Saturday, July 31, 2010

More Pics

Just thought you all might like to see a couple more pics of my "Prize". It's not a bad looking car, is it! Nice looking trailer, too. Thanks for the help, Karl! You too, Leslie! I couldn't have done it without the help you two gave me.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

More Good News!

One thing that you must keep in mind is this. Despite my love of sports car, most of my experience has been with American iron, primarily Chevrolet. I'm still very much on the steep part of the learning curve when it comes to Japanese sports cars. Because of this, I have been doing a lot of research to learn the ins and outs of Mazda Miatas. Now here's the good news. Apparently when Mazda increased the Miata's engine to 1.8 liters, they also beefed up the differential. This I knew. What I didn't know was they also enlarged the brakes. The front discs were increased to 10" from 9.25", and the rears went from 9.125" to 9.875". This means the brakes from my '99 should work very well at retarding the forward velocity of a vehicle as light as my Locost. I consider this to be very good news. I should have world class deceleration without the expense of world class brakes.

Monday, July 26, 2010

I Found Some Digital Film

OK, here are the pictures of my prize. It's a complete '99 model with an extra engine and trans. Except for that R/F fender, the body's pretty straight. Can't wait to start in on it. The pic to the left explains why I got it so cheap. In addition to the rumpled fender, the frame and the A-arms are bent. That's OK, I don't need them for my Locost build.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

This Is Going To work Out Very Nicely!


I am SO blessed! First, after a day or two to recover from the trip to Kansas, I started to check out the Miata to find out just what I had bought. The poor car has definitely seen some harsh duty. I believe the cowboys would say "she was rode hard and put up wet". Still, it has everything that I need! The damage to the right front suspension seems to be confined to the A-arms, the wheel, and the frame (none of which I need). It has three good wheels, four good tires, and a good spare, all of which are immensely saleable. With the exception of the R/F fender, the body is still pretty straight, and all the windows, lights, lenses, etc. are good. The convertible top is good and the interior is fair. I did a "quick and dirty" inventory, then ran it through some car parts websites. I should easily be able to part it out and sell the unneeded stuff for $1000 more than I paid for the car. That will really help keep my "7" a Locost. Besides all the stuff that I don't need, The car has an extra engine and trans. The engine is partly dismantled and in boxes, but it's all there. Under the hood, there is a K&N air filter and someone has installed a remote oil filter along with a secondary oil pressure gauge. I have been praying about this since I decided to go forward with the project, and I truly believe that the Lord has answered my prayers. Needless to say, I'm a happy camper.

Secondly, I got to take a ride with Keith Tanner of "Cheap Sports Car" fame in his "7" ( courtesy of "Photo Shop". I can dream, can't I?). Someday, I'll take Keith for a ride in mine.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

I GOT IT !!! - Mk II

I left home this morning before 6:00 am. Now, 600 miles, 13 1/2 hours, and $1500 (plus, about $150 for transportation) later, I am the proud owner of one slightly misused 1999 Mazda Miata with extra engine and transmission. Let The Fun Begin! I still need to get my garage/work shop in order, and build my frame table, but things are definitely coming together. I'll try to get some pics up as soon as I figure out how to use our digital camera (I don't even know where to buy digital film) and how to post them. I am so a product of the early 20th century.

Monday, July 12, 2010

YES !!!

Well, looks like my dream is about to become a reality! By this time next week, a not so shiny and not so new Miata will be mine. I found a 1999, complete with extra engine and trans for $1500. It's been in a wreck and the right front corner is pretty sad looking, but none of the parts that I need appear to be damaged. With the loan of an SUV and a flat-bed trailer from friends, I'll be picking it up this weekend.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!

Well, it looks like I'm finally going to get my donor car! No, haven't sold the truck yet but an angel (figurative, not literal) stepped forward and offered to front the money for a Miata until I get the truck sold. I have a couple of good prospects on the line, just need to contact the seller(s) and finalize the deal. The car that looks most promising isn't drivable so will have to arrange for truck and trailer. Hope this time it goes a little quicker than it did with my chassis table materials! Happily, things seem to be falling into place.

Thank you, LORD!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

More Progress

As I work on getting the garage ready for the table project, other things seem to be falling into place. Last week our water well quit on us. We called a well guy that was highly recommended and got it fixed. After repairing the well, he expressed an interest in my 4WD Ford F-250, and told Carol to have me call him when I got back (I was on my way to Kansas City). I called and told him the price that I wanted and he was still interested. Said he would come over sometime next week and look it over.

I pray that this deal goes through as it will give me enough to buy my donor car and get the project going at last.