In article >, "Max" <max> wrote:

> I just bought a '93 'V-Special' Edition Miata, and had the following
> questions:

You're in Hong Kong, right? I'm not familiar with that model, but if
it's like the U.S.-market 1993 LE (black with red interior and BBS
wheels) it has Bilstein shocks, which are a bit harsh.

> 1) The suspension has been lowered slightly by the previous owner, but I
> remember driving a Miata with a stock suspension setup last month, and I
> prefer that 'softer' ride. I was wondering if deflating/inflating the tyre
> pressure would help here. Can someone suggest an appropriate pressure (in
> psi preferably?) Or another way to soften the ride other than altering
> suspension?

No, it's not a good idea to delate the tires to soften the ride. 28-30
psi works well for most Miata owners; don't go softer than 26 psi. Some
tires ride much better than others--the Toyo T-1S is one of the best, as
well as one of the best performing. But lowered Miatas tend to hit the
bumpstops a lot, which produces a jarring ride, and the only solutions
are raising the ride height or fitting stiffer springs.

> 2) Parking on a steep hill with the handbrake up causes the Miata to make a
> horrible screechy noise for a good few seconds. It also has to be pulled
> right up, very hard, to get it to stop rolling back. Engaging first or
> reverse helps, but its like it wants to roll down! Is this normal, given its
> a fairly steep slope?

Not normal. Perhaps the rear brake calipers need to be adjusted. Look in
the miata.net Garage section for instructions.

> 3) The rear plastic on the softop (to see out of the back) is in terrible
> condition and requires replacing. The manufacturerar quotes a sum of about
> $500, and I was told doing it from anyone else risks water leakage. Is there
> any truth to this, and do the majority of owners use side mirrors rather
> than the interior?

Replacing the rear curtain will not cause leaks; it's not a particularly
challenging task, and you could do it yourself. However, for $500 you
could replace the entire top. The cheap solution, if your zipper is
still in good condition, is to visit an auto top or boat upholstery shop
and have a new piece of plastic sewn into the top, without removing the
top from the car.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html