Potential Project Purchase
 

Hi guys, looking for a winter project. Stumbled upon this, I have a bp4w that would be used. The only issue I see is not having heat in the car. I know the front cage bar probably will make things difficult. I have a complete parts car that I can rear into. What are your thoughts?
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...bc63ad9329.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...83b3802f6a.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...de912c5e0f.jpg

That's definitely a project car.

I tend to shy away from other peoples' half-finished projects.

What's your intended usage? Daily driver? Track-rat with trailer? Launching it at the NJ state capitol building in Trenton with a trebuchet?

Really build a street drivable track car. Here's a little bit of a build sheet. I can purchase it for $3800, decent deal it seems.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...327eeda6c7.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...13359a08fd.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8198514f05.jpg

Based solely upon the screenshots you posted, I would not take that car if it was free, unless my intent was to strip a few useful components out of it and use them to build a different car.

That thing's been on Craigslist for a good 18 months.

$3800 ??!? Not with yours or his, or anyone else's :rofl:

The owner is now looking to part this out. It was posted in one of the Miata FB groups over the weekend. FYI.

Yeah I have decided to not go this route, having no heat in the car is my biggest issue and with the cage in the car looks like it will be a hassle. Found another "project" turbo car that needs some wiring. I like the fact that the car is red and will match the hardtop I already own. Plan is to remove the bp4w that is in my car currently and do rods and pistons over the winter. Also color matching the flares is on top of the list. Here's a pic. Biggest thing to me is that he says it is 100% rust free. Obviously have to look at it but for $3500, with a begi s turbo kit, torsen rear, ms3, and other bits I think it's a better route.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4ed55238c2.jpg

Where are you finding all these shit boxes? Stop even considering things like this. Half started projects, doesn't actually mean half finished.

[QUOTE=ryansmoneypit;1513289]Where are you finding all these shit boxes? Stop even considering things like this. Half started projects, doesn't actually mean half finished.[/QUOTE
I'm from the north east so finding a clean shell is a hard enough, about 90% of the cars up here are rusted to hell. So clean shell, torsen rear, clean paint, ms3 ecu, clean interior. Doesnt seem a terrible way to spend $3500.

Look for cars in the south east, fly down and drive home. You will save so much money and get a much better car.

Both of those look like dumpster fires.

So I am.

In late 2014, I bought a completely stock, unmolested '04 with literally zero rust for $5,000 from a guy in New Jersey. I grant you, this is not the rule, but it does happen.

If you genuinely want a rust-free car, take the advice above and shift your search to a part of the country in which clean, rust-free, non-project cars are commonplace. Even if I had to buy sight-unseen and also pay a freight company to deliver it, I'd much rather do that then spend god knows how much time and money un-fucking someone else's half-assed project car.



EDIT: from a purely selfish standpoint, if you ultimate goal is to wind up with a car that looks like the ones posted above, then by all means feel free not to start with a completely stock car in good condition.

I just cant bring my self to buy a car unseen and spend $1000 to have it shipped to me. Add another 3-4gs to get a turbo set up I'm looking at 10k plus. I have a full garage and time off in the winter so actually kind of looking for something that needs some tinkering.

See, this is where I'm having trouble deciphering your message, specifically with regard to the "actually kind of looking for something that needs some tinkering" comment.

I'll go ahead and acknowledge that your idea of "some tinkering" may diverge from mine.

In my world, building a good car from scratch based on a clean, unmodified chassis is a separate thing entirely from the "having shards of broken glass shoved up my asshole along with tobacco sauce" experience which is typical of taking on someone else's "nearly finished" Craigslist car.

Now, to be fair, I freely acknowledge that we each have our own personal tastes. As for myself, I'm very much into white girls with pixie-undercuts. (Separate thread.) So if having broken glass forcibly shoved into your asshole is what does it for you, then I'm not going to judge. MiataTurbo, after all, is a very open-minded place.

Here's a build sheet on the car.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4ae90e6cd9.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...da4dd625f3.jpg

I'd mess with that for about $3k, sure. Worst case, learn how much salvaging something like that sucks, part it out, and still come out even or ahead.

My biggest issue with it are the looks. Those overfenders are horrendous. The trunk spoiler is horrendous. The wheels don't fit and are terrible in general.

It's just a really gross car. Mechanically, assuming it all actually works (i have my doubts, from someone who made their car look like that on purpose), you could do worse.

Both those cars are CL whores. I've been following the black one for awhile. It was up in CT as a nice build, and this owner now parted out all the real goodies so the some assembly required is aka full engine build.

The story on the red one with "the previous owner blew it up by using the wrong oil so I put another motor in it and its 99% done no miles bro" IMHO Id shy away.

my .02

low ball this guy part out what you can, drop a 1.8 in the lighter tub & enjoy.
https://longisland.craigslist.org/ct...734652486.html