I picked up a low-mileage (just a smidge over 30k miles), gray-on-black-on-white example this past winter that had been sitting on a Ford dealership lot for three months. With the 7AT "manual-matic", this Z Roadster is about as perfect of an open-air GT car one could find for under $17K USD.
I have no set plans for any major mechanical improvements, with possibly the exception of quality cross-drilled rotors and steel-braided brake lines when the original pads go south.
Otherwise, I've dropped in a pair of K&N air filters; upgraded the Navi maps from 2009 to 2018; added a Kenwood rearview camera (taking advantage of the integrated functions of the 2010 OEM navi software); installed the OEM Illuminated kick plates; swapped as many incandescent bulbs that I could easily access with 6500k LEDs (interior/license plate/reverse lamps); added OEM wheel locks for the 19" Rays; screwed in an aftermarket "shorty" radio antenna; swapped out the smoked rear fog lamp with an OEM US model red lens; added the Sport package's front aero deflector (why it didn't come with one as a dealer installed accessory on the Roadster is beyond me); and, finally, swapped out the stock ignition button with the red GT-R one.
Short history...
Before I had kids over a decade ago, I collected and daily-drove Miatas. Two were NA models (one moderately modified), and the third was a 6-speed NB. I would be lying to you guys if I told you that I didn't miss these cars. After my first daughter was born, I purchased a third generation Acura TL. I still commute in it, and it's a great sports sedan (for a FWD). I love the car, and it took me ten years to really get another hair up my butt to buy something different.
I don't know what steered me towards the 370. I started looking at the 350 last fall. I thought that an older used coupe would be cool to tinker on during my free time. Then I started to look at the interiors of this model and realized how poorly Nissan put them together. That almost steered me back to another Miata. But, then I came across a 370 Roadster tucked in between a used Fusion and a F-150 on a sales lot. It was more than I wanted to spend, but it was clear to me that the Ford dealership had no idea what they were trying to sell. I test drove it President's Day weekend and was sold. The exterior had some minor blemishes, but the interior was immaculate. I traded in a 2012 TSX I had that my wife no longer drove since she bought her MDX. I had another convertible, and I was happy.
There's a small part of me that sometimes wishes I picked up a comparable 370 coupe with a manual. Overall, however, the Z Roadster is just as fun as my previous Miatas, and that was the goal I set out to accomplish.
(Please excuse the lo-res photo... I'm still trying to figure out how to host and share images.)
