Broken Miata ramblings

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
02/20/2019 at 12:52 • Filed to: None

Greetings, and welcome to my evergrowing dilemma of what the hell I am doing with my broken Miata. Since my shopping plans have continued to fall through and I havent yet bought another Miata, I have instead started planning what I want to do with my current car. As is, it just sits in my garage at home and I have started it a few times in the last 2 months just to keep the battery charged. Well I need to finally do something about it rather than let it sit with no progress.

Here was my previous updates on the Miata, declaring the car dead and time to move on :

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And my shopping posts that have gone nowhere and resulted in me being disinterested in buying another car right now :

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Anyways, for an update on my developing madness. I have found out that I can rent garage space at the Auto Hobby shop at work for $40 a month, storing the car in the back lot and having access to the shop bays and tools as needed. This will be the resting space of my car once I get around to bringing it in. My trouble will be managing to find a way to get home after dropping off the car. I can probably just take an expensive uber (should be under $50 at least at non-rush hour) and then be able to drive back whenever to work on the car. But I might also try to bum a ride in the direction of home with a coworker but that requires talking to people (shudder).

As for what to do afterwards? Well I might try my hand at just rebuilding the motor or just replacing with a used block. Rebuilding should end up around the same price in the end (maybe a little cheaper) but would effectively give me a new motor with zero miles. This would be quite the advantage over a random used motor that has an unknown life left in it. Now the rusty subframe issue makes this a boondoggle but I really would rather continue this project since I already fixed the other rust issues and I just want to get back to tracking the car with minimal money spent.

Oppo, I confess that I have gone a bit crazy for thinking about fixing this car but man do I miss having my Miata for canyon runs, track days, and just simply driving down the PCH with the top down. Either way, phase one of motor removal and teardown is happening and I should just focus on that. But I enjoy the thought of fixing my car and continuing to have a dumb smile while driving it.

I do miss this car no matter how impractical and slow it is :

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DISCUSSION (28)

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 12:59

Junkyard LSX swap

His Stigness > AestheticsInMotion
02/20/2019 at 13:02

I was going to say smog but then I remembered he could make it legal. And lucky him he has a smog tech right around the corner.

way2blu does a rev update > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 13:11

Ditch the rusty bodywork and build a Catfish

Kinja'd!!!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
02/20/2019 at 13:13

Cost is my prohibitor lol. Plus reliability. Mostly because of the rust issues making putting real money into this car a bad idea. I can justify a simple motor swap because I wouldn’t be spending any time or money on custom stuff. So it would be easy to just put in a new shell some day. It’s not like the car is going to rust more here in Socal anyways but the Swiss cheese my frame is made out of is frightening haha. It might fall apart as the engine comes out anyways..

This would 100% have been my plan if the rust was not so bad though. 6cyl would be a more preferred route but an LS would probably be easier.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 13:17

Is there a way to replace the rusty subframe once the car is apart? Then build a motor with some go-fast goodies (shhh, I wont tell His Stigness ;) ).

When I was looking for an NB all the way back in 2013 it seemed like there was not a lot of good stock out there. I looked at a bunch but all were downright CP (one I think was trying to hide flood damage) or priced way too high for the condition. I gave up for 6 months then was randomly browsing CL on a bored Sunday afternoon and found the car I ultimately bought.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > way2blu does a rev update
02/20/2019 at 13:22

Money in the short term is my driving factor here. Obviously in the long run it might be a waste of time to keep using this shell but the body rust has been fixed at least so it is usable, just will require more work for the full restoration. I cant take on any crazy project like that though. Student loans, saving for a wedding, saving for a house, traveling, and just doing more track days are all a way higher priority than having a “nice” track car. Number one item on the list currently is an engagement ring sooo im trying to go the cheap beater miata route and spend less than $2k. In that price range, I am best off starting with the junk I have rather than diving into other junk. My worst fear is having two broken, shitty miatas right now lol.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
02/20/2019 at 13:30

Well yeah its certainly been done before. Fixing that is not impossible. Just takes some welding skills and a fair bit of time investment to get it done. I think that might be my plan since I always wanted to learn how to weld anyways. And if the motor is coming out and I am going full project on this shit, I might as well go for it. I will have to see once I take it apart how structurally unsound it is.

