At $10,800, Is This 2003 Mazda Miata 'Shinsen' A Fresh Deal?

Mazda built around 1500 of today's Nice Price or No Dice Miata 'Shinsen' special editions for the 2003 model year. Let's decide if that makes this one's asking price a special bargain.

For more than half of the automotive era, the ability to operate a manual transmission was an expected skill of drivers, as that's how most vehicles were equipped. Then someone discovered San Francisco and decided that starting from a stop on one of that city's steeply sloped streets was too terrifying an experience to endure, leading people to gravitate toward automatic transmissions. 

Today, the ability to "row one's own" is seen as a badge of honor, and manual-transmission vehicles are widely seen as the exception, not the rule. That made the six-speed stick in the 2005 BMW X3 we looked at on Tuesday all the more rare and interesting an appearance. Paired with one of BMW's sweet straight sixes, that should make for an engaging driving experience. That was likely a reason behind the wagon's notably hefty 213,000-mile driving history. Not even the promise of a proper maintenance history could overcome that at the Bimmer's $5,700 asking price, though, leading to a 62% 'No Dice' loss.

The answer is Miata. Now, what was the question? 

Today, we're looking at a 2003 Mazda MX-5 Miata Shinsen Edition, which, like yesterday's X3, comes with a manual gearbox but, happily, a more reasonable odometer reading.

Larger in pretty much every aspect than the debut edition, the second (NB) generation of the Miata also gave up the iconic pop-up headlamps from the earlier cars in the name of pedestrian safety. To compensate for the larger dimensions and less cutesy face, Mazda equipped the NB with a larger motor to make more power.

That's a 1.8-liter DOHC inline-four that produced 142 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque straight out of the factory. Here, that's paired with the standard five-speed manual driving the rear wheels.

On top of the standard Miata menu items, this MX-5 offers the Shinsen Edition option package, paired with a ground-effects body kit applied to all four sides. From Japanese, shinsen translates to "new and fresh," which doesn't really have anything to do with the option package. Only about 1,500 Shinsen Edition cars were built in the 2003 model year. Each was painted Titanium Silver Metallic, paired with a blue canvas roof, matching seat upholstery, and matching door card inserts. In addition, these cars were fitted with standard cruise control, electric windows and locks, and power steering.

Per the ad, this Shinsen has 151,000 miles on the clock, with a good bit of maintenance along the way to keep it humming. That maintenance included most of the usual suspects: brake pads and rotors (which were suspiciously expensive), plugs and coils, and fluid changes. Other work includes resealing the cam cover, replacing the front struts, and refreshing the water pump, starter, and alternator. Nowhere in the ad is it mentioned whether the clutch disc and pressure plate have been replaced or when the timing belt was last renewed. If you're doing a water pump on a Miata, why would you not do the timing belt at the same time?

Those are serious considerations for prospective buyers, as replacing either is a weekend's worth of work for the mechanically inclined or a couple of grand at a shop for those without the means or know-how. Looking at the pictures, it appears that it's about time for the car to receive a new set of rubber, too.

At least this car's aesthetics make it worth considering, even with the outstanding mechanical work. The Titanium Silver paint doesn't appear to suffer any flaws or failures, even on the body kit, and the front valance looks like it's a curb magnet that's avoided damage so far.

On a less happy note, the factory 16-inch alloys do appear to have some curb rash. According to the seller, the canvas top is a replacement, yet another line item in the ad's service history list. That seems to be in great shape and—another benefit of the NB—features a glass rear window.

Craigslist

The cabin is touted to be all-stock save for an updated JVC stereo head unit. That doesn't stand out as much as the awful rubber floor mats and the tacky laced cover on the factory Nardi steering wheel. They scream cheap auto-parts-store, but neither of those issues should be deal killers. In the plus column, the special-edition upholstery on the seats and doors appears to be in great shape. So too does the model-specific silver trim on the center console.

Other pluses to consider on this car include a clean title, an available Carfax report that shouldn't be a horror show, current registration through September, and a smog test certificate already in the seller's hands. What might such a car reasonably be worth?

Well, the seller seems to think $10,800 fits the bill. Naturally, we might think differently. After all, it's far easier to pass judgment when real money isn't at stake.

With all that in mind, what's your opinion on this Shinsen Miata and that $10,800 price tag? Does that make this car the "all of the above" answer? Or does the price make this special edition especially expensive?

You decide!

San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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