99 Miata....80k....good buy?

[thedarkwolf]

I bought my 95 for cheap with a bad top but I cheated on a new top. Like most people the previous owner thought it was an expensive job and took a lot off the price. Two weeks after buying the 95 somebody posted a used top in nearly new shape with the frame and everything for $100. I'll I had to do was pull some trim and some bolts and pop the whole old top/frame off and pop in the new top/frame. It was really easy that way.

 

[railer]

Well the price on mine ended up being $3500....but honestly I've seen a few on ebay go for real cheap, so I don't think there's a chance in hell that I make money on this car if I end up not liking it, which is a prerequisite for me as this would be the 4th car in the driveway. I'll let him CL it, and if some fool buys it, great, if not maybe I'll be back around the $3k range, or less.

Here was my baseline fair condition Miata, for sale 100 miles or so south of me, that they can't get $2500 for:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Clea...8228883?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item416f2f0d93

Then this pile of junk pops up - filthy with a ripped up top and sold for $4200:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999...3611561?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item35c254ea29

Guessing what a car might be worth is not an exact science I guess.....

 

[thedarkwolf]

I'd say the second one is more the norm. $2k is about the rock bottom price for a drivable but worn out miata 90-00 + $500-1000 for a 99/00. $4k is around the norm for a nice DD miata 90-00 again add $500-1000 for the 99/00. Now throw low miles or make it special edition and you see lots of 94-97 asking $6k+. I don't know if they actually get that much but they ask it. I paid $2200 for my 95 with 160k miles on it and a really bad top and faded to hell red paint but other wise really good shape. I put the new top on it, detailed the paint, and put an autox suspension setup on it and I wouldn't sell it for less than $4k.