Our local Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealer has a bit of a reputation for taking just about anything in on trade and reselling it (they once had a genuine horse-drawn covered wagon on the used car line for $1200!) so while I wasn't surprised to see what I saw on the lot yesterday when I went by, I knew I had to stop in and take a look.
They had an absolutely beautiful '92 Mariner Blue Miata with color-matched hardtop that was bone-stock down to the 14" daisy wheels. So I of course had to run down there with my Mariner Blue '90 Miata and grab a photo with it. Of course, as soon as I park it and get out to snap a picture, a salesman comes hoofing it out of the showroom and starts trying to convince me I need to buy it. Now there are 3 problems with this scenario: A) I don't really need another Miata B) I couldn't afford their asking price ($5300) after the engine swap/supercharger install on my car and C) this car was an automatic (blech). He starts in with the "Oh, it's well-maintained, was a single owner car, blah, blah, blah". Yes but it's an automatic. Can I buy just the hardtop? "No, you have to buy the whole car. It's really low-mileage though." My response was "But does it have THIS?" and pop the hood to reveal my Rotrex-supercharged 1.8L. This promptly elicited a "Holy E36 M3" from him and another customer who had meandered over. I then jumped in my car and hauled ass out of the parking lot. Pity the owner was out to lunch in their '18 Demon, because I really would have liked to look around that thing.
