42, Friends Helping Move Dead Bodies & Project Creep

A friend mentioned that his neighbor had sold her house and was selling off a couple of dead cars. I told him to pass her my email, and tempted as I was by the lovely VW, I couldn't resist the '91 Miata at $500 (original owner, 151k miles). The only catch was that it had to be moved stat before the new home owners moved in.

Here's a slightly damp picture:

It was parked 3 years ago in the moistness of Boulder Creek, CA, with a "clutch or tranny issue." Interior is mildewed to hell (note interior moisture in pic), paint is peeling, but over all the body is in great shape w/ a little surface rust that should buff right out (really!). Bonus: they'd swapped the ragtop for a '99/'00 glass window top a few years ago and it's in great shape. Poking at it, I decided the clutch slave cylinder ($45!) appeared to be the problem. I plunked down the $500 and figured I'd have a new daily ride in a weekend or two! Just have to swap the clutch slave...

Of course, if I'm swapping the clutch slave, I might as well do the master, too, right?

Even though it "ran when parked" and Chris remembered seeing it move from one pasture to the other this year, we couldn't get it to fire up on its own. Ether got it to turn over, but it would just sputter and die immediately. We poured some fresh gas in and that got it to crank on its own and run for ten or fifteen seconds, but that was the best she had to give. No big deal, I just have to "check for crud in the fuel pump and then swap clutch cylinders"

I was trying to get the fuel pump out to bang out whatever crud was in there, but some ambitious mice had built a lovely nest right on top of the tank. All that organic acid corroded the screws, which meant that yours truly managed to strip three trying to open the access panel. Gah! No luck with an extractor, and since the gas smelled really bad, my simple "check for crud in the fuel pump and then swap clutch cylinders" turned into a "drain the gas and drop the tank to get to the fuel pump and deal with the screws and then swap clutch cylinders..."

So I put the Miata on jackstands, and when I crawled under to drain the gas, I rolled right into a puddle of... water? I look up, and the channel under the driver's door is pouring water. My guess is bad rain rail + clogged drains. I jacked the passenger side up higher than the driver side and about a half gallon of water came pouring out. So now my "drain the gas and drop the tank to get to the fuel pump & deal with the screws and then swap clutch cylinders" has become "drain the gas and drop the tank to get to the fuel pump & deal with the screws, gut the interior and dry the car out, and then swap clutch cylinders"

Only, the bolts on the passenger seats are rusted to the brackets...

At this point, I realized that my hopes of having a drivable Miata in a matter of weekends were dashed, and this might as well just be a complete tear down and rebuild.

Wait, is that the world's smallest violin I hear playing for me and my $500 Miata that needs a little work? Yes, yes it is. Pardon me while I enjoy the concert! :D

Eh, the only reason I'm doing the "small violin" thing is because I'm jealous. Great score!

Apologies in advance, DollR..I'm a VW guy, and think I see an aircooled bus behind y'all in that pic. Any details? Not that I'm looking for one..I'm just curious.

In reply to friedgreencorrado:

No details, other than it was another "ran when parked" and that it was sold before I got there. In better shape than the Miata, too, no rust or leaks :D A $500 score for someone else. :( They were just trying to get rid of them with the least work. I was willing to take them both, I figured I could sell the VW to cover the Miata. ;)

dollraves wrote: In reply to friedgreencorrado: No details, other than it was another "ran when parked" and that it was sold before I got there. In better shape than the Miata, too, no rust or leaks :D A $500 score for someone else. :( They were just trying to get rid of them with the least work. I was willing to take them both, I figured I could sell the VW to cover the Miata. ;)

"No rust or leaks", eh? Yah..just wait till they get it home. Here's hoping they're just as stoked (but realistic) as you are about your new Miata.

That's just the jealousy speaking again, hon. It's been a long time since the last "adult children clearing the dead parents' homestead" sale I was fortunate enough to attend was a long time ago..

Man, I gotta pay more attention to the local rumors...

One of my life's goals is to be the guy my friends/coworkers know to tipoff to things like this.

Great catch!

Congrats on your purchase. This is the exact problem I have driving to Santa Cruz to look at mercedes parts because I know the moisture plus lack of sun plus hippies equals a mess.

nice score, and right out of my back yard too...

@benzbaron - Yeah, there are four big fat Dead stickers I have to scrape out of the windows, too. GRR!

@Capt Slow - I'd say "Sorry," but you know I'd be lying! :D I'll let you know when she's ready for a test run down Summit Road. :D

Good score. Looks like a fun project and nice writeup.

Nice score, I'm jealous.

Is the 42 reference in the thread title to the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything?

