Need Ultimate Miata Dork to answer a question

OK, so I am on the hunt for a chunk of Miata.

Looking at the chunk of Miata with the two pieces of tape. See How the Miata chassis rail ends short of the Volvo rear apron? Well, I need to find a Miata donor to harvest 14" of the rear frame rail. I want to graft it on to the existing frame section so that if carries the stock look all the way to the rear apron. Fabricating with tube would be too easy. Seems simple enough if I can find someone about to scrap a NA Miata. Unfortunately, I cant harvest at the wreckers cause its gonna take implements that are not allowed on premise.

So far, no luck finding an NA Miata nearby. There is a local(ish) possibility, but it is an NB chassis. Hence the question:

Does anyone know if the rear frame rails are identical for NA and NB Miatae?

I don't. A few years ago when we were still doing salvage, I probably could have found out. And we have an NA and NB shell in the shop right now, but neither are stripped to the point where I could tell - and their owners would probably get mighty pissed if I started with The Implements.

Keith Tanner wrote: I don't. A few years ago when we were still doing salvage, I probably could have found out. And we have an NA and NB shell in the shop right now, but neither are stripped to the point where I could tell - and their owners would probably get mighty pissed if I started with The Implements.

How did I know you would be the first (and probably only) one to reply?

AS has been demonstrated in the past, patience will deliver what I want.

I have a friend who comes along to help every so often. Poor guy goes mental over the fact that I won't just "Get the job done" and fab in a piece of 2x4.

I know some guys in Alberta who have some junkers out back, although if they're getting the snow that we're getting then those cars are no long accessible.

Here's an idea: At Corey's they have (or had) a couple of miatas in the non-customer accessible area of the yard. To look at cars in that area they will send one of their guys out with you. What if you explained what you are looking for and proposed one of their guys supervise you for 10 minutes to permit the use a battery powered sawzall? A couple of their cars have very little resemblance to a Miata (in one case I literally asked if they were certain that metal was a miata).

If you'd posted this a month ago you could have had free reign on the remains of a NA parts car I had towed away. It went to Baker's, they were the most flexible/interested when it came to accepting a stripped out car. Maybe it's still there and they will let you at it?

I'll echo the "too bad you're asking now" thread, I just scrapped one 3 weeks ago. I would have given them to you.

I have no idea if the frames are the same there between the two generations..

Those rails are part numbers 53-810 and 54-810 for an NA. For the NB they seem to be listed as 53-81X and 54-81X. Not sure if they're interchangeable or not. If you take them from a wreck you're going to butt weld the extensions in, I assume. Why not form up extensions from 18 gauge to match what's there now? From what I can see the section is just a U-shape with flanges along the top edges. I got this info from here....
http://www.lightweightmiata.com/documentation/parts/parts.htm
Look under "Body 2 of 3" for the appropriate model years. I quoted '94 NA and '99 NB part numbers.