Damnit... I have changed my mind AGAIN

"Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen" (sportwagen)
02/11/2015 at 00:10 • Filed to: None

I decided the 89 Mustang GT was a bit of a basket case... so now I want to buy my grandfather's 1994 Mariner Blue Miata! It has 265k miles (somewhere around there) on a stock (never refreshened/rebuilt) 1.8L that has no problems (as far as I can tell) with going full throttle up to 6500 rpm. The body is... a bit shitty to be honest. The back window isn't fully attached to the top so much as the flap that the window is attached to has been sewn to the rear bar of the mechanism... sketchy but it works. It has a decent amount of rust on the rear of the rocker panels on both sides... the toll of living most of its life in Indiana I'd assume (belonged to my Uncle for 18 years). It also has a giant dent in the passenger side fender.

It runs and drives fine, but looks like hell. I'm thinking of offering him $750 for it at the end of the summer (I know, it's a bit of a low ball, but I've helped him for the past 4 years rebuild his wrecked Stearman amongst other things...)

It would cost around $3-400 to fix the rust and body imperfections (other than the top; if it ain't broken, don't fix it) and I could put another $400 into the suspension (Racing Beat suspension kit with sway bars and lowering springs) and $300 into an exhaust system. I would also probably invest in a rebuild kit for the engine... another $150 or so. Keep in mind I'm doing all the work here!

So, should I do it? I would be waiting until the end of May at the VERY earliest...

DISCUSSION (39)

bob and john > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:14

is the miata rusted? sounds like a perfect candiate for a FM V8

crowmolly > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:14

Get under the car and see how bad the undercarriage is.

If both rockers are rusty it may not be worth the headaches.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > bob and john
02/11/2015 at 00:15

NO
NO V8s

It has some surface rust and the usual rust on the rocker panels, but other than that, no rust at all

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > crowmolly
02/11/2015 at 00:16

I'll get around to it eventually... if it's not too bad I'll still buy it

bob and john > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:16

fuck yes V8s.

best part, TT V8s

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > bob and john
02/11/2015 at 00:17

No, if I wanted a V8 I would rebuild that Mustang GT... I want something small and that revs very high very quickly ;)

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:18

Sooooo. How much for the Mustang?

bob and john > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:19

then rotary mustang.

do something that fucks with peoples minds.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
02/11/2015 at 00:20

He's not selling it :/ he got offers 5 years ago for around $8k and turned them down...

when it was just sitting in his yard.

I might rebuild the engine in it so he can drive it though (which would certainly help me buy said Miata :)

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > bob and john
02/11/2015 at 00:20

Nah, I just want something easy to modify, cheap to run, and fun around an autocross course and track

bob and john > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:21

cars != cheap to run.

you want cheap to run, you get a motorcycle

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > bob and john
02/11/2015 at 00:23

NO DAMNIT I'M GETTING A MIATA

GET OUT OF MY HEAD SATAN

JUST STAHP

bob and john > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:25

lol.

I drove a couple of miatas. frankly? not very impressed. "driving feel" my ass. its still a car. you want driving feel, you get a bike. "feel" there is no feel in a car. but you sure as shit feel it when you have a bike leaned right over in a turn

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > bob and john
02/11/2015 at 00:28

Dude... I drive this Miata every couple of weeks. I love it. I'd feel safer in it than on a motorcycle... and you can't auto-x a motorcycle. I'm also only 17. My parents would kill me if I bought a motorcycle.

bob and john > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:30

"cant auto X a motorcycle"

my fucking ass you can't

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:32

Well then how about a Buick OHV 3.8L V6 instead then?

http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?…

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > bob and john
02/11/2015 at 00:32

At an SCCA or PCA event? That's what I was talking about.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
02/11/2015 at 00:32

Nah, I just want to keep the 1.8 in there. It gets moving just fine

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:32

He should give you the car. You are the grandson. In exchange, you do a bunch of stupid chores for him. You're turning a hulk back into a car. Famiglia ....

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/11/2015 at 00:34

...I've already done my time. I helped him rebuild a FUCKING STEARMAN FROM THE GROUND UP.

It had been flipped over, needed 3 of the 4 wings rebuilt (basically balsa wood and tiny nails) and the whole frame rebuilt... PITA if there ever was one.

GhostZ > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:37

Well, technically a Ford 302 is a small and high revving V8. I mean, hell, they'll go to 8000 rpm without blowing up if you spend the right money.

The SR20DET engine is also a common swap for Miatas and they'll go to 7200RPm stock, and 8000 is easily reachable with a valvetrain upgrade.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > GhostZ
02/11/2015 at 00:38

Sorry, I never mentioned that I really DO NOT want to do any engine swaps. A regular 1.8 with 110whp is fine with me... it will mostly be about handling. After all, isn't that why people buy Miatas?

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:40

So say to him - I've done my bit - give me this car, and when it's rebuilt at my expense, you can use it the best 2 weekends of the summer.*

*then never quite finish rebuilding it. "Sorry GD, there's a couple more bolts that need tightening!"

Tohru > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:41

Definitely needs a Flyin' Miata V8 conversion

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/11/2015 at 00:43

Nah, I'd rather give him some money and leave it under his name for insurance and registration purposes (I'm almost 18 and insurance for me would be almost $150 per month for just liability) I'd probably see if he would just let me have it first though ;)

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Tohru
02/11/2015 at 00:44

GODDAMNIT NO

for the fourth fucking time NO

I plan on leaving the engine in this car relatively stock

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 00:48

Give him a buck. If he has a sense of humor, he'll do it.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/11/2015 at 00:50

YES YES YES

I COMPLETELY FORGOT!

My grandmother's first car was a 1950 Beetle she bought from her grandfather for $1!!!!
THAT WOULD BE FUCKING PRICELESS!

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 01:13

So there is, what we would call in the legal profession, precedent.

Jayhawk Jake > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 07:44

LS Swap it

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/11/2015 at 07:52

Yep :')

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Jayhawk Jake
02/11/2015 at 07:53

HEY

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Tohru > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 09:42

Well if you're going to be boring and drive a stock Miata might as well get a motorcycle.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Tohru
02/11/2015 at 10:16

GODDAMNIT JUST STAHP IT WITH THE MOTORCYCLES

Jayhawk Jake > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 10:17

Okay...

SBC swap

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 19:46

Let us know whether you talk them into it.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/11/2015 at 20:36

I talked to my grandmother earlier to confirm the story about her 1950 Beetle... she did get it from her grandfather for $1 back in 1964/5... it was an OG Beetle imported from Germany by her grandfather in 1950! She said she thinks it ended up in a museum somewhere, but she isn't completely sure :/

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/11/2015 at 21:59

Wonder if it was one of those split-window models. Definitely had the turn signals in the B pillar.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/11/2015 at 22:06

Yep... it was a split window and had the little mechanical arms that folded out to turn. It was converted to US spec with lights that replaced the levers :(

When she sold it, it was still all original including the interior, paint, etc...

back on topic!

How would I convince him to do this??? I'm all of 17 right now (gonna be 18 on March 29, WOO!)