JayDee

This isn't how I planned to introduce myself.

After dreaming of a V8 Miata since the '90s I took the plunge and bought a car completed from a Martins kit. The car was wonderful right up until it caught fire in the parking lot at work. I had already put a couple hundred miles on the car without any problems. I drove the car to work in the morning, drove home for lunch, drove back to work and parked. About a half hour later a friend told me the fire trucks were there. I didn't believe him but unfortunately he wasn't kidding. There was an electrical fire in the wiring harness.

I was making plans to transplant all the goodies to another Miata, but I've decided I don't have the time or garage space to make it happen.
It's time to let someone else have the fun. This would be a great donor for someone looking to do the swap to their car.

Here is the Craigslist Ad. The car is near Harrisburg, PA
1992 Monster Miata V8 project car
I'm asking $6600, the matching hardtop is available for additional $ with the car.





Here is a link to the previous thread about the car:
https://www.v8miata.net/v8-miatas-sa...%2415500-1132/


JD

ToySnakePMC

Oh man..., I remember this good looking car on here for sale. That is awful news to hear and live through as an owner. I'm very sorry that you're having to experience one of my worst fears with our "custom cars." At this point, you may want to consider parting it out piece by piece to maximize your returns. The problems there is that it takes time, extra effort, and more heartache having to mess with it... GLWS, my friend.

charchri4

+1 to my biggest fear too. I keep 2 fire extinguishers on board but it would be no help sitting at my desk at work. I am really sorry for your loss. It must be really heart breaking for you.

+1 to parting it out you will come out way better than 6600 selling it a piece at a time.

Did you have comp insurance on it?

mrmustang

Sent you a PM through your craigslist listing.


Bill S.

caymantrackrat

WOW! I have been watching this car for Like 8 months> Talked to Steve about it twice. I'm headed to Penn. Tuesday for a family thing and got on the forum today to contact Steve to see if the car was still available. Bad news about the fire. Hope you had insurance that will cover your loss.

WolfGT

That's terrible. I don't know what I would do. But my suggestion is to not let the emotion of the situation dictate your decision. I would put it away for a bit and revisit it in a month or so if your finances allow. I think if you just dump it to someone else, you may regret it later. But the one picture you took doesn't really show the extent of the damage. Did the fire make it into the interior? Did it destroy the front suspension/tires/wheels?

charchri4

I bounced the photos from the craigs list ad around to my motor head friends and I really agree with what Wolf TG is saying. I think if you let the dust settle on it for a few weeks / months you will be recharged to tackle the project. I've stared at the CL photos for a good hour and if the body is clean on this car I'm not so sure swapping chassis would be easier than fixing what you have. There is just not that many expensive bad parts there and the good far out weighs the bad in the car. Even if you did swap the chassis it's still not such a huge project with all the good parts you have there.

Everyone that sees this is heartbroken for you. I know it's very discouraging. Did you have insurance you can collect on?

mrmustang

With the fire damage back in to the passenger compartment (electrical, or fuel related regardless), the metal fatigue and inherent weakness of it now makes the car a parts car. Look much closer at the picture showing the dash area on the passenger side, this cannot be fixed cheaply, or safely. No, this car is now a donor for another build, be it a Monster Miata, or an Exocet kit, but to think otherwise is unwise.

But then again, what would I know about bodywork and such


Bill S.

JayDee

Thanks for the advice about thinking it over before trying to sell it. I took my time and spent about 6 weeks looking at it and thinking about what I want to do. I may regret it but as of now, I would like to sell it.

My buddies have looked at it and they wanted me to just replace the damaged parts on the car. Sitting here looking at the car, I'm not convinced this car couldn't be saved, but I think the cleaner swap would be to look for a body and use this car as the donor. (I've told the same thing to the guys I have talked to on the phone)

I know that cheap used Miata’s are out there. (but they do sell quickly) Earlier this year I helped a good friend buy a $700 Miata out of Baltimore. (Before mine burned) It had 100k miles, was rust free, ran like crap and needed paint. We trailered it home and he found a plug wire disconnected. That solved the running problem. He wet sanded it, cleaned it up and it now looks presentable.

If it doesn't sell, I’ll end up rebuilding it, or parting it out, or if production ramps up and kits are become available Exocet it. If I hadn't already had driven the completed car for six weeks, I might be able to get excited about the (re)build. I don't think it would be that hard to swap everything over. Last year I resurrected a neglected ‘63 Rambler wagon with a blown engine. I swapped in a newer Javelin engine, and replaced everything else that needed fixing. I sold it to a guy who is using it as a daily driver.

One of the good things about using this car as a donor car is it was recently built, so it should come back apart easily. You won’t be dealing with 20+ years of rusty crusty fasteners.

About the insurance, all I had was liability insurance. My agent would only insure it as a stock ’92 Miata, and knowing what book value is on an old car and what the price of the parts were, I was concerned I wouldn't be able to buy the car back if it was totaled. Hagarty quoted me a price for agreed value insurance, and then refused to give me insurance saying a '92 Miata wasn't a “collectible” car. A couple other collector car insurance companies had restrictions I didn't like. I decided to roll the dice while I looked for someone who would insure it for an agreed value. I've been driving for over 30 years, have never totaled a car, and have 4 other vehicles so the Miata was going to be used much. Unfortunately this time I lost.

MRM331

If you do decide to swap it over to another tub my father and I may be able to help. It's actually a very easy project (we've done it before).

-Jason

mrmustang

Pay no attention to Jason, I've got my eye on a Laguna Blue tub that would be perfect for the swap and Jason is trying his best to keep from having another Laguna Blue V8 that would look better than his


Bill S.

Meierznutz

If it helps, I have a 95 parts car coming in that was bumped light in the passenger front fender. PM me an email address and I will make you a killer deal on the tub. I need the drivetrain temporarily for an Exocet project so I will be lifting the entire body/electrical off the roller skate. It's even Red so you aren't "Stealing" someone's color LOL.
If you have an engine hoist for your end I can even deliver the shell on my flatbed. PA is a one day trip for me!

JayDee

The car is sold, Thanks for the interest and input.