. I found a set of 5-Spoke Alloys that looked simple and clean (plus it upgraded the size just a bit, by one inch). I wrapped them in some new High performance Tires and was all set to go! Car don’t get better looking wheel areas! We now have Red Brake Calipers, Slotted & Drilled Discs, Exotic Styled Alloy Wheels and Performance Tires!! What else is there??? TOTAL COST OF THIS: $1,000.00 $400 (tires) $600 (wheels) COMPLETE DEBADGING OF THE CAR. Ok, back to being ridiculously picky (maybe to the point of foolish on this one). I hate big ol’ emblems and badges on vehicles. I knew my Roadster had to be clean in this department. The only problem is that when you remove the Miata’s emblems (all three of them) they leave two holes for each one removed. So, being anal (or crazy perhaps) as I am I had a body shop remove the badges, fill in the small little holes and repaint the rear finish panel & top of the front bumper. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $650.00 COLD AIR INDUCTION & CONE FILTER. This just gives the car a couple extra Horsepower (not a big deal really) and a sportier look. It also matches the Red, Black and Silver theme in the engine! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $100.00 STAINLESS STEEL HEADERS. This is a Racing Beat Header. Racing Beat has been in the Miata performance game for ages, so I had to get this awesome goodie from them! The Racing Beat header has been design-tuned to provide measurable horsepower and torque improvements throughout he entire RPM range. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $450.00 OIL FILTER RELOCATION KIT. This is a must for any Miata owner! It moves the filter from its original location (buried underneath and in-between the engine) and places it right on top of the engine! It comes complete with stainless steel braided lines to insure perfection. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $245.00 MOMO STEERING WHEEL. Ferraris have had MoMo Steering Wheels since day one. What kind of enthusiast would I be if I didn’t add one to this Roadster? I installed a classic three-spoke leather MoMo wheel and man does it look amazing. Unlike nearly every other custom wheel out there for Miatas, this wheel still allows the Turn Signals to Self-Cancel after making a turn!!! TOTAL COST OF THIS: $280.00 FACTORY REMOVABLE HARDTOP. Ah, the Hardtop…my very favorite accessory! This is one option I always get when buying a Miata. I love the Hardtop for a few reasons. First off, it makes it like owning two different cars. You have a coupe and a convertible with three cool options (No Top, Soft Top & Hardtop). With the Hardtop on, it looks so different and I get asked "what kinda car is that?" a lot when the hardtop is on. I also like how very quiet that it makes the car. Not that the soft top is bad, it is just dead quiet with the hardtop on. I love the huge wrap-around rear window! It makes lane changes so much easier!! Lastly, I like at how it keeps the Heater and AC snuggly inside the car. TOTAL COST OF THIS: $1,200 The Hardtop is not included in the price of the car but can be negotiated if the buyer wants it. NEW OEM MAZDA BATTERY. This car has always been a cherished weekend car and never, ever driven daily or used for commuting. Since it spends most of its time in the garage, I thought I should install a new OEM Battery for the new owner (the original was just fine, this was a ‘just to be nice’ move on my part). The battery was just purchased and installed today (December second). TOTAL COST OF THIS: $130. I’m certain there is much, much more, but I’m not recalling them at the moment (all post more when I think of them)…….Just to give you an idea of how very special this car is to me, here are the totals on some of the accessories that I have added: MoMo Wheel: $280 Mazda Battery: $130 Oil Filter Kit: $245 Stainless Steel Headers: $450 Cold Air Induction: $100 De-Badging the Car: $650 Borbet Alloy Wheels & Tires: $1,000 Slotted & Drilled Brakes: $510 Powder Coated Brake Calipers: $250 Engine Cosmetics: $650 Special Edition E-Brake: $155 Chrome Door Handles: $95 Chrome Vent Rings: $45 OEM Floor Mats: $120 Voodoo Shift Knob: $42 Leather Shift & E-Brake Boots: $65 Canvas Top & Glass Window: $1,400 OEM Removable Hardtop: $1,200 Silver Gauge Bezel: $50 Labor Costs: $800+ (this doesn’t include any repairs or servicing!!) Grand Total for Accessories Added: $8,237 (wow, I didn’t realize I was that nuts….ok, I did realize it) This car has always driven beautifully! That was the primary reason that I had to have it. 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, but drives like a sophisticated luxury car. There are ZERO faults or flaws in the way this vehicle drives. As a maintenance measure, I had an oil change, brake fluid flush and coolant system flush shortly after I bought it. 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 fifteen 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 13 years old and it has right around 82K miles on a brand new engine…..not too bad! As I mentioned in the beginning, the original owner was very in-love with this car and very picky and anal about servicing and repairing it. His philosophy is that every car should have a new engine installed at 100K miles to prevent future problems. So, that’s just what he did! Right around 100K miles, he took it to the local Mazda Dealership (not some repair shop, the actual dealership!) and had a Brand New (not rebuilt, brand new) factory engine installed!!! This was thousands of dollars to have preformed but he didn’t care, he loved the car (as I do). I have all paperwork and records on this amazing purchase. I even have a signed letter by the service manager stating that the engine was not replaced due to any problem or issue, it was replaced simply because the owner desired that it be done. So, no worries here. None of that “it has a new engine but I don’t have any of the paperwork” BS! I have all of the receipts and papers on it!!!!!!!!! I have always had this car in a garage. I have a Beach home her ein the Bay Area as well as a Vacation home in San Diego, the car was garaged at both homes. I have driven it as a weekend toy ONLY! Heck, in the last year and a half, it has ONLY traveled approximately 2,000 miles!!! I have though, several times taken it on road trips from North to South California, 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. I honestly can’t think of a single, gosh darn thing!! The only detractor that can think of is like any thirteen year old car that has been driven, there are some tiny (super small) little chips on the front bumper, that's it. No dents, dings,or anything else! The body is straight and accident free, and sparkles like new, 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 function perfectly too! I also just had an oil change and inspection done. It of course passed with flying colors I always have the Oil Changes and Services done early on my vehicles and only take them to the Factory Approved Dealerships. All maintenance Records come with the car and will be provided. As well as all of the receipts and warranties for the accessories that I have added!!! All you need to do is get in and drive! Also included is a copy of the Original Window Sticker and Two Original Master 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!! 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. I do have many Miata accessories for sale (in other Auctions), but not included with the car is anyone is interested / curious. Good Luck To Everyone!!!