V8 Challenge Miata for Sale... Asking price fair?

Hello all,

Tom can delete this if he wants but I know where he lives. (About 100 ft south of me). We are trying to figure our a good asking price. If you know someone interested please pass it on. We have only advertised it in the print classifieds and have a lot of feedback but only from fly and drive guys who want a street car.

We have finally put back together our 2010 Grassroots Challenge Miata and are trying to figure a good asking price. A Lemons car came and really pushed the repair of this to the back burner but we are now ready to sell.

$4k is what we have in mind right now. If you might be interested or know someone who is let me know. gregory.k.voth@gmail.com Also feel free to repost to any forum you want.

We and the car are located in Daytona Beach, FL.

The car is a 94 Miata. The motor is out of an 87 Mustang and is stock with new gaskets through out. BBK headers run forward then under the crossmember, two glass packs then out the back. New water pump. New Master and Slave, T-5 trans with new clutch. Aftermarket M3 Aluminum Radiator. Turbo 2 RX-7 limited slip rear end. New Melling high volume oil pump.

Autopower Spec Miata Roll Cage

Interior is decent but there is no HVAC, Radio etc. Windows are not there and there is no top. It comes with a bunch of parts which should have everything needed for both.

Eibach Springs with KYB red adjustables. Flyin Miata front sway bar and stock rear sway.

Body is decent but there are plenty of scratches, dings and runs and imperfections in the paint but it is a good 10-20ft car. We accidently ran over the hood the day we were leaving for the race.

The clutch would not disengage so we had to start the car by being pushed to the line placed in second gear and use the started until the motor caught then shift by rev matching. We fixed the issue. The slave was not providing enough throw with where the pivot point was positioned.

Despite this we still placed 16th in the Auto-X with me driving (not a Pro) on 13 inch Yokohama A048. (The car would come with stock Miata rims and older Kumho 710) and/or the 13 inch Star wheels as seen in the pics with worn Sumitomos. We ran a 14.5 @97 with the same clutch problem. We believe it should easily be in the 13's with the clutch problem is fixed.

The car is race car and is probably best used as a toy, track or auto-x weapon. Maybe a fun cruise night car. It is loud, rough but handles well and has lots of power.

You can see a bunch of pictures in the car in my wife's album. https://picasaweb.google.com/lilblubaru/GRM2010Challenge?authkey=Gv1sRgCKLH0aeRkszKEQ#

Also this video from an autocross run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic81M-TmQV4

What do you all think a fair price for this would be?

Thanks,

Greg

Tried to check out the pics but they 404'd.

I'll bet if you even put a ratty top on it...it would have a wider market appeal. Limiting it to a track car only limits your audience. I think the price is right.

Curious, how many miles are on the drive train? Any idea?

Fixed the link...

We have a ratty top that comes with it. Also the windows that are just not installed.

No idea on the mileage of the motor. The car was bought in roller form with a motor and trans. It was a Challenge hopefull that ran out of budget and time plus had a baby. He reportedly bought it from someone else who started the conversion.

install the windows, get a decent top from someone building an SM, and list it as a street car for more money. one weekend of effort for perhaps another $1k in sell price.

or trade it to me straight-up for my 226k-mile '96 Probe GT. i will deliver.

It's kinda pretty in a stuffed purple dinosaur kinda way.

This one makes me smile.

It's not fair at all, I can't afford it

I still like this one best. Photo credit to Anthony Neste.

The car made Tom do this...

HINT:

Get rid of the pink stuffing! That is seriously limiting your market potential.

Its gone. I believe we took it off on Sunday when the event was over.

Look at the pics from this month. This is what it looks like next to the "Trash to Treasure" Miata as of a couple weeks ago.

i'm loving those star wheels, what are they?

