We have to “thank” BangShifter Kris Davis for sending us the link to this 1990 Mazda Miata “rat rod” that was for sale on Craigslist in Florida recently. The car is one of the more insane mash-ups of themes and parts that we have ever seen and that is certainly an honor to bestow upon it because we have seen a LOT of crazy junk for sale over the years.
We’re not really shedding tears about someone doing something gnarly bad to a Miata. We’re not haters of the little sports cars but it isn’t like this thing in stock form is something that we spend out nights dreaming about. They are fun little cars that are literal throwbacks to the old school sports cars of decades ago that put the driving experience first and all the other stuff second. Why someone would be triggered to make this mess happen to one is literally beyond out comprehension.
So firstly we have all the headlights which give the thing a movie prop look, the Mercedes grill which also has the big Mercedes logo atop it, the expertly added “primer spots” which may be to give the illusion that this thing just isn’t quite done yet, the wide white wall tires on all for corners, TRAILER FENDERS up front, and lastly the tractor style hood that we cannot identify an origin for. Got any guesses?
The best thing about this car? The fact that it started as a Miata and nothing we were actually into got disfigured to hell.
CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS AND THEN HIT THE LINK TO SEE THE CL AD!
CRAIGSLIST AD LINK: THIS 1990 MIATA “RAT ROD” IS….AWFUL
The hood probably still has the “Frigidaire” emblem on it.
The top is worth more than the car. it might make a fun Field Car. When you bash a tree in a “Gran Turismo” drift move, nobody will care.
I actually really like it, and I’m more than a little ashamed to admit that.
It’s uglier than sin, there’s no way around it, but it’s also quirky and kitbashed and guaranteed to piss people off wherever you take it.
If the Miata suspension is untouched, then it’ll still handle well, the engine is basically the same block as the old Ford Duratec, so Ford and Mazada speed parts will bolt on.
I’d haggle the seller down to $1000 (there’s plenty of room for this to sink) Gut the interior and sell all decent parts to an enthusiast to recoup some of the losses. Clean up the electrical, do some finish work on the front “clip” to make it a bit more sound, go through the drivelines and have a fun track day car for a fraction of the cost.
yep – shoulda dropped the Orange Sunshine acid insteada the Brown….
Dat ol’ brown acid – makes you think even a pile of shit is gold plated!
You can polish a turd bit its still a turd.
Looks like something the guys from Road Kill would build and then try and drive it across country in 2 days.
It’s a 1990 Mazda Methata.
I have seen a Miata rat-rod done before, and it was done well. It had a Ford V8 and a bunch of other 32-Ford styling cues and as much as I hated to admit it, i thought that it kinda worked.
However this one does not.
Death by flamethrower would be too kind.
Rat rods are just awful.
The End.
theres a fine line between ratrod and cobbled up shit. but a clear boundary between something one off and tasteful and something that is wasted effort; which is the category ratrods and cobbled up shit happen to fall in. put that turd outta its misery.