How to destroy a good car. Kart.
 

So 6 months ago my 16 year old daughter got her licence and has shown an interest in cars and car related sports. She asked to go to a drag strip to watch and see what goes on. Then an auto-x and enjoyed them both. She keeps asking when we are going to build a racecar. So as the saying goes whats always the answer, Miata. Don't want to spend a ton on a car "we" are going to beat to death and probably wreck but want it to be fun.....so add HP or loose weight......take away weight is cheaper. So Miata Kart time it is.

Sourced a nice 1992 today with 65K on the clock. For a bonus it has a nice new black paint job that wont last long. This girl cant wait to start cutting this thing up and learning to drive a stick.

Like to make it like this by April.

Massive rear down force for the lack of weight lol

You sir are looking at it all wrong...Massive fun potential in over steering!

Why did you buy such a nice car to cut up lol. Why not by a shitbox and leave a pretty Miata alive!

I would wait on chopping it up. After a couple events, she might want to stay in a class. A class with a lot of cars anyway.

With good tires and decent suspension, these cars will darn near throw you out the door they corner so well.

+1 to not hacking up a nice car. Put together some budget bilsteins and get some good tires on it. If you really want to lose weight ditch ac/ps, pull the passenger seat out, spare tire, tools. You can lose some decent weight and still be useable on the street.

In with the "don't chop" crew. Just went through this exercise on a 97. Aside from being trapped in a class of purpose built autoX monsters, it's a lot of work. You'll also end up shifting the weight bias to the front.

In for S52 Miata.

I'm really disappointed in all your lack of adventure.
The guy I got it from is parting it and keeping all the parts but what I want (not much). Yea we going to hack up a good car but it's going to be fun. I've built some dumb shit before and I'm sure this will rank up there in the fun category. Only big decision is do I install the BEGI S2 kit I have laying around here with 2554.
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I vote chop it up!

I'd leave it NA for the first 6-10 events until your daughter gets comfortable behind the wheel.

Plenty of trash out there. Why cut up a good one??

What's the goal behind taking off all the body panels? Until someone shows some pretty good data logs showing it's faster, my solid assumption is that it's not. Sure you shave a bit of weight, but the parts I've had off aren't that heavy. It also really dirties up air flow, exposes big spinning things that are currently closed up to free air, looks like garbage (to me) and it's not as safe. I also wonder how happy track day organizers will be to have it there.

Maybe it's a thing for autox? I guess you'll never overheat?

I vote do it. You lose a bunch of weight and make it a blast. Coming from someone that drives a Turbo Exocet though, I would second Cyotani and say keep it NA for a year. The acceleration and cornering will be heightened and it will be very tail happy even without the turbo. Let her learn the balance and how to drive smooth before you throw in more power.

Thats the spirit!

Well this the condition I get it in.

Looking good so far.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...47d4d14d7a.png

Looks like you are off to a quick start.

I guess if someone was parting the snot out of it already then you're just guaranteeing that it has a longer life.

Looking forward to seeing this build take shape.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ab90985f13.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e3c6d3e3e0.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a825ce7dc8.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b617ec8300.jpgWe off to a good start

I can still see airbag sensor harnesses & the baby teeth. More pls.

Wait for the plasma cutter....

Shit I can't wait for the plasma cutter.

Depower rack & dump the pump.
Sell PS pump & buy a radiator that's slightly less brown.

Thinking 2 core Honda rad. Yea manual rack

I don't know how your daughter feels about electrical but stripping the harness could be quite the project to go along with it. You wont need 75% of it and you can save probably 10-15lbs just with all the wire and control boxes you don't need. I did it for my Exocet and made the harness so much neater.

ID like to. I got a 2nd harness with it I'll probably work on that and swap them later.

Meet your new friend. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...892552fa78.jpg

Damn, I almost want to come down and hack away.

My 2 cents is that with a new driver learning to ax or track days you want a stock Miata with the exception of good brake pads and fluid, front sway bar, extended rear top hats to keep it from snap oversteer when bottoming out, alignment and tires, have them learn how to drive before you do anything else to make the car faster.

.

I'll the driver and passenger air bad sensors with a full harnesses off your hands for cheap. :idea:

The two on the front bumper with blue wiring?

Yes. The ones basically under the headlights, inside the fender wells.

I helped build the blue "kart" you are referencing your build from (post #2). Close friend of mine was the one who made it.

After having driven it both on the street and on a track, it absolutely ruins everything about a Miata. You ever driven a pedal bike with someone sitting on the handlebars and tried to turn? We'll that's how it handled.. Absolutely terrible oversteer as could be expected. You'd swear the rear tires were lifting on any hard braking. We had old Hoosier r6's on it, he made the jalopnik, we had fun with it and some idiot bought it for WAYYY more than it was worth (he actually made a profit on the car LOL) but go on I'm watching the build commence :burncash:

Jalopnik article for fun:
Track Day Genius Builds The Most Hilarious Miata 'Deathkart' Ever

P.S. The sad part is that car prior to being ruined set the showroom stock lap record at Blackhawk farms. It was a factory freak that all started from a cheap high mileage craigslist buy... ahh yes, the good ole days

Guys name is Evan, right?

He showed up on a post of mine on the sloppy mechanics page on fb.

I'm sure it won't be a better car after but I bet it be more fun. Just wanted to do something different and I bet it will be that. Also help my daughter and I build somthing different together. What better time learn to drive stick on? And to learn how to use a plasma cutter lol. I've had a few cars on japlopnik, non good but fun.

https://www.google.com/amp/jalopnik.com/5465613/tired-of-e30s-and-miatas-at-lemons-combine-them-with-an-e30ata/amp

And

https://www.google.com/amp/truckyeah.jalopnik.com/this-might-be-the-worst-pickup-truck-made-out-of-a-car-1560744541/amp

And I still daily drive the crown Victoria... Lol

yup, Evan is the guy.

Well its a little lighter. Much more to go...

For reference this weighed 1680 lbs.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...08d2ccb01d.jpg

That seat's face says it all

I'm with Curly on the S52 build. That intake manifold was the first thing I saw in the intro pic. Call it an MX-3?

I'll show myself out

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...33e13551f5.jpgThink I'm done with rear cutting for now, until final placement of radiator is decided.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3f83820b06.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d770b73c29.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...895f6f03a7.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f72443f76d.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...34f3773faa.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ba1e0e2a3.jpeg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5d23eb53b0.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...fd539d4d6b.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...efabcded3c.jpg

The diet continues...https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...19d67ca45b.jpg

Glad you cut out the quarter panel... that was a scary sharp looking piece of exposed metal.

Looks rigid

Tiiight! Looks awesome. I'm starting down the same path! That seat looks super light, it's not FIA approved though is it? Did you weigh the seats?

Details on the Toyota?

Seats are all aluminum Kirkeys approved for racing as long as they have back brace.
They really light.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0be669835a.jpg

Thought this was funnyhttps://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...867c0237d4.jpg

Do you think the "person on the handlebars" feel could have been fixed with some rear downforce?

I have a crashed Miata sitting in the yard that would be a great candidate for a miata-kart but if it is going to handle really poorly then it probably is not worth the effort to me. It would see track use on Hoosiers like you described. Input would be appreciated!

Also, I know this thread has been dead for years, but I was unable to find any other relevant posts when googling people with miata-kart track experience.