Just got my first Miata

[jgodby1]

I'm not a big car kind of guy, but this car has got me excited. It's a beautiful '99 Miata, red, automatic, and it's in almost perfect condition. Had a small lean air/fuel ratio issue when I brought it home, but Jim Ellis Mazda fixed it free of charge and gave me two free tires and free nitrogen for life. I got great service there.

I'll post pics soon, but, as I said, I'm not a big car enthusiast. I know very little (and I mean VERY little) about cars.

I'm willing to learn enough to really make my Miata a great, long-lasting car, though. I got a new radio in it and I'm planning to get some nice speakers soon enough.

What do you guys recommend as a beginner's approach?

[CaveRacing]

Congrats on the new car and welcome to the forum!

[Doppelgänger]

I'd recommend buying some decent cleaning/detailing supplies (if you don't own any already) and giving the car a good bath. For one, it'll be nice to look out and see a nice clean shiny car and secondly, it'll help you learn a few things about where stuff is on the car. Beware about cleaning the engine bay, it's OK to spray a hose around under there, but DO NOT spray water on the top of the valve cover (where the spark plug wires are)....and don't use degreaser on the engine or you'll get that white powdery oxidization looking stuff on the aluminum. We have a whole thread dedicated to what car cleaning products are popular among us if you look around a little bit :)

Depending on the milage of the car, it may be a good idea to look around for some nice budget suspension upgrades....like shocks and springs. There is absolutely no negative effects of adding an aftermarket suspension. Racing Beat makes some really nice street springs that won't be too harsh/backbreaking...along with either some Koni or KYB shocks. A brand new set of shocks and springs will run you ~$500....or you could keep an eye on our For Sale section or Craigslist or some lightly used suspension. Since you admit to not knowing much about cars, there are plenty of people and shops that are local that would be more than willing to help you work on the car as well....we even sometimes have gatherings specifically to install parts on each others cars :lol:

Welcome to the forums!