Challenge car = $2010.00? Just kidding. Mastercard would say: Budget used Miata: $1000.00, V8 Conversion: $2500.00, Pink Roll Bar Padding: -$50.00. The confusion resulting from a Miata that does tire shredding, smoky burnouts: Priceless. OK, now the serious answer: I'd say you're pretty close, but maybe a little high with your $4000.00 estimate. Unfortunately, its probably not really suited to be a street car and it doesn't neatly fit into any motorsports niche. I'm sure its a crowd-pleaser at autocross, but probably too much of a handful for most drivers. Its very cool, but kind of a novelty. On the other hand, if you still have it when I hit the lotto, its mine, and I'll even give you the full $4000. Good luck with the sale

Afterthought: Market it as a drift car?

No idea what the star wheels are. They are 13X7 4x100 and 4x110. I bought them for $100 with decent tires from a 1st gen RX-7 guy. We ran them in Lemons on the Flyin Duece (mispelled just like I did on the car)

I figured I would get the $2010 answer. I would like nothing more than to show up with $10,000 and bring home any of Andy's cars, the west side guys Mirage, Vorshlag's LSX E30 or a handful of the other cars

We are over budget at this point. The budget doesn't include the cage, the new oil pump, alternator, the second seat and probably a couple other things we bought when repairing it. So I guess I should ask the $27XX we are into it. We could easily get it back down to challenge budget by removing the exhaust, seat and throwing on a junkyard alt and selling a few things.

Based on the Miata 5.0 conversions Ive seen for sale the only one that was asking under $6k was carburated with an similar paint problems and no suspension or rear end upgrades. I certainly don't think this thing is worth the $10+k that the Monster conversions go for.

It comes with the top and windows but the wiring for the windows would need to be ran along with the regulators and motors. I would thrown in some crank windows if I had them.

The car is a blast but would not be competitive in any class. None of the cars I own would be though so its never really mattered to me. The V8 Volvo draws crowds at an autocross and I usally win XP but only since I am uncontested. I think it would be great as an autocrosser/drift/time attack or open track day car. No national trophys in its future though.

Looking at it as a track car that is legal enough to not need to be trailered, and assuming it is reliable with no mechanical "conversion gremlins," I would think that $4,000 is a very attractive price. It's a good marriage between a good chassis and a fun motor. In a run-whatcha-brung race with a $4,000 claim rule you would do pretty awesome, I think.

But marketing just to the track day crowd means you're limited to a fairly small market.

David

I sold my Challenge Miata last year and had trouble getting $2010. Hopefully you have better luck then I did.

Threw it on craigslist and have had two scamers and one motorsports photographer interested. He will be in town for the Pepsi 400 and wants to drive. it back to Michigan

On the one hand I am fine with the idea since once they give me cash its theirs and I have described and put up all the faults I can think of. On the other hand if they get an hour out of town and it blows up I'd feel like crap. I also don't think I have the heart to not help them out.

The car has been driven maybe 20 miles and seems fine but has not be registered so its not been sorted from driving it often.

hmmmm, I've always wanted a V-8 miata and I'm getting a little bored with my turbo brick....like I said, hmmmmm

I havent seen a much cheaper way to get into a running one.

With my still somewhat limited experience of 5.0 stuff you are looking roughly $300 or so for a motor, $400 for a T-5. The driveshaft was about $250. A roller Miata ends up being $500-$1000. Then there is the after market suspension stuff, new clutch, Turbo 2 rear end, roll cage etc.

This motor has new head gaskets and other gasket/seals throughout. The internal stuff is original though. New water pump, alternator, high volume oil pump etc.

I also found someone who has a lot of questions (that were already answered) that is trying to buy it for her mother! I asked her to send me a money order in more than the asking amount and I will send the remaining balance back.

Does anyone know if Greg sold the Miata? I just cleared up a spot in my garage and I keep staring at his ad in the back of the magazine.

I do believe it has been sold.

Its true. Sold last week and is living near Tampa, FL. It made the 3ish hour trip from Daytona to Tampa without problem from what I'm told.

Although we thought that the clutch had been worked out the new owner said he thinks its slipping. We might have spaced it out incorrectly after it not releasing at the event . The clutch itself is still new..