It’s Labor Day here in the U.S., and in honor, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Miata is a labor of love. With just 36,000 miles under its tires, let’s see if it’s also underpriced.
Everything certainly appears to be coming up Ford of late, what with the electric Mustang Mach-E garnering rave reviews and strong sales, the Maverick compact pickup seeing a pre-order frenzy, and both the Bronco and Bronco Sport selling like edibles at a Willie Nelson show intermission. Considering all that, the company, it seems, has been on a roll of late. We all like to jump on a bandwagon whenever possible, and hence last Friday’s 1990 Ford Bronco received both adulations in the comments for its presentation and a solid 67 percent Nice Price win for its $9,000 asking.
The only lament that many of you offered regarding Friday’s Bronco’s price was that while it is what such things cost today, that’s more a reflection of the present market than the true value. That fact was considered by many to be an unfortunate but unalterable situation. A similar lamentation about used car values might also be leveled at today’s 1992 Mazda Miata, which does clock in with an asking price that’s about double what you might generally be willing to pay for such a car. Then, however, you take a look at it.
The ad for this Miata claims it to be a one-owner car that has lived in California all its life. There it was pampered and garaged and kept, in the words of the seller, as BONE STOCK.
Now, when it comes to cars, we all like bone stock. When it comes to those cups of beef broth that urban hipsters like sip while out in their cuffed jeans and sustainably farmed scarves, not so much.
Along with being all factory, this Miata is also, seemingly all as-new. The ad notes a recent detailing and ceramic coating which really brings out the shine in the red paint. All the plastic work seems to be in like condition, right down to the chintzy wheel caps that on cars of this age are usually worn down to the base material and hence nasty looking.
Miata interiors are also kind of cheap and generally look shoddy if not kept up or have had pieces replaced over time. The pictures make this one look like it still contains wafts of the original salesman’s cheap cologne in it. On the downside (perhaps), the original stereo has been replaced by a more modern aftermarket unit thus calling into question whether the car really can be called BONE stock.
Mechanically, things seem to be in pretty good shape too. The ad notes a recent 30K service — on a nearly 30-year old car, mind you — and claims the engine to be Mazda’s “legendary 1.6 long nose.” I think the general term for this mill is “Big Nose.” That denotes a change in the crank pulley mount that eliminated a crank shearing issue that afflicted a minuscule number of earlier cars.
The title is clean and the seller is willing to consider “reasonable offers,” per the ad. What we need to decide is just how reasonable the starting point of $19,999 might just be. What do you think, is $19,999 a good jumping-off point for this amazingly clean and well-preserved Miata? Or, does that price make that preservation work all for naught?
You decide!
Sacramento, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Kyle R. for the hookup!
Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at rob@jalopnik.com and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.