About that $1000 Miata...

Someone around here knows about the 1990 stuck in reverse problem. Every time one comes up on CL for $300 "ran fine, now stuck in reverse." It disappears immediately.

I'd be interested in a $2k NB. Kinda done with the NA after having one for 10 years.

Vigo wrote: I guess if you wanted to drive it to work you would at least want yours to have a top you could put up. But I kind of agree with Keith. If you actually like driving the MSM I would just drive it. I actually miss days when I had a longer commute and got to drive more. Low-mileage doesn't mean anything unless you spend your whole ownership planning to sell it. If you DO want to sell it and that's why you care about the low miles, maybe you should just sell it now and get your next ride and enjoy it on your new commute.

True. I love driving the car. Plus, I've have to use $$$ I'd planned to spend on Flyin' Miata suspension bits to buy the beater. For me, the biggest reason I want to keep the car sheltered is to protect the paint and headlight lenses from cooking every day in the NC sun. The top is a consumable. It has stayed garaged for most of its life, and still looks good. I'm planning to keep it until the wheels fall off, so I'm wanting to take care of it, mechanically and cosmetically. Of course, these cars were made to be driven, weren't they? Damn, I sound like one of those guys who buys a 911 and only takes it out a couple of weekends a year, don't I?

My $1,100 92 has me up to about another $1000 to keep it autocrossing/nice weather dd the past 2.5 years, with 1/2 of that in tires. I've also thrown a roll bar and hard top on it too but those are *bonus and actually equal out to an insurance pay out for a fender bender in it. That actually makes me think, how are insurance payouts handled in challenge budget (car was not totaled shockingly).

I think they shipped every automatic NA to South Carolina. There is always a bunch of them on CL, and most of them are marked as manual, but the pictures give it away.

I'm also afraid I'll buy the $2k Miata and then do what I did with my last $2k Miata, put around $5k of upgrades into it.

Me wrote: Sounds to me like there's problem with getting it registered legally or perhaps the owner doesn't want to deal with any implied warranty issues.

It just hit me that the Pomona 1g Miata with the out-of-state plates I wrote about previously may not be registerable in CA because the emissions-related hardware is gone. Something to remember about cheap Miatas (or any other car for that matter) in states with strict emissions requirements, visual exams, and testing. If the cat is gone, CA requires a state-approved converter which runs about double the price of other converters. That could be a budge breaker.

Harvey wrote: I'm also afraid I'll buy the $2k Miata and then do what I did with my last $2k Miata, put around $5k of upgrades into it.

What's wrong with that? We have a $11,000 Miata at FM. It's a $1000 salvage car with $10k worth of parts. And it's a LOT of fun.

Keith Tanner wrote:

Harvey wrote: I'm also afraid I'll buy the $2k Miata and then do what I did with my last $2k Miata, put around $5k of upgrades into it.

What's wrong with that? We have a $11,000 Miata at FM. It's a $1000 salvage car with $10k worth of parts. And it's a LOT of fun.

You would say that.

You say I can have you install an LS3 motor in my Miata?

Desmond wrote: No deals here. The absolute cheapest Miata here locally is listed at $2300 right now. I'm disappointed. Now is usually the best time to buy...

Same in my area.

Maybe I need to bring a trailer next time I'm down in California, they seem to be plentiful and cheap there.

Also bring your AWD Subaru from any warm climate up to the Northeast and profit.

Harvey wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote:

Harvey wrote: I'm also afraid I'll buy the $2k Miata and then do what I did with my last $2k Miata, put around $5k of upgrades into it.

What's wrong with that? We have a $11,000 Miata at FM. It's a $1000 salvage car with $10k worth of parts. And it's a LOT of fun.

You would say that. You say I can have you install an LS3 motor in my Miata?

Actually, one of the most badass builds we've done started as a very ratty car. ...And I just realized we don't have any good "after" pics in the build diary. This is a $1k Miata with $90k worth of work.

Wow Keith, that thing was a mess at the start..

Here in quebec, canada, miata's rarelly comes down to 1k$... (canadian) And when they do, doors stick because of the rusty floor turned the car in a mousetrap...

Rust belt sucks !

Rupert wrote: In reply to Vigo: A car is a car as a motorcycle is a motorcycle. However, a piece of property is an investment. I don't confuse the two.

If i'm reading you right, we are in agreement. But my miata has the rain protection of a motorcycle and the only motorcycle i own is slower than my 1.6 Miata, so i have a strange level of self-conciousness anyway.

Of course, these cars were made to be driven, weren't they? Damn, I sound like one of those guys who buys a 911 and only takes it out a couple of weekends a year, don't I?

Just drive the car you already know you like!

Keith Tanner wrote:

Harvey wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote:

Harvey wrote: I'm also afraid I'll buy the $2k Miata and then do what I did with my last $2k Miata, put around $5k of upgrades into it.

What's wrong with that? We have a $11,000 Miata at FM. It's a $1000 salvage car with $10k worth of parts. And it's a LOT of fun.

You would say that. You say I can have you install an LS3 motor in my Miata?

Actually, one of the most badass builds we've done started as a very ratty car. ...And I just realized we don't have any good "after" pics in the build diary. This is a $1k Miata with $90k worth of work.

Why start with something that busted?

We asked that exact question and got a fairly complicated answer that involved an ex-girlfriend or wife or something. This was the car he wanted to use. Sure didn't make the job any less complicated, and we did a fair bit of welding to patch the shell up. IIRC, the rear sway bar was almost rusted through.

That is badass. Autokonexion flares? How wide are those tires?

Autokonexion flares, back from when you could actually buy things from Autokonexion. Attached with rivnuts and bolts so they can be easily replaced if the car gets friendly with another. It's a w2w enduro car. Tires are 275/35-15 Hoosiers on 15x10 wheels.

I'll put some finished pictures up, the "completed" ones show incomplete front aero. To complete the thread jack, here's video of the car in action. Camera car is the Targa Miata.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rnz_9C1Ps5s?rel=0

And a video of the two cars idling. Because the only thing that sounds better than a 525 hp Miata is two 525 hp Miatas.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152231485346631

Neat, but yeah, kinda crazy expensive.