Miata shopping with wrong wheel drive (ongoing)

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
12/05/2018 at 18:56 • Filed to: None

Good morning Oppo, due to a “day of remembrance and mourning” for the former president Bush senior, I have off of work for the day. Anyways, I have spent my morning so far looking at some Miata classifieds. I don’t really want to buy another one right now but will jump on the “perfect” one for me. I don’t really know what that one is but I generally know what I want so it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out eventually. These things sold like hotcakes and people are always trying to get rid of them so I should eventually be successful!

First up is a listing I found on Miata.net for a yellow 2002 tastefully modified for track use. My number one use for my Miata is as a track car so I have no qualms with one already set up that way, albeit only if it is done well!

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Current list price of $6700 is more than I want to spend but it’s not a terrible starting price for the condition and the parts used. I’d say I’d be happy to pay like $5k maybe a little more. I’ve reached out and will see where that goes.

With that my list of “must haves” are:

- NO rust

- Must be manual

- Preferably NB2 (2001 to 2005)

- Will consider an NA but it would have to be a good deal for a mint one

- Runs well, less than 200k on it, some form of maintenance history

- I’d like it to come with a torsen already but can swap in mine if need be

- I’m trying to avoid a janky looking one. I’d be better off rebuilding mine otherwise...

I’m hoping I can find one locally in socal since every car tends to be both cheap and clean around here. Although the biggest problem I’m finding is a lot of the very clean NBs for sale seem to be automatics. I’ve seen quite a few janky ones as well so I’m expanding my search parameters to anywhere that doesn’t see salt in the winter. Here are some more links to one’s I am at least thinking about contacting.

Crack pipe price but I like the car:

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Might be a nice NA but typical Craigslist bad photos and lack of info:

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Nb1 makes me feel meh but I like the car:

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I loved this one but it SOLD. Posting for fun:

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I need to find more forums like trackjunkies, hoping there is something more local to California like that. Those listings are exactly what I am looking for and much better than wading through Craigslist bullshit. Next up is to start searching through autotempest and finding more forum based stuff as well. If anyone sees listings, send them my way!

My Miata is still in limbo, haven’t driven it in a couple of weeks now. Plan to pull the oil sample today and get it in the mail. Hoping to rent out a garage space at the hobby shop at work so that I can tear apart the car. I’m going to be busy for a while though with the holidays coming up, 2 weeks of travel for work, and then my 3 week ski trip. So I’m looking at mid February for the tear down to begin!

Edit to add links shared with me or found:

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111k miles, that’s pretty legit

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DISCUSSION (21)

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 12:04

This

Chuckles > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 12:08

People actually got out of work because a former president died?

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 12:09

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/d/2002-mazda-miata-with-hardtop/6746119317.html

Just a shade over $5K USD

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Chuckles
12/05/2018 at 12:16

Yeah I was confused but wasn't about to start complaining!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CaptDale - is secretly British
12/05/2018 at 12:18

But my problem is I currently don't have a functional drive train lol. Both the chassis and drive train are junk right now. My plan has always been drive it until the engine dies.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 12:20

I am aware. But I mean get another cheap Miata and the kit

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
12/05/2018 at 12:27

Plus it'd be easy to sell off the hard top to make it a much better price

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CaptDale - is secretly British
12/05/2018 at 12:38

I do still want the car to be road legal. Particularly since I don't plan on trailering to the track. But also because I want to daily the car part time. Saves me gas money to not always drive the Subaru. Plus it's guaranteed to break some day.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 12:41

Not that I’m trying to push a BC car, but you drove your last one from NJ (if I recall correctly).

The journey down the coast would be amazing in comparison.

You can g et cheap flights into Bellingham too.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
12/05/2018 at 12:53

Well yeah I’m certainly not opposed to the drive lol. It’s a drive I wanted to do anyways and doing it one way is certainly better. Although I’d be rather annoyed that the top can’t go down for that whole trip. Not a bad idea to conjoin with the PNW spring oppo meet. You got any time to go look at it for me?

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 13:05

Sure, I could look at it for you. I am not sure if they would hold the vehicle until the PNW meet dates.

Did you want me to check it out for you?

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 13:08

You can make the kit street legal easy. Just need a windshield

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 13:12

Sell me the hardtop, then you won't have to worry about it!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
12/05/2018 at 14:03

Yeah obviously I'd have to grab it sooner in that case. But if it's not too much out of your way I'd love it if you could give it a look and maybe drive it around the block. I just never trust Craigslist listings until I've seen it in person or at least someone I know has.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
12/05/2018 at 14:04

That's exactly what I was thinking haha. I could always bring a tarp if the soft top isn't good enough to park overnight.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CaptDale - is secretly British
12/05/2018 at 14:05

And here I was thinking my Miata as is was inconvenient on the street haha.

For Sweden > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 19:03

Pay a little more and live the NC life

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/2006-mazda-mx-5-miata-grand/6765188681.html

Kinja'd!!!

or be green

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/2001-mazda-miata-mx-5-special/6755758622.html

Kinja'd!!!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > For Sweden
12/05/2018 at 19:25

Wouldn't want an NC even if it were cheaper lol. I'm just not a fan of that gen, outside of some of the most heavily modified ones. That green NB though is great, even if it's a dealer-ish caps lock junk in the ad.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > For Sweden
12/05/2018 at 19:42

Reached out to the NB guy. I'm gonna be in Riverside on Sunday already so I'm gonna hope I can swing by to check that one out. Thanks!

For Sweden > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/05/2018 at 21:39

I’m gonna be in Riverside on Sunday

oof

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > For Sweden
12/06/2018 at 02:34

Haha its not a terrible area. Something about a Christmas market over that way. I recall enjoying the drive in movie theater there too. I’m more excited now though about maybe looking at a Miata. Guy got back to me, he bought it at 80k and has done nothing but oil changes. Unfortunately that means guaranteed needing to do a timing belt/water pump. Also then probably near certainty of needing pretty much every other basic maintenance done by that mileage (brakes, radiator, plugs/wires, coolant, hoses, belts, cam sensor, crank sensor). All of that is simple but annoying that he hadn't done any of it. I'll have to check it out to see how clean it is and if anything stupid is wrong. Seems like a good candidate to build a track car out of though.