Spare Tire Fail

One of the biggest worries with taking my Miata on a long road trip is its lack of a spare tire.  It’s true! The third generation “NC” Miata does not come with a spare tire.  Instead, in the trunk it provides a little black box containing the Mazda Instant Mobility System (IMS): a tire puncture repair kit, complete with squirtable goo and an air compressor.  According to the manual, it is for “temporary repair” to a “slightly damaged flat tire,” after which you must “take your vehicle to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the tire replaced.”

Not very reassuring, since there ARE no Authorized Mazda Dealers in South America.

So I came up with (what seemed like) this great idea to carry a spare tire with me.

First I ordered a luggage rack for the trunk, courtesy of Moss Miata.  The rack was easy to install, and is fully removable with no damage to the trunk, and not only does it provide extra storage but I think it looks great.  Its only downside is that the steel bars reflect the middle brake light, so whenever I hit the brakes a red beam flares point blank at me from behind -- a little unnerving until I got used to it.

Then came part two.  From eBay I ordered a full-size spare wheel that matched my size (16”, I’ve got the 2009 Sport), and when it arrived I had a new tire put on it.  Then -- up on the rack it went.

And that’s when my grand plan came crashing to a heap.  No, it wasn’t too large.  In fact I had gotten the measurements exactly right: the top would open and close with no problem.

But the wheel was both too wide (high) and too heavy.  The thing completely blocked my rear view.  The weight, while within the advertised limits of the rack, threatened to dent my trunk.  And with that enormous mass so high off the ground, the car’s center of gravity was unhinged.  In short, it defeated the entire purpose of driving a Miata in the first place.

So off it came, my happy Miata is lithe and agile again, and I now have a flat tire Plan B.  For punctures on the road, I’ll use the furshlugginer Mazda Instant Mobility System (IMS).  But if I need to “have the tire replaced,” and I can’t find the appropriate rubber down there, I have my spare tire stored with a friend here in Seattle, whom I’ve paid up front for shipping.  It should get to the little Peruvian village in about a week.