Electric overload(ed): Electrified 1998 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Another day, another Miata post on good old DT.  We've done a fastback, blown heart transplant and cream puff and there was once even a diesel conversion featured, so now today's answer is a plug-in electric conversion.  Supposedly, this is the future of classic car ownership, once the last gallon of crude is burned off in China while making a rubber spatula for Walmart.  I'm skeptical, but I'm always the last in line.  Find this 1998(?) Mazda MX-5 Miata EV - Plug in Electric Conversion for sale in Spanaway, WA for $29,999 via craigslist.

DTVideo: Mazda Friends & Family Weekend at Laguna Seca

Continuing our theme of videos on Sunday, check out the first "officially official" DT video! Last weekend, I (CFlo) and my wife had the opportunity to join in the Mazda Friends & Family trackday weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. I took some helmet cam video with my genuine SJCAM SJ4000 (accept no substitutes!) and put together a highlight reel of sorts. The car is our 1993 Mazda Miata project car, and the full writeup of the trackday prep and roll bar install will follow shortly.

Mid Week Match-Up BONUS ROUND: NA Miata for Jay Lamm

It's Thursday, which means time for the Twister...no, wait a tapdancin' minute, it's a special bonus round of Mid Week Match-Up! This is the game where a willing victim volunteer gets their automotive fate decided for them by angry hordes of bloodthirsty DT readers, er, nice sane people like you. This time we have a request for help from the Chief Perp of the 24 Hours of LeMons, everybody's favorite endurance racing series for $500 cars. That's right, the god-daddy of crapcan racing himself, THE Jay, has asked for our help to find a 1st-generation Mazda Miata. In his own words below, Jay is looking for...

Jay (in an inmate orange shirt on right) at the inaugural 24 Hrs of LeMons race at Altamont in 2006.
He's assisting an angel who is welding a training wheel to our Black Iron Racing E28 535i.

El Cheapacabra Update: Zero-Staging

Reviving a neglected or abused car is kind of fun, in my sick and twisted mind. I convince myself that I'm saving money (sure), but I know for a fact that it's satisfying to make such a sad little pile of parts into a respectable car again. It's only been a few weeks with El Cheapacabra, but the joys of NA Miata ownership have got a firm hold on me already. Especially considering the bargain basement $600 purchase price. For my stack of $20 bills (seriously), I got a mystery car with a clean title that had obviously been sitting under a tree for a few years. The front end was crunched at some point in the past, but nothing major stood out as being mechanically wrong. OK, so the tires were 10 years old and basically square, but that's an easy fix.

Introducing El Cheapacabra: the $600 NA Miata

Oh no, what have I done now? As if my own driveway and the collective DT Project Car stable wasn't yet large enough, I've gone and adopted this forlorn looking Miata. Armed with a penchant for checking craigslist every 10 minutes and a thirst for cheap trackday fun after driving a simple 1.6L NA at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca a few weeks back, I've been on the hunt for an el-cheapo Miata to convert into a low stress trackday car for my wife and I to drive. And with all of the Miata talk lately on the DT Radio Show, I thought it necessary to put (a very small amount of) my money where my mouth has been flapping. The creature presented itself this Tuesday. Here she is, my first NA.

10k: Cone Rat: 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata R-Package

 The first generation Mazda MX-5 Miata was sold from 1989 through 1999 in various parts of the world.  Near the end of the production lifespan, Mazda introduced an option package aimed directly at the autocrosser trying to shave tenths off his lap times by offered a striped down version known as the R-Package.  Few were sold and should not be confused with anything wearing the Honda Type-R badge, because it doesn't stand for rice.  Find this 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata R-Package offered for $13,000 in Grand Rapids, MI via craigslist.  Tip from Sneedy.

15k: The Frank And The Fastidious: 1993 Toyota Supra MkIV NA-Slushbox

The 6th installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise was released this past weekend, and while the first will be fondly remembered as an automotive themed remake of Point Break (complete with Paul Walker's stunningly accurate rendition of the Keanu Reeves "coma" style of acting) this latest version looks more like a crash fest of super cars and tanks.  FF6 is more an automotive themed version of Saving Private Ryan.  Regardless, the star of the first FF movie was a MkIV Supra, so we've been on the lookout for stock, cheap MkIV Twin-Turbo 6-speed Supras...and they don't exist.  What we did find is that 1993 Toyota Supra NA-slushbox for sale in Oahu, HI for $13,000 via craigslist.  We also would like to introduce DT's newest feature: The Frank And The Fastidious; the thinking man's version of the cars from the FF movies - send us your tips!