Car Lounge General automotive talk not specific to Subaru.

I think I found my next new car

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-07-2004, 06:33 PM
  #16  
Registered User
iTrader: (-2)
 
Cyrus923's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Posts: 829
Car Info: 2004 WRX in WR Blue
a Miata? damn. So you would go from a subaru impreza to a small, tiny, Miata? well like they say different strokes for different folks so I can't knock you for that.

Think I might go for a red 2001 RHD s15 Silvia
Cyrus923 is offline  
Old 03-07-2004, 06:39 PM
  #17  
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (12)
 
Kevin M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 18,369
Car Info: 1993/2000/2001 GF4 mostly red
Originally posted by Cyrus923
a Miata? damn. So you would go from a subaru impreza to a small, tiny, Miata? well like they say different strokes for different folks so I can't knock you for that.

Think I might go for a red 2001 RHD s15 Silvia
Light and small is good. For a car with a usable back seat, the Impreza is pretty small itself. Besides, I want something RWD with decent build quality and fuel economy (read: not an F-body or mustang) and not $30k (read: not an S2000 or Z3). Plus, there's a big difference between a fully warranted, never previously owned roadster and an illegal RHD sport coupe.
Kevin M is offline  
Old 03-07-2004, 06:42 PM
  #18  
Registered User
iTrader: (-2)
 
Cyrus923's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Posts: 829
Car Info: 2004 WRX in WR Blue
WHat makes the s15 illegal in the states?Im thinking about importing one and would like to know.
Cyrus923 is offline  
Old 03-07-2004, 06:48 PM
  #19  
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (12)
 
Kevin M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 18,369
Car Info: 1993/2000/2001 GF4 mostly red
About a hundred different things. A car has to meet thousands and thousands of federally determined specifications before it can be sold here. Japan's build criterias only match up to about 90% of those things. That's not to say it can't be done, but it's expensive and a pain in the ***. The easier route would be to find a clean bodied S14 here in the states and import all the parts for conversion.
Kevin M is offline  
Old 03-08-2004, 10:31 AM
  #20  
VIP Member
iTrader: (2)
 
go go go's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Pasadena CA
Posts: 773
Car Info: GF8 ver6
Originally posted by Cyrus923
WHat makes the s15 illegal in the states?Im thinking about importing one and would like to know.
the existence of S15 is illegal, unless its gone thru proper importation process.
and legality of S15 running on public streets are close to zero.
The only way i can think of is.. non-resident bringing the car over here.. in this case, you cant have US citizenship and you need to own the car outside US. You also need to deport the car after one year.

Im sure there are few ways to smuggle one in though

like BANSUV says, so much easier to get S14 and transform it
but it wont be warrantied like miata turbo would
go go go is offline  
Old 03-08-2004, 10:13 PM
  #22  
VIP Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Nick Koan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The BLC
Posts: 17,466
Car Info: Legacy GT
Yeah, the coupe does look sweet.
Nick Koan is offline  
Old 03-08-2004, 10:21 PM
  #23  
Registered User
 
silver ghost's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 89
Re: I think I found my next new car

Originally posted by BAN SUVS
Quick, if Subaru banned you for life from owning one, what would you go after? Personally, I've always had a soft spot for light weight and rear wheel drive (I do live in sunny California after all). And now I can have this. The 2004 MazdaSpeed Miata. Ragtop, 2 seats, 6 speed, RWD, and not heavy at all. Can't beat that with a stick, now can you? And here's the best part- it has an IHI turbo! Can you say VF34 swap my friends? 250 whp is only injectors, exhaust, and engine management away- and I know for a fact all of those things are easily attainable. I guess now I know why I decided to pay off the RS early, eh? Time to go hat-in-hand back to the bank once more...
I'm actually going to keep the 'Sti as a daily driver and begin saving up to get a Mazdaspeed Miata by end of summer...has anyone done any long distance driving in the Miata? how's the ride if one was to take it cross country?

Ghost
silver ghost is offline  
Old 03-09-2004, 12:27 AM
  #24  
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (12)
 
Kevin M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 18,369
Car Info: 1993/2000/2001 GF4 mostly red
If your STi is your daily driver, why would you take the Miata across country?
Kevin M is offline  
Old 03-09-2004, 10:31 AM
  #25  
Registered User
 
silver ghost's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 89
Originally posted by BAN SUVS
If your STi is your daily driver, why would you take the Miata across country?
it would just be a one time thing for vacation...a long road trip while enjoying the beautiful American landscape. what better way then in a convertible! besides, in a year i've only put on 8,000 miles on the STi as a weekend car...so i know i can afford the miles with my new weekender.

Ghost
silver ghost is offline  
Old 03-11-2004, 01:25 AM
  #26  
Registered User
 
John #555's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: OC, CA
Posts: 181
Car Info: 02 WRX
Re: I think I found my next new car

If you do get that Miata be sure to stop by Racing Beat for some suspension bits

I had a Miata and did a lot of roadtrips, sometimes with couple of snowboards strapped to the trunk bike rack (cool JDM STi wing look) I would recommend everyone to take a Miata from Santa Barbara along the PCH(hwy1) at least to Oregon, then return thru Lake Tahoe during a snowstorm always with the top down - one of my trips
John #555 is offline  
Old 03-11-2004, 01:32 AM
  #27  
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (12)
 
Kevin M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 18,369
Car Info: 1993/2000/2001 GF4 mostly red
Racing Beat would definitely be the first place I'd look for suspension stuff, but it would take a while before I decided to change it. Coming from my RS it will feel almost tail-happy, so I won't have any issues with how it rotates. And since it's my daily driver and not a track star, I don't want to stiffen the springs much and start shaking things loose when what's already there is good for backroads. First mod would be a 4 point roll bar and maybe some wheels. I'll probably sell the stock 17s (easy enough, old school Miata guys will be drooling over them like we did for STi BBS) and get some Superleggeras or something. Also, I would not make any changes that made it obvious that it was faster than a standard Miata. Nice and stealthy that way.
Kevin M is offline  
Old 03-11-2004, 01:39 AM
  #28  
Registered User
 
John #555's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: OC, CA
Posts: 181
Car Info: 02 WRX
FYI, those stock Miata wheels are VERY light. good match for the car.

i'm sure you've been there... www.miata.net great people, a lot of good info!
John #555 is offline  
Old 03-17-2004, 05:16 PM
  #29  
Registered User
iTrader: (38)
 
gdogg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: rightBehindYou, HI
Posts: 7,783
Car Info: 1973 Huevo Ranchero
OMG is this a mazdaspeed thread!? i love the miata... but i think if subaru banned me(believe me they would get a nice gift from me if they ever did) and i know i might get burned for this...

but i think---> mitsubishi EVO VIII
why? because every magazine i've read has rated it higher than the sti plus i like driving it....just hate the hood though.
gdogg is offline  
Old 03-17-2004, 06:02 PM
  #30  
Registered User
 
mule2k's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 390
If I couldn't have a Subaru, I would get some other AWD car. Maybe an Audi or a Volvo.
mule2k is offline  


Quick Reply: I think I found my next new car



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:28 AM.