Miata Bodywork - save it or pitch it?

I think I can save it (but bodywork is not my specialty)

take a look at the pics below, I just put a deposit down on this & pick it up tomorrow. Story was that is was a SM that drove up an embankment and rolled as it came back down onto the track.

I did a quick 5 minute walkaround & didnt see any major tweaks to the chassis (no wrinkles in the floor), no cracked welds on the cage, etc. Front subframe & LF suspension are toast I'm told.

Aside from the rear, it looks pretty saveable- I have a parts car that is almost too nice to cut up, could use it for donor clip or try to pop out the big ones ;)

Let me know the GRM thoughts on how to proceed - Suspension & driveline are all stock now (for some reason they pulled out all the race bits and completely bolted in all stock stuff)

Thanks KJ

Pics:

Is it.... $free.99?

I'd be pitching it. The only thing on that car that would be remotely interesting would be the interior (which looks gone) and the cage. (Which... not knowing much about cages, wouldn't you have to do work to it anyways since it rolled?)

Locost donor....

There's not a good body panel on that whole thing. Also rolled cage = bad. And mismatched wheels (presumably 2 of them wrecked), stock drivetrain, and gutted?

I think the answer here is to make sure the cage is okay, get the mechanicals re-sorted, slap 4 wheels on it, and hit up ChumpCar / Lemons...

DustoffDave wrote: Locost donor....

Yup. Haul out the welder and build a locost chassis to put the miata bits on.

[edit: I like the lemons idea, too.]

Javelin wrote: I think the answer here is to make sure the cage is okay, get the mechanicals re-sorted, slap 4 wheels on it, and hit up ChumpCar / Lemons...

ding ding ding ding ding. We have a winner.

Oooooo i like the Lemons idea.

But I hate lemons / chump car. And, they only come out to the PNW a couple(?) times a year.

Unfortunately that may be my only budget option.

The tub may be salvageable. The part that interests me is the base of the passenger's door. I know the front fender is pulled off, but I'd check that area for straightness. Even if it isn't, a frame shop might be able to doink it straight.

As for cage strength, this bar was checked after it was removed from the bar. It was straight and uncracked after being properly checked.

This is a track rat, though. It's hard to make a Spec back into a street car. If the cage is good and the tub is straight, have fun.

And you guys are wrong, there's a good panel. The rear finish panel. Which is weird, because I think Spec guys break these at the rate of about once per race.

DustoffDave wrote: Locost donor....

... or Excocet, would be my thought.

ChumpCar comes to Spokane County Raceway twice a year! If you need a place to crash, I have a spare bedroom with an inflatable king-size mattress and a pull-out couch. Just let me take it for a few laps...

Whats with the hate for cheap racing? I love it and ive been around SCCA/ICSCC racing for decades and watched their series become a running gag instead of just you know, racing.

Don't forget The Ridge Motorsports Park and Oregon Raceway Park, PIR and SIR.... They all run some form of $500 endurance racing.

Also, there's Rat Race on top of ChumpCar and LeMons.

Could just build a Locost and run it in SPU if you enjoy less track time for your money.

Don't the LeMons guys frown on SM cars showing up? While you could probably get on the track, you might also get hit with so many penalty laps it wouldn't be competitive...

I don't think a rolled ex-SM car with a stock engine and suspension would trigger anybodies BS-o-meter. Especially if done up in a "Spec Pinata" livery.

We also have numerous $500 series up here, as mentioned. ChumpCar and Rat Race both run at PIR and I know SIR runs some races, and possibly Mission in BC.

Is that top bar in the cage bent on purpose? Or is that damage?

I'll bet it's to follow the shape of the hardtop.

Hmm... Good point... If finished with proper pinata frilly stuff, it'd probably get a pass. Sadly, I'd guess that's about all its good for unless that rocker damage isn't as bad as it looks and the unibody isn't too badly tweaked.

Picked it up this week. The quick once over shows all damage to be cosmetic. Underneath is a perfect straight rust free west coast car. doors open / close fine, no issues with the windshield frame or bulkheads.

I've got straight doors, fenders, trunk, hood (although the rolled one is fine). - bumpers are fixable for a race car. The only pita is the rear quarters - I can cut out my parts car's quarters or order some repair panels from BTDT.

What to do with it? dunno - no interest in a locost (it rains here). thinking some sort of track / scca car (hard top FP car?) depends on what shocks I can find - used SM kit or some other pimpy shocks may dictate the direction.

Also, no interest in crap can racing - I actually want to build / develop / progress this car (not just have a beat up or themed car that I can only use a couple times a year). Sure, I may want to be part of a team at some point, but not right now.

So, on the cheap - a little bodywork, $50 paint job, SM suspension - I could be on track (without hard top) for little more than challenge money. Crazy? Sure, but thats how we roll.

KJ

Eh, that'll buff out.

Kendall_Jones wrote: Picked it up this week. The quick once over shows all damage to be cosmetic. Underneath is a perfect straight rust free west coast car. doors open / close fine, no issues with the windshield frame or bulkheads. I've got straight doors, fenders, trunk, hood (although the rolled one is fine). - bumpers are fixable for a race car. The only pita is the rear quarters - I can cut out my parts car's quarters or order some repair panels from BTDT. What to do with it? dunno - no interest in a locost (it rains here). thinking some sort of track / scca car (hard top FP car?) depends on what shocks I can find - used SM kit or some other pimpy shocks may dictate the direction. Also, no interest in crap can racing - I actually want to build / develop / progress this car (not just have a beat up or themed car that I can only use a couple times a year). Sure, I may want to be part of a team at some point, but not right now. So, on the cheap - a little bodywork, $50 paint job, SM suspension - I could be on track (without hard top) for little more than challenge money. Crazy? Sure, but thats how we roll. KJ

Themes and car beating happens more in LeMons. Come to the races sometime and see the quality of the cars and the driving before you write it off.

Given the cost fixes in place, you have to be inventive and creative with progressing the cars and many do. One team I helped out with, ran a Miata in ChumpCar. The car was rebuilt 5 times before becoming a ChumpCar and then was rebuilt once more after a nasty crash. The car also ran in CSCC IT between CrapCan events and helped quite a few people get their area licenses.

The answer really is Miata.