When Is A Car Too Far Gone?

"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
05/05/2017 at 16:58 • Filed to: None

I came across the CL post for a $400 Miata. I think this falls under the category of: You want me to GIVE YOU money for that?

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Needs new engine, radiator & body work.

And from the looks of it? An Exocism. Redrum. Redrum.

DISCUSSION (32)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:02

LS SWAP THE INTERIOR

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:02

If you had a drivetrain and wanted the cheapest shell you could find for a LeMons junker, $200 is probably still too much but I’d likely pay it.

Have to clean the inside out with napalm though.

mcseanerson > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:14

Fenders are $100 a pop. It’s a non interference motor so who knows what’s even wrong with the motor, may just need a timing belt. Worst case needs a new motor and that’s less than a grand. Rip out the entire interior and put in a real steering wheel with a quick release so you can actually get in and out.

This is an easy rat race car you give the guy $200 and be on your way. I listed my 200+K mile 95 Miata for $500 with a non running motor and cracked rear window and banged up fender and had five offers and sold it in less than a day. My interior was definitely in better shape but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you’re just gonna strip it all anyways.

Long story short I’d buy it.

Ash78, voting early and often > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 17:14

I think a Vette interior is actually worse than this. The C5, at least.

RonnyPStiggs > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:18

Miata? More like MiNota

Urambo Tauro > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:20

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

MonkeePuzzle > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:21

$450 for a rolling shell, not bad.

hazmat suit needed to strip it and burn the remains!!!

Nick Has an Exocet > mcseanerson
05/05/2017 at 17:22

You’re a better man than me. I would (and probably will) spend a few thousand on one I can daily for a while before I strip it. My experience with cars like this is that half the time the owner can’t even find the title.

promoted by the color red > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:26

I could see it looking presentable with some elbow grease. The folks on reddit’s /r/autodetailing have saved interiors worse than that.

Miata parts (that aren’t hardtops) go for cheap on CL, so you can piece a pretty nice Miata for cheap.

dogisbadob > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:31

rust

Krieger (@FSKrieger22) > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:31

As far as starting points go, it’s still something, but I’m worried about corrosion for some reason.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > mcseanerson
05/05/2017 at 17:35

It’s an earlier 1.6, so it’s likely the crank nose.

bwp240 > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:36

Not the Ranger in the listing, but the 1990 Dakota convertible next to it was listed about 3 months ago for $700. It was a 2wd auto, so not too relevant to my interests other than price and proximity, but the rust was far too much. The body was missing so much from the rust, who knew what the chassis looked like. I already know the top will be enough for me to worry about by itself.

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/6115286973.html

Kinja'd!!!

Honeybunchesofgoats > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:37

If I had an NA, I’d probably buy it for parts at that price. I have this fantasy of someday having a garage where I have at least two replacements for every bit of whatever cars I own.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:38

Nasty. You’d have to pay me. In fact, he’s probably have to pay charity to take it.

mcseanerson > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 17:40

A clean NA that’s not a unicorn or super low miles should be around $3k or less so even then you shouldn’t spend too much.

mcseanerson > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
05/05/2017 at 17:41

Yeah, that’s true. Even still a “new” motor doesn’t cost too much and isn’t too painful to swap for these cars.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > mcseanerson
05/05/2017 at 17:46

Strip it. Race it. Lemons, maybe?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > mcseanerson
05/05/2017 at 17:47

Yeah, but early NA’s are dogs. Especially since they have the bad LSD.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 17:47

Not sure the seats from a Lexus LS will even fit. I think the driver seat alone is about as wide as a whole Miata. They also aren’t that supportive when it comes to holding you in place. Would certainly make your Miata the MOST comfortable Miata ever though.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
05/05/2017 at 18:00

This is the best interpretation of my misapplied LS swap joke I can imagine. Anyway, I was curious, so I looked it up, and a Lexus LS is about 9" wider inside. Hard to pull that off, though the Lexus has a wider console by maybe 2". Delete the console from the Miata for another 1"+, delete the door cards for 2" each side, and scrunch. IT CAN HAPPEN.

Master Cylinder > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 18:22

If I were looking for a LeMons racer that could be a prime candidate. Get a disposable Tyvek suit, a respirator, gloves, and a gallon of bleach and rip everything out of the interior. You don’t need it anyway, it’s a racecar!

Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 18:42

The clean title is worthalmost that alone

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > mcseanerson
05/05/2017 at 18:56

Word

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 18:57

That will give you a rash

Die-Trying > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 19:14

Kinja'd!!!

what is this too far gone that you speak of?........

Kinja'd!!!

i just see donor cars, that once you get enough, you have a complete car.......

Kinja'd!!!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 19:16

If buy it for 3 and part it out. Free money

Nick Has an Exocet > Krieger (@FSKrieger22)
05/05/2017 at 22:43

With all the water that it has collected on the inside, I could see that. We just had the rainiest season on record in a very long time.

Nick Has an Exocet > dogisbadob
05/05/2017 at 22:44

Unsure. It’s the Bay Area. Things don’t rust much here.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Nick Has an Exocet
05/05/2017 at 23:41

So they left the top down 24 hours a day as long as they’ve had it and only put it up for the pics?

Nick Has an Exocet > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
05/06/2017 at 00:36

From the pics, it looks like it hasn’t had glass in the top in quite some time and the I bet the seals aren’t any better all around.

“Wettest water year, so far, in 122 years of records” - 28 inches of rain over 3 months.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Nick Has an Exocet
05/06/2017 at 05:17

$400 is maybe a bit much, but for $200 I’d take it.

As far as I’m concerned cars are only really beyond repair when they’ve rusted out so much that the bodyshell’s caved in on itself or been hit by a tree so hard that there isn’t a single panel (floorpan included) that’s straight.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a nice car. It’s not actually that far gone though. I’ve seen (and bought) far worse...

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/went-to-grab-the-mgb-yesterday-1771502136