I know that I am not spending the kind of money needed on a nice clean miata that isnt a crack pipe for at least a few years. So if I can spend a fraction of that making this car usable, I am much better off. Plus at least I will gain some useful skills in the process. I will continue shopping around anyways but I just need to not settle for crap that will be guaranteed to be a headache. And I really need to commit the funds towards more important stuff. I have an abundance of time so as long as I put no monetary value on time, its not a waste to fix this car lol.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 13:33

Subaru 2.5 RS 2 dr track car.

way2blu does a rev update > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 13:42

Very good point, much better deal to track the miata you have rather than trying to build it up like that. Certainly agree that travel/track/wedding expenses are more fun than a big build like that.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 13:43

That might be the best plan. That is where I was at. I didn’t want to go back through another Miata and do all the same shit that I did to my old one. So I convinced myself to spend more and get one that had all the m aintenance plus 100% failure rate items done (rear brakes, master/slave cylinder, etc.) Also, it had a har dtop and looked nice. I got a lot of complements on the car before my hardtop was stolen -_-

CompactLuxuryFan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 13:50

Are you calling off your search entirely, or just trying to not sit idle while the search continues? I wouldn’t give up, you really never know when the perfect car will pop up!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/20/2019 at 13:51

If I wanted to track a Subaru I'd just use my STi lol. But I like having a reliable daily driver and it would be too expensive for a track car in terms of consumables and risk.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > way2blu does a rev update
02/20/2019 at 13:52

I do find it funny though when I factor in the cost of track days into why I can't buy parts for the track car. It's kind of ironic in that case. But tires are the only absolutely needed expenditure after safety items. I don't really have to have the best brakes or suspension out there, I just have to make up for it with driver mods.

someassemblyrequired > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 13:55

Front subframe? Those are like $200 max...

Good used engines can be had for $500. Just look, Facebook (at least here in DC) is a great source for cheapy Miata parts/parts cars. Much better than Craigslist.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CompactLuxuryFan
02/20/2019 at 13:59

Of course, I’m still searching. But I’ve made a decision not to chase after things that aren’t exactly what I’m looking for. I had considered buying a cheaper Miata or looking at more NA8 or even an NA6. But I’m better off sticking with what I want and making the shopping more focused. It’s more a financial problem anyways, I just have too many other priorities in the way of spending more than $4k on exactly what I want. So I’m best off fixing what I have rather than spending $2-3k on something questionable and still need to spend more to make it what I want. All in, I can be under $2k to get mine to an acceptable level (working motor, something done about the subframe, and some paint). And that would be better for sure than just having no Miata or worse, two broken Miatas and no money.

So yeah I'm still shopping. If I found exactly what I wanted for $4k or less, I'd probably just buy it.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > someassemblyrequired
02/20/2019 at 14:05

Cost of the front subframe is not really the issue. The problem is the process of replacing it. It's not something that just bolts in. It's basically the main part of the crash structure for the front of the car and it requires replacing the entire box to be properly secure. This is just a major undertaking and the common advice is get a clean car and start over as it will be less effort in the long run. This is why it makes me crazy to suggest fixing it. But that sounds more like a challenge than a warning to me so I'll at least get the motor out and then decide how crazy I am.

gettingoldercarguy > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 14:07

Putting that much time into repairing your car makes you a safer driver. You won’t take risks that you otherwise wouldn’t hesitate on.

Read up all you can on rebuilding motors, watch videos, etc. You’ll have time to radius all the coolant and oil passages, remove flashing, etc. Stuff that is time consuming, makes a difference and costs big bucks to have something else do it.

I say go for it with keeping, rebuilding and restoring your car. It'll instill value in it you can't buy off the lot.

CompactLuxuryFan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 14:10

What is it you want?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > gettingoldercarguy
02/20/2019 at 14:15

I kind of fear the idea of “You won’t take risks that you otherwise wouldn’t hesitate on.” The whole reason why I love Miatas is because of driving it at 11/10ths is so much fun. Its faster to actually drive it at 9.999999/10 but man is it fun to be stupid and drive it that way. I would fear losing that and having to actually think that there is some value in the car haha. But I have never been a “risk taker” anyways and hold value in anything I own, regardless if it actually has monetary value or not. So it shouldnt really negatively impact me.

