Sawzall miata "build" thread
#1
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The goal for this car is cheap fun.
Use: Autocross & nice day drives with one of the kids
I found this website after doing a google search on sawzall miata. I found RHarris' thread and then posted to it, but because I'm doing better with this project at taking pictures along the way, I figured I would start my own "build" thread and go with it. I say "build" thread, because I'm mostly dissassembling the car, not really building it, but hey...
I bought the car about a month ago and started carefully removing parts so they can be resold.
Since then I've been selling parts and sent the car to a friend's body shop so they could do some seam welding prior to the cage so the car won't fold up when driven hard.
I'm going to try to remove everything from this car that doesn't make it stop, go, or turn better...without sacrificing rigidity.
I know a 7 replica would be lighter, but I want this thing to be a sub $2k vehicle with minimal effort.
Use: Autocross & nice day drives with one of the kids
I found this website after doing a google search on sawzall miata. I found RHarris' thread and then posted to it, but because I'm doing better with this project at taking pictures along the way, I figured I would start my own "build" thread and go with it. I say "build" thread, because I'm mostly dissassembling the car, not really building it, but hey...
I bought the car about a month ago and started carefully removing parts so they can be resold.
Since then I've been selling parts and sent the car to a friend's body shop so they could do some seam welding prior to the cage so the car won't fold up when driven hard.
I'm going to try to remove everything from this car that doesn't make it stop, go, or turn better...without sacrificing rigidity.
I know a 7 replica would be lighter, but I want this thing to be a sub $2k vehicle with minimal effort.
#3
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The way I bought it. A VERY used 06/89 Miata
The guy I purchased it from is a friend of a friend. He had owned it since 2002 and it was his daily driver.
It was customized while sitting stopped in traffic. The 18 wheeler in front of him began rolling back and contacted the car just above the bumper cover. It pushed the car backwards and into a pickup truck behind him that contacted the miata just above the rear bumper cover.
I had been thinking about building an open wheel miata for awhile so when the friend told me about it and showed me a few pics on his phone, it was game-on!
The guy I purchased it from is a friend of a friend. He had owned it since 2002 and it was his daily driver.
It was customized while sitting stopped in traffic. The 18 wheeler in front of him began rolling back and contacted the car just above the bumper cover. It pushed the car backwards and into a pickup truck behind him that contacted the miata just above the rear bumper cover.
I had been thinking about building an open wheel miata for awhile so when the friend told me about it and showed me a few pics on his phone, it was game-on!
#11
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Just picked up from the body shop, dropping it at the cage shop.
This is how I drove it.![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
The power was out at the cage shop because of all of the recent tornadoes in our area. His power has now been restored so we will begin the cage design Monday.
These pics are up to date, I'll post some more once the cage starts going in.
This is how I drove it.
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
The power was out at the cage shop because of all of the recent tornadoes in our area. His power has now been restored so we will begin the cage design Monday.
These pics are up to date, I'll post some more once the cage starts going in.
#20
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Picked it up from the cage shop this afternoon and drove back across Bham in rush hour traffic. It was raining when I left to go pick it up, but at least it had stopped before I started driving.
Obviously I still have a lot to do, but at least the cage is done so I can start cutting some more.
Obviously I still have a lot to do, but at least the cage is done so I can start cutting some more.