Since they got first place on the Sports and Exotic Car list, and today seems to be double (or quadruple) feature day, here’s a pair of winners, at least in terms of quantity sold. Though scorned by many car nuts, and many sports car nuts, there’s a lot to be said for the Miata, both in terms of the revolution it started and its ability to be something to many people. You can pick up a new, relatively powerful Miata for up to $30K-ish, or a simple, light drive-a-slow-car-fast first-generation Miata for as little as a few hundred bucks. And in between, there are all kinds of permutations, stock, hot-rodded by owners, Spec Miatas, and factory hot rods. If you don’t want to spend a lot for a roadster and want a car that will last around 200,000 miles well-maintained, you really can’t go wrong with one. So yes, trusty for sure, and if you buy a snow-state Miata, you can have some rust too. For this episode, we’re focusing on a couple of owner-modified cars. You can find our first one, this 1992 Mazda Miata turbo, for sale for $3500 in Tacoma, WA.
Posts Tagged ‘japanese’
Ichiban – 1992 and 1991 Mazda Miata pair
January 31, 2014A Capella – 1982 Mazda 626
January 11, 2014Back in the early 1980s, Honda and Toyota were making forgettable family sedans (which are now probably the size of their modern-day compacts). The Accord had not yet been built in the US, and what did Toyota even make before the Camry came out? Cressida? Crown? Corona? Carina? Datsun was also still finding its way with cars like the 610, 710, and 810. Mazda wasn’t much more successful, and in fact, they’re still one of the smaller Japanese manufacturers, but by late 1970s/early 1980s standards, they had one of the best looking offerings, the 626, or Capella as it was known in its home market. The 626 coupe even recalled the BMW 6-series a little, if you really squinted your eyes. Find this 1982 Mazda 626 sedan for sale in Renton, WA for $3600.
One Owner Until 2012 – 1968 Toyota Corona
January 8, 2014Okay, so Toyota sedans are still not the most exciting little cars, but they’ve become quite scarce, and it’s fun to look back to where they started now they’re the second or third-ranked manufacturer worldwide. They’re also a great companion car if you daily drive your classic – simple, reliable even then, and distinctive compared to a modern Bore-rolla. And in spite of the growing classic Japanese car craze, deals are still out there. One from that category is this 1968 Toyota Corona for sale in Colusa, CA for $2850.


