Was this NB in a collision ?
#1
Was this NB in a collision ?
I bought my first Miata at the end of last year and have been collecting parts for a Kswap and disassembling the car slowly since then.
I am at the point where I'd like to repaint the car before starting on the swap. I was about to start removing EVERYTHING from the engine bay so that I could do a color change and I started noticing what I think is evidence that this car was in a collision at some point.
Let me know what you think and how bad do you think it is. Car drove fine before with the Miata engine....but I also can't say I was being THAT critical at the time.
There are multiple dents in the engine bay, circled in yellow.
There is a good amount of a soft/gooey substance at the bottom of the passenger side shock tower brace.
There are 4 small holes drilled on the inside of the fender wall under where the windshield wiper motor is.
The sheet metal underneath the driver side fender is wrinkled.
I am at the point where I'd like to repaint the car before starting on the swap. I was about to start removing EVERYTHING from the engine bay so that I could do a color change and I started noticing what I think is evidence that this car was in a collision at some point.
Let me know what you think and how bad do you think it is. Car drove fine before with the Miata engine....but I also can't say I was being THAT critical at the time.
There are multiple dents in the engine bay, circled in yellow.
There is a good amount of a soft/gooey substance at the bottom of the passenger side shock tower brace.
There are 4 small holes drilled on the inside of the fender wall under where the windshield wiper motor is.
The sheet metal underneath the driver side fender is wrinkled.
#3
Moderator
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 20,664
Total Cats: 3,013
It's been wrecked. That driver's inner fender top, wow. And the dent pull weld pin marks on the passenger side inner fender. I bet it will take your breath away if you loosen those ~8ish bolts and pull the fender off and look behind it. I'd do both sides and see what you are working with since you've gone this far stripping it.
#4
Elite Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,552
Total Cats: 196
Id put it back together and sell it, and buy a non damaged one.
with the amount of money/effort it takes to kswap, i would start with a clean shell.
nice rollers can be had for under $1k with blown engines on craigslist.
with the amount of money/effort it takes to kswap, i would start with a clean shell.
nice rollers can be had for under $1k with blown engines on craigslist.
#5
Putting it back together isn't an option. Motor, header, exhaust were sold. But I did get vmaxx coilovers, hard dog roll bar w/ harness bar, racing beat sway bar/end links, aftermarket wheels, and aluminum radiator out of the deal if I decide to look for a cleaner shell
Last edited by JustinD2473; 06-28-2020 at 12:00 PM.
#7
Been down this road, mine not so bad though. Seconding getting it checked for square on a chassis rig. Have a close look at both subframes, for both damage and/or modz to make them fit a not-square chassis. The latter was the give-away for mine.
If it is a track car with a full cage, structural rigidity will not be an issue. A road car with a half cage, or nothing, not so sure what effect those 'repairs' would have on chassis dynamics.
If your budget can stand it, the quickest and surest way to a trouble-free build with full peace of mind would be a new (straight) shell.
If it is a track car with a full cage, structural rigidity will not be an issue. A road car with a half cage, or nothing, not so sure what effect those 'repairs' would have on chassis dynamics.
If your budget can stand it, the quickest and surest way to a trouble-free build with full peace of mind would be a new (straight) shell.
#8
Moderator
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 20,664
Total Cats: 3,013
The subframe bolts to the sheet metal chassis. The sheet metal chassis looks like it was really bent where the two come together. Therefore it is very suspect. I would look further for a good chassis.
#9
Putting it back together isn't an option. Motor, header, exhaust were sold. But I did get vmaxx coilovers, hard dog roll bar w/ harness bar, racing beat sway bar/end links, aftermarket wheels, and aluminum radiator out of the deal if I decide to look for a cleaner shell
IMHO once a car has been crashed that hard it's never the same. I would not use that one as a starting point for a build.
--ian
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post