Nice score. I think you have to expect some issues with a $500 ran when parked several years ago car, so the scope creep shouldn't be a total surprise.

pigeon wrote: Is the 42 reference in the thread title to the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything? Nice score. I think you have to expect some issues with a $500 ran when parked several years ago car, so the scope creep shouldn't be a total surprise.

Yep. Miata = 42, the answer to life, the universe and everything.

Yeah, the project creep was no surprise. Mostly, it was amusing how "just put in a clutch slave cylinder" went to "just tear it down to the frame and rebuild" in the span of about four hours. :D

Nice score! Clean out the rear drains ASAP.

Plenty of nice interiors on craigslist in the n. cali area. Mine will be there come December when the interior will be gutted for a roll cage. :)

amg_rx7 wrote: Plenty of nice interiors on craigslist in the n. cali area. Mine will be there come December when the interior will be gutted for a roll cage. :)

PM me when it is! I figured I'd just steam clean everything and live with the vague mildew smell...

You might consider selling it to a Locost builders, for which it would be the perfect donor, then find another that's, um, less back-to-nature.

Can I just say that your husband/S.O/etc is very lucky?? First the Challenge, and then buying project cars out of a field.....all I can say is women like you are in very short supply. I'll bet you like sports and play video games too, don't you?

Carlotta,

I know what you mean about mildewed interior. I got my Miata from a guy who lived in that neighborhood. He had bought it from his neighbor who left it parked in the shade under a tree for many years. He got all the mechanicals working but never really cleaned anything, or fixed the leaking top. To my surprise and delight, 98% of the mildew came off with a good scrubbing using hot water, Simple Green, and/or Dawn dish washing liquid. The paint wasn't peeling, but it had fadded from red to a noice pastel link. It came back after a couple of hours work with a buffer and rubbing compound. It cleaned up far better than I thought it would.

One thing I would recommend is to pull back the front fender liners back and look at the bottom of the fender between front of the door and the rear of the front wheel well. if your Miata is anything like mine, there will be several years worth of leaves, sticks and pine needles bult up in there. Mine had composted very nicely. :-)

Congratulations on the car.

kb58 wrote: You might consider selling it to a Locost builders, for which it would be the perfect donor, then find another that's, um, less back-to-nature.

And lose the opportunity to customize my Miata? HERESY, man! This just means the damn thing gets put together exactly the way I want it.

I'm not a buy-and-drive kind of girl. :D

(And @Type Q: Thanks for the input!)

mrwillie wrote: Can I just say that your husband/S.O/etc is very lucky?? First the Challenge, and then buying project cars out of a field.....all I can say is women like you are in very short supply. I'll bet you like sports and play video games too, don't you?

Aw, you're sweet. Thanks! No hubby/S.O. these days. I always seem to fall into the "best friend/little sister" category, or I just terrify them. Besides, a relationship would just take away from my valuable car time. ;)

I think women like me are in short supply because we are rarely encouraged in our car/mechanical interests. I wouldn't be where I am without all the great guys off of the GTX mailing list, this forum and the Challenge - especially SVreX and Jonny Pruitt. So if a girl asks you to show her how to do something on her car - take the time to show her, don't just do it for her (unless that's what she really wants).

Btw, I used to do martial arts and I am, indeed, a hardcore gamer geek. :D

In reply to dollraves:

I think terrified is wrong. "Blinded by perfection" works better......outside of that, they're missing out.

I would love to share with anyone that had a desire to learn w/ me. I just haven't met many( meaning, I personally know of one..) that have interest in "guy things". I'm old and off the market anyway, but those are rare qualities these days.

Just enjoy being you. If its meant to be, it'll be.

P.S.--- You selling the GTX now that you have the miata?

mrwillie wrote: P.S.--- You selling the GTX now that you have the miata?

I've contemplated it. I have two, actually...one owned originally by MazdaSpeed racer Roger Mandeville and the one I rebuilt for $2010. I like the idea of keeping one (Roger's) mostly stock and modding the heck out of the other now that I don't have the budget restriction. ;) Tough to do with it still in Florida, though...

The Miata was meant to replace Roger's GTX as my daily in the short term with an eye on $2011. :D

Nice catch, convertibles make for fun rides. May I suggest you leave the Dead stickers ? Maiden voyage to Haight Ashbury, the stickers would be like a Clergy tag, or a homecoming banner.

TRoglodyte wrote: Nice catch, convertibles make for fun rides. May I suggest you leave the Dead stickers ? Maiden voyage to Haight Ashbury, the stickers would be like a Clergy tag, or a homecoming banner.

Wouldn't matter if I did; I take the train when I go into SF or make someone else drive!

Besides, I'm a cleaned-up redneck, not a hippy! More showering, less patchouli...

A motorheadisamotorheadisamotorhead...A Deadheadisadeadheadisadeadhead...The two are mutually inclusive. Redneckmotorheads can drive in San Francizco.