I am curious who thinks what year verts are better and then giving an opinion why. I heard somebody saying that the 88's were made of a better steel than the rest of them. If you had a year to pick out of the 2nd gen which year and why?

 

I dont htink is any difference in the quality of the steel.. Except for later verts had an alumnium hood... General automotive knowledge will tell you cars as they get newer get cheaper built and the price tag goes up

 

I had the first Vert in the USA on the East Coast and it had a aluminum hood. I have never seen a Vert without aluminum unless it was a body shop replacement.
The later models had improved engines (just like the coupes)
otherwise no difference.

 

Really? Cuz I got this one from a one owner and she said it had never been wrecked? Lied to?

 

Probably.
I guess it is possible Mazda used a steel one if the production line was short one day.
My brochures specify aluminum hood.

 

The 1988 convertible weighed about 3000 lbs, had 146 hp and a 3.91 rear end. It was available in manual transmission only.

The 1989-91 convertible got all the updates the coupe did, so it weighs about 100 lbs more, has the 160 hp engine (with an extra 1000 RPM). An automatic tranmission was available with a 4.10 rear end. However, unlike 88, the 89-91 5 speed 'verts have a 4.10 rear end too. The performance is a little better than the 1988.

The 90 and 91 cars have a drivers airbag.

All convertibles have an aluminum hood and all have the BBS wheels. None had a limited slip differential, but they did not need it.

 

Ther series 5 (89-92) 'verts also got a revised drainage system for the top, but that revision is generally included on any 88 that gets a new top.

I personally think either the 88 or 89 is the best choice, as the 90-92 have that damm airbag and actually heavier (than even the 89, well alone the 88).

 

Not true. I bought my girlfiend a auto 2 weeks after buying my new 88 5 speed.

 

Mazda literature and all the books and magazine articles that have been written state that there was no automatic transmission available in the convertible for 1988. When the automatic was totally redesigned for the 1989 model year, it became available in the convertible. This of course, applies to the US only. Did the car you bought have a T handle shifter or the gun grip shifter with the HOLD feature? If it has the gun grip, the car is an 89-91(92). If it has the T handle shifter, the car is NOT supposed to exit. Keep it. Its rare. :-)

 

yep... my hood feels pretty damn light compared to my old base model..

 

Good used parts for the '88 are WAY more available than for a Series 5. So, cost to keep on the road less expensive and easier.

I have one of each, so speaking from experience. I will say, the extra 20 hp's, bigger gas tank, factory fog lights, better speaker set up, and cosmetic improvements such as color keyed door ding strips are hard to argue against, though.

I do have to disagree with my friend, Icemark, however. Having rammed my head through a windshield once in my life (other driver was at fault, and other driver was a cop no less), I am a fan of the air bag '90 and '91 versions.

 

How many verts weremade, cuz I dont see but 2 in my town... And its over 80,000 people Tons of other FC's, but only 2 verts and I got the only white one

 

Another thing.. If it has been wrecked who ever fixed it done a damn good job, cuz I do a lot of body work and damn if I can tell. I know its been re-painted tho, cuz I can see some tape lines under the hood and a run on the strut tower..

 

It doesn't matter if it has been wrecked, or not.
The car is clean, you like it, and that's what counts.
You would gain a little in handling and acceleration (VERY LITTLE) if you could put a aluminum hood back on.

 

BTW

I read the 90-91 verts had different gearing in 5th. I can probably guess why - my 89 has the better HP engine but 5th's pretty pathetic.

 

I would go with the newer model. For the most part they're better cars. Aftermarket parts are easier to get for those.

 

Hey guys great input so far. Keep them coming. I just bought an 88 and so far so good. Is the sound system really better in the 88's then the rest of the years? Why is that. Do you know what brand they use as thier speakers. I opened mine up and it was a factory made one but is there a company like Polk or Pioneeer that manufactors thier stero speakers?

 

Actually all the 'verts had slightly different 5th gearing. For example 5 gear on a vert was .711 while the other N/A models had .697 or the T2 .762.

But the 89-90 do have the advantage of having the 4.1 rear ends (wether or not it had a auto) while all the 88 and 91 'verts had the 3.9 rear ends (again even if it didn't have an auto).

 

Actually the 89+ verts have a great sound system.

Mine 89' has an OEM pioneer system and 8 speakers. 2 under dash, 2 in the doors, 4 in the headrests.

The headrest speakers have independent volume control, on/off switch, & spaciousness effect (so it doesn't blare in your ear). The door speakers are subs and not full ranges. I believe they have an independent 25watt amp.

The sound's good for an OEM setup. If you're not an audiophile like me, then you'll love it (I won't nitpick here on my audio preferences). The head unit has cd & tape on mine.

 

You just described to me my 88 , its exactlt the same. Well was the same I thought the stock system sounded like doo doo No low end, and no real high end. But only my opinion.

 

OEM subs sound good. Well you dragged it out of me....

OEM system is great for the 95% of the public. Good low bass, good midrange, decent hights:

For me I wish the sub-amp had an independent level/volume control as turning the bass down (too much bass) also turns down midbass & lower midrange. That makes the music a bit lifeless. I gotta see if there's a general sub amp level control behind the OEM headunit. Also they're OEM subs, so you have to decrease the bass at highway speeds so you won't blow the subs when you turn up the overall volume.

The headrest speakers sound good though, so that helps make up for it.

 

True to some extent. However, one advantage I've found in my '88 sound system (all vert head units are made by Pioneer by the way) is that I was able to fabricate an adaptor plug to directly connect the audio feed from my Sony CD disc changer. Therefore, the head unit now thinks it's the factory CD player talking to it.

Benefit, you don't loose the highs and lows like you do with a RF set up.

Since the '89+ head units were made with the CD integrated, no place to plug in an adaptor.