ChassisDex #2: Miata buyer's checklist, Legacy GT wheels on a GD, and a bolt-pattern fix

Two things this week: a sourced buyer's checklist for the NA and NB Miata, and a fix to something we told you in issue #1. Every answer still links to its sources.

New and updated: Mazda Miata (NA 1990-97, NB 1999-05)

• Buyer's checklist for NA and NB Miatas. Recalls by VIN, rust and blocked drains, soft-top leaks, the 1990-91 short-nose crank, oil leaks, NB coil packs, cooling, and the clutch and rear diff. Built only from our existing sourced entries. chassisdex.com/mazda-miata/buyers-checklist/
• Wheel fitment guide. Every NA and NB is 4x100 with a 54.1 mm hub. It covers factory sizes by year, which 15x8 offsets work (+25, +28, +34 to +36), NC/ND wheel swaps, and NB Sport brake clearance. chassisdex.com/mazda-miata/wheel-fitment-guide/
• Hardtop guide. Factory tops share one shell from 1990 to 2005, so NA and NB tops fit both. What changes is the defroster plug, the late-2002 latch change, and the seals. chassisdex.com/mazda-miata/hardtop-guide/
• NA vs NB, compared. Engines, diffs, brakes, wheels, hardtops and known problems by year. chassisdex.com/mazda-miata/na-vs-nb/
• NA factory wheels on an NB. Reported fit (standard brakes). chassisdex.com/mazda-miata/nb/will-oem-na-wheel-fit/
• NA hardtop side seals on an NB. Unclear. Sellers split them by generation and one owner found a gap, so buy the NB seal if you can. chassisdex.com/mazda-miata/nb/will-na-hardtop-side-seals-fit/
• Known issue: NA soft-top water leaks. Blocked drains, a cracked rain rail, and tired side-window seals. chassisdex.com/mazda-miata/na/problems/soft-top-water-leaks/

New and updated: Subaru WRX / STI (GD, 2002-07)

• 2005-09 Legacy GT wheels on a GD. Reported fit on every 5x100 GD (all WRX and the 2004 STI). It's a 17x7 +55, the same size as the 2006-07 WRX wheel, but it won't clear STI Brembos. chassisdex.com/subaru-wrx/gd/will-legacy-gt-0509-wheel-fit/
• Steering rack bushings. Whiteline KSR206 is a reported fit on 2005-07 cars. For 2002-04, sources disagree between KSR202 and KSR206, so check by build date. chassisdex.com/subaru-wrx/gd/will-whiteline-ksr206-fit/ and chassisdex.com/subaru-wrx/gd/will-whiteline-ksr202-fit/
• Steering rack boot 34135FC000. Reported fit on 2002-04 (two per car). Check 2005-07 by VIN. chassisdex.com/subaru-wrx/gd/will-subaru-rack-boot-34135fc000-fit/
• 2002-05 vs 2006-07 WRX. EJ205 vs EJ255, engine-specific problems, and what the two share. chassisdex.com/subaru-wrx/gd/2002-05-vs-2006-07/

Also new: the 2008-14 and 2015-21 WRX and STI, the NC and ND Miata, and several other platforms. The full list is at chassisdex.com/platforms/

Our correction

In issue #1 we called GR WRX wheels on a GD a reported fit "with a source conflict flagged." We settled it: Subaru's 2012 and 2014 service manuals give 5x100 for the 2008-14 WRX, the same as the GD. Only the STI went to 5x114.3. The wheel blog that said otherwise is now marked as wrong on our sources page. chassisdex.com/subaru-wrx/gd/will-gr-wrx-wheels-fit/

One tip per car

GD WRX: check the stamp on "Legacy GT" wheels. A 2005-09 Legacy GT wheel is a 17x7 +55 on 5x100, which is the same as the 2006-07 WRX's own factory wheel, so it's an OEM-size swap. Some Legacy-family wheels are +48 (the Outback size), so read the offset stamped on the back before you buy, and skip them if your car has STI Brembos. Sources: FastWRX, "Subaru WRX and STI Wheel Information" (www.fastwrx.com/pages/subaru-wrx-and-sti-wheel-information), and the RS25.com OEM wheel spec thread, both summarized at chassisdex.com/subaru-wrx/gd/will-legacy-gt-0509-wheel-fit/

NA/NB Miata: clear the top drains before winter. Water off the soft top drains through a finger-sized hole on each side, between the seatbelt tower and the body, hidden under a small carpet flap. Tilt the seats forward, unlatch the top, fold the flap back, and push something soft and flexible down the tube. Go gently, because the tube has a flap valve near the bottom that's easy to damage. A blocked drain is how sills fill with water and rust. Source: MX-5 Club of Victoria, "Check those drainage holes!" (mx5vic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/drainage_holes.pdf)

Reader corrections

None from readers this week. If something on ChassisDex is wrong, write to hello@chassisdex.com with a source. We credit fixes by handle.

—Steve, ChassisDex

ChassisDex is an independent reference. Always verify fitment and torque specs before you wrench.