Some say that Mazda’s Miata is the perfect modern interpretation of the classic sports car. But with the Miata going on 25 years, and the 4th generation just unveiled, there are plenty of old beater Miatas out there, which means they’re a great creative canvas. They’ve been used for Lemons racing, converted to different powertrains, converted to look like other cars, and just made into things that are plain weird, like station wagons. With all the limo services in the US, you’d think a few would have been converted into stretch limos, but as it turns out a roadster does not really lend itself to convertible conversion. So if you want one, the pickings are slim, but this 1993 Mazda Miata stretch is for sale for $3400 in San Diego, CA.
From afar, the conversion looks fairly well-done from a body perspective, but you’ll want to make sure it’s not just a filler job that’ll crack after you go over a speed bump too fast. It’s said to run and drive well, and the seller even offers test-drive and walk-around videos to prove it. He even had a custom 2-piece drive shaft made to cure a vibration problem. Unfortunately, there is no top included, but if a soft top proves too difficult to deal with, a hard top should be relatively easy to extend.
Curiously, the headlights are not in place, although this would do so much to make the car look more finished. They are apparently in the trunk (part of a trunk-full of parts – is that really significant when talking about a Miata?), and a new battery is also included. The car was made of 2 crashed cars, and while it looks good overall, it would really benefit from a paint job.
The interior still needs some finishing – needless to say, there’s no carpeting template for the rear seat of a Miata. That said, it looks like some of the harder bits were transferred from the donor cars, and your main concern will be carpeting the floor, tunnel and sills. In the past, the car was listed for as much as $15,000, but the seller has realized he is unable to take it further or store it properly, and as such the price has dropped significantly since earlier this year.
The engine compartment is surprisingly clean for a car that has spent much time in storage – you’d expect more spider webs and dust. So what are we looking at? Major needs seem to be a top and some interior finishing, and perhaps a rollbar, but other than that, you’ll have the only convertible limo this side of Richard Hammond’s stretch MGF as used on Top Gear. It’s short money and little effort to be the star attraction any place you go.
Rusty But Trusty 
September 16, 2014 at 10:03 am |
I am now that much closer to having seen everything.
September 17, 2014 at 3:51 pm |
What Steve said.