I agree that rebuild of the engine is well worth my time. I always have the option to reuse it in another car, knowing that it will be good to go for 200k+ no problem.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CompactLuxuryFan
02/20/2019 at 14:28

An NB2 (‘01 to ‘05, but preferably an ‘01-’02) with a clean title, no rust, halfway decent paint, and less than 200k miles (probably under 150k realistically), and some semblance of a maintenance history. From what I am finding, I can get that for a solid $5k but once I get under $4k I have to make compromises on many of those things.

I am ideally looking for one with the LS or SE package already so that it has the LSD and 6spd. But I am less picky about that since I could swap in parts from my current car if needed. First Miata I looked at met my criteria but it was a crack pipe price since it didnt run perfectly. I hate dealing with the “unwilling to negotiate” crowd anyways. Second one was a salvage title and the PPI gave me good reason to stay far far away at any price point. Other ads have just been not even worth checking out or just way too expensive for me.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 14:34

There’s a flip side to that coin as well. Once you know you can fix everything, it kinda stops mattering what you break.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 15:02

I had a rusty car, I tried to fix it, the rust progressed faster than my efforts to repair it. I would probably donate the existing Miata to charity for a tax write off or some th ing then buy a not rusty not crashed miata. It may take time to find the right car tho.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/20/2019 at 15:34

See the rust at least wont progress very fast being here in Socal. And I already fixed the rocker and quarter panel rust and prepped the car for paint. That was the bad investment for sure. But sunk cost fallacy makes it worth continuing to some degree. The subframe issue is just particularly difficult to deal with. It will be more a matter of how much metal is actually in there once I remove the motor. And if the whole engine support and everything has rusted away as well. It just depends how far it spread really. But yeah engine out is also to rebuild it for another shell. Always a possibility to buy another broken miata but with a good body, but I need a working motor first for that!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 17:45

Glad to hear you’re attempting a rebuild. Most people would say you are wasting money and they’d be right from a financial standpoint. However at least for me; it’s hard to abandon a car after putting so much time and care into her. Sure most of us true car people end up spending well past what our cars market value is, but personal worth is a different story.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
02/20/2019 at 18:36

I justify the idea by claiming that the motor can be reused even if I dont keep the rest of the car. Looking at my calendar, it doesnt bode well for having project time in the short term. But I want to make time for it in April/May hopefully. Unless I just start this weekend and bang it out quickly. As long as I dont value my time, it will not be that much of a waste either way. I refuse to invest money into the car but the least I can do is put in some effort to work on it before just parting it out. Especially as a track car, it doesnt exactly have to be perfect to be worth my efforts.

My total costs for the project should be: Machine shop labor for various parts, various engine internals, all of the seals and stuff, and fluids totalling to under $1k for sure. Then a cheap or DIY paint job for around $500 (cant make it worse than it is). And then if I am happy with everything, $1k in suspension would be a real nice addition but I can live with it as is. But if the rust problem is even worse in the engine bay after taking it apart, just spending the sub $1k on engine work is good enough to keep trucking as a janky but reliable track car that I will put zero dollars into. And eventually find something worth swapping into if I have to. I will not spend 1000s of hours trying to fix a whole engine bay of rust lol.

The engine is still running so I havent grenaded it yet. Meaning the rebuild should go a little bit smoother than if it was a pile of siezed junk.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 19:30

True, t hat’s how I justify most of my purchases as well. I can take out the seat, roll bar, steering wheel, wheels, etc. if I ever need to and go back to stock, but I’m wanting to keep her for the foreseeable future anyways.

Doing all that yourself really is the only reasonable way to do it. Glad you have faith in your competence to do it! That’s awesome!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
02/20/2019 at 19:38

Oh yeah its a complete waste to try to pay a shop to do the work. I dont care enough about this particular miata to do that. I just want a working miata at the end of the day. I will gladly trust my own work though versus playing the used car lottery. I know this engine still has good compression and has never been overheated so it will require minimal “hard work”. Everything is detailed out there on the internet, i just have to be meticulous and go through everything with some help. It will surely be a learning experience!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/20/2019 at 21:48

Good luck man!