Looking to buy a 1991 Mazda Miata Convertible 187k miles, are they reliable?

Obviously were assuming that I do regular oil changes, etc and don't beat the crap out of it.



Just looking to see if it would be worth it.



(Interior and Exterior look AMAZING for a '91 car, so just concerned about the engine quality).Looking to buy a 1991 Mazda Miata Convertible 187k miles, are they reliable?
If you do some research you will find that the early Miata engines suffered from a crankshaft problem. Some claim it was a defective part. But time has shown that it was a problem with do it yourself car owners who had one too many beers or for some other reason were not paying attention to a small detail. Which was how the key went into the key way. The key can go in eight different ways, but only one is right.

The odds are that this problem has been addressed on this car. If not, it may need a new crankshaft unless repaired right before major damage is done.

By the middle of the 91 production there was a change implemented to "fix" the problem.

The engines are overbuilt except for this problem, if it has a real Miata engine in it. There were several swaps used on Miata's that had crankshaft problems. Most of which do not have the oiling system or windage tray found in a Miata.

If the price was right, I would not let the mileage, or fears of engine problems keep me from buying one. Engines can be found for less then 1000 dollars. Blue printed engines while not cheap are worth it. These are easy to find as off the self units.

If you keep it close enough to stock, look into spec Miata racing. Mazda does have a very good to great program to help aspiring racers.