Recently I've been looking at Miatas as a fun daily, when I eventually remembered that the 124 Spider exists, and I can't get it out of my mind. I love how they look, and the value proposition when compared to a similarly optioned Miata is hard to ignore. Before I make any big decisions, I want to see if I can get some answers for questions I have.
First, how's the reliability? From what I understand the Multiair isn't quite as rock solid as the Miatas, but it's still a solid motor generally. Is there a particular mileage number that should concern me, and how's your ownership experience been for those of you with higher mileage cars? Anything prone to going out at a certain time, or that should stand out to me when going through service history?
Second, due to my apartment I must park outside. Is there anything that I should be worried about with it being exposed to the elements 24/7? While I don't live in a bad area I do have a slight concern of the soft top being slashed, though I've had a soft top Jeep for over 6 years and had no issue.
Finally, any tips for car shopping over long distances? There's not a ton of these things available on the used market in general, let alone any near me. How should I plan to go about buying one of these if I decide it's right for me, given the closest one to me currently is over 5 hours away?
I know these are small cars, but I'm also a completely single guy in my mid twenties, so I really don't feel like I need anything bigger for my typical day to day life. I'm pretty content with the lack of practicality if it means I get one of the most fun driving experiences for the money. If I need to haul something around for the day I'll just rent a U-Haul. Any help is appreciated, hoping to join the club this summer if all goes well!