Convertable or TII?
 

Should I get the convertable or TII?

convertable pros:
-Looks nice
-Wind in your face (I like)
-Personally think it looks better than the non-verts (I'd add a spoiler)
-More Impressive to girls
cons:
-Heavy
-Need to buy replacement tops or patch them
-Not turbo

TII pros:
-Faster
-Turbo
-More impressive to guys
-Has all the goodies

Cons:
-More of a racecar (I don't want to race a bunch of ricers all day)
-Expensive and hard to find 89-91's

hey
 

screw the girls with your drop top....just get a phat system and you'll get their attention. The Convertables are pretty slow...i think there like 3300 lbs? But go with the T II i think it would be alot more fun and you can still have the wind in your face.....stick your head out the window

The TII is good for your karma. The gods smile upon all who drive them. :) I've yet to race anyone in almost 3 months. (no one has tried to race me) However, I get to have all sort of fun with it.

Well, the engine's isn't that big of a deal for me. I know it's got a lot of power, but I'd rather spend the money on replacing it with a V8 instead of rebuilding it. So I'd have my fun till the day it died. Then I'd rip out its beautiful soul and put the heart of a beast in there. I'm wondering which car comes with the best options (leather, brakes, ABS, etc). And should I get a vert to put a V8 in, or should I just wait and get a TII (probably will be a 86-88 cause 89-91's are hard to find).

Well if you put a V8 in the vert, I don't think you'll be very welcome in this forum :) . I'd get a Turbo II man, I think the convertibles are ugly.

I have both, so here's some insight.

The TII performs & handles better - it's a supercar. It can be a daily driver if you take care of it and fix any bugs. The turbo gives you a nice shot of torque in all gears & rpms speeds.

The vert is fast and feels better planted on the road. It has another 1000rpms (vs the TII) on the tach. which helps the 0-60 speeds. It's a bit more reliable, but you loose that "spacious" feel found in the hatchback with the top up. The 5 speed on the vert is better suited for heavy traffic as it's got a huge sweetspot.

The 89+ verts are the fastest, but the 87-88s might be cheaper.

I've got my Japan contact looking for a hardtop aftermarket source as well.

You know it was only a month or so back I was saying the same thing... which is better?

Both were available in my area at a good price, (although I ended up getting the 'vert for $2600 with a new top thrown in, he was asking $3800 at first).

I decided since the car is not my daily driver, and I am not racing it on a track, that the 'vert would give me more miles to the grin than the T2.

But I am in the process of putting a T2 motor in anyway. So performance wise the 'Vert will only be about 125 lbs heavier than the T2 anyway, with a slightly up tuned HP figure.

Don't drop the V8 or any piston motor in. IMO it is a cop out. Someone that is too lazy for real power and just trying to make a stoplight speedster. The 13BT in the car is what japan wanted in the first place, and with mild tuning becomes a wonderful car. And doing most of the work myself, the 13BT conversion is going to be considerably less costly than a funky V8 conversion that you will have trouble selling in the long run.

So... if the car is your daily driver I would go with the T2. But if it is your second car by all means go with the 'vert.

I think you should get a TII. Then when it dies you should sell it to someone on the forum and get a dead NA to put a V8 in. Still, not that many people will like you for it. But at least you arent ruining a TII or a vert.

V8 would be a sinful act. Doesn't it require chasis change to beef up the frame due to increase engine weight?

Anyhow, verts are nice, especially ones with the headrest speakers. However, I would rather get a second gen miata than a vert. That would be more expensive though...