My cheapskate side is winning out. Selling off the ecotec Miata. And the Protege5 is sold. And probably selling the beater Altima. Getting the fleet down to a more manageable size.
With a max budget of around $8,000 for a dependable DD (RWD, stick shift, comfortable, autocrossable) I was looking hard at cheap C5s, a crazy built NB, prepped NC. When a relatively nearby NC popped up for sale. Blown motor 2006 6 speed that comes with a 2007 replacement engine. Roll bar, exhaust, LSD, new tires and wheels. Asking price of $3,000 and with some negotiation i’ll be getting it for Challenge budget.
It’ll take a couple of weekends but this is the much smarter financial path.
I can run it in CS and with mini-me still learning to drive and autocross this seems a better place for him than a C5.
Nice! If you're anything like me you'll enjoy it alot more since it's cheap. Especially if this means you can share the love with your kid.
I'm an engineer so other "car guys" at my work can't figure out why I drive cheap cars. I tell them that the level of expectations is directly linked to what I paid while the fun factor is not. If the car doesn't do one or two things great, no problem as I only paid a few grand for it so I can focus on the things it does good.
The car I enjoyed and connected with the least was also the most expensive car I ever bought (7k 03 caddy sts). It was a fully loaded, low miles, crimson red, nav, mag ride, last/best year car, so I had high expectations. It was good, but not that much better than swmbos 3k 01 sts with 100k more miles. I have very fond memories of the 01, sooo many trips. I got my money out of the 03, but I constantly have to do the math to convince myself that wasn't a mistake. I never think fondly about it even tho we took it on quite a few trips in it. The most memorable experience was when the windshield cracked on a dirt "highway" near MIS during the Nascar weekend. SWMBO still reminds me of that one. She also reminds me of when the 01 took us skiing in Colorado when it had 250k+ miles on it.
This is what's keeping me from buying a c5, as it's been my dream car since I was a 12 year old with the posters on my wall, i have the money sitting in the bank, but I'm just a little worried I'll be disappointed. Ive driven them and love them, and that's all that I really care about in a Vette, but that's alot of money to me. They're about at the bottom of the price curve, so I'm hoping with the c8 coming out I'll convince myself to finally jump.
Holy wall of text, sorry, I'm a few wobbly pops in.
So I spent yesterday schlepping from Lexington down to Knoxville and back. I didn’t realize it but the car is partially disassembled, the old motor was out and the new motor wasn’t yet in. I’ll be able to sell off a ton of extra parts that came with this thing and be able to run it in the challenge (has anyone campaigned an NC yet?).
The full exhaust and lowering/stiffening springs mean STR not CS but it already has wider than factory aftermarket wheels (with virtually new continental tires!) so a lite STR prep shouldn’t be too hard.
I even got the old/bad engine so for the first time in my life I have a motor to take apart and attempt to fix 
everything is tucked away in the garage now and the ecomiata is loaded up for it’s journey to it’s new home this morning.
SVreX
MegaDork
7/22/18 6:19 a.m.
That’s awesome!
Careful with your budget. The initial purchase price of the car can’t exceed $2018 for it to be Challenge legal. If you buy for $3K and sell off $1K worth of stuff, it’s over budget.
Good luck! I like the direction you are heading.
So, ah, does that mean you have a spare NC intake manifold, oil pan, engine mounts, and accessory drive that you wish to liquidate?
I'm asking for a me.
What a score. Congratulations! Look forward to seeing it in Gainesville!!
Paid $2,000 even for everything in the pics.
Will inventory what I have and let everyone know what is for sale. Factory exhaust system (complete) to begin with.
So, because the NC is so different than the NA/NB that i’m familiar with i’m Having to relearn a few things. When looking for STR goodies what should I have my eyes out for? What brands?
Exhaust should be good. Header? Intake? Tuning?
17x9” wheels on a 5x114.3 but what offset do I want? Front sway bar brand?
It has “lowering springs” on it but I assume there are coilovers that are good without going all the way to moton territory.
Any sage advice out there?
Do I even want to know how much you're trying to get for the ecotec miata? I just bought an NB to daily, so I really shouldn't be having more bad ideas.
In reply to AWSX1686 :
I got $6,000 for it. I wanted more but in the end it's a small pool of people interested in such things.
Semi-interestingly: the guy I traded the monster to in exchange for the ecotec is selling it already. Anyone who is interested in it, he's asking $8K for it but would take less.
Congratulations!! Sends to be an excellent deal.
In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :
Oh good, it's gone already. I can't be tempted!
So because 1 mid 2000’s black Mazda isn’t enough I just picked up this gem for $1,000.
I have a problem.....
Miatas are like kittens. You have one, suddenly you have like six of them.
_
New Reader
7/24/18 7:38 p.m.
Knurled. said:
Miatas are like kittens. You have one, suddenly you have like six of them.
Oh now you tell me...I just bought a Miata....
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:
So because 1 mid 2000’s black Mazda isn’t enough I just picked up this gem for $1,000.
I have a problem.....
That's a big Miata. I love 'big Miatas'. If it needs to be rehomed, drop me a line. :-D
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:
So because 1 mid 2000’s black Mazda isn’t enough I just picked up this gem for $1,000.
I have a problem.....
Looks a lot like one I was looking at a couple months ago. Where'd you get it from?
Also, you have two 2.0 engines now right?... 2.0RX8?
