How bad does this look
 

I'm seriously thinking taking on my next project- a Salvagewon Eliminator build. That of course needs a donor car and I've been looking around for that. Now a potential donor showed up on salvagebid.com, but it's a 4 hour drive away. And just inspecting it costs $50. I'm considering bidding on it, sight unseen. Even if it turns out to not be the right base for an Eliminator build, I should be able to at least recover the max $1,500 I would spend on it by selling parts.
The car looks great in the pictures, except for the obvious problem on the right rear. But that would be cut off anyway.

My question to you guys is: Do you think that hit caused any damage too severe to turn this thing into an Eliminator?


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1451607635

So long as the suspension and rear subframe is OK. I mean.... What is messed up can be replaced and it'd be more rock and roll with knarly mad max battle damage. Just do it. As long as you swap in a v8.

How cool would it be to have an LSx eliminator. That engine would be hot business exposed.

Anybody got a cheap LS3 lying around?

youll be cutting off all the damage for the eliminator anyway
do it

Seriously psyber. Just pull your engine out and ship it to me. You have such a huge boner for the ls swap. If you give me your motor suddenly there will be a hole in your engine bay for a v8. I'll even come pick it up.

I don't have a garage or driveway :(

Looks like it may have some suspension damage, alignment looks a bit off, but it might just be me.

I'll v8 swap a car on your dime. And drive it out

mine took a harder hit in same spot and the rear subframe was fine. in fact i put it in my replacement miata.

the diff carrier is probably cracked at the break-away point.

I got a full spare diff, so no problem there.
Just put in a bid. Now we'll see:likecat:

A tad of compression in the quarter panel, but the door gap looks okay. Definitely not as bad as mine was and it drives great now.

You have to see it up close to know. If the quarter to door gap is closed up, the unibody is bent forward of the shock tower and the tub should be scrapped.

Thanks for the advice everybody. The auction ends Wednesday morning. I put in a reasonable bid. I don't expect to make a loss if I get it- even if the tub has to be scrapped. It'll just be a lot of work to recover my investment!

Damnit. I bid $800. It went for $1,000.
Now let's look in the dessert areas, so I can get a rust-free shell.
Does anybody know how rusty Miatas from the southern Atlantic coast with no snow, but ocean close by, typically are?

I don't think any of the Gulf Coast states salt their roads much, if at all. Northern Texas may be an exception. FL, GA, AL, SC are usually good from my experience

Never having lived near any ocean :noob:, I was also worried about salt contained in spray in the air. I remember from various beach vacations that cars, that were near the beach a lot, seemed to be rusty beyond their years. Probably not a big issue in Orlando, but in the Keys we may have that problem.

my FL car had a bit of rust on the rear.

I told you: you have to lube the cast iron dildos!