Advice/ Thoughts on a Wrecked Miata

I now own a wrecked Miata. I have been brainstorming since Friday (the day my brother wrecked said miata) what to do with it. I was planning on selling it because i had too many insurance payments and owned too many cars. But now that the car is wrecked it opens up new possibilities. (in my mind at least)

Here are some ideas i had in my mind, read em over and give your thoughts or advice or what not.

A) Throw in the towel and sell it as it sits. I had my fun with the car so maybe i should just let it go and move on.

B) Completely part it out. My only concern with this is that i might only make as much as selling it out right but more effort and time involved.

C) Fix it to drive well enough, pretty it up a touch, strip it, throw R-comps on it and take it to the challenge. After the challenge i could sell it or part it out.

D) Much like Plan C but then keep it as a AutoX only car. Lighten the piss outta it and just drive it at my local clubs events

E) Buy a super clean tub and transfer my good parts over to it and keep it forever.

F) Make a locost. (highly unrealistic, but i was looking at an old thread on the website and was thinking how cheap i could build at least a autoX only car use front and rear subframes and all stock compnonets and just add some basic frame and a seat )

G) Strip all the parts needed to make a running car (whole subframe and electrical and just save/store it for a future project

Im really in a bind and would like to do something with it within a few weeks. So like i said whats your ideas, thoughts or what not with my situation

My vote would be option F. It would make a great Locost donor, or you could do what this guy is doing, using the front and rear subframes:

http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=8332

Mark

What end is messed up? If the rear end is what's left, find another rear end of a Miata and graft the two together, confusing motorists and showing up those fancy autocrossers with their front ends. Just need to make one end steer. If the front end is what's left, then graft on another front end. Keep the four wheel steering and two steering wheels. You'll destroy them at the autocross.

I'd vote for "D".

A miata with the windscreen hacked off makes me naughty bits tingle.

JeepinMatt wrote: What end is messed up? If the rear end is what's left, find another rear end of a Miata and graft the two together, confusing motorists and showing up those fancy autocrossers with their front ends. Just need to make one end steer. If the front end is what's left, then graft on another front end. Keep the four wheel steering and two steering wheels. You'll destroy them at the autocross.

as much fun as that would be, bumpsteer might cause a rift in the time space continuum.

I vote subframe based locost. Im no fab pro, but I imagine with functioning subframes, its a matter of some boddy work and tidying up, and not as complicated as it probably sounds (then again, i have never sayed my first weld, so i wont be too upset if you totally ignore this whole post...)

What are you getting your brother for Christmas?

http://www.skipbarber.com/

I would remove the body, weld the two subframes together and then go talk to the guy with the Subaru 360.

Dan

What do you WANT? Do you want a Locost? Do you want an autocross special? Do you want cash?

There's a fair range of effort in some of these options, and they're not mutually exclusive. For example, you can get the car driveable and enjoy it while you plan a Locost build or look for a clean tub.

One of my coworkers recently lost his Miata to an unlicensed, uninsured driver who's now on the way to jail. He's going for the "put all the good bits in a clean tub" option, made easier by the fact that there was a tub sitting about 50' from his desk.

Parting it can make good money. I cleared a total of about $2500 from a base model '97 I parted. I bought it for $400 (although it was straight and in decent shape), and I kept the big brakes and late rear end for my car. If your car has options like a Torsen or nice leather interior, you can make even more. But, if yours is still salvageable, it's probably not worth the effort to part it out, even if you can make some good money.

I dunno what i want exactly, i just figured that by it being wrecked it opened up new doors/ opprotunities. Trying to make lemonade outta my lemons here haha

option "F", If I had the scratch, and a shop, and the time, I would be building a westfield now...

Define wrecked. If totaled, make brother pull it apart, sell the interior/trim stuff, and keep the mechanical spares for the Miata that you buy with the insurence money. Then option D

A friend of mine needs the powertrain, since he just brought home a bugeye sprite, and thankfully, he's too smart to try to deal with too many british parts.

no insuracne involved with this one so that stings a bit

We just bought a car from a client who lost his lawsuit over the liability of a wreck(Judge found that they were both at fault because he swerved and hit a tree). Eric and I were going to take the good stuff off for ourselves and then sell the generic stuff. Eric then hit a lightpole at autocross and the plan changed. He got the parts to fix his car and I got the good stuff. We already have the roller sold when we get finished.
Old miata arent worth rebuilding in most instances but the parts can keep others going.

option k let me know what you want for it when you figure that out because i do want to build a locost in a couple years.

looks like a challenge car/ auto x only car.

$400 car. im waiting for prices from various sources to finilize value