It's been a while since you took your Miata out for some spirited driving. You are doing the corners and tap on the brakes when that moment it freaks you out. Those god knows what brand of pads can barely stop your 20+ year old smile ride. Your smile turns into a frown.
Now your next move is to over research on every known forum or group about brake pads, big brake kits, rotors. By the end of your research you are looking at 4 digit brake "fix". That doesn't sound right?
In this general braking guide for 90-05 Miata, we help you make the right decision and to understand what combinations will give braking results that suit your needs.
First things first
Your NA or NB Miata, whether you owned it from day one, or it's new-to-you, is pretty old. The one thing that most Miata owners fail to realize is that fluids, pads, and rotors don't last forever, especially the fluid. We've seen 10+ year old original brake fluids that have never been touched. If you haven't done a complete brake fluid flush and bleed in the past 3 years, this should be one of your priorities. While you are at it, check the condition of the rubber brake lines. If they look worn out, they probably are. Rubber, even when new, will expand to a small degree. Thus, can give a more "spongy" or "mushy" pedal feel when you really push hard on the pedal. It also degrades over time which can lead to cracking of the brake lines!
90-93 Miata
The brake calipers on the early first gens are super tiny. It is only a 1.6L engine after all. So, if you are maintaining stock power, technically speaking you don't need to upgrade to bigger brake calipers and rotors to keep the un-sprung and rotational mass down. For a mostly stock ride and spirited driving you should look for pads that have:
Moderate friction coefficient
Slightly better heat tolerance
Preferably low brake dust