1997 Mazda Miata
STO Special Edition - 1030 of 1500

 

This my beautiful 1997 Miata STO Edition.   I had grown tired of my 2007 Miata and wanted to try one of the original first generation Miata's. I bought this one owner NA Miata in Florida in the fall of 2009 and shipped it up to MA. It had absolutely no rust.  The undercarriage and engine bay looked 2-3 years old with none of the typical aluminum oxidation that we see on northern cars. I restored or replaced all the typical southern car wear items including a fantastic looking Robbins blue canvas glass window top. 

The car not only looked great but had great performance as well.  The engine was smooth and strong.  The 5-speed gearbox was a joy to use. I actually preferred it to the fancy 6-speed gearboxes in the NB and NC generations. With the upgraded Eibach sway bar kit, the handling was as good or better than the 2007 NC Miata I owned before this. It had 41,000 miles on it when I got it.  I put another 9,000 before I was seduced by another Miata in the Fall of 2010... a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.

Standard STO Features:

  • Twilight blue mica paint
  • British tan leather seats
  • 5-speed manual transmission
  • 15" 5-spoke Enkie special edition alloy wheels 
  • Air conditioning 
  • Leather wrapped steering wheel
  • Nardi special edition leather shift knob
  • Power steering
  • Power windows and mirrors
  • Headrest speakers
  • Rear spoiler
  • STO numbered dash plaque, boxed letter and certificate
  • STO logo floor mats
  • Miata logo stainless steel door scuff plates

Maintenance and Restoration Projects

  • New NGK blue ignition wires and plugs
  • Replace gearbox & diff oil with synthetic
  • New gearbox shifter gaiters (top & bottom) - oil replaced
  • Lubricated electric window tracks - both sides
  • New KYB shocks, boots and bump stops
  • New 195/50-15 Yokohama S-Drive UHP Summer Tires
  • Full four wheel alignment
  • Repainted wiper arms
  • New windshield washer nozzles and tubing
  • New tan top boot cover
  • New door beltline moldings
  • New Mazda OEM floor mats(STO mats worn)
  • Replaced worn STO shift knob with standard black Miata knob with shift pattern inlayed in white
  • New second generation (NB) style Robbins dark blue cloth top (using Haartz StayFast Fabric) with glass defroster rear window, new defroster switch, defroster relay and defroster pigtail new spring cables
  • Five step paint detailing - paint touchup, clay bar, remove swirls, polish and paint sealer

Modification and Upgrade Projects

  • New front and rear Eibach sway bars
  • Installed real oil pressure gauge & sender
  • Set engine timing to 12 degrees to provide more low end torque
  • Installed factory DRL(Daytime Running Lights) module for more visibility to other cars
  • New Rostra electronic cruise control system (STO model has no CC support in harness)
  • New IL Motorsport center console with added 12V power port
    and LED night light in storage area (original console included)
  • Headlights upgraded to Bosch e-code H4s
  • Front and rear mud guards painted and clearcoated to match factory 12K paint
  • Moss trunk lift kit
  • Moss hood lift Kit
  • New Mazda chrome fuel door
  • Moss interior light kit custom painted to match NA tan color
  • Turn signal function added to front side markers
  • Alpine CDE-103BT radio with Bluetooth and iPhone/iPod support. Installed with Mazda
    cubby box below (original OEM Mazda CD radio can be substituted)
  • New loud Strebro horn (3rd Millenium)
  • pgraded headrest speakers (3rd Millenium)
  • NB style trunk release disable security function added
  • Key switch and seat belts removed from buzzer circuit
  • Front tow hooks removed from front grille

 

 

 

 

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