Pre-purchase walkaround
1998 Mazda MX-5 Miata (NA/NB)
mileage unknown
Budget this to put it right, likely due now
~$1,900
Then about $700 a year to keep it on the road. Five-year cost to own: ~$5,400.
The most affordable way into a 90s roadster, with a famously robust drivetrain. The money pit is almost never the engine. It's rust, deferred rubber, and a tired top.
The roadmap
180k → 240k mi · 12k a yearNowShocks, springs, and bushings past their life · Soft top and rear window replacement · Timing belt + water pump service · Clutch slave / master cylinder~$1,900
Year 1The catch-up year: everything above, plus the ordinary rhythm.~$2,036
Year 2Brakes and consumables.~$1,471
Yrs 3-5The ordinary rhythm: scheduled work and fuel. · Tires and the ordinary rhythm.~$1,876
Five years, all in~$5,400
Seller says some of this is done? Paste the service records and documented work is credited out of the total.
typical parts + government labor rates (national labor rates) · an estimate, not a quote
What to look for on this one
Every used example of this chassis has the same questions. The bands show when each tends to surface; the gold line is this car at 180,000 miles.
Shocks, springs, and bushings past their life$670-$1,575 if not done
0typical window 90k-150k · this car: 180k, past it200k mi
Most survivors ride on original or worn-out cheap dampers. A full refresh transforms the car and is the most commonly needed big-ticket item after rust. Floaty ride, clunks over bumps, uneven tire wear, original-dated dampers.
Timing belt + water pump service$420-$798 if not done
0typical window 60k-90k · this car: 180k, past it200k mi
60k-mile interval on the B-series engine. Sellers routinely can't prove it was done; if there's no receipt, assume it's due. Usually bundled with cam/crank seals and accessory belts. No symptom until it fails. This is interval maintenance. No receipts means it's due.
Rust in rocker panels and frame railspriced only if found
Condition-driven, not mileage-driven, so it is not in the totals and inspection is the only answer. Bubbling paint low on the sills, crusty metal behind the plastic sill covers, damp carpets after rain.
windows from 8 owner complaints on file with NHTSA and community service data ·
1 recall + 55 service bulletins →
Recalls (verify completion by VIN)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING · 06E026000
Service bulletins by area
EQUIPMENT (26) · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (19) · ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING (6) · STRUCTURE (6)
Hand this to your inspector
A $300 inspection against this list is the best money in the whole deal.
01Pull the plastic sill covers (or use a borescope through the jack points). Check rocker panels and frame rails for rot, filler, or fresh undercoating
02Open the trunk, lift the carpet, and check the battery tray and rear frame rails for rust
03On 1990-91 1.6 cars: watch the crank pulley at idle for wobble (short-nose crank check)
04Ask for timing belt + water pump receipts; if none, price the job into your offer
Walking into a negotiation?
This roadmap as a PDF, priced for your zip code, with the inspection checklist, a fair price for this example, and the negotiation sheet. Saved to your garage the moment you pay.
This walkaround found ~$1,925 of work the records do not cover. If the sheet wins you even 1% of that at the table, the packet paid for itself 1x over.
$29
saved to your garage
Just keeping tabs? , no account needed.
typical parts + government labor rates · an estimate, not a quotecheck another car →