So, today I went and picked this up. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. 130K miles, AC doesn't work, mirrors are missing, no air bags, oil leak from someplace unknown, rust on the driver's side rocker in the usual spot, but otherwise reasonably rust free elsewhere. The best part is it was free!
Edit. Oh...and it's been sitting for 5 years, so I will be draining the gas tank and doing fluid changes before I try to start it.
Free is the best price
Dig it!
Nice. What is going to happen to it?
In reply to noddaz :
I haven't decided. The seller wanted it to go to someone who will do something with it. He's selling his house and it was being given away or heading to the junkyard. I'll try and figure out the oil leak. If it requires engine removal I'll probably pass it on to someone else. If it's an easy fix I'll look at keeping it as a DD, or rallycross it, or PACO lift it, or ??????
If it requires engine removal, you've got an Interesed local..
I vote Paco.
Catfish or Exocet
Paco!
Stampie said:I vote Paco.
Stefan said:
Catfish or Exocet
Why not both?
The weather has been warmer than normal so I've been able to spend a little time inspecting this thing. I had hoped the oil leak was something simple like the CAS O-ring, but that area of the engine is clean and dry, no oil leak there. Everything on the front of the engine is soaked in oil though, so my attention will focus there.
Aside from the rocker panel rust it's a pretty solid car, thanks in part to the oil bath from the front. The car has a December 1994 build date. It has a manual steering rack, which I'm assuming is original to it. Two owners back it was autocrossed so it's possible he may have changed to manual, but there's nothing obvious to suggest that. Two tires are way past their use by dates.
At this point I'm wondering if the oil leak is from the front crank seal. Previous owner thought it might be the oil pan gasket, but I've never had that leak on my three previous NA/NB Miatas. I haven't bothered to investigate the MIA air bags. I'm hoping they were simply unplugged and removed, without doing anything silly to the wiring under the dash. There is extra wiring hanging under there, but my first inclination is it's for the aftermarket stereo. If I decide to keep this thing , the stereo can come out anyway. I never listen to the stereo in my current NB.
The battery is immune to charging , so I haven't tried anything electrical yet.
You may have overpaid.
(I don't really believe that. I just always wanted to be able to say it)
OK. I've decided three project cars is one too many, so this needs a new home. I'm into it for about $100 at this point.
ClassicJackets, you have a PM.
I have a couple of other people who had also indicated some interest. You'll be next in line. If anyone else wants on the list let me know.
I'm in
Put me next in line too.
Responded. I'm in. Always been curious about miatas and want something to drive at 10/10ths
New Miata home! $100 in Miata, $47.56 in tow dolly cost, and a new timing belt/water pump plus cam/crank seals and a valve cover gasket. ~$105 total in new parts.
Won a set of FlyinMiata timing tools on eBay, winning bid plus shipping puts me at $53.
Total spent: roughly $305
In reply to classicJackets :
$1695 to go!
Pete Gossett said:Stampie said:I vote Paco.
Stefan said:
Catfish or Exocet
Why not both?
I've never seen the Paco kit combined with a Catfish body. Now I want to see one.
triumph7 said:In reply to classicJackets :
$1695 to go!
$1795 to go. Tow and tools not a hit on budget :).
In reply to classicJackets :
If budgeting for The Challenge, the shipping cost to get it home are exempt and tools are exempt so you would be more like $205 currently.
Edit: I was writing at the same time as Anthony
Not necessarily challenge budgeting - just hoping to keep this low dollar as possible, and I think posting will help keep me honest! Planning to get it driving and DD the crap out of it until it feels like the time to do something else with it. I am expecting another ~$300 in Battery/tires will be necessary, but going to start with everything I've already ordered, do a fluid flush, and borrow a battery from my BMW to see if it will start/drive before spending that extra money!
In reply to classicJackets :
Don't you have a BMW "project" you're supposed to be working on?
In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :
More so, I have a Courier project I'm supposed to be working on.. :) Miata seems straightforward enough (more than BMW) to get DD'able, will continue to be working on the Courier while the BMW collects some dust. Not costing me anything but space anymore.
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