Miata Roller - Going Rate?

I've never purchased a rolling chassis before. What's the going rate for a clean 1997 Miata rolling chassis? How does the existence or lack of a clean title affect this?

No title usually means no ability to get plates and no ability to drive on the street. At least that is the case here in Ohio.

If you just want parts off it, no title may be okay but here (and this varies by state), no title means the seller can not prove they own it and therefore you may be dealing in stolen parts.

Even as a parts car I would want a title. Disposing of the shell without one is a PITA in Michigan. Junkyards won't take a car without the title, so you end up having to cut it into little chunks and taking it to a metal recycler, and that's still iffy.

For reference, I just scrapped a quartered shell (that I did have a title to) of one at a "we don't want a title because we don't scrap cars" kinda place, and I got a whopping $6.50 or so for it.

I don't know where you're at, but around here a 97 with no rust issues but no motor is probably going to be worth an absolute max of $700 (perhaps up to 1000 if it's a literally mint rare/desirable color). But with no title I'd guess that doesn't help you much.

frecks wrote: I've never purchased a rolling chassis before. What's the going rate for a clean 1997 Miata rolling chassis? How does the existence or lack of a clean title affect this?

two weeks ago I picked up a 94 Miata roller. It was mostly gutted to the tub, but still had all the suspension, brakes, and wheels. It came with a title. I paid $50(fifty) for it. I scalped all the suspension, windshield and trunk lid. Then gave the tub away to an aspiring racer in case he bent his while learning.

My Miata has a clean title & runs well, but the body is terribly rusty. I found someone from the south who is parting out a rust free Miata that they bought from an insurance auction. They want $100 for the roller, but it comes with a bill of sale only. It would be a lot less work for me to swap the body than it would for me to splice new metal into this old body, so this is intriguing. It doesn't come with a title though. A project car isn't worth taking any legal risks, so this leaves me a few options:
1) Pass on the roller & try to create my own patches for all the rusty areas, which would be an obscene amount of work.
2) Cut good areas out of the roller & weld them in to my body.
3) Use body from roller with everything else from my car. Use form TR-54 to apply for a new "Assembled Vehicle" title (in Michigan, where I am).
4) Just forget about this & hope one with a title shows up.

Option 3 would result in the best actual Miata for the least amount of work, but I worry about how much more difficult/expensive insurance would be on an assembled vehicle than on the Miata.

Option 2 would be more work & crappier results, but would still be cheaper than buying patch panels & way easier than making my own patch panels. It would also avoid the legal hurdles since I would still be driving with the original body.

This would be an easy decision if the vehicle had a title or wasn't so far away.

In most states it is not that difficult to get a title. Assuming a VIN search shows the car is not stolen, you can do a storage lien title with some paperwork. There are also title companies that can do it for you.

And I just purchased a 1991 Miata for $500 with title and once we plugged the hole in the gas tank it ran and drove.

Tim Suddard wrote: And I just purchased a 1991 Miata for $500 with title and once we plugged the hole in the gas tank it ran and drove.

I am super jealous of your lack of rust in the South. Mine was $600 & drove, but I broke the no rust rule from your list of 25 lessons learned. This thing is full of car cancer.

I'm thinking that if my goal is really to have a street legal lemons racer that isn't a nightmare of rust, I should probably just take the rust free $100 tub & try to apply for a title. If it doesn't work, I still have a pile of parts I can use as spares or sell to help the lemons budget. I probably do want to check the vin before I make the drive to be sure it isn't stolen though.

Tim Suddard wrote: And I just purchased a 1991 Miata for $500 with title and once we plugged the hole in the gas tank it ran and drove.

Even I would take another 1.6 car for that kind of money.

Didn't metalman in Atlanta have some rollers with title cheap lately? I'd get hold of him.

Stampie wrote: Didn't metalman in Atlanta have some rollers with title cheap lately? I'd get hold of him.

Does metalman get the endorsement from this crowd? It just occurred to me that this may actually be metalman that I'm talking to. If you guys have good things to say about him, that makes me way more willing to make the 750 mile trip.

Metalman has been around for a long time. He's legit.

dculberson wrote: Metalman has been around for a long time. He's legit.

Sweet. This is good to know. Thanks all.

I just sold a clear title, 235k mile '90 with a hole in the block, no hood or trunk lid, missing interior bits, a squished fender, bald tires, mouse-chewed wiring, rusty rockers and the deadest red paint I've ever seen for $180.

The kid that bought it from me, put it up on CL for $800, but I think he's slightly optimistic.

When I tried to sell a rolling chassis recently, I was offered between $50 (several) and $150 (one) by local wreckers. Basically it was towed away for free.

Thanks for all the advice guys. It looks like I'll be making the trip to Atlanta for New Years. I just have to make sure I can borrow my buddy's trailer.