Posted by: @livetodrive

I think the fact that anyone has anything to say on this thread is a testament to how emotionally attached we can become to these cars. If it was an appliance,  as most vehicles are, all we would care about is if they worked. 

All cars can be modified to meet your own tastes. You can't change the chassis. 

I like wider wheels.  And louder exhaust.  And less wheel gap. And less body roll. And tinted windows.  And LED sequential turn signals.  Or, even a larger motor. 

But, despite all of the subtle things that each of us can gripe about, there is a solution if you look hard enough, or think creatively. And at the end of the day, you have a Miata that can take you to your happy place.

The driver seat of my Miata is my happy place...

Posted by: @livetodrive

@stormnd2club I have a button for BSM, LDW, DSC, and TPMS reset. I have few blanks. 

Yep. 2019 and up all we got is turning off the annoying lane departure and traction control. No BSM even tho the car has it. Have to go thru the infotainment screen.  On the Club and Sport models at least. 

Also, regarding the ND. if I could I would move the infotainment screen. I let a friend who has had an NA since 1990 and is in the mindset “the NA is the only real Miata” - drive my ND club. He loved it, except he asked mid drive how to lower or move the infotainmaint screen down, lol. Said it drove as close to an NA as he can remember - his wife has an NC - but he said something like “this is as close to the NA as any of them I’ve ever driven - just don’t like the infotainment screen.”

With the NC, even NA/NB you can easily replace the stereo with a touch screen double DIN of your choosing. With the ND, unless you got a 2016-2018 Sport model without the screen, it’s not gonna happen. Don’t even know if it’s possible. It has all the info you’d want basically (except for tire pressure readings - don’t understand that as even my Toyota Prime has that in its infotainment screen) - but would take a major effort to modify it. I added a $12 cover from Amazon to cover the top so its not quite as annoying - I just think its too high and/or should be at a bit of an angle towards the driver. I think whenever the NE model comes out that will be one of biggest changes. I hope. 

No glovebox is def annoying but I got used to it. In the soft top ND, the center cubby “relocated glovebox” is quite deep and can fit a lot of things. In the RF it had to be shortened in depth quite a bit, and there’s also one less storage space behind the seats (there’s one behind each seat in the ND soft top)

Another thing I just thought of - the leaky windshield fluid washer cap that is bright blue and stands out quite strikingly in the ND engine bay. Luckily I have fixed that - 

Before:

After:

If any of you guys with NDs are interested in one of these drop me a message and I’ll see what I can do, my friend with an ND2 is physically making them at his house - Flying Miata poss interested in the design he told me as well

Since I have owned three generations, let's see what I can come up with....

NB2

• Center console cupholders.  Even with an AT, a cup would get in my way.  I can only imagine for those with a MT trying to shift.
• Oil filter placement, what a PITA it was to try and change the oil 'neatly'.
• I only had it nine months and most of that time I was in the honeymoon period as it was my first convertible.  I was just enjoying the drive.

NC1

• Oil filter placement.  A bit easier than the NB but could still be messy and I tried multiple ways to do it clean.  Perhaps, operator error?
• Door cupholders.  For the most part I didn't mind them too much but on longer drives it would get annoying.  Fixed on the NC2.
• Lack of bluetooth/USB ports for the radio.  Easily fixed with an aftermarket unit.
• Center console cupholders.  These were pretty much useless and I swapped the entire console out for an IL Motorsports one which eliminated them, giving me a nice cubby for storage and an extra 12v outlet.

ND1

• Lack of AppleCarPlay/Android Auto from the factory.  Now it is standard on all new models and can be retorfitted to older models.
• Glove box, c'mon, I had to say it.
• The ND1 came with a CD player mounted under the cubby between the seats.  Because of this, it does not have the nice deep cubby of the ND2.
• Thin paint.  I know why they do it but annoying that looking at the car wrong can cause a potential chip.
• The leaking windshield washer reservoir cap.  I fixed mine with a Cravenspeed cap, prior to the availability of the one Jordan has.  *sigh*  But I have a blue theme going so I painted mine blue vs. the standard red.
• The fixed infotainment screen.  I really wish there was an option to fold it down when not in use.
• Initially the fact that the touchscreen is disabled once you are driving.  I thought, "why offer a touchscreen if you can only use it when parked?".  However the command knob is very easy to use/learn and I use it more than the steering wheel controls.

Too late to edit my post but during the Hawks Nest run yesterday, another thing I didn't like about the NC popped into my head.  The lack of intermittent wipers!  Completely uncalled for Mazda, especially when I can buy an intermittent wiper stalk from an 'older' (2004-2008) Mazda6 or RX-8 to swap in.  One of the best interior mods an NC owner can do.

@ctt3mx5 Funny how you mentioned this. Jordan swapped in his RX-8 stalk into the Punisher recently. I had it on it's lowest setting for much of yesterday's most. It was very convenient! Not all mods are to go fast! This one was to go slow! 

First time I ever said that!!

Posted by: @livetodrive

@ctt3mx5 Funny how you mentioned this. Jordan swapped in his RX-8 stalk into the Punisher recently. I had it on it's lowest setting for much of yesterday's most. It was very convenient! Not all mods are to go fast! This one was to go slow! 

First time I ever said that!!

And I quoted it so you can't go back and unsay it.  hahahaha

Yes, it is a very nice feature for those that drive in inclement weather.  I always hated the one variable speed that never seemed to match the droplets on the windshield and then lo or hi speeds.

^ What’s crazy is Moss Miata wants like $162 for the RX8 wiper stalk but it’s “new” - I guess that’s for those who don’t know you can get one on eBay for $25 or so.  

And Jeff I agree with basically everything you said about what annoyed/annoys you about the NC & ND. especially the paint and infotainment screen. In 14-15 years or so, my guess is the current ND infotainment screen is going to look very dated, almost like a cassette player in a car. But unlike a cassette player, there’s not a real way to remove and improve the ND infotainment screen because it has so many functions - from keeping track of maintenance intervals to navigation to playing all media.. I don’t know what’s going to happen to cars that designed them this way in 15 years or so. Maybe there will be some easy way to transfer things over to something more low key and moveable in 2035, maybe not.

If I could make one small change, I would simply have had the screen just slightly angled towards the driver side, I guess that would have taken up more space though, lol. 

What I don't like about my Miata, is that it always whispers my name and wants me to drive it...I simply don't have the time to do it...

🤣

Posted by: @dudester7

What I don't like about my Miata, is that it always whispers my name and wants me to drive it...I simply don't have the time to do it...

🤣

😲 You hear it too??? 😲 

Thought it was just me... 🤣 

@fredm Every time its sunny....

no heated steering wheel

Posted by: @whybu1

no heated steering wheel

 

Not a solution but helps, aim the closest vents at the steering wheel? 🙂 They do of course have aftermarket heated steering wheel covers that plug into a USB or cigarette lighter type plug.

Posted by: @whybu1

no heated steering wheel

 

I have never had a heated steering wheel, so I don't know what I am missing. But I wear gloves to drive from now to April. I love bicycle gloves from Amazon. They are form fitting, padded, and have grip pads on them. I have my top down 12 months out of the year, so gloves and a hat are important!

Louie