So I went and looked at a miata that had smoked a pole and smashed the front end last week and I'm wondering if it is worth it to pick up and make into a racecar.

Here is the damage;



It doesn't look to serious from those shots but the metal in "this" general area is folded in on itself so it would have to be cut out and new stuff welded in..But I'm wondering if that is harder or trickier than I think it is.


I guess if I took it for a drive I would know if it would affect the handling of the car but I'm more worried about the cost of repairing it, doesn't have to be perfect (aslong as its safe), just good enough to race in.

Another problem will be sourcing a hood, they aren't too common up here and definately not cheap, custom make one maybe??

Well I thought I would just get some opinions on this before I buy it, the cost of the car is kinda steep, 1000bux but I have a buyer for the motor if I do pick it up so after that I'm looking at a fucked up chassis for $400 not the best deal but the best I'll find around here.

I'll get a couple pics of the damage tonite and post it up so its alittle more clear what exactly is smashed.


-Dean

 

Um...I'll give you a little* more than $600 for that supercharged motor.

 

Lol well I guess I should have known to post this..

OBVIOUSLY that is not the engine bay of the wrecked white miata as the circled area that I said is all fucked up looks completely fine, its the fastest pic I could find showing that general area that incured the damage.

 

I had similar damage when I hit a pole years ago. That was the last day the miata was stock for me. I had my bodyshop guy I know do all the work, it was pretty expensive. I went into it without knowing how much it would really cost though.



In any case it came out great, you cant even tell, and I've dumped loads of cash into this chassis over the past 5 years with no problems. I would say $1000 is a deal.

Vash-

 

DSC00239.jpg?t=1233203492





So thats her. Looks like I could pull that bumper support out and just reweld in a new custom rad support and pound out the hood alittle..

Opinions?

 

Although Miatas are pretty tough on the chassis/ frame department make sure the doors open and close smoothly without any binding. Same with the trunk. Any hang ups and you have more serious issues.

Tony

 

If you are just racing it, and don't care if it is a little sideways, Take a chain hoist to it. I'd hook it to a tree and here we go.
But why would you want to sell the motor? V8 project?

 

You can always find a car that took a pole in the *** and cannibalize its front clip.

 

that shouldn't be too bad. I noticed on my Miata that the body panels took most of the force when I was ran over by a trailblazer, the only chassis components I really had to fix was hammer the area under the headlight back out flat again. I don't think that damage is bad enough to have bent/askew the chassis, a side Impact would have been much worse on the chassis then a frontal or rear. We will just have to wait until Braineack posts in the thread, he has experience with poles and knows what they do more than I.

 

rope, 2x4s, BFH and a truck....all you need.

 

Cool, thanks guys, I would ditch the 1.6 to drop in one of my other motors, either build my old n/a 1.8 w99 head or my slap in the 323 built motor from my street car.

Hopefully I can convince the wife this is a good idea lol.

 

Pick her up tomorrow

 

I parted a Miata out last year and made $900 off a car I paid $300 for and still have the engine and tranny, this one wasn't even wrecked. I actually have an extra front bumper and hood, but shipping would rape you.