94 Mazda Miata R Package
Vehicle Description
94 Mazda Miata R Package
One of 481 red R Package Miatas made in 1994. The R (race) Package was a $1500 option that added Bilstein shocks, higher rate springs, stiffer sway bars, Torsen limited slip differential, front and rear air dams around the bottom edge of the bumpers, various track modifications like plastic trim that directed air to the front brakes and a clip / holder for a transponder. I’ve also read that the wheels have hollow lighter wheels on the R Package. Some had a rear lip spoiler, this one does not. The R Package also has non power steering for weight savings and more steering feel. It also has no air conditioning. Bottom line, it’s a rare and desirable package to have - probably the most valuable of the Miata trims. I have replaced (improved) most of the suspension components so it can’t be considered original R package suspension any more.
This car has been modified for SCCA autocross in the CSP class. I did not want to make it unreliable or undriveable on the street so it is not prepared to the full extent of the rules so would not be nationally competitive in CSP right now although it could be with some work. It is however a very fun, superb handling car with more power than stock.
As you can see from the photos the car is in good cosmetic condition for a 31 year old car. It has the typical chips and scratches but no big dings. There is no trace of rust whatsoever. The interior shows some wear but is quite presentable. It is in excellent condition mechanically with more than the factory 132 hp from the standard 1.8L engine. I’ve never had it dynoed but I’d estimate it has maybe 160 hp (at sea level) based on the modifications and seat of the pants difference from when I first bought it.
This car has the following modifications:
Higher flow Cylinder head and intake from 99 Miata
Racing Beat Air intake with K&N washable cone filter
Cylinder head has been port matched on the intake and exhaust to a depth of 1 inch (the limit for SCCA CSP Rules).
RPM switch installed to control the VICS system (longer intake runners at low rpm and shorter runners at high rpm to optimize horsepower and torque).
Jackson Racing Exhaust header
Flyin Miata High Flow Catalytic Converter
The rest of the exhaust is custom larger 2.5” piping to maximize flow and power
Flyin Miata reverse flow cooling kit (Mazda used the transversely mounted engine from the front wheel drive Mazda 323 - when mounted longitudinally in the Miata and the coolant inlet and outlet mounted to the front (opposite of the 323) of the block it messed up the coolant flow, leaving the rearmost cylinders with inadequate cooling causing a warped rear cylinder in enthusiastically driven cars. This kit corrects the mistake Mazda made.
Koni Race, Single adjustable (rebound) front adjustable height coilovers with 650 lb/in front H&R race springs.
Koni Sport, Single adjustable (rebound) rear adjustable height coilovers with 400 lb/in rear Eibach race springs.
Car is currently lowered by about 1.5” on the coilovers but could be raised or lowered further as desired.
Flyin Miata front 1” Adjustable (3 way) Sway Bar
Rear Sway Bar delete (common practice on lowered Miatas for better balance)
Rear extended travel shock mounts to allow for full suspension travel when lowered.
Front offset Delrin bushings to achieve more negative camber.
15x7 Konig Wheels with 205/50/15 Nitto NT05 tires
Wilwood Brake proportioning valve
Drilled front brake rotors (fairly old)
Sony Aftermarket Removable face CD/Radio (Aux input capable)
The engine short block was rebuilt at 131,428 miles (Victory Machine, Cortez, CO, did all the machine shop work and part of the assembly and I did the rest of the assembly). It was not balanced by removing any material but careful selection and mixing of parts resulted in a superbly balanced engine that runs extremely smoothly to redline.
The 99 cylinder head was rebuilt by Heads Unlimited at 126,800 miles
The transmission was replaced at 127,525 miles with a unit from a 2001 Miata with 12,000 miles after the original transmission developed trouble engaging reverse and 5th gear.
I have all the receipts and service records from the past 20 years (nothing prior to that) that will be included. Many parts have been replaced or serviced over that period that I won’t use up space here on.
This is a fantastic car but it is not perfect - some things you should know:
It has a salvage title - I bought it this way and it obviously had the hood and front left fender replaced and I assume the front bumper too. There is no structural damage to the frame whatsoever. I have had ample opportunity over the last 20 years to inspect everything under the sheet metal and nothing is bent and there is no evidence of anything being welded. While the salvage status does affect the value of the car you can rest assured that there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.
I recently repainted the hood and front left fender in the factory Mazda color. When the car was repaired back in the 90s the paint wasn’t a good match for the factory paint. The new paint is a much better match but is a little darker than the slightly faded 31 year old paint around it.
After the top was left down in a thunderstorm, the previous owner cut the carpet and folded it back to dry. As a result the carpet is taped to the transmission tunnel in the footwells. Most people will not even notice this but it has always bugged me.
The hood has a couple of minor hail dings - not obvious but visible in certain light.
There is a small tear in the convertible top just behind the passenger door. It has been patched for over a year and seems to be holding well but with frequent use I imagine it will need to be patched again. It is not in a bad place - if water got in at that point it would go straight into the rain gutter around the base of the top. This hasn’t bothered me since I basically use the top as a dust cover in the garage - I never drive the car with the top up - the only way to drive this car is with the top down in my opinion. If you ever wanted to replace the top they are inexpensive and can be replaced at home over a weekend.
I’ll include various original parts with the car (unless you don’t want them):
The original 14” wheels (as mentioned earlier, I’ve heard these are lighter than the wheels on non R-Package cars). They have very worn Falken Azenis tires on them I would not recommend driving on. The wheels are painted black - perfectly functional but would need to be refinished if you want them to look good.
Rear factory sway bar (unless you planned to raise the ride height significantly you probably want to leave this off the car)
Other parts available for additional cost (negotiable):
Original Transmission - as mentioned earlier, it developed intermittent issues going into reverse and 5th gear - probably a minor internal issue but one I didn’t want to deal with.
Set of mounted studded snow tires on steel wheels - I basically needed to buy these to drive the car home 300 miles when I first bought it in the middle of winter. The tires are really old but have very little wear. They’ve been stored in my dark garage attic for 20 years but I’m sure age has taken its toll.
Set of 13” x 8” wide lightweight Rota minilite style wheels with old R-compound 215/50-13 race tires. The tires are not worn out but are almost certainly aged out and are probably rock hard - they would need to be replaced.
Megasquirt Tunable Plug and Play ECU - I bought this used and planned to install it for what I hoped would be a bit more power and would give me the option of adding a turbo or supercharger at some point. I never got around to trying it. You would install free software onto your laptop and use that to tune the car - there is a vast resource of tuning maps and help out there. You would also want to purchase and install a wide band oxygen sensor to go along with it.
Located Durango, CO. Buyer responsible for pickup or shipping but I'll help in any way I can (I'll be available to load the car or could pick up a buyer at the Durango airport etc).
