Do I want to do a tub swap??

I picked up an NB roller tub from Metalman for less than the cost of a pair of tires. I really just wanted the rear carrier and the suspension. 

When I arrived, I found it was a nearly flawless tub. 50K miles, and not a spec of rust. 

I’m cheap, and I hate to waste anything. So, of course I’m thinking I’d find someone who needed a tub.

Then I remembered... my turbo NB is fast, mechanically perfect,  and tons of fun, but it’s got some rust issues underneath, and hasn’t been loved most of its life. 

Am I gonna regret thinking about a tub swap?

To complicate things, the 2 cars are different colors, the roller has a cut harness, and no title, and I’d want it as a complete street driver.  No hacked up race car missing creature comforts.

I know I’m talking to the wrong crowd to talk me out of this- you guys are enabler central.  But I’ll ask anyway... Am I gonna hate myself worse if I tear apart my NB and attempt this, or let this tub go?

The nb is disturbingly simple to build ip from a tub with stock parts.

What do you want to own?

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

A clean driver. 

What I have is a not-so-clean driver. 

Do it.  I'm concerned that rust will eat my beater out from under me, especially now that it's running pretty good.  If I could find a straight rust free tub to swap i'd do it in a second. 

SVreX said:

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

A clean driver. 

What I have is a not-so-clean driver. 

Then you have your answer. 

Dusterbd13-michael said:

SVreX said:

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

A clean driver. 

What I have is a not-so-clean driver. 

Then you have your answer. 

Before you do anything that would put it back on the street run the VIN.

Dusterbd13-michael said:

SVreX said:

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

A clean driver. 

What I have is a not-so-clean driver. 

Then you have your answer. 

Kinda. 

What I could end up with is 2 not-so-clean non-drivers!! 

L5wolvesf said:

Before you do anything that would put it back on the street run the VIN.

Good word. 

I need to check with local DMV to find out how hard it would be to title. 

Tub swap. It'll be easier than doing the giant 1970s cast iron one in your bathroom.

SVreX said:

L5wolvesf said:

Before you do anything that would put it back on the street run the VIN.

Good word. 

I need to check with local DMV to find out how hard it would be to title. 

You're replacing a rusty part of your current car.  Do whatever you are comfortable with regarding the identification number of said replacement part

In reply to Patrick :

That sounds like a recipe for trouble later. 

Cut it up and weld an MGB body on top. Go around making MG people apoplectic.

Vin would not matter for such a project.

If it were in my shop, I would have a hard time not doing this with the MGB GT. Be much easier to do with a roadster .

Pete

The hardest part would be getting it retitled. Otherwise, the Miata basically assembles like LEGO. 

SVreX said:

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

A clean driver. 

What I have is a not-so-clean driver. 

The no title thing is an issue, at least up here.

DD#1's stock '99 is mechanically good but pretty crusty underneath.  I'd love to do a tub swap on it for a clean, non-rusty car. 

The Manic Miata has a few issues - being a '96 and not OBD-II compliant primary among them.  It runs well and is totally non-rusty.  Rather than find a '94 tub and solve the compliance issue permanently, which would entail a lot of figuring out what all goes where to make it work, I think I'd sell it as is and invest in a stock early-Oughties Boxster for not a lot more money.

Fix the lack of a title first. 

Messing with VIN numbers can be a big deal if it gets discovered. It was a factor when I built the Molvo since the Miata tub has a VIN right on the firewall.

The obvious one, and the one most likely to be inspected, is the dash mounted tag. Easy enough to transfer with a dash change, but will not hold up to scrutiny if someone wants to check.

I suspect here are other places where the vin is located on the tub, so maybe even some clever firewall metal patching from car to car would not solve the issue.

Do you know why there is no Tittle to the car?

Pete

What does a southern boy mean by "not so clean driver"? Your idea of rust and mine are substantially different I'll bet. The lack of a title would be the show stopper for me and my supercharged NB has real rust.

Edit: It does seem like a really nice tub though.......my NB is silver..........

In reply to NOHOME :

NBs have VIN numbers all over the place...door jambs being one and I'm sure I've got barcode tags on various bolted on bits, too.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

“Not so clean driver” means it was a northern car and I bought it sight unseen for the nicely built drivetrain, forgetting that I am a southern boy and forget to ask sometimes about rust. 

The rust was bad enough to be a pretty big disappointment. 

Would you like a beautiful silver tub? 

SVreX said:

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Would you like a beautiful silver tub? 

Yes, but I'd need one with a title before I'd go to all the effort a tub swap entails. In  reality, it's easier to just go buy another car that's been babied and it's not that hard to find low mileage ,rust free cars up here. There's just a premium attached to the price. At my age I'll never get a tub swap done on top of two other project cars sitting in the garage currently.

DeadSkunk (Warren) said:

SVreX said:

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Would you like a beautiful silver tub? 

Yes, but I'd need one with a title before I'd go to all the effort a tub swap entails. In  reality, it's easier to just go buy another car that's been babied and it's not that hard to find low mileage ,rust free cars up here. There's just a premium attached to the price. At my age I'll never get a tub swap done on top of two other project cars sitting in the garage currently.

Wisdom ^^

Decision made. It’s too much work for a 20 year old car.  I don’t need an extra project  

I’m gonna enjoy my NB for what it is. 

In reply to SVreX :

So what's the plan for the tub?

In reply to AWSX1686 :

Want it?

I want it gone within 2 weeks. If not, scrap metal.